Today I am featured on Inspirational Blog

Deanne from Inspirational Blog contacted me by email and asked if she could feature my blog on their blogsite. I was so taken back but proud to have been asked. They have a wonderful blog with great artists, etc.
Please go to their site and see all the wonderful artist and artwork.
http://inspirationalcraftblogs.blogspot.com/2008/12/deanna-duz-art.html

I was chosen as Guest Designer for Firecracker Designs by Pamela

Pamela from Firecracker Designs by Pamela asked me to be guest designer for her stamps in the month of December and it has been quite an honor. I'm so happy to be doing this, Pam has some great stamps and you can check them out at her site Firecracker Designs by Pamela also check out Pamelas blog here too. I will be posting cards and other things I made for the month of December as they are placed on her blog. Here are a couple of pairs of earrings that I made with some of Pamelas stamps. I try and look outside the box and dont' always see just a card when purchasing a stamp.

New Rings I made

I purchased a pattern and taught myself this beautiful sterling silver wire ring with swarvoski crystals. They are made to order by size and colors if interested for a Christmas gift.

I'm home from the hospital and doing well

Just wanted to pop on and let everyone know that I'm back home and doing good. Still in alot of pain but the surgery went well. The swelling in my stomach is the most painful and the incision for the port on the upper left side of my stomach. When I got home on Tuesday evening, I was hurting so bad that I was wishing I hadn't done it and wanting a burger and fries. lol.... I know its just the pain and discomfort and when that goes away and I start losing weight, I'll be glad that I did it.
I'll be posting next week when i see the doctor on Thursday for my first weight in since going on liquids the end of November.
Thanks again for the love, support and inspiration i have received.

Well.... The Journey has begun

My weight loss journey has begun. Alot of my blog subscribers have asked me to document my progress so its starting now. My lapband surgery is Monday morning at 6 am in Hollywood, FL with Dr. Thomas Bass. I am very nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. I have been waiting for this for a long time and I'm looking forward to posting pics every few months of my progress. I have been on liquids since last Sunday morning and will be on liquids for 2 more weeks after sugery, then I can graduate to soft purreed foods and then regular foods. The Fort Myers News Press here in town is going to be doing an ongoing story with updates on my progress also and I will be posting those links here. Thank you to everyone that has helped me to get to this point and thanks for all the support, inspiration emails and phone calls, I appreciate them all more than you know. Watch for future updates. I have attached my "Before" photos so you can see where I'm starting.

To read about my story from the beginning click here;Chapter One: A rocky start in North Fort Myers

A beautiful new Swarvoski Crystal Pendant I made

I learned to make another beautiful pendant. This one takes 36 crystals and 32 tiny beads for the bail and arond the crystals. Its beautiful isn't it?? I have also attached a photo of the jump ring jewelry I learned to make, this time a beautiful necklace.

What an awesome stamp...

Isn't this the coolest stamp. The deer stamp is by Penny Black and you just put one color ink on it and when you stamp it, its 3 different colors... A friend of mine told me about the stamp and I just had to have it. I used vintage glass glitter on the tree at under the deers feet to look like snow.