My Newest Pendants

These are a few of my newest pendants that are up on my Etsy site.  The first few are semiprecious stones that are wire wrapped in sterling silver wire.

Isn't this the most amazing color?  This is a lovely stone called Charoite and you can find this pendant here.

I really loved working on this pendant it just took on a life of it's own.  Here is the listing

This one is made with a big hunk of Baltic Amber.  I just adore the rich honey color in this one. Here is the listing.

I started to experiment with Silver Metal clay and made some of the following pendants. 

I just love the detail that came out in this leaf! 

This is a very abstract freeform pendant that I experimented with.  

I also made a few silver crosses. Here are some examples.

   

Both are old Byzantine style crosses. Here is the first and here is the next

Pisnia bude pomizh nas (Пісня буде поміж нас) - 2012

Performed by Ksenia Salewycz (guitar/vocals), Andrij Wowk (vocals), and Oles Kuzyszyn (piano) on 12/8/12 at 'An Evening with Volodymyr Ivasiuk', at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey (UACCNJ), Whippany, NJ. Arranged by Ksenia Salewycz, Andrij Wowk, and Oles Kuzyszyn. Words and music by legendary Ukrainian composer Volodymyr Ivasiuk.

Виконують Ксеня Салевич (ґітара, спів), Андрій Вовк (спів), і Олесь Кузишин (фортепіян), 8-го грудня, 2012-го р.на Вечорі Володимира Івасюка в Українсько-Американському Культурному Центрі, Випані, Н.Дж., ЗША. Аранжування - Ксеня Салевич, Андрій Вовк, і Олесь Кузишин. Слова і музика незбутьного Володимира Івасюка.

Life without electricity after hurricane Sandy.....

Its the little things in life that you really miss when the power is out long term.  Being able to brew coffee in the morning or drying your hair.  When was the last time you needed to dry your hair by sitting near the fireplace? Fresh food in the refrigerator is a nicety too.  For the past 3 days we have gone to bed when the sun went down since sitting around in the dark got old real fast.

It really makes you appreciate what life must have been like just a few hundred years ago.  The big difference is that for people hundreds of years ago there was nothing to compare it to.  They lived that way and knew no other way of life. It was normal for them and not a hardship.
  We on ther otherhand know what we have lost when the power goes out. We miss being able to run the dishwasher or turn on the tv.  The power being out has forced us kicking and screaming back to a simpler way of life. Maybe we should take a lesson from this all and learn to not take good things for granted.  Count our blessings, spend more quality time with our families....

Preparing for yet another hurricane....

Well here we go again another hurricane looming off the East coast heading straight for New Jersey.  I am really hoping it is all hype but am preparing for the worst.  I would rather take it seriously and be prepared for nothing than to wish I had done more later.

 
Aside from the obvious of taking in or tying down all things that can be picked up by the wind and turned into projectiles.  Make sure you have a supply of enough food that will not need cooking and water (one gallon per person per day) to last at least a week.  If you have pets or infants at home make sure you have enough supplies for them as well ie food, formula, diapers.  Fill all possible containers with water for washing and cooking in addition to water you may have bought.  Fill the bathtub as well in case  you need to flush the toilets manually.  Temps in the fridge and freezer should be  turned down to the coldest settings, Ziplock bags should be filled and frozen to use as water later and to cool down the fridge if the power goes out.  If you have a generator make sure you have extra gas to run it.  Fill your car gas tanks. Don't forget to make sure you have clean laundry to last a while since if the power goes out you will not be able to run the washing machine.  Make sure you get cash from the banks as well since ATMs and card swipe machines  at the store will not work if the power is out.  Gather your important documents together and keep them with you in a Ziplock bag.  Flashlights, a battery powered radio,  and lots of batteries are a must.  Please do not use candles! Don't forget something to entertain the kids and yourself while waiting for it all to pass!

Hope this list helps! Stay safe everyone!

My ring on Ivillage.com

I am so very excited!  My ring was included in the Beauty and Style section of IVillage.com!  come check it out! made-new-jersey-15-fab-designers-garden-state