* Earring Giveaway on CINCO DE MAYO

Would it be fun to hold the Earring Giveaway on 'Cinco de Mayo', The 5th of May, a BIG Fiesta here in Mexico?  Cinco de Mayo is is a holiday which commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.  There will be celebrations here in San Miguel - so why not make it a celebration on my blog.

Here's the scoop.

1.    On Thursday, the 5th of May, simply leave a comment on my blog.  If you are not already a 'Friend of Donna Did It' (follower), please become one to join in the festivities.

2.    I will put your names in a hat and make a draw.  Mr. Habibi will help me ...

3.    The next day I will announce the winner.

4.    When you win, simply leave me a comment which contains your e-mail address so I can contact you.  (Please be assured I will not publish your comment with the e-mail address in it.)

5.    Lastly, I will contact you, receive your mailing address and send off the little surprise package of earrings.  Sound like fun?  I'm excited.  Please join in.


6.    Just to let you know ... mail from Mexico can take awhile.  Patience will be an asset.  :o)

Here are some samples of what you might get in your surprise package:

Tell your friends, my Lovelies!

You wander from room to room
Hunting for the diamond necklace
That is already around your neck! ~ Rumi

* Today at Quinta de Luz

REMINDER ... earring giveaway sometime next week.  I will give details Friday.  Stay tuned.

A question for each of you this morning.  I hope you will respond.  It would be so interesting to hear everyone's thoughts.  Keep in mind the following.  I cannot go into a store to buy supplies.  Nothing exists here.  I have to order it all on line.  You may have some tips in that department as well.

Most of you are aware I came to Mexico without my art stuff.  I let my entire stash go.  SO ... if YOU were starting from scratch, what are the basic supplies you could not do without for multi media art?  What stamps would you buy?  How many?  Which ones?  Which inks and re inkers would you start with?  Which brands.  What tools do you consider an absolute 'must' to make art these days?  Where would you start with paper?  What/Who's paper would you buy.  How much of it?  Would you limit your colour range.  Would you buy paper AND card stock, or just paper?  Embellishments.  What do you consider absolutely necessary?  What can't you live without?  I have been purchasing things to work with.  I decided I absolutely could not be here without supplies.  Joann's and ebay have been doing a brisk business.  ha ha  I'd like your thoughts on the matter ... THANK YOU.

Lots of banging going on today as they chipped out cement to lay water pipes which were supposed to be laid months ago.  This is another long story.  I didn't actually know they had not been laid, and unless certain circumstances had prevailed, I might never have been aware.  However, in the end, all is well, my tinaco is back in place on the roof, the back up water system is alive and well.  I know, because I saw it all with my own eyes!

Terrace and jardin railings are complete and painted.  Slight adjustments have been made here and there which I had requested.  A few more small fix ups still exist.  Part of the railing for the main stair case arrived today.  One portion didn't fit and had to be taken back to the blacksmith's shop.  Hopefully the remaining two pieces will show up tomorrow.  I'm hoping for the railing by Friday .... is it toooo much to hope for??

The storage area outside my studio had to be emptied to avoid all the cement dust.  My 'stuff' has been moved into the studio.  I didn't have the studio organized the way I wanted ... however now, it looks like there has been rioting.

Chaos shot #1

Chaos shot #2.  Will it ever be organized?!

Valerie ... this shots for you.  NO RAILINGS!  I have been wobbling up and down these stairs with my cane ... !  I will be so happy when the railing is finally in.

Another shot of the stairs leading into the jardin.  I am very pleased with these .. I like the railing ... and it sure makes it easier for me to navigate. 

“Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.”  ~ Rumi

* A Morning at the Tiengas ...

The tiengas are exciting, they are LOUD, they are full of music and everyday people, food abounds, both the buy to take home kind, and the sit down and enjoy kind.  If you need something, I'm sure it's there .... somewhere.  I adore going there on a Tuesday morning.  Pat and I go to scour the place for collage stuff, enjoy the ambiance and have a bite to eat.  We usually come home with a little fresh fruit to nibble on ... who can resist.

 

Pat found a treasure.  Gorgeous little brass palm trees.

Lots of fun stuff for my stash.  Love the gears ... could have bought more I think .. ah well.  I love the little hand made rusty fish.

Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.   ~  Rumi

* Catching up on Mail Art ...

I was so far behind I thought I was first.  Ever have that feeling ....?  I know you have.  This weekend was a quiet one, so I caught up on my letter writing, decorating envelopes (albeit very quickly this time), and stuffing them with what I hope will amuse the recipient.

Railing for the jadin steps were installed today.  I think it adds some graciousness to the jarin ... very pleased.

And upstairs, at the studio, the railing is now installed.  No more, "one step to far and you're toast", syndrome.  Feel so much better.

Hope you are all making yourselves a great day.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  DON'T FORGET --- next couple of weeks an earring giveaway.  TELL YOUR FRIENDS, and, most important of all ... Thank YOU for stopping by.  I am honoured you take the time to be here, and spend some time with me.  Hasta.

"You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?" ~ Rumi

* The Earring Factory at Quinta de Luz

I'm still in an earring frenzy  Can't seem to stop.  Moved from Day of the Dead to my jars of antique buttons.  Always wanted to try making something out of buttons.  I don't have many buttons left, however, I did manage to find some sets which could be used for earrings.

Two hole hand made bone buttons.  They were still manufacturing some of these up until the 1920's when the industrial revolution and its plastic finally wiped them out once and for all.  I love them.  I adore the colour and the texture.  I paired them with an old metal shank button (different in each ear) and glammed them up with Swarovski's. 

These are my absolute faves.  Don't think I'll be able to part with these.  Two gorgeous small Victorian metal buttons, some Swarovski's and pearls, topped of with an antique rhinestone button on each.  I'm in love!

For the woman and her kitty, some Victorian metal buttons, pewter in colour with faded copper trim.  Lovely patina. 

I'm in the process of putting a necklace together.  It's not working.  It's missing something.  Perhaps a larger piece of 'something' to balance it ... more in the centre of the lower chain.  I'm letting 'it be' while I discover just the right thing.

Having never made jewelry before, it does have it's challenges.   There is a knack to getting a piece to hang beautifully, with pieces turning in the right direction.  I'm just figuring this all out.  An interesting process, especially when I want to make a 'lop sided' piece with more than one chain (not all the way around, of course), which can easily throw it off balance.  I had the old necklace, which was a silver look metal chain with six round roses on it.  I added the rose charms ... harvested some  vintage rhinestones for the centre from another old piece, found part of a mother of pearl rosary, a lovely little simple brass cross, and the religious medal set under heavy crystal in pot metal with rhinestones.  I adore all the pieces.  Though I'm not attached to any religion, I find the old medals and other parafernalia associated with the church absolutely fascinating.  To use a piece in making jewelry represents history, sacredness, and being taken care of by the Universe.  I find them fascinating, as they would have been a treasured part of a persons life, and treated with great respect.  That's bound to produce good energy in the piece.

And so I'm in learning mode.  Trial and error.  Learn as I go.  I'll just keep trying, til I get it the way I want it.  Here's where I'm at .... for the moment.

 

I hope you had a lovely Easter with family and/or friends.  I spent a quiet one on purpose.  I feel on the verge of burn out from the events of this past year ... like everything has caught up with me.  Getting this house finished is turning out to be a huge challenge on many fronts, which I won't go into here, and being on top of my game every day in order to try and get things completed, is actually wearing me out.  ... and wearing me down.  I have simply had to stop, have some quiet time and a rest.  Back at it tomorrow.  I'll keep you posted.

If any of you have experience in assembling this sort of vintage, repurposed jewelry, I would love to hear from you.  In the meantime, take care of yourself, take care of each other ... and drop by often.  

Only from the heart Can you touch the sky. ~ Rumi

* Liberate your Art ...

Happy Easter everyone.  I hope you are enjoying a lovely long weekend wherever you are in the world.

I just got an email from a friend informing me of a post card swap.  It looks like fun.  I thought some of you might be interested.  You can check it all out HERE, ON THIS BLOG.   For anyone who is a photographer, photographs are acceptable to.  In fact, that's what I'm going to use for my contribution.

* Could I Have Your ATTENTION .. Please

Hi everyone ... gather 'round.  I've had so much fun experimenting with these earrings, I am going to have a giveaway within the next couple of weeks.  I'm excited!  I've never done this before, and I do love to share ... so ... this will contribute to my happiness.  And, hopefully to your happiness.  A win win.  YEAH.   One pair of earrings.  We will talk more about this later ... in the mean time, stay tuned for more details.

I did have fun today.  You guessed it .. more earrings.  Such a hoot!  I ordered 25 pairs of sterling wires, and I think I will need more.  This is definitely one frustration about living in Mexico.  I am running out of jump rings and wires .... there is not a place in town which stocks these items.  I will have to order on line.  It all takes time and costs more money ... one of the little frustrations about living in this beautiful place.

So here's what happened today in the studio.  Are you r e a d y ..... ??

 

 "Often nothing good is accomplished at the first attack.  One takes a rest, and then all of a sudden a decisive idea presents itself to the mind."  ~Henri Poincare

* A Great Mail Day

Such a great day picking up my mail.  I love days like this.  Valerie from Bastelmania and I did a swap.  It's taken a long time for her package to make the trip to Mexico ... however, well worth the wait.

I love mail art, and the box in itself is gorgeous.

Everything was wrapped beautifully in turquoise tissue paper.  

I took my time unwrapping each piece.  It is all hand made art, by Valerie!  All that work.  I LOVE it.  I think my favorite piece is the little hand made book.   Very hard to choose, however, I do love books to write in, so fell in love with the little book immediately.  A close second is the piece of collage in a frame, done especially for me.  It makes me laugh .... on the umbrella it says "Oh Shit!  It's raining" ... This will be a treasured piece of art to keep in my Studio from a blogging friend.

Does this one make you smile?  If not, better take an asprin and call me in the morning.

If a person gives you her time, she can give you no more precious gift.

Valerie -- thank you!  You did indeed give me the gift of your time when you honoured me with your hand made art.  Hugs from Mexico.

* Mix and Match EXPERIMENT

Playing with earrings.  I'm not a 'matchie poo poo' kind of girl, so with that in mind I have set out to make some mix and match Day of the Dead earrings.  You can have two the same, or you can have a different kind in each ear (which I personally think is FUN).

I have everything I need except the sterling ear wires.  I only had two pair - so have used them to experiment.  I just think it's worth it to use sterling ... so many allergies out there these days.  So here is my first attempt.  Not thrilled ... however, I'll keep going.  I'm using good material - Swarovski crystal, Tibetan silver, and glass pearls.  Even when I continue, I'm not sure any two will turn out the same.

I have never ventured into the realm of jewelry before.  Now I would like to experiment for awhile and see what I can come up with.  I wanted to do Day of the Dead, because I'm in Mexico.  Ideas seem to be expanding.  These are my first attempts.  Already there are necklaces floating in my head.  When something calls me .... I'd better get on my bicycle and peddle.  I never know where I might end up, and it's always fun getting there.  Let me know what you think, 'cause I'm not sure where I'm headed with this one.

When I finished those, even though I'm still waiting for the silver wires, these little birdies began singing to me.  They swivel and move.

I'll think about what to do to keep myself amused tomorrow.  (Shades of Miss Scarlet)