And who said I didn't have any free time?



I have been busy for quite some time now.  I have been working at work, online stores and even with Girl Scouts.  I have been known to find time where there is none left in the day. This is usually the best time to create, when the scheduled time ends and the free time emerges. 



Lavender Sage Cocoa Butter soap



With my newly found "free" time, I have been working on splitting up the inventory into two stores, Plum Valley Designs and Plum Valley Notions.  Both stores have wonderful things to choose from.  Plum Valley Designs has all the things you would want to primp for that night out, or even day to day casual jewelry wear.  With beautiful one of a kind designs, you know you will have something unique to you. 

Plum Valley Notions has recently emerged with lavish supplies such as  handmade cocoa butter soaps, shea butter soaps, moisturizing lotions and even all natural beeswax lip balms.  There are Himalayan Bath Salts to soothe those sore muscles after that long day. 



With all these great products, who needs to leave the house?  I know that I don't seem to get out after working on all of these great products.  And so who said I have any free time?



We're working on Giving away free things here....

I feel like I have been so involved this week that I have not been around as much to see the land of Blog.  I have been working to get things ready for a show next weekend.  The Bend Summer Festival is going on July 10-11th.  I will be set up downtown Bend for two fun-filled days of smelling yummy foods, live music and best of all..... Sales!!!!

But in the meantime, I am working on a smaller goal.  My Facebook Page, Plum Valley Designs is up and running like wildfire! I would love to reach 300 fans soon, but alas I am still at 165.  My goal is to hit 200 "likers" by the end of the week.  If I can do this then I will have a giveaway and randomly pick one of my adorable fans to bestow a gift upon!  If I PASS 200 "likers" then I will send out 3 gifts!  Its like a party for everyone!  I will be working on giving away free things this week!

Be sure to tell everyone about the give away and have them stop by Plum Valley Designs and become a liker.  The more we have the more fun it will be! 
Since Facebook does not look nicely upon promo's and giveaways there, the drawing will be here.  I will be sure to post something there to congratulate our winner, or winners though !

Don't forget to stop by the shop to see some fabulous new items!  There will be more soon!  And be sure to check out the lotions and scrubs. They are a great way to ease those dry summer feet back into good health!

Let's Play Indoors

With Summer taking longer to get here, it seems I have been spending more time indoors.  I look around at all I have to do; laundry, dishes, vacuum, etc and I begin to drift off to that magical place..... my jewelry supplies!

I have put together a few new things in the past couple of days.  It has helped that I have learned to say "Laundry, you will have to wait".  I have asserted myself to the towels; yippeee!!! 

Instead I have been mixing lotions, making necklaces and earrings and I have been just so happy.  Now when the sun comes back out to play, I will have to tend to the garden, and chickens and spend more time outside, but in the meantime.... let's play indoors!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I love to be outdoors, but there is just something about the days  you get to be inside.... your imagination wanders and sometimes it creates beautiful things.  And when the sun does peek its head out for just a few minutes then you get amazing photo's like this.  Then it runs away again, knowing you are trying to accomplish something.  Kind of reminds me of my kids!  :) But They would never do something like that, would they?

So with a little bit of effort, a lot of time and more material I know what to do with I have made bags, and hair barrettes.  I have made three bags and I rarely use them.  I love the colors, and the shape and simplicity of the design.  I have even learned how to put in a pocket with a zipper! Not that I am great but I am learning.

With all the fun things I have put together over the past week, I am starting to run out of place to put these fun things!  Does this mean I get to start wearing them and using them for my own?  The chickens already love my earrings, and they peck at them every time I go out and pick one up.  What would they do with some real bling??  They would get jealous, that's what they'd do!

Just us chickens..........wearing our bling

Shining Brightly

With the sun out, and the fresh crisp air, I have been rejuevenated to create! I have so many ideas that even after the sun is done shining brightly, I am still up piecing together my next new idea.

I have just had to piece them together in between girl scout cookies, booth sales, events and everyday home life.... I guess that just leaves the midnight hours to get things done!

At least I have cookies to snack on through those late nights! mmmmmm....... cookies!

I have just finished some earrings and necklaces that are fun, bright and whimsical. And with the traditional designs I have been accustomed to, this is me branching out! I love trying new things as you can see by the older posts. I am still going strong with the Sea Salt Scrubs and body butters, but I will never be able to leave my true passion for jewelry. After almost 14 years, I would have to say that it is part of me. And as we all know after doing something for that long.... well, I guess you would say that it's an addiction. At least this is a healthy one though, right? :)

So I am off to post more items in the stores: etsy and artfire. If you have not already become a fan of Plum Valley Designs on Facebook, then come on over and check it out! I am hoping to have a giveaway soon! Just don't hate me if I am a little slow on the link love.

And a drum roll please.....

With the new task at hand, it seems I am always up to my elbows in Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter. I have found so many new and different views on how it is to be used, and how it affects the body, mind, etc. I have not come to any definite conclusions myself other than it has a strange smell that seems to disappear once rubbed into your skin. And it offers moisturizing like you wouldn't believe. Its like Magic!

With the new line of body products is emerging, I have spent far too much time in the kitchen, which I now refer to as the "Chemistry Lab" and too little in the office working on jewelry. But it never ceases to amaze me that when those huge Fire Mountain Gems catalogs come in the mail, I am right there checking out the new shiny things!

I have been having far too much fun with the scents and fragrances and flavors that I have been purchasing for the lip balms, salt scrubs and body butters. And I thought it would be fun to get some different perspectives on what you like. For the next week or two I would love for you to leave a comment with the favorite fragrances or flavors you like. Kind of a poll if you will. I have found that if you ask a friend, they will offer an honest answer.

Don't forget to check out the store and find some great deals on the new products, or just stop by and say hi. I would love to hear from you :)

So with a flick of the wrist, and a drum roll please...................................

My favorite fragrance is vanilla. It is warm, inviting, and sweet. What's yours?

Wild about learning new projects!

New projects around this house is usually something that revolves around cleaning grout lines, or finding another tree to cut up. But last month, I decided I wanted to learn something new, that is also useful. So with this fleeting thought I set out to google ideas and things I could do over the winter break. I am just wild about learning new projects!

Much to my surprise, the things I wanted to do were not easily attainable at short notice, so I decided to to learn how to make soap. Little did I know that lye was harder to find than a pair of matching socks in my kids' drawers! I searched every hardware store, chemical distributor and mechanic within a 100 miles. I finally ran into a friend that also makes soap. He was my hero!

Back at home, I start the process. My essential oils, fats, oils, and individual containers for measuring. It all went well until I added lye to hot water quickly! EEK! Toxic smell like you would not believe! But I do have to say, my stove top has never been cleaner :)

With the thought of this being potentially harmful, I chose the next best thing, that also used a majority of the supplies I had already purchased; lip balm.

So with a smile on my lips, with my newfound talent, I set off to market the lip balm. Now I am in full swing of production. New flavors come to mind in the middle of the night, like all good ideas. Then I lose them and I have to dabble with different scents. I have got to hand it to you, I would have never known how easy and good for you beeswax lip balm is compared to commercial lip balms. From what I have learned, most chap sticks tend to dry out your lips more, so you have to use more. I am not into this philosophy. I feel it should work, and work for awhile. It's not too sweet, but has a hint of sweetness. It smells yummy and no tint. What more can you ask for?

Be sure to check out the store and see what flavor you can't live without! At only $2 a tube with such wholesome goodness like honey, beeswax, lanolin, and more, why would you pass it up?

Its Finally Time....for a giveaway!

With the Christmas season closing in on us, ( I know, I said it out loud) we are all searching for that perfect gift for daughters, sisters, granddaughters, moms, and more. Now I do not claim to have all the answers for stocking stuffer's, but I think I have a great idea for that! After a long thought about what I was going to put together as a give away item, I decided to offer the beautiful and fun Hair Fancies. I have not been able to keep these things in stock long enough at shows this past month! They are great for weddings, proms, dress up and more!

The giveaway will start Thursday October 1st, and end on October 15th. That is only two weeks to get your friends on board and your entries in! The winner will be announced on October 17th. The winner will have three days to respond and claim their gift. Good Luck to all!

So, without further Ado, it is finally time.....
Please read the rules carefully, there is a small twist to the entries for this give away.
1. follow my blog
2. refer 3 friends to follow this blog and get 2 more entries (be sure they leave your name so I can connect their entry with yours)
3. tweet this give away
4. be sure to leave a comment on what you have done here and your email in case you win

And last but not least:
5. For any person doing all four items listed above, a special gift will be included with the hair fancies if you win!

Yes! you will get a bonus gift with a give away! How great is that? So be sure to keep me posted on what you do so I can keep up with the entries! What a great way to start off your Christmas shopping season than with free gifts??!!

Be sure to check out my store for more great gift giving ideas! There are some great items for around $10!

Life, death and everything in between

I have to start by admitting that I have not been that faithful about keeping up with the blog posts. As the summer rolled around and the weather got nice and warm, we spent a lot of time outside and away from home. Also with some pain with the back, it prevented me from spending more time with ArtFire, and Etsy. I have not kept up with the production of my inventory nor have I put all that I have in the stores. I think this is the inevitable truth about summer. We as adults, find a way to go out and play as the kids do when school is out. But who doesn't need that once in a while? So as we wrap up our summer, kids going back to school tomorrow, the back healing from one nasty procedure, and the loss of a family member it is time to get back to the grind of life, death and everything in between.

So with the rush of excitement about the kids being in school, and having a show next weekend I wanted to make something new and fun. I wanted to create something that was girly, pretty and elegant. I wanted to embellish on something that did not require wrapping wires or head pins for a change. And as I searched through library books, and how to pages on the web it occurred to me that I needed to go back about 6 years and "re-invent" what I had made for my girls. They loved playing dress up (and still do), and the most important part of dress up is the hair. How you wear it, what you have in it, and the crown that shines above all the rest. But I always tried to encourage my girls to be the woodland fairies who wore flowers in their hair, not crystals. And with that, my new found project was off!

I have had the most fun with this new item. I love the feel of the fabric, the color combinations, and the kids love being able to singe the edges of the material for me(honestly I think it's playing with the candles). This has been quite the family activity the past two weeks!

The flowers are layered with Chiffon, Silk, and Taffeta. The flowers are such a wonderful idea for a bride who wants to adorn her up-swept hair with small white flower petals. For that daughter that is off to prom and wants to look just right with her hair curled up and the flower just tucked behind that curl. There is no wrong occasion for these flowers. They are on bobby pins of varying sizes, so you can put them almost anywhere. You could even use them as a broach. It just makes you feel like a girl, and who doesn't need that sometimes?

Be sure to come check out ArtFire and Etsy and see for yourself how much these great hair pins could brighten up your day, just because!

And now a word from our Sponsor.....

Welcome to Plum Valley Designs!

Just a few photos this week of the new items going into the stores today. Be sure to visit Plum Valley Designs to see where we are going to be next. This is a busy time of year for us, and we are all over the place. The etsy store and the artfire store are just full of great new items that have been added over the past few weeks, so be sure to check them out too!

If you mention that you have been here to check out the blog, I will offer a 20% discount on any purchase! Just simply purchase the item at regular price, then I will refund the 20% as soon as I process the order.

Treasures beneath the Sea

Have you ever wondered how glass is made?
Have you ever tried to figure out how they get the great color combination, or the deep hues of red or cobalt blue? Do you know how old the glass formula is?

In the old days, because beach glass has been around as long as we have had glass, it was said to be "Mermaid Tears". It was said that every time a sailor drowned at sea, the Mermaids would cry and the sea glass was their tears washing up on the shore.
Well, going into this adventure of finding "Sea Glass" or "Beach Glass" I turned up some very interesting facts. This exploration took me deep into the history of the travel of the glass itself. Within many books,(yes I said books) I found stories I had never begun to imagine, great places to find this glass and how to search for it. It just makes me want to head out and start looking!

With all this new found information, I decided to figure out why the red glass was so rare and how it was made. This recipe found on the East Carolina University's web site is very old and are not used today, this is more for educational and informational purposes only. This information is from "Book of Formulas
Recipes, Methods and Secret Processes"

Prepared by the Editorial Staff of Popular Science Monthly
copyright 1932:

Red Glass	parts
Sand	100
Red Lead	200
Copper oxide	6
Stannic Oxide	6

You may ask what Stannic Oxide is. Stannic oxide is also referred to as Tin oxide or White tin oxide. This is a hazardous material to use. If inhaled it could cause respiratory problems that include benign pneumoconiosis, producing distinctive changes in the lungs with no apparent disability or complications. So with this information, the glass was rarely made. So finding a glimmering piece on the beach is like finding treasures beneath the sea.

With this color and many more, sea glass is aged and tumbled by the surf and time. Each piece is so individual that finding two identical pieces is impossible. Not to say that it might happen..... And I am not saying that the red is the only rare color. Everywhere Sea Glass is found, and it is found everywhere, its value is partially determined by its color. This is because only a few items were stored in red, blue, lavender, purple or pink glass containers. Likewise certain rare tints and shades of these popular colors are found.
For instance, very rare Cobalt Blue, the "sapphire" of the beach, came from such apothacary items as Milk of Magnesia, Vick's Vapo Rub, Noxema, Nivea, and Bromo Seltzer bottles, along with some prescription bottles and perfumes.
The extremely rare red pieces, or "rubies" of the beach, might come from perfume bottles, the tail lights on old automobiles, lantern and traffic light lenses, or even some types of old beer bottles, like the bottles made by Anchor Hocking.
Pinks, lavenders, purples, lime greens and other rare shades of came from things like perfume bottles.

Greens, browns, and aquas come from beer and soda bottles, and nearly every other source, like Clorox Bleach jugs, shampoos, etc.
The glass is commonly found in lakes and beaches alike, where there was a lot of boat travel. Some glass have been found with impressions still in the glass, and some are more than 100 years old.


So with all of this said, I want to introduce my newest piece in my Island Dreams Collection. This necklace takes you to a distant time or place, where mermaids swim freely amongst the coral and fish. The color of this glass is just stunning. It is a breathtaking red with cultured freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystal. The chain is sterling silver and is approximately 17 1/2" long. There is no other like it, this is truly a one of a kind treasure from the sea. Visit my store and view this item and others like it.

And just a sneak at the next piece I am working on.....

**Information obtained from East Carolina University, Glass Beach Jewelry and Museum and Wikipedia Other facts and information was gathered from books loaned by the Klamath County Library.

There and Back

I have had such a whirlwind weekend I do not know if I am really back or just physically feeling the woes of vendor booth aftermath!

This past weekend I had a booth set up in Bend Oregon for the Bend Summer Festival. It was wonderful! Of course the weather did not make up its mind until after we left. On Saturday we had hot weather, over 90 from what I heard. And on Sunday there were winds and barely 68 degrees. I did have one of the best booth spots in terms of the light though. Ok, so the sun was a little warm about 4pm on Saturday, but it just made everything sparkle!

We had a fabulous time and now it is time unload the car and take inventory on what I have left. I know it's not much from when we were loading up it only took about 20 minutes instead of 60 minutes the previous night. A lighter load is always a good sign.

A New Bead Stop in Town

Have you ever written a "How To" before? How to make cookies, or how to make earrings, or how to plant pea's in a peet pellet? Well, with kids in 5th and 6th grade, I have had a lot of experience in how to speeches. So when I was approached to do one for a website I thought it to be an easy task. I have to admit, making the item is so much easier than writing down step by step and remembering to take pictures at each step. But I managed. And I forwarded it to a person that has started a site that has a lot of these how to's for the rest of us.


The site is called My Beads Club. It just launched its opening two weeks ago with a bang! Click here to go directly to the site. These are some of the great opportunities you can enjoy with the membership:

Here`s what you can enjoy -

1. Unlimited access to bead patterns and make jewelry projects, View as many as you like, choose from over hundreds of patterns and videos for necklaces, bracelets, earrings, special occasions, wedding, and home ware. All projects are fully illustrated with step by step instructions providing you with all you need for years and years of making beaded jewelry. Once you get going there`s no limit to what you can make...

2. FREE "Funky Beads" book- when you sign up today, downloadable quickly with 20 unique jewelry making designs by up and coming NEW designers. Retail Price $19.99 (Lulu.com & Amazon.com)

3. GREAT discounts on our special monthly offers area.

4. FREE report on how to sell your jewelry for a profit. Do what you love to make lots of cash -dont miss this one !

5. Monthly competitions, enter your jewelry designs to win and show off your talent !

6. FREE Monthly Newsletter with expert tips, advice on making beaded jewelry and new finds, beading discounts and much more...

7. Each and EVERY month we will be adding more and more new and exciting designs for you to try for all levels of expertise.

8. Plus there`s more "how to make beaded jewelry" videos to watch, including lots more projects to try.

**Pictures shown are from mybeads.com. This is a glimpse of what is currently available.

So be sure to check out mybeadsclub.com and see what it's all about. Come back here and tell me what you think!

To try something new

On Wednesday, we went to the Library for the summer reading program. I have been wondering what to try next with my jewelry to mix things up. You know how it gets when you have beaders' block...

I found about five books on making jewelry and thought I would learn something new. I made a vintage style 1950's bracelet in purples and more purples. The second I did with the keshi pearls and blue cultured pearls. They are beautiful.



The Second piece I put together was a garden necklace and earring set. This was a little more difficult due to the spacing and the colorings. I had to be sure not to get a blue two times in a row. And beings that I made this when I should have been fast asleep, this was more of a challenge than usual!



Finally I came across a pendant that was so pretty! But it never fails, and my rendition never looks as it should. I guess I should read the directions more often. So as for my feeble attempts to try something new, I think I will stick with what I can make up on my own. Directions and I do not seem to get a long!

Oh to be back in the Land of Blog........

I have to admit, I have really fallen down on the job this time! It has been nearly three weeks since I have been here. I have not kept up with blogs, give aways, new postings, etc. I have been guilty of going off and having fun as soon as the kids were released from school! We have not stopped since the beginning of June.

It all started with the Girl Scout bridging ceremony on the 6th. Pizza, cake, badges, and 5 girls bridging from Brownies to Juniors, and a Junior to Cadett (mine)! We had about an hour and a half ceremony.... 14 out of the 17 girls out of my troop showed up for this event. Of course, I managed to find the one picture of none of the girls that were bridging.

Then after that, the kids were out of school on the 9th with a kindergarten and 6th grade graduation. I am not sure why they do the graduations for the 6th graders now. I never had one of those. It was an intro to puberty class and off you go! No special instructions other than you will have more homework and less time to mess around. Ahhh, I digress! :)

Then after that, we (and when I say we I mean me) gathered supplies for Girl Scout Day Camp in less than a week. I wasn't even sure we were going to put it on due to lack of registrations. But none the less, 23 registrations in at the 11th hour. Literally.
The girls had so much fun with the theater theme last week. They made crowns, fairy wands, sets, props that were supposed to resemble a goat and so much more.
he girls got to put on a dinner theater for their parents on Friday night. We even had Miss Klamath County and Miss City of Sunshine help us during the week with our activities. It went so well, and I am so proud of the girls for their hard work.

Then of course it was a mini vacation for the family as soon as the Day Camp was over. We went camping in Antlers, California. We went swimming in Lake Shasta, made s'more's and spent a great three days away from the home (and the phone)!

So this brings me to Thursday. A far cry from my Marketing Monday's. But I have a few small things I wanted to post in the stores before I am off to another event. July 11 and 12th I will be in Bend, Oregon for the Bend Summer Festival to sell my things! I am sooo excited! This is a two day event in Downtown Bend by Drake Park. I just love the festivals. I am such a social person that this is a great event for me. So I am off to get a few more things in the stores before I start all over again, Monday.

Oh to be back in the Land of Blog........