Vegetarian Times magazine asks this month: How do you fight food waste? And how do I answer with one bin in the refrigerator full of oranges (from my MIL tree) and another full of lemons (from another tree)?

Make orange juice? Don't laugh at my frugal sense of wasting too much of the orange. But there are only so many days in a row I can give my family sliced oranges. I used a couple oranges in a sauteed chicken pasta dish (yum). Tomorrow slices will get put in jello (which we don't have often and so will more likely get eaten fast). Am taking them to work for snack (very happy me).

And the lemons? it is not easy to drink lemonade when it is 43 degrees out. Hmph. Ummm, there are a few lemonade ice cubes in the freezer from last year still. Although I may just make more. I hate using freezer space for these for years on end. What else?

Give away? someone beat me to it and there were lemons in our office kitchen.

Anyway, here's your chance to answer how you fight food waste and see some great answers

Veg Times

I am behind on jewelry making! The collection of big cocktail rings needs to be increased for putting in shops on March 1. At least while doing a couple I took photos and wrote a tutorial to sell on the Jewelry Lessons website. It's been bought once by someone who was waiting:

Touch of Glamour Cocktail Ring


Checkerboard cut center crystal is ringed by ivory freshwater rice pearl. Adjustable copper band. In the color of the march birthstone - aquamarine. Click here for more detail.

For you crafters, here is the downloadable lesson

The TO DO list for Saturday is SQUEEZED already, not much time to get to the wire cutters!

7am: make decanter of hot coffee
8am: take car to high school track carwash event
9am: take daughter to dance lesson
9:45 chair meeting of art assoc store volunteers
11:30 pick up lunch for daughter using free meal coup
12:00 pick up daughter from dance
12:30 take daughter and friend to girl scout event
1:00 laundry, housework!!
2:30 pick up kids from girl scout event
3:00 laundry housework!!
5:00 MAKE RINGS or dinner, probably RINGS!

The shop owner who carries my beaded gloves and funny cards remarked she needed and was seeking more men's merchandise. It's a hard niche to fill, also proven by the clicks I am seeing on the men's rings I put in my etsy store. They are getting attention without much effort (as contrasted with lots of promotion I must do for the women's jewelry).

After seeing the no-sweat response on etsy, I decided to post a ring-making lesson for the men's style on another site called 'jewelry lessons'. On this site are instructions (for sale) on specific jewelry pieces. Sometimes it is hard to give away an idea and personal design. They don't come along THAT often!! But in this case, I think there is a significant niche - men's jewelry - to be filled.

So here is the ring I made a lesson for, and it has been bought once already (and sending a $2.50 snowflake to my bank account):

Garnet and Serpentine Channel Set Style Adjustable Ring

Meant for a guy, but good for the gals who like 'em big. Pure copper wire ring features a slab of olive green serpentine (the state mineral of California) and a row of polished garnet nuggets.

Jewelry hobbyist? Get the lesson here:

Men's Channel Set Style Adjustable Ring

The shop owner who wants mens things? She makes jewelry (of course, WHO DOESN'T?!) and will not take any other vendors in that category. I might ask anyway, but in the meantime, a check for $18 came in the mail for the sale of a pair of beaded gloves and a couple of funny collage cards.

Winter SNOWBALL!

My grocery store sent me coupons for some free stuff,
not exactly healthy by themself, but add a whole grain vege sandwich or fresh fruit and I'll take it!

- Full size bag potato chips
- one fiber protein bar
- Full size tube of toothpaste

And it's here! The $10 off anything mailer from Penney's. In the past it's been handy for a gift for my MIL's March bday, or staples for my daughter (socks, etc.), a little throw rug for the kitchen or bathroom and even something like a watch for a preteen birthday. This time I might use it myself. Need some plain sweatpants! Their marketing strategy is good, yes it is hard to resist getting some of the accessories and homewares at their very good prices, but I am particularly well disciplined and can get out of there forking over a mere 83 cents.

One more freebie, I have a 'practice' ring shown below, that I will give away to any customer at my etsy store (see left sidebar sampler or click

Pretty Cheap Jewelry ) Minimum purchase required $25. First come first serve. Ask for it at checkout.

Adjustable Oval Dot Ring - Side View


A center stone with interesting white striations in an otherwise clear is edged with tiny ruby red cut glass beads. Criss cross lines across the front. All pure copper wire. Heavy band is comfortable and adjustable sizes: small to large

Adjustable Oval Dot Ring - Front View



Ask any questions about the ring below.

Seems like everytime I turn around, retelling of the 60s is in my face. And y'know, it is going to get worse before it gets better with the boom population taking its last stands.

I wrote about

No. 1 and No. 2 Flashbacks unexpected encounters with the past.

And now example #3: Browsing the library sale shelf some weeks ago I saw a nice new hardback copy of The Help. Oh. OK. I didn't see the movie and thought it would be a good read.

Yes, it was a good read but WHA?! I had no idea it was set in Jackson, MS in 1962 or so. Oy. So I got to read this first hand account of the confrontation between black and white, what the neighborhood probably was like where Medgar Evens was shot, what was on TV when Kennedy was president.

Ack. Fine, it was actually really a stroke of good luck to read instead of watch. I was much more able to think about the issues, how it was when and where I grew up and so forth. However, I was curious and looked at the reviews after reading and see that the criticism was mostly that the movie was 'too shallow, glossed over the cultural and political issues of the era'. Exactly what I didn't want, so hooray! for reading.

The book even makes reference to a commercial on TV at the time. What was this slogan for? and what was the unique 'logo' used?
---NO GOOGLING!

"I'd rather fight than switch"

Look at these nice pearl mix cuffs while you think about that. My own original work, I love the weight and feel of the bracelets, a bit of luxury and great quality for a very reasonable price.

Black and Gold


Completely handwoven bracelet in classic colors of pearl and glass beads. It is graduated in width, adjustable in size. My own design, see more
here

Irish Green


A second beaded cuff perfect for the Irish in you! Stone and pearl, adjustable size. Details here

So now on the book shelf:
'It's always something' Gilda Radnor. Of course there is no escaping the SNL memories here. More 60s fallout.

Biography of Colin Powell. Hmph. Yes he served in Vietnam. His child was born in Birmingham in 1963 or so. Nuff said.

Ciao and thanks for reading. Come back soon!

Is there a 60s revival going on I didn't know about? Or maybe it's just local to me? Last week I posted that the psychedelic Age of Aquarius invaded my personal space lately. Big reason #1 is the stash of vintage booklets I'm listing on line for a neighbor. Laugh with me on a trip to the past where

Peter Max meets Betty Crocker

But that was just the start! I recently read Tom Brokaw's 'On America', his thoughtful overview even handed evaluation of the current state of US social and political culture. I had checked it out as an ebook and made good use of my bus commute time.

Shortly after, I picked up 'BOOM Voices of the 60s' (his next book) for $2 from the library sale shelf.

One of the first chapters is a lengthy look back at the how/what/why of the Vietnam war and effects of that issue today. OK. I was kinda young (preteen) at the time but it was good information from a trusted source.

Other chapters discussed women's lib (HA! now THAT I remember more as a 5th grader). Also a long analysis of presidential politics, Reagan and the following Christian conservative movement. Then Clinton and Bush and Cheney and Rove. And lots more. Fascinating. This guy would know, he was in the thick of it as a newsman.

On Paul Simon: Simon, who campaigned for Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972, has used the power of his fame and his bank account to perform benefit concerts for the homeless, for health care for the inner city, for autism, and for environmental causes. He is a serious student of music as a force in culture, and he seems dismayed that, as he puts it, "music is not the language of this generation."

On Lorne Michaels: When Lorne Michaels and I talked about that transition in television entertainment, he had a neat summary. When he was a writer on Laugh-In at the age of twenty-four, all the other writers were fifty and older, and most of them were veterans of radio comedy shows. When Michaels started SNL he was, at thirty, the oldest member of a staff that had grown up entirely in and on television. SNL was the first major show produced by a purely television generation. "I don't think it would have worked without Watergate. That made everything fair game. The resignation of a president, the imprisonment of his closest aides, the vice president forced from office for accepting bribes..."

Next post - The Help. Why on earth did that fall in my lap? It was a mere $2 on the library sale shelf and I hadn't seen the movie but knew it was good. So I read it. Oy. Back to 1963.

Thanks for reading, see you next time!

Why is the Age of Aquarius all around me lately? Unplanned and coincidentally I have been deluged by the 1960s and 70s. I'm not complaining, in fact it has been amusing.

First, what happened was I agreed to sell some vintage cook and craft booklets that my neighbor had at a recent garage sale. Just a short look in that box and I stopped her from tossing them in the recycle bin or giving them to the thrift store.

It wasn't because there were matching cookbooks from the big brands like Betty Crocker and Gold Medal. And that they were in perfect condition. What really caught me were the illustrations not the recipes. It was just that the style was so ... DATED or to put it more politely ... PERIOD.

See here what I mean-

1971 Betty Crocker meets Peter Max


This is the first page inside a dessert pamphlet! OK, google peter max, I dare you. Let's take a trip on the Yellow Submarine!! Seriously, poster art and album covers of this era are collectors items. Want it for $2.95? Go

here

Who was this children's book illustrator?!


Another of the booklets is dated 1955, before the psychedelic times. And I recognize this type of illustration from books I read as a little kid. Anyone want to tell me who it might be? See more examples here

'You've Come a Long Way Baby'


This page is from a Gold Medal Flour pamphlet to commemorate their 75 years of production. Other pages illustrate the 1940s, and other decades. It contains simply beautiful graphics, history and a slice of Americana. I would label this as a true antique. See more here

So take a trip down memory lane and reminisce 'what a long strange trip it's been' THANK YOU

PS stay tuned for why the 1960s has permeated my life! Clue: anyone else READ the book 'The Help'?

Maybe I'm crazy but I want to make long fancy special occasion gloves sometime. In fact, this started at the thrift store where I found a pair of plain white elbow length vintage gloves for about $4.

I don't know what it is about gloves and me lately!!

Cross my doing bead and sequin work on knit gloves for the past couple years, and the jeweled eggs I'm making more recently and you get...

Jeweled, silk flowered, laced and embellished formal gloves?

Right now there are 3 gloves on my website:

Green and Orange Pop Lemon-Lime Eye Openers

Red White and Blue Baby!

Princess Alert Mittens

I did a search on Etsy for fancy white gloves, such as for wedding, graduation, quinceanera, etc. And there isn't alot out there. Mostly those fingerless lace arm thingys, and vintage pairs. Hmmm, is this a good sign as perhaps an unfufilled market area?

Anyway, the big problem I'm thinking is how to get a reliable supply of plain elbow length (or perhaps midi length) gloves. I love the vintage, but obviously this avenue is not reliable, NOR inexpensive. Sheesh.

I looked into wholesale especially at the LA garment district. The supply is not exactly great quality, mostly stretch polyester. And I am not sure I want to do the Made in China thing.

Soooo. The next idea is to make them myself. Good in concept, harder to execute. I am a reasonably experienced seamstress. There are two basic ways to sew gloves. One really easy, one more detailed and time intensive.

Fitted Glove


This style has the thumb in the palm area and gussets at the fingers. Best for cotton, satin, and fabrics with a small stretch.

Simple Glove


This style has the thumb on the side. Easy peasy. Best for knit, lycra, and 2 way stretch fabric I presume.


My goal is to use fabric with some weight such as a cotton/spandex mix. Or maybe full on lycra. Heavy weight lycra is not cheap. Anyway, the material must be substantial enough to hold sewn on flowers, crystals and decorations. I don't want alot of puckering at the fingers or thumb either.

But I don't want to become frustrated with a hard sewing job. The labor needs to be small enough so the end price is about $50/pair.

So which do you prefer?

How do you get from raw materials to a pair of finished earrings? I was hired to do a custom pair of sea glass earrings about a week ago by an acquaintance who was given a sea glass pendant some months ago as a hostess gift.

Her pendant is a pale green glass held with a sterling silver wire cage. I had some jewelry on display at a boutique and she noticed my sea glass earrings. Though I don't use the same wire cage style, she liked my design and prices and we agreed to meet.

I brought my sea glass supplies to see if we had colors that would match the pendant. I've used most of the larger pieces of sea glass in my inventory, though I was thinking 2 smaller pieces linked together would be a nice substitute. She came to the same conclusion and picked out the 4 pieces.

I also was smart to have the right weight of sterling wire already in my supplies. And in fact, she requested post type ends which I also have a few pairs in my supply. Good planning ahead!

The only detail to include then, was a spiral somewhere in the earrings. The pendant has a couple spirals near the tip (a very common style of wire wrap). So I decided to have a spiral at the top of the upper link, and at the bottom of the lower link.

Here's what it looks like, before and after.

Where's Paulette? didn't she start these blog posts, and in her absence I will continue the tradition.

Thanks for good health! All limbs are working, eyes fine, hearing and smelling ok. Thanks for the desire to play outdoors! To exercise, take walks, do yard gardening.

No flu, no headache, no stomach ache. No breathing issues. No heart disease.

THANKS for stopping in and reading!

Showing off my pretty wire heart necklace ~ Original Design, Hand Work



See all about it

HERE

Is the slow period for craft sellers over? When I started about 7 years ago making jewelry, cards and accessories and doing festivals and shows, other crafters would reminisce of selling out whole booths at past shows. Those must have been the golden days!

My experience was nearly about face for several years ~ sales were few, festivals struggled with attendence. I had a positive (naive?) outlook though because I was doing the jewelry design for fun and love. My enthusiasm was an asset, customers were happy to visit, browse and chat.

What a pleasant feeling though that the little business payed for itself. Perhaps there was no profit the first few years, but at least the company had income to buy a pop up tent, computer supplies and more. I gained LOADS of experience working with materials and designs. And even more experience working out my right brain!

Has the corner turned? It's only been a week in the year and I've gotten 3 sales already. I'm sure it's a combination of: better merchandise, stronger economy, and small business savvy. My prices have gone up but are still very attractive.

1. to Austria - sea glass earrings
2. to Oregon - hand beaded gloves

3. a custom order for jewelry from an art association contact.

NICE!

And the paint hasn't even dried on the artful jeweled eggs in progress. I will be offering these on line at

Pretty Cheap Jewelry this year.

Want a sneak peek?

Long Tall and Green



The Araucana chicken lays this naturally tinted pale green egg. I've decorated with fine metallic thread, gold paint and mini peach bindi's (Indian body jewel). The tip is crowned with a stone, the bottom a double circle of rhinestones. String for hanging.
Contact me for additional photos, pricing and shipping.

Peach Curl



A fun playful egg painted with red and black curls separated by a center band of candy apple red swarovski crystals. String for hanging.
Contact me for additional photos, pricing and shipping.


Thanks for the tweets and reads. Comments appreciated!

What do you now remember as hits and misses these past few weeks?

My favorite Pretty Cheap Jewelry Family Hit ~

Christmas Eve and all through the house, the family was playing, including our mouse! Not really, but all our visiting with relatives was over (whew), the shopping was done, no more dance and stage performances, and my small business events were finished.

Since we had not done so during Chanukah, I made a latke dinner. Candlelight and good dishes. After which my teens hung around and we had a really wonderful UNPLUGGED family game time. EXACTLY what I'd hoped for. I had planned ahead and gotten a few $1 lottery scratch off tickets earlier in the day hoping these would attract the kids to some sort of family time.

It worked! First, while I washed up the kitchen, my son challenged Dad to some simple card games for a few minutes. Then my daughter ran and got her big white board (for organizing her school and social life) and we had a rousing game of Pictionary.

Seems my husband put a little Pictionary game app on his phone (my husband cannot keep himself from finding all manner of free stuff and playing with his phone). Of course my daughter eats this stuff up and loves doodling with her iPod the same way.

So how would YOU draw these:

'Japanese Monster Film'
'Phone store'
'Bouncy Castle' (I think they meant those jolly jumps)
'marksman'
'ferret'
'cop and robber'
'kazoo'
'anxious' (this was hilarious, my husband tried to draw a person waiting outside a bathroom trying to hold it and sweating!)

It was everyman for himself and the first to guess 5 correctly won a lottery ticket. We guessed all those above (some took longer than others) and many more.

And on the other side, the Pretty Cheap Jewelry Miss ~

At our extended family gathering, I bring gifts for people I've met once (and hardly remember) or not at all. We focus on the kids and there were two families; one with a 1.5 year old boy and the other with a new baby and two boys around 10 years old. I made two big baskets and both turned out very well. Here's the one for the 1.5 year old...



I happened to have a basket ready to fill and in went (library sale shelf) kids books, a dad apron and napkins (I sew'ed), a bottle of local restaurant BBQ sauce (local biz) and a scented candle/soap (regifted) made a nice family basket.

The miss? I gave my father in law's 2nd wife a really gorgeous handmade plate from the potter's guild with a bar of local handmade soap. She loved it, but I know she REALLY wanted a book store gift card. And another great aunt similar story. They are generous to my kids, so -- Next year!

More stories soon!

If 'snowflakes' refer to just saving little amounts of money, whether they are coins found or small rebates claimed or recycle bottle / can redemption, then I am certainly happy to report my own kind of snowflake:

Do It Yourself Jewelry Lessons

There is a website where you can get how-to-make instructions for lots of different kinds of jewelry. Some easy, some advanced. Lots of fun just to browse.

It's called

JewelryLessons and I click around periodically. I had so many comments about guitar pick earrings from friends and colleagues some time ago, that I took photos of the basic steps and decided others could copy. Thus I became a 'teacher'.

Now when I make something which is not particularly unusual, or I don't mind giving away the basic idea, I put on the site as a lesson. When someone buys the lesson, I get 1/2 the price.

My romantic heart necklace is the one that seems to be picked up every couple months. That's $1.50 into my paypal every time without further effort on my end! SWEET!

Basic Dotted Wire Shape
The lesson shows how to make the curly wire necklace, but has alternative ideas also shown in the steps.





This DIY lesson has been bought 10 times for a total income to me of $15.00. Nice!

Here is the lesson page
Romantic Heart Necklace Tutorial

..................................

So Pandora! I just tried it for the first time and will use it plenty. It is great for working at my cubicle computer instead of connecting my phone to the USB port and using 'Tune In Radio'. I used to be such a audiophile but have so lost track of the large genres of music nowadays. So far I put in 'Trans-Siberian Orchestra' cause I like high energy instrumental christmas music! And have discovered all these new YOUNG modern classical bands, ie Bond and girl quartets etc. Anyone else?

LOVE IT!
Now if I can only get those stoopid earbuds to stay in.

Toodles!

Match made in heaven! Recycling reusing and reducing consumption of STUFF while earning cash. It's a new company called

Angel Bins. Our high school has decided to give it a try this January and I am going to spread the word.

It just involves collecting used things such as shoes, clothes, books (see the list below). This little company pays you for the stuff and turns around and "exports clothes and shoes that are wearable to third world countries as a low cost alternative to new clothing. Angel Bins also converts damaged clothing like sweaters and overcoats into yarn eventually made back into new clothing. Lastly, Angel Bins takes stained clothing and resells them as cleaning rags to companies like Home Depot."

They note that a one-time fundraiser averages a couple thousand dollars.

I love that it has 75 employees and is an independent small business too.

Here's the list of desired things:

Wearable clothing
Wearable Shoes (pairs)
books
bed sheets
drapes
comforters
bedspreads
purses
belts
knapsacks
hats
CDs or DVDs

Instead of adding to your own yard sale, instead of donating to the local thrift, try this with your school, animal shelter or other group.

Smart!

Exciting reading and I'm only 1/2 way through my issue of the 2012 Year in Science by

Discover magazine.

"Our #1 story, the discovery of the Higgs boson, is the result of one of the largest and most complex collaborations in history. The two teams that did the research include more than 5,000 physicists. Collectively the 100 stories in this issue represent tens of thousands of people-years of work-a monumental, global effort to expand the reach of the human mind." - Editor in Chief

So true and overlooked constantly. The summation is uplifting and give me a positive outlook for the future. How can we force our US Congress to take notes!

Anyway, some of the work is inspiring!! My personal preference is for space and technical sort of science (less medical and life sciences). For example, I am so IMPRESSED by the folks like this:

John Donoghue: bridging computer science robotics and medical by making artificial arms that work from brain commands!! YES, you are going to see a person without an arm have a prosthetic that just moves by mind control. HELLO 2001 Space Odyssey!

Y'know what really strikes me is that this guy is not a super geek. He is just making such a great use of his life and he's now 63 (young). He just does what he loves and figures stuff out as he goes.

He says, "[since] today's wheelchairs are pretty good, so our focus is the arms. If you can't move your arms, it is extraordiarily debilitating. We want to give paralyzed people back something that is extremely liberating."

Another story is about the privatization of space travel. Our renter works for SpaceX (near Mohave). Again, not a tremendously geeky person, just living what he likes to do. The company president is a woman (not surprised necessarily) and is great in the short magazine interview:

"[SpaceX is coming out ahead of the competition because] we have the freedom and the flexibility ... on design choices far more than our competitors. We build the majority of our electronics. We build all our own structures. We build our engines. We work together as a team every minute of every day, so when we need to have a change on an engine or a minor modification to an avionics box, it's not a big deal. For other companies, the ability to change as you learn is almost zero, because that requires going back to individual contractors."

And one other really good article is about a guy doing computer anti-attack work. Absolutely intriguing, and you probably don't want to know the details. I hope my video-game obsessed son goes this route (sort of).

So it's not that these folks are super brains, they are regular people doing what they love in a smart way. Both my kids are excelling in school, and there's many similar examples that I see around them. The truth is - Any and every kid in school can end up as one of the achievers profiled.

YAY! Gives me a new little inspiration to keep doing what I love. Sales are nice, but slow sales happen.

Modern Science Necklace



Abstract and interesting. I've made a pure copper wire into delicious curves. Decorated with tiny red cut glass dots and added a swinging link at the bottom.

Available only from Pretty Cheap Jewelry HERE

Three down, one to go. That would be shows and special events for Pretty Cheap Jewelry for the end of the year. This past weekend was what I expected to be the biggest for sales - my table at the Christmas Figure Skate Show. Sales were a modest 15% higher than last year and what got the most attention was...

Sea Glass Jewelry

People seem to know what it is and are interested perhaps due to the unique wire design of my pieces.


Big big 2 piece pendant on 18" copper chain, unisex.
See more

here


Nifty caramel colored glass in copper, leverback earrings. See more here

What was missing? RINGS! I did not have any rings this year. Argh. And that has been a sure way to attract visitors which result in increased purchases.

*sigh*

My assignment is to work on some great new ring designs after the new year. Easier said than done but I intend to follow through.

Wait a minute before you buy that **dog toy** **movie ticket** **toothpaste** **__fill in__**

It's easy to make little charitable contributions this time of year. Change for the bellringers? check. Holiday card to the soldiers? check. As I go through my list of gifts to buy, though, I can EXPLODE my charitable giving without spending a penny more.

Here's how:

1. School Gift Card Fundraiser. Both our middle and high schools sell gift cards that they receive a percent of the cost. Some of the percents are pretty high (pushing 10%). I was going to give at least a couple as gifts, and obviously it would be an easy matter to get the cards from the school.

OK, that's one contribution. But hike it a step. Are you going to donate to a toy drive? or a food collection? Buy the gift card and use it yourself to buy the toy or canned food, along with your regular purchases.

BAM. You just contributed to your school AND to a needy person.

Look over the list of gift cards the school sells, what might you use to buy things for an animal shelter? library? a relative or family in need???

Big 5 Sport
Chevron
CVS
Home Depot
JCPenney
Lowes
Michaels
Old Navy
Office Depot
Whole Foods
Payless Shoes
Sears
Sams Club
Pier 1
Petsmart
Sports Authority
Subway
Target
ToysRUs
Major Grocery Chains

2. Turn-key to Charity. Turn-key means designing and building by the same party. Using this concept, how about buying from charity and donating the item to another? Example: how many toy drives are out there? Gazillion, right? One of my kid's school is giving a phys ed class 'pass' if they bring in a toy donation. So I purchased a new toy from a church-collective shop and am giving it for her to donate.

BAM. I did it again. 2 organizations benefit from that fairly small purchase of mine.

I know you are counting your dollars (I definitely am!) so make them do overtime. Everytime you decide what to buy as a gift, think of ways to buy it that do TONS of good.

Back again later with tales of my local purchases, hand made independent purchases and more.

Cocoa Shell Earrings

Warm coins of abalone have a pretty gold wave and a plump pearl drop. Just another great choice in my

$5 and under section

Thanks from The Frugal Artisan!

Habits are hard to break! The many early years of Christmas in-law family gatherings were easy. There were lots of kids, young families, and dozens of gifts to buy! Fast forward 15 years and the kids are grown. Some married, some not. Some moved away. Even the party sputtered out once or twice.

The party is on for this year, and I face the now recurring dilemma:

"Who is going to be there that I should bring a gift for?"

Which raises the corollary questions:

"Who has new partners coming along? Who has kids attached to those partners?"

What would you do?!

And throw in that the players change each year!! At least the family has decided to give gifts to kids (under 18 or so). And of course my husband's parents.

The habits of the past of knowing who was going to be there and buying all those presents just doesn't apply now!

I don't want to spend a bunch and the expected family doesn't visit (it is not super formal as to attending). Nor do I want some kind of little kids (10 years old or less) to be there and not have some happy presents.

BLEH. Oh well, I am kind of getting more of the frame of mind that it is ALL ABOUT BEING TOGETHER and less about the gifting. Comes with age, right? HA!

So I'll put together some baskets for families that might be there with kids I've never met. And bring a few extra somewhat all purpose gifts for a teen or tween that might be there.

Here's a good example of something that would fit the females:

Classic Pearl Bracelet


Hand knotted pearls with pink swarovski sparkle, a universal gift.
Available

here

How many of you make home made soup? It's super easy, inexpensive, and very healthy! I was even surprised by my usually silent teen that he wanted it for dinner. Next time you bake a whole chicken or roast a turkey, make soup. I'll share my secret recipes below.

Another goody? I've lowered the price on a pair of unusual, artful pearl earrings. They are now a very affordable cost at way under $10!

Red Wave Wire and Pearly White Earrings
Double curves of wire end in nice fat white pearls. Lots of detail in the many tiny red glass beads wired in line.



One of a kind, original design by The Frugal Artisan (that's me!). Good for the person who makes a point of having a personal style.

See more detail

here

The Frugal Artisan Gives Chase to Winter's Chill
Two easy steps:

Step 1. Stock
Ingredients:
chicken or turkey bones
o remove most of the meat
o if a whole carcass is not available, use the
giblets from a chicken (ie neck, organs)
that come in the package
o old vegetables you might otherwise discard
such as carrots, celery leaves, onion
(this is the perfect time to save on food costs)
o spices, optional (bay leaf, rosemary sprig,
whole pepper)

Prepare:
Place the poultry items and vegetables in a big pot and cover with water, more for larger birds, less for only poultry parts. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for a couple hours.

Remove from heat and strain liquid. Remove any good meat and save for step 2. Discard the bones, organs, vegetables and spices.

Step 2. Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
4 C stock
Meat bits from Step 1 above
Egg noodles, 2 C cooked per package instructions
mixed vegetables, 1 can
- or -
fresh vegetables, 1 C steamed (such as peas, diced carrot)
potato, 2 medium red or white baked and diced
salt
pepper

Prepare:
Add the meat, noodles, vegetables to stock and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Warm through and serve with crusty bread.

THAT'S IT! Guaranteed to please even a teen.

Good to see the LA Times Sunday paper report people will be buying increased Made in USA gifts. Happy to say this was in the business section, not the lifestyle section, a sign to me that the mindset is more serious and less a trend. Perhaps the broken record chorus of 'patronize small business' and 'keep it local' is sinking into the public conscious!! Here's the

Red White and Blue Christmas article.

Seems to match my reality last Saturday! I have picked and chosen special events to sell my handmade jewelry and accessories carefully over the past five years. Dropping the shows that are marketed weaker, or tend toward lower priced wares, or are too expensive for me as a seller.

So this year I am participating in 4 shows only, 2 that I do not need to be present and 2 that I do need to be present.

The second show of the year was on Saturday, a relative new kid on the block event. It was put on by our small but good quality small town museum. Scheduled for Saturday afternoon only, a 3 hour period. I agreed to have a table because it would be a new customer base and the atmosphere would probably be a bit higher end than the usual home/church boutique crowd.

I hoped the museum had a loyal following or at least a built-in crowd who would be going to their exhibits anyway, but it was a gamble because the location is a tad off the main pedestrian track. I also would not know how many other jewelry tables would be there (first come first served policy). Sometimes there is a glut of jewelry which results in turning off the customers. This was only the 2nd year they held it, so they didn't know !!

The day dawned rainy and bleary. The kind that people stayed home though, Poo.

I'm glad to say the attendence was good, the type of vendors was mixed and I did great! My secret? I've learned to put out front and center -- RINGS. People love trying them on for fun. Doesn't matter if they intend to buy. They are eye catching and they stay to chat, end up looking longer at the other items, and yes, it makes sales.

Here is one of the last unique rings I have left and available online.

Copper Ring - Art meets Environment

I love the asymmetrical design inside the circle. An interesting story what this ring started from. Read it
here

If you know what an Etsy treasury is, click here to see this ring in a beautiful group of other hand made work.

Thanks for your time!

One of the non profits I volunteer with is having a fun game this holiday. An Ornament Challenge - everyone starts with the same thing and makes an ornament. This is our 5th year holding the contest. In the past the starting item has been...

...an eggcarton
...a waterbottle
...a cardboard box

We pick something no or almost no cost, readily available to anyone, and would spark the imagination!

I'm one of the main person's behind the event and got to pick the starting item a couple months ago! This year it is 'pasta' (raw, any size or shape).

It is a very low cost event, free to the public, geared especially to kids but we have some very serious adult entries. It's so entertaining just seeing the different end ideas! A volunteer judge comes and picks winners in adult and kid categories and we give prizes at an award party.

Remember all the

smart inexpensive gift ideas I gave in the last post? See how I turn those into reality as prizes for the contest:

Celebration Wine Glass Set

Starting with a wood box re-used from a company office item, I thrift shopped for nice glasses and found 4 footed water glasses at $1 ea. Then beaded the stems with gold and lavendar glass beads. Added a mini sparkling cider and red wine, and tied with a big bow around artificial lilac. Voila!

This idea is very adaptable:

Beading the glass stems is completely optional, there are very nice unadorned glasses to be had.

no box? Start with a thrift basket, there are dozens of sizes and shapes.

eat, not drink! Substitute a pretty little serving plate(s), fancy knife or fork, a couple napkins and add a few specialty chocolates, crackers or cookies.

What do you think?

There are so many choice inexpensive gifts!! Are you willing to unplug and think outside the big box? Let me count the ways ....

THRIFT AND CONSIGNMENT FINDS. I'm not talking worn out shoes or faded jeans. Guess what my favorite find is lately?

Silk scarves. It is a bit sad to see the gorgeous work and material of these in abundance at the thrifts. For $2 or so. GO SAVE A SILK SCARF! There are fringed ones, scalloped ones, all manner of prints and colors. The long ones are supremely fashionable lately.

Hand wash thoroughly, iron perfectly. I dare you to pick up a vintage pin to match, pop in a (dollar store) gift box with pretty tissue paper and give to a **mom** **friend** **teen** **hostess** (or ME!!)

More, much more.

Vintage leather gloves. I can't resist gloves lately myself. Get a pair and add swarovski crystals, sew on tiny beads, or hot glue some flowers. Just try it! Here's a pair of inexpensive knits I jazzed up.

Gold and Green Orange Pop Gloves

Available on line

here. Sequin trim on the wrists, felt flowers on the back.

Beaded, cashmere, or fur-trimmed sweaters. My thrifts have a 'better' section with some pretty amazing clothing. If yours doesn't, I bet a good consignment store does. Pick a classic cardigan style xip or button up sweater which has a universal fit.

DVDs. Even if we are entering the movie download age, it's not fully widespread yet! I want to give my family a few movies to watch together, so my first thought was browse Amazon. Sure there are some great used deals. But I was SURPRISED how many there are already at the thrift store! At $2 or $3 each, it is worth a try.

Board games. I am old enough to want to get my family together to play a game once in a while. Even if it is just in winter. And, guess what? They oblige and it makes memories. If you have a couple kids on your list, especially siblings to give to, go for some classic games. There are PLENTY in the thrifts. Scrabble? yes. Candyland? yes. Life? yes.

Puzzles. Ditto reasoning above. Jigsaw puzzles are good family bonding time!! Nothing too hard, stick to a couple hundred pieces. Dedicate a coffee table and leave it out for a week. Yes, you will catch your kids adding pieces here and there.

Books. Gardener? Cook? These never go out of style and date. Pack into a basket with a few supplemental things such as seed packets, cloth napkins, spices. Little kid's books. They don't care if the books are new!! They just need lots to read and learn. Look for the Scholastic label, Newberry medal, and trusted titles.

All of these choices fit the very worthwhile ethos of re-using! And even more, the thrifts benefit charitable groups, ie Goodwill and Salvation Army.

Can you stand any more?

Wine Glasses, Footed Mugs or Small Serving Dishes. There are tons of these in the thrifts. Hand wash with hot water, dry to a sparkle. Pack in a (thrift) basket with a hot chocolate mix, mini sparkling apple juice, or box of specialty candy.


Stay tuned here for more EXCELLENT ideas to give thoughtful and smart gifts.

Calendar is getting crowded! Is yours? The way to stay calm and happy this time of year is....

RULE #1 ORGANIZED SCHEDULING. Keep a list on hand of what you agree to attend / volunteer for / want to do. Put it in your phone calendar, or a purse notepad, or the kitchen whiteboard. Leave some free hours and days. Those will be YOU time for simply browsing shops for fun, decorating or crafting around the house, or spontaneous get together with someone.

RULE #2 DO IT EARLY. Maybe it's the function of being involved in the community, having school age kids or who knows what?! But I have a good number of bake sales, raffles and other activities to donate toward.

Instead of dashing around with too little time and not enough fun, I have already started fulfilling the tasks on my calendar.

Baking
Who likes Christmas cookies, raise your hand?
Yes, thought so. And us crafty types want to make REALLY fancy ones like that crazy Martha Stewart. I have two bake sales this year. How to fit in hours of rolling, frosting, sugar sprinkling, gingerbread house building?

The answer is: I'll bake gingerbread AHEAD OF TIME and freeze it undecorated. Then have a block of hours to decorate on a separate day. Even two separate days for each bake sale. Lots more fun and less rushed! And oh, I already have the decorations in stock.

Donating Gifts
This is why you have stocked the closet earlier in the year with specials too good to pass up! And saved the imperfect things given to you, right? Follow Rule #2 by having all this already on hand!

For a needy girl: I have an amazing doll with a big wardrobe that my daughter never wanted (from grandma 5+ years ago).

Then there's 7 prizes to donate for my non-profit causes.

Prizes #1, 2 and 3: Three kids' prizes for a contest will be: A big kite (new we never used), a couple big packs of young artist supplies which I will supplement with items from my own pocket. Here I come Michaels! They blast their biggest coupons this time of year.

Prize #4: A prize for boy or girl, child or adult (we don't know who will win) will be: An Egg Themed Basket. A basket full of little decorative birds, woven nests, styrofoam eggs, and silk flowers which a storekeeper gave me that didn't want them anymore (she changed her decor). BONUS addition of one of my own jeweled eggs to inspire the winner to make their own. ALL IN STOCK AT HOME.

Golden Egg

Fit for a king. Hand blown and decorated turkey egg by

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

Prize #5, 6: Two adult prizes for a contest will be: Boxed wine glass sets. I have the boxes to reuse from work (corporate gifts). Matching wine glasses, or any manner of beautiful glassware is easy to get at the thrift store. I will sew a set of napkins for each of the boxed sets. Add a dollar store mini bottle of Martinelli's and tie it up with a big fancy bow.

Prize #7: Jewelry from my business for the figure skate event. I have two amazing handmade chain necklaces that will make a nice prize all boxed up as a gift.

All the donations will be put together Thanksgiving weekend because I follow Rule #2.

The result? Time for my family, my own fun and WAY less unpredictable spending!!

The folks are getting older at our annual extended family gathering in December. That's good because the gift giving has dropped off! Thankfully, this generation has gravitated toward giving less to each other and more to any kids in the group. The reason to gather is to be together. So far, so good.

My kids were the last young ones usually around and they are already 12 and 14. There are a few new little kids, but the families are out of town and do not come to the party. WOOT! (sort of, because it would be nice to see them).

This year, however, there are two new additions: a baby born this past fall (with 2 brothers of unknown age I've not met); and a 1 1/2 year old (first kid). The kids dads are both nephews of my husband's. I've known these dads for many years but have only met the mother's once (or not at all).

Hmmmm. So I want to be welcoming even though there have been a number of divorce and disappearing acts in the past. Here's what I'm going to do.

Got It
2 good size oval baskets - Nice sturdy clean starter! How lucky I took these free from a store give away last year.

Wood puzzles (3-D interlocking type) to make a dinosaur, car, building. Gotten in past years at the craft store when they were a dollar or two. But if these look to hard for kids under 10 I'll skip them.

A couple canned jars homemade applesauce.

A couple canned jars of homemade granola (got the ingredients already).

Dad size BBQ apron (made an extra last summer when I made one for my husband)

Get It
A scour of the thrift store/library sale shelf should result in some good kid's books. Ones for the babies will be more picture style. Ones for the boys of unknown age will be perhaps I SPY, puzzle or interactive style.

A set of baby plate/cups for the babies.

For the boys, a gingerbread house decorating kit.

Make It
A set of cloth napkins to go with the dad's apron.

Pack It
Pack #1 basket with the foods, big boy books and a gingerbread house kit.

Pack #2 basket with the foods, baby cup/plate, apron and napkins.

Cost?
books = $5 or so
house = $5 with Michael's coupon
plate = $5 or so
cloth = $5 or less

Two big gifts for $20 or less, custom made with the family in mind.

What would you pack up in basket #1? or basket #2?

Early birds get the worm, or the best gift prices and selection at winter holidays. Right? But before you hyperventilate and blow through your shopping list, take a deep breath.

Now read over that list. What are you buying, and more to the point, who makes what you are buying?

Tip 1: You probably have immediate family on the list and know their specific wishes. Fine. Get the guys electronics. But maybe a 'practically new' laptop or DVD from a family who would much better use the cash can satisfy your guy. Check Craig's list. NOW.

Tip 2:You might have some kids on the list. And really this is where Christmas is magical. And also this is where the kids don't care if the bike or skateboard or dress up clothes are brand new. Get to the used sports store. Or the better resale stores. NOW.

Tip 3:But the most chance you have to give smartly is for your casual gift listings. The teacher, co-worker, friend, distant relative, visitor to your home, hostess's, etc.

I wish you would buy from INDEPENDENT small biz's. Made LOCALLY if you really want to make a difference. Guess what? It's pop up boutique season!! The prices at these craft fests are excellent.

And to make my point, take a look at what you can get for $5.00 or less from

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

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Christmas in July Earrings

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Orange Moustache Earrings

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Pink Champagne Earrings

*******************

Thanks and comments welcome!

What makes a good Halloween costume? Good detail, a clever representation of a popular or current subject, or just fright factor? I feel strongly that the best costumes are smart, funny, and hand produced! This last feature is the most important. And is, of course, why you will also save money. There is a big sense of personal satisfaction in pulling off a good costume of your own making.

I've made numerous past costumes for myself starting in high school. For one Senior Crazy Day I wore a green turtleneck, brown jeans, boots, wound a string of christmas lights around myself and wired them to a battery and walked around as a christmas tree. Some years later soon after college, I went as a graduate and wore my black gown, cap and carried a handmade rolled up 'diploma'. In my 20s I made a guy friend into a hilarious bride with a (large) full length white dress from the thrift store, handmade a quick tulle veil, and bought a dollar store bouquet of fake roses (his buddy wore a tux and they went as newlyweds).

Last year was the first I bought a ready made costume. It was for my tween, and after 10 years of sewing and making my kids' costumes I finally succumbed! She went for an Alice in WOnderland dress with tights. These store bought costumes are flimsy and expensive but I said OK provided she used it more than once.

So we are remaking the outfit into Wizard of Oz Dorothy. You've got a picture of Dorothy in your mind, right?

...white/blue pinafore (perhaps gingham)
...puffy sleeve white blouse
...ponytails with ribbon
...sparkly red shoes mary jane style shoes

Well

google Dorothy images and I can't believe how many things are different!!

Sometimes her hair is in pigtails with a little bow at the tip, sometimes there is a bow on top in the middle. Sometimes she has blue ankle socks. Sometimes they are white.

And the red shoes. My daughter swears the shoes in the book are silver! Well, I told her, nevermind - the famous ones are red. Look at the google images, they are in fact low heel pumps with a bow at the center!

Enter the handmade, cost saving elements this year...

Red Sparkly Shoes. A simple matter! Visit to the thrift for any pair of low heel shoes in her size. We would cover with glue and red glitter.

My secret tips:

-Use glue that will not be rigid and crack when cured. Do not use white school glue. A good easy choice is 'Goop'. Simply a silicon type glue. Get at Michaels or a hardware store.

Basket with Toto.
We already have a small basket and a small tan stuffed animal dog. Easy!! If not, these would be a couple dollars at the thrift store.

Success! Saving! See them below!

Thrift store pair of black tap shoes = $2.50
Goop glue, with Michaels coupon = $2.50
Red tinsel glitter, with Michaels coupon = $3.50
TOTAL = $8.50

You can try this at home too ~

I am a jewelry designer (if you didn't know already) and learned to craft wire rings a few years ago. Wire is a great material which allows limitless imagination, is reasonably easy to work with, and is long-lived. But I did NOT want to make rings that turns your finger green! The only answer was my decision to make better quality pieces with sterling or gold filled wire. Rings like this would last years, and be a valuable possession:

Anniversary or Friendship Band in 14K gold filled wire weave

Adjustable ring with row of sparkling pure white swarovski crystal. Available

here

Notice the price? It reflects the increase in sterling and gold. Those commodities have doubled, tripled, quadrupled in the interim since I started ring design.

Though I am extremely careful not to waste my precious metal wire supply, there is no way to avoid bits of metal scrap completely.

Enter the inside jeweler's tip (which you can take to the bank, literally):

A particular company, well known to crafters, buys back sterling, gold, gold filled, and several other precious metal material. Not just wire scrap, they accept any manner of precious metals including damaged jewelry, natural bits (any gold panning hobbyists out there?), coins, etc. They buy at one of the best prices that I've seen around. The price fluctates daily with the market rate, but you can compare it for yourself. Go to Rio Grande Buy Back Page

A very good resource!

Neither of my kids listen to music alot. Of course, these days one does not buy records, tapes or even CDs. Neither do my kids seem to desire tunes for their iPod type devices. We don't watch the teen TV shows which seem to have bands integrated into the themes. They have a radio in their room but you have to look closely, it's really simply a clock/alarm (with a radio inside). In fact my son has his alarm set to the beep for waking up - not the radio.

Thank goodness we watched both Fantasia movies many times when the were little! They know those classical passages and can recognize George Gershwin.

I love music and had a radio glued to my ear through my teens. Music is such a mood lifter. A great tune makes me go work out! So fuddy duddy ol' mom plays classical or pop or classic rock on the car radio to school. The kids recognize Paul McCartney (though they don't know much of the Beatles), know some of the latest bands (though it took me a long time to figure out what Lady Gaga sang because I don't listen to those kinds of stations), and have a few (very few) modern favorites.

When my daughter needed to pick a tune for doing a figure skate program, she did not have a favorite. I put on some old CDs (though she completely rejected Bruce Springsteen, Nickelback, any Windham Hill new age stuff and even my husband's Duran Duran collection). We browsed around Songza (a really fun free app). Nothing struck her.

So what did she pick? Answer below!

A word from our sponsor (not really, it's just me!). Just one of the fall glove designs from Pretty Cheap Jewelry. Click my FB page (left sidebar) to see others.

Peachy Pink on Teal



Peach sequined fronds on pale teal gloves. Made even more delicious with peachy pink glass beads from the wrists and up the back.

The tune? a little skate friend was using a Home Depot commercial song and pointed out this

Lowe's commercial tune . Crazy, but she said yes.

Just a sign of these times, don't you think?

A couple days ago my daughter found a wheat back (US) penny. The date? 1942. She knows these are scarce now and is definitely saving it in her little coin collection. What was happening in 1942? In April, President Roosevelt made a radio (!) speech starting "MY FELLOW AMERICANS: It is nearly five months since we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. " Read the

whole speech here

On her 13 birthday, Anne Frank writes in her diary June 12.

The Holocaust is occurring in Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, and many more places.

Gasoline rationing begins in the US on Dec. 1

More 1942 history here

Just looking at this coin makes me take a few moments to think!

The wheat back was made from 1909-1958. Look in your change, do you have any old pennies? I in fact have a moderate coin collection (that's why my kid started one!). They didn't seem old when I was saving interesting coins in the 1960s and 1970s. But folks, it's half a century later.

More later!

If you've been watching this blog, you've seen the making of a golden egg. Though I wish it was the type laid by a goose, in fact, it is a REAL egg that I've blown, dried and decorated with painted patterns, trim and swarovski crystal.

Take a look at

Steps 1 through 5

I left off showing the finished the top and bottom thirds.

The center band needed a different pattern, but something that had similar color, shape or style as the parts already done. Something that tied together the gold ribbon, the swarovski crystal, the black pinstripes, and the set of 5 little decorations in maroon and copper spaced evenly around the midpoint.

Hmmmmm! This was the point where a bit of artistry, creativity and imagination was needed. It was hard for me to figure out! I let it sit for a couple days looking and thinking of different ideas.

First, I decided to bring out the copper on the little center emblems. A kind of easy choice since I already had the copper glitter glue (from a past project) and knew I wanted to use it somehow.

Step 6. Add Copper Pin Lines.



I added an arrow and drop line at each emblem with the copper glitter glue. This accomplished 2 things: (a) repeated the copper color in the emblem (which had not been repeated yet and kind of needed to be), and (b) made separate compartments around the center band. Separate compartments would be much easier to decorate in the overall design.

Step 7. Add Painted Gold Scallops.


The final idea to come up with was the hardest!! What would look good in each of those compartments? It had to tie the whole thing together!! I liked scallops but did not want the whole compartment to be filled with a pattern because it would look to busy.

So I tried to make a scallop in a circular shape (like a flower with petals) with light gold paint (which I also already had). The color was right. The pattern mimicked the crystals. It seemed to fit well. My only issue is that I am not very precise with the size of each 'petal'!

And here is the finished Golden Egg!



Thx for reading and watch for more fun and fine crafts right here!

I am a skating mom (not a soccer mom or a football mom) and spend a good bit of time at the ice rink. Our rink is somewhat out of date and almost closed when the property was sold and slated for new housing about 5 years ago. Fortunately the economic slow down changed the housing development plans and the rink became non-profit. It is now run by a very dedicated group of adults. We parents also help with fundraising and all manner of events.

So it is well loved ice facility and seems to be attracting more families with time!

Inside the rink is a pro shop. The shop is owned separately (leased to the rink) and always has had a small stock of items for figure skaters and hockey players. But recently a new owner took over, a younger guy who loves hockey.

And he really beefed up the place! Take a

LOOK

So being the small biz on the look out for opportunity that I am....

I took him a sample pair of my hand beaded gloves and asked if he would be interested in wholesale!

The answer was 'Sure!' but let's give it a month trial to start.

Now EXCLUSIVELY at Goal Line Sports! Gloves for the skater (or dog walker or playground teacher or...)





KEEP THOSE (beaded) FINGERS CROSSED!