Cruise Tip; Elegant Night...What to Wear?

Unboxing of Bargain Bead Box March 2016

Creations From My March 2016 Bargain Bead Box Shipment

With all the water and flooding here in Louisiana, I have not had a lot of  time to make very much jewelry. But!!! I did manage to make a few pieces with this month's shipment of The Bargain Bead Box. Check out my unboxing on my tappingflamingo youtube channel. 

 When I first saw this pendant, I got all excited and then when I saw the pink and green crystals I got even more excited. I love these colors, and they remind me of my son's wedding. You see, pink and green were the colors they used...pink because that is her favorite color and green because that is his favorite color. I thought that was a fantastic idea...colors to represent them both!

As I was making these pieces, especially the earrings, I thought they would make great items for a wedding! I did wear the necklace and earrings on St. Patty's Day, and got LOADS of complements. I loved them, but knew I would be putting them into my TappingflamingoBling Esty Shop. I took pictures, posted on my Instagram and Facebook and soon, someone asked why they were not in my shop. 

With all the flooding, our church group (Mormon Helping Hands) did a lot of volunteer work, taking out flooring, drywall, insulation, etc, and I was a part of that; that is why I was not able to get it into my shop right away. Eventually, it was posted, and within a few minutes both the earrings and necklace were gone. 

This necklace is a one of a kind piece, and probably will not ever be duplicated. I tried to find the pendant, but had no luck; but that is ok, I love unique pieces, and most of the jewelry I make are one of a kind.

The earrings? Well they are not one of a kind and are listed on my shop now. I only have a couple of pairs to go around though. 

Now this last piece, I made for two different challenges. The Bargain Bead Box is one of them. The other will not be revealed until May. It's just a blog hop, so stay tuned for the reveal of some other pieces.

These earrings are made of the glass flower beads from the Bargain Bead Box and a piece of Sari ribbon that I made into a bead. I love these earrings, and will probably list them on my Esty shop. These will not be a one of a kind, but I will not have a ton of them...so stay tuned for this summer....I have lots of fun stuff planned for TappingflamingoBling.

Well, that's all I have had time for this month. Hoping April showers won't be as heavy as the ones in March have been. I look forward to the April shipment of Bargain Bead Box...

Why I Opened My Etsy Shop

I love to make jewelry and have been making it ever since Junior High School. Well, I did take off a few years while raising our four children. 

Now that we are pretty much empty nesters, I started to make jewelry again. In recent years, I have given my creations as gifts and donated to various places including women's shelters and cancer centers. 

I have also taught classes at the local library, the senior center, and to youth and women at church.

In the last few years, I have had two of our children get married, and was given the privilege to create the jewelry for their wedding.

This was for my daughter in law....

This was for my daughter....

I had a ton of fun creating these.

Many of my friends have told me that I need to sell my jewelry. They told me to open up an Etsy shop; so October 2015, TappingflamingoBling was born. 

guitar string bracelet

Most of my pieces are made primarily of semi precious stones, glass beads and crystals. Since I grew up in Florida, I gained a love for anything that pertains to the ocean or tropical, so most of my pieces reflect that. I like to keep my creations affordable, but at the same time use good quality products. My main goal is to make you look beautiful, yet not break the bank.

On my TappingflamingoBling Etsy Shop, I just added some of those expandable bracelets that are popular now...and they don't cost $25 to $50 either! They are very affordable.

Most of my stuff is one of a kind, like this piece. It is made of green  and pink Chinese crystals. I dropped a silver leaf pendant that sports a beautiful tiger's eye stone. This piece was sold very quickly! Sorry...

However, these matching earrings...well, even though they sold with the necklace, I can reproduce them again. But only for a limited time.

I can also do custom orders. Just send me a convo on Etsy and we can discuss what you are looking for. I sure hope you check out my shop!

etsy.com/shop/TappingflamingoBling

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

The late afternoon of Tuesday, 8 March 2016, it began to rain....and rain, and RAIN! It rained all night and all the next day, leaving us with about 19 inches of water...in ONE day. By the time Friday, 11 March rolled in, some of the areas in our parish received more than 22 inches of rain...now that, is a "lotta watta...." 

I20 West Bound

A lot of people in the Monroe/West Monroe and throughout much the entire state of Louisiana were under water; many for the first time, as they were not in flood zones.  This meant that most did not have flood insurance and lost everything. Sadly, there were even a few deaths. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones and personal items.

A home in Monroe, LA

Not much could be done for anyone until the water went down. So many were stranded in their "Island Homes." Those were some of the luckier ones, as many had to evacuate by boat, as their homes were slowly swallowed up by the flood waters. All of us understand how damaging water can be, but think about what is in this water; sewage, snakes, and possibly even alligators. After all, you are in Louisiana. 

Some of the stories I heard were pretty interesting. I have a friend of mine that had minimal loss, but her and her husband were stranded in their house for days. Pictures show the water knocking on their door. Fortunately,  they had electricity, water and their food storage, so they were good to go...or maybe I should say, good to stay.

Let's fast forward to Saturday, 19 March. After much work and organization, a group from our church were ready to work. Now, many of the local churches and other organizations had already helped a lot of the community, but not everyone was able to receive assistance. Last I heard (which was 18 March), there were over 11,000 homes affected. 

About 7:30 Saturday morning, dressed in their yellow shirts and vests, The Mormon Helping Hands started working on the homes. Now, all the week before, many phone calls were made, and the work orders were entered into the system. Supplies came in, including cleaning supplies, hygiene kits, water, tools, and so forth. Many church members from the North East Louisiana, and Mississippi areas were there to help. Some even traveled as far as 2+ hours to help. They stayed in motels, other's  slept in sleeping bags at the church building.

Saturday, the work went on until, well, I know I left at 7:30 pm, and many were still working, entering completed work orders into the computer. 

The next day, Sunday, same thing. But after a brief church meeting and a few pictures of the more than 220 members who were there to help. Yes, members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints do observe the Sabbath Day by not working or recreation, but when the "ox is in the mire" that is different; and the ox was definitely in the mire!

Next week, is Easter. Many will still be displaced, and it looks like we will be out helping those in need. I worked about 24 hours this past weekend among some of the most incredible people. Everyone was so patient and willing to do whatever needed to help individuals they never even met. That is truly being Christ-like, and isn't that what it's all about?

Many will be back next week, even those who traveled from afar. I look forward to working with these people in the efforts of getting our area back on its feet again. I know, that we will arise from this disaster as a stronger, better community. 

In closing, I would like to share a scripture that helps me whenever I encounter hard times.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

"And then , if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." 
   Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8

Clasps, Part 2

Dry Gulch March 2016 Color Challenge

Here is another color challenge from Dry Gulch. Aren't the colors gorgeous? 

I bought these glass toucans several months ago. We are getting ready to go on a cruise in a few months and one of the places we are to visit is Belize. Their bird is the Toucan, and that is why I wanted these cute little guys. I had planned to make earrings for my mom and I.

I have had these peachy colored shell discs for awhile, waiting for the right piece; and don't you love those green Chinese crystals? 

So, here ya go, Toucan Shoulder Duster Earrings. 

Just pure fun!

Thank you, Dry Gulch, for coming up with this color challenge each month. It challenges me to go outside my comfort zone, which I need....

How To NOT Gain Weight On A Cruise

Clasps, Part 1

Got to spend some time with my sister, Tammy Powley, The Crafty Princess

Paper Bead Review