More garden surprises

Don't you love when unexpected stuff happens in the garden. (Well, not the surprises when the neighbor's cat uses it as a toilet... the good surprises!) Since I do a rather pitiful job at weeding (it takes me forever to get the "spring" weeds down) - there was a section near my lilac bush that I had never touched... and look, my very own black-eyed susan is just growing - no seeds required :)

Going small...

I love large jewelry so my wire wrapped sea shells end up being the bigger sort, but recently, I've begun listening to friends a little more when they say they'd like smaller pendants...

so I've been trying it out. My favorite I think is with 26 guage wire: And I used square wire here in the same method I would use to wrap a marble:
And this on is 20 guage round wire in a rather simple design:

New Toys!

Don't you love those days when you get a new toy!

Mine came in the mail in the form of these two books: Woven Wire Jewelry and Silver Wire Jewelry. (Plus the necessary clamp I bought at Lowe's.) My goal is to make some woven wire necklaces (like the one on the cover of Woven Wire Jewelry), but instead of a PMC pendant, I put in one of my huge wire wrapped pieces. I cannot wait to start experimenting!

I want to have 2 or 3 of these statement pieces done before my holiday craft show season.

The needed vacation...

I got to visit my parent's home for the weekend and was so glad we had time to run out to Boca Grande (on Gasparilla Island). Not only did I come home with a whole bunch of venus clams but just smelling the salt air, if even for only a couple of hours, really improved my outlook on life. Of course I did find my next home for sale... now just where to get the $1.2 million to buy it!

I want it!

This evening I was fiddling around with my artfire account when my eye got caught by an ad...

The Sew Essentials Quilter's Design Table:

I was drooling before my mouse even clicked on the picture.

Open dimensions: 56-1/4''x29-3/4''; Closed 47''x15-7/8''x29-3/4''

Designed for quilters, this Quilter's Design table has a fold out table with 1'' grids for extra work space as well as a roll-out serger storage shelf. Locking casters for added security.

Yes, I know, I just bought all of that furniture from Ikea - but this table even matches... once I finish the last 7 boxes, I'll be measuring to see if I can fit this in there, too.

eBay

Much to some of my etsy friend's dismay, I've been an active user of eBay for awhile (since 2005 actually) but today something happened that almost made me cancel my account.

I've thought eBay is a good place to sell supplies I do not want, sell scratch and dent pieces, and sell my stale items at material cost just to turn over inventory.

But today, I came home to an e-mail that had me waiting on the line for customer service at eBay. (I hung up before I got anyone and then attempted to use the "contact us" link - a totally worthless circular loop that takes you to the options of "chat with us" or "call us" - click the chat link and it says they are too busy, close the window, and click the e-mail us link found under "contact us.")

So what was this problem you wonder... here's the e-mail but my screen shot is way too small.... I couldn't believe it. Someone who just joins eBay, bids on an item about 1/2 hour before this e-mail and eBay sends them my personal cell phone number? I couldn't believe my eyes. No contact via the eBay messaging system? Straight to my personal cell phone number?

I'm going to sleep on it, but I might be ending my long standing account with eBay tomorrow.