Clear Winged Hummingbird Moth

So yesterday my eldest daughter spotted a really interesting *thing* (LOL!) flying around our flowers in the front of our house. At first I had nooo clue what it was....was it one of those huge bees?? A large wasp??? Wait..wait...is it a hummingbird?!?! I was soo excited that it could possibly be a hummingbird, as my MIL loooooves hummingbirds and of course, so does my husband. I knew I wouldn't be able to get close enough with my little Canon Power Shot, so I grabbed hubby's big ole Canon DSLR. Ran outside and started clicking away. I stayed far enough away until I could figure out if it would either sting me (haha!) or be scared of me and fly away. I just kept clicking away and creeping closer and closer. Than, woops, I ended up by taking so many pictures I filled up the rest of hubby's memory card! ROFL!! So I ran back inside to grab my smaller Pentax DSLR and started shooting away again. I ended up by being able to get about 2 feet away from this flying thing. *grin* I still couldn't figure out what it was. Once I downloaded the pictures, one of my best friends thankfully started on the research trail and we discovered that it was a Clear Winged Hummingbird Moth and NOT a hummingbird. Still....VERY cool. So, here are a few pictures of this wild looking insect! *grin* (Please bear in mind that I had nooo clue what I was doing with the DSLR cameras, LOLOL!!! I was just pointing and shooting. This is a great incentive to me to learn how to actually USE my DSLR!! *grin*)

Petite Rose, First Harvest, Deep Ocean, etc.

What do all of those have in common? ha. New pieces of course! Finally. *grin* I actually have a ton of new pieces sitting here, but, have been only slowly taking pictures, editing, etc. The biggest thing I discovered the other day sitting down at my little workspace here in the living room area with my girls, is that I have MISSED working with my gemstones, wire and chainmail!! Oh my goodness have I missed creating!

The first batch of these pieces are delicate pieces suitable for layering with other chains or perfect all by themselves. I have several extensive chainmail pieces planned, but, those will take me quite a while to actually bring into fruition because I have so many other pieces I would like to finish first. Speaking of which....LOL...here are a few that have been listed on my Etsy shop and added to my website:

~ Petite Rose Necklace ~

~ Deep Ocean ~

~ First Harvest ~

~ Warmth ~

Enjoy! Hopefully I'll have several more to update soon.

Major news about my hand stamped Expressions Collection Jewelry

I have pretty important news about one of my jewelry collections, my hand stamped Expressions Collection. I wanted to let ya'll know that I am no longer able to sell my hand stamped items. While it might seem quite sudden to you, it is a contingency plan that has been waiting in the wings for quite a while based on my experience with my previous pregnancies. Unfortunately, due to my health with this pregnancy and for the safety of both myself and our baby, I can not continue with the stress from the high production volume that results from the popularity of my hand stamped pieces. One of my best friends and fellow jewelry designers, Rhonda Reagan of Prolifique Jewelry will now be creating my custom line of hand stamped pieces. The transition of the transfer of this portion of my business is just about completed. Her Etsy shop is: http://www.prolifiquejewelry.etsy.com and she is very convo friendly and is looking forward to working with my fabulous customers. Please just send her a conversation of exactly what you need and she will take care of you!

If you would like to know more about Rhonda, Etsy just recently published a fabulous story about her and her business journey, and you can read about it here: Storque Article

What about the rest of my jewelry you ask? I will absolutely still be creating my non-hand-stamped pieces, just at a more sedate and non-stressful rate. The majority of my new pieces will be one of a kind pieces and I will be adding them to my website and Etsy shop one at a time when they are created.

Thank you so much for your patience during this time!! Ya'll are the BEST customers in the world and I hope and pray you will bless Rhonda with your patronage as mightily as ya'll have blessed me over the years!

Stay tuned for new pieces! I should start listing them very soon!!!

Where have I been? LOL

Hi ya'll! Yep, I've disappeared again, LOL. But it was for a very good reason. We are pregnant with our third child and I have been soooo sick with the first few months of the pregnancy. So sick I had to close down all of my shops and website so I could concentrate on staying healthy and taking care of my family. Thankfully the illness part of the pregnancy is almost over and I'm starting to feel like I can handle reopening my shops again. Soooo, that's what I've been doing this past week. My Etsy Gems shop has been reopened, my website has been restocked (uh, except for my cuff bracelets...my main supplier for those is out of my silver stock that I use for the cuffs. grrr...) and I should open my main Etsy Jewelry shop within the next few days. I have a LOT of editing to do there.

Anyhoo...in the meantime I've been able to take pictures of some recent pieces and get them listing on my website for ya'll. Here's a preview:

Whisper Necklace

Teal Smoke Necklace

Petite Dancing Flames Necklace

Monet's Garden Necklace - Solid 14 Karat Gold, Tourmaline and Chainmail

I indulged myself while on vacation/break and created this incredible, one of a kind piece. I love to weave chainmail and wire wrap gemstones, and this was such a pleasure to weave!!

Some of the best multi-colored tourmaline I have ever seen, each sitting on their own hand-coiled solid 14 karat gold wire headpin and then wire wrapped within the solid 14 karat gold Shaggy Loops chainmail section. Solid gold chain finishes off the OOAK necklace.

Monet's Garden Necklace


This piece is available on my website for sale, and will be listed in my Etsy shop when I reopen in a couple of days. Shipping is on me via USPS Priority mail and will be insured.

I have several additional pieces (nope, no more solid gold yet....soon though! *grin*) I created while on my break and will try to add them to my website soon. Let me know if you have any requests for solid gold pieces! I'd love to hear from ya'll!!

Summer Afternoon and Gentle Expressions Earrings

I know that I'm supposed to be on a break/vacation, but, I can't seem to step away from everything right now. I'm having a hard time just turning my back and forcing myself to relax. One of the reasons is that I'm still processing orders from the surge of orders right before I put my shops on vacation mode. But, Lord willing, hopefully by tomorrow the last of these will be completed and in the mailbox. I also have a gazillion designs racing around in my head and since I'm very familiar with the desert times where inspiration is far from me, I'm trying to get these designs out of my head, off the paper and into fruition. I was able to create two new pairs of earrings. I absolutely tend to create more necklaces (obviously, LOL!!) but I know my customers have been itching for new earrings, so here's a small start! *grin*

Summer Afternoon Earrings


Smoky Quartz, Apatite, Lemon Quartz, Peridot, Sterling Silver

Gentle Expressions Earrings

Amethyst, Green Amethyst, Pink Topaz, Lavender Amethyst and Sterling Silver

These will be posted to my website at some point today after the typical zooishness of Friday mornings dissipates later today. LOL

A Glimpse of Heaven - Solid 14 Karat Gold and Grade AAA Blue Topaz

I like to imagine that when God created the Heavens and the Earth, before sin entered the world, when Adam and Eve walked among the Garden of Eden and talked with God, that they would look up at the neverending expanse of sky and it would be this same brilliant, deep shade of blue. A shade of blue so dazzling in its intensity, yet warm and inviting, drawing you in and giving you peace.

A Glimpse of Heaven

My first non-stamped solid 14 karat gold piece! Woohooo!!!! And oh boy...its going to be the first of MANY! I have had so many fabulous comments and requests for variations of the Blue Lagoon necklace ever since I created it, I have decided to create an entire line based on variations of that first piece. I have quite a few pieces drawn and planned out in my head, and Lord willing once my break/vacation is over I can get crackin' on creating them!!! Some of them I will need to find gemstones for, but, that's the fun part! *cheesy grin*

Speaking of getting crackin', LOL, I'd better get a move on and start working!! Ya'll have me so busy before I start my break my head is spinning! LOLOL