After Christmas Sales is going on NOW...

Pre-After Christmas sales is going on now. Every day has different specials. Please check out http://bigib.etsy.com for more detailed information...
10% off or two for $40 constellation necklace and earrings including Orion, Big dipper and Zodiac.

Little dipper, North Star, Polaris Pendant

Most people would recognize Big Dipper constellation as it helps point to north star or Polaris. The Little Dipper is no less important than Big Dipper as the Polaris sits at the end of the constellation.

With that idea, I designed a new Little Dipper necklace. The necklace is made of drilled sterling silver disc with larger hole size to emphasize Polaris. It comes with black cotton cord. Sterling silver chain is also available.

To learn about this piece, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

To learn more about Big and Little Dipper constellation in the sky, please click here.

Meet Sylvus Tarn from Rejiquar

Life is like a box of chocolate... you never know what you gonna get... I took this from Forrest Gump.
I do believe there is the truth behind those delicious chocolate. I met Sylvus from Adrialis, who is a very good photographer.

Of course, I have to ask him tips in taking good photograph and wondering how did all start...
Here what he has to say...

When as a child I asked my parents for a camera, they wanted to know whether I preferred one with lots of controls, or a simple one. I didn't think I could cope with something complicated, so I ended up getting a brownie type. My father's mantra was `Nothing is simple', and
that proved to be the case here---I wanted to photograph flowers and other closeup subjects, and so eventually he gave me his old voightlander, a 35mm pocket camera he'd picked up in Germany. This camera was completely manual.

Eventually, my mom sold me her SLR, a canon T-70, and it was with this camera that I took a studio photography class, since it was obvious that my untrained efforts weren't getting me into art fairs. At the time, the wisdom was that you paid a professional to take your shots but I was
too cheap to do that. (This sentiment has gotten me into trouble more than once.) Given that professional film was roughly $5--10 for a roll of 36 exposures, and professional processing another $10, the learning curve could be rather pricey. And it's still good advice, especially if
the images are needed for print work, such as magazines, at least for the next several years or so.

I'd say the thing that's improved my studio photography the most is doing it for other people---I shoot Kristin Perkin's work all the time, and her parameters are different than mine. Her requirements forced me to try new things. Recently I shot this huge jungle animal necklace for
another lampworking friend and because of the animal heads in the piece I had to use more of a straight down approach than I typically do with the round or vessel bead pieces that Page and I make. I never did really get it right but she was kind enough to pay me anyway.

Most of my improvements have been small, incremental things---little accidents and discoveries that, over time, accumulate. I think a lot of artists work this way. And sometimes, to be frank, I just fail miserably, give up, and wait a few hours, or days, or months, or sometimes, years, and try again. Eventually, with luck and persistence, I do better. These two conditions are why so many teachers tell you to save your earliest work, I think, so you do realize that you're
learning, even if it seems you're not. Jewelry in any case is kind of a pest because it's often so reflective (shiny) and glass adds the complication of transparency to the mix.

Digital photography has made good quality images far more accessible, not least because the film and developing are, in effect, free (technically, a sunk cost) with really only time and interest being limiting factors to learning. My interests are pretty narrow---reference shots or mementos when I'm out and about, and straightforward jury-type shots in the studio---but of course this applies to any style. There are a lot more tools nowadays too---besides
on board light-meters, there's autofocus, settable white balance, histograms, post-processing (I use gimp and gqview, open source image editing and image viewing programs). And, of course, there's a lot of online info for learning about photography, even for choosing cameras
(Phil Astley's DCReview is my fave for the latter).

Even something as simple as gridding is surprisingly helpful---I cannot seem to shoot level. Given the increasing use of zapplication and popularity of etsy, both of which require square formats, which I suspect reflects the need to organize thumbnails and icons neatly on
monitors, it will be interesting to see if cameras start incorporating square ratios, or at least square gridding, in addition to the traditional 3:2 proportion we use now. Already I crop much less tightly than I used to; I'm also having to learn to compose more squarely.

I admit, for digital photography, a good-quality monitor is a big help, but if you're short on cash, I'd look into linux---it's much less resource hungry than windows, so you can get by with older technology. Besides being free, of course. The generosity of the Open Source movement is one reason I license my stuff with the creativecommons license, and welcome the opportunity to spread what I know---a little bit of thanks for all those other folks' work that makes it possible for me to do digital photography (not to mention the rejiquar website, which is the raison d'etre for much of it) in the first place.

Photography is like a lot of other media. It *helps* to have the best equipment, but it's absolutely not necessary: I got by for years with a coolpix 990, which aside from its tendency to clip blue-based reds is perfectly adequate for web-based images or even 4x6 postcards. The
camera I use now, the coolpix 8400, is still basically a high end POS (point and shoot). With, admittedly, manual overrides. It's *almost* good enough to make 35mm slide-quality images for art fairs.

My other equipment consists of a tripod, a lightstand with 500w 3200 kelvin
bulb, a piece of scrap plexi, an old standup mirror, some translucent white plastic from Home Depot (i.e. fluorescent lighting panels), and a couple of sheets of 30x40 white foamcore. So really, I'm using the lampworking equivalent of a hothead and fiber blanket here. And just as
heat is ultimately the most important tool for making glass beads, light is most important component of good photography. And that's available to everyone.

sylvus tarn
etsy shop: adrialis
websites (with page) http://adrialis.com
http://rejiquar.com

Librarian or Archivist Gift Idea

Still looking for gifts for hard to find professional? Say like your favorite secretary or librarian...? How about copper and paper necklace?

The piece inspired by beautiful handmade paper I acquired when I traveled to Indonesia. Each paper is resin coated to add some durability.

Copper sheet is measured, cut, textured and formed. Clear varnish is added to help prevent copper from oxidizing. Each paper is carefully arrange to please the eye and ends with a balled sterling silver wire. Truly one of kind item.

To learn more about this piece, please visit my Etsy store.

Personalized gift for mother-in-law

It's always fun to have a returning customer. Mrs. B ordered a name necklace for her mom last year. It was a hit and she really likes it.

This year, she decided to order one for her mother-in-law. The necklace is slightly domed, brushed finish, lettering facing in turned out so beautiful.


What a lucky mother-in-law... Wouldn't you agree?

Architect gift idea

Still looking for a gift idea for an Architect? How about a pair of Mies Van Der Rohe inspired sterling silver earrings. With the idea "less is more", I designed and make this square earrings.
It's simple yet elegant.

Each square is individually hand cut, drilled, filed and adorned with colored beads. The earrings has some lined texture.

To learn more about this piece, please visit my Etsy store.

Meet Chiska from NaturesCouture

I guess the perks of being part of Etsy is meeting new friends who has similar interest. I happen to meet Chiska from EtsyMom who also makes jewelry. She took beautiful photography so I asked her few tips.

She's very kind to share the tips... even more... she even told me the basic photography... Wow, you are talking about exceeding expectation.

And of course, I would like to learn more about her pieces.
So, here's a bit on our e-nterview.

Bigib: Tell me more about your background.
NaturesCouture: Growing up, I would often go to my dad's workshop and watch him quietly as he worked on his silver work. I remember asking lots of questions and he would very patiently answer each one. Sometimes we would talk about jewelry, stones, and so forth. Other times we would talk about the world, nature, the universe. From this time with him, I learned a lot. I learned the art of making traditional Native American jewelry- an art handed down from his father and grandfather. I also learned an appreciation for nature, as well as respect for it. He taught me to see beauty in all things. I soon began experimenting with my own designs, taking apart old jewelry and making new out of it. As I grew older, I learned by using natural elements the beauty of the piece would be timeless- the way nature intended.
My love for the outdoors and nature has expanded into a love of photography. As I am in love with life and living, I always want to capture the moment, or remember the view as I was sensing it. I know it will never be exactly the same, but if I can create just a piece of it to take home with me, then I will be a happy girl. Over the years, I have learned some things about photography that help bring me closer to my goal. The beauty of photography is there is always something to learn.

Bigib: Why do you use the material you're using to express your creativity?
NaturesCouture: I love nature. I love natural things. I use natural elements in my jewelry because they do not fade. If I am creating a piece, I do not want the beauty to fail later, thus being a waste of my time and the buyers money. Beauty should last.

Bigib: What's a new project you are working on, or anything coming up?
NaturesCouture:I love to make soap! I love the feel of the natural oils on my skin. I can't imagine that I ever used the "soap" from the store on my body. The things in nature are meant to thrive off of each other. We are meant to use the natural elements around us. Our bodies love is for it. I am going to be adding a Nature's Couture Soap line to my Etsy site. I am stocking up the inventory!

Bigib: How is your design process?
NaturesCouture: As an artist, I cannot sit down and say, "I am going to design something." It is more an inspiration. Sometimes it hits me on a hike in the mountains. Sometimes it hits me while taking a shower. Mostly it hits me while I am doing house work. When ever it comes, I have to be ready with a pen or pencil and paper so that I can sketch my thoughts. Because as fast as they flow, they can be quickly forgotten.

Bigib: Do you innovate?
NaturesCouture: Everything that I have done this far has been original. I love to make things that are one of a kind. Lately, however, I have been thinking of making a line of duplicable items. These are basics that everyone loves that are not as challenging to recreate. Something that I have been thinking about, but the artist in me has been fighting...
Bigib:What is your favorite item and a brief description about it
NaturesCouture:
This was difficult as there are a few pieces that I feel unusually attached to.
The Michigan Sunrise Necklace
The focal I used for this piece is one of my favorites. The petoskey stone is a fossilized coral. It is commonly found along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, mostly commonly between Charlevoix and Petoskey, Michigan. What sets it apart from other fossilized coral is the beautiful dark round "eyes" or centers. This reminds me of the sun bursting with light as it inches over the horizon turning night into day. I found this particular stone on a beach of Lake Michigan near my in-laws home in Charlevoix, MI. I brought it home and cut it. It is always fun to see the design unfolding as you cut and polish the piece. The coral was cut at a slight angle with more defined "eyes" formed in the bottom right-hand side of the oval. It seems to be bursting toward the top left-hand side of the piece. After I cut and polished the cabochon, i enclosed it with a sterling silver bezel and attached 4mm rolo chain. I added some extra chain on the left side so that the necklace can be adjustable.
Feeling Green Necklace
This is a fun one as the pendant is an actual leaf! I wanted to preserve the natural feel of the pendant and what better to do this with than wood beads? As I am a nature lover, this is a favorite of mine.

Shades of Brown Bracelet
This bracelet has sort of a "beach" feel with the shell and the wood as well as the brown tones. It is a chunky bracelet, which I am a fan of. I love the beach (Hawaii to be more exact) and I love brown. This one is a huge temptation not to sell!

Just recently I was given the opportunity to stay at home with my 3 year old daughter. Up until this point I had been working outside of the home full time and missing out on so many precious moments. I had always dreamed of being with my girl as well being able to make and sell my creations from home. So I set up my shop in hopes of helping my sweet husband bear our financial burdens.

This time is allowing me to spend time with my little girl, to teach her about nature and life, and pass those traditions that were handed down to me, on to her.

To learn more about Chiska's store, please visit http://NaturesCouture.etsy.com

BobNuNu " Iris Design" Card by Valeree

BobNuNu cards, is a handmade card made by Valeree L, which is also known as "Iris design". The design would look like an iris of an eye ( or a camera ). This is achieved because of the intricate pattern of the design.

The card comes in the shape of dress, baby, star, dove, angel... you name it. Perfect for all occasions. It also comes in the "do it yourself" package.

I got a "do it yourself" package. It comes with the cut up card, pattern, instructions and the paper. You just provide your favorite tape.

Just follow the pattern and you will find this amazing, unique, one of a kind card.

Needs to learn more about this card? You can email Bobnunu(at)aol dot com.

Some new items from Bigib...

Just a few to mention...Check out our new copper and paper necklace and earrings.

Constellation necklaces including big dipper, orion and zodiac constellation are my favorite too.


Needs something unique for the company, teacher or your taiko group? Check out our Yuzen Chiyogami magnetic bookmark.More on my Etsy store... http://bigib.etsy.com

Ellison Bay Pottery at MPTV Holiday Art Fair

Perhaps, one of the "perks" of going to shows is meeting old friends and making new one.

I met John and Diane from Ellison Bay Pottery last weekend. They came in later than us. John greeted us as we were busy designing our booth. Of course, I had to meet Diane who was talking on the phone, sharing her recipe with her daughter.

During the show, we talked about art, parenting and "stuff". Diane showed me her millefiori necklace and some new pottery pieces she made. I showed her my new paper and constellation jewelry. And then, we talked about Door County. She has always been our resources for the "deep secret" of Door County... Not really a secret... We talked about "Feed the Fish" movie that took place in Door County. She told me how the community chip in with the making of the movie... And of course we have to talk about the shipwrecks in Door County...

We have to pack up and say good bye... But still glad that blog and twitter will keep us update.
Will look forward to seeing you again next year...

Polaris Little Dipper with CZ in flush setting

Polaris or North Star, is the brightest star in the little dipper constellation.

With this idea, I designed this necklace in sterling silver, little dipper constellation with CZ in gypsy (flush) setting to represent the north star.

The edge of the pendant is textured and the necklace is brushed finish.

So new... that it's still need to be listed on my Etsy store.

Orion Constellation Necklace

Orion is perhaps one of the most recognizable constellation after Big Dipper. It's also known as a hunter of the bull and the hare.

This necklace is made of sterling silver disk, drilled, to portray Orion constellation. It's great for star gazers or for your loved ones.

To learn more about this piece, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

Family Name Bracelet, An Anniversary Gift Idea

Need some idea for anniversary gift? How about personalized family bracelet from Bigib.

Recently, I made family name bracelet for a couple who is celebrating their 50th anniversary. They have 4 children and 7 grand children.

Each name is hand stamped on a silver disc and linked with jump ring. Just like a family, every family member is "linked" with each other. Hand made "S"clasp added to connect the bracelet.

It's truly one of a kind, personal gift you can give for your special one.
Wouldn't you agree?

One of a Kind Three Yuzen Chiyogami / Japanese Washi Paper Magnetic Bookmarks

New...one of a kind magnetic bookmark from Washi/Yuzen Chiyogami paper.

This is the bookmark that stays in the last page you read. It's great for reading in a public transportation, car, beach, as you don't have to worry your bookmark will slip away...

The size is about 1"x2.75". It's made from Japanese Yuzen Chiyogami paper that I acquired when I was in Japan.

This special listing comes in a set of three. It's awesome to use it as a bookmark or to frame it.

Great for birthday gift or people on the go... To learn more about this, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com.

Star burst Sterling Silver Earrings

Star light, star bright...The first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might......
have this" starburst" earrings tonight...

This pair of earrings truly remind me of a star. It's made of sterling silver disc, carefully hammered, to create a star burst pattern.

Great gift for star gazers....

To learn more, please visit my Etsy store and click on "Constellation/Star Gazers" section.

Zodiac Constellation Pendant

Constellation pendant is now available at http://bigib.etsy.com.
It's made of sterling silver disk, drilled, to portray constellation of each zodiac.

October zodiac is Scorpio. If you need different zodiac, please contact me.

It's great for birthday gift... Wouldn't you agree?

Big and little dipper sterling silver lentil bead necklace

Ursa Major and Minor, North Star, big and little dipper pendant... new from bigib.

Two pieces of sterling disk, drilled, domed, soldered and filed to create this piece.
It's big dipper in one side, little dipper in the other side. Diameter about 7/8".
Picture shown with 20" sterling silver snake chain.

It's a great piece for fellow star gazers...

To learn more about this piece, please visit my etsy store.

C ring black steel and red lampwork earrings

"Everything happens for a reason... "

Last few months, I'm experiencing a frozen shoulder. I felt devastated as I have shoulder pain and limited movement thus limiting my ability to make metal jewelry.

With that constraint, I came up with different material to work on jewelry.

This earrings is made of C ring ( or clamp?) adorned with red lamp work dangled on sterling silver ear wire. It's a material that is sometimes overlooked, but could create a unique piece of art.


It's true, if I haven't had a frozen shoulder, I won't be making this...
Wouldn't you agree?

To learn more about this, please visit my Etsy store.

Monarch Trail in Milwaukee County Ground

Looking for Monarch migration? Try Milwaukee County Ground on Watertown Plank.

Depending on the weather, you may be able to see Monarch. I learned that this year migration may be late. So, today, went to Milwaukee County Grounds to check out the Monarchs. After looking and looking for a monarch, we 1 close to the sycamore tree.

Our daughter sharp eyes caught the monarch and I (of course) have to take the picture. We saw the chrysalis on the bottom of the butterfly

To learn more about the monarch trail, visit themonarchtrail.org.
Or you could follow twitter themonarchtrail

LeDuc's, our favorite Glacial Drumlin Trail stop in Wales

Glacial Drumlin trail is one of our favorite bike trail. It's paved, surrounded with bushes and mostly flat. We started at Sunset Park in Genesee and head West.

It takes about 2.5 miles to reach Wales, which is about the right distance when everyone needs a break.


When you get to Wales, get off the trail, take right to Elias street, take left on the stop sign ( you will pass Kettle Moraine High School), and another left on the next stop sign.
You will be on Summit (hwy 18) and LeDuc's is just across the street.

Or... you could keep going, pass the bridge and off the trail. You will see Pick N'Save next to you.

The food are great, the chocolate shake rocks. My favorite is beer battered cod and chocolate shake.

We plan to go back for more before the weather gets too cold...

Chiyogami Paper Magnetic Bookmark, A Unique Gift For Travelers and Readers

Since I was in Architecture school, I admire papers. At one time, I was able to tell the weight and quality of the paper just by touching. So when I was in Indonesia for summer, I just have to buy some hand made papers from Indonesia which has beautiful texture and color. And when I was in Japan, I bought some beautiful Washi papers.

I decided to make Magnetic Washi Paper Bookmark. This idea came because I sometimes lost my bookmark if I accidentally grab the book in the wrong way. Not only that, with a 3 years old at home, she plays with my stuff, dropped my book and I lost the last page I read. This magnet book marker stays in the last page I read even though the baby dropped the book.

The size is about 1" x 3". It comes in many different color and pattern. Each bookmark is stamped with artist's name in Japanese characters/ Hanko (not pictured).
It's truly one of a kind piece.

It's great for reading in public transportation, car, beach, anywhere you travel as you don't have worry your bookmark accidentally slipping away. Great gift for travelers and readers...

To learn more about this, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

Taste of Madison

Have you tried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Eggroll? Or Indonesian Perkedel Jagung? or Firecrackers Shrimp? In case you're wondering what to do for this Labor day weekend, don't miss Taste of Madison.

Around 70 booth set up with variety of food that could satisfy every palette. If you are not sure what to start, stop by the GoldnPlum Chicken van... which I think will surely caught everyone's attention.
A few of my favorite ( too many too mention...) were Canolli, Chocolate Egg Roll, Calamari and the classic Sweet Potato Fries. The kids like Gelato.

With perfect weather, great food... it's surely a treat for us....

Bitter melon recipe

As I was walking to Waukesha Farmers market, I saw a kind of vegetable I used to know. It's called bitter melon. As the name suggested, it's bitter... but good...
My mom used to cook it. Today, with a little "bravery", I decided to cook one.

What you need:
3 medium size bitter melon, 3-5 cloves minced garlic, 2 table spoon minced onion, 1 red pepper(I was out of red pepper, so I use sweet banana pepper), chili soy bean paste, oil, coriander, salt and pepper.

Here's how I cook it.
Cut the melon in half and clean the seeds. Cut about 1 cm thick and put in a bowl. Sprinkle some salt, toss it around and set it aside about 20-30 min.
Then, squeeze the juices out and rinse it well. The salt would help ease the bitterness.

In a pan, add oil and stir fry all the ingredients above. When the melon looks cooked, add soy bean paste, coriander, pepper. Taste it before you add salt.
It's ready to serve.

I eat it with steam rice. Hubby doesn't like it. Which made me wonder if we should prepare this for the chef and the city...

Akihabara experience

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When we were in Japan, we stopped in Akihabara. We took the train to Akihabara and found local map. Even though it's crumpled, I thought it's good enough for picture. There are a lot of electronic stuff, Sony, Ipod, ... etc which I'm not too interested in. I was looking for Japan souvenirs.


There are many duty free shops. It's 5% tax free as long as you bring your passport and buy 10,001 yen or more ( currently, around $100). There is a small 100 yen store, or equivalent to a dollar store, inside Tsukuba station next do Mc.Donalds.
There're not too many varieties in that dollar store, but it's OK if you are looking for $1 local items.

If I remember it right, most store closes at 8. We arrived at around 5, get oriented, walked and shop... Three hours passed so fast. If you would like to walk around the area, I think you need more than 3 hours.

Kidzania Jakarta

In case you're wondering what your children can do in Jakarta, try Kidzania, located at Pacific Place.

It's a place where children do real life activities like being a fire fighter, pilot, biologist, nurse,... hundreds of activities.
They get "paid" for the work they done and they can spend the "Kidzos" on the activities of their choice like public transportation or car racing...

I believe it is geared towards 6 years and older. In case you have younger children, they do have areas for toddlers too like matching up shapes, story time...

Parents can come along to take pictures of the children activities. Some activities are in a closed room, but there are windows so you could still see your children. The staff speaks both Indonesian and English.

I do wish they would let adults participate in the activities... I would choose to be a pilot...

New textured sterling necklace

It's a tree, it's a flower field,... no... no... it's a man on the moon...

It's a new design from Bigib. A textured pendant made from sterling silver, black patina to emphasize texture. It's an abstract design... you decide what's in the pendant.

A perfect match for the textured earrings... so new it's still yet to be listed on Etsy...

New handstamped necklace

New hand stamped necklace design from Bigib.

It's a double sterling disk for two names, brushed finish and adorned with flower charm.
The large disk size is about 7/8". It's about the right size for daily use.

To learn more about this item, please visit my Etsy store.

Traveling to Jakarta

In case you are traveling to Jakarta, I have some experience to share...

When you arrive in Jakarta, you need to apply for Visa On Arrival (VOA). There are list of countries that could apply for VOA. It costs $25/person if you stay in Indonesia longer than 7 days. Don't get overwhelmed to see long lines. I think they work pretty fast. It took us about 1 hour.

There are a lot of porter offering their service. Usually, they ask for Rp 10,000/luggage (currently about $1). I would recommend that you hire a cab ( Blue bird or Silver bird ) or have friends pick you up. It's so different driving in Jakarta.

Food you should not miss is local food. Try Satay House Senayan or Pondok Laguna. A few of my favorite food including satay, soto kudus, tahu telur, tahu kipas.
Other than those two restaurants, you can go to Urban Kitchen in Senayan where they also sell local foods. Some food are naturally spicy. Like Gudek, they have "krecek" that is spicy. If you don't like hot spicy food, you should ask to put it on the side.

You should also try the tropical fruits like rambutan, jambu, manggis or perhaps durian. I had the best, sweetest mango in Jakarta.

Bathrooms are different too... Unless you live in a hotel, you won't find shower. It's a good idea to bring your own toilet paper for public restrooms and hand sanitizer.

Other than that, enjoy the trip...

What to do in Narita?

Few weeks ago, we went to overseas. In the next few blogs, I will share our experience going to Indonesia and Japan.

I had a 20 hours transit in Japan on my way to Indonesia and stayed at Nikko Narita Hotel. There are not too many things to do around the area but we found out they have a shuttle to go to Narita City. Armed by a map and shuttle schedule, we decided to check out the city.

The shuttle drop us off in front of Comfort Hotel, right by Keisei Station. We took the stairs up and found the train station. Coming from the US, I'm amazed to see Mc Donald's ad right in front of the station... We took a right turn and then left where we could cross a bridge.

It is a nice small town to walk. They have many kind of restaurants around the area, a temple, shops. When we arrived, most of the shops are closed. They have few vending machines on the street which looks so similar than the on in the US. So,... I got to take the picture...


We were looking for local food... so we stopped by Ramen Bayashi for dinner. It's good and reasonably priced. In case you don't speak Japanese, don't worry. They have pictured menu, so you could easily point out what you like.

I still have our crumpled map. I don't have a scanner... I hope this helps give an idea of Narita City.

In case you need to go to Narita airport, you can catch a train from Keisei to Narita. Children elementary school or younger are free. If you're not sure, just ask.
I think for International, you have to go to Terminal 2.
Enjoy the trip...

Textured sterling earrings

New items from Bigib... textured sterling earrings. It's made of round sterling disk, textured and black patina to emphasize the texture.

Another very simple and yet elegant piece. Wouldn't you agree?

Check out http://bigib.etsy.com

New item Kaleidoscope Necklace...

I called it a Kaleidoscope. One of the newest piece I designed for this summer.

It's made of sponge coral, lava, coconut beads, turquoise, coral and sterling spacers. Ends with hand made "S" clasp.

Very rich in colors, textures and yet, it's so elegant.
So new... I still have yet to list it on Etsy...

Would you agree?

Home made tumbler composting bin

With the spirit of going green, we finally finish our tumbler composting bin...

It's all started when I saw home made composting bin at Youtube. It even comes with a diagram... After a long thought we decided that we want to try it.

I got the plastic barrel free from local food processor in Waukesha. Since we don't have most of the tools needed, like the saw drill, power tool, it cost us almost $150 to get the supplies and the tools. And since none of us are very handy, we are really working on it slowly.

It took us about 4 weekend to work on it. Perhaps, the most interesting part is the process itself. Both of us have engineering background. You know how engineer think? Very logical but may not be always practical.


Here's what it looks from the inside...

The kids likes to turn it... so I got an extra happy helper turning the compost. Will the bin helps turn to a compost faster? Hm.. will see...

Bookmark in a Card... A Graduates Gift Idea...

I have an assignment from hubby to look for a gift for a graduate.

Hm... as I was thinking though, what would a graduate needs, I decided to go to a book store.
I tried to remember those time when I graduated from high school... I needed to think what life choices to take...

I found a very nice hand made journal... I thought it would be perfect. She could always use a journal to write her thoughts in making choices in life.
Then I add a nice pen and... my hand make bookmark in a card.
What a perfect combination. She could always keep the card or use the book mark for her journal.

I'm very happy with the result...I think it worth blogging... don't you think so?

Raspberry picking... idea for Summer activity

If you missed strawberry picking for this summer, you could try raspberry.

My favorite place is Jelli's Market.
They have more than just berries to pick. Best of all, they are pretty close to where I live.

The kids had fun picking raspberries. Some was eaten on the spot... I had fun taking pictures...

Don't forget mosquitoes repellent when you go berry picking. As much as I enjoy eating berries, I don't want bugs "eating" me...

Untitled...new sterling cold connect reticulated necklace

New design...
This piece is made from reticulated sterling silver, oxidized, cold connect with nuts on bolt on a sterling sheet.
The bail is made from square sterling dangled on nylon coated steel wire.
I have been thinking about this necklace since 3 years ago... Yupe,... it finally takes form and I love it...
Wouldn't you agree...?

Fourth of July Sale...

Buy one get one 50% off... equal or lesser value store wide
Offer expires July 5, 2009.
Check out http://bigib.etsy.com

Summerfest is open today....

Summerfest is open today with a big bang... Wonderful fireworks with Milwaukee Art Museum in the foreground... what a spectacular view...
For more info on Summerfest, please visit www.summerfest.com

New Family at Old World Wisconsin

If you happen to be at Old World Wisconsin at around this week, checkout a new bird family at the Crossroads Village. They live inside a pole, in front of the black smith building.

Not sure what kind of bird is it. Mama bird wasn't very happy as there were so many kids peeking out... and so did I...

I managed to take a close up picture. I think the total is about 5 baby birds...only 2 birds was peeking out when I took the picture.

I really like this picture... I thought it's worth blogging...
Have fun...

Summer Solstice Party Plus Jewelry Showcase

Welcome to our First Annual Summer Solstice Party + Jewelry Showcase.
After had a rain day on the planned day, we had a wonderful sunny and warm night for the party.
What a great turn out. Almost thirty people were in the party. We had door prizes and 10%-60% off jewelry for that day. We also had plenty off good food, s'mores, corn roast, good conversation, jewelry show, scavenger hunt, while enjoying the longest day of the year.



The kids got glow sticks, sparklers, candies, balloons and all other goodies for the hunt. While the parents enjoying Sangria, Margarita, Wine and beer while enjoying s'mores in front of the fire.


It was indeed a good party. Congratulations to Barb B who won the door prizes. Mark your calendar for our 2nd Summer Solstice Party Plus...June 25, 2010. We are looking forward to next year party.