With Loving Thanks!

I had another blog in mind for today, however after this morning I've changed my mind.

This morning I was working on another custom order when I received a couple emails along with corresponding Feedbacks in my shop. I had to stop working as I couldn't see clearly - my eyes were filled up with water... okay, tears. I wasn't boo-hooing mind you, but I was rather touched so very deeply that the emotions got the best of me.

My heart is so full of love and gratitude right now that it feels like it is about to burst. I'm not joking or padding this - I'm an emotional, touchy-feely type person anyway... or as my boys refer to call me their "flowerchild mom".

I put my whole heart into my creations and appreciate every single buyer! A few years ago I had no idea that I had this creative side in me. Just thinking of how Rocki's Rock 'n Beads was born is so very rewarding - it makes me feel whole again (maybe I'll blog about how this came about).

Thank you to all my buyers, friends and family. Actually, "thank you" just doesn't seem to be quite enough for all your kind words, your purchases, custom requests again and again and for the friendships I have made. I truly am happy when I hear that my buyers are happy - its such a good feeling! Please know that much love and gratitude goes into every piece I create. May this be felt every time you open your pretty little package :)

I'm going to try and finish that custom order... now where's the tissue box?

Much love, peace and happiness,

Rocki

Have you seen Stanton?

I've been a bad girl lately! My blog has been beggin' for some lovin', but I've just been horribly busy and then some! So, thought I would put one of my newest creations up until I can do a decent blog come Monday!

Oh, and the cutie pie in the picture... that would be Stanton. You can see more of him in my shop if you would like to. I just LOVE him to pieces!

Happy Friday everyone and see you all Monday!

☼ Rocki

Guess what time it is!

Yep, it's 3rd Saturday at Conspire this weekend with the AZ Crafty Burritos!

When:
Saturday, Feb. 16th

Where:
Conspire
901 N 5th St. (NE corner of Garfield and 5th St.)
Phoenix, AZ

Time:
11am - 3pm

Come on down, it's going to be a beautiful day so why spend it all indoors?! We look forward to seeing you and meeting new friends!

Have a happy day!
Rocki

Take me to the moon!

'Wood' you like to go to the moon?

You don't need to be an astronaut or even leave your room!

This Moon Clock 3D is so cool and is one of many handcrafted creations by Travis of TC Woodcraft.

I came across Travis in the Etsy Forums the other day and after visiting his new Etsy shop I knew that I wanted to spotlight his talent. Obviously he's been working with wood for some time as he carves out each creation by hand. If you 'wood' like to see more of his clocks and other creations, please visit his shop - oh, and make sure to read his Profile as he gives great detail of his process.

Have a happy day!

Rocki

Interpretation

Art is in the eye of the beholder.

I started out with Argentium Sterling Silver to make a square pendant and then it was as if something inside me took over.

I continued on with my little creation while wondering how it was going to turn out. I shaped and soldered, hammered and polished. Alas it was complete! With the bail placed off to the side I felt that I made a fun and unique piece of art that will sure to draw attention.

Okay, so some people may look at this pendant and see nothing more than just a square, circle and 2 squiggly lines. Maybe some will glance and think "what the heck is that suppose to be?!" Mark (my hubby) said it looks like a little person. Who knows... others may actually see an artistic creation. Me? I see many things, but then again, that's not too unusual for me ;)

If you would like to see other photos and details of my Interpretation pendant, feel free to visit my shop.

Happy day to you!

Rocki

I Heart You!

A heart is a heart, but when it is created with loving care it is so much more.

♥

When it is given from the heart to that special someone,

it is more meaningful than just a box of chocolates.

♥

Knowing that this precious gift came with love and care,

you're sure to have more than just dinner and a movie.

♥ ♥ ♥

For more gift giving ideas for this Valentines Day or any day,

feel free to visit my shop.

♥

Have a happy day!

Rocki

☺

p.s. I am not responsible if it is only dinner and a movie ;)

Conspire Rocks!

Come join us this Saturday, January 19th at Conspire!

Have a happy day!

Rocki

Smock You!

That's right, I said "Smock You" and I say it with love.

Have you seen my friend, fellow Crafty Burrito team member, First Friday in crime partner and cupcake lovin' Allison? She is the ever talented gal behind the fabric of some very creative totes, handbags and cuffs. She has a great display on hand at the different shows and events she attends, so don't miss out on the opportunity to own one of her creations. You can find her at http://www.smockyou.etsy.com/.

Not only can Allison smock ("fabric manipulation" as she calls it) but she's a fellow metal freak. She's a "wannabe machinist/welder" by day and a smocking fabric manipulator cupcake eater by night. Check out one of her metal creations Copper Necklace II (you must see her display, it totally rocks!)

Now go ahead and visit Allison's shop, plus you can find out where she currently has some of her creations on display. To find out future events where you can find her, visit our Arizona Crafty Burrito Collective website.

Have a happy day!
Rocki

Organic Peace

The peace sign has been around for as long as I can remember, and that has been, well... anyway, it is a symbol that is recognized by all.

I remember when I was a little girl I loved giving the peace sign to strangers, especially while riding in the car. When others gave me the peace sign back, I got all giggly inside and would smile from ear to ear - especially when it was an "old" person. One of the most heartfelt times of doing this was when we were on our way to the my grandparents house to see my uncle Dave who finally made it home from Vietnam. I was so afraid that I wouldn't see him anymore. Although it was only a 30 minute drive, it felt like forever - especially to a little girl. I gave the peace sign with both hands! When I was ignored by some drivers, I just kept smiling and held up my little peace signs. I honestly didn't stop until we pulled into their driveway.

My tribute to all is my Organic Peace cuff bracelet.

Peace - what does it mean to you? Loving kindness, harmony, freedom, tranquility, safety for our troops, no more wars, a room all to your self free from noise? Whatever meaning it has for you, may peace be with you always.

Peace and Love,
Rocki

Metal Hands

Do you remember those Madge "You're soaking in it" commercials? Well, if not, no biggie as you'll understand all the same.

Prior to the holidays I took a metalsmithing class, instructed by the very talented Holly Carter. I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally learn a new medium to add to my ever growing "I want to learn..." list. Torching, sawing, pickling, filing, measuring... Funny, but of all the techniques I learned and information I absorbed, I recall one of the comments Holly made about my long natural nails - it was something like "oh Rocki, you won't have those very much longer" (no pun intended, okay, maybe a little :).

I knew she was right and so I filed them down - halfway. Guess I should have gone a little further as now I practically have no nails, but oh well, I'm making lots of cool creations!

Okay, so now we come to the "You're soaking in it" bit... I'll be the first to admit that I do not (nor have I EVER) have model hands. You know, the nice, smooth, silky, not an age blot, freckle or blemish type of hands. I have your run of the mill working hands. That is why you'll never see me modeling my rings and such in my shop. My hands age me, more than my true age. Anyway, what I'm getting at is although I absolutely LOVE my metal and wire work, my hands look like a crime scene!

Will I stop playing with my torch, saw, files, metal, etc? Nope! I'm having WAY too much fun to care about what my hands look like!

Got lotion?
Rocki

2007 ends... Thank you everyone!

Wow! Here it is, December 31st. I must admit that despite little setbacks here and there, 2007 was a fabulous year!

I experienced many great moments these past 12 months and I'm so thankful for each and every one. I must mention that, without a doubt, one of my best moments was 'meeting' my sweet friend Janell! She is the reason I set up my shop on etsy.com. Besides being a very talented artist, she is sincerely a sweet person and friend. Thank you Janell - you're a big part of my life!

I also want to thank my boys Jeremy & Jason who are the best kids a parent could every hope for! A HUGE thank you to Mark, my soulmate/best friend/hubby, who stands by me, supports me, encourages me, listens to me, and loves me unconditionally - even when I ramble, like now.

On that note, I have many goals for the coming year, both personally and professionally. In fact, my brain is swimming with so many new creations to, well, create, that I don't know where to start exactly. Well, actually I do know where to start and that would be with my list.

Happy New Year everyone and thank you all!

Rocki

p.s. The ring shown here is another fun creation of mine. Feel free to visit my etsy.com shop to see more :)

Wire Wrapped Rings

I am quite excited about my learning new techniques and mediums to broaden my expanding jewelry career. One, in particular, is my learning metalsmithing - which will be my next blog as it will be more detailed - for now, I want to share with you my new self-taught creations...

This Snow Jade Sterling Silver wire wrapped ring is my favorite, so far. I call it "Moon Glow" because it truly reminds me of the glow of the moon on a clear night. It was rather cloudy the day I wanted to take the photos and I just couldn't wait. So, I went ahead and took them outside like I normally do. I was happily surprised to see how cool and mysterious the photos turned out - plus it really fits the name I gave it.

Yes, I've been on a ring wrapping frenzy, but loving it. I'm also creating some for the younger gals - some fun & funky type rings. Funny, I never really cared much for 'rap', but I am totally into this kind of wrapping!

If you would like to check out my newest creations, visit my shop at:

http://www.rockisrocknbeads.etsy.com/

Have a happy day!

Rocki

Inspired by life - Creating with nature

Opposites Attract

I came across these new Poppy Jasper squares and thought they looked absolutely yummy - so I bought some. When I received them the other day and opened up the package, my mouth dropped, I had instant goose bumps, my eyes welled up with joy and I think I felt a tingling sensation - all over.

These stones are amazing in person and I wanted to create with them right away! Mark even commented on how beautiful they are - and that's coming from a guy who referes to my inventory as 'car parts'.

While sitting in my studio and looking at my other stones, it hit me. Gorgeous new Poppy Jasper squares with Poppy Jasper rounds! Yep, that will work. I didn't want to use all the squares, so I'm thinking up another creation to use with them. Feel free to check out the entire creation in my Etsy.com shop.

Have a happy day!
Rocki
Inspired by life - Creating with nature

Eclectic Organic Serenity

I'm inspired by many things in this life and my creations speak clearly of this. In fact, there are times when I feel like expressing more of my eclectic side - this was one of those times.

Being drawn towards more earthy and natural materials, this creation seemed to flow while listening to one of my Native American flute cd's. Very inspiring music.

Eclectic Organic Serenity was created with many natural materials. If you would like to see more of this creation with the list of materials used, or any of my other creations, please feel free to visit my shop at: http://www.rockisrocknbeads.etsy.com/.

I wish you all a very happy day!

Rocki

Inspired by life - Creating with nature