Woman's, Unisex Rubber Amazonite Gemstones and Sterling Silver Bracelet

https://www.etsy.com/listing/113562653/womans-unisex-rubber-amazonite-and

Click this link above for more information - thank you!

Orange, Yellow, black and Green Elastic Bracelet set

www.etsy.com/listing/113360656/halloween-orange-yellow-black-and-green

ShopHandmade - Saffron and Spice Necklace - Red, Brown, Yellow, Orange and Black Colors

  

ShopHandmade - Saffron and Spice Necklace - Red, Brown, Yellow, Orange and Black Colors

ShopHandmade - Mens, Unisex Necklace - Red and Green with Red Record Beads - Sterling Silver

 

ShopHandmade - Mens, Unisex Necklace - Red and Green with Red Record Beads - Sterling Silver

50 Great Things you Never Knew you Could do with Tennis Balls

I found this online today and I thought they would be useful, so I am keeping these safe so I can use them if I need.

My favourite tips here are creating a tripod out of a tennis ball, putting them in your dryer and the tennis ball chair, it's so cool!

You may remember the often-discussed tennis ball headphones or these 99 extraordinary uses for ordinary objects. Those were pretty great, but it makes you wonder what else these little bundles of latex and wool can do. Since they wear out and lose their bounce quickly, most tennis balls simply end up in the garbage when they stop being useful on the court. If you can’t stand to throw them away, they tend to pile up quickly - so what can you do with them?

1) Cut an X in the top of each ball and put them on the bottoms of chair legs to cut down on noise and floor scuffs. If you don’t have scuffable floors (or all of your chair legs are already covered) check with your local school. Many schools take donations for just this purpose.

2) Donate them to a local nursing home for use on residents’ walkers. They make the walkers easier to push around for people who aren’t strong enough to lift them.

3) Hang one on string from the garage roof to help you park without running into things. When it touches the windshield or rear window (depending on which way the car is pointing), you know it’s time to stop. If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, make it into a funny character.

4) Keep certain types of gnats or flies away from you when you are outdoors. Just cover a tennis ball in Vaseline and hang it from a tree or bush.

5) Tennis balls with holes drilled in them have been used in the UK as protective homes for field mice. Pet mice or hamsters may enjoy them, too!

6) When packing something for shipping in a box that’s too large, use tennis balls as shock-absorbing cushions that will hold the item steady in the box.

7) Use them to remove scuffs on floors. Many janitors use this trick by placing a tennis ball on the end of a broom so it’s always handy.

8 ) Protect your surfboard when it goes on an airplane journey.

9) Play a creative catch game that will amuse kids to no end - especially if you’re the one missing the ball.

10) Throw a few tennis balls into the dryer when you are drying comforters, fluffy coats, pillows, or anything else that could use a good fluffing.

11) Tennis balls can also help any laundry load dry faster - just throw two or three in the dryer and your clothes will be done quicker.

12) Speaking of laundry, put a tennis ball into your washing machine along with your shower curtain and 1/2 cup of vinegar, then wash with hot water. The vinegar will kill the mildew and the tennis ball will help to scrub the mildew off.

13) If you or your partner (or, if you’re really unlucky, the guy in the next apartment) snore, attach a pocket to the back of the snorer’s pajamas and secure a tennis ball inside. This will ensure that the snorer sleeps on his/her side - most people snore only when sleeping on their backs.

14) Make your own juggling clubs.

15) Make a very cute pencil/mail/phone holder. (Putting a cigarette in its mouth and giving it long dreadlocks would be really funny, but maybe not so kid-project-friendly.)

16) Cut a slit in one and use it to cover the trailer hitch on your truck.

17) Hide stuff in them. Make a slit in a tennis ball, then squeeze either side of the slit to open it up. Place money or other objects inside, and release to close the opening.

18 ) Use the same concept as above to pass notes or other items over long distances. Just be sure other people don’t pick it up! This idea has been used at auctions to pass receipts to winning bidders.

19) Cut a portion of the ball off so that it will fit over the sharp corner of your coffee table. Repeat for the other corners to baby-proof a room. Use this for all furniture with sharp or protruding bits to protect little foreheads.

20) Make a beautiful flower for your sweetheart. You can even fill it with candy, just in case your sweetheart isn’t quite sweet enough yet.

21) Slit a tennis ball open, insert some beans or jingle bells, and seal closed with glue or rubber cement. Give it to a toddler as a musical instrument.

22) When you are seated, put a tennis ball (or two or three) under each foot and roll your feet around on them. They make wonderful massagers.

23) Put two tennis balls into a large sock. Tie the sock securely, then use the contraption as a back massager. This is a great tool to have in your hospital bag when you have a baby since concentrated back pressure can help to relieve a great deal of labor pain.

24) Make bizarre furniture.

25) Use tennis balls to anchor clusters of helium balloons at parties. Knot together a group of ribbons attached to balloons. Cut a small X in the top of a ball and insert the knot. Fill the ball with sand if you want extra security.

26) If you are an athlete (probably even if you aren’t), learning to juggle tennis balls can improve your hand-eye coordination and visual reaction time. It can also help to keep your brain sharp.

27) Put tennis balls on the tops of poles to mark the edges of your driveway or drainage ditch. The bright yellow balls will be visible in the dark and help you avoid driving into the ditch or over the grass in the dark.

28 ) Put a tennis ball on the end of a broomstick and use it to clean cobwebs from the ceiling.

29) Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a tennis ball. It’s easy on your hands and can be used to sand curves on furniture or woodworking projects.

30) Make a unique ornament for your home or to give as a gift.

31) Make an incognito squirt gun.

32) Prevent your bike’s kick stand from sinking into soft dirt by cutting a small slit in a tennis ball and sliding it over the kick stand.

33) If you find that the legs of your lawn chairs get stuck between the slats of your deck, put tennis balls on the bottoms to keep them where you want them.

34) Keep the yuckiness out of your pool by floating some tennis balls in the water. Supposedly, the balls will absorb body oils from people who swim in the water - but you need to replace them every few weeks to keep them fresh.

35) Cut a tennis ball in half and use it to get a better grip when opening jars. Just place the ball half over the lid, and the rubber on the inside grips the lid to help you rotate it easier.

36) You can apply the same concept to screwdrivers to give you a better grip. Simply cut a slit in the tennis ball and slide it over the screwdriver handle to give you a better grip.

37) Make a tiny stereo.

38 ) Ham radio enthusiasts with gigantic antennae on their cars can use a strategically placed tennis ball to keep the antennae from ruining the paint on the cars.

39) To keep a door knob from smashing into and damaging an interior wall, cut a large slit in a tennis ball and slide it over the knob. This trick also works great to keep curious toddlers out of off-limits rooms…until they figure out how to squeeze as they turn.

40) Use a tennis ball to explain internet security to n00bs.

41) Squeeze a tennis ball in your hand whenever you have an extra few minutes to increase your hand strength.

42) If you want to leave your car door open but don’t want the interior lights to run down the battery, just wedge a tennis ball into the door frame to keep the light switch depressed.

43) When fueling up your car, use a tennis ball to keep the handle of the gas nozzle pushed in to avoid painful hand cramping.

44) Make a snowman ornament for your holiday tree.

45) Explain and illustrate molecular structure.

46) Make a pretty awesome pocket tripod for your small camera.

47) Build a model trebuchet and hurl tennis balls into your annoying neighbor’s yard.

48) Make talking apple puppets. These will amuse kids to no end. Let them be creative and make up their own characters.

49) Put tennis balls under the windshield wipers of vehicles that will be stored for long periods. This will help the blades last longer.

50) Use the time-tested method for finding your car in a crowded parking lot: put a tennis ball on the end of the antenna.

Some words of caution: tennis balls should not be used as dog toys. The felt that covers them can wear down a dog’s teeth. Larger dogs can choke on tennis balls. Ask your veterinarian for advice on alternative toys.

And in case you’ve ever wondered, this is how to serve tennis balls.

Household Cleaning Tips we Learned from Mum

So, my husband saw this today and he thought that he would sent it to me, so I thought that I would post it here:

• Thanks to my grandmother, I never struggle to pry the lids off of stubborn jars. She taught me to grab a piece of PVC mesh no-slip shelf lining material (pictured) and use it to twist the lid right off. The last time I lined the shelves of my kitchen cabinets, I made sure to save a few scraps for just this reason.

• My mother -- possibly the tidiest person I've ever met -- has passed down plenty of cleaning tips. (You'd think I'd use them once in a while.) One clever trick that sticks out in my mind is her method for cleaning diamond jewelry. She soaks it overnight in a bowl of warm water, two tablespoons of liquid bleach, and a squirt of dish detergent. Shines like new the next day!

I also asked DIY Life readers: What's the best, most unique household tip your mother or grandmother ever taught you? Here's what you had to say:

• "My mom was a nurse, and she taught me to do 'hospital corners' when making a bed. First, lay the flat sheet on top of the mattress. Then tuck several inches of the sheet under the foot of the mattress. On one side of the mattress at the foot of the bed, pull up the side of the sheet and lay it on top of the mattress. The bottom corner of the sheet will be hanging loose near the corner of the mattress. Tuck this corner under the side of the mattress (near the corner). Pull the side of the sheet back off the mattress. You can either let it hang down or tuck it under the mattress as well." -- Kristin Mahoney, South Orange, NJ

• "The plastic bag that the bread comes in touched the hot toaster and melted. Mom put a little rubbing alcohol on on paper towel -- no more mess and a very shiny toaster." -- Kendra Taylor, Palm Bay, FL

• "The best tip I learned from my mother is that when you buy new clothes, it's best to wash them with a little bit of vinegar to help set the color." -- Eddie Curry, Jacksonville, FL

• "My grandmother's favorite household tool was a paring knife. She used it not just to perfectly remove the "eyes" from a potato, but also to carefully clean the dirt from numerous tiny crevices and corners. She even used it to sharpen a pencil in the absence of a traditional sharpener." -- Emily McGlone, Ramsey, MN

• "Filling nail holes with Dap Kwik Seal Tub & Tile Adhesive Caulk is a swift quality fix. I watched my mother do this trick so effectively throughout many years that now I use it quite often myself. I have yet to see it fail; it lasts for years and looks absolutely flawless in punctured drywall." -- Sharon Colaizzi, New Castle, PA
  

• " 'Put a little salt in there,' my mom always says (about washing machines). Salt will keep the nasty suds away in case you use too much detergent." -- Jonathan Quartuccio, White Plains, NY

• "The one tip I remember most, primarily because I got to help as a young child, was polishing silver spoons with Colgate toothpaste. My mother never trusted silver cleaning products that may contain chemicals on anything that can end up in my mouth. After wetting the spoon and applying fluoride toothpaste on it, I slowly rubbed it until it turned black, waited a few minutes, and upon washing away the toothpaste was treated to a shiny spoon that I could see my reflection in." -- Joyce Zee, San Leandro, CA

• "My mom was green decades before it became mainstream. A great tip I learned from her was to use popcorn - plain and air popped - instead of Styrofoam pellets to cushion the contents of packages before shipping." -- Carrie Olivia, Kennett Square, PA

• "Apple cider vinegar was Mom's solution for everything, but especially cleaning toilets. Our old toilet bowl had a ring around the inside that wouldn't come out even with hard scrubbing . The lime in the hard water had etched it in. One day Mom poured apple cider vinegar in the toilet, and left it overnight. In the morning, one quick swipe with the toilet bowl brush and the line was gone." -- Linda Johnson, Fishers, IN

• "My mom taught me to never clean your windows on a sunny day. The sun causes the glass cleaner (typically alcohol-based) to dry very quickly causing streaks. The more you wipe, the more streaks you get." -- Cindy Coulter, Berea, OH

• "Ever since I was little my mom always lit a match or two right before chopping an onion. Something in the sulfur makes the onion-chopping process tear-free." -- Wyatt J. Yates, Plano , TX

http://www.diylife.com/2010/05/07/household-tips-we-learned-from-mom/?icid=main|main|dl5|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diylife.com%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Fhousehold-tips-we-learned-from-mom%2F

Helpful seller links online

These are some useful links online that I have found over the years and months while I have been on Etsy.

Links to see views, hearts and treasury related information:

• www.Craftcult.com
• www.Craftopolis.com
• http://statsy.org/

This site below is an Etsy "on sale shop app that you can use to automatically discount prices in your entire shop. It also allows you to discount in certain sections and do a percentage or a dollar amount. You can also schedule the duration time for the sale. This is a very powerful and useful application. I have not tried it out yet because I just discovered it recently.

http://www.etsyonsale.com/

You can find out more about it in this Etsy forum thread:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6642722

What is an RSS Feed and setup:

• http://artist-how-to.com/RSS.htm

• http://www.ehow.com/how_2031123_set-up-rss.html
• http://artist-how-to.com/rssfeedsetup.htm

Measuring items in your listings.

It's important to have metric and imperial measurements of your items. Some people can not understand other methods of measurements in some countries because they usually either use one or the other. I use this website, its great:

• www.onlineconversion.com

Guess what!! Eric from Etsy has developed an app that organizes all your favorites! Its called the Checklist Favoritizer: Here it is:

• http://favoritizer.checklet.com

Lortone Stone Polisher

So my father sent us a rock tumbler one year for a present and I finally got it out the other day and I am using it for the first time today. I am polishing some Carnelian rocks that I painstakingly found with my husband in Watching NJ in the sterling creek.

It's not too noisy, it could be a lot worse, Lortone makes the quietest tumblers. The instructions were easy to follow. I have it placed on my craft table so I can keep a good eye on it. I am looking forward to seeing what they look like after the first stage.

The website is great, it tells you everything you need to know. It's important that you thoroughly read the information and instructions so you don't have any disasters.

Pics will follow.

http://www.lortone.com/

Ferocious looking male deer

On Tuesday in my town of Morristown NJ,we were getting back home and we saw a massive male deer, its body was the size and build of a buffalo and it snorted like a bull. We saw the deer while we were in our car near our home and it was kind of scary. It had a giant rack! I had never seen one so solid looking before. It didnt seem to be too bothered with us though, it walked around on the road and grass for about 5 minutes while we were looking at it from our car with the windows open. I wished that I had bought my camera that day, my husband Randy said that maybe we should bring it with us everytime we go out. Hopefully I will see it again and then I will be able to get a photo of it.

Sunny day on Thursday in NJ

So the weather forecast says that its going to reach 75 degrees tomorrow (Thursday) in Morristown, NJ yeyy! I hope we get another warm day soon.

I will be trying to post some healthy low-carb food recipes that are easy to make, because healthy food should be easy to make and not expensive either. I like to test the recipe out before I post it on here, sometimes when you think of something in your head, it doesn't turn out as good as you thought it would lol.

Taking photos

Its been increasingly harder to take pictures of my jewelry because the afternoons are getting darker which has been rather annoying and its been so gloomy because it has been raining a lot. I think I will try and take some of my jewelry with me to Florida when I go in December, however I will have to try and get started again taking photos earlier in the day if its not raining. I think I will ask for an OTT light for Christmas :)

Recipe: Bacon and Eggs Supreme

Bacon and Eggs Supreme (my own recipe)
Serves 4 - 6 people






Ingredients

1 packet of turkey bacon (4 slices of chicken or turkey lunch-meat optional depending how many people you are cooking for)
6 Eggs (you can easily add more depending how many people you are cooking for)
1/2 packet/bag of peas, frozen
Kalamata olives, 15
Dill; 1 heaped tablespoon
Lemon pepper & salt seasoning; 1 teaspoon
Cumin; 1 tablespoon
Season all seasoning 2 teaspoons (I use 21 seasoning salute from Trader Joe's)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Juice of 2 lemons (optional)

I served my bacon and eggs with green and yellow beans that I marinated in lemon juice and with a small side salad, but you could serve it with any vegetables that you desire.

Instructions

1. Take a large frying pan or saucepan.

2. Cut the bacon (and lunchmeat) up into strips and place in pan. Add olive oil and saute until it slightly browns.

3.Take a bowl and whisk up the eggs and add the lemon salt seasoning to them. Pour the eggs in the pan with the bacon and mix them up; you may need more oil.

4. Add the other seasonings and spices. When the eggs have cooked, add the peas and cook them until they are warmed through and defrosted. Taste one of the peas to see if they are warmed through enough.

5. Add 15 kalamata olives and then squeeze the juice of 2 lemons on top.

6. Taste some of the eggs and meat to check on the seasoning level. When you are happy with it, it is ready.

You can always put the herbs and seasonings on the table so that who you are cooking for can help themselves if you would like more.

Rock Hounds - Hunting for Carnelian in NJ

We have been wanting to go and find Carnelian for a while and we finally did it on the 28 th of June. We went again on the 12 th of July and we found bigger pieces of Carnelian.

The Carnelian is located down Stirling Road in Watchung, near the town of Millington in a river. The river is known as Carnelian Creek or Stirling Brook and is situated near some power lines (pylons).

If you go there you have to be careful of the massive holes that people have dug in an effort to obtain the Carnelian. We like to find it directly in the brook and along the muddy banks. In my opinion, digging those holes is not a good idea because they are becoming dangerous, one slight slip and down you would go and possible that you could break your ankle or something. I don't know what its doing to the land in the terms of the environment and water logging but it cant be good, that's why we only stay in the brook and not in the holes.

On the other hand, several places in NJ where you could collect crystals from have been sadly closed off from the public and collectors of gemstones so its no wonder why people are desperate to get the Carnelian from this place. I heard that this place is endangered of being closed down to the public, however if you join a rock hound club, its possible that they might know of newly found locations to find gemstones.

If somebody was to go and dig in the holes, you should not go near the houses nearby because you could get in trouble for trespassing on private property, so be careful.

I have to get round to taking pictures of the Carnelian that we found. I properly cleaned some up yesterday, (July 14th) and I have to clean the rest.

I am looking forward to going again soon, we found a spot in the brook where we found 2 nice pieces of Red Carnelian measuring just over an inch long.

NJ is not widely known as a state where there are plenty of gemstone digging locations but if you look around (not on private property of course) you might be lucky enough to find some.

Gift box that I designed

This is a gift box that I designed but I am not sure if I should secure the box flap lid with small velcro rounds or put hole punch holes in the lid and thread ribbon around it. I would like to make more of these so I can mail my jewelry in. What do you think?

Gem and Mineral Show, Franklin NJ

I will hopefully be at the 37th annual NJ Earth Science Association Gem and Mineral Show on April 25th or the 26th of 2009 <--- I put the year so that people could find it if they were looking for when it is in a search engine. I say hopefully because if it rains or if windy, I will not go. If it is scheduled to rain or be windy on one day, I will go on the better day. The show will be at Franklin school, on Washington Avenue, off Buckwheat Road by way of Franklin Avenue. Zip code: 07416. You will be required to pay a $5.00 donation per person, it is well worth it though. If you go they will put your name and address on their mailing list and they will send you a postcard every year which provides $1.00 off the donation and has details about the dates of the show etc. The coupon is limited to 2 people. The times of the show are:

• April 25, 2009, Sat. 9 am-5.30 pm
• April 26, 2009, Sun. 10 am-5 pm

I hope I will see you there!

Super warm day in NJ today!

Yeyy, the weather is nice and warm today, that means I have to get outside and take loads of pictures or I will be beating myself up and saying that I should have gone outside! You should see lots more items in my shop next week; more earrings too!

What I have been doing lately

I have been working hard on my shop lately, taking more pictures of my jewelry inside by the window and outside whenever I have a chance to. I can't wait until the real spring weather comes. I want to make more items that are cheaper but still of good quality to sell in my Etsy shop. Can I just say though, just because some of my items are cheaper than others, it doesnt mean that they are not good, I simply would like items at all different price points, especially with the economy being so bad.

Purifying Synergy, Defense during Winter

An extract from the book Rejuvenating Recipes for Body and Soul Well being by Barbara Close and photographs by Susie Cushner.

During the winter months we are easily susceptible to colds and flu: respiratory infections such as bronchitis can linger on for weeks. The best defense is to keep the immune system strong with plenty of rest along with a healthy diet and nutritive herbs. Diffusing essential oils in the home is also beneficial, especially since many essential oils have antibacterial properties to keep germs at bay. This blend uses the powerful antiseptic properties of eucalyptus, thyme and lemon to disinfect the home and strengthen the body's resistance to disease.

Makes 4 ounces

• 4-ounce glass bottle
• 4 ounces purified water
• 24 drops eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil
• 15 drops lemon (Citrus limonum) essential oil
• 5 drops thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil

Fill the bottle halfway with water. Add essential oils, cover and shake well. Top off bottle with water, cover and agitate a second time. To dispense, pour 2 tablespoons of synergy into top of diffuser. Shake well before dispensing.

Herbal Bath Bouquet

This is an extact from a book called Rejuvenating Recipes for Body and Soul Wellbeing by Barbara Close and photographs by Susie Cushner.

Herbal Bath Bouquet

One of the most pleasant ways to enjoy the benefits of herbs is in the bath. Gather a bundle of herbs from your herbal remedy garden selected for their therapeutic and aromatic properties. Include chamomile, a herb with a long history as a nerve sedative and therefore fitting for a soothing restorative bath after a long day outdoors. Chamomile's distinctive applelike scent is very calming mentally and emotionally, good for easing anxiety. Lavender's sedative qualities overlap with those of chamomile and together they will calm frayed nerves or ease dull aches or pains. Add a few sprigs of fresh and uplifting geranium or basil to balance the effect of this bouquet.

Gather all the herbs in a bundle and tie off with a length of cotton ribbon or string. Gently bruise or tear the leaves to release the aromatic oils. Make a loop with the excess ribbon and tie the bouquet underneath the faucet so that water flows over herbs and into the tub. Or, let the bouquet float around you as you relax in the tub.