This Week's Winner - Affirmation And Alliteration

This week's Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest Winner is Miss Vintage Revamped!! She's Blooming. She's Brilliant. and She's Beautiful! Congratulations, Susan! I will put your soldered glass pendant on a 24" chain in tomorrow's mail. Notice there are two backsides? I used the pansies from Alice in Wonderland and then felt quite guilty...so I destroyed all the others and did a new design. If Mickey asks... you didn't see it here. I couldn't help myself. I see faces in Pansies and they always remind me of Alice! I believe that Heather J said the same thing...

I apologize that this post is late - tonight I am running the video for our school's Spring Musical. This morning was the big rehearsal so I got home late. Now - the wind is blowing like mad and chairs and garbage cans and doggy kennels are blowing about the yard. It's just nuts! The wind is blowing so hard that the innernets don't always make it to my computer... (don't you miss George W?) I'm digressing - Thanks to everyone that played - you're all blooming. You're all Beautiful and Miss VR is Brilliant!

May Day Tents On The Fence Art Event

This Sunday, May 1, I will be joining a host of talented local artists on the Liberty House lawn for a Celebration of Art and Spring. Everyone is invited! We will be setting up our 'tents' along the fence (and on the porch and under the big oak trees) and selling our handmade goodness. Click on the poster above for details and a map. My friend, Lynnie from ::Silverwork:: did most of the organizing - she'll be there with her silverwork and enameled copper jewerly. I've been working on some new fused glass pendants. Including some with wire words fused right into the glass. Above are a few that are complete and ready. Wouldn't your Mom love one for Mother's Day?
When I was in Los Angeles with my sister, we found some really great findings... these little kewpies (how do you spell that? QP?) cracked me up. I lampworked the red beads and made a little bracelet. Honestly - it was cuter off than on my wrist. I took it apart three times and added more metal and now I like it better in it's original form. Luckily - I bought a few...
Back to the drawing board!

Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest - Big Pansy

We've had brave cowgirls, bored geishas, and now a big pansy. Don't you love these colors? I have no idea what sort of ideas you clever enterers will come up with, but I have no doubt there will be some giggling and some deep thoughts happening. The image is from an old postcard - I removed the words and cleaned up the scratches, but didn't touch the colors.

The contest is simple: make a comment as to what you think would be perfect for the backside of this image. On Friday a winner will be chosen and rewarded with a soldered glass pendant on a chain. Lovely!
Why a pansy? Because it's the harbinger of Spring. AND - because if you come to the May Day Tents on the Fence Art Event this coming Sunday, Pat said she's going to decorate her delicious cream puffs with edible flowers. Doesn't that sound beautiful? I digress..
Back to the contest - enter as often as you like. Snarky to sweet, all comments are treasured.

This Week's Winner - Bored to Tears

I know this face. Sometimes I see it on people when I'm talking about my delightful chickens and naming them one by one and telling about the funny things they do, about how Shizzle Frizzle kicks up wood shavings, and Earl of Sussex unties my shoes.... do you have that look on your face now? Anyway .... That must be why I chose Bon's entry of "My face hurts from pretending to be interested" for this week's Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest. Your necklace is on it's way, Bon.
Cheers to the rest of you! Thank you for playing and coming up with a bunch of really good comments this week!
Happy Easter!

Night Lights

I have a ton of metal bed springs. A TON! (not really, but it looks like a ton...)

I know other people have asked what to do with metal bed springs also. Here's an idea I came up with this weekend. These little 'poke in the dirt solar lights' are just $1 at WalMart. You can easily detach the black part that pokes in the dirt. They now fit right in the bedspring! Just plop them right in! Use some wire, chain, ribbon, whatever - and hang them in your trees! You could also hang chandelier crystals from the bottom, or pretty ribbons, or little chimes to keep the neighbors awake... anything! They will charge themselves up in the sunshine all day long and then twinkle by themselves all night long. How cool is that?
This is the $1.00 size solar light. The bottom sticks out of the spring. The $3.00 size is a bit larger and doesn't stick out of the bottom. It's a matter of economics, and I would rather have 100 lights with their bottoms showing twinkling in my trees than 33 twinklers that fit.

Anyway - won't this make your yard magical and twinkly all year long? I love it!

I've made some with tea-light candles, but here in Nebraska the wind never stops blowing, and it's really dry all summer. It's a recipe for a prairie fire...

(PS that's not really a tree - it's the deer head that hangs on the wall in my shop)

Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest - Eastern Cowgirl?

Last week we had a Western Cowgirl image for the Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest - This week she's from the East. Not just Eastern Indiana, The Far East. She looks like she has something to say.... that's where you all come in. The contest is simple - make a comment here for what you think would be a great caption/quote/saying/etc for this image. On Friday a winner will be chosen and rewarded with a soldered glass pendant on a 24" chain. Enter as often as you like - just remember that proper young Geisha's have snarky thoughts too...

It's Holy Week. Make sure you are.

This Week's Winner - Some Cowgirl Wisdom

You just have to love Cowgirl Wisdom. That's what won this week's Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest for Journey's Gammy. She submitted "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and ride." Great advice. There were lots of good ones this week... I had some guests in my shop last night (thank you, ladies!) and they remarked how hard it must be to choose a winner. It is!! There were a few suggestions that would have worked. BUT - Journey's Gammy Wins this one!! So - send me (rachel@twodogpond.com) your mailing address and I'll send you your soldered glass pendant on a 24" chain.

Have a great weekend! I'll be adding this pendant to the www.twodogpond.com website - in case you're interested!

Miss Vicky's Bracelet

This is another commission piece. Above is the completed bracelet - it's made of tumbled glass and hand crafted hinges. On the wrist.

Originally the clasp looked like this (above). It was a wee bit big for Miss Vicky's tiny wrist, so I made it smaller by re-doing the clasp. I learned how to make this clasp on "The Bead Scene" Garden Gate Clasp tutorial from Tuesday. I changed it a bit to suit the rectangular shapes of the glass...

From The Thrift Shop

I was heading for Lincoln this morning (about half an hour drive) for some things I thought I wouldn't find here in Seward. Turns out everything I needed was in Seward, so I celebrated by visiting the local thrift shop. Some of the things I purchased - starting at the top left: 7 issues of "Pack-o-Fun" magazine. "The only scrap-craft magazine. They are all dated 1968 and have some great projects, most involving yarn balls. Perhaps I'll share some with you soon! Next - a game called "Jack Straws". Pick up sticks, but the sticks are things like ladders, axes, shovels, etc. Fun for collaging with, eh? Or, maybe a rousing game of Jack Straws is in order. Next: 3 tiny Chinese Tea tins. I'll use them for gift boxes for Asian inspired necklaces. Next: Not a clue. Looks like a divers helmet for the guy that made the wrong wish and asked for a little head. Next: The cutest little frog planter. Perhaps I'll fill him with jelly beans. And last, putting the little head to good use. That headless mannequin has been freaking me out for a while. This is so much better. I should probably cut back on the caffeine. I've been blogging my head off.

Around Here

Yesterday I started the task of cleaning up around the fruit bearing shrubs. On my hands and knees... The forsythia has never bloomed so beautifully as this year.

Every year I plant five puffs of sedum around a different tree. I have about 250 years to go.

"good night", said the speckly hen.

The Completed Piece

A couple days ago I showed you a commission piece I was working on. I just finished it, and I really like it. More than I thought I would. An added bonus? It's reversible making it two necklaces in one. I made a pair of matching earrings too. I didn't use as many images as we originally talked about, but it was losing it's appeal the more I added. Now it just needs a sealant on the metal and I will ship it off.

..........

Last Spring we had over 300 fruit bearing shrubs planted. I'm off to start weeding and cleaning them up. I'll be dreaming of choke cherry wine and elderberry jam as I'm working.

Fiesty Pearl Earrings

I found these pearls at a bead show in Omaha two weeks ago, I also bought some perfectly beautiful pearls, but I like these better. These are some fiesty-looking pearls, right?

These earrings are listed in my etsy shop here.

Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest - Crackin' The Whip

It's time to get back to the Sassy. What could be sassier than a cowgirl on a bucking bronco and loving it?! This, then, is the image we're using for this week's Two Dog Pond Necklace contest. The contest is easy: put on your cowgirl boots and cutest cowgirl hat and start 'thinkin' of good sayin's for this here picture.' On Friday a winner will be chosen and the reward made. That bein' a soldered glass pendant on a 24" ball chain. Heck fire - your winnin'est design just might even make it over to the Two Dog Pond website to be made 4 sale to the ennntire world on them there innernets. (that's all I've got. Carry on and thanks for playing!)

Drink It Break It Wear It Goodness

I just finished this necklace. It is made from upcycled wine bottles. Then, and I know you're not going to believe this.... I actually listed it in my etsy shop here!

This Week's Winner - Making an Entrance

And the winner is...

{{{drumrollllll}}

Miss Vintage Revamped!! Congratulations - you win with your entry of "This Girl Loves An Entrance". (I had to add the TaDa) Miss VR, send me (rachel@twodogpond.com) your mailing address and I will send you your soldered glass pendant on a 24" chain. Woo Hoo!! Wear it with Pride!! I'm still working on my website:

www.twodogpond.com

(which my son informed me looks very 1990's, so I'll be updating it soon!)

I'm adding lots of the winning pendants because I am often asked if they are for sale, so If you would like one of these for yourself, please click here.

Work In Progress

I'll give you a hint: I lampworked red glass headpins to look like blood...

(It's for a custom order)

Give me a couple days for the resin to cure (not shown) and then I'll post the finished necklace.

Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest - Ta Da!

Welcome to the Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest! It's a weekly event where you can enter as often as you like and have fun reading other peoples comments and ideas. The contest is simple: I post an image for a soldered glass pendant. You come up with what you think you would like to have wrtten on the other side of the pendant if you were going to where it. On Friday a winner is chosen and rewarded with a soldered glass pendant on a 24" ball chain.

This image makes me laugh. Who wouldn't love to make an entrance by stepping through a giant paper hoop?

This Week's Winner - Is Always Young

This week's Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest Winner is Miss Nomaloke!

She submitted "A heart that loves is always young". So appropriate for this sweet image.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week - I don't think I've ever seen so many sweet entries.

This is a short post for several reasons: I'm in the middle of moving my mom and my husband just informed me my breaksfast is ready! So - Miss Nomaloke - I have your address - be looking for your necklace soon!