What Was Outside my Window?

For the past two weeks we have had 4-6 Ibis in our yard scavenging for food.  

They don't seem to scare easily, so it has been easy to take pictures of them.

It is funny to watch them eat-they bury their beak the full length in the ground.

Anything unusual in your yard?

Deer Antler Jewelry Reveal

My husband, the avid deer hunter contributes to my jewelry making supplies by saving spent shell casings and now deer antlers for me.

Of course, that is the only reason he goes hunting-NOT!

This is the picture I showed you awhile back of some of the antlers he had cut.

This is what I have making with them...

 I made the pendant from an etched shell casing and the tip of an antler.  

After cutting the antler, I washed and sealed it with Renaissance wax.

 The bracelet is part of the same antler.  

It has a 22 caliber shell casing as a dangle.

I made this necklace from a curved piece of an antler, then drilled 

it for wire. It has wire wrapped sari silk and a 

antler slice pendant.

I made the earrings from antler slices and 22 caliber shell casings.

This is the first time I have worked with bone and I found I like it.

Have you made anything with deer antlers?

I would love to hear about it!

Scavenging-

What can you make with on old copper refrigerator coil and a glass leaf?

A necklace....

My husband had saved a piece of old refrigerator coil.  It was dirty, black/green and looked the worst for wear!   After a little cleaning I hammered it into a arched pendant holder for a glass leaf and made a necklace. 

This is where the glass leaf came from....

On one of my thrift store excursions, I found a lovely glass flower comprised of glass petals and leaves wired together.  At a price of only $5.00, it needed to go home with me.  The leaf was perfect for a pendant!

I love scavenging, don't you?

Butterflies!

Here's a look at what I've been working on....

Butterfly necklaces-

Don't worry-I didn't kill them.  

These beautiful butterflies were found lying on the ground. 

I'll have more to show soon-

Update on Easter Eggs in the Mail

This is how the Easter Eggs in the mail went...

I mailed 5 eggs-three to grandchildren in Beaufort, where I live. Two grandchildren were visiting in  Tennessee for Easter, so those eggs were mailed there.  All were sent on Wednesday before Easter and I was told at the post office they should be there by Saturday. 

Well...the three arrived in Beaufort well before that.  But Tennessee-not a country away-is another story.
The first of the two arrived 8 days later and the other didn't get there until this week!  Amazing how technology gets better but we get further behind.

So this is the happy child....

And this is the one who didn't get his egg.

 It finally arrived ...and he will get it this week end.

My Husband the Deer Hunter

...and his contribution to my jewelry supplies.

If I say my husband is obsessed with deer hunting, I would be telling the truth.  During hunting season, which he says only lasts 3 months and I say never ends-he lives to communicate with nature.

He gives his reason for hunting as, "I have to keep her in supplies".   This has meant spent bullet shell casings in the past and now he has cut some deer antlers into pieces for me to use.

I'm not sure what these will become but I will be sure to show you. 

Now he thinks he has a legitimate reason to go hunting!  

(But I already have more than I could ever use)

An Unexpected Treat!

I'm not a gardener-I'm not saying that I don't love a beautiful yard-but I'm not a "dig in the dirt" kind of girl!  Just the opposite of my sister, Judy.  She lives to dig in the dirt and play in her yard.  As a result, sometimes I receive strange looks from my friends who are mostly all garden club members when they are engrossed in plant talk.

I think my yard is pretty mostly from the effort of my husband.  I pick out the plants and decide where they should be planted, but he is the one who takes care of actually planting them.  I'm don't like am afraid of creepy crawlies and that is what I always run into whenever I try.  So I have decided it isn't worth my nerves to do it.

Saturday, three friends and I went to yard sales-one ad featured plants-as the driver, wanting to make everyone happy we went.  I wasn't particularly looking forward to this one.  But you know sometimes you find a surprise and joy when you least expect to.  After looking over the plants we were treated to a offer to visit the backyard.  As it turned out, our hostess was Ann Peal-and she is a garden designer. 

A not so Secret Garden! was awaiting us.  I, the non-gardener was blown away with the many beautiful ideas she had incorporated into this magical space.  I was the one taking a ZILLION pictures.  So I hope you will bear with me as I show some of what we were treated to.

 

This was the beautiful entrance to the garden

The first thing we saw after passing through the entrance was a beautiful drift wood garden.  It was magical -I might be able to do this-loved it.  The owner called it "Cedar Rest"

Don't you love it!

Vintage doors from France

I would love this bench

So much eye candy!

Lots of places to sit while you enjoy the beauty 

Lovely porch vignette 

This was on the back porch

Driftwood planted with lichen

Don't wish you had been with us on the unexpected excursion and treat!!

More...Yard Sale Finds

I love a yard sale-don't really need anything but the hunt is always fun.  Saturday, I went with my sister and two other friends.  Judy, my sister loves finding things to use in her yard and she always finds something she likes.  Sue, likes nautical items and paintings by unknown artists, which she collects.  She always gets lucky.  This is the first time Gail had been with us.  She has many beautiful antiques and doesn't need anything but enjoyed the company.  I rarely buy anything-I see lots that I like but I need to have an idea where I'm going to use it before I buy it.  But there is the exception-I am always looking for "junk" to use in my jewelry making.  

Judy found a lovely picture to hang in her shed and a painted folding wood tray table.  Sue was happy to find a painting and a great glass salad set.  Gail even managed to get a flower pot.  She loves sedum plants and it will work great for that.

Much to everyone's surprise Saturday, I was the one buying everything.  No, jewelry supplies though! This time my treats mean work in the future for me.  Why do that?  I love a challenge and staying busy!

That is a mirror reflecting my yard. It isn't a painting!

Previously a cabinet radio? -not sure...

Love this chair-good bones-just needs to be re-upholstered

Love everything!  Plan to paint the cabinet with chalk paint, upholster the chair seat and just clean up the mirror.  Not sure about the lamp yet, but at $2.00 it was a steal.

Already looking forward to our next yard sale adventure!