Who's Your Monkey?

Last fall I attended a Women of Faith Conference with 24 other women.  We had a blast!  The music was fantastic, the company was superb and the speakers incredible!  What more could you ask for than a weekend with great friends and 8,000 other women all in love with Christ.  :)

One of the speakers was Dr. Henry Cloud---the only male speaker.  I have heard Dr. Cloud speak before and was really looking forward to it.  This year, I have to say, was his best yet.  Dr. Cloud loves to use analogies and this was a great one.

The talk was on how we are not meant to be alone and that God meant for us to be there for each other.  Dr. Cloud talked about a stress hormone test that was conducted on monkeys.  One monkey was placed alone in a cage and subjected to all sorts of loud noises, flashing lights and pretty much terrorized.  The monkey's stress hormone levels went off the charts.  Then the scientists brought in another monkey that the first one was familiar with, lights and sounds still blasting.  They put it in another cage right next to his so they could touch each other.  Immediately, the stress hormone level of the first monkey decreased by 50%!  Wow!

So true with we humans too.  How many "monkeys" do you have in your life?  I'm so blessed to have many in mine.  Women I see every day, some once in a while, some I've never met, like the friends I've made through Etsy.com.

Shortly after the conference, I was in my favorite craft store and saw these adorable buttons of---MONKEYS!  I just had to have them.  Soon I found myself at my work table with these adorable little monkey faces in one hand and my copper wire in the other.  About a half hour later, I had my first prototytpe "monkey" pin in my hand.

I immediately made some for my close friends from the conference for Christmas.

These are the "friends" that followed.  They have been so much fun to make, and now they are available for sale in my shop.  Check them out for yourselves at www.etsy.com/shop/awiredwoman

Do you have a "monkey" in your life?  Show her how much she means to you with one of these little pins and share Dr. Cloud's story with her.

Back in Business

Wow!  It's been such a long time since I have updated my blog.  However, I have reopened my Etsy.com shop and slowly getting back into the swing of things. I look forward to getting into a routine and updating my blog on a weekly basis.  I hope you will join me!

As I mentioned, "A Wired Woman" is back up and doing well.  I have changed things up a bit and hope you like what I'm doing.  I have added another passion of mine to the mix.  Crocheting!  Very shortly you will start to see some fun crocheted items in the shop, such as spa items (washcloths, bath mitts, soap cloths, etc.), fun scarves, colorful caplets and more .  While some will be of a softer tone, most will be colorful and fun.

Here's a sample of some of the new items I have included in the shop.  These are Smiley Flower Pot pins and were a blast to make.  I saw the buttons in my favorite craft shop one day and just had to have them!  They make me happy to look at them and I hope they will bring a smile to your face to!  To purchase a flower pot for yourself, click on A Wired Woman.

I'm Featured Today on Statteam Blog!

Wow!  I cannot believe all the wonderful, amazing treasuries my friends on STATTEAM have created today in my honor.  I am the STATTEAM shop of the day!  Please take some time and click on the following treasuries and shop.  These folks have worked very hard to put these together for your shopping pleasure.

Thanks to everyone who featured me in their treasuries today.   :)

If you stop in my shop (hmmmm?) use coupon code WW15OF to receive 15% off your purchases.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTEyNzM0NDN8NTM0MjgyODc4/a-little-bit-of-everything

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTIwOTExNjR8NTMyNTkxMzI1/the-wired-women-of-statteam

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTI2OTkxNjF8NTMwNTM0ODUx/a-whimsical-treasury-in-honor-of-mercury

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTkxNjY5MXw1MTYzNzMwNjk/statteam-spotlight-81-85

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE3Mzc4NHw0Nzk2MDQ3Mjg/stop-youre-making-me-blush

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTkxNjY5MXw1MzM2OTc1MTc/opening-3pm-cst-thank-you-for-being-a

Stay wired!

My Treasury of All STATTEAM Members!

I LOVE being a member of the STATTEAM on etsy.com!  These folks are the most helpful, inspiring and talented people I have ever had the pleasure to "meet". 

When I was invited to join the team a few months ago, I had no idea that I would learn so much about online marketing.  I knew nothing about promoting my shop other than word of mouth.  They have done so much to increase my knowledge...now all I have to do is USE IT!  :)

Below is a link to my latest treasury.  It is in honor of one of my teammates who happens to be in our STATTEAM Spotlight today!  Congratulations Little Lady Irish. 

Please take a minute to click on the link and visit the shops of some of my fabulous teammates.  "Like" my teammates and "favorite" their shops.  We all appreciate it!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTMxNjcxNTJ8NTI1MDExMDU2/statteam-loves-hearts?ref=pr_treasury

Are You a Wired Woman?

I have often been asked how I came up with the name, "A Wired Woman", for my business.  At first blush, you may think the answer pretty simple.  I am a woman and I create with copper wire.  Thus, "A Wired Woman".  And you would be partly correct.

When I actually made my passion for creating copper wire jewelry into a real business rather than a hobby, I wanted the name to be more than just a descriptor of what IT was.  I needed it to mean something to me and give others a glimpse of who I am.  Coincidentally, one of my most popular pieces actually represents this pretty well. 

Meet some of my Wired Women pins.  They are colorful, lively, funky, unique and definitely WIRED.  Whenever I make one of these, I never know what she will end up looking like.  Each one takes on her own personality and finds her own look with each twist of the wire.  Just like every woman I know.  We all look different and have our own personalities, but one thing most of us share is that we are wired.  We care for our families, work outside and inside the home, run kids to doctors, sports and dance recitals---make dinner, shop, do laundry and occasionally get to read a book.  We love, cry, share, laugh, hope and pray.  We are wired.  We are women.

So---are you a Wired Woman?  If the answer is yes, stop by my shop and find a little lady that fits your personality and wear her proudly. 

Luanne

What is this and what do I do with it?

Ever run across an interesting item and think to yourself, "I have no idea what it is, but I know I have to have it."  This happens to me all the time. 

While browsing through etsy.com one day, I came across some beautiful copper pieces that the shop owner didn't quite know what to call.  To be honest, I don't know if what I'm calling them is correct, but for the sake of this posting, we will call them "bevels".  That's what I know them to be.  Anyway, that little nagging "I have to have these" feeling overtook me, and I purchased these gorgeous copper bevels from "Totally Unique Treasures".  My mind was spinning with ideas of how to incorporate them into my jewelry. 

I had recently learned how to add embelishments to donut beads and thought, "why not do the same thing to these"!

Rummaging through my extensive bead collection, I gathered up what I thought would be appropriate stones, pearls and beads.  I almost exclusively use copper wire for my jewelry.  So selecting some beautiful 22-gauge colored copper wires, I happily set about experimenting with my beads and wire until I came up with something that pleased me.  The following are two of the pendants that emerged.

 This was so much fun, I decided to create a necklace for my next pendant and this is what I came up with.

This necklace is made of various small glass and stone beads, pewter bead charms and, believe it or not, fish pearls.  While visiting a sporting goods store with my kids one day, I spotted these beautiful pearl beads used to make lures and thought, "I have to have these!"  I never knew exactly what I was going to do with them, but after playing with them in this necklace, I'm definitely headed back for more.  They have the most luxurious color depth of any bead I've ever used.  Who knew!

All of my links are handmade by me from copper wire.  Here I have created basic figure-eight links and two medium-sized spirals for a little added interest.  All of the copper on the necklace is 20-gauge.  For the pendant, I used 22-gauge copper. 

The pendants and necklace are for sale, and can be purchased from my website in my jewelry shop on etsy.com.

I hope you have enjoyed my first blog!

Luanne