8 Days 'Til Christmas - Free Priority Shipping Upgrade

Wow, 8 days until Christmas!  Free upgrade to priority shipping in my Etsy shop.  Just mention HURRY in notes to seller when you make your purchase, and I will mail out priority mail! (U.S. only)

 

Chelester's Creations

Holiday Hoopla

I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by.  How is it already time for Thanksgiving, and Christmas around the corner?  In any event, to help me get in the holiday mood, here are a few holiday creations  currently available in my shop (oh, and use the coupon code HOLIDAZE at checkout to receive 20 percent off your order, good Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday!!)

HALLOWEEN SALE!

Halloween Sale! Use coupon code SPOOKY15 for 15 percent off your purchase in my Etsy shop!

Almost Halloween

I can't believe that October is half over, and that Halloween is two weeks away!  Where did this year go?  In the spirit of the season, here are a few of the "spooky" items in my Etsy shop:

Resin Jack O'Lantern Necklace

Copper and Lampwork Pumpkin Earrings

Hallow's Eve Czech Glass Beads Necklace

Orange Patina Embossed Tree Pendant

Hot Pink Magnesite Jack O'Lantern Earrings
(also available in turquoise and lime green)

Halloween bonus!  Use coupon code SPOOKY15 at checkout to receive 15 percent off your order!

Four Year "Etsy"versary!

Four years ago I opened my Etsy shop. Time certainly flies! To celebrate, I am offering 17 percent off your purchase of $10 or more in my shop.  Use code SALE17 at checkout. Chelester's Creations

Look a sale!

Spring in Full Bloom

This winter seemed to drag on forever, but finally the trees have popped and the flowers are out!  Today's high was actually in the 80's, loving that!

Crabapple tree 

View of my front yard

Kiki is also enjoying the gorgeous weather!

Also some new items in my Etsy shop, bangles wire wrapped with glass seed beads and recycled silk ribbon:

Spring is Almost Here!!! Time for a coupon.....

It was a beautiful day here in Michigan, up near 70 degrees today!  So ready for spring, so must be time for a spring sale.  Use Coupon Code SPRING15 at checkout to get 15 percent off your purchase of $15 or more in my Etsy shop.

Cinnamon inspects the melting snow......

Addicted to Jewelry

I love jewelry.  I love making jewelry, I love wearing jewelry.  I love the beads, the crystals, the gemstones, the glass beads, the copper chain, the silver charms, the creative process, the finished product.  I have almost 400 items in my Etsy shop. But then there's my personal collection.  The stuff I have made for me, or made to sell and couldn't give up.  This is that collection:

I have no idea how many there are! Both jewelry holders have drawers full of necklaces, bracelets, earrings. There are random pieces all over the house too.  And with all the beads in my stash, there is an endless amount of jewelry waiting to be made!

How Not to Make Sushi - or - The Great Rice Disaster

A girlfriend and I took a sushi rolling class last week.  After sampling some delicious sushi, and some saki, the chef did a fairly quick demonstration, then let the 47 of us roll our own.  It was a bit chaotic, but fun, and I was surprised at how nice my sushi looked (and tasted!).

So I went out and bought up all the necessary ingredients to make my own:  Sushi rice, sushi rolling mat, rice vinegar, wasabi, nori, cucumber, avocado, imitation crab, and some Sriracha mayo.

First step was of course making the sushi rice. Following a recipe I found online, I rinsed the rice, then put in a saucepan with the water, on high, to bring to a boil.  NOTE TO SELF:  When making sushi rice, do not walk away, no matter how briefly.  The water will boil faster than you think!  I went downstairs to get something, came back, the rice was boiling and some had already burned on the bottom.  Okay, I had only made a small amount, just start over.  NOTE TO SELF:  DO NOT POUR RICE DOWN THE DRAIN. Not even thinking, I poured the water and rice down the drain, started the garbage disposal, and guess what?  Clogged.  Super Clogged. GREAT.  I tried a plunger, blocking one side and running the disposal, nothing moved.  Then, I go get the little plastic snake, try to  jam it down the drain, IT BREAKS IN HALF. Fabulous.  I decide I will come back to this later.

Anyway, so I make another batch of rice, WATCH IT CAREFULLY, once it is done add the seasoning and let it cool.  I slice up an avocado, some cucumber, do my best to make the roll the way I had the previous week.  The rice wasn't cooperating a whole lot, wouldn't stick very well, but I managed to get it together and roll it up:

The rice was also a bit underdone, but I was so afraid of burning it again.  For a first homemade attempt, I was happy with the result, of the sushi anyway.  Note the sushi rice was already made when we made our rolls in class.  The rice is the trickiest part of the whole process, in my opinion.

Once I ate my creation, it was back to the sink disaster.  Let's just say I was able to half complete the job.  I got the pipe off, the rice is in the trap as I suspected, I got the broken piece of plastic out, but for the life of me I cannot get the other half of the pipe off to get the rest of the rice out.  My hubby is currently ice fishing, so until he gets home, we don't have a kitchen sink.  Lesson learned!!

Beader's Delight Box Giveaway!

Enter to win a Beader's Delight Box from Prima Bead! The deadline to enter is February 24th, 2015 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern time.  Enter here. 

Ears to You!!

Had fun making some earrings this week, here's a few new ones in my shop:

This last pair was made with another one of the goodies I won from Bead Lovelies.  :)

New Year, New Creations

So on a whim I entered a giveaway for some handmade artisan pieces from Bead Lovelies.  I enter giveaways all the time, but of course never win.  EXCEPT this time, I get a fun email saying that I won! There were so many beautiful goodies, including focals, beads, and even some Sari ribbon, shipped all the way from Malta.  How exotic!  Anyway, here are a few of the items I made with my winning goodies:

Hoping to get more made up soon!