Falling for Fall

Yep, I'm definitely in the mood for fall!  I want some hot apple cider and a great big caramel apple.  So why, then, is the temperature still in the 90s here?  That's not fall, that's summer.  I've had enough!  I'm in the spirit, though.  Here's a fall necklace that I just put in my Etsy Shop.  www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com.  Tell me what you think!

If you look closely at this black patina connector, you can see acorns throughout it.  I'm in love with this!  It looks so pretty on.  Would someone be so kind as to pin this to Pinterest?  I pin it, but it just goes somewhere that's NOT on the main feed for everyone to see.  I'm not good with computers.....so sad!  Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Have a luscious day - I'm off to Wal-Mart to purchase a big white pumpkin!

My Long Window

Greetings!  I recently purchased an old window - it's over 100 years old - to hang above the fireplace.  I had originally wanted a door, but my husband wanted a window.  We were lucky enough to find a long window that was sort of like a door - with glass - so we were both happy!  I posted a picture of the window on Facebook right after we purchased it and some of you have asked what the final outcome was, so here it is!  I'm very happy with it.  For 16 years, there was a birdhouse quilt up there that my mom made - and it was beautiful and I absolutely love that quilt, but after 16 years, I was ready for a change.  I'm going to have fun changing out the wreath for all of the seasons and holidays with this window!

Lizette, you were asking about the birdcage.  I've got pumpkins in it right now!

Boo With Bling!

Hello!  I'm so excited that fall is almost here - it's only two more days to be officially considered "fall."  That means Halloween is just around the corner.  You know that I absolutely adore Halloween.  The candy, the costumes, the crazy decorations - and the fact that it kicks off the upcoming holiday season.  I've been wanting to make a nice Halloween necklace and earrings - and here it is.  I'm in love with the little guy dangling from the bottom - and this necklace is full of bling, another of my favorite things!  If you'd like to see more of this little guy, he's in my Etsy Shop at www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com.  You'll be the envy of all of your friends.  He's spooky, blingy........and classy! 

Framed Leaf for Fall

Hello!  I got to do a little bit of stamping yesterday!  This is probably what I love most about stamping - when you need a little accent piece somewhere, you can easily add one by stamping something and then framing it!  I wanted to hang something fall-ish from the big clock in our den, so I stamped a beautiful leaf from Papertrey's Leaf Prints stamp set, added some sequins and beads (which I've really gotten into lately!), put it in a gorgeous frame, and it looks perfect!  The room just feels warmer and cozier with a fall leaf dressing it up!  This inspired me and I'm ready to do more stamping..........now, to find the time to do that!  Have a great day everyone!

Scissor Babies

How cute is this????  I LOVE IT!  This is scissor bling!  I call them Scissor Babies.  When you attend a crop or a stamping event, everyone has Stampin' Up!'s Paper Snips, so it's hard to distinguish yours from everyone else's.  Not anymore!  With my Scissor Baby attached to your Paper Snips, you'll know exactly which scissors are yours!  They make great gifts for your scrapbooking buddies or your stamping pals!  For more information, visit www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com. 

Well, hello!  Yes, it's me.  I'm still here!  It's been quite a while since I've posted anything on my blog....and I was just about to let my blog go when I received an email from someone asking if I was okay and that she missed my posts!  I was shocked and surprised that someone would still be checking my blog for posts, so I figured I'd keep penguinstamper going - even if it's just for my own scrapbooking.  My blog IS my form of scrapbooking.

I have been in the process of cleaning out all of the "stuff" I had as a demonstrator.  It has taken me a good bit of time to do this.  When you have a stamping business, you need multiples, and sometimes triples or more, of things to use in your workshops.  I have pared my supplies down, and now my office is in a good state and I am actually starting to do some stamping again.  THAT MAKES ME HAPPY! 

Another thing that I've become involved in is making jewelry.  Yes, I know, it does sound kind of weird......especially to me because I had no idea that I could fall so completely in love with making jewelry.  It happened quite by accident when my mom asked me to repair two of her necklaces that had broken.  I gave her a blank look like, "How in the world can I fix this?  I don't know the first thing about jewelry."  Her necklaces were beaded, so to fix them, it required a small amount of design to make the beads look pretty.....and that's where it happened.....I was hooked like a charm in lace!  I thought I would take a beginner beading class at Michael's, which I did, and that set me on fire for making jewelry.  I have now ventured into creating vintage-looking jewelry, and I must say I'm one VERY happy gal making jewelry AND stamping.  It reminds me of that saying, "So many crafts, so little time."  That's how I feel.  There aren't enough hours in the day to do all of the things I'd like to do, but since I'm retired now, there's tomorrow, and the day after that, and then the day after that, and so on! 

My daughter talked me into opening up an Etsy Shop for my jewelry, so I'm dabbling in that to see how well it goes.  I'll eventually add some of my hand-stamped items in my shop, as well.  My Etsy Shop address is www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com, if you'd like to see what I've been making lately.  Here's my latest, an antique brass vintage snowman necklace and earrings.  I've already sold three of them, so I guess I'd have to call him my best-seller so far!  Ha!

Isn't he cute?  I love how all of the components look like snow and ice - even the clasp is a rhinestone snowflake.  I'm in love with him - and he loves me, too.  Here's my "Cotton Candy" necklace and earrings.  The different shades of pink are lovely.  The rhinestone pendant was part of a clasp, which I repurposed into the focal point of this necklace.  I love the antique silveryness of this set!

Here's another one of my favorites:

This necklace has a metal latch that has been repurposed into a focal point pendant.  The aqua-blue chalcedony gemstone looks beautiful with the metal.  I create the chains by forming simple loops with wire and beading whatever elements I want onto the wire, and then simply attach the simple loops together.  I'm in love!

So, there you have it!  All is well.  I'm making jewelry AND stamping, so life is good!  Thanks for inspiring me to keep up my blog!  I appreciate you - and you know who you are, Ms. Frona!