Bubbly Toes

Here's a relatively recent addition to the shop on Etsy.  The technique used here is called a flat spiral, which most folks like to make entirely of Swarovski crystals due to the highly geometric pattern.  I like to mix and match a bit... this would make a terrific beach anklet!!!

The beaded length is 8 inches long and there is a two inch sterling silver extender chain with a pressed Czech glass fish dangle. (This also fits around most ankles.) The sterling silver lobster clasp is proportionately sized and easy to use. Finished with sterling silver thread guide loops on each end of the clasp to protect against wear and tear at the clasp. This bracelet is very well reinforced and will hold up to daily wear!


Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Weddings and Crazy

Today's Royal Wedding led to a discussion of how weddings can bring out the crazy in people.  Since I'm not a Princess, a lavish, no holds barred, fairy tale affair just wasn't going to happen for me, but I did have an idea of what I wanted. To avoid hurting feelings, I'll limit myself to saying that I was shocked that so many people felt entitled to complain to me about anything and everything I asked for.

Mind you, I was determined not to be a Bridezilla, but many people acted as though I was one if I asked for anything at all.  And I do mean ANYTHING!  "I don't have to wear a suit, do I?"  "Do I really have to wear a dress?"  "What do you want me to do with these, again?"  "Don't tell me I have to pick your colors for you."  And don't even get me started on the guest list... It was clear to me that this wasn't MY day in ANYONE'S mind.

Since I had just gone back to work (and had no accrued leave) I put in 12-14 hour days to earn enough comp time to make the trip to Las Vegas.  There was no time to work out, even out tan lines, order a dress (I bought two off of eBay and picked the one that could be altered to fit me), or follow along with those crazy checklists found in wedding planners.  I certainly didn't have time for other peoples' drama.  Rather than deal with the craziness people were showing, we went without attendants, dancing, a slide show, and other things I really wanted.  When we got to Vegas, everyone disappeared to do what they wanted and more or less forgot about the things they agreed to help me with.  People scheduled things without asking us and were upset because we weren't where they wanted us to be.  Others made "assumptions" about what "we wanted' which were totally about them.  And then there were the constant phone calls from other people at all hours - not inviting us out, but asking for directions, advice, or opinions.

Finally, on the night before the wedding, we grabbed both kids, told everyone to leave us alone, ordered room service, and we all spent the night watching TV.  It was the most stress free night of the entire trip.  By the time I finally made it down the aisle the next morning, and miraculously fully dressed (the hair/makeup ladies were an hour late and as it turned out, I'd lost so much weight I had to have a good friend literally pin me into the dress and in the meanwhile, everyone and their brother was calling me for directions instead of reading the damned signs and figuring things out for themselves), I was so relieved that I burst into tears.  Yep, I cried throughout the entire thing.  Not because I was mad or exhausted or disappointed or scared, but because I really just wanted to be married to my husband and not have to deal with everyone else's CRAP.  I did pitch a fit and insist on one thing "frivolous" thing that I wanted, though:

Maybe we really enjoyed our hour on the lazy river because we were away from the crazies, but this was a LOT of fun.  Just the two of us having a good time with a bunch of people cheering us along, buying us beers, and my brother's gracious willingness to take some great pictures free of charge and no strings attached.

I hope that when my kids get married, I am better at not being crazy.  :)  Haha, probably too late for that.  Oh well.

Kumihimo & Crystal Bracelets

Kumihimo is an ancient Japanese braiding technique, originated by Buddhist monks (hence the 8 strands, representative of the 8 Fold Path) and used for many purposes, including lashings for samurai armor.   This is a modern interpretation of the technique, using a foam board as a loom instead of the old school wooden loom, and incorporating almost two hundred genuine Swarovski crystals and sterling silver Bali cones.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

HF Community: Monday Meetups

The 2nd and 4th (sometimes 5th) Monday of every month, watch this space for a few questions that you can take, post and answer on your blogs and THEN LINK BACK HERE so that we all can come around and visit.

This adventure is OPEN TO EVERYONE!  You DO NOT have to be a part of the Homefront Team.  We just ask that when you leave your link here, you TRULY have a post that pertains to the set of questions.

OK so....

This Week's Questions come from 

Guin of Camelot's Treasures

Guin's shop 

Twitter 

Blog 

Fan Page

 

 

 shop link

 

1)  What is your most treasured possession?

I think of all the things I own, I'm proudest of owning a home.  As a single mom on active duty, I worked really hard to save and invest so my son would have the same financial stability and benefits as a two parent household. 
 
2)  What was the best gift that you gave to someone?
Gift giving is a lot of fun.  I shop for Christmas all year.  I think the best, though, is when you give a little kid something simple and they really enjoy it- little kids don't lie about that sort of thing.


3)  If you are having a "crafter's block" and finding it hard to get your craft on, what helps you get out of that?
Taking a break.  Rather than stress out about the creative process, I just take a break from creating and focus on something else.  Decluttering my work space seems to help most of all, so I'll take a few minutes and reorganize something.  Especially with jewelry, it helps to be organized.

Fused Fine Silver Rings and Toe Rings

 

These rings are hand hewn in Hawaii... 12 gauge fine silver is fused and lightly hammered, then either tumbled to a bright polish or antiqued, whichever you prefer.   They are easily sized to the nearest half size and each one is definitely unique!

Keep in mind that because fine silver is purer silver, it is softer and tarnishes faster than sterling silver.  

Also, since these rings are fused, seams are usually visible.

However, they are all very beautiful, unique, and made of the purest silver available.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Happy Easter!

In case you were wondering what a Hawaiian Easter Egg hunt looks like, here's the Princess on the hunt this morning:

Have a nice week, everyone!

Don't Forget: Etsy Homefront Team Mothers' Day Giveaway!

Today is your last chance to enter.  (Details here.)  There are some SPECTACULAR hand made goodies included in the prize, including spa products, chocolates, kanzashi style accessories, and one of a kind jewelry from popular Etsy artisans. 

You should at least check it out.  There's some good stuff and it's totally free to enter!

Big Island Bracelet

This lovely handmade creation is on its way to a new home in Florida!

(If you'd like, I can make one for you too!  Simply Leilani's Big Island Girl Braclet)

 

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Homefront Artistry Team: Mother's Day Giveaway

Homefront Artistry Team: Mother's Day Giveaway

The Homefront Team is hosting a MEGA giveaway in honor of Mother's Day. Yep, we really, really love mothers here on the Homefront Team. They are amazing women who have reserves of strength enough to baffle the mind, and they helped shape who we are. So you want to spoil your Mom? Well, we have the answer for you right here, and the best part of it is that it is ALL completely FREE to one lucky winner!
We have a huge selection of wonderful goodies, all donated by super talented team members. One very, very lucky winner (no really, I am jealous already) will win all of these fantastic items:

From LilacAve:
1 Passion fruit candle and 1 Aloha body butter



Aloha body butter

 From Hold It!:
Your choice of any brooch in the shop

From Nikid:
Your choice of four 1/4 Lb. nut clusters


Pecan clusters

From HHSIX:
A lovely Irish rose doily and a Lavender sachet

From Kristyns Kreations:
2 Relaxing eye masks. *Actual masks won may not be pictured below*

From Bad Cat Jewelry:
Ice Wine lampwork earrings

From Two Seaside Babes:
Women's cotton buckle newsboy cap in black

From Her Hero:
Custom her hero lucite pendant

From The Craft Queen:
Your choice of eyeglass case

From Noah Bear1:
Two personalized nest necklaces

From Fully Hooked:
A random colored A Rose is a Rose Ring


Actual prize may vary in color

 From Lillianne Lee:
Too cute clipboard chalkboard

From wear ever:
Blue dichroic glass earrings

From Reyna Red:
One pair of pearl barrettes in your choice of color. One pearl and crystal barrette in your choice of color.


An example of the pearl barrettes. You choose the color.



An example of the pearl and crystal barrette. You choose the color.

 From Stork Bites Delivers:
John Deere crayon roll up

From Banana Bear Boutique
Coffee cozy and coordinating key fob


*This is just an example. Actual prize may vary from photo.*

 From Simply Leilani
Set of four stunning magnets

From Dixie Dreams:
Your choice of any 8x10 print

From Jessica Hanna Designs
Set of five bobby pins


*Actual prize may vary from photograph.*

 From Well of Creations:
One pair of fingerless gloves


*Actual prize may vary from item pictured.*

 From Quite Crafty:
Crochet topped kitchen towel

From Camelot's Treasures
Handmade fabric basket

From Cupcakes and Cameos:
Pink bow cupcake necklace

Do we have your attention yet? Would you like to know how you could win all of these fabulous items? Here's how you can enter to win BIG:

Step 1:
Follow this blog and leave a comment here that you did.

Step 2:
Like us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/HomefrontTeam and leave a comment here that you did.

Extra points:
Share a link to this giveaway on your facebook page, twitter, or blog (each site you share on will get you an extra point). Leave a comment with a link to your page(s) for proof.

Become a fan of our lovely sellers who kindly donated their super awesome stuff! Check out our comment section to find the fanpages/twitter/blog accounts. Leave a comment telling us which pages you have liked/followed for proof.

The giveaway will close out on Tuesday April 19th, and the winner will be announced on the Homefront Team's fanpage on facebook.

Where'd Monday Go??? HF community: Monday Meetups

The 2nd and 4th (sometimes 5th) Monday of every month, watch this space for a few questions that you can take, post and answer on your blogs and THEN LINK BACK HERE so that we all can come around and visit.

This adventure is OPEN TO EVERYONE!  You DO NOT have to be a part of the Homefront Team.  We just ask that when you leave your link here, you TRULY have a post that pertains to the set of questions.

OK so....

This Week's Questions come from 

Sarah of Florida Scarf

Sarah's links:

Etsy

Blog
 

1. Where is your favorite place to go for inspiration?  

I love the beach.  A hot, sandy beach with no boardwalks and no vendors.

2. What is your most embarrassing moment as an operator of a small business?

Actually, I don't have one yet since I only have time to sell via Etsy.

3. What is one thing that you have to do everyday that you dislike?

As a mom, I have to run a mini-boot camp to get the kids out of bed and ready for school on time.  I really wish I could get them out the door more efficiently by being friendly... but apparently that just doesn't work.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Marah Johnson's Upcycled Vintage pattern paper Posies using AccuCut

Is this not the cutest little upcycled flower you've ever seen??? This would make an awesome pin or headband!!!

Ivory Rose, Crystal, & Pearl Dangles...

A few months back, I decided to try out these resin roses from Candytiles.  I haven't really had the opportunity to do much with them between holding down two jobs, single parent ops, the last minute trip to San Diego, and refinancing the mortgage... (And that was just March!)

Anyway, this past weekend, I actually got some me time.  You might recall that I have a destash listing for these "laser lace" filigree drops:

Which I used to make these earrings for my SIL for Christmas:

I changed those up a little by adding the resin roses and dainty little pearls.  What do you think?

Military Families and the Federal Government Shut Down

Since I am both a Federal Employee and a reservist currently on active duty, things have been a little crazy around here trying to get a bunch of generic admin things done in case the government shut down this week. Fortunately, there's another temporary reprieve, but in case you were curious, here's the scoop on what would be affected if the government did shut down, according to the National Military Family Association.

So the good news is that we're ok for now and probably will be. But just in case we're not in the clear yet, you might want to think about filing those taxes sooner rather than later. And oh by the way, if you are a Federal employee with funds in active 2010 flex spending accounts, you might want to submit those claims now because who knows how long it'll take them to process them later.

Lavendar Coin Pearl & Cebu Beauty Shell Earrings

Here's a very simple and natural pairing... pearls and shells, but in lovely purple tones.

The luster of these coin pearls is just remarkable.  Although you can dye or bleach pearls to make the color more uniform, there's not much man can do to fake the luster... 


The Cebu shells are sliced and look a bit like hearts, don't they?

These colors are just perfect for spring and would make a great accent to your Easter dress or even as a Mother's Day gift...

Definitely a one of a kind, due to natural variations.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Phishing and compromised email addresses: Kathy Lagoli

So yesterday, I got an email from Kathy @ thingdiamond.com with my business name in the subject line saying, "Hey didn't hear back from you, are you still in business ?"

I never wrote to someone named Kathy Lagoli.

If you get a similar email, it is a phishing email. If you google the name, you will find dozens of folks with similar emails. I have yet to see an actual victim story, but apparently this person is harvesting emails from blogs and attempting to get people to call and talk to them on the phone.

Just so you know.

Custom Koi Magnets

In case you were wondering, I do take custom work requests.  About a month ago, I made up these magnets at the request of a customer... (Don't worry, they were sent out as soon as they were done.  I try not to sit on orders too long.)

But anyway, if you see something in the shop that isn't quite what you're looking for, please let me know.  It's fun for me to create things... in fact, it's stress relief.  I have also been known to either repair or refashion broken pieces for friends and co-workers.

Just so you know.  ;)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Adventures in San Diego, Part IV

For our last venture in the San Diego area, we drove up to Escondido to the Wild Animal Park.

By this point, we were all pretty tired so we walked to the Africa Safari tram.  That's more or less all we did on this day...

The Safari Park is a little less "developed" than the San Diego Zoo.  We were hoping to see the lions, but the lion exhibit (as well as about half the park) was undergoing renovations.

We did see giraffes, rhinoceroses, and a variety of gazelles, antelopes, and a baby zebra that was only 3 days old.  The kids really liked the gibbons and other monkey exhibits.  After the tram ride and a short snack, my dad was ready to go to his uncle's house for a family dinner with some cousins we've never met.  We did take our time on the walk out, though.

On the way out, we stopped to feed the lorikeets.  You pay $3 for a tiny little ketchup cup sized container of chilled nectar... which struck me as a bit high, but heck, I'd already paid $6 for a cup of soda so I decided to pay the $6 so each kid could go into the aviary and see what the big deal was.  I'm glad I did. 
Both kids said this was the highlight of their day, and watching them have that experience was well worth the money spent.

It didn't surprise me that a bunch of birds went straight to my son, but I was surprised that a few were willing to brave my toddler's excitement to get some grubbage.

We also hit the petting zoo area.  Always good for the kids to get hands on.   My son pretends to be too old for this sort of thing, but really, he loves animals.  Then again, I'm also glad to have the "excuse" of watching the kids to go into all these petting zoos.  :)

I can't wait to take them to Taronga Zoo in Sydney, where you can pet pygmy kangaroos.

This about sums up how we felt about our trip by the end of our day...

San Diego is beautiful and fun, but there's no place like home.



Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!