And that's where the fence is sposedtabe.

It was a little funny when we looked down the property line... er at least the fence line at the time and saw an obvious curve toward our side. The plan is to install an elaborate landscape in time, so a survey was in order anyway. Next step, put the fence where it goes and remove the old one.
And there you have it. With free range organic blown down, or flood transported lumber sawn by my Uncle, yup, that makes it special. (If you don't know about my "oddity" already, you need to read back.)

A temporary bonus feature of taking down the old fence was the grass dock to play on. No, not for the kids, for me. Again, "oddity". You gotta have fun peeps :)

On with the garden! The greenhouse update: James has added an irrigation system to the greenhouse that we will have on timer to make happy seeds. Soon there will be several misters hanging from the walls and roof.
That's what we are up to. Hey, you need a greenhouse? We got ours from Charlie.

I must show you this!

You gotta see it! Okay, so I was browsing the treasury pages (the particular treasury was made by ClinkscalesArts on Etsy, she has quite the eye for great things!) and came across a phenomenal work. Then I clicked on it and there were like several other phenomenal works. I really love pottery and the detail that can be captured by the clay, right down to the artists fingerprint. That really is a great part about it, it's got the capacity to capture the artists hand. Mine will be like that when I start making it, you will get the fingerprints and imperfections, rough textures and artists marks.

The detail and artistry that can be permanently married into the fine particles are unmatched with any other material I know of. I also like that clay has been used since the very beginning of civilization for many, many uses from tools to intricate artwork and display. I appreciate being part of Etsy and the mutual contribution and support that can be found there.

I like all kinds of pottery, and I buy it and am happy to own the work of other artists. Everything from fiber to jewelry to pottery, cards and art. And beads, of course.

This is some pottery I hope to have one day, displayed in a lighted stucco wall niche (or sooner than that a beautiful Yunomi for tea). You should totally check out her shop and the details behind her work.

Pottery by Grace Sheese

And the winner is.....

Here it is, this is the entry timestamp that was chosen from the pile of timestamps. I'munna have to get some more silver stuff listed!

Congratulations ! Happy shopping!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

The winning entry was chosen from paper slips with the entry timestamps on them. There were no two timestamps the same, I checked.

The winner is being contacted with details and will be announced when I receive confirmation.

Thanks to everyone for participating, and the great comments and info!

Diving in head first...

It's not something I have done before and it is my most "reckless" business risk. I feel fortunate and I am somewhat comfortable making it. So here goes, I got some (a lot of) gemstones and some pearls, the huge kind. Following is a sneak peak of part of the stock.

ENTER the giveaway! It ends soon, like tonight! The winner will get first pick of the new choices and will have plenty of time to use their $50 since there is a lot to list. Entries are closed.I did find some beautiful Peridot (a personal goal also), and it was not easy to find such clear stones. My plan before listing is to standardize the photography so that it all has the same lighting. I am still sorting and organizing things but do stay tuned. I will list the specially requested things first. If you want something, let me know, I may have it. It will take a lot of time to get everything up and if you are in need of something, please don't feel like you have to wait for me to list it. If you want it, ask, and I will get to it much faster.

I tried to get everything on the list, but alas I could not. Many stones have such a range of size and colors and variations I was not sure what people would be most interested in. This applies to agates, opals, tiger eyes, Malachites, etc. I did get some turquoise, but the beads themselves are rather basic cuts, although I did get some flower carved turquoise rounds. Jaspers, sadly were not as plentiful as I would have liked to see.

Anyway, I have things to do...
Thank you to everyone for the great comments and following my work.

We work with all kinds of rocks....

So, one may think by reading the most recent entries that all I do is play with gemstones. While I do enjoy that part, I also play with "regular" rocks (or maybe it's mostly soil). The garden is coming along, and once it stops snowing (Hello, it's totally almost Spring!) I am planning on planting some things.

We bought plenty of seeds that are just waiting patiently in their little packs...They are just waiting, to become a mass of high maintenance goodness. I will absolutely let you know the progress on the veggie/flower garden. If you cannot wait to see great planties, I am using the photos of them in my feedback for the Vault store here.

And of course, I am going to a gem show today...

Consider yourself warned.

This is your official notification of new stuff. I will be listing things soon and throughout the weekend. Click here to go to The Vault.

If you have not entered the drawing for $50 worth of your selection of gemstones, do it! Click for info, it's really easy to enter. Entries are closed.

I am reading and taking note of all the comments on what people would like to see. I am also looking forward to getting some more unusual items in the store. I am attending a show soon, and the income from this first batch of listings will be used to buy great new things there. My sister is great at digging up unique and unusual beads, so I am going to bribe her to come with me. (Not hard to do when I hand her cash and tell her to go hunt down great things.)

Quality control-
I photograph each item you will receive, which is a little different than many bead sellers. I do this because it is something I expect to be done for me. I also will let you know the gauge of wire that fits in the holes. There is no real standard for gemstone grading, but I will do my best to provide an accurate "grade" for the individual listings.

As I go along, I do end up with lower quality stones and stones with blemishes that I have set aside. If anyone is interested in them I would be willing to photo them and list them at a discount.

Comments, questions, things you would like to see in the future... Please let me know, this kind of info is greatly appreciated!

Thank you everyone for your support!

Want free gemstones?

To celebrate the Grand Opening of my brand new Vault, I am drawing a name for a $50 custom selection in the new store.

See the store here : www.LiciaBeadsVault.etsy.com

What do you have to do to enter? Just leave a comment following this post (make sure I can contact you from your comment), and let me know what you would like to see in the shop if you are so inclined.

Entries are closed (but follow this blog for more great stuff, and yeah, I like to have drawings. )

I will be attending local gem shows and arranging vacations around certain other gemshows when the time comes. If you have a favorite gemstone, are looking for handmade earwires or special wire wrapped clasps, let me know. While you are here, I can tell you it may be beneficial to follow/bookmark this blog for special notices.

The store will be stocking soon, so keep an eye out! Get an idea of what I will be stocking by checking my other store (check the sold section too).

__________________________________________
Entries are limited to one per person and the drawing ends on Sunday, March 15 at 9:00PM EST (That's Etsy time).
__________________________________________