(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

~Some Chickadees at My Deck Feeders~

Happy New Year!
Thank you to everyone who reads this blog and has commented on my various posts. I really appreciate your time in looking and hope to see you here next year!
I'm working on more things for you, so please come on back!
Meghann

Tuesday's Treasures

Today's Treasures are a bit of a cheat - my other store, Little Low Allergy Kitchen is now offering individual recipes for sale! I am so excited about this as I have had problems shipping the actual baked goods to people. Now you can have these delectable baked goods fresh from your own kitchen, in record time, without shipping charges!! I currently only have a few recipes for sale, but keep checking back as I'll add more recipes often. If you have any suggestions, please let me know and I'll do my best to satisfy your craving :)
My Little Studio Photography and Jewellery Etsy Store is still having its 50% off sale so keep checking up on that as I add more items to the sale frequently. I am also awaiting a HUGE jewellery supply order to make lots more goodies to tempt you!
That's all for now,
Meghann

Soulful Sunday

For today's installment, I thought I would talk about this month's charity, Epic Farms. The white horse above, Lady, is a gray Arabian with a tumor on her belly. Arabians (particularly light-colored ones) are susceptible to tumors, and they are hard to remove because horses' skin doesn't heal the way ours does. It isn't as stretchy so it takes a lot of veterinary care to heal wounds. This means a lot of money, so I am glad to be able to help out in any way possible. This month it looks like I will be able to donate about $12 to Epic Farms. It's not a lot of money, but given the state of the economy, and my lack of sales this month, it is pretty decent. It definitely makes me feel good, that's for sure!
I am still having my SUPER 50% off sale on my Etsy store, so check it out as 10% of my total sales before taxes re donated to each Charity of the Month!

Fabulous Friday

~So Sleepy!~

Today's Fabulous Friday is brought to you by... SLEEP! Yes, glorious, wonderful, restful sleep. I've been so go-go-go the last month that I almost forgot I could sleep (well, that and the Fibromyalgia causes insomnia so it was a double-whammy!). Today we slept. Had lunch. Napped. Had dinner. Sat on the couch and watched TV. Went to bed early (or I will go to bed early - we haven't hit that yet). The dog was knackered. Pure tuckered out by Christmas at my parents' house yesterday. All that attention and turkey from grandmom sure got to her! I don't normally allow 'human food' to e given to my animals, but plain turkey and plain veggies are ok, and grandmom knows this so every few minutes I'd hear, "Shhhh don't tell your mom!" and then I'd hear Arwen munching and licking her lips. Lucky dog! Eating is hard work so she sure needed her naps today :)
We had a great Christmas. sure, the gifts were great (fabulous actually!), with me getting some great books and DVD's, plus a fabulous gift certificate to my favorite gardening store, but it was seeing family again and visiting, catching up and laughing. My mom also does a fabulous table spread with lots of veggies and fruits, cheeses and homemade crackers, and dinner is always divine with her stuffing and turkey so tender you don't ever need a knife. More veggies, followed by the yummy shortbread and fudge that I made ended the evening wonderfully. All in all, it was a FABULOUS Christmas and I am exhausted!

Reminders: the SUPER 50% off sale is still on and more items have been added to the sale!
Also, there are only a few more days to enter the December Monthly Blog contest. It is free to enter and you could win a great prize!
That's all for now, I'm going to have a FABULOUS rest!
Meghann

Thankful Thursday - Merry Christmas!

I had to do it. She was so cute and trying to get my attention that I just HAD to try and get a photo with her in a Santa hat under the tree. It mostly worked! She is looking a little unhappy, but she is still very cute and I am Thankful that I get to share the photo with you!
I am also thankful it is Christmas (what a great coincidence that Thankful Thursday landed on Christmas!!), so that I can see my family, spend time with my husband and dog. I am thankful to all my friends and e-friends for being so great! Thank you to everyone who reads this blog, and thank you to everyone who has a blog that I read - you are great entertainment and I hope you keep on for a long time to come!
I wish you, your family, friends and paws a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!
Merry Christmas!
Meghann

Wordless Wednesday

~A Quilt My Mom Made for Me Last Year~

~The Center~

~Top Corner~

Don't forget about the SUPER 50% off sale in my Etsy Store or the monthly blog contest!
Happy Christmas to all who don't see my blog post tomorrow :)
Meghann

Soulful Sunday

I thought Sundays would be great for something 'Soulful', so from now on, Sundays will be "Soulful Sundays" where I talk about something meaningful.
I put my tree up the first week of December, but I've been trying almost everyday to get Arwen to prick up her ears in front of it for a good photo....this is the best I've been able to do. She always does her 'I'm so innocent and cute look' with her ears back, but if you don't know her, you'd think she was about to attack you, as with her ears back she looks a little scary. Rest assured, this is her friendly look, and she even brought her friend the crab into the photo with her! I decided to do the tree in a burgundy and gold theme, and even managed to find some gold and burgundy ribbon to make bows out of. I really miss Gandalf, who passed away this past November, and putting up the tree reminded me of his absence. I am now able to put the tree up without him trying to climb it, I can put ornaments in the lower half of the tree without knowing that I'll hear a little tinkle-bounce-bounce-bounce in the middle of the night as he would take off the ornaments (even the tied on ones) and chase them around the house, and there is a conspicuous grey patch on the non-washable tree skirt where he would lie and survey us from the depths of the bottom of the tree. All this has really reminded me as to what really matters to me for Christmas - family, friends and paws. I am so grateful to have my husband and dog here for me at home during this season, and I can't wait to see the rest of my family on Christmas day.
I hope you all have a safe, happy and thankful Christmas and New Year!
Meghann
P.S. Even more items have been added to the SALE 50PERCENT OFF Section of my Etsy store so don't forget to check it out!

Sweet Saturday - the FIRST of Many!

This is the first of many 'Sweet Saturday' posts where I will stop talking about myself (thank goodness) and post about other people's work I find pretty, sweet and and cute - you know, stuff that warms your heart :-)
The hats above are from Loopy4Ewe, a seller on Etsy and a fellow member of the Capital Crafters Etsy Street Team. Recently, my sister in law had a baby and my husband and I wanted to get something nice for her and the baby. Although I can crochet, I wasn't too confident in my abilities to make a hat look like a hat, so we dropped by Loopy4Ewe's Etsy shop as I had heard that she was selling hats all over the place. Needless to say her shop has many delightful things, and I could have spent all my money (as well as my husband's!) in there. We decided, however, on her custom flapper hats. They are beautiful, affordable and come in many colors. We got one for my sister in law, and a matching one for the baby and all I can say is WOW! They were finished quickly, were shipped even faster, and looked just like the photos on the website, it was AMAZING! They both loved their gifts, by the way, and wear their new matching hats everywhere together, so thank you Loopy4Ewe, you made gift-giving so easy and stylish!

In other news, I have more items listed in the 50% off section of my Etsy Store (like these sterling silver earrings for just $10!!), so go check it out! There are lots of great deals to be had :-)
That's all for now!
Meghann

Fabulous Friday!

~This bracelet will make anyone feel Fabulous!~

I have decided, in the interests of making my blog ideas easier to come up with (okay, we all realize I am creative with crafts, not words!), I am trying to have each day correspond to a theme ie: Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Fabulous Friday, etc. Of course, not being particularly loquacious (I had to throw that in there), I am having a hard time figuring out neat alliterative words that I could use for jewellery blogging on each day. Any ideas?
Today, however, is Fabulous Friday and I thought I'd show you a piece of mine, as well as a creation from a friend of mine, Louise Ingram.
The bracelet above is something I have had the inspiration to create for a long time. I love chainmail, but I wanted to give it a girly (but not too girly) edge. I added over 80 flower shaped shell beads in various colors, with no two shells of the same color being right next to each other (ok, a little finicky, but worth it for the color scheme!). I also made wonderful earrings to match, these with the colors being mirror-imaged for beautiful continuity.

These beads by Louise Ingram of Fireseed are absolutely fabulous in every way. She makes these delightful lamp work glass beads, known as "Monkees" in her workshop in Merrickville. She is almost entirely self-taught, which makes these adorable beads even more fabulous. She also makes the most wonderful cake testers, available on her ArtFire Store, as well as having an Etsy shop, and a few other things going on as well. You can see her website for more details. I have made quite a few pieces with her beads as main components and I have to say that these beads are worth every penny, making my creations come alive with beauty and uniqueness. If you want something Fabulous for a gift or special creation, check out Louise Ingram, the "Glass Queen" as I have now decided to call her :-)
I have more items listed in the SALE 50 PERCENT OFF section of my shop, I do hope you'll check it out, there are lots of GREAT deals! Even items that aren't on sale are always well priced so please check out my Etsy shop for more beautiful, unique items.
Also, don't forget the monthly Contest, ending soon!
Meghann

New Earwires!

~New Earwires!~

I had a really cool request a little while ago - a client wanted to have really cool ear wires for her jewellery creations. She had the idea for them, based on a few other designs, but wanted them in sterling silver, and wanted them bigger than the average decorative earwires (most of them being tiny, and rather wimpy in my humble opinion). These are a few of the fantastic results! I'll be listing these and many more soon, as well as more items in my SUPER 50% OFF SALE. Keep checking the Etsy store for more cool, affordable things!
Meghann

~Another Beautiful Custom Necklace~

Here is another beautiful creation, custom made for a very special friend. She is giving it as a Christmas present, so she will have to remain nameless, but I have to say that this was one bear of a necklace to make, being my first 'woven' piece ever. It did, however, turn out beautifully and I am thinking of ways to make others for sale on my Etsy shop. They won't be quite as ornate though, as this one took many, many hours, lol. This was made using Czech glass seed beads, Czech glass druk (round) beads, tumbled Turquoise nuggets and a turquoise round donut pendant....GORGEOUS!
Of course my SUPER 50% off Sale is still going...and there is still time to have it delivered before Christmas (some areas may need additional postage, so contact me if you are unsure). Of course, at these prices, you can easily afford to get yourself some gifts, and even get a head start on next year's Christmas shopping (remember how you always say you're going to do that???).
Check out my Etsy Store for more items added to the 50% off section daily!
And don't forget to enter the December contest of the month to win a great prize!
Meghann

Best Sale Ever!!

~Insert Fireworks Here~

So I decided to up my sale AGAIN.
Now almost everything in the store is 50% OFF!
I'll be adding more items so keep checking back and remember: it's not too late to have these items mailed to your recipients on time for Christmas!!
Check it out!! www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com
And the deadline for the December Blog contest is quickly coming up so don't forget to enter!
Meghann

Sale-ing a Sale-ing a Sale-ing We Shall Go!

The Buy 2 Get One Free Sale in my Etsy store is still going very well, a few people have taken advantage of the wonderful deals in my shop and have some beautiful, handmade jewellery to give as Christmas presents!
I wanted to give you more, though, so if you purchase over $100 worth of items, after discounts, you'll get a free surprise! All jewellery does, of course, come in a handmade gift box so it is ready for gift-giving - you don't even have to wrap it! I can even send the item directly to the recipient if you would like.
Plus, you don't have the line ups, crabby clerks, and grabby shoppers to contend with (and don't even get me started on the parking!)
Happy shopping, and don't forget to enter the free monthly blog contest to win great prizes ;-)
Meghann

Time to Think of next Month...

~Want to Learn to Make This? You Can - Thursday January 15, 2009!~

Well the first class I taught at The Bead Store in Kemptville was a huge hit. The pendant was finished by the end of the class and the participants got to wear them home! They loved the project and now have some new techniques to add to their repertoire. I had so much fun, so a big thank you to all who came out!
The next project is the one you see above. This is a beautiful nested ring with sterling silver wire and Czech glass beads surrounding a beautiful focal stone, in this case a carnelian melon. This will be taught by me at The Bead Store in Kemptville on Thursday, January 15 from 7PM to 9PM. It will be lots of fun, so I really encourage you to come out and try it. It is a great way to get out of the house and escape those January doldrums, plus it is an affordable project and you'll have a beautiful ring to give away (or keep!) by the end of the class. Check out their website for details: www.rideau-art-beads.com
The SUPER SALE is still going strong in my Etsy Store, so check it out as there are lots of great affordable gift ideas and there is still time to get it mailed to you (or directly to the recipient) before Christmas. See the sale here: www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com :)
Also, don't forget to enter the December blog contest to try and win a wonderful prize! Everyone is eligible, so enter and tell your friends too - you never know...you just might win!
Meghann

The Sale Gets Better!

Alright! The SUPER SALE just got even better! This one is for one week only, starting now:

Buy 2 Items
Get One Item Free!

The third item must be of equal or lesser value to the lowest priced item, and cannot be combined with another offer (not on previous specials, sale or custom items). Hurry - these items are going to go fast!
Shipping may be delayed slightly (2-3 days) due to sales volume.
Hurry to get your shopping done now - there is still time to have it arrive before Christmas :)
Also don't forget to enter the December Blog contest!
Hope you like it!
Meghann

Too Cool!

~This jewel bag, complete with pockets, is too neat!~

For my first time sewing, and sewing on a machine with two different kinds of fabric, I have to say that I am VERY pleased with my new jewel bag! It's prefect for traveling to keep your jewelry organized: I made it out of a circle of a soft, shiny fabric inside and a heavier tapestry-like fabric on the outside. Then I made a smaller circle of the same materials and then sewed lines into the whole thing to make pockets to hold smaller items. The large pocket (the main pouch) holds necklaces and bracelets while the small ones hold earrings, rings, you name it. Plus it opens flat so that you can pack, or unpack and know that everything is where you put it and nothing gets left behind! It's so pretty, I think I need one (or ten) for myself :)
I'm gong to try to make more of these this week while my mom is over - keep checking back, I also have a HUGE sale announcement to make later this morning!
Meghann

Today's the Day!

It's finally here! Tonight I teach my first jewellery-making class at the Bead Store in Kemptville!
I think there is one more spot open so if you want to learn how to make a wire wrapped donut pendant like the one above, call them to see if you can come too! It'll be lots of fun and a great Christmas present that you get to brag that you made yourself.
Don't forget my SUPER SALE and enter the free December Contest to try and win a great prize!
Don't forget that 10% of the total sales before taxes and shipping go to the charity of the month, Epic Farms
Meghann

December Contest Announcement!

What's your favorite part of this time of year?
Visiting family? Driving around to see Christmas lights? Turkey? Presents? Aunt Mabel's inability to sing carols in tune, making your brother shoot milk out his nose (ok it's early right now and I'm not fully awake yet).
Your answer could win 3 different sets of 4 photo cards, just in time for sending out those thank you's after Christmas and New Year's!
I hope you like them!
Don't forget to check out the SUPER BOGO 50% off sale to get lots of affordable gifts for your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. At these prices, you'll be surprised at how much quality gift-giving you'll be able to do!
Also check out our charity of the month, Epic Farms and see what great things they are doing for horses in need (I always have a soft spot for my 'neigh'-bors!)
Have a great day!
Meghann

Charity of the Month!

~One of the Residents of Epic Farms, Max~

A new month calls for a new charity of the month! Last month, sales weren't that great and only $0.40 was donated to the last charity, so I am hoping that with the run up to Christmas, and with my SUPER SALE going on, we'll be able to help out this charity a little more :)
What is the charity, you ask? Well, I suppose an introduction is in order, so here goes:
Please meet our Charity of the Month for December, EPIC FARMS in Alabama! See their website here: www.epicfarms.com
This is a wonderful, small farm that is still in the process of getting its non-profit status (it takes forever, trust me). They do, however, give a letter on letterhead stating your donation amount if you ask them nicely :)
This wonderful farm, run by a selfless family, comprises of a few rescued horses who are gradually being rehabilitated from various traumas. One horse, name Shadow, seems to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and actually has a security blanket!
With stories like these, I am proud to be helping out in any way possible, so please browse my BOGO 50% off sale and help a charity at the same time as being able to cross people off your gift-giving list!
Also, stay tuned for this month's blog contest.
Happy trails,
Meghann

November Contest Winner!

And the winner of the November Blog Contest is.....

HANDICRAFTS!!

For their honest (and smart!) comments on how they are doing their Christmas (holiday) shopping this year:

Since I don't have a lot of money to spare, I am mostly likely going to buy from etsy only. I'd rather give hard-working artisans the money then some big corporation, which puts all the same things out on the shelves every year! (At least it seems that way to me!) But it will still probably be a credit cards Christmas. :(
Thanks for this opportunity!

Handicrafts will be recieving the ring shown above - Congratulations!! Please contact me within the next 2 weeks through my Etsy store to get the ring mailed to you as soon as possible. (After 2 weeks if I haven't heard from you I will choose another random name.)
Thank you to everyone for their responses and keep on the lookout for this month's contest!
Don't forget to check out my Etsy store, which is having a Buy One Get One 50% off sale - just in time for your shopping!!
Also stay tuned for a post on our Charity-of-the-Month :)
Take care,
Meghann

It Keeps Getting Better!

WOO! I have decided to increase my gifts to you, my friends, by upping the ante on this phenomenal sale in my Little Studio Photography and Jewellery Etsy Store!

Starting right now, buy one item, get a second item of equal or lesser value for 50%off!!!

This cannot be combined with another offer (previous specials, sale items or custom items). If you have any questions, please let me know!
Enjoy ;-)
Meghann