Monday, January 5, 2009

Make Something Mondays: Square Glass Donuts



I've been making donuts. They're not edible, and they're not round. But they are fun! I've been reading about jewelry trends and the continuing popularity of circle jewelry. I love the concept of the circle of life, but life is rarely smooth, balanced, and perfectly shaped. I've made these square donuts to reflect "real" life: a bit bumpy, with some thick spots, and a few corners to turn. And just like life, they're in a variety of colors and sizes.

I cut short pieces of glass, arranged them into the outline of a square, glued them at the edges, and fused them in my kiln. Some of the pieces include the ends of a sheet of glass which are usually wavy and a bit uneven. It's a great way to use up glass that isn't straight, and the finished pieces are lovely and unique.


This post was inspired by Jolly Mom and Go Graham Go!, the ingenious moms behind Make Something Monday. We'd love for you to join us next Monday!

Make Something Monday

Saturday, January 3, 2009

One of Those Things You Didn't Know You Needed Until You Had One

Now that my family has opened all of their gifts I can share a couple of the cutest things I found for them. Does anyone really need a holder to carry around their lip balm? I didn't think so, but once I saw how much fun these are I think I may need a couple of them for myself!



We have a 13-year-old penguin lover, and this penguin lip balm holder was a perfect stocking stuffer for her! I got lucky and found a monkey lip balm holder for our 24-year-old monkey fan. These also work as holders for lighters and USB drives, and have key chains attached. Get yours from Mindy's Embroidery, where you'll find a huge selection of really cute embroidered things.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year Giveaway!

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I used to, many years ago, until one year I realized that I was just setting myself up to fail. Judging from all the jokes about resolutions and long we can keep them up, I'm not in the minority on this one. Instead I like to come up with a theme for the year. One year was my year of taking risks, another was a year of creativity. There's no way to fail at a theme, and I've learned some very cool things this way.

As I was thinking over the different things I want to increase in my life, I realized that everyone around me has been encouraging me to put more attention on myself. Mr. LuckyGirl kindly calls me "frugal," but what he means is that I don't buy myself anything. Ever. I probably shouldn't tell on myself like this, but last June when I visited my daughter and new grandson, my daughter complained about my everyday shoes. They had a few tiny holes, and she thought I should replace them. She even phoned Mr. LuckyGirl and asked him to make me go shoe shopping. Here we are a good six months later, and I have not replaced those shoes. The holes are a bit bigger now, and they are not the least bit attractive.

So my theme for this year is Pretty. I will replace the shoes with pretty ones. (No real time limit here, I have 365 days, so I can't fail!) I'll make myself a few new pieces of jewelry. I may even do a bit of decorating. Or I may not. But whenever I'm stuck on making a decision, I'll ask whether a choice improves the prettiness factor around me, and if the answer's yes, then I have my decision.

I'd like to help you with your plans for 2009! The prize is $15 store credit toward anything in my Etsy shop. Take a look around Lucky Girl Trading on Etsy, then come back here and post a comment telling me which item will fit into your plans for the year. I'll accept entries until midnight (Eastern U.S. time) January 7. On January 8 I'll use the randomizer thingie to select a winner.

For an extra chance to win, post about this giveaway on your blog, including links to this post and my etsy shop, then come back here and post a second comment letting me know where to find your post.

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

31 Days, 31 Deals: Day 31

Happy December 29! Today's special is 10% off your purchase from my LuckyGirlTrading on Etsy store. Make your purchase before midnight tonight, Eastern U.S. time, send me a message with the words "Day 31 Deal", and I'll either send you a corrected invoice or refund your overpayment. This offer is good for both U.S. and international shipments. Check back tomorrow for my New Year's Giveaway!