Devine Designs Jewelry

I hesitated to post today, even though it's been about a week since my last. My mood is not that great today. The new job that I started this week, ended today. (This was the P/T sewing job, that I mentioned previously.) I just knew today, that I would not be able to do the job. I've mentioned before that I used to sew, some years ago, and made swimsuits, so when I saw the ad placed for a seamstress, I thought I'd try it out. I could not get used to the industrial machines. They really wanted a professional swimsuit maker to come in and just pick it up and be making production; like on the first day. I struggled too much. I knew it; the lady that hired me knew it too. ~~~~~~~~ It is such a blow to the ego, especially when you've been doing work for so many years;when you know who you are (pretty much so anyway); what you're capable of; and where you're going (or like to be going.) I'm trying to go easy on myself, but I tend to be such a perfectionist ...

Mixed metal coiled bracelet warrior cuff brass cuff party poppies

Weight update~ total weight loss to date: 10.5 lbs. I "officially" weighed in at WW this past week. Now I will try to work the program on my own at home. I will continue to weigh myself once a week, and keep track by writing it down, tracking my points and journaling. In other news, this week I accepted a part-time job offer, which will mean I will basically be working full-time hours outside of my jewelry business. I will be making swimsuits, which I have done in the past, so I think I will enjoy it, and it may bring more creativity to my jewelry designs, than the mind numbing job that I have now. We will have to see how that works out. I came to the conclusion, that I just have to bring in more money. Struggling, working just a couple of days a week, is not allowing me to have any money to invest in my business. They say, "you have to spend money, to make money", and this is so true. With the current direction I want to take my business, I need more money to ...

Live and learn. This was to be a 2 day event; I only stayed yesterday. To start off the weather was not on our sides. I was soooo windy. I would rather have rain than the wind. I got to use my new weight bags for this show, but these were not enough. I even had my husband come back by the opening hour and bring me another 27 lbs. to attach to the middle of the tent to stabilize it. Two tents blew completely over, papers and brochures were flying everywhere. Tree pollen was all over the tables and jewelry. I had a nice location to set up my booth, on the corner, in front of a "new age" type of book store, but being on the corner, I caught alot of wind. I was doing "double duty" also. My friend Carol, who was to share the booth with me, hurt her back and could not come, so I offered to set up all her stuff and sell for her too. Now this event was suppose to be a "white tent only, juried items only accepted", but turned out that was not the case. This...

Here's some more new earrings all ready for my show this weekend. So if you find yourself in old downtown Palm Harbor this Saturday and Sunday, stop by on Florida Ave. and say hi!

Life Promises for Couples by Gary Chapman Dr. Gary Chapman brings us another wonderful book on improving our relationships. In this book he offers to the reader, “God’s promises for you and your spouse.” With Dr. Chapman’s years of marriage counseling, and pastoral studies, he interprets love, as written in Bible verses, and how we can apply them to our relationships. I must admit that I am a big fan of Dr. Chapman’s teachings. I do own a few of his books, including his highly acclaimed; “The Five Love Languages”, which describes how each person has his or her own way of feeling loved by another, and how one can learn to express that to their companion’s, in other words, to “speak their partner’s language, thus bringing a relationship closer together. He teaches amazing information that I have used in my own marriage. “Life Promises for Couples” would make a great companion book to others in Dr. Chapman’s series on love, and it would also make a nice gift book for couples. It is...

Here's a look at another custom order creation. A friend of mine gave me this strand of sodalite gemstone beads, and asked me to create a bracelet in mixed metals, that would coordinate with this pair of earrings she got from me: and this necklace: We talked about incorporating elements of each piece, so that they could be worn together or apart. She liked the mix of sterling and copper; the copper washers that I used in the earrings, and she wanted some spirals. Here is the completed bracelet that I came up with. The copper O rings are textured the same way, as I did the earrings. I wrapped them in sterling silver wire with added spirals. I added the sodalite beads onto my own handmade sterling head pins and added faceted citrine dangles (like the earrings). To coordinate with the necklace, I had a couple of the sterling "Greek key" beads available and placed them strategically in the bracelet where they would be seen. I tried to incorporate some chunky lapis also, bu...