Janet of All Trades

It's that time again to start planning and making resolutions for the new year. To help keep me on track and organize all of my ideas, I have purchased a planner... There are many planners available at this time of year, but I selected the Commit30 goal setting notebook since it fits with how I want to achieve a few goals. Now I am not being paid to write this about the Commit30 ( http://commit30.com ) and I have just started to use it (see above).I do already feel like I might just be able to keep on track for 30 days. This is the Boss Blue color, size 7" x 10". It arrived with the handy bookmark and a sheet of stickers.Now the fun can begin... I pulled out all my old stickers,paper,pens and glue dots from my scrapbook days and started to decorate the pages of the planner. There are hundreds of stickers styles available at most craft stores for all types off activities. I bought a few at 60% off in the organizing and quote categories. I have several p...

Writing a post once a Year? I can't believe a year has past and I am just getting back to posting. Well I guess I could say I was busy, but that isn't the reason. I have at numerous times started a few lines of post but then would get distracted or tired or lose my thoughts and figure I would get back to it another day. I can say it it has happened at least 6 times over the last year. So what I have I been wanting to write about for the last year? Well few things...  Challenges This year has been a challenge for me Mentally. Mentally realizing that my brain can be used in other ways other than figuring out how to create jewelry and finally using some of my Math degree some 20 something years later actually using what I learned in college. I also had to retrain my brain as well and that was tough and tiring. A challenge that I still work everyday and self teach myself with online tutorials and books. Who said you can't teach an old dog new trick, either had a dumb ...

Happy New Year! Wishing Health and Happiness in the New Year! My New Years Resolutions are to post more recycle projects and updates on my creative adventures along with some interesting insights as well. Happy 2015! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas from my Home to yours!

Its been a long cold winter and I have been busy in the studio making jewelry and planning for the upcoming show this Summer and Fall. The ideas keep coming so I keep creating and this was one that just came to me in the last few weeks so I thought I would share. It all started when I was think about shamrocks and how could I make one that would be very simple but unique. I then the ace of clubs came to my mind I thought about cutting a few cards, but I knew I would never be able to cut it out that perfect. So I broke the shape down in to circles. So I cut a few circles with my hole punch from some Encyclopedia Paper and transformed them into Shamrocks. First the Leaves of the Shamrock and then the stem, which is just a sliver of paper. Coat with a few coats of Mod Podge and let dry and a sealer for the top and it was done.  I attached a bead to the bottom and it was ready to adorn a Skelton Key. A lovely St Patricks day Necklace I made a few version...

Merry Christmas! I would like to give you a gift of a recipe that I have been making for years. It is super easy and will get  rave reviews from all your Holiday guests. I call them Cheese Pennies, although they have been called Gold Doubloons or Homemade Cheez its. Following is recipe that (be warned) will make this a request for every party from now on. Ingredients 3 Sticks of Butter 1 1/2 Packages of Onion Soup Mix 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Salt 1 1/2 Pounds Grated Cheese (about 6 cups) 3 Cups of Flour Directions: Mix Butter and Cheese well in a mixer. Add remaining ingredients and blend. It will be very dry and may need to be kneaded. Shape into 1 inch roll in wax paper and chill (2 hours) Slice into 1/4 inch thick Place on ungreased cookie sheet Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes This makes about 6 to 7 dozen Serve while hot or cold with fresh apple slices! Enjoy!

I love decorating and Christmas is the perfect holiday for me since I can re-decorate the whole house temporarily with old and new items. I especially like trees and in the past few years I have either made or found some of the most amazing renditions of Christmas trees to decorate my house.  It all started about 40 some years ago when I really wanted a Christmas tree for my bedroom. Reason being that one of my older sisters had this huge magnificent artificial tree in her room and I wanted one too. So my little brain started to work on how I could build my own. I proceed to cut some evergreen bows from a tree in our backyard and stuck them in a coffee can with a little dirt. I made a paper chain and ornaments out of felt. It was perfect and so the obsession begun. Since then I have always had a real tree for Christmas up until a few years ago when it just did not seem right to be throwing a tree to the street every year.  I then became obsessed again with making tr...