30 Words :: Still

 sky melds with water

reflecting
an outer calm

 (but which way is up?)

all the while

hiding the 

inevitable truth

that the 

current

keeps on moving

despite

appearing

absolutely

s    t    i    l    l

I shot this the other morning on the balcony off my office at work on the Wisconsin River using my iPhone camera. Every day the water shows a different mood and this one with a relative calm is very rare. Can you tell which way is up?
And I feel that this image sums up where I am at right about now as well! Enjoy!

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The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday.

Add your link to the InLinkz on my 30 Words Thursday post.
(InLinkz code will be open for one week.)
Enjoy seeing what others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An InLinkz Link-up

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Get the InLinkz code for your blog!

get the InLinkz code

Unexpected Findings Book Tour

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again,
there is no use in reading it at all.”
—Oscar Wilde

 

There is nothing that I like more than a good challenge. So when my friend Michelle Mach came calling saying that she wanted me to join her for a book that she was writing about using everyday jewelry findings in unexpected ways, I couldn't wait to sign up!

Unexpected Findings: 50+ Clever Jewelry Designs Featuring Everyday Components

It is no secret that I have always wanted to write a book of my own. And one day, dammit, I am going to do just that. But until that time, it is really gratifying to be selected by someone you admire in the industry and asked to join in a stellar cast of jewelry characters to come up with new creative ideas. Plus it gives me a bit of a glimpse inside the workings of a book project. Thank YOU, Miss Michelle! Seeing my name on the pages of this book is indeed a great honor. But to be in the company of some of the finest talent in the jewelry universe is even better! I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe it is real.

I was very intrigued by the opportunity to let these workhorses of the jewelry trade come into their own light. In the beginning of the book, there is a very comprehensive section of all the different findings there are. Some are completely new to me! In some of the pieces, I had a hard time figuring out what the unexpected finding was, it was that well integrated into a design! And after looking at all the creative and dynamic ideas in this book, I will never look at that jump ring, glue-on bail, ball chain connector, ribbon end or spacer bar as just a thing to be neglected. They can be the star of the show! 

After perusing the digital version of this book, I cannot wait to get a real copy! There is nothing better than sitting down with a new beading book. I own almost all that are out there. Some I look at initially and then shelve them. But I know that this one will be on my most-referenced shelf to be readily accessible for reading and re-reading (i.e., the floor next to my beading table!). And the best part is it is like sitting down with some awesome friends, because that is what I consider all the people in this book. 

So here are just a few of the pieces that I made. See if you can figure out what unexpected finding is featured in each of these! If you leave a comment on this post what the three featured findings are, I will enter you in a drawing for a package of mystery findings just from me!

I Dream of the Sea

Rings Around the Monarch

Wish Me Luck

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What's a party without party favors? Miss Michelle has some great prizes up for grabs (see below). Leave comments on my post, or any of the contributors book tour posts this week to be entered to win the following prizes:

Grand Prize $50 (Fifty Dollars) Etsy Gift Card (1 prize) You can spend this on anything offered at the many individual shops on Etsy.  This could be fabulous art beads, cool jewelry findings, a hand painted coffee mug, a knitted scarf ... whatever you want.  (Note:  Not all Etsy shops accept gift cards, so if you win, you may want to do a search for those that do.)

First Prize
Fun with Findings Kit (2 prizes)
You can win some of the exact findings used in the book, plus a bunch of other findings that I thought were cool. (I ran out of room to add all the page numbers to the photo!) Prize packs include everything pictured here: jump rings, head pins (handmade by Miss Fickle Media and C-Koop), filigree links, clasps (hook-and-eye, ball chain, lobster), bead caps, cord ends, and more!

Second Prize (3 prizes)
To play off the "unexpected" in my book title, three winners will receive a small mystery pack of findings (valued at $8).  No photo or preview ahead of time.  It will be a surprise!

Rules

This giveaway is open to all visitors except the book's contributors and author (me).  Contributors are welcome (and encouraged!) to comment, but won't be entered in the drawing.  

One comment per person per blog post for a maximum of eight chances to win if you visit and comment on all eight book-related posts during the September 15-19, 2014 period.  

We'd love for you to help us spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.  No extra entries, but lots of good karma!
Michelle will contact the winners by email this weekend (Sept. 20-21) and post the winners here next week (Sept. 23).   Remember when you comment that we'll need an email address to contact you if you win.

Blog Tour Schedule - September 15-19, 2014

Have a good time hopping around the participants posts this week, here are the links and dates!

Monday, Sept. 15

Michelle Mach 

Tuesday, Sept. 16

Lorelei Eurto 

Erin Siegel

Wednesday, Sept. 17

Cindy Wimmer

                         Erin Prais-Hintz === You are here!

Thursday, Sept. 18

Andrew Thornton

Friday, Sept. 19

Denise Yezbak Moore

Molly Schaller

Disclosure: If you purchase the book via the links I have included in this post, I will receive a small amount of Interweave affiliate credit. Thank you for your support!

 Special Savings going on in the Interweave house Sept 17-19th! Woot!



 Click here to buy your copy now!

Unexpected Findings: 50+ Clever Jewelry Designs Featuring Everyday Components

30 Words :: Leap

Toes pointed in a new direction.

Uncharted territory ahead.

Plans falling into place.

Now 

 I 

stand

on the edge

taking the leap.

Creating my own wings.

Breathe deep. Fly high.

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The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday.

Add your link to the InLinkz on my 30 Words Thursday post.
(InLinkz code will be open for one week.)
Enjoy seeing what others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An InLinkz Link-up

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get the InLinkz code for your blog!

get the InLinkz code

30 Words :: Stained Glass

The light

hits just right

making this glass wall

glow.

Intricate details

meticulously applied,

each one

telling a story.

These windows are the

personality

and

soul

of this revered space.

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A few more than 30 Words...

My grandfather, Victor Prais, was a successful local businessman. He owned a funeral parlor/furniture store as well as the Prais Religious Goods store, where locals bought their holy cards, rosaries, vigil candles and opłatki. It is not uncommon in our area to find his name on religious items, etched in brass candelabras used on the altar, hanging on a plaque as a founding member or here, on a beautiful piece of stained glass at St Stanislaw's Church. (Our family name is even on the street outside this particular church, where he and his family were active members.) Our parish, Newman University Parish, is now merging with this neighboring church and so I will be seeing a lot more of this beautiful window. I am finding it hard to find my place in this new building. But I smile when I recall the Christmas masses there with my grandma dressed in her fur coat and hat. I never knew my grandfather, but it feels like it coming full circle. Change is hard, but having this reminder of the continuity of my family name will help me weather the coming transition.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday.

Add your link to the InLinkz on my 30 Words Thursday post.
(InLinkz code will be open for one week.)
Enjoy seeing what others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An InLinkz Link-up

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get the InLinkz code for your blog!

get the InLinkz code