This isn't easy

One of my dogs is sick, not a cold or under the weather kind of sick.
She is dying.
Most of my pets were brought into our home long before we ever thought of having children and now that we have a daughter it is very hard to explain to her why we keep loosing them.
She can't understand why my MinPin Lexie, who used to jump and play and bark wants to only stay in her cage and sleep. She can't understand why she is getting so thin.
She asked today what was wrong with her dog.
I didn't lie.
I told her the truth.
That Lexie is old and sick and will be going away soon and won't be coming back.
and then I cried
I cried because it is hard to watch your pets get sick and die
I cried because I saw the heartbreak in my daughter's eyes at the thought of her dog going away and never coming back
and I cried at the thought of loosing her Baba (great-grandma) who is not well and in a nursing home.
I cried when I heard my daughter playing, telling the other toys that one of the other toys was sick. I know that is how she is processing it all but it is hard to hear.
I cried because the other day she asked where her Baba was, when told Baba was in the hospital my daughter asked if she was sick.
I was not ready for my 2 year old to have to know death.
I know she doesn't really understand/comprehend it at the age but she will sense the losses and the emotions of those around her and that's difficult as her mom.
Thanks for listening.
~Shannon

Author Unknown

New Work

I have been happily beading away in my, sorta warm, dining room.
Here are a few of my newest pieces. I posted pictures on facebook already so if you follow me on facebook you have already seen these :-)

Pendant by Nancy Schindler

 

 

Pendant by Kylie Parry

Thank you so much for visiting
~Shannon

Artists Helping Artists Silent Auction

BIDDING IS CLOSED:

Winners are:

Copper - Mags $35.00

Bracelet - Cathy Obbema $55

Thank you all for your bids and to the winners I thank you both very much!

Several artists in the blog community have decided to band together

to help a fellow artist in need.  

I have decided to auction off 2 items. 

 Item 1 is this bracelet which I made for the Lorelei and Shannon's Lima Bead Challenge. It features handmade beads by Genea and MaryAnn Carroll. It also has Vintaj natural brass, czech glass, wood, and ribbon. Value is $40

The bidding on this is starting at $15.

To place a bid for this write BRACELET and your bid amount.

The second item, or items, up for bid are these handmade -by me- copper components. 

(sorry for the sad looking photos I was at work in the salon all day and have no light so I took these on my iphone on the kitchen counter)

The horse pendant is huge, measuring over 2-1/2 inches high. The others are smaller coming in at 1-1/2 inches and less. Value is over $35.

The bidding on these is starting at $15.

To place a bid for these write COPPER and your bid amount.

Please leave a comment along with your bid. If you are the winning bidder, you will receive an invoice after the close of the auction. There must be a way to contact you. If you have email preferences turned off in your profile, please leave your email.

Many people are auctioning items to help out! Please visit these the other artists below and place your bid!

Please consider supporting this auction by visiting the entire list of participants below:
 

Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/ 

Marie Cramp and Lori Anderson http://skyejewels.blogspot.com/ 

Barbara Bechtel and Staci Louise Smith  http://secondsurf.com/ 

Erin Fickert-Rowland http://elysianstudiosart.com/ 

Keirsten Giles and Susan Fincher http://www.cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com/ 

Andrew Thornton http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Karen Totten http://starryroadstudio.blogspot.com/ 

Kristi Bowman-Gruel http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/ 

Nan Emmett http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/ 

Maire Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/ 

Amanda Cargill Austin http://www.seashoreglassgirl.com/

Janice Everett http://jlynnjewels.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com/

Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Justman http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/

Kerry Bogert http://kabsconcepts.blogspot.com/
Erin Seigel http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/

Feel free to return and bid again!

Happy bidding!
Bidding will end on December 11th!

~Shannon 

December 2011 Art Bead Scene

December 2011 Art Bead Scene

As soon as I saw the inspiration picture for December's Art Bead Scene I ran home and finished this necklace which I had started.

Chrysler Building, 1928-1930

William Van Alen

I love the lines, the grey color, the industrial feeling against the blue sky.

My necklace pairs a button turned pendant with Labradorite, Pyrite and Smoky Quartz.

I love the flash of blue that Labradorite gives off.

I added a wire spiral and a single Swarovski Crystal to the center of the button.

A Labradorite teardrop swinging off the bottom of the button/pendant.

My handmade clasp.

Visit Art Bead Scene Here: http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/

Thank you for stopping by,
~Shannon

Challenge of Color Blog Hop 11/30/11

 

 

I chose the color gray. What was I thinking is what I asked myself when I got the first e-mail with my color palette. The palette's are from Design Seeds.com. 

Yellow, Maroon and Gray? How was I going to create anything in those colors?

Then a friend told me "You don't have to use all the colors just as long as you use gray you'll be fine." Thanks Catherine :-)

 

 

{autumn leaf}

 

I pulled out all the gray beads I had, then grabbed yellow and maroon beads and pendants. I surprisingly had a lot of yellow pieces from Round Rabbit and from Marsha Neal Studio. 

 

I started with this necklace. A Marsha Neal Studio pendant, crystals, czech glass, agates and a couple beads from Starry Road Studio, all knotted on waxed linen.

Then I made this bracelet using a Round Rabbit tattoo heart charm, crystals, czech glass and waxed linen.

Once I got into the groove of this yellow and gray thing I was ready to add maroon into the mix.

I grabbed this Round Rabbit piece, czech glass, vintage lucite, jade, leather and Vintaj.

Thanks for the visit! I hope you like my creations. I can't wait to see what everyone else made for this challenge. I hope you'll hop around! I am #48 if you are keeping track.

~Shannon

Here is the official list:
 

1	Norma Turvey	Teal	Color Crave
2	Jeannie Dukic	Green	Mineral Tones
3	Mary McGraw	Teal	Embellished Hues
4	Jo Tinley	Red	Decadent Tones
5	Rebecca Anderson	Pink	Tulip Tones
6	Kristi Jaro	Red	Temple Entrance
7	Stephani Gorman	Green	Dew Tones
8	Melissa Meman	Green	Fruit Star
9	Kathleen Lange Klik	Teal	Silk Hues
10	Cynthia Riggs	Red	Autumn Comfort
11	Heidi Post	Teal	Flora Bright
12	Cece Cormier	Teal	Merino Teal
13	Amy Freeland	Gray	Cultured Tones
14	Alice Peterson	Blue	Island Play
15	Rose Noble	Gray	Autumn Stacked
16	Kristina Johansson	Yellow	Sunny Flower
17	Kirsi Luostarinen	Teal	Dragon Hues
18	Tari Kahrs	Orange	Citrus Tones
19	Mallory Hoffman	Purple	Petaled Dark
20	Molly Alexander	Brown	Peppered Tones
21	Regina Santerre	Red	Frosted Berry
22	Emanda Johnson	Teal	Color Purl
23	Amy Severino	Orange	Winged Tones
24	Bobbie Rafferty	Teal	Lime Hues
25	Tanya Goodwin	Gray	Pecked Tones
26	Lisa Lodge	Blue	Nocturnal Tones
27	Hope Smitherman	Blue	Bloom Tones
28	Linda Landig	Green	Cacti Dark
29	Ambra Gostoli	Teal	Perched Autumn
30	Lori Bowring-Michaud	Blue	Sharpened Blue
31	Pippa Chandler	Teal	Hungarian Hues
32	Keirsten Giles	Purple	Mineral Brights
33	Jennifer Justman	Blue	Autumn Rays
34	Sandy Richardson	Purple	Moroccan Brights
35	CJ Bauschka	Teal	Teal Air
36	Shaiha Williams	Teal	Sushi Hues
37	Kay Thomerson	Purple	Autumn Spectrum
38	Sally Russick	Purple	Golden Gate Tones
39	Cilla Watkins	Purple	Autumn Infused
40	Shirley Moore	Purple	Frozen Heather
41	Jenni Connolly	Gray	Paw Tones
42	Tamara Soper	Green	Field Tones
43	Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	Blue	Nested Blues
44	Jen Velasquez	Pink	Sweetened Tints
45	Maria Grimes	Red	Bright Bloom
46	Elisabeth Auld	Gray	Petaled Tints
47	Susan Kennedy	Pink	Zinnia Tones
48	Shannon Chomanczuk	Gray	Autumn Leaf
49	Holly Westfall	Yellow	Sprinkled Tones
50	Patty Gasparino	Red	Color Carton
51	Angela Little	Pink	Singapore Brights
52	Lizzie Zawinski	Green	Budding Hues
53	Kristen Stevens	Pink	Scooped Tones
54	Dawn Doucette	Brown	Jarred Tones

Mini Me

I was so proud when I got out of the shower this morning and walked down the hallway and saw this scene at my beading table:

My daughter had watched me alter some Vintaj charms and pendants the other day so she found the Vintaj cards and the file and was making some of her own

When I walked out I asked "What are you doing?"
She answered "I making things."
I am so proud :-)
~Shannon

I Heart Macro

Time for I Heart Macro again.

I was working on a Christmas themed craft with my daughter this afternoon and couldn't resist taking a pictures of her beautiful hands, chipped nail polish and all.

When she was born I would sit and stare at her perfectly formed fingers and fingernails. Now that she is 2-1/2 I can't believe the things she can do and how fast the time flies.

Also, I need to share a great giveaway:


 
The fabulous Lori Andsrson is hosting a week of giveaway's and sales. Go check it out.



 

Thanks for visiting! Now be sure to stop by the other participants and Lori's fabulous blog.
~Shannon