Heavy Metal Treasury

My Luna Necklace was featured in a lovely Heavy Metal Etsy treasury created by Willow Creek Jewelry.

Wordless Wednesday

Juicy New Gems for 2010

2010 is just around the corner, and this has me thinking about new designs and fresh colors. With new inspiration and visions I ordered some juicy gems from jNicLoft - Ruby and Paraiba Topaz. I can't wait to see these lovely stones! Stay tuned to see what happens......

Winter Visitors

We got a dusting of snow yesterday. So today we are watching our little feathered winter friends from the warmth of the house. It is enchanting to watch the birds flit about the trees and hop along the ground. And I love to see their tiny tracks and trails in the snow.........

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Silver and Cold Treasury

How cool - my Personalized Aluminum Bookmark was featured in a lovely Etsy treasury! Special thanks to rsDesigns!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

A spicy EcoEtsy Treasury!

Happy Monday! I just noticed my Harvest Earrings were featured in a lovely Etsy treasury! What a great start for my week. Special thanks to AnnyMay – a fellow EcoEtsy Team member!

Wordless Wednesday

New This Week

Juniper Earrings - A rich combination of color and texture!


Lucid Earrings - an easy to wear combination of hand hammered sterling silver and Rock Crystal.

Wordless Wednesday

Lost and Found Labradorite

Recently a friend brought me a single bezel set labradorite earring, the other had been lost. She asked me if there was any way to convert it from an earring to a necklace. I added a bail and gave the sterling silver a good polishing as it had been stored away for some time gathering tarnish.

Personally, labradorite is one of my favorite stones and this one was a lovely example with great blue-green flash – too nice to live out its life cast off in some drawer, simply because its mate had been lost. I love repurposing things, giving them new life, and I was glad to see this stone go back to its owner with a renewed purpose. I think it turned out wonderfully! What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

Haunted Habitats

Friday night we took the little one to the Haunted Habitats event hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The theme this year was Missouri Animals A to Z. The goal of this event is to teach kids of all ages about nature. There were lots of games and prizes, a craft center, live music, hot cocoa, hot apple cider and delicious salty-sweet kettle corn. The trails were all lit by camping lanterns and a multitude of hand carved jack-o’-lanterns!

Even the fire tower was decorated for the event! We all had a good time.

Events like these are a great way to get kids excited or at the very least exposed to nature! Even though our goblin was a bit small to really get the most out of the event, we’ll be going back.

Wordless Wednesday

Featured in the Storque!

I certainly had a happy Monday yesterday. I discovered that my Personalized Hammered Aluminum Bookmark was featured in the Etsy Storque Article "Gleeful Anticipation" - Holiday Gift Guide Preview! Wow - what an honor!

A Walk in the Woods

The weather here has been cold and rainy for weeks. Eleven of the first sixteen days of October yielded over seven inches - the average for the entire month of October is only 1.6 inches! So, needless to say, we have been cooped up in the house for way too long. The sun finally showed it face yesterday, so we bundled up the whole family and hit the woods.

The air was a bit brisk, but the fall colors were really nice!

Because of all the rain, we saw lots of mushrooms and other fungi, like these Turkey Tail Fungus.

And these little brown mushrooms growing right out of a rotting log.

We also found lots of colonies of the very neat plant called a walking fern, because where ever the leaf tips touch the moist ground a new colony will start to grow. Thus the name 'walking fern'. A very cool little plant.

Wordless Wednesday

First Fire of Fall

The leaves are turning, the mornings are chilly, the days are getting shorter - it is beginning to seem like autumn here. This weekend was particularly brisk, so to welcome the changing of the seasons we built our first fire! I am not crazy about bringing wood (and its mess) into the house, but oh, how I love the crackling warmth of a fire in the hearth!

A wonderful Etsy Treasury!

I just wanted to share a lovely Etsy treasury that featured my ZigZag Peridot and Vintage Crystal necklace! Thank you to Montagyoo!

Wordless Wednesday

New Secret INTERCHANGEABLE Pendant

Recently, I have fallen in love with those shabby chic college necklaces with vintage skeleton keys. But I have an understated style and don’t think that a full sized skeleton key is size-appropriate for my slight frame. Solution – this tiny sterling silver version! I have soldered on a ring-style bail and oxidized the whole piece to give a vintage, time-worn appearance. I just love it and wear it all the time along side a luminous gray pearl.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Deals!

Recieve a free pair of earrings with any purchase over $15 (excluding the cost of shipping) from my LeatherwoodDesigns Etsy shop. To qualify, just enter "Weekend Deals!" in the notes to seller during checkout. This offer will only last through Sunday, September 20.

Wordless Wednesday

Motivation Monday

With everything going on lately and trying to prepare my Etsy shop (Leatherwood Designs) for the up coming holidays (yes, I've already started thinking about the holidays - crazy!), I have been wondering - what are my goals, what am I trying to accomplish? So, I embarked on a mission to do some soul searching and realistic goal setting.

Goal setting can be incredibly motivating. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, goals can keep you focused on a purpose, and help you spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your path. By setting clearly defined goals, you can measure your success and boost your confidence as you recognize your ability to achieve your goals.

Tips for creating goals -

1. Write it Down - The simple act of writing your goals down on paper will bring them one step closer to reality. Writing a goal down will make it more substantial and significant.

2. Identify Obstacles – Create a list of obstacles and limitations, analyze them and develop a strategy to overcome them! Treat these obstacles like roadblocks and map out a strategy to get around them.

3. Set a Deadline – Establish a reasonable time frame to accomplishment the goal and plan for unexpected delays. (This prevents disappointment and discouragement through missing the deadline.)

4. Measure Success - Doing so will help to keep you motivated to achieve your goals as you see real achievements taking place.

5. Be Persistent! – Never, never, never give up.

So, I'm off to put my goals down on paper!

Wordless Wednesday

Motivation Monday

Collect Favorite Quotations -
A good quotation can be a powerful thing! When you come across a quotation that motivates you to achieve your goals, don't let it pass you by! Write it down, save it on your computer, or do whatever works for you to keep a collection of motivational quotations close at hand.

“First, Think.
Second, Believe.
Third, Dream.
And Finally, Dare.”
-Walt Disney

Wordless Wednesday

Motivation Monday

Take A Short Break: Have you ever had one of “THOSE days” when nothing seems to go right? I had one this weekend. The little one was napping and I had a brief snippet of time to craft. But when I sat down to create nothing went right, in fact, everything seemed to go wrong! I was tired and frustrated. Instead of forcing myself to create I took a break to walk at the local nature center - to escape, to think, to relax, to breathe. A short break can allow me to return to my projects with renewed energy and enthusiasm. The walk provided not only reprieve, but inspiration.

Wordless Wednesday

Motivation Monday - Start With the Basics

“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work.” CHUCK CLOSE – painter; photographer; printmaker

As a part-time entrepreneurial crafter, I occasionally I find myself simply lacking the motivation or inspiration to create. When faced with this situation during my designated crafting time, I head off to the studio and start working on something anyway. I might start by organizing supplies, then doing piece work that doesn’t require much inspiration (like sawing blanks or drilling holes) concentrating on the rhythm of the work. These tasks all have a great impact on the end result of the final piece, but don’t require a great deal of inspiration. I begin by working on these mechanical tasks and gradually find a rhythm and flow of ideas and inspiration.

Wordless Wednesday

Motivation Monday

As a part-time entrepreneurial crafter, I have ideas of items that I want to fabricate, but occasionally I find myself simply lacking the motivation to create. Why? What is wrong with me? Nothing. This is a problem many people face, regardless of their career status. So, how do you get on track to be inspired and motivated to create? This is a question I’ll be exploring on Mondays.

Set aside a positive space. Carve out a space for your craft; even if it is a shelf in the corner of the dining room. Clear the clutter and organize tools and supplies. It is frustrating to stop working on a project to look for a tool or supply that “should be around here SOMEWHERE!” Once your space is free of clutter, set a creative tone by displaying things that are inspirational/motivational to YOU. If possible paint your craft space a color you love. Get a bulletin board and hang up pictures, postcards, pages from magazines, fabrics, decorative papers, whatever is beautiful to you.


Finish or get rid of old unfinished projects. Nothing can kill motivation faster than seeing unfinished work lying around. Finish these projects, disassemble them or otherwise get rid of them.


Do you have any motivational ideas? Please leave a comment.

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Deals!

To launch my new line of INTERCHANGEABLE pendants and chains I am participating in Etsy's Weekend Deals. Get 15% off your order, but hurry, the sale ends Monday! Come on over to my shop and take a look.

Wordless Wednesday

Limealicious Treasury

How wonderful! My Grow Necklace was featured in another beautiful Etsy treasury. Many thanks to FifthQuadrant!