~*Baking more PC confections!*~

Good morning!

This weekend I will be meeting Wendy and Toby Froud at the new little arts and crafts studio I started teaching at in Maspeth Queens.
I'm a LONG time fan of The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and other projects that they have both worked on.

Right now I am creating cupcakes with pink frosting and wild cane beads to sell at a small boutique sale at the end of this month... AND to give away for INTERNATIONAL CHARM DAY!!!
It's coming!
April 28th!!!
I am so excited!
Lots of giveaways!!!!


I'll post photos once I am done baking this next batch!
:o)
If you have a request for a custom designed polymer clay cake, cupcake or cookie, leave a comment or email me.
Cupcakes start at $10.00 and go up to $45.00 depending on the size and detail.
Cakes start at $5.00 and go up to $125.00 depending on size and detail.
Cookies start at $3.00 and go up to $10.00 per piece.

~*NEEDLE TATTING!*~

I finally just learned how to needle tat flowers and a lace trim!
I am so excited!!!
~*YAY!*~

I'm doing it on a miniature scale for miniature napkins to go with my miniature cakes and cookies!!!!

The size of a US dime-

The polymer clay cakes etc. are pictured with a US dime (10 cent coin) to show size.

For those who are not in the USA, the size of a US dime is-

Diameter	17.91 mm  (0.705 in)

I should post them next to a measuring tape or ruler for better understanding of scale.

100% Polymer clay! 100% smaller than a US dime.

This is CLAY

~*My Wonderful Birthday Brooch Gift by, Pat Winter!*~

Each year I like to order a colorful and cheerful piece of jewelry made by one of my art friends for my birthday. A few days ago I wrote to Pat and asked her to create this little beauty for me.
She made it right away and my heart is delighted by how CUTE she made it!

Isn't it wonderful?

And it is filled with such a calming scent of dried lavender.

Although my birthday is not for another month, I will start wearing this sweet doll right away!










~*Thank you SO much Pat!!!*~

Click here to see Pat's Blog and post!

~*A master paper art engineer!*~

This is on my list of things I want to learn how to do.
His work is MIND BLOWING! Watch as he cuts and sculpts moving paper creatures!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0auJnset5fQ&feature=fvw

The free make and take charm and bead time was fun!

Despite the cold and very wet weather, 15 showed up for my bead and charm make and take it.

I'm hosting a FREE Charm Make it Take it class 3/13

I'm hosting a free make and take charm event at Purple Petals art studio in Maspeth, Queens NY this coming Saturday from 3-5pm.

Drop by and make a charm!

International Charm Day participation wanted and needed!

Charm day is coming up! Would you like to participate?
Please let me know if you will be hosting an event on your blog or website and I will add your address to the web list.
:o)

Amber

SO *SAD* SO SERIOUS SO REAL! SO INCREDIBLE!

I guess I do live under a rock...

I never knew how serious this was until last night.

~*PLEASE WATCH THIS ENTIRE FILM!*~---> US residents can see it for free click on the title

The Future of Food It's on HULU in the US, other countries can access it through the website listed below.

Biotech engineered food????
THIS IS A HUGE MAFIA STYLE INDUSTRY
I am enraged, disgusted, saddened...
EVERYONE ON *EARTH* MUST MUST MUST MUST SEE THIS!!!!!
The whole film!!!!!!!!!!!! 
ALL OF OUR LIVES are affected by this-There are patents that BIG companies are trying to get on SUICIDE seeds! That once a plant produces it's crop, IT DIES with no viable next generation seeds!!!!!!!! ALL MADE IN ORDER TO ***CONTROL*** THE FOOD MARKET!!!!!! THIS AFFECTS YOU, ME, our families... OUR HEALTH.
SPERMICIDAL CORN is in a lab somewhere and they can try to get a patent! FARMERS ARE BEING SUED BY CORPORATIONS WHO OWN PATENTS ON SEEDS... AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!


GET INVOLVED!<------


http://www.thefutureoffood.com/index.html


SCREENINGS FOR THIS FILM-


Environmental Education Network of the Province of Trento
February 22, 2010 
Caldonazzo (TN, Italy)


Daemen College
March 3, 2010 7pm
Schenck Hall Room 107
4380 Main St., Amherst, NY 14226
For info, call 716-839-8524

Environmental Education Network of the Province of Trento
March 4, 2010 
Pergine (TN, Italy)

I hope that whether you have a special Valentine to celebrate with, or a loving pet that you have a sweet and wonderful weekend!

~*Happy St. Valentine's day!*~

~*Love*~

Love - I know Love-
It's a forever lasting - permanent etching on one's soul.
-Amber Dawn

Classes and workshops will start soon!

I am very excited to share that I will be teaching polymer clay cane/bead making and the making of other jewelry components and accessories very soon!
So if you are in the NYC/Queens area and interested, let me know!

:o)

And this event's winner is....

Random.org chose #3! That is ~*Pat Winter!*~ Congratulations! Please send me your address and tell me your preference- earrings, brooch or bracelet!
I'll be doing another Ugly Betty giveaway in the near future! I have a few great ideas!!!

"Ugly Betty" giveaway ends this weekend! Be sure to comment on the post below to be entered!

Win a wearable accessory items made by me.

UGLY BETTY IS BEING CANCELED! Giveaway

If you love that show, leave a comment!
I'll pick a winner, who will get a funky and crazy little something that "Betty" would wear!
I'm upset that the show is ending 8 shows from now-
And they film in several locations where I grew up!
They are really cutting it off way too short.

I JUST found Betty again on Hulu this month!
Yes, I often admit that I live under a rock.
I didn't know that they switched from Thursdays to Fridays to Wednesdays!
I was still looking on Thursdays!!!

~*Sighs..*~
ABC- keep BETTY! Or make Betty Movies at least!

College loan debt... personal rant/vent

For those who are not wealthy, before you send your kids to college, be certain that they are the type of kids that CAN and WILL focus on repaying their debts before "affording" luxury items. If kids do not understand what taking out a loan and repaying it takes, keep them clear!

Years of frustration... stress and sleepless nights are NOT worth a college degree if your health slips away before you can even pay off your college debts.

Who wants to be 60 and STILL paying for their BA or MA when in the long run the interest is just CRAZY?

MANY in America are going to be repaying until they die or are so poor that they cannot afford a decent life! Not fair.

College loans are in some ways robbing lives not enhancing. Same for most home loans. Just don't do it!!!

 

On the flip side, many who are not well off, who do go to college on loans and are bright and responsible, who understand the responsibility- I say GO FOR IT! This is just my personal rant in light of circumstances I know about personally.

Under § 523(a)(8) of the Bankruptcy Code, student loans are nondischargeable unless repayment of the loan would impose an undue hardship on the debtor. The burden of establishing undue hardship, by a preponderance of the evidence, is on the debtor. The Code contains no definition of the phrase “undue hardship” and interpretation of the concept has been left to the courts. In this Circuit, the applicable standard is the “totality of the circumstances” test as set forth in Andrews. In applying this approach, the courts are to consider: (1) the debtor’s past, current and reasonably reliable future financial resources; (2) the reasonable necessary living expenses of the debtor and the debtor’s dependents; and (3) and any other relevant facts and circumstances unique to the particular case.

The principal inquiry is to determine whether “the debtor’s reasonable future financial resources will sufficiently cover payment of the student loan debt – while still allowing for a minimal standard of living”; if so, the indebtedness should not be
discharged. Bankruptcy courts are required to analyze a debtor’s student loans, and make a determination of nondischargeability of them, on a loan-by-loan basis. There is no authority in this Circuit for discharging only a portion of a particular loan. – Marie vs Citibank

A OK

Thumbs up!
Feeling less tense today!
(((Holiday gift made for Connie Williams out of a miniature doll arm she sent me. Those are acorns that this pendant is being modeled on)))

my micro art

I was browsing for something on my blog from the past when I found this-
:On A Dime

There is a ton of eye candy on my blog... Take a browse through the archives sometime!
:o)

keeping calm

I've had a lot of grief and sorrow, worry and stress the past few weeks and to keep calm, I doodle.

Here are a few new characters I made up to add to pendants and add to accessories...Designing characters cheers me up!

~*Beau Ideal Arts ~ The Antique Hymnals*~

Taking Beau Ideal Arts for a little New Years spin and have been working on an issue woven around Antique Christian Hymns... Pretty inclusions and lovely words. Sure to warm the hearts of those who read it.

Preview coming soon.

Red swap update

----Red swap update- 5 parcels made it to me in time for the deadline. Mary, Celise, Cris and Lisa. Thank you!
And Kathy had mailed hers to me over a month ago.



January follower drawing coming soon!
Going to be giving away a charm bracelet for this one!!

(((Thanks to Lea Avroch for helping me to fix my computer today.)))

And the winner is... #12

~*Happy Holidays to those still celebrating all over the world!*~

~*The winner of this Holiday Giveaway is ~*#12*~ Brenda Bliss*~

Please let me know which selection you would like me to send you.

~*Holiday Giveaway!*~ Leave a comment to enter the drawing!

~*For my December giveaway, I invite you to leave me a comment to enter. You can write whatever you want, as much or as little as you want.*~

The winner will be given a choice between 3 gifts.
1- An assortment of beads and findings
2- An assortment of Steampunk and vintage items to use in assemblage or mixed media jewelry work.
3- Charm making supplies.

MICROWAVE BUTTERED POPCORN...

READ HERE----> POPCORN

Hooray for Polymer clay! "Charmsters"12 days of Christmas Charm swap- I was assigned day #2- "Two Turtle Doves"

I really need more charm makers to join!

Please, if you might be able to join the storybook theme charm swap due January 8th please let me know!
We need a couple more to join us!

~*Thank you!*~