Working with Polymer Clay

OK so Why was I so INTRIGUED by working with polymer clay?! I love working with my hands and I love the possibility of what you can create but geez it is so intimidating to me. I bought all of this sculptey clay when it was on sale at Michaels and of course a few books and tools and gadgets the books and different people recommended. Then I let it sit for 3 whole weeks too afraid to jump in and start because I simply didnt know where to start. So today as I cooked Sesame Ginger Turkey tenderloins for a church luncheon tomorrow, I sat outside and simply STARTED. Now I have NO CLUE how these pieces are going to turn out once I bake them but HEY at least I started and at least I tried (so no laughing allowed)!

First I picked out some clay and worked it some with my hands and some with my polymer clay machine that I got from Firemountaingems.com for $11.



Then I looked out on Etsy and through some of my books for inspiration! I found a pair of earrings on Etsy made from glass that I loved and tried to make them out of clay! I really dont like what I see so far but hey I played and had fun with it and will see what the finished product turns out like.

My inspiration earrings from Etsy

Then I knew I wanted to do something with autumn leaves so I grabbed a few leaves off of a tree that was just gorgeous and cut the leaf up and placed it on the pendant I made using liquid polymer clay (sure hope that was right..LOL).

Supplies I used

Made an acorn pendant and embellished it with gold clay. With the left over clay, I made a few beads - one of which I embellished with gold circles. Now I have to let it cool, sand it up and add my glaze!

Here it is! Cooling and ready to be sanded and Glazed!

Feel free to share any tips and offer any feed back!

YIPPEE! The price of gas is dropping

I tell you the price of REGULAR UNLEADED gas being at $3.99 a gallon was CRAZY! I remember when regular gas was .89 a gallon! Long gone those days! But I will say I was most excited today to find Regular Unleaded gas here in Columbia, SC at 1.98 a gallon! I thought finally some relief and sure hope it is not temporary!

Got my gift in the mail

I got my gift in the mail and I LOVED it so much it made me CRY! As I shared before the sweet glorybe1024 http://glorybe1024.blogspot.com/ tells us on the etsybloggers forum that her close friend Vicky from http://2sistersandme.blogspot.com/ held a contest in honor of her own birthday and I WON! I received my items in the mail this past week and I was so encouraged. The gift was beautifully packaged and I got more than I expected. She sent me chocolate (OMG), the BEAUTIFUL hand made journal, journal cover and TWO matching pink pens. Not to mention I got a warm encouragement card that lifted my spirits and a gorgeous hand bag! Thanks again Vicki! I will cherish the gifts you gave me in honor of your birthday! I showed it to all of my coworkers!

Signed with much Etsy Love,

Terronda

WELCOME NEW ETSYBLOGGERS TEAM MEMBERS

Welcome to our NEWEST Etsybloggers team members!

I decided weekly to welcome all the new Etsybloggers to the team! This is an incredible street team where we support, encourage and push each other towards our goals! More than anything we are all blog-a-holics! LOL! I wanted to take the time to welcome the new team members below and let you know if there is anything you need from me (or any other team mate) we are all here to help!

Welcome to…..

AMYSBEADING SUPPLIES

Amy

Etsy: www.amysbeadingsupplies.com

Etsy: www.amyscollections.etsy.com

Blog: www.amyscollections.blogspot.com

THE13THGYPSY
Xylia……
Etsy: http://the13thgypsy.etsy.com/
Blog: http://the13thgypsy.blogspot.com/

WILDONEZDIAPERZ

ShannonEtsy: http://www.momofwildones4.etsy.com/blog: http://wildonezdiaperz.blogspot.com/

COLLECTIVEELEMENTS
Danielle
Etsy: http://collectiveelements.etsy.com./
Blog: http://blog.collectiveelements.com/


BLISSCANDLES
Suzanne
Etsy: http://blisscandles.etsy.com/

Blog: http://blisscandles.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://mustloveetsy.blogspot.com/

Joined as a shopper! Super!
AnnaBlog: http://www.misosouper.com/

Blog: http://www.twitter.com/misosouper

JMWJEWELRY
Jen
Etsy: http://jmwjewelry.etsy.com/

Blog: http://jmwjewelry.blogspot.com/

DEMANDABLUE
Amanda
Etsy: http://demandablue.etsy.com/

Blog: http://demandablueblog.blogspot.com/

WINEMAKERSISTER
Heather
Blog: http://winemakerssister.blogspot.com/

Etsy: http://www.winemakerssister.etsy.com/

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/winemakerssister/

LOVAREVOLUTIONARY
Jody
Etsy: http://lovarevolutionary.etsy.com/

Etsy: http://lovahandmade.etsy.com/

Blog: http://lovarevolutionary.blogspot.com/

JEZABELL13
Izabella
Etsy: http://jezzabell13.etsy.com/
Blog: http://www.bluefishhandmade.com/

XSMIPLYCHARMINGX
Julia
Etsy: http://www.xsimplycharmingx.etsy.com/

Blog: http://www.xsimplycharmingx.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://www.crafterconnection.blogspot.com/


STUDIOGILEAD
Doda
Etsy: http://www.studiogilead.etsy.com/
Blog: http://www.dodadidit.blogspot.com/


MACLANCY
Clancy
Etsy: http://www.maclancy.etsy.com/
Blog: http://clancysclassics.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday

My Friends

Me and a few of my friends at a church function. We all wore colors that represented either fruits of the spirit that we were or that we wanted to be. I wore Green (gentleness) and blue (kindness) because those are the fruits I am working toward being like!

Dana & Terronda

Patti & Terronda

Dale & Terronda



Tranae & Terronda

LifeStyle Changes......

It is not where you start, but where you FINISH!

The fact is I have been obese for the past 9 years. I weighed my heaviest of 242 lbs this past April. My knees hurt, my body ached, couldn’t fit ANY of my largest size 20 clothes and felt depressed. I felt trapped by my desire to eat all the time..like an addiction. I still feel the battle and the trap of it but at least now I am fighting. I have lost 30 lbs so far and right now because I have NOT been disciplined I have gone up and down 5 – 6 lbs for the past month and a half. But I still have a victory in that I am LEARNING day by day …sometimes moment by moment to think differently about food! Food is for fuel not for simple pleasure. I eat more for pleasure than for sustenance. What have I been doing to lose my weight you asks?

Exercising 3 to 4 times a week – I do 20 min cardio and then do 20 minutes of weight training, rotating between upper and lower body each day. I JOURNAL! So important to write what I feel. Why I am eating when I eat.

I eat a LOT less! And actually started out doing this special weight loss program that my ENTIRE office is doing. We all have lost about 350 lbs between the 10 of us! I will share more about that program in my next weight loss blog. I plan to take you on this journey with me and have you hold me accountable and ask me how it is going!



Here is to a healthy lifestyle and a reminder that “It is not where you start but where you finish!

She melts my heart

With those puppy dog eyes and warm smile, she melts my heart. Being a mom is an amazing thing but being a grandmommy...oh that beats all. I don't think there is any way to effectively describe it! Having my daughter and grand daughter live with me is a blessing. When they move,I will be a sad Grammy!

See why she gets whatever she wants? Look at those eyes!

Posing for the camera already!

I see you Grandmommy!

Featured Etsyblogger of the month of November - Storybeader

Friendly and Always lending a helping hand to her Etsyblogger team mates – Storybeader is the well deserved featured Etsyblogger of the month! With unique jewelry designs such as the Tipi Treasure Necklace featured below. All of her jewelry and bead work tell an invigorating story. No doubt wearing her creatively designed pieces will be a stepping stone for great conversations and shared stories! Check out Storybeader's blog!



Tipi Treasure Necklace

Tagged TWO DAYS IN A ROW - Butterfly Award

WOW! Tagged two days in a row! I am surely feeling the love! (big Smile) Tagged by the truly encouraging and warm magdalenejewels! I have been passed this blogger's award which in turn I must now pass this "Butterly Award" on to 7 other bloggers. For those of you who don't know Magdalene jewel’s shop, her shop contains a mix of classy and elegant jewelry. No doubt she is talented! Her blog Magdelene Jewels - where you will find some of her very interesting blogs: So here is a little more of me to share about! I have tagged the below 7 to share and pass it on! Sorry having done it two days in a row – it gets hard to do the research to see if have already been tagged for this and even recently!

1. I definitely am not a witch or a psychic but I do know that when I have a VIVID/CLEAR dreams about something/someone, it usually happens very similarly to how I dreamed it. I also have more than my share of “déjà vu” moments. In fact, I had one today and it scared the crap out of me..LOL

2. I love the beach! There is something about the vastness of the ocean, the sound, of the waves and the sands on the seashore that move me to tears whenever I am near it.

3. I have lived in the same city/state all of my life

4. I write poetry and short stories though I haven’t done it in quite a while. Hmmm..maybe I need to post one of my poems and write a few in the near future.

5. I love R&B music – Old school baby! Old school!

6. I went to Aruba last year for my first international vacation! It was paradise! I love clear blue/green waters!

7. I LOVE to smile! It is contagious…(See me smiling?!) I told you it was contagious! PASS IT ON!

You've been tagged my etsyblogger family!
Tulip's Treasure Box
Etsy Mexico
My Favorite Shop
Nature Manipulated
TILTcreations
Home Made Originals
A Keepers Jackpot

Tag – I’m it for the first time!

I was tagged by Lovarevolutionary a member of the awesome Etsybloggers street team to spill the beans and share 7 secreets – hee-hee! Don’t forget to check out her store Lovarevolutionary


So 7 secrets hmmm….let me think!

1. My first online business was selling on Ebay! I used to go to yard sales, find neat items and sell them! The items I sold and made the most money from was a large box of college medical books that I paid $5 for (yes the whole box of about 15 books was only $5) and I made about $1,000 off of all of those books I sold! Oh the days of profit on Ebay!

2. My favorite color is Red. I generally love all bright colors but red is my absolute favorite because it is bright, bold and vibrant and representative of my personality.

3. I was born breech. BUTT first in fact with my right leg flipped up and over my left shoulder and my arms wrapped around that leg. My mom has over 100 stitches giving birth to me! Poor mommy!

4. I am the single mother of two young adults ages 21 and 19 and the grandmother of a beautiful granddaughter 13 months old!

5. I love to play games – Spades, Phase 10, Monopoly (my all time favorite)!

6. My dream was to graduate high school, become a Broad Cast Journalist and move to California! Never happened but I dreamed anyway..LOL

7. My favorite shows are CSI, Forensic Files, Dr. G Medical Examiner and HGTV with HGTV being my all time favorite!


Now spill more beans cuz tag YOU are it! I've tagged you to spill the beans and share secrets! Share 7 secrets and tag 7 bloggers to share 7 of their secrets!

CRAFTYCHEFGRAPHICS
PALLEIKO
BARBARABEADS
HBIC
SPIRITMAMA
CARAPACE
DEVINEDESIGNSJEWELRY