Beautiful Schlopp Art Glass and Jewelry

I was featured!

2010-05-01T09:18:00.001-05:00

Check out this wonderful feature from the EART Team that I'm a part of! Thanks, Michelle!

It's Friday and today I would like to thank the ladies that help me run the Eart Team.

These ladies help me moderate the forum by chipping in wherever they can and I truly appreciate it. Please take a moment to visit these shops that I will present to you today! EdCCollective, BeautifulSchlopp and PnkGeeni. I am MichellesCharmWorld and so very excited to be the lead of an amazing team with such great teamwork!

EDCCollective

EDCCollective began as a family of artisans/craft persons/collectors. My mom, our main collector passed away in Nov. of '09. So while the mix of items listed may change some, I will continue to offer quality hand crafted items as well as some vintage collectibles.

BeautifulSchlopp

I am a glass artist. I work with glass in all methods from stained glass to fusing to borosilicate. Every piece is custom made by hand. No two piece are ever the same! I also take orders, so if there's something you want but don't see, please never hesitate to contact me!

PnkGeeni

I love handmade papers of all kinds. I have books of handmade papers just sitting around. I have been creating scrapbooks since 2007 and since then, have stuffed four 12x12 albums, and a few mini albums, this is how I began card making. We decided to emigrate from UK to NZ and all my scrapbook stuff was packed up. I keep a few pieces out to make cards and get my creative fix that way.

MichellesCharmWorld

Hi there! My name is Michelle and I am a Stay at home mom to 3 awesome kids!I am also a wife to a great man! I love to make all kinds of stuff and love even more sharing it with the world! My stuff is not the 'norm' and I like it that way! This is the place for unique and wild creations!

Advent Blog-a-long Day 17 EART Team Blog Ring

2009-12-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

This week on the EART Team blog ring we were asked to share some of our favorite Etsy stores!

First off, I'd like to share pickleberries. She works with glass like me! Honestly, I can appreciate when another glass artist makes something beautiful, but it is hard for me to buy or trade for a glass. Lonnie is one of those artisans that I can not only appreciate her pieces, but I needed to own! She has created a niche and makes beautiful millefiori glass pieces!

Next, I'd like to show you Inner Earth Soaps! All her soaps are all mild and highly moisturising, made with skin-loving oils and have a creamy, bubbly lather. My son suffers from eczema especially in the winter months and she was very helpful in choosing a soap that will help keep his skin healthy. Also, her soaps just LOOK amazing!

And last, but not least is lime green modern! I absolutely LOVE the simple lines of her pieces! When it comes to jewelry, particularly earrings, I tend to stick tot he more-is-less approach. I love the sleek look of these earrings with just a pop of color! You could have one in every color and be set for any outfit!

Please follow our blog ring around! Next up is DivaDea ( http://divadea.blogspot.com ). Check out some of her favorite Etsy shops!

Missie Krissie has a Giveaway!

2009-12-17T02:14:00.002-06:00

Oooo! Oooo! Oooo! I'm so excited and hope to win something! Missie Krissie has a giveaway of some beautiful silver jewelry pieces over several days! Check it out and blog to enter!

Blog-a-long Day 15 2009 Winter Charm Swap

2009-12-15T18:15:00.002-06:00

This year I participated in a Winter Charm Swap hosted by Altered Beauty. The only stipulation was that it had to be hangable. So, I made 10 of little glass charms with a cute little holly on them, tied them to a few business cards, and sent them off!
Well, today I got all my charms! Yay! There are some really cute ones in here! Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to make with all of them!
Here's a list of everything that all came in that cute snowman bag with the candy canes and blue plastic snowflakes tied up with the big blue jingle bell!

-my glass holly charm from Beautiful Schlopp
-a big red ornament charm with an angel on it from Faerie Dust Dreams
-a cute square glass charm with a snowflake on it and glitter all over the side in an adorable gift box from Mahala's Place
-an adorable red heart charm AND a ice bottle charm from Altered Beauty
-a sweet little Santa resin charm from Scrappy Rat Designs
-an elegant charm of a red bow, white pearl, and green crystal from Che Che Couture
-a beautiful beaded snowflake charm from Beading by Bawissa
-a cute little Christmas tree charm with a green bead Susan Williams Designs
-an adorable pinwheel mint charm from Crafted by Design

Advent Blog-a-long Day 14

2009-12-14T17:52:00.000-06:00

Today I wanted to share some of the fun I had with the kids last night. It was warm enough to go outside.

The snow was perfect for making a snowman. Here are the kids with Snowy the snowman!

Then we came inside to warm up and had hot cocoa and candy canes!

Oh! And here's our tree that we decorated the other night!

Advent Blog-a-long Day 13

2009-12-13T13:34:00.008-06:00

I think today is the day to take a clue from some of my fellow artisans and blog some blatent self promotion! Currently I have a Holiday Sale going on in my Etsy shop. I am offering 10% off any order over $10!

Get your gifts now and save!

Due to high demand, these Cherry Blossom pieces are made to order, but they are still available before Christmas!All pieces come in a cute organza bag! And ship for FREE!

Advent Blog-a-long Day 12

2009-12-12T23:50:00.000-06:00

Today was a fun day. I went in to work early to do the books, then headed to my hair stylist's salon. She did some color because my roots were VERY grown out. She's been doing my hair for years, but only now just realized how quickly my hair actually grows! After doing the color, I picked up the kids and Mark to bring them to the salon also. We ALL got our hair trimmed! We wanted to get us all looking nice for the holidays and I think we may try to get a family portrait taken (no pics of our hair until the reveal in our portrait!).

When I got home I was greeted by a few packages. Now, there are some things I am expecting, but this wasn't one of them. It was my first package from an Art Exchange I participated in. It was like a crafty chain letter of sorts. "Make one piece and send it to #1, then remove that name and bump the names up and add yours to the bottom of the list" type thing. I kinda forgot about it until I opened that package yesterday. I got 2 cute flower/ribbon clips for hair, clipping on purses, collars, etc! They're adorable! I like the smaller flower one for me, but I think the pink and brown ribbon one has been claimed by my daughter.

(This is her angry face. She was not pleased that I wouldn't get her some chocolate milk until I took a picture.)

After taking that picture, my 5 year old son NEEDED his picture taken too. Here he is after dragging himself into the kitchen. He claimed that this was a picture of him 'starving'.

After they both got chocolate milk, we tried to put lights on our tree. Daddy and I got them all strung only to realize that the only strand we DIDN'T check was the strand on our tree and the strand that didn't light. We ended up eating dinner (homemade lasagna! Mmmmmm!!!) and giving it another try. We got the lights up and the kids had a blast helping hang ornaments.

All in all- a good day! Hair done, packages, delicious food, and a decorated tree!

Blog-a-long Day 11- Friday's EART Team Featured Artist

2009-12-11T13:03:00.001-06:00

Today we're ogling over the gorgeous beaded work of Enchanted Beads.

Ileana, whose work has been featured in many publications, creates the most amazing things out of beads! --from perfume bottles, to earrings, to trinket boxes! Her work is meticulous, her colors are beautiful, and her creativity shows through in everything she makes!

Here's a selection of her work for your instant enjoyment, but be sure to pop in to her Etsy shop to see more stunning pieces!

EnchantedBeads

Blog Ring Thursday- Advent BLog-a-long Day 10

2009-12-10T17:28:00.002-06:00

Time for another EART Team blog ring! Today's question-

What are your favorite colors to work with? Is it hard to work outside of your favorites?

I tend to use black a lot. Dichroic glass comes with black and clear glass as a base, so that makes it an easy choice. I also like earth tones. I tend to chose a cream color over a pure white. I pull patterns and designs from nature, so that lends itself easy to those kinds of colors as well. I do find it kind of hard to work outside my favorites. I usually just try to create a picture or idea that may have popped into my head and I struggle to find inspiration if I have a project that has a color palette outside of my norms.

Head on over to Diva Dea to see what her favorite colors to use are:

Diva Dea ( http://divadea.blogspot.com )

Let It Snow! Blog-a-long Day 9

2009-12-09T18:41:00.002-06:00

Why does our first snow always have to be like a blizzard? Why can't it snow, like, an inch at a time and gradually build up?

We had our first real snow of the year yesterday/last night/today.

Advent Blog-a-long Day 7

2009-12-07T18:02:00.003-06:00

I missed yesterday. We're crazy busy and I'm not actually living at my house right now. Mark got the opportunity to have a friend who is a music producer from Detroit come down here for 3 days to record his band's record. So, Mark, his 2 bandmates, and Bill Kozy are at my house recording and making loud music into the early hours of the morning while the kids and I are staying with my mom. Ugh. It's a huge inconvenience, but hopefully worth it in the long run. So, forgive me if I miss tomorrow. I'll be back at the blog-a-long soon enough!

Advent Blog-a-long Day 4- Today Sucked.

2009-12-04T22:34:00.003-06:00

Today started off deceivingly well. My kids were up late last night and I got to sleep in an hour. The day went severely downhill from there. I guess it started the night before when I asked someone to work my shift for me because I got a notice that I had to sign my son up for kindergarten today, Friday. My manager called to let me know that the person who was going to work for me couldn't because he was already scheduled to close (and it would be too long of a day to work open to close). That started the hassle of today.

So, I slept in, but I couldn't find my son's birth certificate that I was going to need for registration. I was late then dropping my mom's car back off to her (I had to borrow it the day before to run errands since my car battery died). Then MY car started acting up even though I had just put a brand new battery in it last night. It was idling too low and dying, the battery light was on, the power steering wasn't working, and it started overheating after driving it to work (I was already late and drove there hoping it wouldn't explode on me). I was late to work to do the books in the morning. There is a new manager training and he learned how to enter some of the daily sales info the night before. Note to self- if one person starts doing the books, they should be the one to finish it. I could not make any sense of how what he did. So, I had to go back over everything to grasp what was going on. Then the credit card sales didn't match up. Someone ran a credit card under the wrong employee number. Ugh. I got it all figured out, though. After that, I found out that my floor chart hadn't been set up the night before by the closer, so everyone was lost and didn't know where their sections were. At this time, I had not eaten anything yet. I hadn't had time for breakfast at home and we were busy enough that I couldn't eat. I didn't eat anything until about 1:45pm.

So, my relief was supposed to be in at 2pm. He showed up at 1:30pm, dawdled around for a bit, then my manager asked him to go run some errands to pick up a few things we needed to finish decorating. Yeah, left at 1:50pm and didn't get back until 2:25pm. So, instead of being able to go straight to sign my son up for kindergarten, I had to get the stupid car taken care of. I brought it back to the store I got the battery from thinking they sold me the wrong battery. Nope. He told me that situation had happened to him and he had popped a belt. Opened the hood. Sure enough! There was half my serpentine belt! So, I had to call around to find a place that would put a new belt on for me at 3pm on a friday (almost close and usually not open for the weekend). I found a place and carefully drove the car over while praying that it didn't overheat on the way over there. They started working on it and I had my mother pick me up to take me to school registration.

Kindergarten registration had the looooooongest line ever when I got there at 3:45pm. And the car place closed at 5pm. I filled out my papers and waited and waited and waited in line. I ended up having my mom go BACK to the car place with a blank check from me to get it paid for and get the key before they closed. There went $120 I wasn't planning on spending today. I picked up the car after registration (which was an emotional roller coaster in itself! I can't be old enough to have a child in kindergarten! When the heck did that happen?!). I went home to talk to Mark about the rest of the night (and the errands we still had left) to find my niece was over for a sleepover (I love her to death, but after this day, I was NOT in the mood).

I realized that tomorrow night we have Friendsgiving (Thanksgiving, but with all our friends!) tomorrow night and I have to bake pies to bring. So, I went out to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients. Then I drove ALL the way across town to the video game store that my brother-in-law's girlfriend works at to buy their last pre-owned Rock Band set for the Wii (Christmas present!). I then ordered pizza because it was going to take about 20 minutes to get there to pick it up on my way home, only to find out that he'd just had to make 40 pizzas for a school rec night and it was going to be 45 minutes until my food would be ready. So, I had to sit there waiting for a while.

Looking back on it now, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Figured out the books, worked (gotta make the money!), got the car working well (for now), got son signed up for school, got a Christmas present, got stuff for pies, got pizza for dinner. But I have to say, I cried today because it SUCKED when I was going through it all. Oh! And we had to cancel on my dad for dinner. By the way, I still haven't found the birth certificates, but was able to use the one on file from preschool (I was stressing that I was going to have to fit in a drive down town to the health department to buy a new birth certificate).

So, yes. Screw today. I'm tired- physically, emotionally, everything. I STILL don't have my pictures loaded from the camera to list new things on Etsy. And tomorrow- my one day off- I have to bake pies and make sure we're all presentable for our get-together tomorrow night. I need a day off- FOR REAL.

We Have A Winner!!!

2009-12-03T20:40:00.004-06:00

Congratulations awilsonrn! You won a Cherry Blossom Pendant!

If you had your heart set on a pendant and didn't win, I have a special promotion for my twitter followers! If you purchase from my shop in the next 5 days and put "Twitter" in the notes to seller you will receive 25% off your entire purchase! Thanks for playing along and keep an eye out for more giveaways in the future!

Don't forget to tweet a Congratulations to @awilsonrn

Blog-a-long Day 2 Wordless Wednesday- Holiday Shopping Guide!

2009-12-02T17:59:00.001-06:00

This week our Wednesday is a little less wordless, but whole lot more fun! The EART team would like to present their Holiday Shopping Guide!! We will start with our featured items, and move on to stocking stuffers! (Don't want to forget those now!)

_____________________________________________

.~*Featured Items*~.
______________________________

Beautiful Schlopp
~*~*~*~*~

Crystallized Intentions
~*~*~*~*~

Enchanted Beads

~*~*~*~*~

AWEShop
~*~*~*~*~

Inspiration Recycled
~*~*~*~*~

PunkyNMunky
~*~*~*~*~

BirkzWorkz
~*~*~*~*~

Diva Dea
~*~*~*~*~

Indigo Orchid Designs
~*~*~*~*~

Eclectic Skeptic
~*~*~*~*~

_____________________________________________

.~*Stocking Stuffers*~.
______________________________

Simply click on the picture to head over to look at the stocking stuffer more closely!

Advent Blog-a-long Day 1

2009-12-01T08:51:00.003-06:00

So, today is December 1st. Really? When did that happen? This year might as well be over! Well, not really. Though we've got the 'stressful' holiday times upon us, I wouldn't give them up. I would give up this cold, though. I HATE the cold. I swear, I'm cold blooded. I can NEVER get warm in the winter. Brrrrrrrrr!

On a happier note, I had my biggest day yet in sales! Yay for Cyber Monday! In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't all that much (6 pendants total). But it sure made my night! It's the most sales I've had in any single week, let alone one DAY!

I'm headed off to work for the day here soon, but I've got to get back in the studio to make some more Cherry Blossom Pendants. I just can't keep them in stock! I'm also brainstorming other ideas for pendants in a similar style to the Cherry Blossoms, but featuring a different flower. Suggestions welcome!

Cyber Monday!

2009-11-30T09:24:00.005-06:00

The internet is oversaturated with buyers today snagging all those crazy deals offered. Well, here's one more!

Buy One Get One 50% Off AND Free International Shipping!

Crazy, you say? Just maybe! But now you can get a Cherry Blossom Pendant in black AND white!

Buy as many as you'd like because they're made to order and still available to get by Christmas!

You also NEED some beautiful vintage inspired floral pendants like these!

Don't forget to stop into the labs on Etsy tonight at 7pm EST (that's 6pm Central!) for the EART Team trunk show! We'll end this Cyber Monday with a bang!

It's Official! Holiday Shopping is Here!

2009-11-28T07:24:00.003-06:00

Most of the EART members are having some great Black Friday through Cyber Monday sales, you should definitely take a look around our shops. Check out the Etsy "minis" on the right hand column here on the blog or just search "EART team" on Etsy to find tons of great handmade items!

You can Buy One, Get One 50% at my Etsy shop!

Also... and this is very exciting... we are have a Trunk Sale this coming Monday -- "Cyber Monday" as it is known. We'll be featuring some of our best items in the show and there will likely be some really good promotions offered! ;-) So come do a bit of your holiday shopping at our trunk show at the etsy virtual labs on Monday November 30, 7pm eastern time! We don't have a virtual room assignment yet, but you can check this link on Monday to see where'll we'll be: http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php

Happy Black Friday Weekend!!!!

Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sale!

2009-11-26T08:52:00.003-06:00

You can save big money at my Etsy shop from November 27th - 30th (Black Friday to Cyber Monday)! All you need is the special code - BF2CM. Use that code and you will be able to

Buy One, Get One 50% Off!

This code may not be used with any other specials or sales and payment MUST be completed by Monday, November 30th. Please purchase your items (you don't want anyone else to snag them!) and either wait for a revised invoice or receive a refund through Paypal. Happy shopping!!!

2009 Advent Blog-a-long!

2009-11-24T18:50:00.004-06:00

Car is organising a Advent Blog-a-long. Pop on over to her blog and sign up and spread a little Christmas cheer in blog land! Click on the button over there ------->>>>>

on the right side toolbar which will take you straight to the signup post on Car's blog.

It's easy all you have to do is blog every day for the 24 days leading up to Christmas - starting on December 1st. Come and join the fun! All you have to do is join up here!

EART Team Blog Ring- How Did You Get Started?

2009-11-19T06:00:00.001-06:00

This Thursday, the Eart Team blog ring asks- How did you get started doing your art/craft?

My mother has been doing stained glass for the better part of 10 years. She had actually invited me to take her first beginning stained glass class with her. I declined thinking that it was an 'old lady hobby'. She persevered and I was able to watch as she learned and created new pieces. Her work area at home kept growing from just the kitchen table to the unused dining room to the full working studio with room to teach classes that my husband and brother-in-law built out for her in her basement. To make a long story short, she bought the glass store in our area and I went to work for her after having my 2nd child. I still had yet to even touch art glass, but immediately fell in love with it and jumped right in (not literally, of course). I caught on very quickly being a fast learner and having the opportunity to work with it full time (and get paid as well!). We started stocking fusing supplies and introduced our community to that glass art technique. Unfortunately, we have since had to close the store (darn economy), but we both now have a full studio at home. I work out of my basement and have the means to work cold, warm, and hot glass (stained glass, fusing, and lampworking).

Head on over to Diva Dea to see what deals she will have coming up:

Diva Dea ( http://divadea.blogspot.com )

Giveaway on Olivebites!

2009-11-16T07:57:00.003-06:00

Olivebites is hosting a giveaway from Sherry Truitt! She was featured in PEOPLE Magazine for their Twilight edition last month and now it's your chance to win her Twilight NEW MOON Earrings! Go here to enter and good luck!

Scavenger Hunt- Tons of Prizes!!!

2009-11-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

The Eclectic Artisans Team has a new team shop. Check it out! To celebrate our new shop and the beginning of the holiday season, we're having a scavenger hunt, and everyone is invited to participate!

Here's how to play: Visit the participating etsy shops (scroll down for the list of shops) and search their items for this photo:

When you find it, send the shop owner an etsy convo letting them know you found it. You can search and enter in each participating shop. You can only win once (we want to share the love as much as possible), but the more shops you enter, the more chances you have to be a winner! Each shop owner will randomly draw one winner at the end of the hunt. That's all you have to do.

The scavenger hunt runs from Friday, 11/13, 2009, to midnight EST on Friday, 11/20/09. Check the EART website on Monday, 11/23/09 to see the winners. Enjoy the hunt!

(Please note: EART members are not eligible to win prizes.) Here's a list of participating EART shops and their fabulous prizes:

BeautifulSchlopp
Prize: $25 gift certificate

MichellesCharmWorld
Prize: Pair of Lego Earrings & Lego

EDCCollective
Prize: Set of four photographic art note cards with envelopes, your choice of images .

DivaDea
Prize: set of four handmade christmas cards

IndigoOrchid
Prize: Platinum Freshwater Pearl Drop Earrings

Pnkgeeni
Prize: set of six handmade embossed christmas cards

AWEshop
Prize: Hammered Copper Adjustable Spiral Ring

Purple Sparkle Crafts
Prize: Sugar Pink Marshmallow Cupcake Candle

MouserkinsMagic
Prize: Choice of 2 Bookmarks

InspirationRecycled
Prize: Peacock and Brown Felt Pendant

Punkynmunky
Prize: Animal print no slip hair clip trio

Hair Bows Wonderworld
Prize: red velour rose pin-on corsage/buttonhole

EclecticArtisansTeam
Prize: sparrow earrings from MichellesCharmWorld

Questions? Convo divadea on etsy. Thanks for playing!

Eart Team Blog Ring- Holiday Sales/Deals

2009-11-12T07:15:00.000-06:00

This Thursday, the Eart Team blog ring asks- Do you have any good sales/deals coming up for holiday shoppers?

Well, I ALWAYS offer Free Shipping in my Etsy shop. Who doesn't love seeing the word 'FREE'? And I know that I always love finding out I don't have to pay extra to get that super awesome thing I found online to me. As for any other special deals, I still trying to decide what to offer. What would you like to see? If you have a shop of your own, what deals do you offer around this time of year? I've thought of doing some kind of Buy One, Get One or a percentage off, but I'm kind of liking the idea of throwing in a free gift with purchase. Stay tuned to see what I decide!!!

Head on over to Diva Dea to see what deals she will have coming up:

Diva Dea ( http://divadea.blogspot.com )

I Need These!

2009-11-07T16:13:00.000-06:00

So, we have this.

(It's a cookie jar- the hole is in the back of his helmet)

And we have this.

(And yes, is does toast the image that well)

But I just decided that we NEED these!

(The green ones- Yoda's lightsaber- are smaller children's size! How sweet!)

I'm the EART Team Featured Artist!

2009-11-06T17:37:00.000-06:00

Check it out! I'm the Featured Artist of the Week for the Eclectic Artisans Team!!! How cool!

You can read about it at the EART Team blog here!

I'm IN my first treasury!!!

2009-11-03T23:55:00.000-06:00

Today I joined the Eclectic Artisans Team. I got all my required posts done and am now an active member. Well, one of the other members snagged a treasury in Treasury West and she included a piece of mine! I'm in my first treasury!!! Please go check it out!

Book Giveaway!

2009-10-29T17:59:00.000-05:00

Who would like to win a book?

This book -

Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis.

You would?

Then here's what you must do -

1. Leave a comment below to enter
2. Should you be successful, THERE'S A CATCH... you must promise to give the book away on YOUR blog when you finish reading it. It's all about sharing the love!

Speaking of sharing the love, if you tweet about this (include @beautifulschlop) and post back here with the time stamp, I'll toss your name in the pot another time for a 2nd chance at winning!

This book giveaway was instigated by Angela of Pickles on Pizza, in February 2009.

So far, this book has journeyed from Greenville (MS, USA) to Montreal (QC, Canada) to Brisbane (QLD, Australia) to Sunbury (VIC, Australia) to Sydney ( NSW, Australia) to the Blue Mountains (NSW, Australia), and to me in Rockford (IL, USA).

Where will it go next?

Entries close on November 11th.

The winner will be randomly drawn using random.org , and announced on this blog.

Thanks for participating and good luck!

Pumpkin Carving!

2009-10-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

We carved pumpkins tonight! The kids got to do a couple with my mom while she was babysitting the other day, but we did family ones tonight! Liam chose a Mandalorian (we're really into Star Wars at our house) and hubby chose Boba Fett (another Star Wars). Lyla chose Snow White and I decided to do the witch with the apple for Snow White.

Mark helped Liam (read: Mark carved the whole thing while Liam jumped around excited), then carved his own. I ended up carving Lyla's (she's only 2).

Both the kids did enjoy pulling out the guts, though!

I'm really happy with how my Snow White turned out.

Here are all the finished pumpkins! The top ones are the ones we made today and the bottom ones are the ones the kids made with my mom.

- Danielle from Beautiful Schlopp Art Glass and Jewelry
www.beautifulschlopp.etsy.com

Another Treasury!

2009-10-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

I made another treasury! I stuck with the seasons thing (my last one was the Cherry Blossoms of Spring). This one is called Earth Autumn. It's all about the browns and greens and warm fuzzies you get in the Fall. You can check it out here! Enjoy!

Lack of Motivation

2009-10-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

I'm bummed. I'm not sure what it is- the weather, busy with work, lack of sales... I just have not been into selling my stuff lately. Selling online is hard! Anyone have any tips? I'd love to be in craft shows, but I have no idea how to find out when/where they are and get involved.

Maybe I just need more promotion to get my sales up. But where do I get the time? It's all just a bit disappointing and has me in a rut right now. I've been keeping up on the blogs that I follow, but not been writing any of my own.

I also have a bunch of jewelry that I need to take pictures of and list, but it takes so long and I just feel like nothing will come of it.

What do you do? How do you stay motivated? How do you find time to self-promote online and where do you do it?

I made my first Treasury!

2009-10-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

I got to make my first treasure on Etsy! I am so excited! I've been wanting to make one for a while, but never got there in time. Well, last night I did! Even though Fall is approaching here, I have found a new obsession with Cherry Blossoms. Please check out and enjoy my Spring into Fall treasury!

Watch my Etsy shop for new cherry blossom creations to sprout up there!

Sinus Surgery

2009-10-03T18:12:00.000-05:00

So, Thursday, October 1st I had surgery on my sinuses. I'd been having trouble breathing at night and I snore horribly. It's gotten worse over the years and I had come to realize that one reason I'm tired all the time is because I work so hard to breathe at night. So, I went to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist. He had a CT scan done on me and we discovered that I had a chronic infection which had caused some of my sinus cavities to become blocked. It had also trapped air in those cavities causing my headaches. As the pressure changed with the weather, the air trapped in my head expanded and contracted. Ouch time.

So, we scheduled surgery. The idea of getting my problems fixed was very exciting, but I have to admit I did get nervous the closer my surgery came. I'd never had any kind of surgery, I've never been put to sleep with anesthesia, and the only time I've really spent any time in a hospital was to have my kids! But I got through it without any problems!

The first day was rough because I had packing in my nose. I pretty much stayed in bed and took my pain medicine as soon as I could. I was up just about every hour through the night getting sips of water because my mouth got dry from breathing through it. I had the packing taken out the next day and that made a big difference. Not as much pressure in my sinuses. I hadn't realized just how bad my problem had been until I found out there are only 5 sinus cavities (per side) and I had 4 (each side) that were blocked. Now I'm just on the road to recovery. It feels like a really bad cold where everything is all stuffed up with an occasional headache. I can't blow my nose yet, but I use a nasal saline spray, like, 10 times a day to keep it all moist and flush out the junk. It may be TMI, but I have had some pretty nasty chunks of stuff come out of my nose already.

So, that's what I've been up to the past couple days. Mark has done a great job of making me rest and taking care of the kids. He got me a bunch of movies and I've got the newest Dan Brown book, so I'm all set. Please send me quick recovery thoughts and prayers (but not too quick! I like this being-waited-on stuff!).

New Business Card

2009-09-25T19:11:00.000-05:00

I'm creating a new business card. My new 'thing' is a line of jewelry all featuring the cherry blossom, so I thought it would be neat to incorporate that here. What do you think? This is just my first attempt, so give me suggestions! Thanks!

Epheriell Designs Giveaway!

2009-09-11T12:04:00.001-05:00

I think Jess at Epheriell Designs was one of the first jewelry artists that I came across once I began my online journey of selling my items. Honestly, I don't remember how I first found her stuff, but I've loved it ever since! Right now, another blogger I follow is hosting a giveaway for a $40 voucher to Epheriell Designs! How awesome!

Please go check out Christina's blog at Down and Out Chic for the giveaway! Both these women are amazing and have quickly become 2 of my favorite blogs to follow! So, please go show them both some love!

My First Vendor Booth!

2009-09-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

The restaurant I work at, Old Chicago, hosts an annual event called Rocktoberfest. They clear out the parking lot and host bands and vendors all for the purpose of supporting breast cancer research. I just happened to be working one night when the planners came to the restaurant for a meeting. I overheard them and thought it would be a great opportunity to sell my stuff- especially since I already donate to breast cancer research with a few items in my store. I chatted with one guy and gave him my card. Well, he just emailed me and said I can have a booth! I'm way excited! There is no booth fee, I was just asked to donate 20% of my sales back to the cause. Duh! No problem! I'm so excited! So, I've got quite a bit to get ready before September 25-26, 2009. I want to have a bunch of stuff ready! Wish me luck and lots of sales!

Awesome Jewelry Giveaway!

2009-09-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

olive bites is holding a jewelry giveaway! Go check it out here and enter for your chance to win some beautiful jewelry from Elisa Shere!

Feature: Sock Monkey Sound

2009-09-01T17:02:00.001-05:00

So, this is my first blog featuring someone and it happens to be about my fiancee and friends. They've started a podcast (An audio broadcast available for downloading from a website to a personal computer or other device).

It's called Sock Monkey Sound and you can find their website here. It's a Music & Culture Podcast recorded in Rockford, IL. Hosted by Brandon Lutmer, Chip Copeland, & Patrick Delehanty (all friends). Recorded at MIA Studios by Mark Gustafson (my fiancee).

They (we) have always been very involved in the music scene. Mark and I (and Chip Copeland) met when we were in a band together (long story- another blog sometime)! We've also always been avid coffee drinkers. We used to stay out until morning at Denny's drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. This whole podcast idea evolved from the realization that these guys were gonna sit around for hours and talk about this stuff drinking coffee anyway. Why not record it and try to promote the music scene in the Midwest? We have a recording studio in our basement (that's what Mark does!). Makes sense to me!

So, anyway, take a listen, enjoy, subscribe, and get off your butt and go support your local music scene!

website: www.sockmonkeysound.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sock-Monkey-Sound/123770656064
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sockmonkeysound
email: sockmonkeysound@gmail.com

Locks of Love Donation

2009-08-22T09:22:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to cut my hair and donate to Locks of Love for many years now, but my hair would always get long, I'd get tired of it, and just cut it telling myself I'd donate next time. Well, this time I finally did it! I haven't gone with short hair (above my collar bone) in at least a decade. I e-mailed my hair stylist to ask her what she thought about short hair for me and she was fully confident that she could make me look great. I thought about it some more and finally just set up an appointment. I was more determined to cut my hair to donate (it was really long and I was getting fed up with it) than I was concerned about the length anymore. Here are my before and after pictures! I am so happy with it! It's a great length and I love my color!

Before- Looooooooong hair

After- Back View

After- Front View!

Ponytail for Donation!

Charities and Christenings

2009-08-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

So, I've been working a LOT lately. I wait tables and we've got servers leaving for college as well as a couple who have been training to switch to bartending. We're down 5 servers right now which means I'm working doubles and incredible close to overtime (very out of the ordinary for servers to reach that). But, I have found the time to complete a couple projects amidst my crazy work schedule. One was actually FOR work!

Old Chicago (the restaurant I work at) participated in a charity event called Martinis for Mosaic. The day before the event my manager asked if I'd be able to help make something to go along with the 'Mosaic' part for them to display things on at our table. One day! I'd usually give a deadline of 4-8 WEEKS! But I agreed and even brought materials into work so I could get going on it (since I had to work 2 of the 3 shifts in between when he asked and when they needed it!). I pulled through and made a neat mosaic on a tray for them to display our martini on (Pomegranate Mojitos). Here it is! I would have liked to do it a little different to make the letters stand out more, but this was all that time had to offer.
I also had my nephew's baptism this weekend. The first baptism we had after I got into glass, I made a stained glass cross for our present. Well, it's turned into our 'thing'. Any baptism we go to, I make a One of a Kind stained glass cross to give. Here's the one I made for my nephew. I had fun adding a few embelishments. The white was a little overpowering once I finished, so I added the twisted wire circle (crown of thorns?) in the center and added the solder dots to hold it in place and decorate.
Hope all is well where ever you are!

What a Fantastic Day!

2009-08-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

Today was my daughter, Lyla's, 2nd birthday and we had an amazing day. It started off with both the kids sleeping in (nice for Mommy!). We went out for brunch to a little restaurant called Johnny Pamcakes. We had a great time. It seemed that Lyla knew it was 'her day'. She was super funny and extra cute! We came home and the kids took naps. I got a chance to work out. Then we headed to my work, Old Chicago, for an early dinner- PIZZA! The kids again were were awesome. They loved getting to meet my co-workers and vice versa. We had a special birthday cookie with ice cream there. After that we headed to Target for Lyla to pick out her present. She got a brand new Disney Princess tricycle and helmet with knee pads. We brought it home, had cake, then let Lyla ride around a bit before coming in for the night to watch "The Last Unicorn" (a movie I loved as a child and found that Lyla loves as well). Here are a couple pictures from tonight. Enjoy!

Getting Back On Track

2009-08-02T09:29:00.000-05:00

I've been off my game the past week or two. Too much going on causing me to temporarily lose my mind. We had 2 deaths in our family over a matter of 24 hours- my grandfather and Mark's great aunt. We had all the services throughout the next week. As tough as it is to come to terms with a loved one passing, it really was nice seeing family and catching up. It was talking with them and remembering the good times that made everything easier for all of us. Thank you also to all of you who sent your thoughts and prayers to us.

But we've gotten through all that now and I'm getting back to normal. I've been able to get the kiln fired up a few times and am pretty happy with what came out. There were a few designs that have been floating around in my head that I finally put into glass. I do need to get to the gallery that I have some pieces at. I want to pick them up to photograph them and add them to my Etsy site. So keep an eye out! I don't only make glass jewelry! There will be more fused items and some of my stained glass pieces soon!

As for personal life, we're preparing for school. My son is only 4 1/2 years old, but he will be in his 2nd year of preschool. And I've got lots to do as co-president of the PTO *blushes*. We've got to figure out what fundraisers we'll be doing this year and I have registration that I'm helping out with next week. Sometimes I have to laugh, though, when I realize my "title". Liam was on a soccer team this summer, so technically I've turned into a "PTO Soccer Mom". I don't drive a minivan, but we do have a station wagon. I just find it funny that though I fall far from the typical pre-conceived image, I still fit into that category. I love busting people's stereotypes!

A Kid Free Night!

2009-07-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

How often does that happen? Close to never. My brother-in-law was gracious enough to take both my kids and host a sleepover with his daughter (their cousin). We often have them all together for sleepovers and it is a blast! So, tonight is MY night. Mark is playing a show with the band and I actually get to see them for the first time in a long time! So, goodnight to you all! I hope your night is as fun as mine better be! I get to sleep in a bit tomorrow (no kids to wake me at 6am), but I do have to be up at a decent hour since I work at 10am. Here's to tonight!

Cheers!

Before I head out, though, I want to introduce my new pieces. I have been experimenting in the kiln. As I said in a previous blog, I am inspired by nature. I have beautiful plants all around my house and have been eyeing the ferns. So, I took some leaves off them to begin experimenting. I started with my simple white glass paint, applied it to the leaves, then sandwiched it between 2 layers of glass and let the kiln do its work. This is what came out and I couldn't be happier!

Needless to say, I will be playing with many more organic inclusions. Stay tuned to see what else comes out of my kiln! Feel free to offer any suggestions of organic things you think I should try!

Handmade Pay It Forward

2009-07-16T17:18:00.000-05:00

So, I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but I am really enjoying it. It all began with following some blogs of people I'm also following on Twitter. Thanks to Jess from Epheriell Designs, I am participating in this awesome Handmade Pay It Forward. Click here for her original blog on this. She chose me to receive something handmade by her. I am still waiting for my package (it takes a while to go from Australia to the US), but I want to get the ball rolling here!

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In order to participate in this, there are a few requirements:

1. I will choose an undisclosed number of people who comment on this post to send a gift to. This gift I have made with my own hands, and with love.

2. If you choose to comment, and you receive a gift from me, you commit yourself to Paying It Forward.

3. You must then make a post on your blog, making the same offer to your readers.

4. On your blog post, you must include this list of requirements (basically, all the text between the asterisks). You choose how many people you Pay It Forward to – though it would be nice if it was more than one. However, I realize that some of you make high-end or expensive wares, and I don’t want to exclude you from participating by setting a minimum number above one.

5. In each of your packages, as well as your gift, please include a minimum of 5 business cards (if you have them). Also include the business cards that you received in your gift – this allows every recipient to visit the people who’s generosity brought Handmade Pay It Forward to them.

6. Finally, in your PIF blog post, include the history of your gift – i.e. the name and blog of all the people before you in the journey.

Handmade Pay It Forward 2009 – Those that gave before me: Jess from EpheriellDesigns, Danielle from Beautiful Schlopp

7. Please only participate once. Obviously, if you haven’t received a gift within a few weeks of leaving a comment on a PIF post, you can probably assume you missed out that time, and try again if you see it elsewhere This keeps the PIF goodness spreading to new people! I think I will start a new one once a year… but we’ll see how this evolves!

Please use this button on your blog to share that you have participated!

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Well, there we have it! I don't have to many followers yet, so hopefully this will also get the word out about my blog here as well! Let the fun begin!

Outside Inspiration

2009-07-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

Today I got outside with the kids in the morning and was able to pull weeds while they goofed around. Our landscaping desperately needed it. I haven't been weeding in weeks (I had dandelion plants 4 feet tall!). So far this summer, when it hasn't been raining, it's been sweltering hot and I haven't wanted the kids out for too long in that. Luckily today it was still decently warm, but a bit overcast. Perfect for playing outside.

Anyway, I've gotten sidetracked. So, I was outside pulling weeds this morning and I mowed the lawn once the kids went down for naps. All this time outside today got me looking around and finding inspiration. I've always loved the outdoors. Nothing it ever perfectly symmetrical- which I love. I find much inspiration outside. Not in literal interpretations of things, but in patterns, textures, colors, designs, shapes, etc. I got so many ideas today. I just wish I had time to try them all. Shoot. I wish I could even REMEMBER them all!

Where do you find your inspiration for your creations?

What is Beautiful Schlopp?

2009-07-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Schlopp is anything I make out of glass. I feel that I create 'beautiful-yet-sloppy', intentionally messy glass art. It's meant to look a little 'off' or casual. Being the mother of 2 young children, I rarely have the occasion to wear fancy jewelry. So, I create things I can wear. Glass is durable, so the kids can't break it (usually *grin*). And my designs are great for every day wear. They can be dressed up for those rare nights out, but can easily be paired with jeans and a T-shirt (practically my uniform).

As for where the name Beautiful Schlopp came from... that has to do with my kids also. Mainly my first, my son, Liam. After having him, I changed all my online IDs (e-mail address, MySpace, etc.) to Mommy2Liam. Once I had my daughter, Lyla, I was no longer ONLY Mommy2Liam, so I decided to change all the IDs again. I didn't want to continue with the whole Mommy thing, so I started looking around and thinking of another title. The inspiration came from both my son and Dr. Seuss. Enter this book:

At the time, this was one of my son's FAVORITE books. I can't even remember what the record number of days in a row we read that. But right there on page 7 is where I took Beautiful Schlopp from.

"Schlopp. Schlopp. Beautiful Schlopp.
Beautiful Schlopp with a cherry on top."

And after reading those lines, my son would always mimic in a silly, purposefully high-pitched voice, "a cherry on top!"

And THAT is where I found Beautiful Schlopp. I actually had claimed it before I even started working with glass (we'll save that for another blog), but I have come to embrace it and feel that it represents me and what I create perfectly.