New Sparkles And Pop In The Shoppe...

Things have been crazy busy here and HOT!  I'm not a fan of 100 degrees

and humidity so the weather has been the perfect

reason for me to stay in and focus on new designs for the shoppe.

Lots of vintage here.  The pendant is a vintage silver filigree

with gold on black crest.  This necklace is made up of vintage

rosary beads, large fresh water pearls,  platinum glass pearls,

genuine amethyst faceted beads, rhinestone sparkle and lots more.

Love this delicate, feminine piece.  It features a sterling silver cross

from a french vintage rosary.  I've added tiny hand wrapped iolite 

beautiful blue faceted beads.  A vintage religious themed former pin

is accented with tiny blue forget-me-nots.  Two religious rose links from a 

vintage religious bracelet were added along with more iolite beads and

rhinestone beads.  They all hang from an oxidized sterling silver link cable chain

and then finished with an oxidized jewelry hook and tiny religious medal

as an added accent..

This really stunning piece has a pendant of faceted amethyst colored

glass in an antiqued brass setting.  The necklace is made up of vintage

mother of pearl rosary beads, vintage amber glass beads,  genuine 

faceted amethyst beads, little oxidized filigree jewelry connectors and

vintage watch fob chain.  

This beautiful piece I titled "Sailing".  It features a vintage Portuguese 

coin accented with vintage silver watch fob chain, gorgeous pink faceted

tourmaline beads and beautiful vintage rosary chain of milky white

 glass beads.  So simple but so stunning!

Beautiful, unique, eye stopping earrings!  The focal point are the

vintage silver shields that were former clip-on earrings.  I've accented them

with vintage milky glass rosary beads and added a tiny royal purple

faceted briolette.  They hang from oxidized sterling silver closed back

ear wires.

These are spun silver former bracelet links shaped like butterflies

that are accented with vintage clear rosary beads and finished off with

tiny aquamarine briolettes.

More earrings ladies!  I've taken vintage bracelet links and hung from them

tiny vintage religious medals, a vintage clear rosary bead and a

faceted genuine garnet bead.  Love these!

These vintage beauties are such a stunning color!  Topaz blue

rhinestone former earrings dangle from oxidized sterling ear wires and

are accented with vintage tiny mother of pearl rosary chain, 

antique brass chain and two vintage religious medals of 

Mother Mary.

These are just some of the newest things in the shoppe.

Do stop by and check it out.  I'm having a HUGE sale too!

So be sure and check out the "SALE" section as there are some

awesome values!!!  Everything there is 40-50% off!!

xo

Karen

Nature Trying To Cool Off...

It has been brutally hot here in Wisconsin.  It is 102 degrees again today

 with 70% humidity.  Yuke!!!  I have had to water quite a bit.  

Yesterday when I was giving some of the 

bushes a drink with the hose I noticed that immediately

 a little bird saw the water and flew down to stand

 in the puddle that was building up.

He was so cute and was just loving the spray of the water.  

He stayed there and drank and bathed

and really was enjoying it!

 

Then today I set up the sprinkler on an area of the lawn, 

and who do you think was right there

in the blink of an eye?  Yep, that same little bird! 

 He was just happy as could be in the rain of the sprinkler.

He was even drinking the water off the grass.  I think he is a baby robin

 but not too young that he can't be out on his own.  

He let me me get VERY close to him too!

In this heat everything needs to be taken care of, 

not just our plants and lawns.

Be sure and refill your bird bath everyday for our 

little feather friends!

Stay cool everyone!!

xo

Karen

Summer Love'in...

Today was basil harvesting time to make batches of fresh 

pesto.  I love doing this so that we can enjoy summer

pesto all year long.  I'll show you what I do and have the recipe for you

at the end of this post.

So I cut the basil and have my fresh garlic, pine nuts and grated

parmigiano reggiano cheese all set to go.

I take all the basil leaves off the stems, all the pine nuts, cheese and garlic

in the food processor.

All of those leaves and other ingredients reduces down a lot when processed!

Then I process it all again with the olive oil.

And now it looks like this.  Next is the part that a lot of people I talked

to didn't think about doing.

I spoon it into ice cube trays to make little individual cubes of pesto.

I put the trays in the freezer for a day and then I pop these cubes out 

with the help of a fork and place them in quart size freezer bags that I've

labeled with the date.  Then back in the freezer they go.  I use 3-4 cubes for

one one batch of pasta (that's for 3-4 people.  I don't like my pasta to be 

drowned in pesto).

I'm including the recipe here for anyone who would like it.

And be sure to use the ice cube tray idea.  It is SO EASY for

making those perfect size portions of pesto.

Karen's Homemade Pesto

1 1/2 C. firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 C.  grated parmesan or parmigiano reggiano cheese

1/4 C. pine nuts

2 large garlic cloves, skinned and quartered

1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil

Place all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor

fitted with the blade attachment.  Process until all combined (about 30 seconds).

Through the pour spout on the processor, slowly add the olive oil while

the machine is running.  Process for about 30 seconds.  Spoon into

ice cube trays.  This will only fill about 6 cubes.  Repeat, making more

pesto until your tray is full or you run out of basil.  Place trays in the freezer for a day or so.

Pop out with a fork and place in zip lock freezer bags and put back in freezer for 

future use.

**Thawing-DO NOT thaw cubes in the microwave...it doesn't work!  Instead,

boil about 1C. of water in a glass Pyrex one cup size measuring container

in the microwave.  Remove from microwave and sit a small glass bowl

on the top of the Pyrex measuring container.  Put your frozen pesto cubes

in the bowl.  They will thaw beautifully in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours and ready

to put on hot pasta. 

Enjoy!!

xo

Karen

Invitation To Do A Show...

Hello All!  So I have been on the prowl again for more vintage yummies to create with

and getting ready to hopefully do a show the first week of August.  It's funny how things just 

sort of happen sometimes.  I was with my son recently when he had his senior

pictures taken for high school.  The photographer I chose was a lady I had seen two years

ago at a ladies night out shopping event in a small town north of here.  She was just getting 

into business for herself and she was showing her work in a boutique that was participating that evening.  I really liked her work and knowing that my son would be needing his pictures taken 

I took her card and kept it safe until just recently when we booked the photo shoot with her.

I told her in our conversations that day that I was a jewelry designer and that it has been

a little difficult getting noticed.  She then told me about another ladies night out shopping event

coming up the first week in August.  She is participating by having her studio open and she invited me

to set up a table, in her studio, to show my pieces.  She said, "two years ago you found me by coming to the same event so I'd be happy to help you out".  I was so shocked!  My first thought was,

I don't have enough inventory!  But what an incredible gesture!  I still can't believe it.

So I need to really get busy and create away!

I've only really sold on the internet and for about 8 months I had my pieces on

consignment in a boutique.  So this will be a big step for me.

I have lots of ideas for new pieces.

Stay tuned and watch for all my progress!

And...wish me luck!!

Have a great week!

xo

Karen