Goodies from Texas

Don't you just love packages in the mail? 

I sure do and this one was a surprise.

So a while back I had asked my family to go through their jewelry boxes and send me their "junk" jewelry.  Things like broken watches, an unpaired earring, you know stuff you hold onto for some silly reason.  Well, dudette, they really got into it!  Today I received a box for of goodies.  Mom even had her co-workers and neighbors bringing her things for me.  Thank you, Angie, Joyce, Myra & daughter, and of course Mom!

You see I follow a very creative lady's blog:  Roni Johnson.  She held a charm swap which I participated in several months ago and has started another.  Go check her out: 

http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/2011/06/altered-charm-swap-due-8-6-11-sign-ups.html

It was so much fun and so easy!  She'll lead you with ideas and then off you go!  Challenge yourself to do something different outside your comfort zone.  I think you will seriously find it rewarding.

That started my obsession with collecting bits and bobs.  Seriously, when I treasure hunt I'm looking for these orphaned pieces I can incorporate into a charm or other altered piece of wonderfulness.  It's amazing what you can do with the guts of a wrist watch or old alarm clock or a circuit board.  I also have another motive for collecting from my family in particular.  Take a look at what I created for my daughter which made little "Miss J" cry at Christmas (not that making my daughter cry was the goal mind you).

You will recognize some items store bought, sure.  Just keep looking.  The framed pictures are craft frames found in the jewelry section at places like Joann or Michaels.  I filled several of these with tiny prints of my grandson, then there is one of my daughter we got back in the 80's as a photo package deal and I did an image transfer of her man as a little boy.  The coins from Canada, Europe and Japan I added after I had holes drilled in them, this way she will never be broke (I didn't use US coins because they are harder to drill).  On the upper left side I altered an earring from my grandmother and my mother then added those. Although the fairy charm was store bought years ago for my own charm bracelet, I took it off (and she knows this) and added it to hers.  I should probably point out this is not a bracelet but a long rope like necklace.  This year for her birthday, I sent her a teeny-tiny bottle of sand we collected from Galveston years ago on a family vacation, this way she'd always have a little bit of home with her.  This all started by following a blog!

I thought this might be something I could carry over into my Christmas gift giving this year for other loved ones.  Which takes us back to needing the "raw" materials to work with.  In the box from Texas I found some fun stuff and had to go inside to really explore the contents.

I spent a short two hours going through it all.  Hubby actually got just a little grouchy for his dinner, (can you image that) but I ran and brought him back his favorite pizza so all was forgiven!

I have to say though this bit was my very favorite to explore.

There is absolutely nothing of monetary value here.  What is so valuable here are memories, see this jewelry box itself was my grandmother's.  The contents are mix of hers, my mothers and a few miscellaneous pieces.  There are several pieces I can recall have seen worn as a child.  I think I told you in a previous post my grandmother had given me a large amount of her costume jewelry over 20 years ago.  I believe she'd be happy to see I put her things to use in a second life, she was puzzled even back then I'd want her "junk" jewelry.  It's funny I can remember that conversation as if it were just a recent visit at her home yet it was about 22-25 years ago.  I've had the other pieces on display in my bedroom using a wire dress form, I may let it rest a while in it's former box.  I'll have to think about that because I really enjoy seeing her there every day.

Well that's what I was up to today.  That and an ugly sinus headache all day!  I'll need to get seriously busy for my gifts to be done in time for Christmas.  I do seriously highly recommend you commit and participate in the Inkstains charm swap.  There is nothing in it for me what so ever.  I just really enjoyed it and actually received charms made by others from all over the world.  The WORLD!  I have a hard time actually putting them to use but I do take them out every now and again and admire the craftsmanship and creativity.  For me it was more about the creativity:  "How in the world did they think to do that with this?"

So get out there, get out side your comfort zone, make life an adventure! (you'll see me say that often just ask anyone who knows me).  Enjoy!

~Hugs of Love