Which do you like best?

Lately as I have been trying new ideas for jewelry and other creative endeavors I have wondered, What do ya like best?

Silver or Gold

Gemstone or pearl?

Greens, blues, reds, pinks and or yellows and oranges?

And colors? monochrome? or a pallete?
Also 1 more question...
do you prefer things "folky and rustic" or  refined and precise?

Just wondering you know how these inquiring minds can be.............

It's getting colder....

Well, it is finally beginning to get cold now. Not that I would have been disappointed if it had not, it's just that being a gardener and wanting to grow things year round ( or whenever it suits me) the first frost is something that is looked forward to and yet dreaded at the same time. Is it just me, do any of my other gardeners out there feel this way too? I know there are places where this little event happened months ago, but for us, it really is right on time and I feel as though I haven't saved/cut to root enough plants just yet. There is still room in the greenhouse to walk between the plants so I can't possibly be done right?
Today, as I bought firewood I thought, ok what else can I cut and root before Sunday.  Sunday  (when our temps will really drop) is scheduled to be our first "killing frost" so I am trying to cut and root everything I can between now and then. I really should be outside and writing this later, but right now I think I will stay cozy or maybe I meant to type lazy.

I am starting lots of lantana ( 4 varieties)

this time and camellias ( this is an experiment, I have only ever rooted them in summer)

   and Azaleas.

Have any ideas? I am experimenting with flats, seeding trays, and I really want to try jelly rolling some cuttings with plastic and sphagnum moss. Have you tried this method? I really don't want to have heat mats running all of the time, but depending on the temperatures, I may have to. ( really I can't get to my water heater and the top of the freezer doesn't get warm, thanks to the energy star ratings.)

Maybe it's just me, but are any of you out trying to save plants before the cold zaps the life out of them? I will keep you posted, maybe my experiments will be successful this winter and in the spring, I can show you lots of new ways to propagate things......................

I'm your fan Friday!

Yahoo! it is finally Friday! It seems like it has been a long week and I am not really sure why. It wasn't overly packed with things to do, or as chaotic as some weeks have been lately, it just seems like it has been a "toughy. "

I'd like to start out by saying Thank You so much! to all of my followers and to those who have featured me on their websites. I really appreciate all of your comments and the encouragement you have given me. 

As the Crackerhead Crumbles featured one of my photos on their website in a sites to see post. I appreciate that so much! This particular photo is one of my favorites ( yes, you know I can't choose just 1) showcasing a big beautiful Monarch butterfly on some raspberry colored bee balm. It really was so nice to see that in my inbox this morning! 

I haven't kept up with my I'm your fan Friday postings in a couple of weeks, so today I decided, it is definitely time to introduce you to some of the things I like ( and think you might like too).

Check out what's new at Beautifully Broken Me  I really like the color pallete for this challenge and I really like Molly's necklace.

At confessions of a junque Junkie I found this spectacular use of old family photos. I've been knee deep in a genealogy project lately and being fascinated by photography I was just totally amazed by this bracelet. 

Brenda and Molly I love your work and this Friday, I'm your fan!

Thursday's Thought

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
Harvey Fierstein 
            

New Attitudes and Philosophies

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can't seem to work and Blog at the same time?

I don't know what has happened to the last 2 weeks. ( Wow!, doesn't that sound redundant?) but even though I haven't blogged, I have been busy. The next few weeks will be incredibly busy too, but I hope to do a better job. In the meantime, here are a few things I have been working on. These pieces will be listed for sale right after Thanksgiving, but if you like them, let me know which pieces you like best. These earrings and the bracelet to match are made with sodalite and sterling.

This set is light green aventurine and frosted glass with silver plated accents.

Who doesn't love deep green Canadian jade?

A Girl's gotta have pearls, right?

I have a special little girl in my life who just loves yellow and blue.

 This is one of my new favorites. I picked up the sea shell on the island and mixed it with hemimorphite, hematite, sterling and abalone. I need to take another photo because the beauty of this one doesn't show up in this one.

At least some of my time has been spent on the beach lately can you tell? This necklace uses Picasso jasper, blue crazy lace agate, brown spiral shells, freshwater pearls and topaz crystals. You can almost smell the suntan lotion here. LOL

Here again, I need to take these photos in much better light because this necklace is really pretty,( IMHO) and this photo doesn't show it off. I used a seashell I picked up on a trip to Fort Fisher, NC and surrounded it with tourmaline, carnelian, red aventurine and smoky topaz. My hubby and son both like this one a lot.

Opals are like pearls right? You just gotta have them!

I love this little bracelet, the cornflower blue kyanite with the pearls is just mesmerizing. I feel like the longer I look at the blue, the harder it becomes to look away.

There will be more to come hopefully very soon too. In mean time, have a wonderful week, don't eat too much and remember life is better with an attitude of gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Wednesday's word

I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the slaves look to the hand of their master, and the eyes of a maid look to her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us mercy.

Psalm 123:1-2