I'm Back!  We've finally received some internet where we've temporarily moved so it's been a long time since I posted.
I still don't have my pc with all my pictures and ability to download new ones yet.  Who knows when?  Not me.  However, I do feel I'm back in the 21st Century now--until my air card flies away.
It's been an uphill battle getting established but this little farm house is becoming "home."  It's a 30 minute drive from my daughter in one direction, a 30 minute drive from mega shopping areas and a 50 minute drive from the little house we are redecorating.
I've been able to fill in as accompanist two Sundays out of the three we've been here at a local church and am scheduled for next Sunday as well.  The organist has been sick and is now in the hospital.  I'm glad I was here to help out and don't want to assume anything but God does put people in the right places at the right times and I was available.  It's a Baptist church with traditional leanings--right up my alley and I've enjoyed playing there.  It was also good to visit my daughter's church last week--totally different in style but just as worshipful.  We were going to join her church immediately and then wait until God called us to another but we got caught up in subbing so we will be a bit delayed in finding our church family.  Until then, we go where God sends us.
We're making progress on our "home to be" as the dry wall is going in today.  We had to basically gut the whole house so it's going to take much more money than we figured--isn't that always the case when one remodels?  I think we'll like it but we have to DRASTICALLY DOWNSIZE!  And I thought I already had--Nope.  More later.  I have to clear about 150 emails now--hopefully.

Try, Try, Try Again

Well, finally.  I tried three times and ways to download this photo and finally had to close google chrome and open it again.  Something went haywire with the connection, I guess.  Who knows?  Anyway...here is the other necklace I made last weekend.  My friend loves it.  I used very inexpensive beads from WalMart, no less, but they made up very pretty.  She's a small older lady who loves wearing big jewelry and she looks so cute.  I can't wait to see her in it.

VBS is over and it was a very good week.  There is SO much preparation for a productive week and we had excellent leaders.  It was a bittersweet time when the large group leader recognized that it was my last VBS in that church.  I'm looking forward to what the future brings and can't wait to see where God places us in his kingdom's work.  

A wedding rehearsal looms tonight with the wedding tomorrow--onward and upward.

Busy Week

It's been a busy week--Vacation Bible School Week at our church.  Well, I guess you might say I've been busy for a few weeks now learning the music.  Tomorrow's our last day and tomorrow evening I have a wedding rehearsal and Saturday is the wedding.  Never a dull moment for a church musician in an active church.  That's what I was called by God to do--church music.  God has also given me a desire--to create.  I did manage to make two necklace and earring sets last weekend, for which I was grateful.  Blogger is acting up today and messed up my first photo.  I'll have to try again tomorrow on that one--maybe. The one above is Czech glass aquamarine crystals with clear crystals in between.  My friend loves it and so do I--so dainty and pretty.

Happiness

Psalm 27:1 says:

"The Lord is my light and the one who saves me."

That makes me happy.

Safe

I'm going to be posting close-ups of some of my artwork while I'm in the "gettin' ready to move" phase of my life now.  Hope you enjoy them.  This is one that I kept for myself.  It says much of what I'm feeling right now.  Though things around me are chaotic, I realize that I'm always safe in the loving arms of Jesus.  Thank you, God.

So Much To Do...

I've tried to bring a color palette to life here.  I love these color combinations

Strawberry creme

Muslin

Earthenware

White and

Caramel.

My posts are going to be few and far between because of the move.  

The major problem is my hoarding over the last few years.  I've let things get out of control and letting things go has been a bit overwhelming.  I believe things are coming around now a little better.  More boxes are being packed and dents are being made.  Good for me.

The Big Refashion

My friend, Amy, is getting married and wants to use her mother's wedding dress.  Amy's a vintage remake lover and wanted me to "do something" with this dress.  The first two photos are the before and the last are of the remake.  It took a while to think things through since I'm not a veteran dressmaker but Amy had definite ideas and I just incorporated them.  She wanted the underskirt more fitted but I still think it turned out nice.  I loved making roses again.

Sacrifice

A new antiqued silver cross, a decorative bale to hold it and 

a long chain from which it swings make up the base for this 

necklace.  I've added a vintage key and a rose charm with a

blood-red glass drop, symbolic of the sacrifice given at the 

cross when Jesus died. The key signifies opening the door 

of eternity through faith in Christ.

If he had offered himself every year, he would have suffered many times since the creation of the world. But instead, near the end of time he offered himself once and for all, so that he could be a sacrifice that does away with sin.

Hebrews 9:26

Birds of the Air Have Nests Bookmark

"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Matthew 8:20

Charm Tassel Necklace

Tassel necklaces are popular today.  One can find them in 

any shop  that sells jewelry.  Sometimes I place too much

 emphasis on how I look, what I own and where I go.  It all

 belongs to God and that's something I don't need to forget.

‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.
Haggai 2:8



I've used a combination of vintage and new beads and bangles to create this charm tassel. The vintage gold and silver items are a key, a rose charm, a filigree bar and a fleur de lis charm. The new components are a rose-gold patterned bead, a grape-colored faceted bead, a silver heart charm, a rosy glass bar, a deep red glass drop and the findings to hold them all together. I love combining old with new into a cohesive whole.  This is in my Etsy shop: sallylsmith

Vintage Crystal Pendant Necklace

I found these lovely vintage crystal pendant-sized beads quite a while back.  They've made lovely earrings so I thought I'd try a necklace.  To this one I added a vintage rhinestone rondelle and hung it on a ring from which are crystals, pearls, metal beads and glass beads on beading wire.  It closes with a lobster clasp and is about 28" long.  I don't know why I love this style so much--guess it's just that the exposed wire makes it look so delicate.  This is just another example of combining vintage with new.

I'm going to call this one "Early Morning Sunrise."  I love when the sun is just rising and the sky is turning pink.  Some say, "Red sky in morning, sailors take warning" but I love a pink sky.  God is the ultimate painter.

Little Blue Heart

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart.

Proverbs 15:30

Little Blue Heart Bracelet.  Can you see it?

I made this bracelet a while back and am just getting it on Etsy.  It's so delicate and pretty and hiding among the pastel beads is a tiny blue heart. 

 My family is leaving today and that makes my heart blue--hopefully for only a short time, though.  We hope to be moving near them very soon but things haven't been working too well.  Just when we think we have things figured out, something else comes up and our plans change.  That can make one blue as well.  My hope is that the Lord will allow us to relocate but we've come to realize that He is in control and we're not.  Maybe the house, the town or the distance from children is not right for us.  Just maybe God has other plans.  We're listening.  

(You know my blue heart, Lord, and I know your ever-giving one always leads us in the right direction if we respond to your leadership.  May my heart tune in to yours and may I start singing Praise Songs instead of The Blues.)

Layering Necklaces

I had a super jewelry making time a while back and whipped out numerous pieces.  These two necklaces are a couple of the things I did.  The pink, black and silver beads are crocheted on black waxed cording and the light pink and black on gold is a more traditional style necklace.  I love them together, however, it is a bit much for me though I've observed photos of others wearing multiple necklaces and it looks lovely.  I think the weight of numerous necklaces would be too much for me, especially since I am a relatively new jewelry wearer.  Would you wear something like this?

They can be seen in my Etsy shop here: etsy.com/shop/sallylsmith

Made For Creating

I feel incomplete when my day doesn't include some kind of creativity.  I feel guilty many times because I put "making things" ahead of cleaning, organizing and general house-keeping.  Reading scripture like this helps me realize that I was Made For Creating.  I can't help myself because God gifted me with the insatiable desire to produce beautiful, and sometimes useful, items.  Here's one of the verses to which I refer:

Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “See, I have chosen Bezalelson of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³ and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills —⁴ to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,⁵ to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Exodus 31ver o cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.  Exodus 31

What a calling!

The little necklace above was made from many little vintage pearls, some a little worn though precious.  I attached a silver earring given to me by a friend.  I think it's lovely.

Revision and Wedding Bracelet

Altered Untroubled Heart

Wedding Bracelet

I've changed the Troubled Heart Necklace.  The more I looked at the original (last post) and wore it, the more I didn't like the "bat." I removed it, moved the star down from the side making it more symmetrical and added a dark red glass drop to it then added it to the other charms.  Now maybe I will list it.

Yesterday I listed a wedding bracelet with handmade charms. My listing gives this description:
Each handmade charm represents a certain characteristic of love: Large vintage crystal--pure love; new Czech glass bar--united love; new mother-of-pearl ring--forever love; and vintage faux pearl--treasured love. 
All these characteristics come from God and I believe more marriages would survive if the couple would put God first and act more like God wants.  Not that I'm a marriage counselor but I'm one who has made it through my marriage only because of God's grace and help.