Happy Buddha ~ Vacation inspirations

Happy Budda Necklace.  Fall 2010.

Fat and Happy.
Me and the kids on vacation. 

Beads I picked up on vacation.
Colors inspired by the river, rocks and mountains.

Happy Budda and two little happy Buddas.   This was my kids and I on vacation.   I like to say "fat and happy."  Isn't that what vacations are for?  

When I travel I like to pop into local bead stores and see what they have that is different.  While these Buddas were not made in Idaho, they did strike a cord with me that particular day.  

My Fall 2010 collection is going to be a nice mix of chunky colors like the Buddas, simple silver, and triple strand gems with handcrafted fine silver.   My jewelry for Fall 2010 will be available at local shows, home shows and Etsy.  

Since we moved to the Norther Virginia area last year I've been family focused and my jewelry took a smaller role.  This year my youngest child will enter all-day Kindergarden (yipee!) so I will now have the time to make my sales calls to local boutiques. 

My Etsy customers want to know where I went.   This summer, I have been beautifully busy with custom orders in fine silver.  Etsy is a wonderful site, except it is time consuming to create, take multiple photos, edit and post.  To make Etsy work for your home business you have to work it like a job.  As I get my Etsy site restocked and refocused I will post some how-to blogs.   

Rope swinging ~ Catch the feeling.

Me.  Happy, happy, happy!

Idaho on the Salmon River

Love his sweet cheeks.

Little athlete.  Reminds me of a Nike ad.  We had to yell "drop!"

Brave 5 year old.
 She got braver when the camera came into play.

Rope swinging in Idaho is one of my most favorite activities to do on vacation.  As a stay-home-busy-as-heck-mother, it is fun to let loose sometimes.  My brother, his family and my kids had a great time on the swing.  My 11-year old niece took this great photo of me on the rope swing one evening.  I warned them to watch out, I'm going to mug for the camera.  She caught it.   We all took turns trying to get that fun mid-air action shot.  

Jewelry inspirations.  
New to my collection Fall 2010.

This exhilaration you see in the photo is what I feel when I watch my kids do well in life, school and sports.  It is also a good, external, example of how I feel inside when I make jewelry and get a piece just right.  Goosebumps.  

Jewelry Inspirations.
 New to my collection Fall 2010

Hearts - Vacation Inspirations

My daughter's heart collection from our beach on the Salmon River in Lucile, Idaho.  
She wanted to pack them in our luggage to go home. 

Hearts.
 I have to confess...I like hearts and use them often in my jewelry designs.
 This little precious metal clay heart reminds me of my daughter's rock heart design.
 Garnet and pearl.

Celtic knot.  Choker necklace new to my collection.
 Not a heart,  however I "heart" this necklace and had to share.
Pearl, ruby, green gem 

For several years my sister-in-law and I have started to search for heart shaped rocks on vacation after I read an article about a woman who did the same at her magnificent beach house.  My daughter loves this beach time activity.  One problem, on this vacation we flew home.

As we were packing to go home my daughter shouted "don't forget my rock collection!" I paused and thought about my best option.  I asked her to line them up on the deck and I'd take a picture.  My mother promised to use them in her garden as decorations and she can add to the collection when we visit.  As we left, she picked her favorite rock and brought it home to give to Daddy as a vacation keepsake.  So generous.

I use hearts often in my jewelry designs.   In the past, friends as asked me about the hearts and I told them that I only use hearts because they sell well and certain customers really like hearts.  Over time I realized the truth, I really like hearts because there are so many things to love...life, God, husband, children, family, friends, humor, work...I love hearts.