Win Free Pair of Stunning Earrings!

Well, it has been awhile. Have been enjoying my family like crazy during the Holidays, and loved it. Have to admit, it is not that easy to get back in my working rhythm again.


But I have done so in a very fun way! I have created my first Facebook Giveaway! It is a very easy way to enter a contest to win these Fabulous Sterling Silver Hoops from my store.

The link below will take you there. Hope you will win!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maartje-Jewels/137136806317530?sk=app_149194385149202

So while I was enjoying my Holidays, I still kept thinking of the new year and what I could do to make it more interesting and fun. I came up with a few new great features for my blog.

Doing what I do, I meet so many nice and talented artist! Soon I will introduce you to them by posting their items and interviews. Some make the most amazing clothes for kids, or have a very unique way of re-using materials into bags and pillows.

What I like about this, is that it will be a Global feature! Some artists are from North America, and others from Europe. I would love to bring those 2 worlds together!

So for now, enjoy the giveaway, fingers crossed, and see you next time!

Happy Blogging,

Maartje

You can vote for me on Heartsy!!!

Hi everyone,

To help kick off a great Holiday Shopping Season, I have submitted the items above on HEARTSY. I picked out these particular items, because they will go great with all the Holiday parties that are around the corner!

You can help me get featured by voting for me. The more votes, the more chance I have to get featured, and for buyers (might be you?) to get a great deal!

You can click on the link below to vote:

http://heartsy.me/shops/7198/like

The deal, up to 50% off for HEARTSY members, will only be available through HEARTSY.

Let me know if you voted!

Thanks!

Maartje

Mixed feelings, love the colours, not the cold!

Took me a few days, dealing with some website glitches, me understanding them, creating a new Treasury and finally knowing how to post it here!

It is hard to believe, but a little over a week ago, it was 34 degrees, and we were celebrating Canada's Thanksgiving Day in shorts with a BBQ in the back yard!

Now temperatures have dipped to 10 degrees, I am forced to wear a lot more layers and I'm stumping through the rain.

Lights are on in the house, candles burning, and oh, those Fall colours!

Great inspiration to shop around on Etsy, and pick some great artists and their Autumn colours creations.

Take a look, and enjoy!

My Alive & Kicking Revenging Gem!

My Alive & Kicking Revenging Gem!

So my last Blog post got smiling reviews. A lot of laughter and comments of recognition...... BUT, yes there is a BUT.

I always have my husband edit most of the things I write. Not because I need his approval, well sometimes I do appreciate it, but because I have this little Dyslexic tick. My spelling and grammar is truly horrible. I will not bore you with explaining to you how long it takes me to get my thoughts on paper, or how my spelling check does not recognize much of what I am writing.

The thing is, I skipped one of the most important rules of blogging. I did not ask permission to the persons featured in my stories! Turns out, my darling Gem of a daughter did NOT like me telling about how she helped me start the big cleanup in my studio, which hopefully helps me get it redecorated!

So, what to do about that? Compromise, a very affective tool in parenting! I now have to share with all of you, the not so smart, and sometimes seriously stupid stunts I pulled.

So here is the top 3 of stupid things I did at some point in my life:

• One my husband still talks about. He bought me this beautiful sky blue designer bag in Antwerp, with matching wallet. Loved it seriously. In it where my keys, a very nice graduation gift ink pen, my wedding ring, because I was very much pregnant and it didn't fit me anymore, and of course silly stuff like bank cards, car and house keys etc. I was at the local movie theatre, chatting away with a friend, and having a huge belly, sat down on a bench, put my lovely bag next to me, and then turned my back on it. I just could have put up a sign next to it saying, please take my bag, you need it more than I do! They got the message anyway, and of course I ended up with no bag.

• This one I have to admit, I pulled several times. After picking up my children from school, and having a baby in a buggy, you are already happy, they finally are all in their seats, buckled up, save and sound, gang complete. You get in, drive off, and coming home to discover you left the buggy, that was behind the car, waiting to be put in the trunk, still waiting there.

• And now, last but not least, for my daughters revenge, her personal favourite! I have to say, she is very sweet, because I think I did worse things, but here goes: When I worked as a paramedic, me, not so tall girl, had to get out of the back of the ambulance. Those were big steps to take, so I preferred jumping out of it instead. This one time I landed on a small ridge with my foot, ending up with a serious sprained ankle. I was more hurt than my patient, and it took me out of work for weeks, straight into physiotherapy. 
  
  

  

  Her Other Favourite!

  
  

  
  

  
  

I will save all the other stuff for another time, when I have to make it up to her again. And I am sure there will be another time!

Blog you next time,

Maartje

Be yourself, be your style.: Purple with Despair!

Be yourself, be your style.: Purple with Despair!: Everybody who read my previous post, knows I truly need to declutter and re-decorate my studio. To be honest, the situation only gotten wo...

Purple with Despair!

Everybody who read my previous post, knows I truly need to declutter and re-decorate my studio.

To be honest, the situation only gotten worse. Being away for the summer didn't help, and getting back into the groove of serious working and putting in all the hours, well, not that easy.

But help came from a unexpected source!

My beautiful oldest daughter was so upset with her diner choices that night, that she banged her chair against my previous year, really nicely painted kitchen wall. She did that so thoroughly, that it resulted in the first step of redecorating my studio.

Everybody who lives in Canada, knows that most walls are not made of brick like in Holland, where we come from. For us it feel like paper. I can literally hang a frame on the wall using a nail and my thumb. No hammer needed.

So while I was starting to "explain" to my daughter that I didn't  appreciate any chair banging against my Curacao blue wall,  on the other side my wall made that same point by letting go of the shelve, that had been hanging there for at least 4 years, without any problems what so ever.

A loud bang and rumble was the result, and stopped both my daughter and me having a useless argument over Pad Thai.

Scattered over the already messy table and floor are now the items and shelve that was hanging no more.

I am proud to say, I didn't freak out. For me it was a sign, maybe given by my studio spirit, to stop playing and start already! And to make a parental point, I now have a little assistant to help me clean out the mess.

I decided, after having used many colours already to contrast with the snowy white I use on the walls, I wanted to go with lavender purple.

But here's the thing, do you know how many purple colours there are?

I will tell you. A lot! And the names, really, you want to use them all!

Grape Surprise. Vineyard Passage. Casa Royale. Fable. Boho Chic. Deep Lilac. Frill. Illusion. Plum Perfect Prune. Mardi Gras (my husbands favorite, wonder why). Royal Aberdeen. Lilac Light. Regal Robe.

Makes me wanna go on a holiday, drink wine, sit in the sun and smell the Lilac's!

To illustrate and make my point, this bracelet, made of Crazy Purple Agate comes in so many purple shades, it is indeed crazy!

Crazy Purple Agate And Sterling Silver Puff Heart Charm Stretch Bracelet

 

 

I am now down to 35 test colours, sticky tagged on my white kitchen wall. Believe me, I think I had double of that on my wall this morning.


I will let you know what colour AND name will end up in my studio!

Purple Amethyst Sterling Silver LOVE Heart Charm Stretch Bracelet

See you next time,

Maartje

Good intentions.

Some times when I force myself to stand still, and look behind me, I wonder, how did I get here?

Right now, there are 5 children in my just cleaned house, “playing” with a lot of noise. I hear all these things, of which I know, do not make that sound, when used in the proper way, and on top of that they scream, “I am bored!”.

Just to be clear, 3 of those are mine, 2 I am “babysitting” because some moms work, and school is closed.

On the other hand, she doesn't need a car, and I need one. Because Ocho (my youngest daughter named him that) seized to exist, other than on the parking lot of the garage it got towed to, after it did the seizing in front of a stop sign. Which was not located on my driveway.

So when I stop and look back to wonder, how did it happen that all my good intentions, plans and schedules go out the window, and I maybe worked 8 hours this week?

If you have the answer or solution, please, by all means, tell me! And it has to include my children, because really, in the end, I can't do without them.

So what did I do this week?

Bought a cool new car, literally very cool, cause it has a "cool box" between the two front seats!

Great to keep the chocolate from melting, was my husbands remark, apparently he needs chocolate to be able to drive.

Take care of 5 kids after a 3 hour camp, take one off my own to swimming lessons, on the bike, remember, no car!

Cleaned a lot of my silver jewelry, that came back from a store, and now I have to store it all.

That can be a little problematic. 

You see why?

So when I mention to my husband, I really want to clean out my studio, paint it and make it the perfect inspirational place to work in, he gets a very tired look in his eyes. 

Not that I let him do the painting and decorating, absolutely not, he is not allowed to touch any brush or paint can!

And he does not mind that part at all, so maybe it is me?

Any way, I guess these pictures show I have a serious organising problem.

But maybe creative minds need the chaotic freedom to create? And then something like this comes out of that room?

Candy Pearl Necklace

 You let me know, and I will start painting.

Maartje