Christmas Morning

The day before Christmas and all through the house....not a creature was scurrying..especially close to the fireplace...Eli won't let anyone near...she smells treats and squeaky goodies..all for her ( she thinks).

Kona the veteran of present opening...wasn't shy about tearing into his presents...and Elvi is a quick learner....she took her cues early and learned from her Big Brother Kona and is an expert now as well.

Last, but not least is Max, the baby, who once he gets his present, snack or toy, retreats to the couch to enjoy his conquest.


I know this post is a bit late, but I had a couple of weeks of "non-posting", so I have a lot to make up for....

Grand Opening Success...!

The Grand Opening of Sea About it was a undeniable success last Friday...! It was a beautiful day for Becky to cut the Ribbon and show off her new shop. She had the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce present with lots of friends and family and other Ocean Springs Businesses including Tori from Art & Soul and Lisa from Forever Green across the Street. I have a reason to stop by and Hi now..! Mark King also made an surprise visit to lend his support. I didn't know they were childhood friends...The stories that were told...Becky, I will never think of Madonna in the same way again...lol.


We had great wine and some awesome Wisconsin Cheese and a lot of fun. (Becky wants to have another Re-Grand Opening next week..lol) She was nice enough to let me have the great center display table made by her husband for my jewelry. It was the perfect place for my displays and they fit right into the decor. Psst...and if you want to see my Crabby necklace from the previous post...you'll have to go down and see Becky..she has that and many more of my pieces there at Sea About It.

Congratulations to Beth B from Mobile, AL for being the lucky winner of the Drawing we hosted. Her gift is on it's way to her now. Thank you to everyone for participating..!

Feeling Crabby this Holiday Season...???

I love the Holidays, but I am not a big fan of Holiday shopping, especially at big outlet stores...and especially on Black Friday. You will find me in the studio, baking Christmas Cookies or Decorating for the season. The last place you will find me is in shopping mall or a store fighting others for parking spaces, gifts and great bargains. That for me, is not the way to bring in the season. I am trying my darnest this year to buy Handmade for my family and friends. A great place to start is Etsy.


Which brings me to the Crab set I created on Friday.....I know most people don't come home from shopping on Black Friday with a "warm & fuzzy"....I figures "crabby" was the word of the day...hence this beautiful Boro Glass Crab designed by my friend Jill. I love the yummy warm colors Jill combined....another plus on the cold, blustery day it was put together. It's a beautiful set...don'tcha think...?

I am running great Cyber Monday sales at my Etsy shop....www.calysjewelrycreation.etsy.com
Free shipping through today
10% off any order over $25
15% off any order over $50
25% off any order over $100

Hope to see you there....!

Join us Friday, December 12th from 4-7 PM to celebrate the Grand Opening of Ocean Springs finest new treasure!!

Shop for unique gifts including coastal decor, wine accessories, wall and free-standing art and jewelry.

Meet with local jewelry artist Dawn Cook owner of Caly's Jewelry Creations who will be there for an informal trunk show of her latest work inspired by the her love of the ocean.

Bring a friend and have a glass of wine and some appetizers... Sign up for a chance to win some cool door prizes!
Come Help us Celebrate..!!

Something new....Baroque Pendant Set

I recently purchased these Swarovski Baroque pendants. They aren't really my style...but I was drawn to them.
It didn't take me long to figure out what I wanted to use to compliment the pendants. They look a little vintage and a lot classy. I used sand satin and bronze copper freshwater pearls as well as topaz satin Swarovskis. I can definitely see them on a very lucky lady at a Holiday cocktail party...can't you..?

I will be posting them in my etsy shop soon...let me know what you think...!

New Festival added to Schedule and technique

Yea!! I'm been accepted to the Biloxi Art Association's Fall Festival of Arts the weekend of November 22-23rd. It will be located at the Edgewater Mall during regular mall hours. We had a very successful show there during June and I'm sure this one will be just as fun!

Tomorrow I am going to learn how to cast sterling silver pieces. My friend Horace ( see the filigree dragonfly below as well as the silver seahorse) wants to teach me how to make wax molds and cast them into sterling silver..! What fun...! Horace himself has over 5000 molds that he's made, but the fun part will be creating my own sterling silver pieces...pieces that no one else will have and they will be entirely my own...and then of course passing them along to my wonderful customers. I will post pictures of the process this weekend...!

I must say my whale tail necklace was the most popular this past weekend. Some folks saw it as a mermaid's tale, which is fine. Once again, it is my talented friend Jill's Glass work.

I can Breathe....deep breath...aahhhh!!

I think I have just lived through the busiest 3 weeks of my life. The Peter Anderson Festival was a huge success. The weather was perfect and folks were out enjoying it. 2 of my Dragonfly necklaces were sold that weekend...Jill's glass necklace and the Silver filigree dragonfly with Kazuris. I still have the Hill Tribe piece made with pearls and kyanite...but the bracelet and earrings are gone, so I'll have to replace those.

I also picked up a new store. It was serendipity.....it was RIGHT across from my booth. It's a new shop called "Sea About It" that just opened up a month ago. Becky is the owner and she specializes in all things of the sea. She has beautiful shell and nautical pieces...clocks, candles and gifts and now she has some really cool ocean inspired jewelry to tempt you. If you're in the area, stop down and say Hi..! to Becky. (Psst...the Silver Seahorse below now resides at its new home in Becky's store.) The address for Sea About it is 1211 Government St, Ocean Springs, MS 39564.

The Peter Anderson was followed directly by the Christmas City USA show this past weekend. My inventory was much lacking by the end of the Anderson show, so I was busy-busy making new and fun pieces to show.....of which I don't have any photos of yet. I will post photos later today.

Peter Anderson Festival Panic

Ok...I'm starting to panic a bit. The Peter Anderson Festival is one week away. I know I have enough inventory, but do I have enough of what people will want...? That's the big question. I have been on a "creating" frenzy the past couple of days.

I really love mixing Horace's silver with the Kazuri beads. I love the colors in the Seahorse necklace, Ocean colored freshwater pearls and the mix of colors in the Kazuri's remind me of the deepest blue sea...where seahorse's reside.

The Fan Shell is another Horace Creation mixed with freshwater Pearls and one of my favorite colors of Swarovski's...Indicolite...and of course Kazuri's and ceramic Mykonos beads made in Greece...what a world-wide combination..!

Fall in the Air

This set is something a little different than what I normally do. This set is all Fall. The spacers reminded me of the color of tree bark and the czech beads are the colors of leaves and the darker muted sky colors that mean Fall is in the air.
Now that I'm living in the South, Fall is the season I miss the most. I miss the crackle of the leaves beneath my feet on a walk through the forest, the smell of the fresh air ( I know it sounds corny, but it does smell I tell you...clean and fresh and cool to your senses), the drop in temperature as the sun dips below the horizon and the sweet smell of logs on a fire...all remind me of a Wisconsin Fall.
We do get some of the bits and pieces of Autumn, but for us, they come about in December....just a few months later and don't last nearly as long.
Here's to home...!!!

Dragonfly Obsession

Ok, I must admit I have a new obsession that has nothing to do with the ocean or the beach....shhh...it's Dragonflies. I don't think you will find any dragonflies there. I've had this Hill Tribe pendant for awhile now, waiting for inspiration to strike. Well....you can see, my muse struck yesterday and this is the result. I mixed Kyanite gemstones ( the green/blue stones in oval and rounds) with stick pearls and erinite colored Swarovski's (one of my fav colors). The 3rd photo is the bracelet to go with it. I love the cute little sterling dragonfly charm. They should be available in my Etsy shop later today.

Here are some more dragonflies for your viewing pleasure.... The Glass Dragonfly was created by my very talented glass artist friend Jill. The second sterling silver filigree dragonfly was hand cast by Horace, another talented friend of mine...it's so great to have talented friends...makes my work designing easy!

As promised....the Fleur de lis earrings....!! I'm going to post these in my Etsy shop today.
First up...

Capiz Shell Fleur de lis

These are my 'ode to the New Orleans Saints' earrings. The Capiz shells make a really cool "clinking" noise when they move, very soothing. The Fleur de lis is surrounded by a 2 in silver tone circle.

And Second....

Sterling Silver Hand Cast Fleur de lis'

They are my favorite charms. They are hand cast in sterling silver by my friend Horace. I will go into the entire process in a future post. Let's suffice it to say right now, it's an awesome thing to watch. Horace has over 5000 molds he uses to create pendants, charms and rings. They aren't your typical fleur de lis which is what I love about them and probably why they are a great find. I thought the shape of the earring post worked really well with this earring. It's the last pair I have left with this particular post.

George Ohr Festival

The 15th Annual George Ohr Fall Festival of Arts was a beautiful weekend to be out and about ...! Autumn was in the air and better yet....the lovebugs weren't...! We got no breeze on Saturday and an over-abundance of it on Sunday...we're talking over 15mph gusts the people were out and enjoying the great bands and artisan arts and crafts including jewelry, pottery and paintings.

I got to meet an online friend, fellow jewelry designer Lisa C of Serena's Jewels. She lives in Alabama on Dauphin Island, talk about paradise..! Lisa loves mermaids and she reflects that and her love of the Sea in her jewelry....no wonder we get along so well. It was so great to put a face with s name, and she is just as nice in person as she is on the keyboard.

My Fleur de lis earrings flew off the racks this weekend....figuratively and actually. ( I'll post those photos tomorrow) as well as try to get some more made for my next show which is scheduled to be the Fall around Downtown Gulfport on October 18th.

This photo was taken Saturday after the show, we had a wonderful dinner at our local hangout Shady's. They have just added an oyster bar and outdoor patio complete with fire place. Water pours from beer taps behind us, very cool. A drink and dinner was just what we needed to relax after a fun filled day showing our jewelry at the Festival.

3 Dogs Beggin

Ok...so I have to give a plug to another endeavor or ours. 3 Dogs Beggin started about a year ago, shortly after the big pet food recall. Oprah...yes, Oprah had an episode about dogs and feeding them the raw diet. I pulled a couple of recipes from the internet and took them to Neil..significant other of 8 years, resident chef in the house and all around great guy. He scoffed...if it has anything to do with Oprah...scoff is immediate gut reaction. I tried to tell him about the benefits of making our own dog food and the cost effectiveness..all fell on deaf ears. Then, I find out the next day, he's been doing some research of his own, not when I was around...he wouldn't do that in front of me...I'm sure it was to prove the wrongness of Oprah. Much to my surprise, he agreed and decided to start making our own food. We use a really good dry, no binders and fillers and he makes a wet concoction of vegtables, brown rice and cooked ground beef. The dogs love it...!
I must add that 2 of our dogs will eat anything we put in front of them and have even been known to eat frozen blueberries..the other...not so much. We had a hard time getting him to eat what we put down for his "meal". Now....no problems...he must know that he's getting the "good stuff"
I guess this is getting a bit long, but making our own dog food naturally progressed into making their treats as well. The great thing is...we know exactly what is going into them...and it's all natural, with no preservatives and we don't have to worry about and additives that "accidently" got into what they eat.
And it was natural for me to start to sell them at my shows. The response was surprising....! Now, I sell them fulltime at the shows and even one of the galleries I work with carries them. I created a 3 Dogs Beggin Etsy shop to spread the news. How can we not do our best for our fur friends...?

My Friend Moe

I'm just getting a hang of this blogging thing, but when I need inspiration or just a great chuckle...I look to my friend Moe in Hawaii. She always brings a smile to my face and a laugh to my heart...she's a natural blogger with an awesome sense of humor. I met her at Polymer Clay Central which is a great community of folks all dedicated to the pursuit of polymer clay and everything that goes with it. She's helped me with PC technical problems, sent me altoid tins to cover and helped promote my second business, 3 Dogs Beggin . She is a wonderful person with a huge heart...one that I'm surprised fits on the island she lives on. ( Hugs Moe!) Not to take away from all the other wonderful souls at PCC...they are all super...! If you interested in polymer clay and what you can do with it, please stop in to PCC, I promise you won't be disappointed... Or if you need a lift to your day....visit Moe at her blog or stop in to her Etsy shop to see all her beautiful PC goodies...

The day of the LoveBugs

I had an Arts & Crafts show this past weekend in beautiful Diamondhead, MS. We'd had such awesome Fall weather in the days prior...I was hopeful our weekend would be just as nice. Well...you name it....it happened weather wise this weekend...hot n sticky, rain showers, humid, torrential rain (luckily, overnight) caused a river to run through our booth, sunny, breezy...I think we covered them all...if it had snowed, I'm not sure I would have batted an eye...the one constant in our weekend was the presence of the lovebugs.

Those of you who live on the Gulf Coast are familiar with these bugs, I'm sure. They appear twice a year Spring/Fall to cover our windshields and just generally annoy. The fly around procreating on any available surface, no care to where....AND they love the color white ( canopy color). YEA...!! Needless to say...we were picking love bugs off jewelry and stained glass all weekend.

The photo above was the star of the show, the Tropical Splash bracelet by far received the most complements and most attention, but alas, was not sold. The Lampwork beads were created LAJewelryDesigns artist Lea. They are phenomenal..! They look like bits of the sea...! I went with her theme and added sterling silver Hill tribe fish and a Sterling starfish, pale green amazonite, sunstone and cariibbean blue opal Swarovskis to complete the piece. What do you think..?

My friend Karen stopped by on Sunday to see all the fine Arts&Crafts available. Karen is an awesome artist herself. She works with fused glass, enameling and photography to mention a few. She sells her beautiful nature and landscape at Etsy. Her shop name is Tricia Kay. She does prints as well as notecards. Stop by her shop...you'll like what you see..!

Here are some photos from this weekends show. Enjoy!

How time Flies...

Ok, so this is the first time I have logged on in about 2 years....gulp...! I got a huge creative writer's block. I've been told by everyone blogging is it....!! Everybody blogs....! It's easy...! BaM....creative block....who's going to care what little o' me has to say...? Well, I guess we're going to find out....!

I've been hard at work creating new pieces for the Fall/Winter Season as well as continuing to get my website at Caly's Jewelry Creations up to date and listing at my Etsy Shop.
I have updated my Fall Schedule and it's a busy one.

This bracelet was inspired by the scrumptious lampwork beads from DorsetHill Beads. She created these beads and called them Aqua Marine...well those that know me, know the name was about all I needed to inspire a purchase....! I paired them with sterling silver seahorses and shells from Hill Tribe Silver and sterling silver Starfish and Swarovski crystal. I think it turned out beautifully...! She loved my bracelet so much she posted on her blog.

See you in 2 years....just kidding...! I'll try to be a little more faithful....! Thanks for waiting...!