Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Shannon Schow~Custom Jewelry: Monthly Featured Artist
Shannon Schow~Custom Jewelry: Monthly Featured Artist: " Hello everyone, I wanted to start a new blog page to feature my fellow handmade artists. I have joined a ning site called Artisan Je..."
Monday, December 6, 2010
Rings for Fun and Fashion
Are you a ring person? I am; I absolutely LOVE rings and like many different styles. I'm never happier than when I have a new ring to wear!
Artfire has a wonderful collection of rings for every occasion and pocketbook. I've put together a collection of some that peaked my interest for you to see.
Enjoy!
Artfire has a wonderful collection of rings for every occasion and pocketbook. I've put together a collection of some that peaked my interest for you to see.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Artisans/Jewelry Designers Community: 20 Days of December - AJD Members Promotions for C...
Artisans/Jewelry Designers Community: 20 Days of December - AJD Members Promotions for C...: "FOR THE NEXT TWENTY DAYS WE WILL BE FEATURING SOME OF OUR MEMBERS AND THEIR SHOPS, PROMOTING THEIR HANDMADE ITEMS AND HOPING THAT YOU WILL ..."
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Saga of an Armadillo
Just recently our granddaughters were visiting us for their annual 2 week summer stay. We spent every day boating, swimming and tubing on our beautiful Corps lake. One day we were on our boat going to our favorite swimming area when my husband noticed something in the lake. We went over to it and found a young armadillo trying desperately to swim. I will refer to it as a male just for the sake of this story.
The poor little nipper kept rolling onto his back and his head would go under the water. Our granddaughters cried, "Nana, don't let it drown. Do something". So I immediately jumped into the water with a swimming noodle, looped it around the armadillo's head and he grabbed on. However, he couldn't stay afloat on one noodle so I put a second one around him and he crawled right up on them. I had to swim it to shore, which was quite a distance; so g
lad I had my swim flippers on! The little nipper just hung on - seemed like he knew I was trying to help. When we finally got to shore he didn't have enough strength to crawl out of the water onto land. I kept nudging him and finally got his front feet on land but he couldn't go any farther. I left him there hoping that he would live. Our granddaughters kept assuring us that he would be OK.After more boating and swimming, we went back to check on him. He was still in the same spot and hadn't moved farther onto land but he seemed very alert. So I took a boat paddle, got back into the water and swam to him. I gently pushed him with the paddle and he got most of his body out of th
e water but wouldn't go further. We left for the day but checked on him the next day and he was gone. We have to believe that the little guy was able to find his way to a safe place on land. Our granddaughters were thrilled that he lived!Now remember that armadillos are like the "plague" here in Arkansas. They can wreak havoc in your garden and lawn and are not the friendliest of animals. Everyone I told this story to asked why in the world would I save an armadillo. I said because he was drowning and I couldn't stand to let that happen. Besides, our granddaughters wanted their Nana to help it - how could I not? Now I'm not particularly fond of armadillos but I hope when this little guy grows up he finds the garden or lawn of the person who threw him into the middle of the lake to drown and happily digs up everything! Now that would be justice!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Do You Know Where Mother's Day Originated?
Mother's Day is usually celebrated on the second Sunday of May, and Mothers all over the world are honored with special attention and gifts from their loved ones. But was it always like this? Let's look back in time.
Historically, celebrations of Motherhood were in the spring and had strong symbolic and spiritual overtones; Goddesses and symbols were celebrated instead of actual mothers.
Ancient Egyptians held an annual festival honoring the goddess Isis, who was thought to be the Mother of the pharoahs. Ancient Greeks honored Rhea, the Mother of Gods. Romans celebrated Cybele, or Magna Mater, which means Great Mother. This festival was held between March 15 and March 22, which was about the same time as the Greek festival honoring Rhea.
During the 1600's, Christians in England celebrated a day to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Later a religious decree included all mothers and was known as "Mothering Sunday". Many of the poor in England worked as servants for the wealthy and often lived in the homes of their employers. The servants had "Mothering Sunday" off and returned to their homes to spend the day with their mothers, often bringing a "mothering cake" for this festive occasion.
The spread of Christianity throughout Europe brought a change to this celebration and began to honor the "Mother Church" or the church where they were baptized. As time passed, the church festival blended with Mothering Sunday with people honoring both the church and their mothers.
The English colonists who settled in America discontinued Mothering Sunday due to lack of time and the need to work long hours in harsh conditions. The American Mother's Day would be invented centuries later.
Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic, tried to have a manifesto for peace issued at international peace conferences in London and Paris. Horrified by the death and carnage of the Civil War, she tried to bring mothers together to protest against war. In 1873, June 2 was the day to honor peace and motherhood. This practice was observed in many cities for up to 10 years and was supported and financed by Miss Howe. She failed to get formal recognition of this day and she started supporting women's rights and peace in other ways. However, the seed for the present Mother's Day was sown.
An Appalachian homemaker, Ann Marie Jarvis Reeves, began an adaptation of Howe's idea, calling it Mother's Friendship Day. Her goal was to reunite families torn apart by allegiance to either the Union or Confederate side of the Civil War. She was also instrumental in teaching women the basics of nursing and sanitation, thus helping to save thousands of lives during the Civil War.
Ann's daughter, Anna Jarvis, spent many years caring for her ailing mother and when she died, Anna decided to start Mother's Day to honor all mothers. She felt that children neglected to show appreciation to their mothers while they were alive. In 1907, she began her quest with the support of friends. She petitioned the superintendent of Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where her mother taught Sunday School for 20 years. On May 10, 1908, a church service honored her late mother, and another service at a church in Philadelphia, Pa. honored the late Mrs. Jarvis the same day. Anna Jarvis had white carnations, which were her mother's favorite, handed out to all mothers who attended these services. Today, white carnations honor deceased mothers and pink or red carnations honor Mothers still living.
This custom caught on and spread to 45 states. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia, issued a proclamation to celebrate Mother's Day. By 1911, every state in the Union had a Mother's Day celebration. On May 7, 1914, a resolution stating the second Sunday in May be designated Mother's Day passed both Houses and was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on May 9, 1914.
In her later years, Anna Jarvis became disillusioned by the change in the observance of Mother's Day, which began as a religious service and ended up a more secular observance with gifts. By the time Anna Jarvis died, over 40 countries worldwide celebrated Mother's Day.
Today, Mother's Day is one of the most commercially successful holidays in the U.S. The National Restaurant Association reports that Mother's Day is the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant. Mother's Day is the day to pay tribute to your mother, honoring her contributions in your life; usually with cards, flowers, and gifts, and a day to have someone else prepare the meal!
(Sources for this article were gleaned from theholidayspot.com and mothersdaycentral.com).
Historically, celebrations of Motherhood were in the spring and had strong symbolic and spiritual overtones; Goddesses and symbols were celebrated instead of actual mothers.
Ancient Egyptians held an annual festival honoring the goddess Isis, who was thought to be the Mother of the pharoahs. Ancient Greeks honored Rhea, the Mother of Gods. Romans celebrated Cybele, or Magna Mater, which means Great Mother. This festival was held between March 15 and March 22, which was about the same time as the Greek festival honoring Rhea.
During the 1600's, Christians in England celebrated a day to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Later a religious decree included all mothers and was known as "Mothering Sunday". Many of the poor in England worked as servants for the wealthy and often lived in the homes of their employers. The servants had "Mothering Sunday" off and returned to their homes to spend the day with their mothers, often bringing a "mothering cake" for this festive occasion.
The spread of Christianity throughout Europe brought a change to this celebration and began to honor the "Mother Church" or the church where they were baptized. As time passed, the church festival blended with Mothering Sunday with people honoring both the church and their mothers.
The English colonists who settled in America discontinued Mothering Sunday due to lack of time and the need to work long hours in harsh conditions. The American Mother's Day would be invented centuries later.
Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic, tried to have a manifesto for peace issued at international peace conferences in London and Paris. Horrified by the death and carnage of the Civil War, she tried to bring mothers together to protest against war. In 1873, June 2 was the day to honor peace and motherhood. This practice was observed in many cities for up to 10 years and was supported and financed by Miss Howe. She failed to get formal recognition of this day and she started supporting women's rights and peace in other ways. However, the seed for the present Mother's Day was sown.
An Appalachian homemaker, Ann Marie Jarvis Reeves, began an adaptation of Howe's idea, calling it Mother's Friendship Day. Her goal was to reunite families torn apart by allegiance to either the Union or Confederate side of the Civil War. She was also instrumental in teaching women the basics of nursing and sanitation, thus helping to save thousands of lives during the Civil War.
Ann's daughter, Anna Jarvis, spent many years caring for her ailing mother and when she died, Anna decided to start Mother's Day to honor all mothers. She felt that children neglected to show appreciation to their mothers while they were alive. In 1907, she began her quest with the support of friends. She petitioned the superintendent of Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where her mother taught Sunday School for 20 years. On May 10, 1908, a church service honored her late mother, and another service at a church in Philadelphia, Pa. honored the late Mrs. Jarvis the same day. Anna Jarvis had white carnations, which were her mother's favorite, handed out to all mothers who attended these services. Today, white carnations honor deceased mothers and pink or red carnations honor Mothers still living.
This custom caught on and spread to 45 states. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia, issued a proclamation to celebrate Mother's Day. By 1911, every state in the Union had a Mother's Day celebration. On May 7, 1914, a resolution stating the second Sunday in May be designated Mother's Day passed both Houses and was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on May 9, 1914.
In her later years, Anna Jarvis became disillusioned by the change in the observance of Mother's Day, which began as a religious service and ended up a more secular observance with gifts. By the time Anna Jarvis died, over 40 countries worldwide celebrated Mother's Day.
Today, Mother's Day is one of the most commercially successful holidays in the U.S. The National Restaurant Association reports that Mother's Day is the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant. Mother's Day is the day to pay tribute to your mother, honoring her contributions in your life; usually with cards, flowers, and gifts, and a day to have someone else prepare the meal!
(Sources for this article were gleaned from theholidayspot.com and mothersdaycentral.com).
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
DO YOU KNOW YOUR TURQUOISE?
When you purchase turquoise, do you know what you are really getting?
Because turquoise is one of the most preferred stones of many cultures, it is often imitated, faked or doctored. How do we know which one we are really buying if the seller is not educated in the types of turquoise or is trying to sell an imitation.
The first turquoise was mined in Egypt, but the stones were low grade and the mines were quickly depleted. Later a higher grade of turquoise was discovered in Persia (now Iran) and was routed through Turkey to European countries. The modern name turquoise is derived from the French word for Turkish. Today most turquoise is mined in the United States and China.
Colors of turquoise range from green to blue in natural stones that are mined in the U.S. and have a variety of matrix patterns. Turquoise is somewhat porous and its original color can be changed through the absorbtion of moisture, skin oils, hand lotions, and perfumes.
Less than 10% of all mined turquoise qualifies as gem-grade; over time this stone will hold its color and hardness due to the silica content. Therefore, most available turquoise has been treated or enhanced.
Stabilization is the most common form of enhancement. This process impregnates soft chalk turquoise with polymer resin to stabilize the color and harden the stone for polishing. The resin usually deepens the color giving the stone an appearance of natural turquoise.
A second method of enhancement involves use of an electrical process that deposits silica into the structure of the stone to simulate the hardness and density of natural gem-grade turquoise.
Imitation turquoise can range from plastic and glass to dyed and stabilized magnesite or howlite. Magnesite and howlite are porous and can accept dye, plus these stones have similar matrix patterns. African turquoise is dyed jasper, and Chinese yellow turquoise is actually serpentine.
It is almost impossible to detect electrically treated turquoise. Your best action is to ask the seller to disclose the true nature of the turquoise they are selling; reputable dealers are willing to do so.
Turquoise ranges from 5 to 7 in Mohs hardness. Do not use soap or solvents to clean it; use a soft cloth and lukewarm water. Avoid excessive exposure to heat or sunlight as it can dry out the stone causing cracks and/or color fading.
This information was obtained from an article in the March 2010 Art Jewelry magazine entitled "Turquoise: One of the most imitated stones" by Richard M. Shull, G.G.
Because turquoise is one of the most preferred stones of many cultures, it is often imitated, faked or doctored. How do we know which one we are really buying if the seller is not educated in the types of turquoise or is trying to sell an imitation.
The first turquoise was mined in Egypt, but the stones were low grade and the mines were quickly depleted. Later a higher grade of turquoise was discovered in Persia (now Iran) and was routed through Turkey to European countries. The modern name turquoise is derived from the French word for Turkish. Today most turquoise is mined in the United States and China.
Colors of turquoise range from green to blue in natural stones that are mined in the U.S. and have a variety of matrix patterns. Turquoise is somewhat porous and its original color can be changed through the absorbtion of moisture, skin oils, hand lotions, and perfumes.
Less than 10% of all mined turquoise qualifies as gem-grade; over time this stone will hold its color and hardness due to the silica content. Therefore, most available turquoise has been treated or enhanced.
Stabilization is the most common form of enhancement. This process impregnates soft chalk turquoise with polymer resin to stabilize the color and harden the stone for polishing. The resin usually deepens the color giving the stone an appearance of natural turquoise.
A second method of enhancement involves use of an electrical process that deposits silica into the structure of the stone to simulate the hardness and density of natural gem-grade turquoise.
Imitation turquoise can range from plastic and glass to dyed and stabilized magnesite or howlite. Magnesite and howlite are porous and can accept dye, plus these stones have similar matrix patterns. African turquoise is dyed jasper, and Chinese yellow turquoise is actually serpentine.
It is almost impossible to detect electrically treated turquoise. Your best action is to ask the seller to disclose the true nature of the turquoise they are selling; reputable dealers are willing to do so.
Turquoise ranges from 5 to 7 in Mohs hardness. Do not use soap or solvents to clean it; use a soft cloth and lukewarm water. Avoid excessive exposure to heat or sunlight as it can dry out the stone causing cracks and/or color fading.
This information was obtained from an article in the March 2010 Art Jewelry magazine entitled "Turquoise: One of the most imitated stones" by Richard M. Shull, G.G.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A Look Back at 2009
It is now the end of January 2010, so I decided to take a look back at 2009. I set up my shop on 1000 Markets in February 2009, so my frst year is quickly coming to an end. I must say this has been a year of anxiety, frustration, exhilaration, mind failure, learning, adjusting, and coping. Plus probably many more emotions that I have chosen to forget!
As this is my FIRST online experience, I had no idea what to expect. I really thought all I had to do was make some jewelry, take pictures of it, upload it into my shop and start selling. Obviously I was completely "in the dark" when it came to online selling. I never thought about a learning curve or how sharp this curve would be or how long it would take to negotiate it.
I also thought I was computer literate as I have worked on computers for years and am known in our small area as "the woman in the know" regarding computer problems. Well, that bubble was quickly shattered when I went "live" with my shop. I had no idea what "blogging" meant, much less "twittering". I had heard of Facebook but had not delved into it. I had no idea what "threads" meant or what it meant to "link" something. I had no idea how to "market" my shop or 1000 Markets. I knew how to take pictures but had no clue how to take adequate pictures of my jewelry so it looked good online. That is a completely new talent that I need to acquire! I didn't know what "widgets" were, and once I found out, I had no idea how to make one or get one. Every day I would come to a door that I had not opened, and when I did, I wanted to run back through it and slam it shut behind me. Talk about clueless, that was me! I had no idea and no ideas!
I spent many, many hours of many, many days and nights reading through all the blogs on 1000 Markets and reading the Merchant Handbook. I spent even more hours trying to put that information to use. It took me days to make my banner look like something other than a child's first coloring project. That is after I finally figured out how to use GIMP and that in itself was so painful that I wanted to scream! I went to bed many nights with my mind hurting from so much intense concentration. My self esteem took a hit as I was no longer the "woman in the know" but the "woman who didn't know"!
But through it all, I continually found answers to my problems and questions through the help of 1000 Markets - the administration team is so helpful and so "merchant oriented". Also many 1000 Markets merchants offered their experiences in the form of blogs or other communication methods. No matter what the problem was, I found the answer one way or another. I was able to open and close doors with increased speed as the year progressed.
I have entered 2010 a different person (in regards to computer literacy and online selling) thanks to 1000 Markets and their many merchants. I now feel I can handle new horizons with some confidence and skill. My shop page has gone through several changes and I am sure it will continue to do so. I can now whip up a new banner within a few hours as compared to days. My pictures are getting better, but I can still improve them. I know what "widgets" are and can actually make one! I have had sales and found them easy to handle through shipment. I am not leery of "new" doors but approach them with a new found confidence. I still have much to learn about online selling but I know that 1000 Markets administration is behind me. They listen to our problems, concerns, suggestions, and complaints, and then respond appropriately. Their motto is "we are here to help you" and they mean it.
So here it is 2010 and I am already through 1/12 of it! I wonder what this year will bring. Whatever it is, I am ready to handle it (I think!). So bring it on!
The pictures show our home and yard after it snowed 6 inches. Here in Greers Ferry, AR, in the foothills of the Ozarks, we usually get just a dusting of snow maybe once each winter. Usually the snow melts by noon and we are on our way. But this time the snow kept falling for 24 hours. We are enjoying the beauty of it as we don't have to go anywhere, which is good as there is 1/2 inch of ice under this pretty white snow! And there is not any snow removal equipment in our small rural town. People just stay home when it snows; schools close and businesses lock their doors! Being from Ohio and Michigan, that was difficult to understand as we spent many winter months fighting the snow and ice to get to work. But this new found attitude tends to serve us well now! LET IT SNOW!
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