Hopping on a Sunny Day

Transferring Sunlight to Jewelry.

Another Pine Ridge Treasures blog hop is here! The participants ordered a surprise package of beads and coordinating metal pieces from Lisa Lodge, which portray the theme of "A Sunny Day." I actually managed to grab a pretty nice picture of the package contents when they arrived. 

Pretty nice, huh?

My first creation was this:

It's a sun. Or a flower. A pendant. Or a suncatcher. Look at the pretty green wire! I like it, but can't really figure out what to do with it. I'll put it aside, and think about it. 

Yellow earrings with green wire. 

These earrings came next. I again used the green wire, with the pretty yellow drops, and some flower shaped spacers from my stash. 

When I next picked up the beads, I started to understand that a lot of my sunny days were appreciated by looking at sunlight through the foliage that surrounds our home in the country. 

Sun filtered through the leaves. 

And the tiny little iridescent green beads in my kit really mimicked that sunshine-through-the-leaves effect.  I set to work designing a necklace with the delicate green pendant I made from some of the faux beach glass included. And those little green sunshine beads. 

Looks like a Sunny Day to me!

I strung the beads, then attached chain to the ends for an adjustable fit. A little butterfly charm finishes the clasp. 

Some earrings to go with the theme. 

First, a little beachy look, with seahorse charms, and wire that coordinates with the pretty blue beads. 

The seahorses aren't shown to their best advantage, but you get the idea. 

 These are meant to coordinate with the necklace, but look great on their own. 

More glass and little flower connectors. 

 The sun-through leaves theme again. Also meant to coordinate with the necklace. 

See how the little green beads catch the light? 

Thank you Lisa for hosting this Hop. Can't wait to see others' take on the Sunny Day!

Here's where to find the other blog hop participants:

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry  <<<---You are here

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Rosee Hanemaayer, Silver Penny Artisans

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Stephanie McGinley, TBD

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations

Gardener's Folly

A series of experiments. 

My garden this year is a series of experiments. 

July 2015

July 2015

Last year's project was 100% grown in pots and other containers, using fencing and wire plant stands for trellises. Everything was collected around a small temporary green house than was very effective for starting seeds, and protecting small plants from the frost. 

Early garden, 2015

This year I decided to recycle some of my potting soil, a small amount of compost, and some of my containers, to make a garden where some plants were in the ground, and some in pots and containers. I did minimal digging, trying a no-dig technique. And I did find myself buying at least 8 bags of potting and garden soil. 

Never did get the plastic on the greenhouse frame. Now it's a trellis.

Zucchini...eventually.

Somewhere under the leaves is a developing Kohlrabi bulb.

So this year's garden includes tomatoes growing in the ground, and peppers, cucumbers and a couple of other things that are in bags of soil. 

The pumpkin I put in the compost is growing beautifully, using the greenhouse frame as a trellis. 

More pumpkin vine, and some herbs just spouting.

Most of the garden.

As usual, I can't wait to harvest something, all we have had so far are fresh herbs...on just about everything. 

No Hop No Challenge

Just posting for the fun of it. 

I tend to post here only when I am participating in a blog hop, a photo challenge, or some kind of online event. But really, I love to share photos and news, so why not do so here! 

Earlier today, Jim and I sent Sara, our daughter off on the train bound for Vermont.  She is participating in a summer event at the Center For Cartoon Studies, where she goes to school. She will be a teaching assistant at their summer classes, and fulfill her internship requirement.  

Traffic being what it was on July 2nd, we took the scenic route back home. 

From the car window. 

Taking Route 9W toward Newburgh, NY, we stopped at a park next to the Hudson River, at Plum Point. 

Someone playing the guitar on a park bench, valiantly fighting off the marauding butterflies. 

The Hudson River. 

Jim scoping out fishing spots.

What Are These? They are about the size of a quarter, and pointed.

And, Home again, with out new kitten, Spot. 

Sweet baby boy.

Nice day, all told!