reconstruction project 2

Keith's mom likes to buy my old jewelry she finds at craft fairs, flea markets, etc, and I like her to. She has a really great eye, and picks out only fun pieces that really fit the Loki's Jellybeans type. (as well as awesome gifts for me!)
She gave me this piece:


The bracelet was old and worn. The strings were ready to fall apart and the spacers were rusty/gross. The pink beads were really pretty. Although they looked not too great in this bracelet setting. So I cut the string and started to work. Originally I made it into another bracelet, but I got frustrated at how boring it looked. I played with a few ideas, and decided on this one:

It looks gorgeous. It's large, chunky beads that look a lot like rose quartz. I paired them with brown plastic beads. I attached the beaded part with jumprings to a small chain link and lobster claw. All together the necklace is roughly 18 inches, and stunning. The posting is here.

I love how it turned out. I think this pieces show my growth in the jewelry realm. I'm so proud.

happy birthday to our namesake!

Today, 7 years ago, one of the best things in the world was born. My pup, Loki. She was not taken care of as a baby, and the owner of her mom actually left the puppies outside in the cold of Michigan. She was found outside in the snow with her sister, Sukie, trying to keep warm.



I got her in May when she was 4 months old. She has been my best friend ever since. So Happy birthday my little lokibutt, locus pocus, princess lok, lokilokilokieeeee. I look forward to more time being silly with you, laying outside and playing with toys.

Christmas present post 2

Santa (and Keith) were really good to me this year. Not only did I get an ipad and a laptop, wii games, DVDS, clothing, etc but I got some really cute one a kind things too. I appreciate all my presents, I really, really do. I hate not being able to take everything back with me from my parents. But the train only allows for so much per person. I had to leave a lot behind, including my fantastic new lamp made with rocks that my parents got for me from a family friend. It has small "S"s painted on the rocks for Michigan State. I love it.





I mentioned in a previous post that Keith got me a few etsy items. The first one was the lincoln sleep mask. Well he also got me this:

An amazing ring made out of a quarter. Made by coinringman. I would take a photo of it on my finger, but I hate my fingers as most have been broken or jammed playing sports and being clutzy, so I don't like how big the knuckles are, etc. Anyway, it's an adorable ring and I wear it alot. I actually found coinringman on the Etsy chats, and found his work pretty awesome. Please visit his site, it's really great!

In 2011, I made a resolution to overall be a better person, this including being a better business person. I'm going to try and post at least 3 times a week. Let's see if I actually can!

Another amazing Christmas present from the Keith. He won our Christmas this year.

Behold:

An 1868 Ulysses S. Grant campaign token made into a necklace. I love it times infinity.

I am taking a break from etsy business for the next two days. I will write more soon. I hope christmas or other holidays were good to you.

etsy christmas

Christmas Keith was very good to me. He got me an ipad! OMG! However, he still supported a lot of great etsy shops and I plan on linking you to their pages individually.

First up, this hilarious, yet VERY magical gift.

An Abraham Lincoln Sleeping Mask! Living in Chicago, I always have a street light shinning in my bedroom window. I also really like napping during Sundays. This mask is awesome because it's hilarious, it's Abe Lincoln based, and it's really practical for those of us who like to sleeping for hours on Sunday afternoon. It really works, using it I slept in 2 extra hours!

Anyway, Keith got it from Gumptions. this store is full of cute things, but I must endorse their S/He's got Abe Lincoln Eyes.

past weekend....

My store is closing for the Holiday season this Wednesday! So you only have two more days to buy buy buy.

My mom came to visit us in cold Chicago this past weekend. We took her to zoo lights, which is an amazing display of thousands of lights in animal forms all around the zoo. The animals wanted nothing to do with the late night visitors, and most were asleep. It was great fun, even though it was freezing. Then on Saturday we went to the Field Museum. I love being in a place of so many great Clovis points, mayan artifacts, and dinosaurs. It makes me remember my undergraduate career, sitting in an old lab with broken pots from Hopewell all around, studying all the projectile points in my thick yellow textbook. ah, the joys of archaeology. I miss it.

The museum I work at has amazing christmas trees everywhere. I must remember to take my camera to work and take loads of photos. I wish everyone could see it and love the trees as much as I do. every morning the giant tree decorated in mainly pink makes me gush everyday.

I took today as a personal day, and did NOT leave to go into single digit temperatures all day. I napped, watched trash tv, and checked my email about 60 times.

Oh, my sister sent some pre-Christmas gifts with my mom. this gem made my day. Thanks Kim. :)

christmas tree

The Christmas Tree Earrings by Lokibean

Well, our tree is up. It's not big. nor does it hold any ornaments. However, it does has fiber optics and changes colors. As someone who grew up with an overly decorated tree in the best possible way, the though of an empty tree makes me sad and feel like christmas is not here. So I made sure keith and i decorated the tree as much as possible. Since it can't physically hold real decoration we made our own of my childhood toys, happy meal toys I recently got, and mexican wrestlers.Yup, and Abe Lincoln as our tree topper. Nothing says Christmas likes the Gettysburg Address right? Oh there's also some mardi gras beads that keith got for showing his chest to some old ladies on Bourbon Street about two years ago.

At any rate, I have 9 orders of soaps I need to do today, or something amazingly high volume amount. I also have to screenprint, and clean as my mom is coming to visit next week. (OMG!) She comes every year to visit my place of employment to see the xmas trees up. And of course to spend time with one of her daughters.

Also: Still looking for a GREAT gift for the lady in your life. Check out my new earring of the month club membership. Once a month for 6 months she'll get a pair of earrings and you can even pick a theme/color for her!