Kazuri bead Necklace

This Kazuri bead necklace was ten years in the making for me. Approximately ten years ago my husband Jim and I had taken a trip to the north east to see the changing New England fall colors. We had gone into a jewelry/gift shop and all the women were wearing the most incredibly beautiful shiny ceramic beads. Regretably, I did not buy them on the spot! I felt I could most likely find them on the west coast as well. That was a few years before I started making jewelry myself and a few years before I knew how to use the internet (can you believe that), so long story even longer I did not come across those beautiful beads until many years later.

I had remembered the ladies telling me the story of the Kazuri bead coming from Africa. They were made by women on the property of the people who had founded the Flying Doctors service and were living on the same property of "Out of Africa" fame. This women had started to employ women who had no means to support themselves and their children (single moms) and taught them to make these ever so beautiful beads and they are sold at a "Fair Trade" price.

If you are interested in more info on these, they will be posted on my web site in about an hour. (kathieanncollection.etsy.com)

Valentine Necklace

Valentines day Necklace

This necklace is perfect for that little black dress for your Valentines day date. Be sure to also see the matching bracelet and earrings.

Well, It most certainly has been a while! Today, (in a couple of hours) I'm going to be doing a jewelry sale at the Doctors Spouses luncheon in Reno Nevada. I hope all well wishers will wish me well!

I have been working on a few new things, mostly jewelry in nature but I also fell in love with a few non jewelry creations I have enjoyed making. I made thirty Fall and Christmas tree napkins over the weekend. They are so elegant, and very festive for the well dressed table. Watch for them soon on my web site kathieanncollection.etsy.com as well as childrens embellished socks that have been a lot of fun to make and people seem to really like. I promise I will get these up on my site as soon as possible!

So Check in with me now and again, cause I am truly attempting to work blogging into my schedule and will do a better job in the future, and will get those new items on my site as soon as possible!

Thinking about the holidays

As all of you who do this yourselves know, as soon as it gets really hot it's time to start thinking about the holidays! It usually catches me by surprise by around Thanksgiving that OMG I'd better get some holiday jewelery together. This year I'm trying to be smarter, I have two great projects in mind to add to my repertoire. You'll have to watch for them, they will be in addition to items I have created in the past as well.

My jewelry is my passion but I have had too many ideas for other things that I just can't pass up!

Two more of the items are for home decor and I have had a hankering lately to return to my crocheting roots.

My favorite crocheting items are baby stuff and little girls, so watch for those items as well.

Of course the only problem is time, time, time!

I do create all year around, (I have, to it's the air I breathe), but I do find that when the weather starts to feel like fall, which around here means the Canada geese just fly around the town and land in the same place as the majority of them are imprinted right here, but I digress, that is when my juices really begin to flow.

My husband goes off to his Alma Mater football games on Saturdays which leaves me hours of uninterrupted TIME!

I love the crispness of the air and being cozy indoors with absolutely no reason to be outdoors so I can just create!

My favorite time of year is fall,winter, and spring, although here in the Reno/Sparks area we really only have two seasons, Winter and under Construction (filling the potholes made by the snow removal systems).

Aah! This feels so good to be thinking about snow and burning fireplaces instead of the 100 degrees projected for today!

All you winter creative types, right now, lets pray for snow!

Ooh! got an idea gotta go!

Weekend with "Laura"

Here I am with my beeutiful little "fur baby" Puck. She is our only child and we love her something crazy

My weekend was spent with my mentor, (who happens to be in love with my baby brother). We had a great time doing all our girly crafting and catching up thing while the guys spent the weekend playing golf. My mentor (who shall now be named and hear after known as "Laura") was the person who dragged me into the 21st century, teaching me all things computerized that I know so far. I thought she was coming for the weekend to help me polish up some of which she has taught me but as we sat side by side with our respective lap tops working a bit and talking a lot I heard her giggle. Of course I asked "What's so funny? to which she replied... look, you are now on facebook! So facebook also has been added to my computer repertoire!

All of that was in preparation of explaining why I haven't blogged for a few days. I am having a blast with all of this, but I'm not quite up to speed yet so bear with me.

She, "Laura", took a lot of photographs of my sweet loving husband and myself, which is why you now have a picture of myself and "Puck". Once I learn a bit more about how to do it, I will add more pics of the whole family.

Jewelry wise, I have added a few more pieces to my Etsy site, so please drop by and take a look.

I am always open to suggestions and feedback.

Puck and I relaxing at home

Here's a fun picture of my bootiful Puck and I.