Terrence the Tiger

Terrence is a shy boy looking for love. You can find him in my Etsy shop http://www.jillstreasurechest.etsy.com/. He'd hug you if he could.

Also new in my shop is this cherub.

He's a generous little guy, wanting to give you a sweet flower.

I love making figures with personalities. They may start as a mold with features already in place, but it's amazing how no two cherubs (for example) of the same kind will look exactly alike. Each will show a little something different. I guess that's why I love them all, and painting ceramics doesn't become boring or routine to me.

July Vacation

On my trip to Virginia to see my daughter, I stopped to see some friends in Tennessee. I spent some extra time there, as my car had problems (wheel fell off). It was hard to feel too sad when I could sit outside, drinking coffee with my friend, and look at this view!

Plus, I had the opportunity to spend time with a wonderful friend, who recently moved from Ms. to Tennessee and also to meet an Etsy friend in person.

Father/Mother God, thank you for taking care of me and letting the car hold up until I was close to my friends, and for keeping me and the other drivers around me safe while the event was happening.

Blessings and Peace,

Jill

Fudge Marble

I was finally able to list something in my Etsy shop that I'd thought about doing for a long time.

The pendant on this necklace is hand made from ceramic and glazed with a specialty crystals glaze. The body of the necklace is made from fire polished crystal and shell beads. The matching earrings are made from the same beads. I'm raelly excited about this piece as it's my first successful mingling of ceramics and jewelry. I hope it's not my last!

iCraft

A little over a year ago, I opened a small online shop at a website called iCraft. I chose to keep it very small and never made a real committment to it like I did my Etsy shop. While my Etsy shop grew and had a few sales, the shop at iCraft stagnated. Recently I recieved an email that changed that.

The email talked about a seller's bootcamp for iCraft members, especially those of us who haven't done much with our shops. We are given tasks to do to improve our shops. In response to that, I decided to make more of a committment to this shop and have listed a few more items on it recently.

One of these is a hematite and crystal necklace and matching earrings.

I also added a couple of my wood signs. I've always loved making these signs!

Stop by my iCraft shop and look around. And check out the other great shops there also.

Father/Mother God, thank you for the many opportunities You have provided to help me learn and grow.

Sunny Sunflowers

Recently I've begun adding my Sunflower items to my website, Hidden Ridge Road. This site includes handmade and also some manufactured items from when I had a brick and mortar gift shop in Texas.

The sunflower set was slip cast ceramic, trimmed with underglaze in some cases and fired with clear, gloss, food safe glaze. I then applied the sunflower decals and fired them again.

Sunflowers look great in almost any room, giving it a cheerful brightness. I hope you'll check out these items in Hidden Ridge Road and consider what sunflowers can do for your home.

The Moon

The full moon has always been something special to me. Like many others, I've worked in hospitals, schools, and other institutions where the full moon seemed to effect the behavior of others. Emergency rooms are known for their extra busy nights when the moon is full.

Witches believe that magic is at its greatest when the moon is full, making those nights special for spell work and ritual.

The moon has always seemed like a protector to me, like a watchful mother casting a soft light through the darkness. When I had a job that involved a long commute and late hours, the moon seemed to watch over me and provide companionship.

I took this picture through the trees last week during the full moon. The night was foggy, giving this moon a mystical quality.

Blessings and Peace,

Jill

As promised, there are new jewelry arrivals in Jill's Treasure Chest. Several of these are in honor of Valentine's Day.

Colorful Capiz Shell Earrings.

The Light in the Darkness of My Heart with Onyx and Crystal.

Tiger's Heart with Tiger Eye, green crystal, and Cat's Eye Beads.

I even made a necklace and earring set for myself with shell and crystal.

And as always, my faithful "helpers" are nearby.

Now if I could just get them to list items to Etsy....

Today I offer thanks for all the small things that give life humor.

Blessings and Peace,

Jill