New Ring to the Nancycreations site on etsy

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Birthday Wish Continues

You what I find the most interesting about living in Florida is how visitors that come here really don't understand that if there is a body of water anywhere near where you are standing there's probaly a gator in it for real. Especially if you see this

This is why when in Florida you don't let your labs play in the water unless you want to feed a gator. People that live on the rivers here actually feed gators like they are ducks a big no no. These are wild animals , preditors, will eat you and your little dog Dorothy please be careful while visiting here. Florida is a beautiful wonderful place lovely weather great native people these Floridians I am one, come from generations of them. I see people walking their dogs near rivers , creeks , canals, lakes, ponds all the time not a good idea folks, so everyone coming to visit us here in Florida we do have gators here everywhere please be careful and keep Fido and Fifi on leashes and away from the water. The gator featured in these photos is one of five local gator residents at a great restaurant in Bradenton

Birthday Getaway for me

Well it comes every year that thing called "The Birthday" now lots of people get freaked out about this event, especially as the numbers on the cake get higher and higher. Well this was my 53rd, whatever. I jokingly have decided that every year I will pick a number any number that flips into my hear and for a year I will be that number. This year I am 47 okay sounds like a good number to be. This year my great present was a little get away to a jewelry workshop in Bradenton Florida, the first one I have done since I moved to Mt Dora. I found a great arts center in the Manatee Art Center .

This is a great center which has instructor Wendy Thurlow http://www.hammeredbywendy.com/ a fantastic artist who teaches there. The workshop I attended was all about finishing your jewelry not my strong point guess its that ADD thing to much buzzing going on in my head , ideas popping around to often. Here are some images from the workshop and the manatee center I highly recommend attending any workshops taught by her , she is very informative and shares lots of techniques and information with her students.I am so blessed to be attending another workshop with Wendy when the Aspiring Metalsmiths group on Etsy will have her teaching at our first ever retreat.

Creating and Surving

First let's start with all the good news, please I beg of you to understand this struggle like lot of artists I know have the thought that their art is not good enough no matter what. Does this ever go away or will I always question myself on this. I love making jewelry it comes from my heart and my soul. It' the air I breathe this need to create no matter in what form it takes from rooting flowers to making any kind of craft or art medium there is, it's always there. Well this week something wonderful happens I had two requests for rings. This is some of the first requests I have had in a while. I am on cloud nine, people really do like my designs and my stones. I know I probably sound like Sally Fields when she won a Oscar I think it was an Oscar oh well I am so in awe of this feeling. I love communicating with the purchasers I don't like the word customer I don't think I like thinking of them in that way , they are more than that these are complete strangers I want to know they like my jewelry, they're not just customers they are new friends arriving in my life and not just because they buy my creations . I have talked to people in convos that's what they call them on etsy I like this word its a little funny to me makes me laugh. I try to answer all their questions some go on to purchase and some don't for whatever reason and that's just fine maybe I can't give them what they need but I am hoping they will find it from some of us on etsy. The Etsy Artist are so talented in so many different ways. I simply love Etsy and all it's wonderful creative treasures . One of the rings I made for a special customer is from the wonderful green turquoise, the ring is made in the same style of the turquoise ring with the brass balls on it. Thing rocked I truly hated to see it go , I will post the ring here on the site as soon as I know the customer has gotten it. I don't want to spoil her fun in opening it up and seeing it first , although I will share some exciting news, it has a baby druzy in it and when you put it in the sun it just sparkles like a diamond. This is a truly special ring, and I feel it came to her for a special reason I don't know why I feel that way but I do. I am such a firm believer in FATE. Their was no druzy in the stone when I started cabbing it none that I saw and then bam up it appeared. Life is such a strange thing. I will post the pics of the stone soon so you can see it. I am still hanging in school it's hard truly at this age of 52 to go back to school, times come when I want to throw up my hands and quit but no way man I am no Quitter. I am studying for a math test tomorrow and a 400 word paper on copyright info . It's strange in all my classes I think I am the oldest but all the kids are so eager to help me out with anything I don't understand they are so sweet . I thought I would feel uncomfortable going to school so much older than everyone else but I don't think they mind why so I? They crack me up , like in math class when the professor was showing us i stuff no one understood and I just said man no of us are getting this , then I asked everyone around me do you understand this and they were like NO it was sorta funny , now when they don't get it they look to me to ask for some help think they are embarrassed to ask they are so cute. Pictures this week of new rings and also an invitation to join me for a look at a new style of ring I am making to develop a style for my jewelry that is cohesive . I have been searching for the meaning of this in reference to my jewelry for awhile now and I think I have finally figured it out we will discuss this further I am looking at all the info etsy offers us to help with our shop success so come along and learn with me.

Where are you at in your life? A very good question I think where are you at exactly in your life? Are you accomplishing anything do you even need to be accomplishing anything where are you? Now this is where I am . Studying my butt off in college, going crazy, thinking that I have finally lost my mind that's where I am.lol Okay it's been a rough couple of weeks okay, you gotta laugh or you will cry. Going to school at 52 years of age may not sound like a good idea to some but to me it was. I spent 31 years in a marriage that went bad, with only a quick skip of a year umm maybe 15 years ago I did attend a local technical school to study cosmetology and yeah I did finish and get a Georgia Cosmetology license which believe me was no easy thing to accomplish from the state board of licensing. Worked at it for about the last 12 or 13 years. But it was something creative, artistic, fun enjoyable, but you can't do it for long it will destroy your body and it did. Finished off with hand surgery and knee surgery so after struggling to survive by doing it after the divorce the back finally stood up and said okay girlie we are done here no more. And we were done. So now it's back to school and like Nike says "Just do it" and I am. It's rough and it's hard and extremely overwhelming but I am making it. Everyone in class is super nice and the professors are fantastic.There's help in learning centers to help you with homework so yeah I am making it test by test going down the path. And yes you can to, you get a big education there and just not from the curriculum from every person you meet, they have something to share with you to help you, to get you through to make it work for you. So if you are in this spot where I was and still are you too can do it, oh it's hard but you dig deep and do it because you need a way to support yourself in life. Your parents are gone, your kids are grown now it's time to do things for yourself. So lift your chin, grab your books get a fiancial help in whatever way you need. Don't worry you can do I am and I am surviving so can you. Sorry I haven't blogged in a while , been sorta busy but I am back and hey come along and create jewelry or whatever I am doing at the moment with me, learn about my crazy college life , laugh and cry right along with me, share some with me about what is going on in your life. Nancy