Blogger Program at Rings & Thing - Just got Better!

I got a Blog Partner update yesterday from Dave at Rings & Things. The information was too good to not pass along.

Rings & Things is changing the way the Blogger Partner program works. This is an awesome idea!

To quote Dave:

"We've simplified, and we think improved, the program. This is based on the kind of feedback I've gotten previously from our Blog Partners, so thank you all! Here are some of the changes:

Any one can become a Blog Partners (over 150 people have signed up already!)
The load on any individual partner is reduced: we'll send "goodie packs" to a random drawing of 10 partners a month.
Once you're in the Blog Partner pool, your name can be drawn over & over again.
All Blog Partners will get featured in our Facebook album.
We've planned these changes with the hope that they'll mean more of all the good things we've noticed happening for Blog Partners: More exposure for each partner. More cross-fertilization of ideas--and links! And more of a low-to-no pressure experience, since we want this to stay really fun for everyone. "



Hurry kids!! Sign up!! Get your name in the goodie pool and watch the fun begin!

ArtBeads Sweepstakes!

Checkout Artbeads' "The World Greatest Bead" Sweepstakes.  Click here for more details!

So Tired!

My daughter and her husband was in town for the week and we had the best time! Here is just a peek at what we did all week. I am so tired! I didn't want her to go home.

Got tatoos






Went to the beach





















Ate - and Ate - and Ate!!!















Hung out with friends























Got a new puppy





and so much more!!!

I'll be back on track here shortly.

$20.00 G/C to Bits n' Beads by Gilliauna

Simply Stacie is hosting a give away to her readers of a $20 gift certificate from Bits n' Beads by Gilliauna!

Find out more details on how to enter and see some of the designs by Gilliauna at her blog - Simply Stacie!

Glasstastic Treasures Giveaway

Beautiful lampwork bead key chain given away by Glasstastic!!



Check out her blog for details!!

Denise Yezbak Moore is having a giveaway!!!

Holy cow and what a give away it is!

7 1/2 lbs of beads worth over $350.00!!



Stop by her blog and check out the details for your chance to win!!!

Copper Diem Hodge Podge Giveaway!!!

Copper Diem is giving away over a pound of beads!!




Check out her blog for the give away details!!

Good Luck!!

And now for something completely different - Darn Good Cookies!

I just had to make cookies last nite, and played around with a recipe for peanut butter cookies. James LOVES peanut butter and chocolate so why not combine the two ;)

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter (softened)
1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients. Mix well. The dough will be sticky but easy to manage. Roll dough into 1" or so balls and put them in the mini muffin tins. (Makes about 48 balls if I can keep James out of the cookie dough) Bake 14 minutes at 325 degrees.






This is a Wilson - no stick - mini muffin tin - so I didn't grease it.


When you take them out of the oven - let them rest a few minutes and then go around the outside with a butter knife to loosen them



Let them cool completely



Now it is time to bust out the ganache - you can see we already drug out fingers thru it :) Had to taste it to make sure it was good!

Chocolate Ganache
2 c. whipping cream
1 - 12 oz pkg semi sweet choc. chips

Bring the whipping cream to a simmer in a heavy sauce pan. Stir a lot so it won't scorch When it is simmering add the bag of choc chips. Stir til the chips have melted and continue to stir for about 4 more minutes.

Let the ganache COMPLETELY cool. It can take several hours. I make mine the nite before and keep it in a covered container in the ice box til I need to use it.



Use two spoons - one to scoop out the ganache, and the second to push it onto the cookie.


Use about half a spoonful. I wish I had a decorating bag - these would be BEAUTIFUL if I piped on the ganache.


Here they are kids!! Yum Yum Eat em up!

What's in the bag!!!

Ok kids!! Are you ready to see what is in the bag!!! I dumped it all out and here it is!!
I got a great deal on silver - which made me happy. The prices are getting so high, I have nearly worked it out of my inventory. You can see a couple of spools and a packaged coil as well.



These are the items picked out for a special order for a customer. You will see more of this soon :)


More silver - head pins, crimp tubes, ear wires, toggles, and some clear Swarovski crystals.


Here is a close up of the beads!!!!

1. Dyed magnesite skulls!!! how cute!! I already have these ear marked for Tirza's. I can't wait to show them to Anne!
2. 5mm copper daisy spacers
3. sterling silver spacers (two strands)
4. sterling silver skulls - SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!
5. 5mm faceted glass - AB finish
6. Copper plated beads
7. African Bloodstone - *faints* I have never heard of this before. It is bee-you-tee-foe!!! I bought this for Jo. Bloodstone is her all time favorite stone in the world. She will be here next week!! We are going to make jewelry!!!
8. Copper daisy spacers
9. Faceted quartz roundells
10. Tiny citrine roundells
11. MATTE FINISH CITRINE NUGGETS!!! have you ever seen anything more beautiful!!!!
12. Millie-Fee-Or-Ee glass coins. Can't wait to work with these!!! These will be perfect for my wire wrapped cuffs!!
13. AB finish glass heishi cut
14. Blue shell pearls! I could NOT BELIEVE the deal I got on these. I wanted to buy the whole table. I love these. There were more colors - pastels, purples, greens. I literally made a fool of myself when I saw these on the table. I gasped and said - 'Holy Cow!! Seriously!!' It brought others to the table to see what I was so excited about. These shell pearls are on my list of 'What makes my heart happy'. They are so much fun!
15. Brown shell pearls!!!! *refer to #14*

I can't wait to dive into these. I have so many ideas. It is fun to get new stuffs to help oil the squeaky cogs of creativity!!!!

Now if I can just get the bathroom done!! I came home last nite and James had cleaned up one mess so I could make another.



So this morning I tapped and edged and got half the bathroom painted before I had to leave for work.





I'll get the painting done tonite, and we will be at a stopping point. We can put the shelving and the mirror back up. At least we will be able to use the bathroom while we save up for the next round :)

Tomorrow kids!!!!

Update - Rings & Things Bead Show and more

Yesterday - was the Rings & Things Bead Show in NC - I was EXCITED. I got permission to work a half day (my boss understands my addiction), got my day organized and off I went. I had a couple of stops to make on the way, made a wrong turn, had a detour, and was there in a little over 2 hours. Not bad.

I wandered in around 2:30 and was surprised to not see a lot of people there. Granted the rush was most likely when the door opened, and me being a slacker, was late. I was greeted at the door (she was the sweetest) given and explanation of the prices, and a shopping tray. I asked her if she would let me interview her for my blog which caused her to sputter and back pedal. I took her off guard :) She tried to pawn it off on a fellow co worker, saying they were better at it than her, when she was saved by a customer that needed to check out.

I would be back.

I grabbed my camera to take a few pictures and got this shot - from one corner of the room - approx 45 tables - PACKED with goodies.



Went to take another shot........nothing

Tried again - Nothing. I think my flash card is bad. James had bought me a new one, and I was trying it out.

*sigh*

I wanted to talk to a few of the people that were there and get some input from them about their shopping expierences with Rings & Things, what they do, how long, etc... just a little "get to know them" type of interview.

I have never had to work so hard to approach anyone in my life. I can talk down a brick wall! They were all too busy, in too much of a hurry, and some - flat out rude. At one point, I was looking thru a bin, and a woman came up beside me, put her tray right over the top of the bin I was looking in and began to rummage. I picked up her try and moved it over to the side so I could continue to look, and she grabbed the tray, and said - "I was only going to be a minute - you couldn't have waited!?!"

*blink* *blink*

I took this as a sign to go to the side, sit down and get a pre total of the items I had in my tray, and relax. I wanted to make sure my eyes didn't get bigger than my stomach and I buy everything I saw!

I was still good.

There were beautiful stone beads, Czech crystals, pearls, sterling, Swarovski crystals, copper, wood beads, trade beads, dyed beads, carved beads, glass beads, HUGE beads, tiny beads - it was all there! The prices were stupid. I got some strands for $2.00!!! Not only were they 50% off their retail, but an additional 15% off of that. They were giving them away.

Oh what did I get?



That will have to wait for tomorrow.

I am a bit preoccupied at the moment






Pray for my marriage - I hope we make it thru this :)

Tomorrow kids!!!