S&T Creations

My wonderful friend Elayne, writes the blog for her and her business partner/Mom, much the way I write the majority of blogs for Saundra and I.  Elayne’s blog goes one step further and has a disclaimer that Roz takes no responsibility for Elayne’s “ramblings.”  I don’t know how accurate that is, because I find the ChezChani (Shay Sh-Ann-ee) blog fun to read. ChezChani is also on twitter and one of the interesting things she does is give us a new word for the day, with its meaning.  So, if you are working on your vocabularly, or just like to learn new things, check out ChezChani on twitter.  Her blogpost from Sunday is a “made up” word that is very apropos for this time of year:  obligifting.  Giving a gift more because you feel obligated than out of any true sense of giving. and, just in time for Valentine’s Day, a beautiful heart cabochon.

Elayne is actually a Poker Supervisor in Las Vegas, so I’m sure she has seen riches rise and fall!  As such, I can’t imagine the odd work schedules and shifts she must have nor how she stays organized at all, but her store on Etsy proves the multi-talented person that she is.  Elayne does a great deal of tiny beadweaving, using the peyote stitch.  Recently she sent me a photo of a wonderful red & black beaded bracelet of, what else, the 4 suits in a deck of cards!  You will also find cabochons in dichroic glass , hand knitted items by Roz (I simply LOVE chenille), and some pendants!  The picture at the top is a Black and Cream Freeform Peyote Stitch choker (I didn’t even know you could freeform peyote–but this is beautiful).  Below is another suprprise form teh multi-talented Elayne and Roz duo:  a silver wire wrapped green sea glass pendant!

You can read more about ChezChani at Athena Magazine’s weblog

Well, last night I started on my very last special orders for 2008—from my nieces, ages 3 & 5.  A few weeks ago, I tried a small stretch bracelet on the 3 year old’s wrist just to be sure it was the right size.  It had dark blue beads (her favorite color) with small white pearls in between.  In no uncertain terms she told me she didn’t like those white beads and “take them out of there.”  So, not only is that carefully remade in all blue, but I’ve made some others (we are celebrating Christmas late, this weekend).  Now, the 5 year old wants all the jewely I make, the bigger the better.  So, I’ve made some with drops that I’m sure won’t be big enough for her satisfaction, but will have to do!  She is definitely my little “bling” girl.

I wanted to thank everyone who has read my blog this year and helped me figure out how to manage my etsy store and this website.  I am busy setting some goals and making plans for 2009 to improve things and hopefully have more fun with my blog.  That is what some of this is all about, and I think I’ve been a bit too serious!  I also am working on improving my work with images so I can dress things up a bit.  Stay tuned, if I keep my last special customers happy, I’ll be posting in 2009!� If you want to follow our work and be notified when we post something new, sign up for the RSS feeds on the upper right corner.

You will see some entries in designing contests, and some interesting things on how you design and create pieces, as well as where your motivation and creativity come from.  Stay tuned!

Well I have a few things to mention here. I doubt I post again until after Christmas and I don’t want to let this go too long—I have not abandoned my blog. BUT I have had orders for Christmas gifts and been busy finishing those up. In addition, I have written and published my first Squidoo Lens. You can check it out at S & T Creations. It is a brief overview of our business and our association with the eSMArts Etsy Team. I had really put this off quite a while, after the founder of eSMArts, the person behind not only the team but her stores: Ga’hoole Tree, or SassyDLite had told me I really needed to work on it. And she was right. Once I started, it wasn’t all that difficult. In fact, the hubpages I have already done were harder. So, maybe I’ll just become a publisher ha! ha!

Second, one of my dear friends on eSMArts, Bluebonnet Jewelry Designs owner Yvonne, nominated my blog–YES, this very page!!– for a Kreativ Blogger Award. I’m really excited and so surprised. I only wish I really had time to dig into some of the formatting and could tweak more things, since I think the long, scrolling page is a little non-friendly! That is a goal for 2009, but Yvonne was grand enough to see the improvements we have made so far and to recognize those steps.

So, now I need to continue the tradition.  In return for the award, I need to nominate 5 blogs, including links, of course. 

     Julie Bristow Jewelry     Creative Eye Studio     Tulips Treasure Box     Coastal Artist    Wash When Dirty

My next step is to notify those that I have choses. Julie Bristow is  wonderful jewelry artist I’ve met through esmarts.  Creative Eye Studio is owned by Kim, a friend I met at a silversmith workshop.  Tulips Treasure Box just has an adorable blog site; lots of color, images, and fun to read.  Coastal Artist is another eSMArt-y who is a wonderful painter, among other things.  His nature scenes, Native American paintings and gorgeous designs on gourds are a few of his offerings.  And finally, with a name like Wash When Dirty, this is another don’t miss blog!  All will get a notification about this yet today. 

Finally, to everyone out there, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and all the best for 2009! Please remember to support handmade whenever possible, and to visit our esmarts store for shopping. Any purchase there will have 100% donated to a good cause, helping other Etsy members!

I submitted Saundra’s article on Wardrobe Ideas for this fall and winter to Divine Caroline. It was actually submitted in two parts, so here is Article 1 and then Article 2. Check them out for ideas on your closet and fashion ideas for this winter!
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I work at LifeSpring, Inc., our local community mental health center that serves kids, adults and families with behavioral and substance abuse problems.  Each year, during our staff holiday party, staff brings gifts or wrapping supplies for children who are being served in our family programs.  The family programs may be associated with schools, children and family services, or local law enforcement and probation offices.   For each gift we bring, we get a ticket entered into a drawing for prizes.  Generally LifeSpring purchases gift certificates at local stores or restaurants as prizes.  This allows our agency to be sure that children in our programs all receive a nice gift from this agency. 

All year, I watch for items in the sale sections at local stores for this, so I end up with gifts to donate.  This year I know I have a nice hair straightener, a Bratz camera, and a pretend kitchen mixer.  There may be some others that I bought months ago and I don’t remember, but I will be finding them this week and dropping them off.  In fact, I have a family commitment and will actually miss our staff holiday luncheon, but I will still see these are there for our kids.

We also sponsor an agency angel tree, with names of the adults that reside in our group homes.  Sadly, many of these adults are alone, with little or no family.  Some have parents that have passed on.  Others have family member s that have no contact with them; they may live away from the community or may simply be busy with their own lives.  All our residents names are put on the tree with a list of their clothing sizes and what they need.  Various programs, departments and groups of staff select a client and spend $60 getting things on the list.  One of our staff is Santa and takes the gifts to each of our residential homes, so all our clients have a Christmas celebration in their home.   I will also participate in this, drawing a name and shopping for someone.

Oh, yes, I will spoil my family and we will exchange gifts, laughs, and memories.  But the gifts I bring to work for these 2 groups are the “real” gifts I give each year.  They are given without any expectation of something in return.  I give them freely, and I know they will go to those that will enjoy and greatly deserve these small items (well, they deserve much more, I’m sure of that).  I know this will give them a bit of joy, and a sense that there are those there who care.  And THAT is at least one “reason for the season.”

Recently, I shared a picture on my facebook space of a lovely wire pendant that had been designed by a facebook friend of mine (she was actually a connection I had made through someone else, but we had been following each other and shared a few tips and tricks on our walls). Her jewelry company is Reflections in Glass and her site is here.   Someone asked me about the design and I asked her about the pendant.  Well it turns out that it was actually 4 wire-wrapped pieces that I personally think remind me of four leaf clovers.  These pieces were then wired together to form a slightly larger diamond-shaped pendant.  I asked about her pendant and she totally volunteered to send me some of the wire wrapped “clovers.” She didn’t ask for anything, just a pay it forward attitude of sharing from one jewelry designer to another.

Well my jewelry designer partner and friend and I brought up our website earlier this year and added our etsy store soon after that. I’ve been trying to learn more about social websites, including twitter, facebook, oh and several more, and get some understanding of social marketing, cross promotion, etc.  In all these months, the concept had continued to elude me; making personal contacts and friends over the web just didn’t seem to sink in. I think there are several reasons for this.  First, since I’m pretty new at the web side of things, it is understandable it would take time to make these connections and see them flourish.  Second, I’m gonna plain call it low self-esteem, at least when it comes to my work.  I promote our creations and really find our designs lovely, well designed and crafted and at great prices; however, I keep trying to somehow do that “silently”, introvert that I am.  There are a great many things we can do “once removed” from a person on an individual level—-that is something I must overcome in 2009.

But, regardless of my own slow start, I want to honor this designer’s generosity of both spirit and talent.  HER largess is a wonderful demonstration of how a social connection leads to concrete results.  And, in that “it’s a small world” way of things, this is a contact that was made through another mutual friend on facebook.  Her store is on etsy.