MOVING BLOG

Some changes are happening.  For more consistency I’m revamping and moving this blog to http://jewel4ublog.wordpress.com

This means that I’ve lost all of you as followers.  If you would like to watch my updates as I try to grow my creative hobby into a business please click the new blog link, and follow me there.

I’m not sure what will happen to this one…. if I’ll keep it, or trash it.

Thanks for your support. It means more than you know.

Jenny

Accessories Hair Clips Jewelry and Art by jewel4u on Etsy

Finished a few Breast Cancer Awareness necklaces and loaded them into my shop.

Accessories Hair Clips Jewelry and Art by jewel4u on Etsy.

Weekend – Return Please!

Do you ever have a weekend that you would just like to return or exchange for a new one?  I’m sorry this doesn’t work for me, I’d like to return it. Yes, I still want a weekend, I just want to exchange this one for a different one. Your return policy?  I realize it’s past the 30 days, but it’s taken 30 days to fit in time to do this exchange.  Surely, some of you can relate.

Between cleaning out the girlie’s room (sorting every piece of clothing – some since birth), then converting her crib to a toddler bed (you know this involves a complete rearrange of furniture – multiple times), followed by a trip to the emergency room – I need a break. Just when exhaustion is overwhelming, let’s start a new week!  Since God only gives us what we can handle, I’m spending some time reminding Him of my threshold just in case He forgot.  

View Bookmarks by jewel4u on Etsy

Finished a small collection of bookmarks.  A Perfect Mom’s Gift!

View Bookmarks by jewel4u on Etsy.

Unplugged – I took the challenge

Motivated by the challenge set before me in fellow bloggers post: Project Unplugged: Can you disconnect from technology? I decided I would sever my ties from electronics for the evening. How’d I do?

As I had mentioned I had great apprehension. I thought maybe it would go away as the night wore on & I got used to the idea. After all, other people had commented on how liberating it felt during their technology sabbatical. I wanted this experience so badly for myself. Here’s what I learned…

With my DH being out for the evening it was just me and the lil’girlie. I assumed we would play like never  before, bond beyond words, and have a magical night. Instead, 2yr old independence was running this evening. I sat with her on the floor (which I often do anyway) and grabbed a toy to interact with her. She didn’t want me to play with her toys and promptly ripped them out of my hands. In fact she didn’t want to play with me at all, and seemed rather annoyed that I was interfering. So I just observed.  It really impressed upon me how grateful I am to have a child that is happy to entertain herself. (Sharing seems to be an issue – but we’ll work on that).

Without DH, & a little girl who wanted to do her own thing, the house was quiet and lonely. (I had even opted to remove TV or music from my repertoire). At this point – and MANY points throughout the night I LONGED for my phone. I just wanted to see what everyone was doing. I had purposely left it upstairs as I knew the temptation would be too much. It taunted me with its little ting-tingings of email, FB messages, & txts. Ugh!!  But we continued on… dinner, more play time, a book or 2.  I even took a needle & thread to a pillow that was losing it’s stuffing – Gasp!!  I spent time rocking the girlie before bed.

I was dreading bedtime the most. Without ALL sources of entertainment what would I do?  Going to bed myself, would be my only choice to survive this lonely-fest. I thought about doing so, but then stopped to put the final touches on a custom order I had been working on. Then I found myself beginning a 2nd custom order I had waiting in the wings. Oh and why not work on these bracelets I have sitting here too….  And then it struck me: during creative endeavors, I’m completely unaware, free, and liberated. I don’t long for anything. Even the alarms of my phone have no hold on me. My sabbatical had arrived.

The evening taught me that technology’s grip could be broken. I learned that I use my phone and computer mostly to pass time in-between tasks. I enjoyed my quality time with my daughter. But it wasn’t much different from any other night. I think the most freeing aspect of my evening was realizing that I had more will-power than I thought I could muster. And I actually started at 5:00pm last night and didn’t look at an electronic device until 7:00am this morning. And now that I have…. I didn’t miss much…..

Have you unplugged?  How did you survive?  What was your experience?

Disconnect from technology? – Can I do it?

No Touch? Ugh!!

Since I wrote: Mark Zuckerberg did what?  yesterday, I’ve been thinking about the affects of social media on my life.  I’m haunted by my own quote found in that post : “social media has been kind of a shallow pastime for me”.  For the most part I kind of believe that to be true.

But today I read a fellow blogger’s post:  Project Unplugged: Can you disconnect from technology?  She plans on disconnecting from technology from 6:00pm until bedtime. Just the thought, is giving me shakes of withdrawal. Hmm… Refresh my memory, what are the signs of addiction?  I think I already hit denial with the previous quote, and now I have anxiety just tinkering with the idea of severing social media communication.

It seems it might be time for my own technology cleanse. So I’m joining in tonight at 6:00pm as well. To be quite honest, I don’t know if I can make it. So to all my Facebook friends – All your interesting status messages must be posted before 6, after that time, you may resume with boring pics of your food.   And here’s a nudge to all my “Draw Free” fellows – get to drawing people!  I want to get in as much drawing game time before my cut off.  ;-)

Wish me luck folks.  If anyone wants to join us, let us know how it goes.

via Project Unplugged: Can you disconnect from technology?.

Bracelet Inventory

Lately, in between special orders, I’ve been working to build my bracelet inventory. Bracelets are much more time consuming due to the amount of bezel cups in each one. When working with Lisa Pavelka Magic-Glos UV Resin, it’s imperative to keep the bezel cups perfectly level. I try to shave off time by not separating each one, but the bracelet must be placed length-wise under my UV lamp in order for the bezels to levelly cure. And what do you know… the bracelet won’t fit under the lamp unless I disconnect it.

My method is to start designing the bracelet in one piece, so I can get the flow of elements from one bezel to the next. Then when it’s time to add layers of gloss I remove one of the connector rings in the middle which then gives me 2 pieces of bracelet. I finish my process of layering and filling until complete which involves reassembling the bracelet.

I have 3 more that I want to finish to add to my currrent collection shown below. These are available for purchase on my JeWeL 4U Etsy shop.

I’d love to hear from you:  What do you think of the bracelets?    Any ideas for improvement in my work flow process?  Any experiences you’d like to share?

View Bracelets by jewel4u on Etsy.