Val's Whimsical Art and Jewellery

LAMPWORKING Classes

2011-11-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

‎...here is a pic of a few lampwork beads I made in my first class on Saturday - you will see the glass rods behind the beads which were used to make the beads - I have more beads from my second class on Sunday, but those are getting annealed and I will get them in next few days - the lady who taught me is called Pauline and this is her website http://www.paulinedelaney.com/ - if you are interested in taking lampwork beadmaking classes and you live in Australia, check out her webpage and see if she has any classes close to your home - she is a wonderful artist and a great lady and I had an absolute ball learning how to melt glass...cheers everyone!

2011-11-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! It has been nearly a year since I have been on blogger - thought I would just stop by and say hello and catch you up with what I have been doing all that time.

I am really into lampwork beads now - in fact, I have classes starting tomorrow and cannot wait to make my first lampwork glass bead - once I get some hands on experience I plan to set up my art studio with all the lampworking equipment I will need and start making these pretties myself The 4 beads you see in the photo have been purchased from very talented lampwork artists in US as well as Australia and I have just added the wire wrapping to them.

I hope everyone is happy ad well and I look forward to browsing your pages shortly! Cheers Val

Two new pendants...

2011-02-23T20:48:00.001-08:00

...both of these are in my Etsy shop!

Another GIVEAWAY

2011-02-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

...up for grabs, three handmade goodies...please go to my FB page here ---> http://www.facebook.com/Vals.Whimsical.Whimsy and leave a comment on the GIVEAWAY post - cheers!!!

...another three pendants!

2011-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

...three more pendants which I made today - I love the way these dark crystal beads look embedded inside these clay pendants :D - thats it for today...

A few new pendants!

2011-02-22T17:05:00.001-08:00

...hello everyone in Blogger world.

Just wanted to stop by and show you a few of my new pendants...I took a lot of time off during the school holidays, then a few more weeks off while we holidayed in Fiji - now I am back...and it feels great sitting at my work bench with my jewellery bits and pieces :)

Hope you are are all well and happy, chat soon, cheers Val xx

GIVEAWAY on my FB Page

2011-02-18T01:49:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone :D Just a quick note to let you know I am holding a Giveaway on my FB page, so scoot on over there (http://www.facebook.com/Vals.Whimsical.Whimsy) and leave a comment on the Giveaway post for your chance to win this wire wrapped glass tear with Tourmaline Gems!

MERMAID II - step by step pics

2011-02-16T20:13:00.001-08:00

Today I started painting this Mermaid and decided to take a few progress pics...from start to finish (painting only) this piece took me 5 hours - I also spent an extra few hours before I started painting making the star fish clay canes, baking them, then cutting them down to size which decorate the Mermaid's tail. Of course, now I have to only varnish her a few times and she will be ready to decorate her new owner's home!

This is a decent size canvas board (40cmx50cm) - I was very naughty, painting inside my house, in my office...tsk tsk tsk...but I do have a valid excuse, my 8yo daughter Maya stayed home from school as she wasn't feeling well and I did not want to leave her in the house alone while I painted in the studio, hence my painting session inside the house :) (it wasn't too much of a disaster, I only got paint on a couple of places and was able to clean it off).

Thank you all for your welcome wishes...I am so glad that Blogger is working for me once again and that I can rejoin the Blogger community - I hope everyone is well and happy...chat to you all soon...cheers Val xoxo

New Painting - MERMAID

2011-02-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

30cmx60cm mixed media on canvas panel

OH MY GOODNESS :0

It worked...it finally worked...I can once again post photos onto my Blogger page - YAYAYAYAYAY

Anyway...its looks like I am back...hello to all my friends and buddies...I look forward to chatting to you all once again on Blogger.

HUGZ Val xoxoxoxoxo

Just a quick little update...

2010-09-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

...nah, still not able to post photos - oh well.

Been busy with custom orders and busy with life in general, as per usual - currently I am redecorating my house - walls have been knocked out and feature squares cut into other walls, some doorways have been closed off - still plastering the place but expect to start painting in the next few days - my whole house is getting a makeover, well overdue, and even tho I am sick of the mess and dust the place will look great when its done and I am enjoying the disaster zone nevertheless.

You can find me on FB most days where I have no problems posting photos (unlike on Blogger) so if you want to say hello just pop onto my FB page :D

Hope everyone is well and good and happy and healthy! Cheers to all, Val xoxo

Meet me on FB

2010-08-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hey Bloggers, I am no longer spending time on here as its no longer working for me - what I mean by that is that Blogger no longer lets me download photos and leave comments on on other blogs so I have permanently moved to my FB page here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Val-Zdero-Art-Jewellery/117884507572#!/val.zdero - if you still want to keep in touch with me and my handmade jewellery please click on the link and join me on FB - cheers and wishing you all the very best - Val xo

GIVEAWAY on my FB Page

2010-07-19T16:41:00.001-07:00

Hi Bloggers, sorry I haven't been on here for a while but I am still having problems with this site and I am pretty frustrated, so have decided to keep away from Blogger all together.

Just to let you all know that I am holding a giveaway on my FB Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Val-Zdero-Art-Jewellery/117884507572 - just click on the link and you will be taken to the GIVEAWAY post.

Hope you are all well and happy - hope to see you on my FB page if we can't communicate on Blogger anymore - cheers Val xoxo

Blogger playing up for me - again!

2010-07-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I haven't been on blogger for over a week now which is very unusual for me. I blame Blogger for it.

It is no longer allow me to post photos on here and I am running out of patience with it. Or I could just blame my laptop which refuses to do the things I tell it - I know it has something to do with my cache and cookies etc etc... but I just can't work it out.

My computer troubles aside, I am well and my kiddies are on the second week of their school holidays and they are currently having sleepovers - I miss them terribly and can't wait to pick them up from my sisters house tomorrow but in the meantime, my house is spotless as I have had plenty of time to clean an empty house because I have been bored and also because my house needed a good spring clean :D

I will attempt to work out my Blogger problem and visit some blogs, catch up with you guys, but even leaving comments on some blogs is a problem as well, it just won't allow me to do it.

Ah well, hell, maybe its time to update my laptop and hurl this one in the bin!

Hope you are all well and happy -cheers Val xo

NEW GIVEAWAY - Rhodium Filigree Pendant...

2010-06-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

...I am giving away this lovely Rhodium Filigree Pendant to one of my Blogger/FaceBook buddies - just leave a comment on this post and I will draw a winner in the next few days :D

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Pendants

2010-06-24T04:19:00.001-07:00

...well, I am hooked on this design of pendant now - the other pair in the previous post were very lightweight and have been turned into earrings :D - these two new pieces will be pendants on very delicate silver plated cable chains...

Cheers everyone!

Yup...me again...

2010-06-23T04:38:00.001-07:00

This was supposed to be a new pair of earrings - I say supposed to because, once I put on the resin, they were lovely and 'domed' with crystal clear finish, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they may be too heavy to be earrings - so now I have to wait until they are dry so I can test their weight - in case they are too heave, I will have made two identical pendants which is still OK :D

Three more newbies drying...I have gone a bit 'cosmic' with my backgrounds, but they are pretty hip I think :D

Thank you to all the lovelies that leave comments on my posts, I love reading them and try to answer all of them :D Keep well and chat soon, Val xox HUGS

One lazy dog and a few new pendants....

2010-06-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

I have made 4 more pendants today - these have just come out of the oven and later tonight I will layer resin over them which will bring out the colors even more - these pendants are getting more and more intricate and detailed and I feel like I am painting them instead of making a collage :D

Check him out will you LOL! This is the way Luther sits in a typical Mastiff pose, every morning, the moment the sun peaks over out house :D - he is just too adorable :)

2010-06-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

...next 5 sales ( until sale no. 160) in my Etsy shop will receive a free MINI pendant with any purchase : O

I am feeling better today, the cold/flu I felt a few days ago thankfully only hung around for 48 hours and I am nearly back to normal. I am not surprised that all of us a coming down with some sort of a 'bug' as it has been bone chillingly cold in Melbourne these last two weeks.

School holidays start at the end of next week so I am looking forward to spending time with my kids - we plan to watch loads of movies at the cinemas and go shopping, rent videos and play the new Wii games they received for the B-days a few weeks ago :D

Hope you are all well and I will chat to you guys soon :D

New Silver Bezel Pendants...

2010-06-15T02:46:00.001-07:00

...feeling really off at the moment...I think I must have the flu which the kids had last week...going to curl up and sleep I think...

Cat Profiles - Pepper | WHISKAS.COM.AU

2010-06-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Blogger friends - I have entered my cat Pepper into a Whiskas (cat-food) comp - if you have a moment to spare, please click on the link which will take you to the voting page and a pic of Pepper curled up in her basket - thank you so much :D

Cat Profiles - Pepper | WHISKAS.COM.AU

Goddess Pendants...

2010-06-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

...I have been wanting to make some Goddess jewellery for a very long time and lately I have been spending a lot of time on the internet reading up on this deity...

The Goddess has many names and many meanings some of which are Mother Goddess/The Great Mother/Gaia/Fertility Goddess - she is the being which gave birth to all other beings. She represents femininity, power and nurturing. Goddesses are mothers and creators, they ensure the fertility of land and people alike.

The spirals on her belly depict fertility and the vital magic of life. The Goddess raises her arms, invoking that spiral-power/energy within Her.

Here are 3 pendants I have made with the Goddess charm as the main focal point resting against a bed of leaves...I think that is very appropriate...

LISTED ON ETSY.... new line

2010-06-11T00:02:00.001-07:00

...I am like a kid in a candy store today, my supplies have all arrived and I am beside myself with excitement, just making new pendants and LOVIN IT!

New batch just baked :D

2010-06-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

...these pendants have just come out of the oven and I have just glazed them with the first coat of resin...these have a lovely shimmering pearl color to them as I have added shimmer pigment to the resin and they have come up great!

Tree of Life pendants...

2010-06-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

Finished...a new line of pendants

2010-06-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Still making pendants...

2010-06-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

...as my supplies arrive daily, I end up getting all these new pieces of jewellery which I just have to decorate straight away - that is why there are a few new pieces everyday now - these two are quite large (55mm) and are on hammered copper discs - they will be turned into pendants when they are cured!

Finished Pendants...

2010-06-08T17:16:00.001-07:00

...these earrings and two pendants are made from Rhodium Filigree Discs which are so thin and delicate but with resin layers over the top, they have become very hardy - I am happy with the way these pieces have turned out :D

oh I am loving this one...

2010-06-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

50mm Rhodium Plated Filigree Leaf

...second coat of resin just added to this pendant - I am loving the way this froggy is turning out, its looking a lot like what I imagined when I ordered the supplies :D

Our Luther warming himself :D

2010-06-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

...Big Boy Luther enjoying an evening in - we always let our English Mastiff into the house in the evenings while hubby and I are relaxing - we are in the middle of winter here and it is so very very cold, the nights especially...so Luther looks forward to being pampered :D

A few more pendants...finally my little frog charms have arrived and I was able to make the frog on the lilly pad pendant that someone suggested I make :D

Kids B-Day Party was a BLAST!

2010-06-07T02:05:00.000-07:00

...a roaring success, heaps of friends, amazingly great pressies, lots of good food and cakes :D - it was a lovely Sunday afternoon at my place - there were about 30 adults and kids just catching up :D - I should have taken a photo of the toy-room where an explosion of sorts happened - one of my daughters massive stuffed horses broke its seams and there was stuffing EVEYWHERE - clinging to the carpet, furniture, clothes etc - my daughter was a sweetie, she grabbed the vacuum cleaner straight away and cleaned the mess up :d (I taught her well).

I spent the day today cleaning, cleaning and doing a bit more of cleaning :D - the house is nearly back to normal.

I also received a few more packages and was able to make a pair of earrings and a very delicate necklace :D

...OK ladies, must run (again) my hubby and I are trying to put together an air-hockey table the kids received for their birthday - should be lots of fun!

new GIVEAWAY on my FB Fan Page

2010-06-05T18:28:00.001-07:00

...here is another pendant I am giving away -again! Just go to my FB fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Val-Zdero-Art-Jewellery/117884507572 and leave a comment - I will be drawing a winner tonight and will post the winner's name on the Giveaway post :D - good luck!

Busy week...well, as per usual...

2010-06-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

...just a few pendants I was able to squeeze in today... I love the second one with the explosion of forest leaves, quite fitting for a tree of life pendant I think :-)

My little man, Master 11 (he turned 11 today) has been so sick with a throat infection and then croup to top it off, he is on antibiotics for 5 days and is slowly getting better.

I am having a combined b-day party for my son and daughter on Sunday (as they were born 3 years apart, nearly to the day) and am expecting abut 14 adults and as many children to descend on my home on Sunday afternoon - PARTY!

I will let you know how I survive the party (and my poor house too LOL) - OK, getting late her, will be back shortly with few b-day pics I think - enjoy your weekend everyone - hugz!

Bird Necklaces...simple yet so sweet...

2010-06-03T16:37:00.001-07:00

...a few new pieces which I made last night as some of my supplies arrived yesterday - there are still a few more packages to arrive, but whats here is still great :D

I have also opened up a new section in my Etsy shop titled "Under $20.00 Sale Items" - these pieces are reduced by 50% so if you have had your eye on something, please check here and it may be reduced to clear.

Hope everyone is having a great week :D

new GIVEAWAY on my FB Fan Page

2010-06-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

...this is my fourth giveaway this week...I know, I am slightly deranged this week LOL...nah, just feeling really generous - so skip on over to my fan page and leave a comment to be in with a chance to win this locket http://www.facebook.com/pages/Val-Zdero-Art-Jewellery/117884507572 - I will be drawing a winner tomorrow (Random.org) GOOD LUCK EVERYONE :0

Leaf and Butterfly Pendant

2010-05-31T17:32:00.001-07:00

...so sweet, so different - always searching for new designs :D

a few tiny pendants...

2010-05-31T04:15:00.001-07:00

... just a few pendants I have been working on - these are so little and delicate - very feminine - only an inch in size - I have just ordered more supplies from US and of course, once again, I am sitting on needles here with impatience awaiting their arrival - I have ordered a few lilly pads and a few 3D frog charms for a new line of pendants :D

Hope everyone is well and happy and good - hugs to all!

NEW LOCKET GIVEAWAY ON FB :D

2010-05-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Blogger friends - I am holding a GIVEAWAY of this locket on my FB Fan Page - please click on this link and just leave a comment :D GOOD LUCK :D

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Val-Zdero-Art-Jewellery/117884507572

New batch of SOAP...

2010-05-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

...this batch I made yesterday and I have just cut up the two logs of soap - its a mixture of Honeysuckle, Champagne and Gardenia and now my whole house smells on this scent, its divine. I have been meaning to make more soap and finally got the chance yesterday!

...also, a few packages arrived yesterday and one of them was the strand of gems - Amethyst, Citrine, Topaz and Peridot -I have made this tree of life pendant with the gems and its very sparkly and bright.

Back to Wire Wrapping...

2010-05-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

...last few days I have been wire wrapping pendants again as my various supplies are really taking a very long time to arrive - so, here are two which are currently in my Etsy shop - you may remember that I made a necklace for my mom for my brother's wedding a few weeks back and I have a heap of glass pearls left over from that project, so I figured I would put them in a Tree of Life pendant and I think all the different pearl sizes look great :D - one of these has already sold so someone else seems to think so too - cheers everyone!

SILVER pendants...

2010-05-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone in Blogger Land - hope everyone is happy and well and smiling!

I am slowly easing into reality after my holidays - it is cold and gloomy and rainy in my part of the world, so basically I am locked indoors reading or cleaning or washing or making new jewellery (the usual for a stay at home mom) - we are well and truly into winter in Melbourne!

I have had a lot of requests/emails asking if I make my Val Pendants in silver as I have been hung up on antique brass for a very long time - so here they are. They look sweet I think :) but I still prefer the honey tones of brass.

I am busy with three custom orders I have had since returning from holidays (one of which is finished and already listed on Etsy) - the other two orders are on hold until I receive the supplies which should be arriving this week hopefully.

I am going to curl up and read my book now and switch the laptop off - new resolution for me, since returning from holidays, is to spend less time on the Internet - lets see how I do on that one LOL. Bye everyone!

Back to reality...

2010-05-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

...my newest pendants which are now curing for the next two day - it was wonderful pulling out all my jewellery supplies last night and making pendants again as its been nearly a month since I have made any new pieces.

The moment I re-opened my Etsy shop on the weekend, I received heaps of emails from buyers who had been waiting for me to return so they can put in custom orders - this is great of course and now I have to buy all the supplies needed as I have run out of everything: beads, resin, wire, clay etc etc.

On another note, a custom order I sent to the US before my holidays arrived, minus the custom order - great isn't it. Only the free gift I enclosed was in the envelope which means that somewhere along the postal route, someone opened up the envelope, removed the custom pendant, re-sealed the envelope and posted it to the buyer! What a bummer - now I have to make another pendant for the custom order and have it resent to the poor lady who was so patient with me and waited a month for the pendant which never arrived...ah hell, that's life I suppose, there is a first for everything.

OK, must get off this laptop now and do some work around the house - cheers all, Val xo

HELLO...I am back...

2010-05-13T00:50:00.001-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE - well ladies...here are the pictures as promised - I have chosen a few out of 135 photos I took on these holidays...not surprising, I only feature in few of them as I always end up being the designated photographer LOL...

At the Port Douglas look-out...

ughhhh...kids getting up-close and personal with some tropical pythons (non venemous of course) while mom is freaking out, taking the photos...this was taken at the Cairns Night Markets

Mossmon waterfall in a tropical rain forest - just one of many we visited on our travels...

Volcanic crater which is about 80 meters deep below the water surface before it takes a sharp right...that part has still not been explored. 60 meters from the viewing platform where I took this photo to the water below...

Largest Amethyst Geode in the world - this one is 2.6 tonne and 3.6 meters tall...this was at the Crystal Caves in the Tablelands...

Maya and I horse riding on Wonga Beach - I don't know how she talked me into this one and a half hour ride...I was unable to walk for 2 days afterwards LOL

We rented a moke on our third day of holidays and drove around Port Douglas and Mossman...the kids loved it!

Kiddies with a Cassowary...amazing birds!

Catching lizards in Port Douglas...I have so many photos of the kids with lizards in their hands, its not funny...

At a Tropical Zoo...check out the crocs sunning themselves on the sand...

Paronella Park in the Tablelands...these grounds are gorgeous with Spanish Castles built on them by a Spanish immigrant in 1935...

Spanish Castle in the background...under the bridge is a waterfall...this place was amazing...I even bought the biography of Jose Paronella (I hope I spelled it correctly) the man who dreamt of building a pleasure garden in the middle of the tropics...75 years later, the park still operates and tourists stream through the doors...

Evening shot of Cairns...the large building lit up behind the kids is the Trilogy apartments where we stayed...

Mossman rain forest...

Mandalay apartments at Port Douglas, on our ground floor balcony...

Ice cold water at Mossmon...

WOW - what a busy 10 days we have had - I always feel like I need a holiday from the holiday LOL - it was great, we had a wonderful time and the weather was excellent for us - only a few quick showers on a couple of days, otherwise, it was hot and sunny and we were just go go go... - all my photos are out of sequence but never mind :D We rented a moke for one day and a large comfortable sedan for two days - John and I worked it out, we did over 650km in driving and visiting various places...and we wished we had a few more days of holidays as there were still many places we did not get to see...ah well, next time...

It is good to be back tho, as much as travelling and sightseeing is wonderful, it is always nice to come back home and sleep in ones own bed! I have a suitcase full of clothes to wash (the machine is washing the second load right now) and then its back to REALITY for all of us - hubby and I back to work tomorrow, kids at school and so on...

Hope everyone has been well and good...thank you to everyone for leaving such wonderful comments on my previous post about my brother's wedding - you guys are so kind and wonderful, THANK YOU so much - I look forward to chatting to you all very soon!

My Baby Brother is MARRIED :D

2010-05-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

My baby brother Vlad and his wife Jade :D

Kids having fun around the Hot Rod which took the groom and his Best Man to Church

My little ones - so grown up in their formal finery :D

The whole family glitzed up and ready to party!

Well...I finally have a quick moment to do this post and let you know about my brother's wedding.

Needless to say, the bride was glowing and beautiful, my brother hansom and relaxed, the weather unbelievably mild for 1 May and all the guests having a great time - a perfect wedding.

CONGRATS to the new Mr & Mrs Zivanovic - I love you both very much and wish you all the happiness in the world - lots of hugs and kisses to you both :D

My family and I fly out to Cairns tomorrow morning for our holiday in the tropics and I still have a couple of last minute things to do, plus cleaning the house and packing our suitcases...so I think I better go and do that now!

When we return I will get back into blogging and post some pics of our holidays, promise. Until then, keep safe and happy and we will chat a bit later on :D

Sad today :(

2010-04-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Maya and Sinisha

My little 10yo man went to his Grade 5 camp this morning and returns on Friday - he was so excited this morning, wheeling his suitcase and carrying his sleeping bag into the schoolyard - Maya (who is tough cookie) actually had tears in her eyes as she decided she will miss her brother.

I am sad this morning as I miss my little man already - ahh the joys of parenthood...

I am slowly getting ready for my holiday's next week and I still need to get a few things organised for my brother's wedding on Saturday...so I guess I better stop feeling sorry for myself and get on with it...cheers all, Val xo

New pendants...yet again :D

2010-04-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

...I made these three pendants last night and this morning I gave them a second coat of resin - my fingers are sticky and my work surface is an absolute mess - as much as I love making these pendants I hate the clean-up which is a given after each crafting session :) - these pendants will have to wait until I return from holidays in mid May before I list them on Etsy as my shop will be going on 'vacation' in a few days time.

Today its is sunny and warm once again (no surprise there LOL) but tomorrow will be another season no doubt. I plan to do some housework and then star packing - also need to organise a few things for my brother's wedding in a weeks time so I will be busy busy busy until we fly out to Cairns/Port Douglas at the beginning of May.

OK, just wanted to say a quick hello to everyone and chat to you soon, cheers Val xo

Photos of my pets :D

2010-04-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

Pepper asleep in her basket

Luther on his comfy bed

Time to show some pics of my two pets (family members really) - Pepper is our 2 year old tabby and she is a real character. She has adopted my washing basket as her permanent sleeping headquarters and she spends the whole day curled up next to the TV :D

Luther is our 4 year old English Mastiff - the gentlest giant in the dog world - and he is the sweetest dog ever - he still thinks he is little and tries to get into your lap which is scary since he weighs 95kg LOL

Today I am freezing, covered in a blanket, the weather is back to winter once again with massive storms forecast - a big difference from the last two days which were 30C (summer weather) - but that's Melbourne for you, 16 season changes in one day :D

MY BLOG is missing... ME...

2010-04-19T23:24:00.001-07:00

photo taken a few minutes ago...

photo taken a year ago...

Hello fellow Bloggers - I have realized that my blog is all about jwellery this and jewellery that and blah blah blah - and that is all well and good, as being creative is a big part of who I am, but...this blog, my blog...well its missing me...missing other parts of my life, my hubby and my kids and my day to day joys and horrors and everything in between. I plan to remedy that asap.

I plan to post a whole heap of photos from my brother's wedding here in a few weeks and I will make sure to also post photos of my upcoming Port Douglas holidays too :D

For my first post, about me LOL...well actually its about my other half... this is an American 1970 Dodge Challenger which my husband bought last year and is now doing a full restoration on ...this has always been his dream and he has been living it for the last year. You see, both the car and my husband share the same birth year "1970"! That means a lot to him. This is apparently one of the most classic muscle cars there is - there are a few, like Mustangs and Camaros etc. but the Challenger has always been hubby's favorite. He has already planned to restore, for his next car, the Australian version, The Charger!

The rust bucket which arrived a year ago was a disaster (as you can see from the last photo) and my poor son was so distraught at the time, telling his day "But, dad, the car is destroyed!" We all laughed over this so very much .

As you can see from the first photo, the car body has been straightened (massive job) all the dints pulled out and painted in the original Banana Yellow color - I am constantly ordering original parts from US sellers for hubby and this car is slowly coming along - it is a long long way from being finished but he is loving every moment of his dream restoration car.

My darling kids are also in the photo :D

OK I hope you have enjoyed this post...I will do my best to post a bit of real life now and then and mix it up with my art and jewellery passion. Cheers all, Val xoxoxox

These are the finished pendants :D

2010-04-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

two finished pendants, already listed on Etsy.

I will be putting my shop on vacation at the end of this month as I am going to Port Douglas with the family for a two week holiday - YESSSSSSSSSS - we are counting sleeps - the weather is lovely up there all year round, 23C - 28C right now (and thats supposed to be winter :) - just perfect for resting the mind and body :D

I will make sure to post lots of photos here from my brother's wedding on 1 May and also from our holidays when I return in mid May :D

Pearls for my mom :D

2010-04-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

Pearl Necklace for my MOM :D

Some new pieces glazed with resin, just made :D

Hi Ladies, I wanted to share the pearl photo which is a piece I made for my mom for my brothers wedding on 1 May - two weeks to go - she is wearing a lovely dove grey dress and wanted a necklace, a special piece, made for her -she has really green eyes too, so I have used white, light blue, aqua, and grey pearls in different sizes and wire wrapped the necklace for her, three strands, as she requested. I will be going to visit mom tomorrow and will take the necklace to her - hope she likes it.

Also a few new pendants I made today after I finished my GST paperwork - I have just poured resin onto them :D

Chat soon lovely ladies, Val xo

Custom Order :D

2010-04-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show you buddies a custom order which I finished yesterday for a lady in the US - these colors were chosen by her and they look so lovely together, with the black background coming through - on the front is a brass/copper phoenix charm :D

I started a new painting a few days ago, an Angel/Saint large painting but have had to stop for a few days so I can get a new perspective on it - I have a feeling I have ruined the painting, but will do my best to salvage it - maybe I am just too critical of my first painting in weeks - will wait and see and once it is done I will post photos here (if I think it is good enough to show).

Must run now, its Sunday morning here and my kids have playdates all day - so must drive them to their friends' houses and then I am spending the rest of the day doing my GST (accounting work) something I want to have done asap so I can get it off my mind :D

Mirror Compacts :-)

2010-04-14T15:54:00.001-07:00

...these little beauties finally arrived yesterday - they are lovely and so well detailed and shiny and bright - yesterday I added my Val Pendants to the front of these two as I just had to see what they would look like. AMAZING - I think I have found just the thing for handmade Christmas gifts this year :) - cheers lovely Bloggers, chat soon xoxoxox

NEW Mini Val Pendants...half the size :)

2010-04-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

...these little cuties are becoming very popular - they are half the size of the original Val Pendant and half the price too!

PRESSIE for me from JADE :D

2010-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

...I just wanted to show everyone this gorgeous gorgeous painting which Jade of http://jadeehenderson-artshop.blogspot.com/ painted for me - she is an amazing artist and soon to be my Sister-in-Law. Please visit her blog and see the amazing artwork she makes. This painting is part of a swap we did, she got my "Gardener Girl" mixed media painting and I got this beauty :D

Another bit of happy news - I made some MINI Val Pendants last night (two of them) and they are already both spoken for - I have a feeling I will be making a few of these little pendants too as they are being snapped up like hotcakes - currently I am working on three new MINI Val Pendants :D - will show you pics tomorrow.

OK lovely Bloggers, must run - I have visitors today, my mom and my mother-in-law so I guess better go and 'gas-bag' with them LOL

GREAT for a bit of a LAUGH :D

2010-04-11T19:35:00.001-07:00

A friend sent me an email this morning and it made me crack up - you may have seen this already but if yo haven't enjoy - this may just be true :D

Believe it or not.
Woman has Man in it;
Mrs. has Mr. in it;
Female has Male in it;
She has He in it;
Madam has Adam ! in it;

Ever notice how all of women's problems start with MEN?

MENtal illness
MENstrual cramps

MENtal breakdown

MENopause

GUYnecology

AND ..

When we have REAL trouble, it's a
HISterectomy.

GALLERY visit in Melbourne

2010-04-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

SOLD

Just wanted to let you know how my Gallery visit went on Saturday - it looks like they loved my unique pendants and would like to take a few on consignment but I first need to speak to the Gallery owner (today) and find out what their terms are (eg commissions) - so if I am happy with that information, I will be going back to the Gallery in a few days to take my pendants in :D - once this is all up and running, I will let you guys know the address of the Gallery so if any local Bloggers are in the area, you can stop buy and take a look see :D

My sister-in-laws hens night was on Saturday too, I am still recovering from that LOL and I hope Jade has recovered - but also two girlfriends and I spent the whole of Saturday, shopping, eating, getting pedicures and manicures etc etc etc - it was a great day all around.

OK must go, time to call the Gallery owner and chat to her :D - cheers Val xo

New avenues...and FREE shipping

2010-04-08T16:06:00.001-07:00

SOLD

...I will be approaching a few boutiques in Melbourne with some of my pendants (my friend finally got to me and made me promise I will do it) - if everything goes well, I will have a very happy post for all of you on Monday morning.

For this weekend only, FREE shipping on jewellery :D

Have a great weekend ladies :D

Phoenix, cat and dragon pendants too...

2010-04-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

Don't know why I am kidding myself...

2010-04-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

...yes, even with all the busy busy time around the house and painting eggs today, I have managed to squeeze in a few more pendants :D - must return to my eggs now, there are heaps of flowers all over them too :D

sorry - PENDANTS again :D

2010-03-30T15:14:00.001-07:00

...OK I know I have said this before...but this time I really mean it - this is the last of the pendants which have finally cured and now the jewellery supplies are being put away...for real.

The holidays have well and truly begun...these are my plans for the next week:

Today my daughter and I are going to the hair-dressers for a wash, trim and blow-wave - she so loves her visits to the hair-dressers, she gets to feel all grown up and important.
Tomorrow we are meeting up with one of my best friends and her two kids and we are off to the movies, then some ten pin bowling, then an afternoon at her place :D
Friday my kids and I are coloring eggs, the old fashion way, with food coloring and wax drawings on them (I may post some picks of our colored eggs)
Saturday family is coming to my home and we are cooking and preparing for Easter on Sunday (I can just imagine what my kitchen will look like :)
The week after that sleep overs are organised with my sister's kids.

So as you can see...I will be fully booked out with family things and will need to put all my pliers and beads away...I think I need the break as I don't know how to find a balance at times :D

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY EASTER - cheers and hugz, Val xoxo

NEW flower pendants...and GIVEAWAY on FB

2010-03-29T17:14:00.001-07:00

...these are the pendants I have been working on for the last few days - they are just in time to replenish my shop after yesterdays FP feature and sales :D

I have made a special pendant (Tree of Life) with resin finish - it is for all my FB Fans - just go into my FaceBook Fan Page (the box is on the right hand side of this blog, just scroll down a bit) and you can win the pendant - I will draw a winner in about a weeks time using Random.org - good luck buddies :D

OMG! Featured on the Front Page of Etsy

2010-03-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

...well, it has happened, finally - I was on the front page of Etsy this morning :D - thanks to that, I have received many hearts, heaps of custom orders and had 5 sales already - WOW - all my round flower dragonfly pendants have been SOLD - I think I will be making more of these, in may different colors, as I think they will become very very popular.

Hoping everyone else is having an amazing day too :D

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS just begun...

2010-03-26T22:14:00.001-07:00

...the last of my pedants for the next two weeks at least as its School Holidays in Victoria :D

...this morning is the first day of a 2 week break from school for my kids - so, the first fun thing we did was to clean the house :D - aren't I a terrible mum - my 10 y.0. son grumbled "great holidays mom" but he was happy to clean up while my 7 y.o. princess vacuumed the house. After about an hour of work, the place was spotless, so I took them to the shops and treated them to a toy each as a thank-you for their help - needless to say, they were so very happy about that and now look forward to our next cleaning session because they know they will get a treat :D

We have 3 movies on our list to watch at the cinemas in the next two weeks: Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Toy Story 3 and How to Train your Dragon. I am actually looking forward to seeing these movies as most of the time the kids' movies are the best and most entertaining.

OK, must go and start making dinner, the kiddies are hungry. Cheers and chat soon my buddies :D

Tree of Life Pendants

2010-03-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

...I have managed to make another Treasury - it is such a hit and miss process, here is the link

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=92846

please copy and paste into your browser and give it some love - the more clicks on my picks the better :D - would be so amazing to end up on the front page of Etsy - I am a dreamer :D

Hugz and blessing to you all :D

GREEN and PURPLE newbies...

2010-03-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

...I love green and purple together - so after receiving more supplies yesterday afternoon, I decided to make these very cute and unique pendants till all hours of the morning last night. I was half asleep by the end - when I got up this morning, they looked lovely and I had to take photos straight away.

OK, must run now (as per usual) thousands of things to do today :D

Spring into Spring

2010-03-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

"Spring into Spring" - SOLD

"Turquoise Butterfly"

...yes, me again, with more jewellery LOL, sorry.

The winner of the locket giveaway has been announced in the previous post -could the winner please email me with address details.

Thanks ladies, cheers Val xoxo

AND THE WINNER IS...

2010-03-20T17:34:00.001-07:00

Just now I went to that nifty website Random.org and this is the randomly generated number I was given... number 18!

That number belongs to the following comment :

"Your work is so beautiful. It is very delicate but also very noble and royal at the same time. Thanks for offering the giveaway. Don't forget that I also have a new giveaway this week too. So stop by when you get a chance. Love,
Wyanne"

CONGRATULATIONS WYANNE http://wyartjewels.blogspot.com/ - please email me at valzdero@live.com.au with you address details and I will have this locket posted to you in a few days.

THANK YOU to all the lovely Blogger who entered this competition :D

Wishing everyone a great weekend - chat soon my buddies, cheers Val xoxoxox

A few more filigree fancies :D

2010-03-20T05:49:00.001-07:00

...I think the Post Office is conspiring against me :D - as much as I keep saying I need to take time away from my craft and do so many other household things...the Postman keeps delivering packages and tempting me.

I received 4 more packages full of goodies on Friday and of course I could not help myself. Today was a quiet day for me (Saturday) the kids happy to ride their bikes around the farm and hubby more than happy to restore his 1970 Challenger in the garage - so I had the whole day to myself. In between washing clothes and cleaning up around the house, I was able to sit down between jobs and play around with my new supplies (I know, I am really naughty).

I think I need to stop ordering things, then there won't be any more packages arriving in the mail and the temptation will be gone :D

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and enjoying your artistic outlets too (no matter how guilty that makes us feel at times).

Cheers and hugz, Val xoxo

2 MORE DAYS LEFT FOR THE GIVEAWAY

2010-03-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

DONT FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAYhttp://valzderoart.blogspot.com/2010/03/250-followers-and-new-giveaway.html - I will be drawing a winner on Sunday - good luck everyone :D

Back to TREE OF LIFE pendants :D

2010-03-17T03:13:00.001-07:00

Marbled Ocean Tree of Life - SOLD

Cherry Blossom Tree of Life

Cat's Eye Tree of Life

Hi lovely Bloggers, I just wanted to show you a few pieces I worked on today and I am very happy with the way these pendants have turned out - I may have to make one for myself, or perhaps just keep one of these three :D

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY here is the link http://valzderoart.blogspot.com/2010/03/250-followers-and-new-giveaway.html - I will be drawing a winner over the weekend.

Hope you are all well and happy - cheers Val xoxo

250 followers - and a NEW GIVEAWAY

2010-03-12T21:08:00.001-08:00

... to celebrate 250 followers - YAY - I am having another Giveaway and this time its the blue antique brass locket.

This one also hangs from a longish chain and hangs to just below the bust area -one photo can be placed inside this locket.

To enter this giveaway you have to be a follower of my blog...so just leave a comment on this post and you are in the draw - I will pick a winner in about a weeks time using Random.org - GOOD LUCK EVERYONE :D

ETSY...a few things which are a MUST for me...

2010-03-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

...its early on Saturday morning here in sunny Bacchus Marsh...its just the way isn't it...I look forward to my sleep ins on the weekends yet here I am at 7.30am, wide awake, drinking my coffee and reading blogs...well, its a pretty good way to start off my weekend...but I wish I was asleep :D

Anyway, I have been reading through a few blogs and came across one which is a post on Etsy v eBay...very good post too...so I thought I might do one on the things I have learnt about selling on Etsy these last few months.

After a very slow start in March 2009, I put my Etsy shop on vacation for months and went back to Zibbet and eBay...but in November last year I decided to end those two selling sites and move to Etsy permanently...it has been the best move I ever made.

To this day tho I believe eBay is (for me anyway) a better site to sell original artwork but when it comes to jewellery Etsy wins hands down!

I am getting close to my 80th sale on Etsy, and that is just in the last 3 months of selling...these are the things I have learnt in that time...

1. GREAT PHOTOS are a must...a camera with a macro setting will give you those lovely detailed close up photos that sell your items so well...considering that the buyer only has a few photos to go by, those photos better be clear enough and attractive enough for that buyer to purchase your work...I found that once I bought my new camera with a macro setting and redone all my photos my sales started happening :D

2. RE-LISTING also keeps your items near the top of the searches...I try and re-list once a day, maybe 5 items all up...that brings my expenses up to a $1.00 a day which is a small price to pay to bring buyers to my shop...even better than re-listing old items is to list new items daily, even if it is only one or two new items per day :D

3. FREE SHIPPING has done wonders for me - once a week I will put a shop announcement on my Etsy shop, telling buyers about limited free shipping and that brings in more sales for me...international shipping for me costs $2.10 and domestic shipping is only $1.10 - I find that is a small amount to lose in order to make a few extra sales.

4. FREE GIFTS are always (or most often than not) included with every sale - I have made so much jewellery and some of that jewellery I am not 100% happy with, therefore I will not sell it but I am happy to enclose a piece of it with every purchase as a thank you gift...this keeps my buyers so happy that most of them have become return buyers now and that makes me happy!

5 KEEPING THE BUYER IN THE LOOP - I always send convos. to all the buyers, thanking them for the purchase and letting them know when I have posted their item and when they can expect to receive it...this keeps them happy and I am always getting great feedback on my customer service :D

OK...that about does it...I am by no means an expert on selling on Etsy considering I have only been there a few months...but the above is just something that I have found helps me sell my creations...I hope this post has been helpful to you...

OK my Blogger Buddies, it was great chatting to you this morning...cheers to everyone, Val xo

Who am I kidding here...myself:)

2010-03-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

SOLD

...a day after writing that I will be taking a break from the jewellery...well wouldn't you know it...3 more packages arrived in the mail - so many lovely little filigree brass pendants that I just couldn't...COULDN'T... help myself!!! I did exercise restraint tho...I made only THREE and put the rest away...

I made these 3 pendants last night and took photos of them this morning...I keep telling myself that I need to do so many things around the home and of course GST work for the last quarter (accounting), but I have so much fun when I immerse myself in my art that the ART always wins over GST work LOL!

No more kidding myself...THIS IS IT I say to myself... let see how long this resolution last for :D

A GIVEAWAY on Jade's blog :D

2010-03-09T20:50:00.002-08:00

how stunning is this painting :D - Jade is my "soon to be sister-in-law" and she oozes talent - I call her the 'Master' - she is giving away two original paintings - yes, thats right - so hop on over to her blog and just become a follower and leave a comment, you won't be disappointed :D

This is the link http://jadeehenderson.blogspot.com/2010/03/painting-give-away-viking-ship-and-elf.html

The last of my jewellery supplies...

2010-03-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

...I am slowly using up the last of my jewellery supplies which I have at home - of course, there are still a number of packages to arrive from the US but I may just put those aside for now and concentrate on doing a few paintings first :D

The last week has been so quiet on Etsy and I was wondering what was happening with the sales - then in a matter of 24 hours I have had 7 sales - wow! So I suppose that saying "when it rains it pours" applies to my Etsy shop right now.

I am offering free postage on jewellery plus a free gift with every purchase right now - maybe that is the reason all these sales have happened :D

Anyway, I will be very busy this week and may disappear from cyberspace for a little while, but I promise I will be back by the weekend - hope everyone is well and happy - cheers Val xo

PINK BUTTERFLY...

2010-03-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

...I have gone totally batty with this jewellery obsession - I think I need to take a step back now and relax for a bit, do some other things or perhaps go back to painting - remains to be seen :D

PS I am fast approaching 250 followers - a new giveaway will take place pretty soon I think... hmm what to offer up this time...

HAD to list these ASAP - couldn't help myself :D

2010-03-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

...here they are, completed pieces - just had to get them ready - I am scaring myself because I am already ordering new pieces, my mind is so full of new ideas - RELAX VAL!

OK must run, I am supposed to be working LOL :D

NEW pieces have arrived...

2010-03-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

...yes, they arrived yesterday this little package full of goodies - I worked on these last night, had a great time making all the dragonfly wings and then also made a 'stained glass' cross - these are still curing, another 24 hours should see them perfectly set, but I just had to take photos of them to show you - these were just dry enough for me to work with, very very carefully as I did not want my fingerprints all over these beauties.

OK buddies, that is all I have time for today - must go and work now - will return later tonight to share out some awards I received from two lovely bloggers - cheers and chat soon, Val

SOME LOVELY AWARDS

2010-03-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have received this lovely award from Faerwillow of http://tofallorstumbleupon.blogspot.com/ - thanks so much new blogger buddy!

The requirements for accepting this award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Pass this award along to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic!

3. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

4. Share seven (7) things about yourself.

My sister Vesna of http://vesna-art.blogspot.com/ has given me this great award - THANKS SIS!

The Sunshine Award is a blogger award for creativity and positivity, and its an true honor for me to receive it!

The rules for accepting the award are:
*Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
*Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
*Link the nominees within your post.
*Let the nominees know they received this award.
*Link to the person from whom you received this award.

Now, as I am so very pressed for time, as per usual, I would like to offer these awards to all my blogger buddies - if I am following you, it means that I admire your work whether it be quilting, painting, jewellery making, scrap booking etc - therefore you all deserve it :D

I know I am bending the rules here but I am so busy right now and just don't have the time to give these awards out individually! I hope no one minds too much that I am taking the easy way out.

Hope everyone helps themselves to these awards and has a great weekend :D - happy long weekend to all the Victorians :D

FILIGREE BIRD pendants...

2010-03-03T03:19:00.000-08:00

...just a few more 'filigree fancies' which arrived in the mail yesterday - I have been playing around with these cute little birdies all day today - these are just dry enough to take photos of but they will need to cure for another 24 hours :D - hope everyone is well and happy!

NEWEST creations - still making jewellery :D

2010-03-01T14:54:00.001-08:00

...yup, me again with new pieces :D - I am amassing an amazing amount of jewellery in my home - a lot of these are being sold, but I still have a lot at my home - so...it looks like I will be joining the markets around Melbourne (something I have never done before) but I think it will be fun and the markets will keep my weekends busy.

I have had a lot of emails through Blogger as well as Etsy asking me how I make these pendants, what materials I use etc - I am always happy to answer emails and always give as much information as I can but I can't divulge all my secrets can I ;) - I have come up with my own unique technique after many months of hit and misses - I am not sure if I am making these the proper way, if there is such a thing, but I know it works for me. Maybe, in the future, I will make tutorials on these resin pendants - I will say tho that the main ingredient in these pendant is RESIN - it is expensive but it is excellent - it is a two part resin that you mix and the finish is crystal clear and extremely hard, much harder than the Diamond Glaze I have used on some of my tile pendants. Some of my pendants are hand painted using hight quality acrylic paints, others are made by putting colour pigments into resin to get the various shades...

Anyway my lovelies, must run now - heaps to do around the house - chat soon :D

JANINE'S giveaway :D

2010-02-27T03:41:00.000-08:00

My beautiful blogger buddy Janine is having a wonderful giveaway - to have a chance at winning this great giveaway just visit her blog here http://joinjanine.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment - she paints lovely paintings and always takes time to stop by my blog and leave comments which I love! HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY JANINE :D

...also the lovely Janine has created this award for her followers and I am honoured to grab this one for myself - I will pass this award onto a few people tomorrow afternoon - this is an extract from Janine's post explaining this great award :

"Today I want to say thank you, that you have enriched my life, thank you for the time I could share with you,

and a special thank you to my english speaking friends for the generosity to overlook my incomplete english.

For all my blogfriends is the Companion -award.

I would be so proud when you would do me the honour to take it and pass it, if you like."

You are a gem Janine, and I so value our blogger friendship :D

SPRING lockets :D

2010-02-27T02:51:00.001-08:00

Ocean Grove Getaway :D

2010-02-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

Well...we just returned from our little Getaway to Ocean Grove - had a lovely time and great weather too - it was 34C degrees yesterday and we picked a great day for the Adventure Park near Geelong - after the park we went out to a restaurant for dinner and then ice creams, then a walk along the beach - it was wonderful :D

John and Master 10 on one of the water slides...

Jumping on the inflatable pillow while John and I sat under a tree and had a breather :D

My munchkins paddling away on the lake at the Adventure Water Park -John and I kept asking them to keep going, turn around and do another lap - you know what we were thinking don't you - go an tire yourselves out - aren't we just mean :D

Oh this one turned out so well...

2010-02-23T04:34:00.000-08:00

...this one was a bit of a surprise - while I was making it I had no idea it would turn out like this - LOVE the denim look of this butterfly :D

Little Saint in her French Garden

2010-02-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

...another little painting I whipped up last night - I love working with these small 20cm x 25cm canvases as it means I don't need to be in the studio, I can bring what I need and paint these on the kitchen table in the evenings when the family is relaxing and watching TV - this is my little Saint in her French garden - once again there is heaps of texture and gorgeous puffed flowers on the canvas.

I also made this little WHITE filigree butterfly last night - I think sometimes "less is more" and wanted to make one plain - something that would suit any colour outfit - well, at least that was my reasoning being it :D

OK, must run now, so many things to do in so little time - chat soon Blogger buddies :D

PS FREE JEWELLERY SHIPPING TIL THE END OF THE WEEK :D IN MY ETSY SHOP

New Carnation Earrings and Locket

2010-02-19T04:53:00.000-08:00

SOLD

...its really late here on Friday night but I wanted to show you my newest earrings and locket completed today - tomorrow I am going to the beach with the family and the kids are so excited - time to get out and about and enjoy this lovely hot weather we are having - better go and start packing all the beach towels and togs :D - chat to you soon Bloggers xoxo

FIRST PAINTING in 6 months - wow...

2010-02-16T21:25:00.001-08:00

...well, here we have it - my first painting after 6 months - wow did I go crazy on the jewellery or what LOL - I took my art to my jewellery first, now I am binging my jewellery into my art - notice all those lovely puffed flowers on my painting...you may have seen them on some of my lockets :D

For the last three and a half weeks, I have been on my strict diet - low carbs high protein - and so far I have lost 5kg, two more weeks to go and I am done - I am able to fit into all my size 10 - 12 clothes once again and I am over the moon. But with this diet, no fun stuff anymore like alcohol or coffee and God forbid, no chocolate~!!!! That was the theme of my painting, as you can see from all those words - if I can't eat chocolate, well then, I will paint it :D

So, what do you think of my return to art? This one is so choker-full of texture and it will have lashings of varnish on it, but that will take place over the next few days.

Anyway, cheers to you all, hope you are all having a great week - hugz Val xoxo

NEW Book Lockets - so very different

2010-02-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

...just a few more lockets currently listed on Etsy - these book lockets are so cute - very different thats for sure :D

AND THE WINNER IS.........

2010-02-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

...I used that very quick very useful site Random.org to pick a winner for this giveaway - there were only 20 entrants and the number picked is NUMBER 5!!!

That lucky entry is from the lovely and very talented FLOR at http://www.florlariosart.com/ - CONGRATULATIONS Flor, please email me at vazdero@live.com.au and leave your address details for me - I will have this pendant posted out to ASAP.

Thank you all for entering this giveaway and I hope you guys have better luck next time - my next giveaway will be when I reach 250 followers :D

Cheers and all the best, Val xoxoxo

ANOTHER STORM - another 3 inches of rain...

2010-02-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, the forecasted storm has once again hit Bacchus Marsh - this one lasted 35 minutes of pouring rain, lightning and thunder that cut our electricity - right now I am typing this on my laptop and my battery hasn't got a long life...so I will try and be quick - I just had to share this as I have never seen anything like this in my life (apart from yesterday afternoon :)

This is a picture taken through the sliding doors into my backyard - on the right hand side of the photo, you will see a spout of water... that is water backing up in one of the downpipes from the roof - the photo does not show the actual rain drops (my camera is crappy) - the rain is pelting down in this shot.

This is my front yard, circular drive, under water - lovely right :)

This is a dam on our 40 acres which was empty yesterday... now its full and will break its banks soon as there is so much water still coming into it - it should overflow into the paddocks, which is OK.

This is apparently a huge storm front so we are expecting part two shortly - UNBELIEVABLE!!!

NEW PENDANTS/LOCKETS...

2010-02-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

just a few of my newest pendant, just listed on Etsy :D

Thought I would let you guys know what took place yesterday in my little town of Bacchus Marsh - we actually made the national news - a massive downpour - 3 inches of rain in 40 minutes - I have never seen anything like it in my life - the roads were rivers, the shopping center roof collapsed, flooded shops - I picked the kids up from school but we had to sit in the car for about 20 minutes waiting for the heavens to ease up - on the forecast, today is predicted to be even worse - my hubby and I have taken the sale cloth down in our backyard as they are also forecasting stronger winds and more rain than yesterday - WOW, hope there is no damage to property today, remains to be seen what happens...

On a brighter note, I will be drawing a winner for the giveaway in the next few days - if you haven't entered yet, just scroll down a few posts and you will see the GIVEAWAY post for the VINTAGE LOVE HEART LOCKET :D

GOATS MILK soap - looks magic

2010-02-08T22:58:00.001-08:00

...this is my newest batch of homemade soap - this one is a lovely white base soap with the addition of Goats Milk which is excellent for problematic skin - I love it - it looks very tropical, a bit like ice-cream, but that's just me playing around with my colours, did not want to leave it plain white. I have fragranced this batch with a touch of Gardenia and Honeysuckle, just a hint of fragrance in this one :D

Its funny how popular these soaps have become amongst my family and friends - I end up giving away half of the soap I make LOL, a bit of deja vu for me - that's the same thing which was happened when I first started painting - maybe I will decide very soon to throw some home made soaps into my pot of Etsy goodies :D

Anyway, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY for the resin love heart locket - here is the link http://valzderoart.blogspot.com/2010/02/200-followers-giveaway-celebration-d.html

Cheers and chat soon buddies - ~HUGZ~

A few more days before the GIVEAWAY

2010-02-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

...there is a few more days before a winner for the GIVEAWAY is announced and so far there are only 11 people that have entered - those are pretty good odds :D - so don't forget to enter, here is the link

http://valzderoart.blogspot.com/2010/02/200-followers-giveaway-celebration-d.html

...also, new creation above, I think it looks 'smashing' :D

ps - the sale is going so well on my Etsy shop - 6 sales so far at really low prices, so check it out, there may be a real bargain waiting for you there :D

My Sweetheart with her pony :D

2010-02-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is my darling Maya with her Shetland Pony Charlotte over the weekend - you can see from the background photos the gorgeous lush green grass (NOT) - we are sorely in need of rain on this side of Melbourne but what little we get gets killed by the constant scortching heat of summer - I guess we will have to wait till winter to green the place up.

Just thought I would share a photo of my family for a change :D

http://valzderoart.blogspot.com/2010/02/200-followers-giveaway-celebration-d.html <---- also, don't forget to enter this giveaway - VINTAGE BRASS LOVE HEART LOCKET :D

PS I am having a massive half price sale in my Etsy store - would love to sell some of my stock before I start adding new pieces - check it out :D

200 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY CELEBRATION :D

2010-02-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

...well, here we are ladies, the giveaway as promised - I have reached 200 followers and am celebrating with a GIVEAWAY of this lovely large filigree locket :D

This locket has a little bit of give in the hinge - still functional and just fine - but I wasn't 100% happy with it so I did not want to sell it over Etsy - you see, I am a stickler for perfection (it must be the Virgo start sign) - but for a free gift to a lucky Blogger reader, its just fine and dandy.

To enter the giveaway, you must be a follower :D - just leave a message on this post.

For extra entries please do one of the following, or all of them, and come back for each extra entry and leave a comment as I will be using Random.org to pick a winner - so each comment counts (number wise):

1. Tweet this giveaway

2. Blog about this giveaway

3. Put a link of this giveaway on your FB

Well, I think that covers it :D - Good luck to everyone - winner will be chosen in approx. 2 weeks :D

Kids back at school...life back to normal :D

2010-01-31T16:00:00.001-08:00

First day of the school year today - routine is back in and life is back to the usual sameness - there is a comfort in that :D

A few more followers needed :D

2010-01-31T02:55:00.000-08:00

...well ladies, only a few more followers needed (6 to be precise) before I have my next giveaway which will be one of my antique brass hand painted lockets :D - these seem to be very popular in my Etsy shop so I will give one of them away, but first I must get to 200 followers.

I have been working on a few new pieces this weekend and these are a few pics of some of my newest items - I am flower mad at the moment, so lots of flowers appearing everywhere.

School holidays in Victoria are well and truly over...my kiddies are back at school tomorrow morning - they are looking forward to it as am I (cheeky mom that I am).

Anyway, now that life will be returning back to normal I will be able to spend a bit more time on Blogger and visit Blogs, something I have been neglecting of late...til then buddies, be happy and good and I hope to be chatting to you soon...cheers Val xo

I have been spotlighted on a blog...

2010-01-29T17:15:00.001-08:00

...above photos of a few bits and pieces "new additions" to my Etsy shop :D

WOW ladies, I am gob-smacked! Lovely Robin has done a 'Spotlight' post on her blog about my Etsy shop and WOW did she do a lovely job - thank you so much Robin :D

This is the link to the post, please take the time to have a read of it - she is amazing -http://ahandmaderevolution.blogspot.com/2010/01/val-vanias-art-spotlight.html

Robin also has a lovely Etsy store called Everyday Diamonds and this is the link to her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/EverydayDiamonds - please take the time to check out her gorgeous handmade goodies!

Cheers Val xoxoxox

NEW PIECES WITH FLOWERS

2010-01-25T15:26:00.001-08:00

hope everyone is having a great day :D

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS coming to an end...

2010-01-23T15:14:00.001-08:00

Hello Bloggerville, hope everyone is well and happy :D

School holidays are coming to an end with just another week to go before my munchkins are back at school - they are looking forward to is as well as I LOL.

The last five weeks have flown by due to all the festive days and many family gatherings - January is just about over :O

I am please to say that Francien, the lady who was the second winner of my giveaway, the poor lady whose owl pendant was hacked to bits by customs, has finally received my replacement gift and it is in perfect condition - YAY!

Also, the photo above is of my latest piece - I seem to be leaning towards "chunky" jewellery at the moment - with me its either very "dainty" or the total opposite, "chunky" - its all good tho :D

I am waiting to receive another 5 or 6 jewellery supply packages from the US and hopefully they will arrive this week as I am fast running out of material - I think, once this lot arrives, that will be it for a while - I will use the new bits and pieces until they run out and then, FINALLY, I think I will go back to doing a few paintings - I have a few ideas which have been floating around my head these last few weeks and I am looking forward to putting them down on canvas :D

Also, I am planning on having another giveaway once I reach 200 followers - I am thinking of giving away one of my resin lockets in the color of the winner's choice - I think that will be fun!

OK then, must go now, have promised the kids an outing at the local shopping centre as they have a few toys in mind!

Cheers all and chat soon - hugz Val xo