Saturday, June 29, 2013

Kiva Sisters- Rosa Natalia from Paraguay

Rosa Natalia
Rosa is 28 years old. Her spouse is David and they have a 4 year old daughter. They live in the city of Itá. She comes from a family of artisans. Her mother is well known in the country and internationally for her gifts as an artisanal clay worker.

Rosa inherited the profession from her mother and has worked in this activity since she was 9 years old. She makes different figurines from clay such as doves, Paraguayan women, orquestra toads, mangers and more. She sells them in the country and exports them.

She is asking for the loan to buy sand because the end of the year is coming and she wants to get ready to produce mangers in different sizes and designs. She has shown herself to be a very enterprising person who wants to get ahead. She is very hardworking and talented at her job.
For more information or to make your own loan, click here

Friday, June 28, 2013

Your Grandmother's Rosary -A New Line of Wire Wrapped Rosaries

 I've been working hard to perfect my wire wrapping skills and am loving making these vintage looking rosaries. I use aged looking wire and old reproduction pieces for these little treasures. I try to make them look like they could be found in your Grandmother's old jewelry box.
 This little rosary is made of champagne cut glass crystal and copper components.
 This chaplet is made of real bronze reproduction metal pieces, vintage bronze wire and little glass beads that are cut like little roses. The Pater bead is rhodonite.
 
 And this one is made of real bronze reproduction pieces and multi faceted cut glass crystal that reflects all different colors from the glass beads.
 I LOVE the sparkle...
 And this is my first full size five decade rosary, made by wire wrapping every bead. It takes three times as much wire and twice as much time to make as my hand chained rosaries, but i really love the end result.
 This rosary is made with semi precious "golden agate" beads, jewelers quality red brass wire and light bronze colored metal components. On closer inspection, i think the beads are made up of some carnelian and citrine beads.
It's like holding a handful of sunshine. Stop by and visit my rosaries by clicking here...

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Easy Rider

 Hannah Banana hitching a ride on the back of Bill's chair

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

My Kiva Sisters- The Maranatha Group

Maranatha GroupThe “Maranatha” communal bank will start its second cycle in Pro Mujer as part of the Senkata Focal Center. It has 8 members led by a governing board presided over by Balvina. The communal bank members carry out a variety of business among which are sweater knitting, food sales, salt sales, fruit sales, vegetable sales, gift sales and jacket sales.

The loan they’ll take out will benefit small micro-business women like Balvina. She indicates that she’s been part of Pro Mujer for twelve years having joined thanks to an invitation from a girlfriend who’s a member of the institution. She currently has a business selling turnovers (mid-morning meal). She makes it known that she learned the business several years ago on her own initiative.

The loan she’ll take out now is to increase capital. She’ll buy turnovers from wholesalers in the city of La Paz and then resell them from place to place. This way of working makes it possible for her to earn resources needed to support her family since she’s in a common law relationship and has three children. When asked what she likes about Pro Mujer, she answers that she likes the work group.

For more information or to make your own loans, click here

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Zoe's new wheels

 Zoe's got some brand new wheels!
 We took her out of her saucer and put her in the walker, and she's loving it.
 The dogs think she is fabulous
and my refrigerator art work will have to be moved to a higher location from now on...

Monday, June 24, 2013

OUCH!

 I was just outside working in the gardens when an electrical storm moved in pretty fast.  With the first rumble of thunder i let the trembling dogs in the house, but went back out to shut off the hose when i got whacked with one of these

 I ran in and grabbed my camera before it could melt, and managed to get this little video. I guess i don't have to water the gardens now, huh?
 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Pollyanna and her teddy bear

 When i was in the hospital last Spring, Lola brought me a favorite teddy bear to keep me company, so i wouldn't be lonely. Ever since that day, that teddy sits on my side table, and holds my eye glasses at night when i go to bed. But for the rest of the day, that teddy goes where Pollyanna goes. She comes in from her morning visit to the yard, runs right in and grabs the teddy bear and lays with it, caries it to her dog bed, cuddles with it. I came into the room and found her with the bear propped up against her side, fast asleep. She is the sweetest of dogs...


Thursday, June 20, 2013

The best seat in the house

 With sunshine being at a minimum around here, the deck door in the sun room is the place to be for sunbathing. This is why i keep the cat climber in the doorway
 But as you can see
it's not JUST for cats!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Chaplets and Pocket Rosaries

 I think my most favorite kind of rosary to make is a pocket rosary or chaplet. They are small enough to tuck into your purse or pocket, and they serve the same purpose as a full sized rosary. They are also more affordable and a bit quicker to make up. 
 This little chaplet is a custom order i made for my friend. It is made of poppy jasper and bronze.
 My friend found this medal in her drawer and wanted it incorporated into her chaplet so i used it in place of a cross or crucifix.
 I've also been working on my wire wrapping skills and am getting faster at it. I really like making rosaries this way as they are pretty indestructable with this style of wire wrap.
 i hope she likes it...
 I love St Nicholas! So i have been searching for a medal or connector piece with him featured on it. I was so happy when i found this medal.
 i think it looks very old world and beautiful
 I was told the words on the back of the medal say "St Nicholas, Wonder Worker"
 I paired the medal up with this ornate cross and these beautiful cobalt blue glass beads
 This time i made it in bronze and wire wrapped it. The lamp work beads are ones i bought years ago and have had in my bead collection. I thought they would make a nice little rosary
 I love making these little chaplets and rosaries...For me it is like taking a prayer and making it into something solid and beautiful...

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

What's Bloomin-Roses

 The peppery scented white roses are blooming in the front garden again
 They tend to be bothered by lots of pests when they start to bloom, but this year, so far, so good.


 a sweet spray of white roses
 These roses have always been  my daughter Carly's favorites

and once again, the rosa rugosa and the clematis are still putting on a show. I expect some pink and red roses to bloom soon!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Confessional

At the art show in the old church last weekend, Lola locked herself into the old confessional and said 
"Gumma, is this jail?"

Friday, June 14, 2013

More rosaries

 Soft pink semi precious stone rose quartz and cut glass crystal beads, dedicated to the Blessed Mother


 Shiny deep black cut glass beads dedicated to the Holy Family


 and a tiny blood red cut glass chaplet dedicated to the Blood of Christ
all available in the Moon*&*Stars Studio Etsy shop