It's a wonderful life

It's a wonderful life! That's one of my favorite movies and darnnit all! I missed it this year. But I have to say it is a wonderful life and this has been a wonderful year. Thank you to all my friends in faraway places that I've had the pleasure of meeting this year. You have all enriched my life.

The past several weeks were filled with baking, making snowman (crafty ones - not snowy ones), and shows and jewelry making. While there were moments that I thought I was going to loose my mind in the craziness of it all, the overall emotion for this holiday season was joy. Really - pure joy.

James made this Christmas so special for me. He was totally into Santa Claus and loved singing Christmas songs. Here is our last few weeks in pictures.Here are Dave and James placing Johnny Cash on top of the Christmas tree. James somehow got the idea that Johnny Cash cut down our Christmas tree:) I made this topper the year before James was born and Johnny has ruled our tree ever since.

James and Marley after their school Christmas performance. How handsome.
James and his cousin Keagan riding a low rider. We spent the weekend with them and the boys had so much fun together. It's really adorable.

And to close it off, here is a picture of a custom order I did for a friend. His family owns a winery so we came up with this idea for some grape lovers:)

And now a little, tiny sneak peek of what's to come in 2009. I have some new designs but only these two that I have taken pictures of. A shop update is schedule for January 9th.

Again, thanks to everyone for the important roles you play in my life. I wish you a new year filled with joy and wonderful experiences.

It's over ... sort of

Well, I think the holiday rush has officially died down. I wouldn't call it over but definitely died down. I had my last show on Sunday and it was a winner. Unique Los Angeles was the BEST first time show I've ever done. You can not imagine the amazing selection of art, jewelry, toys, clothes, food and the list goes on....
So here were some of my favorites:

Spike Designs : The hardest working chick I know. Everything Sandy makes is made by her, by hand! She has printed tees for guys and girls and handmade leather bags and wallets. And she's super nice too:)

Mucha Muchacha jewelry : I love Nicole's fused glass pendants. She has a wonderful eye for color

Rock Scissor Paper : I love everything here. They have the cutest sensibility and apply it to all things paper related.

Hope you all are enjoying buying or making presents for those you care about. I sure am:)
By the way, I am officially OFF for a week starting December 26th! Can't wait for the break.

boygirlparty Sidekick shells

How adorable are these sidekick shells!!! Way to go Susie. Found via Design Sponge this morning. I really need a new cover for my iphone. I wish this was available.

Nice Feature

Just wanted to pop in for a minute to say thanks to Coleen for a very nice feature on Chocolate and Steel. Go visit her blog, Something just to Start. You will get PLENTY of great gift ideas.

Good, really Good

I'm doing a show on Saturday for Good Magazine. Etsy contacted me and asked me to be a part of it. I thought - sure, what the hell, it's right around the corner. But then I got the list of artists that are also doing the show and am now super excited to do this show. 3 of my favorite artists are going to be there too. I can't wait. I hope I'm not too dorky to go up and talk to them. There are many more very talented artists and designers that will be there but here are the 3 that I am totally excited to see in person. Creative Thursday is the work of Marisa Haedike and she has the most inspirational blog. Sharon Montrose is a photographer and I actually bought her book from Anthropologie years ago. It's adorable. Then Elsa Mora is just amazing all around. I first came to love her paintings last year. I went to her art show here in town and was blown away by all of her talent. Now she does a lot of paper cuts too that are incredible.

Creative Thursday Sharon Montrose Photography Elsa Mora

Are you ready to rumble?

Are you ready to rumble?
yeah, me neither. I worked in retail for sooooooooo long that the thought of going shopping on the day after Thanksgiving sends me into sweats and my heart starts racing. I love a good deal, but I hate being pushed around and having to dig through bins of stuff that people have stepped on.

So join me! Stay home with a glass of wine, hot chocolate, Kaluha coffee, and a little White Stripes, Johnny Cash, Imogen Heap and browse at your own pace the wonderful world of art.

(jkphotography, hydraheart, christystudio)

Of course, I would love if you started at my shop:) And you'll love it too because I'm having a super sale!! Get it while the gettin's good:

:: ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT SALE::
Here's the deal:
FREE SHIPPING! Right now thru midnight Dec 2nd (that's Tuesday)
and the best part - a discount to boot:
1 piece - regular price
2 to 3 pieces - 10% off
4 to 5 pieces - 15% off
6 pieces or more - 25% off (make it a happy holiday for us both)
your discount will be refunded through Paypal. Please allow 24 hours for the refund to post.

Also, I will be out of town so all orders placed will be shipped on Tuesday, Dec. 2nd. I will be replying to emails though. Thanks and happy shopping (and Happy Holidays as well)!

All Grown Up

My little munchkin turned 3 years old last week. I can't believe it. We had so much fun on his birthday. I think we are starting a tradition of getting enormous waffles with strawberries for breakfast on his birthday. Here is the first time we did it when he turned 1. Poor guy was getting his molars and was miserable after all. And here he is two years later when he turned 3. After breakfast he went to school and I brought cupcakes to his class. Then after school we took him to Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd to pick out drumsticks for the drum we got him. Well, that ended up being a total adventure! They let him play the drums there and I don't think he's ever had so much fun.
And now, here is his very first school picture. I can't believe that they got him to smile so sweetly. I think this might be the cutest school picture EVER taken in all of history.I am so proud of our little guy. He is growing into such a wonderful person. When I got food poisoning last week he was so concerned. For the following 5 days he would come into my room in the morning while I was still in bed and say, "you feel better, babe?". It cracks me up.
And finally, here is a ring I just finished. I'm thinking of listing it in my shop. What do you think?

Economic Woes - it blows!

Have you turned on the radio, computer, or TV within the past month? Sure you have:) Well then you know that times are tough, really tough. Because they tell us that it is. I don't quite get it. I mean I do, but I don't. I realize that people are losing their jobs and credit is really tight. So, are we supposed to be scaling back on our spending because we too might lose our job? First off, I think spending within your means is the MOST important lesson to learn by the time you are 16. If you don't learn it by then, forget it - you're screwed!
But back to my point. Doesn't cutting back on spending lead to companies cutting jobs? It is such a crazy cycle that totally overwhelms me the more I think about it.

Well, not all hope is lost. I found such a great blog post that I want to share with you. It's from Creative Thursday. It was exactly the bit of inspiration I needed. I started my business a little over a year ago so her encouragement hit home:)

Then, a great article that gives someone like me hope (you know, the DIYer, crafter, artist me). Thank you LA Times!

Speaking of LA Times - I was mentioned in the La Times!! holy cow - so exciting. Here it is.

Shadow Puppets?

I've seen these guys before but this is a really cool clip from Conan that my friend Heather emailed me. The other night I was trying to do shadow puppets with my hands. My son could only pick out the dog. I'll have to keep working on it:)

My new love.... Leslie Hall

Felt Club was amazing and I am still recovering. It was totally exhausting and so much fun. I don't have enough energy to write so I will leave you with this little ditty by Leslie Hall. She was AWESOME!!

Felt Club

I am so excited and so freaked out about Felt Club. It's going to be amazing. The line up of entertainment and activities is off the hook! I might actually be able to convince my husband to come along and bring little James since the star of Yo Gabba Gabba will be dj'ing - DJ Lance Rock. Freaked out because I have so much left that I want to make for that show. I'm really trying to have a full collection of rings to bring. I'm working on that and may have them ready in time for the show. But then what happens if I have them ready but haven't figured out a good display for them. Argh! too much to think about and I probably shouldn't even be taking the time to blog this.
so bye... yay for Felt Club!

Oh, and I'll be sharing a booth with Adriana again of Invita Paper Studio. So excited to see her and her adorable new baby boy:)

Patchwork Show

Hey all you locals! Come out and visit me tomorrow (Sunday) at the Santa Ana Patchwork show. I have to skip my Saturday shopping list this week but there will be a great one next week:)
Hope to see you at the show tomorrow.

A Fairy Tale

I came across the sweetest little fairy tale book I have ever seen. This a handcrafted book made by La Pomme Stories by Apol Lejano-Massebieau . I have to have it! The story has a very quirky voice of an imaginative child. I love it!!

Here's the story:
The story of Gustave:

Lulu Leloup's third cousin on her mother's side Gustave Lavache found a yellow fruit. He kept it on his bedside table for days, and every morning and evening softly knocked on its cheek.

He was waiting for the little boy to appear, along with the Centipede, Old Green Grasshopper, and Mrs. Ladybird.

On the weekend Lulu came over to gently break the news to Gustave (who obviously is not the brightest bulb in the GE factory) that James and company lived in a giant peach; and what he had was a pear.

********
If you want a good read from France, here is her blog too:)

words cannot express

Words cannot express how happy I am today. Obama being elected President seems like a dream. I have spent all day listening to interviews with Americans all across the country on Public Radio today. I can't tell you how many times my eyes have teared up. This is a wonderful possibility for our future! Here is a video that I think sums it all up. INTER-CONNECTEDNESS




Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

Saturday Shopping List

Tuesday is the big day:)

brookadelphia, debralinker, bittyblock, handcrankedUSA, satisfactory, movetheneedle, gallardoworks, sarap, Outsideofthebox, rovakada, kwvh, mullishmuse

Ellen, wings, and random things

Ok, so for the big news! The Obama necklace was purchased as a gift for my hero, Ellen (Degeneres!), Portia, and Ellen's mom (who is so sweet and adorable!). Not to sound too corny, but this is seriously a dream of mine.
My husband's dream is that someday he will be on the Daily Show being interviewed by Jon Stewart for a film he wrote. My dream is this! Ellen Degeneres owning one of my necklaces. She really liked it too:)

So, it's not too late to get your Obama necklace. I am still donating 10% of the sales to the campaign. After election day (next Tuesday, mark your calendars!) I will choose a charity to donate sales to. Most likely something for kid's education. I want all children to believe that they can become President if they want and try to.

So, wings... Here it is. This is a custom order I just completed. I am so happy with the result. The person it is for has the tiniest fingers I have ever heard of. The ring is a size 3.5. What? So this ring was challenging.

and Random things.... I am working on a little newsletter to send out. I am seriously aiming for the end of this week. It's been busy around this little workshop. I am telling you this because you should sign up for my mailing list over there somewhere so you get it.
<-------------
There's a little extra sumtin sumtin to help get you through this "Economic Adjustment".

Shopping List Saturday

Thanks to FancyPicnic for inviting me to join in on Shopping List Saturday. I went to a farm today and was reminded of how much I love animals. While this is not technically a farm animal it is an adorable one!

BeneathTheRowanTree, Time2cre8 , SweetestPea, PaperedTogether, BerkleyIllustration, Marjji, SeaBreezeStudio, TheBlackApple, TolliPop

Fired Up

Another ring! It's become an obsession:)This ring is all about passion and what fires us up. Wear it to remind yourself of someone you love or as a symbol of your passion for life. It's called "Fired Up" and is in my shop now.

It is so hot here today. I have to get off the computer soon because the heat from the computer is making it worse. My phone says that it's currently 96 degrees. What the heck! Isn't it the end of October? This is crazy.

I managed to get to the park this morning with my son to play a little baseball. Grandma and Grandpa were visiting last week and bought him a tee-ball stand. I know I "may" be biased, but he is really, really good. Especially for a 2 year old (almost 3). I was running all over the field trying to catch the ball. It was a lot of fun:)

Petals and Dew

Petals and Dew, originally uploaded by Chocolate And Steel (Christine).

This is my newest ring. It's funny because I hesitated making rings for so long because I was scared. And then when I made a few they were horrible. But now I am on a roll and it's hard to think about anything else.

I love reading people's blogs and I have been so inspired by the beautiful photos of the leaves changing and rehydrating. It makes me feel all warm and cozy:)

This ring has layered circles inspired by petals and a tiny droplet of dew (cz)

In my shop now.

Madame and Monsieur

Ok, so this is something that I have been so excited about but couldn't talk about until now. Ashley G and I collaborated on this awesome necklace. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Ashley's work. I was thrilled when she said yes to this collaboration.

This piece is called "Madame and Monsieur". It is a necklace with two pendants hanging from it and they are reaching out for each other. It is now available in the shop.

How I feel

How I feel, originally uploaded by Chocolate And Steel (Christine).

This is how I feel today. I feel like time is running away and I wish that stuck little birdie on my clock meant that time would stand still for one hour, at least.

Does that ever happen to you? I feel chaotic for no good reason. Yes, I have a lot to do but sometimes it's easier to prioritize than others. Like right now. I should get some work done:)
Bye!

Harvest Moon

Did anyone see the moon last night? It was so gorgeous and bright and huge and powerful.

I listed this ring in my shop on the night of the full Harvest Moon. Surprisingly, it's entitled "Harvest Moon".

Want a discount?

Be my 400th sale on Etsy and I'll refund you 20% of your purchase when you enter the code "BlogLove". Be quick! I'm only 1 sale away from 400:)
Be quick as a bunny.....

Etsy Feature

Wow, as I laid sick in bed for the last week life has kept moving around me. And boy has it been busy:) I am so honored to have been featured today on Etsy's "Quit your Day job Series". If you want to know a bit more about me, my passions, and my schedule check it out. Thanks Etsy!!!

Obama '08

Well, if you know me at all you know that I am a big fan of Barack Obama. For once there is a candidate that I am voting for because I really, really like them, not because they are the lesser of two evils.

So, I'm excited to introduce two new pieces in the shop that I have collaborated with artist Heather Scholl on. Heather is an extremely talented mixed media artist that I'm lucky to call a friend. She recently did a painting of Obama that I fell in love with and knew that this was our time to collaborate. These pieces are limited edition pieces of 100 and are stamped with the artist's name on the back. 10% of the sale is donated to the Obama/Biden campaign. Get them quick!!

the good, the bad, and the ugly

Good Debate!
Bad Project Runway!
Ugly - this cold that I can't kick!

EtsyMetalClay Team

I am a part of really great team on Etsy called EtsyMetalClay. We are a fairly new team - I think only 2 months old - but a lively one. Check out the feature on Etsy to hear more about us.
We also have a new website - www.EtsyMetalClay.comI proud to be involved with such talented artists!

Stepping outside

I am stepping outside my comfort zone a lot lately. I have been making strictly pendants for almost a year but now I'm having a lot of fun trying new things. There was the ring last week, gold the week before and now.... earrings! I actually did two sets of earrings but I only got a photo of this one before I sent it off. These were made to match the hummingbird necklace. I'm really happy with the way they turned out that I might actually do a few little stud designs. It was fun!

Beautiful Moments

Sometimes there are these tiny little moments in life that leave a huge impression. I had one today. I didn't see it coming at all. I was at the park with my son whose only 2 and we were playing "baseball" (which means he throws it and I run all over the place trying to catch it). We heard some people cheering and when we looked we saw a soccer game going on in the lower field. James really wanted to go down and watch the kids. We sat there watching them play soccer and I tried explaining the game to him. I started playing soccer when I was 5 all the way into college. I was never very good but I just loved the game. Anyways, James loved it. He cheered when everyone else did, he squealed every time the referee blew the whistle. All of sudden I felt this lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. It's just such an incredible feeling to be able to share sweet moments with my son. I was once the one sitting in my dad's lap watching my sister's games. I wonder if my dad ever felt the same way. Actually I know that he did, he's very sweet.

My second beautiful moment happened only in my head, so far. We were eating lunch and all of a sudden I had this vision of Obama winning the presidency. In this image people were running out into the streets cheering and hugging their neighbors. In the same streets that once were filled with rioters we now have something to cheer about. Again, lump in the throat and tears in my eyes. A beautiful world is an equal world. There are an infinite number of reasons why I think Obama is the candidate to lead us into the future but the historical value of his racial background is still astounding to me.

Then again, maybe it's just PMS:)

naw!

Felt Club

Mark your calendars now! This is going to be an amazing show and I am so excited to be a part of it.

new ring - The Uprising

First look at my new ring I completed. I'm going to list it in my shop tonight. The stones are lab grown ruby, cubic zirconia, and golden topaz.