Jewelry Making Outside The Box

Sari Ribbon Party Blog Hop....You're Invited!

I'm letting the cat out of the bag!

Or maybe....it's the box!

One of Meep's favorite toys is SARI RIBBON:

He loves to drape himself in it and then fight to get out.  It can be hysterical.

Due to those antics, and the fact that everyone seems to love our sari ribbon, I thought it might be cool to have a blog hop featuring jewelry pieces that incorporate it, this fall.

We've had a number of challenges with Five and Dime Style at B'sue Boutiques, but this is our VERY FIRST blog hop!  The date is Friday, October 14th.    The rules are VERY simple:

1.  Your entry must be a piece of jewelry, and it must have some sari ribbon in it.   That might be:

a cuff you have woven out of it

a necklace with a neckline treatment that incorporates it

a cuff wrapped with sari

bezels tied with sari

sari ribbon accents on chain

flowers made of sari

....those are just a few ideas.   You do what you want.   YOU ARE THE DESIGNER.   But it can't be a jacket, a purse, a decorator item......IT HAS TO BE A PIECE OF JEWELRY.  And it has to be sari ribbon (although you can also incorporate other ribbons into the piece, as well).  That means it will be a:

bracelet

necklace

ring

brooch

earrings

or....hair jewelry will be accepted.

The sari ribbon and components do NOT have to be purchased from B'sue Boutiques, but of course, I'd be lying if I didn't say I appreciate your patronage.  LOL

The sari is found here at B'sue Boutiques

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Sari-Ribbon-7550  don't worry if the inventory is showing low....we have LOTS more.   Just let me know!  I'll fix it.

2.  YOU MUST HAVE A BLOG.   I'm not going to be able to sponsor photos on my blog---except Meep's!  

To be honest, if you don't have a blog, maybe this is just the impetus you need to get one started.  If you sell your work, you are really remiss if you aren't using a blog to feature your work and talk about it.   It's a valuable asset.  Many blog formats, like BLOGGER, are free!  They are also simple to set up.  

3.  When you commit to being a participant, I will save your name and your blog URL to a Word document.   The day before the hop (13th) I will post the participants and their URLS here at this blog.   Everyone who has signed up will have the responsibility to come and get the list and post it on THEIR blog, along with their photos and whatever they want to say about their entry, on their blogs EARLY AS POSSIBLE on October 14.

Having the list on your blog with your entry is ESSENTIAL for the hop to work.   That's what a blog hop is, you hop from blog to blog to look at the entries.  So if you don't post the list, it won't be fair to the rest.  ;-)

As much as possible, you will want to leave a comment about others' blog hop entries, when you visit their blogs on that day, too.

Meep is a little perplexed about what to make, but we'll help him out.

After the hop is over, I'll give out a couple of 25.00 gift certificates to B'sue Boutiques, chosen by random drawing.

I'm hoping we can get about 25-30 participants, but it's on even if there are only five.   This is gonna be a great time!   Let me know if you're going to play along!

What's a Parure? Showcasing Vickie Wills...and Her Workshop

THIS.....is a parure.

Crafted by my special friend and jewelry artisan, Vickie  Wills, this photograph was made of a special order parure she made for a customer last spring.   She has featured our gorgeous Old Rose Ox findings, especially the large open roses found at B'sue Boutiques

Check them out right here:  http://www.bsueboutiques.com/brass_roses.shtml

A parure is a full set consisting of at least three matching pieces....this one has four: necklace, earrings, ring, and cuff bracelet.  If she had included a brooch, she'd have five and it would be a GRAND parure.

Find more of Vickie's pretty  art-to-wear jewelry pieces at http://www.jewelrybyvee.com/

Vickie loves her craft space just like we all do, and, like many of us, loves to make a grand mess....and that's all good.  It doesn't MATTER if you have a big fancy space, all organized and perfect.   If you wait til that happens, you might never make a thing!  

The main thing is that you have A SPACE.  

Here is a  very cleverly collaged photo montage of different views of the  creative space at Jewelry by Vee:

I LOVE the captions!

I'll be sharing lots of messy workshop photos on this blog this week.   It all started with me sharing one of MINE last week in my FB feed, and daring people to do the same.

Since then MANY have been bold and fearless, sharing their pictures quite freely!  I'm so thrilled that they have done so.   We all share a common thread.....we love to make a mess!   And we all realize that it's not necessary to have a fabulous, expensively put-together studio.  We'd all love to have one, but we'd rather be happy while we wait for our ships to come in.

AND....we are!  We're all in this thing together!

Please feel free to come the the B'sue Boutiques Facebook Fan Page and upload photos of YOUR creative space!   Be sure to include the MESS!

On Sunday, two artists who have uploaded photos will be chosen to receive a 25.00 gift certificate to be spent at http://www.bsueboutiques.com on anything they'd like!

Nunn Design Sealant, Staz-On Ink, And A Brass Blank

Nunn Design Sealant is a resinous top coat finish that presents some very interesting possibilities for mixed media artists.

 

It's really great over Staz-On black ink, stamped over a brass blank:

Staz-On Black Ink

Here's an example of a piece I made, just goofing around with samples that had arrived:

I think there are some tremendous design possibilities here.   This is a raw brass blank that I torched a bit, to add a little toasty patina.   Then I stamped it with a rubber stamp from my collection, using the Staz-On.    I let it dry thoroughly, then I coated it with the Nunn Sealant.   I let it cure about 24 hours....good to go.   SO EASY.   And pretty fast!

I'm not sure how other inks will work with Nunn, but if you wanted a little color, you could paint the blank first, let dry, then stamp, then seal.

I have a bunch of great looking drilled-top blanks at B'sue Boutiques

You'll find them all right here:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/drilled_blanks.shtml

 Nunn Sealant is now for sale at B'sue Boutiques as well:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Nunn-Design-Sealant-8291

The bottle is two ounces;  we can ship it anywhere as it is not flammable.  The manufacturer says it is very low toxicity, so  clean up well and keep it off your skin....and you should be okay.   Have fun!

Remembering the Light

Yesterday,  I glanced out a window at a view of a rolling green meadow with tall grass.   Beyond the grass was a large clump of  trees, not quite a woods...but a stand of large, well-filled out maples.   The leaves on the trees were going that funky olive green that is typical of late summer.

I'd seen this view many times before.   What  got my attention this time, was the LIGHT filtering down from the sky, through the leaves.

It was about 8pm.....daylight was fading into that warm yellow glow you get  just before day goes entirely away, on a summer evening. 

The light made the edges of the leaves appear golden.   The view was so comforting!  In my heart, I gasped and thought, Oh God!  Thank you for this sight......it just gives me peace.

It was perfect light, I thought.   A light I would like to remember.

Just then, I became distracted from the view, something else came up.   I looked back five minutes later, and now dusk was settling, the trees were just a mass of dark green and the light was gone.

My little group here in the B'sue Boutiques office is always searching  for good light.

Even Evie the cat is always looking for just the best warm light, to go and take a nap in it.

Some items just don't photograph well unless you have just the right combination of background, daylight and even a touch of shadow.  

For example, finding just the right place to make the video shorts for the website has been challenging.   I've found they need to be done in our shipping space,  before 7pm.    Sometimes that's hard to pull off as they have orders to pack and so....there have been times you'll hear 'packing noises'....tape tearing, boxes being opened and shut, papers rustling!

In a larger sense, though,  an artist's creativity can be a search for light.

I'm sure you can relate:  there are times when we get little bursts of genius....the ideas are flowing so quickly, we barely know what to grab first or how to stop!   Sometimes, if we are truly fortunate, we get entire creative days or even periods like that.   That's when we work maniacally, our energy is at its peak, and it seems like everything we touch works out well.    We've found that perfect light!   But then.....it goes away.

Now,  it's a real search to find it again.

Today, I've been watching the news and following the 'progress' of Hurricane Irene.  I've been thinking about Hampton, Va, where I spent a pleasant week at  Glenny Moir's Art and Soul Artist retreat....now in the path of the hurricane. 

And Kitty Hawk, NC, where we went during that trip, so that John could have a day doing something he liked.    We visited the Wright Brothers Flight Museum and the monument.  Will it survive the storm?

 

I've been thinking about some friends I have in New Jersey and in Delaware, who are, as well.  I think about my beloved Big Apple....will it be the same after Sunday?  What about Battery Park (below)?    They say it may find itself under as much as ten feet of water.

I'm also thinking of the lovely trip that John and I took a couple years back, where we traveled all along the CT seacoast until we got to Providence.  I spent several pleasant days going on appointments, and then we sauntered back home, taking in Newport and gawking at all the amazing mansions there, and staying in little Mom and Pop hotels on the way back.   All of those places are in line for a direct hit from Irene.

So many memories.....and the light was just right!  

You know, they call these storms 'acts of God'....but as they prove no purpose but to uproot lives, that can't be true.   They aren't something that God is doing to punish people or make them suffer.

It reminds me of a scripture in the Bible that I always find comforting:  " Everything he has made pretty in its time.  Even time indefinite (forever) he has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the true God has made from the start to the finish."   Ecclesiastes 3:11

Forever is indeed in our hearts!    But, even  in eternity, we would never entirely understand that 'perfect light', from the start to the finish.  It is infinite....indefinite....beyond all human thinking.

At a time like this when so much is on the line, and the perfect light is darkened for many of our creative friends,  I think of  a time when we will all have it in the MOST perfect sense.....when each new day will be a day filled with perfect light.  Every day will be a day of  purpose.   We will never grieve again, or be sad.    Everything we touch will have sure success.  We will never again  have to endure  the upset of a storm system gone mad.  

I'm not thinking of heaven.   I'm thinking of right here on earth, just as it was originally intended.

Now that's something good to think about, as the light fades in hard times.   Stay busy, get out your journal, write your ideas down.   Call a friend.  Be encouraging.   Meditate.   Say a prayer.

God is listening.

Remember....hope....look forward.

 

 

For the Love of Verdigris

  Some time ago I did a gallery of raw yellow brass  pieces that I had turned dark via the vinegar-salt-oven bake method , and on which I'd raised verdigris, such as this piece:

What IS verdigris?

Wikipedia tells us this, of the name:

"The name verdigris comes from the Middle English vertegrez, from the Old French verte grez, an alteration of vert-de-Grèce ("green of Greece"). The modern French spelling of this word is vert-de-gris. Since it was used as a pigment in paintings and other art objects (as green color), it was required by artists in Greece. It was originally made by hanging copper plates over hot vinegar in a sealed pot until a green crust formed on the copper. Another method of obtaining verdigris pigment, used in the Middle Ages, was to attach copper strips to a wooden block with acetic acid, then bury the sealed block in dung. A few weeks later the pot was dug up and the verdigris scraped off. One method used in the early nineteenth century had to do with reacting copper sulfate solution with solutions of lead, barium, or calcium acetate. Their sulfates are insoluble, forming precipitates and leaving the copper acetate in solution."

So in other words, it's that green stuff over the brass.  ;-)   Fortunately, you can do a funky verdi finish without dung.   Good news, that!

Although I've known any number of people to do various patina finishes with USED KITTY LITTER. 

Okay, I'm skipping those.   You do what you want! LOL

Going on in Wikipedia, I found that verdigris has had some interesting uses:   It is used industrially as a fungicide, a catalyst for organic reactions, and in dyeing (The Merck Index , Ninth Ed., 1976).

Verdigris has also been used in medicine.  Wow.

Here is more info from the Wiki, on its chemical composition:

"Verdigris is a variable chemical mixture of compounds, complexes and water. The primary components are copper salts of acetate, carbonate, chloride, formate, hydroxide and sulfate. The secondary components are other metallic salts, acids (organic and mineral), atmospheric gases and water. All the components are in an ever-changing and extremely sophisticated electrochemical reaction equilibrium that is dependent on the ambient environment."

By now, you might be wondering  how we are able to get such a nice verdi over brass stampings?  It's referring to copper metal in Wikipedia.  

Brass is 85% copper, 15% zinc.  ;-)   That's why it works!   Here is my recipe to make raw brass gingerbread-toasty-brown via a non-toxic, evironmentally-friendly method:

Cool Ways to Age Brass At Home  

To go on to raise the green patina verdigris:

The  last time you take the brass out of the oven, while it's still hot, sprinkle it liberally with the vinegar-salt solution you first soaked it in.   Let it cool and set overnight.   The next day you will see verdigris raised in random patterns, on most all of the pieces.   For some reason, some will remain spotty or resist; in that case, repeat the process, OR.....you can add patina-colored GILDER'S PASTE to accent (and make it a bit easier).

Here are some more pieces that I used the vinegar-salt splash method on, and worked out well:

 

Porthole bezels are the bomb.  I like to put an image behind mica, center it under the porthole and then wrap filigree around the back, and then mount, such as in this piece:

And then there is this pretty pendant:

This swan pendant is still for sale on my website:  http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Swan-Heart-Pendant-W-Oven-Patina-7442     But I dunno, maybe I should grab it and make it into a necklace, myself! LOL

Some have asked about  safety in wearing jewelry that has verdigris finish on it.  Wiki says this:

"As verdigris consists of various poisonous copper compounds, one should always wash one's hands after handling."

In the case of brass with verdi, you will want to seal it.   You can do that with Renaissance Wax for a subtle sheen, which is what I usually do.  Let it gas off for a day or two before wearing, the seal will be permanent and the jewelry piece will be fine to use.

I am hearing a lot about an aerosol sealant called PERMALAC, that might be a good option....we don't carry it as I don't ship aerosol cans.   If you want to use a spray lacquer,  I have had great success on brass stampings using Krylon brand matte spray lacquer.  Do two light coats, do one, let dry, then do another.  You can get it at any crafts store, or even Walmart.

You can also seal with a brush on sealant, or even ICE resin for a deep, luminous, hard finish.

As long as the piece is sealed, or the verdigris is not touching your skin, the jewelry should be quite safe to wear.   If you are handling alot of verdigris, wash hands often.

Just like anything else in the workshop, you need a little care,  balance and some  common sense, and you'll be fine.

It's fun to raise verdigris on brass....I hope you'll try it.   Here is a gallery of more pieces I've worked on using this method:

Brass Patina Gallery

And a couple of YouTubes where I'll SHOW you how I did it and how I buff it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctp5xFW7XJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1hwY6gwL30

 

 

A Woman-Run Business, And A Great Cuppa Joe

There are cups of joe....and then....there are cups of joe.

For example, you could have this cuppa joe with your breakfast at Bob Evans:

As you can see, I did.   Bob Evans' coffee ain't half bad.

Back in the day, you could have this cuppa joe at White Castle:

I never had one, so dunno if it was any good, or just standard swill.  ;-)

On the other hand, I know that if I need my day totally jump-started and my pants seriously kicked, I can count on this cup of joe:

With a large Starbuck's in the morning, and I'm jazzed til at least mid-afternoon.

There's a cup of joe, however, that has me doing the Meep Happy Dance of Joy:

And that would be THIS cup of joe:

This cup of joe was made from whole-bean, freshly roasted coffee purchased from Sandra Knight's woman-run business, Chicago Coffee Roastery

I have been buying my coffee in bulk from Sandra for, sheesh.....12-13 years AT LEAST.   I found her when I was still making gift baskets (yeah I did that, too!) and I've stayed lo these many years.

About Sandra, quoting from her website:

"Sandra Knight founded Chicago Coffee Roastery, Inc. in June of 1990. Sandra has been in the specialty coffee business, both retail and wholesale/roasting, since the mid 1980s. In 1990 she saw an opportunity to create a new wholesale roasting company to fill a need within the market for top quality coffee beans, delivered fast and fresh. Along with quality, Sandra knows great customer service has to be the cornerstone of Chicago Coffee Roastery. Since she has been in retailer's shoes for many years, Sandra understands what a reliable supplier is worth.

 Sandra assembled Chicago Coffee Roastery's product line, selecting the very finest coffee and tea from around the world. They established the company policies of roasting and shipping all coffee in the same 24 hour period, roasting all coffee to our customer's specifications, and always assuring the telephone is answered by a live person. "It is the little details that make a company great", says Sandra, "being there to answer customer questions, suggest new products, and assist in any way possible. We do not reduce our clients to customer numbers and product codes; we keep a very personal emphasis on our service. The greatest reward for all the hard work is in the letters that come from customers, letting us know how much we have helped them."

I feel, too, that a reliable supplier is the crux of a business.  Mine are my lifeline.   I'd like to be that for you, as well....just like I can count on Sandra for a great stash of coffee beans.

I don't ever want to reduce *my* customers to a number in a database.  You may have to prompt me if you call, but I want to meet you and get to know you, if you need information and must speak with me personally.  If you've been with me as long as I've been with Sandra, you can probably call and I'll know your voice.

When I call Chicago Coffee Roastery to make an order, they know me---even though I'm not a coffee house or a restaurant, and I only buy 10 pounds a month (that keeps the four of us that are coffee drinkers here, going, my husband, John, and any visitors who stop by---we are known here for our coffee!)   Chicago Coffee Roastery  cultivated my business, treated me great, and kept me around.

A great role model, that Sandra Knight. 

If you love a great cup of coffee and can do a minimum order, you will love Chicago Coffee Roastery joe, and you will love the service.  They also carry barista supplies, chocolate, Stash and Novus tea....along with a number of other great products.   They have a great decaf line, too.   We usually get ours half-caff, which they will do for you for only .30 a lb. more.   Worth it....all the great taste of coffee and no jitters.

Grab a cuppa and come on over and browse the new stuff at B'sue Boutiques    There's always something new, and you're always invited!

Who's the Hottest? Checking Out Mirage Beads

Plenty of cameradie to go around in this office!  Shelley and Jordan always have some kind of 'ribbing contest' going on.

Last Friday it was  about who was 'hotter'.....Jordan or Shelley.

Yeah, I know....ridiculous.   :-0

But we were actually able to find out!

I got a new product in to try, called Mirage Beads.  Maybe some of you have seen them.  They are made of some sort of thermoplastic and respond to the heat of your hands or body, and will change color....sort of like the old Mood Rings, back in the 60's.

Shelley and Jordan begin to do a tug of war on a strand of Mirage Beads.

 

The pressure increases!

Ohmigoodness....what a face Jordan makes, as he gives it all he's got.  ( I call this his 'insect face' LOL). 

Shelley doesn't seem too concerned:

She's pretty hot....her beads turned BEAUTIFULLY!

The whole strand:

Jordan's are REALLY glowing, too.

I don't know, maybe it's a draw.  I'm not sure either of them are 'hot', LOL....but these *beads*  sure are!

Find them at our website here (in their cool state):

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Mirage-Beads-Color-Change-Bee-Design-8254

I think they would be really cool wired onto a filigree ring like this one:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Filigree-Ring-8086

Check them out at B'sue Boutiques!

 

 

Bohemian Rose Filigree Bracelet from B'sue Boutiques

Wanna learn how to make a really cool bracelet?   This is one of my favorite projects.   I made it in Russian Goldplate with a little Gilder's Paste 'wash' accent, awhile back:

But I got to thinking it would be so cool in darks, so I made it again yesterday in buffed-back rusty black patina with Old Rose Ox accent.

This one is so pretty, and it won't take you longer than an hour to make!

It starts with this filigree:

This is rb02826 from the B'sue Boutiques website

You'll find it here: http://www.bsueboutiques.com/item/Rusty-Black-Patina-Bohemian-Filigree-7871

You will also need:

rox09243  Old Rose Ox petal flower

hongkongflower  (SKU from our website), or another pretty cream colored resin flower about 22-23mm

for the flower under (they are two-stack layered) you could use either of the following:

rox07948, brox09849, chox02941

jumps:  jump6 (6mm brass ox) jump51 (10mm brass ox)

a clasp of your choice (I used a lobster claw)

small filigree beads for the dangles on back jump ring (I used rb04175 6mm rusty black)

chain:  I used three types for texture, brass ox and copper, from the Jewelry Chain Section at B'sue's

You will need about 6 inches of each type, cut in three inch lengths (so that you end up with six three inch lengths).

TOOLS and OTHER SUPPLIES:

Bail making pliers, regular pliers for turning jumps (I like round nose and flat nose), wire/chain cutters, and E6000 glue

First you'll want to buff out that large filigree to reveal the coppery highlights underneath:

In this case I wanted to distress it a little, so I used steel wool.   Don't go too-too hard, but when you see that underlayer show, you've probably got it good enough.  If you want, you can re-seal w Renaissance Wax, but you probably don't HAVE to.

  Then, at the WIDE end, in the middle of the stamping, on the end, drill or punch a hole so that you can attach a jump ring for attaching.   It's easiest to do this now, before you bend the filigree.

Get your bailing making pliers and carefully begin to bend the filigree to fit the top of your wrist:

See how it fits?

When you get it to where it lays right on your wrist, it's time to layer the flower and wire it on.   Stack your flowers and take a piece of wire 4-5 inches long and loop the end.  Pierce the flowers, bring the wire through the filigree and then wrap back up through as tight as you can get it.

I usually run it around under the flower a little, just like when you sew a button on a jacket, then pull it back through to the back, cut, and tuck in the little end so it doesn't stick out and scratch you.

See the little kink in the wire? 

I do that sometimes to tighten wire to the reverse.  You might need to do that, you might not.  You'll know if you it's too loose for you!

Now you have to add the chains.  You need six three inch lengths.  I used three types of chain for texture.  Cut the chain and attach with a 6mm jump to the filigree at the narrow ends, one bunch of chain in each hole:

Trim the chains so they are of equal length if necessary, and then thread ALL of them onto a large 10mm jump:

Time to glue in the cream flower:

 

And of course, add the clasp!  see how the chains fit:

I wire-wrapped some little rusty black filigree beads and a vintage topaz-colored 8mm Czech glass bead and hung from the back loop for just a little extra something.

I hope you will give this project a try!   The result is a showy bracelet, and it takes just a little time.  We carry the big filigree in Russian Goldplate, Brass Ox, Old Rose Ox, Silverware Silverplate and Raw Brass....so you can go with any color scheme you'd like.   I love mixing metals---gives you so many options.

There's always something new at B'sue Boutiques   Come on over and check it out!

 

 

 

Barbe Saint John Does Wonders With Rusty Black Patina Brass

I sent my pal Barbe Saint John a packet of rusty black patina brass.   I figured she'd love it.  But I didn't hear from her for a bit and thought, hmmm.....maybe she doesn't?

WAIT....WHO doesn't like Rusty Black Patina brass?

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/rusty_black_patina.shtml

Today this great blog post landed in my feed at Facebook:

Creating Dark Beauties with B'sue    Barbe was quiet because she was so busy CREATING!

Okay, okay, I'll tempt you:   here is just ONE picture of just ONE project she made with it:

This is with a bit of gilder's paste added.   Here are the stampings Barbe got to experiment with:

We just loaded a whole bunch more to the website, too....this section is gonna grow, grow, grow.

Come visit us at B'sue Boutiques   There is ALWAYS something new!  And be sure to bookmark Barbe's blog!

http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

 

Somedays I Feel Like Beauty

No....not as in, I need to get beautiful.   Although it could help!  Here I am, contemplating a new hairpiece, LOL:

I don't think it will match.   Ugh.

When I say I feel like Beauty, I mean I feel like Beauty from the fairy tale, as shown  in this Victorian-type stamping I carry from time to time:

There she is at the bottom, so demure, so peaceful.   She probably has that crazy feeling that we all sometimes get,  that some awful beastie is hanging over her head.

In her case.....she's right!  THERE HE IS.

I feel like that a lot.....looming deadlines, commitments I shouldn't have commited to, bills to pay that are sometimes just TOO high, just 'life crap' that happens so much that....well!  you just start expecting more crap to happen.

Isn't it true, though, that so many times we worry and fuss over things that will probably *never* even happen.   The biggest beasties in our lives are the negative feelings rolling around in our heads.  Those worries create a 'time suck' that drains the creativity right out of us.

You know what's the worst of it?

WE LET IT HAPPEN!

MAKE IT STOP!!

Find a way to slay those dragons and run them out of your life.   Your creativity is at stake!

 

Things can ALWAYS change for the better, even if you didn't get the life you ordered!  I sure didn't!   There will always be set backs and disappointments from time to time.  But...

For me, getting out of here and taking a walk can bring such relief.  It just breaks the cycle.   Sometimes I take my Bible to the park, sit on a bench  or go feed the ducks... and sometimes I cry when I see things that touch my heart.  

It feels good to  let that negative energy roll down my face, and out of my life.   Cathartic!  I look at the play of light through the golden-yellow leaves, and it makes me feel RICH.   It also gets those creative juices going.

There IS so much beauty in LIFE!   I thank God every day that I draw breath....even on the 'beastie' days.