A new favorite, this one was so much fun to make. It features an adorable girlie puppy generously and kindly donated for my “Paws For A Good Cause” effort by Lampwork Artist, Kim Yamakawa.

This sweet lil’ puppy has a tiny blue flower tucked behind her ear. I wired and planted her amidst some whimsical blue daisies by favorite Lampwork Artist, Dawn White.

Cute button and heart beads, also by Dawn, add the perfect finishing touches to this one-of-a-kind, easy to wear necklace.

One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Click the photos above to check out the necklace in greater detail.

I’ve been cranking out the jewelry lately and I couldn’t be happier. After a long creative drought, I am very thankful. I must follow where the muse takes me.

I have 3 new bracelets waiting in the wings to be listed in my Etsy shop this week, but here’s a sneak peek at one of a series of Golden Retriever pieces I’m creating for both GRCGLA Rescue and SCGR Rescue. 

I’ve been enamored with these casual knotted leather jewelry lately. I have to keep reminding myself that not everything has to be a big production.

Make it fun, keep it simple.

And what better way to practice that than to make one of these.

Inspired by my pocket urban garden and all the bees that have been visiting, I made these two pieces from beads that I’ve been hoarding for awhile now.

The black and white bracelet above was made with a variety of favorite beads handcrafted by super talented Lampwork artist, Dawn White. Aren’t they cute? I just love Dawn’s work!

The whimsical necklace above features a flower, leaves and bee beads torched by another favorite Lampwork artist, Janet Crosby. I added black and white polka dot Lampwork beads and artisan made orange Lampwork beads as accents. Very sweet, very colorful. Adore!

The colors remind me of Summer so much that I’ve named this one ‘Summer Bee’. I know, I know, not very imaginative!

Look for it coming soon to my Etsy shop as well as all my other casual knotted leather creations!

I have what I like to call a “pocket urban garden”, a container garden on a small 4′ x 9′ balcony.

Last year, along with a couple of patio rose trees, I planted several different kinds of Lavender and was delighted with frequent daily visits from a group of Hummingbirds - an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

I never knew Hummingbirds favored Lavender. I suppose they were attracted to it because it closely resembles a well known plant that they love - the Salvia.

This year, I purposely planned a hummingbird, butterfly and bee friendly garden - Nasturtium, Nicotiana, Delphinium, Zinnia, Moonflower and Morning Glory vines - all grown from seed purchased from Renee’s Garden.

Although this is only my second planting season to try Renee’s seeds, I was so impressed with them the first time that I can honestly say that they are of exceptional quality and very easy to grow. Every seed I’ve planted has grown!

That’s saying a lot because I still consider myself a novice when it comes to gardening. Even though I’ve had the pleasure of a garden in many forms on and off since I was in high school - there’s just so many things you learn, so many varieties of plants, conditions, and gardening pests to discover and encounter for the first time.

This year, I also made a conscientious effort to recycle my soil and be 100% organic. If that means not having as many blooms, or having a few more pests than I’d like - as long as they didn’t totally destroy my plants - I was willing to share - better for the environment, better for the Hummingbirds and bees (no butterflies yet), and better for me.

Aside from being economical, the funnest thing about planting from seed is watching them grow. Every day, there is something new that’s interesting, growing or developing. Every day, there is something to appreciate.

I tried as much as I could to plan the garden through sketches from data I collected, however, nature had a mind of its own.

This bracelet features more beads and components I had put aside as “special” for that “someday” that I’m finally letting go. I think it turned out really pretty. I hope you do too.

It features beautiful Lampwork blooms in turquoise and ivory shades by favorite glass artist, Dawn White. I added Karen Hill Tribe fine silver leaves, Swarovski Crystals topped with richly detailed sterling silver and genuine turquoise gemstones, gorgeous faceted ‘Sleeping Beauty’ rondelle shaped gemstones, and a variety of sterling silver components.

This bracelet is finished with other “special” components - a unique clasp and a pretty little flower charm, both made of sterling silver and genuine Turquoise stones.

I finally got around to photographing all the other pieces I’ve been working on. Now, it’s just a matter of picking and choosing the best out of several hundred I took and cropping them to post here and list in my shop. Please stop by to check them out in the next few days! Thanks so much for visiting.