Father's Day!! What to Get Dad? Look No Further!

Father's Day is just around the corner!  Every year it is so hard to come up with ideas for good ol' dad!  He's wonderful and the best!  What can we possibly get to let him know how cool he is??

If he is a Harry Potter fan, how about a wand?

If he is a corporate mister, how about some one of a kind cuff links??

If he is more of a hippie, surfer dude, how about some Viking rune chokers?

Check out my store for other ideas!  My Store!

Beads, Beads, Beads!!

Beads have become a favorite thing for me in creating things!

I've been doing the prayer beads, but decided, why not do some jewelry while I'm at it?

So I tried my hand at a bracelet!  I used acrylic beads - they make the most amazing patterns!  I added a dragon charm, because, well, dragons!

It turned out great!  I will definitely have to do some more!

Find it for sale at dragoncraftcreations!

Slow Down - It's Almost Summer!

Finding time to slow down is easier said than done.  There is almost always too much to do and too little time to do it.  Even with the lazy days of summer comes vacations (which are usually more hectic than relaxing), summer activities for the kids, and the never ending work that faces us every day.

This can lead to high stress, self-criticism and depression.

One way to combat stress is to meditate!  I have found prayer beads to be very useful - in many ways!  I find that when my hands are idle at night, I tend to eat while I watch TV.  After making myself a set of prayer beads, I now rub them and "worry" them while watching TV and it helps keep me from eating!  And it's truly relaxing!  I was so surprised at how therapeutic it is to simple rub on a chain of beads! 

I have also discovered that meditation in the mornings while chanting affirmations has helped start the day with calm, focus and peace.

I made myself an 8-bead meditation chain.  I sit up in bed before even getting up, grab my prayer beads which I keep next to the bed, close my eyes, breath deeply and then chant.  I say something positive for each bead - since there are only 8, it goes quickly and doesn't take up too much time, but somehow, those 8 affirmations make me ready to face the day with clear, focused intent.

I say things like:

I am proud of who I am

I am needed

I deserve happiness

I accept the challenges that face me this day

It's amazing how good I feel after that short morning routine!

If you are interested in some, here are some I have for sale:

If you want to see more, check out my shop HERE!

Summer Earrings! Summer Fun!

I'm so excited to have some nice warm weather!  I'm ready for summer!!!

Being in the summer frame of mind, I made some earring sets to welcome in the new season!!

Don't they just make you want to jump right into summer??  I have another set almost done, so check back soon!

You can buy them HERE!

Prayer Beads

I have discovered my love for beads!  It is quite meticulous to hand chain each individual bead, but I find it very soothing and beautiful.  I now understand the popularity of worry stones and worry beads.  I am truly enjoying making all kinds of beaded things - from my bead chains on my pendulums to Catholic rosaries, to Wiccan prayer beads.

I am now on the search for beautiful beads to make into beautiful things!!

Here are some are some of the things I've done so far:

Check back!  I'll be making more!  You can buy them HERE!

Art on Display!

Our local coffee shop is displaying a few pieces of my art!  I must say, they look great on the dark gray walls!

Tradewind Coffee Co in Dacula, GA is a wonderful spot for coffee, tea and cuisine!  Just this morning I had a large hot chocolate and a bacon, egg and cheese croissant - fantastic!  The atmosphere is wonderful - quaint and homey with lots of places to sit and chat, read or work on your computer.  Plenty of plugs abound to plug in your devices!

For more information on their wonderful location, click HERE!

I was very pleased when they invited me to display my art - here are a few pictures I took this morning!

I have some more pieces hanging but didn't get a chance to take those pictures - I'll have to do that the next time I'm there for coffee!