Small Town is Beautiful

I am such a fan of small town living

I had the opportunity this weekend to go spend the night in Ketchum

I have family there & they were getting together for the yearly fishing trip & being so close to us we couldn't pass this one up.

It was so beautiful.

Fall is upon us.

Soon after arriving at my great uncle's place the boys made their way to the hay bales & I couldn't resist pulling the camera out.

MY boys reflecting on the beauty of nature.

We had a great day with the family.
They smoked a hog & had other great food
So we ate, visited & just enjoyed being with people we love
I didn't get a lot of pictures then
but got up this morning & had to pull out my camera & take in what fall is doing
While I am not a huge fan of cold I do adore the colors of fall.
I would love to live in a very small town
The peaceful feeling of the air around me was amazing.
No hustle.
No bustle.
Just a great sense of peace.

While taking pictures I happened across this single green leaf lying in the middle of a pile of dead leaves.
I love the way the photo turned out.

Can you imagine looking at this everyday?
How beautiful!
Peaceful.

And of course two of my kids had to come play.
Zachary was finding acorns & found this leaf that he decided something had been biting on it .. the small holes were bite marks he said

Then Savannah just wanted her pic taken .. no leaves or acorns
Just a smile .. what a lovely smile my girl has

After taking a few pics I was able to get them to pose together
Brother was more than happy to kiss sister on the cheek.
As much as my kids fight like all siblings do
I know they still love each other very much.

Bailey wasn't much up for posing .. but I did manage one!
Another weekend has come & gone
Tomorrow is back to the hustle & bustle of life
But someday I know I will be able to live in the peace of a small town
Less worries
Less stress
A lot of peace.

Just a quick note before I go...

This piece will be given away soon.

Be looking for an interview I am doing for another blog

Jess is full of energy & inspiration

You should stop by & see what she's up to often.

Messy Bessie

Being a Sales Person

So do you ever have these ah-ha moments?

Me too!

As I have said before - I work for Coca-Cola - what do I do?

My title is Customer Service Representative.

That isn't sales right?

Wrong.

Had I known a HUGE part of my job would be sales I may not have taken the job.

No one likes a salesman.

There pushy.

They are just annoying.

But that is exactly what I am.

Salesman.

So what was my ah-ha moment you ask?

While in a 'coaching' session with my supervisor it hit me.

I am not only learning how to sell new Coca-Cola products to our customers.

I am learning how to sell my jewelry.

I am learning how to sell my imagination.

I am learning how to sell MY brand.

So now instead of getting that call at work that I so dreaded.

I get that call & am so excited about the practice I am getting.

Why buy PaintinByFaith jewelry?

Because each piece is completely handmade.

It is made with great skill & talent.

It comes from the heart.

It is unique.

It is a style of its very own.

Each piece is one of a kind.

Those are just some of the features of my brand.

Copper is known for its health benefits & each piece includes copper.

You will own a one of a kind.

Personalization is always an option.

Everyone loves a great piece of jewelry.

Those are just some of the benefits of my brand.

This weekend was awesome in my lil' creative world

I love a great weekend!

I had a great time with my family & friends first of all.

We watched the game & the fights Saturday night

I always love getting together with good friends

But I used the rest of time being very creative

It felt so good to sit at my desk & work on piece after piece

It seemed like every time I got a new idea it turned into yet another!!!

Being a person that runs into a creative brick wall often

That was great enjoyment!

Here is a peek at a few things I made.

This first picture is just something simple.

A lil' copper flower

Dainty

Simple

Graceful

I love it!

This next piece was a great honor to make!

My 12yr old daughter requested a necklace with the above the influence symbol

I was more than happy to make such a bold statement

She wore it proudly to school today

Never mind the statement - I love the look!

Now then last but most definitely not least ..

This is my favorite piece to date!

I am so pleased with what this necklace turned out to be

I am a huge fan of copper/silver mix

So now I am back to work for the week.

Yea!!!

Totally not Yea!

I would much rather be at home sitting my creative hole in my garage seeing what comes to mind next!!!!

But duty calls!

Have a great week!

Fall is such a beautiful season ...

I am so not a fan of winter

Just look at this picture ...

I have never liked the snow

even as a kid I didn't make snowmen

wet, cold & dirty.

I would rather be fishing.

Oh & a GREAT time to show off my 5lb bass I caught

Yes ME!

I do love fall though.

The colors.

The smells.

The feel of the air.

It just seems to give me a sense of joy.

I enjoy hunting also

But I am a fair weather hunter

LoL

I seem to get very inspired during the fall also.

This was a piece I made using a piece of brass I had stamped but wasn't happy with ... but I do like the way it turned out now.

Simple yet fun.

Oh & this piece was so much fun!
My daughter thought that I had made it then cut it apart.
NOPE
I used two seperate squares & made it to work together
I do love it myself

I made these before work yesterday & finished them up this morning
Oh speaking of .. I have been so on my game making pieces that I get up early enough every morning so I can work on something before work
Anyway .. I made the necklace below first then these just seemed to be necessary
I joined a jewelry forum & someone had said I should make a pair of earrings so whalaa
They are super cute though hu?

Now this .. I ADORE
My new jewelry forum I joined did a challenge that I totally had to get involed in.
Take a piece that you had worked on but didn't turn out.
So I took out my scrap cannister & started digging.
I found a piece of copper that I was soldering very thin silver wire on & had over heated it so part of the silver melted.
Off to the scrap pile it went.
Well I thought .. with the challenge .. what can I do with this?
I melted down the silver completely & let is flow where it wanted on the copper piece then put the flower on top of it.
I love what the melted silver did .. gave it some texture & depth!
I hate mistakes
But love what can happen from them!

A Lil' Hello is Way Past Due!!!

Wow ... I have to get it together!

I think I need a professional organizer for my life .. y'know to organize my time.

Although I totally see that as impossible.

Full time job - check

5 kids - check

lots of hobbies - check

house to clean - check

a farm of critters - check

did I mention a lot of hobbies?

I daydream often about being able to support my family on my imagination.

DAYDREAMING

Maybe I should stop that & just get more done! LoL

So last weekend I did my very first walk for charity. Myself with 4 of my 5 kids walked for diabetes on Saturday. I really enjoyed it. Not only was it a wonderful cause but I also remembered how much I do totally love walking. I have been completely lazy about staying healthy lately (I think I have been totally lazy about a lot of things ... ) but after doing the walk I got my walking mojo back. And what they say about exercising giving you more energy - TOTALLY true!

Here is my imagination at work again!

I took a picture of the deer my husband shot a couple of years ago & got mounted - then used some software & did my thing to use my Cricut & cut his deer head for him to put on his truck. I figure there are so many 'generic' deer decals out there .. why shouldn't he have his own deer on his truck? I have had this idea for a while it just took me the time to gather up the software to be able to do 'my thing'

And yes I have taken some time to make a few pieces of jewelry.

This one is just a fun lil' piece. A few little flowers using some jump rings .. to be honest this just kind of happend. I didn't 'see' this one before hand.

This one makes me laugh ...

Not at all what I had in mind. But thats ok .. not always do things look like what I have in mind.

I have made this piece several times. But I do love it .. seems to get a lot of comments.

This time I decided to make this one because I talked with my favorite local bead shop & the owner & I talked about me doing some classes for her after the first of the year. She said 'I know which one I want you to do first....'

You guessed it ..... this one

With the cooler fall like weather starting to show up this piece kind of felt right.

I love the way the tree limbs turned out. I really had a hard time getting a good picture of the details so I know you can't see what I see ... but I totally love this one.

It wasn't intended to but it kind of resembles holly.

Awww....

Then there is this piece.

One of my personal favorites.

I have been extremely impressed with the way my company does so much for the community .. raising money for different causes, adopting a local park .. etc.

So I came up with this necklace to donate .. it is going to be auctioned off at work & the money earned will be used to donate to the Susan G Komen fund.

I am truly proud to work for a company that does so much for people.

Do you like Coca-Cola?

Did you know they donate to the Susan G Komen fund every time you purchase one of the Fuze Empower brand drinks?

Anway - my contribution....

This was enivitable for me ...

I am so proud of to an American.

And I so respect what our flag represents.

For all of our soldiers I take my hat off for the sacrifices they have made so that I can sit here right now & write this ... & so I can do all of the things I do.

Thanks to all of YOU.

And last but not least ...

My oldest daughter is a senior this year.

She had her senior night for volleyball last week ... she asked me many times beforehand if I was going to bring her flowers. I wanted to .. but with work & schedule .. blah blah blah .. I knew I would not have time to go get flowers for her. So instead I made her some forever flowers with my love blooming forever.

This has to be one of my personal favorite pieces.

Well I have officially bored you enough ... tee hee.

I guess it can't be said that when I DO blog I leave much out?!

Oh I do have more to share ... but I will save a little ... maybe that will get me back here sooner!

Thanks for any & all that read & view my photos.

Just a quick hello .....

Just thought I'd share the pics of the two necklaces I was able to get made this weekend.

First:

Ring Around the Posie's

I have just loved making these little wire daisy necklaces - so I figured why not??

Second:

Daisy Duo

Thanks for stopping by & seeing what I'm up to!

A few new pieces & update on what I have been up to ...

So first I want to share what I have been mostly up to lately -

I mentioned a couple of times starting a new job this summer - well I started working for AMEX through a company named West in mid April.

I enjoyed it somewhat - but there was a lot of crazy things going on & the insurance through them was a joke & I was having to work Saturdays - my schedule was crazy.

10 hr days M, W, F & Sa

YUCK!!!

So when I went to work there I met this lady that I quickly became friends with - she is a 71 yr old lady & I absolutely adore her.

Anyway she told me about another job that she had applied for & gotten.

Well I too applied & got the job!!!

YEA!!

I ABOSLUTLEY LOVE IT!!

I went to work for Coca Cola Enterprises July 12th & I think I have finally found a 'home'.

I have the most amazing benefits with this job.

I love what I do -

I love the atmosphere-

I just love my job-

I don't drink soda - but I do insist on buying Coke products now!!

LoL

I came across this beautiful flutterby the other day - I didn't figure I'd have any luck getting in the house & getting the camera before it flew off - but I ran in the house anyway.

Yea me - I made it!!

How pretty!

Same one just with closed wings

I did get some time with my metals last weekend.
Here are the few things I made.
I am really loving the picture taking as well!
I haven't made it out there to work on anything this weekend -
but it is still Sunday - I am thinking nap then playing with some ideas!
who doesn't love peace right?
I hear a lot of talk about it - I just wish the entire world would really realize peace starts with yourself! If you will just BE PEACE you are headed in the right direction.


I have made one of these pendants before - it was a little different - but I just love it so I had to make another one - this one sold right away - so I am thinking I need to make more like this maybe with some variations.

Ahhh ... & of course the little mushroom.

I have had this idea for a while - it just finally came together.

I used brass, copper & silver on this one.

I can't help but think of Alice & Wonderland!