Auntie Di's De-Lites

2007-02-28T22:24:00.000-05:00

Kelli made it through the final round of interviews to be chosen to be part of the delegation that will represent the United States in the Youth Friendship Games in Holland this summer. Kelli was nominated through the People to People Sports Ambassador Program and will play soccer in the 11-13 age group.
As a Sports Ambassador, Kelli will meet and compete with the finest young athletes from other nations. Athletic competition offers a powerful way to reach out for world understanding and strengthen the bonds of friendship with our overseas counterparts. Eight different sports are represented, with over 8,000 young athletes competing from over 20 different countries.
Not only will she share the common goal of all the competitors to perform at their personal best, but she will expand the way she views herself and the world, by gaining a unique sense of camaraderie with people from other cultures. This experience will prepare her for future competition and broaden her appreciation of the world. The exposure to international competition will have benefits that last a lifetime.
Her acceptance into this year's delegation will play a significant role in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of People to People, a celebration of international friendship and understanding.
To take part in this experience, each delegate is responsible for their own tuition, which includes meals, transportation, accommodations and educational activities. The tuition is set by People to People this year at $5300.00. We are asking for contributions to help make this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible. We are also planning several local fundraisers. We will post these events as they are scheduled. The due date for tuition is May1st. Your generous contribution can be made through Paypal by clicking on the link below.

We look forward to keeping you up to date with our fundraising progress by posting updates through this blog.
Thank you for reading...

Practical Jokes

2006-08-27T12:17:00.000-04:00

Ok, this just goes to show that my hustand and I are not over practical jokes! We snuck out last night and did some naughty business. He has this friend that is always trying to out pirate our pirate kitchen...so we one upped him. I wonder if he's noticed yet??? I wonder how long it will take him to? I wonder how he's going to try to 'get us back'???

First Day of School! YAY!

2006-08-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

Yay for Mommie! I started a new craft project, so look for it to come soon when I get it mastered! It's a secret though, I'm not telling! Ian and I spent the day driving each other nuts (he starts PreK on Sept 7). But it was so quiet, there was no fighting, and I didn't know what I was going to do with myself! Can you go crazy from too much quiet??? LOL I'm going to try to be much better at blogging now too! As you can see I was slacking off a bit here. Well, time to make Macaroni and weenie casserole....here's the recipe..the kids (and even the hubby) love it

This is cheap and feeds our family of 5 nicely!

4 boxes of macaroni and cheese prepared per directions on the box

Bread crumbs

hot dogs

shredded cheese or velveeta (any kind of cheese really)

After the mac and cheese is prepared, cut up the weenies in slices and mix.

layer in a 13 x 9 casserole dish in the following order:

mac & weenies

bread crumbs (thin layer)

cheese

Repeat

Have any easy recipes you want to share? Let's share!

http://auntiedis.etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Doctor's Visit

2006-08-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

The kids went to the doctor yesterday to get ready for school. They had to get some shots. Ian got 4, so needless to say he wasn't feeling up to par in the afternoon. Miss Pearl decided she was going to watch over him. She laid by him all afternoon and kissed him every once in a while. Later on in the evening at the dog park, Pearl was protecting me from the mean doggies who were fighting near me. She stood right by my side and growled at them when they'd come too close. I guess she's finally starting to bond with our family a bit more now that she's feeling better. She's such a good dog.

My open house is this Friday and Saturday. I hope people show up! :)

http://auntiedis.etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Schooooooollllll....

2006-08-09T09:37:00.000-04:00

Please...for the love of Pete.....School can NOT come fast enough! I really really can't get myself creating. As soon as I have a creative thought, *poof* there it goes...because I have to play referee or whatever. I can't even remember the last time I actually completed a FULL thought. School starts here on August 25th. Not soon enough.

As for creativity, I've done nothing. I baked some sculpey last night, so I'm getting ready to go paint it. We'll see how it comes out. As for productivity, I did manage to clean the downstairs of the house yesterday. It's a mess again already. And I finished the downstairs bathroom, except for some little decor items...I got a rug and some towels, so it's ready for the open house! :)

Speaking of open houses, if anyone wants to come, feel free to contact me for info!

www.AuntieDis.Etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Complete Season now on DVD

2006-08-07T18:09:00.000-04:00

Well lately I've been hooked on Angel the series. We've got season 1 through 4 on DVD, and I'm slowly making my way through them at nap time. I guess that means I'm going to have to watch Buffy too. There's probably 10 seasons of that or so. I don't watch much TV, and lately it's this weird mindless stuff I'm drawn to. Well previously I would only wait all season for The Shield to come out in full season on DVD and then stay up for two days straight watching the whole thing. I'm totally hooked on that show!! It is kind of disturbing that I'm hooked on Angel now though.

Anyway, to commemorate movie night, I created the magnet pictured above. How cool is that??? Popcorn..you can't watch any season of anything without popcorn! You can find this magnet in my Etsy store, along with some other cool hand painted Sculpey maggies. I can picture this one paired up with a pair of movie tickets as a gift for someone's secret pal. Fun!

http://auntiedis.etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Collections....

2006-08-06T17:56:00.000-04:00

I have a little button fetish. That's right...I have a HUGE rubbermaid under the bed storage container with buttons in it. So what better way to use these buttons than learn to crochet right???? So I did. Granted I'm not the master crocheter, but I know a few stitches, and can crochet some simple things. I admit though, I'm a little scared of the increase and decrease. Well I think I have the decrease under control.... I crocheted this cool little pouch set and used these awesome buttons that have a lion on them. They're much like an English coat of arms style, and are metal, and I just had to use them for something. Unfortunately, I keep buying buttons, so no matter how fast I crochet I will NEVER be able to use all these buttons. LOL Anyway, if you like this little pouch set, you can find it in my etsy store here.

I'll admit, once I get it in my head to do some kind of craft, I normally acquire a huge collection of supplies. I have two full moving boxes full of yarn that I can't use fast enough, and just recently I took up sculpey clay, and already have acquired quite a stash of clay and acrylic paints. I can't sculpey fast enough. I think I have OCD when it comes to craft supplies.

So tell me what kind of collections do you have????

http://auntiedis.etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Jumping out of an Airplane

2006-08-05T20:48:00.000-04:00

Well today we went to watch Daddy jump out of an airplane. It's his job, so it's probably nothing exciting to him, but the kids were quite excited. We had planned a picnic and everything, as the jump was to be around lunch time. Well it got moved to 8 AM. When we got there, they decided to wait until 10:00 due to some heavy rains that soaked the landing zone early this morning. Then when we got back at 10:00 we waited until 11:00. Bill was next in line, loaded up in the airplane, started to taxi down the runway, and it started drizzling, so they called the jump. We did get some neat pictures though....and we plan on doing it again so that the kids can really see daddy jump! :) It was all in all, quite an interesting day!

Right now, it's almost bedtime, I'm feeling the creative juices flowing. I've got some beer, I'm going to go sit and create some cool stuff (I hope!) Keep checking my Etsy shop to see what's been brought to fruition recently.

http://AuntieDis.Etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Butt Wipe Duty, Crafter's ADD, Funny Text Messages

2006-08-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

There's just about being a mom quite like butt wiping duty. Currently I have three children. Only one does not wipe their own butt. There's nothing like that 6:00 AM wake up call "Moooooooooommmmmmmm, can you WIPE my BUTT???" Having just been called to duty a few moments ago (Don't worry, I washed..and with soap!) I have been forced to contemplate this chore. I've decided I really need to get on the whole wiping your own butt thing...lol. It's bad enough dealing with the racing stripes in the laundry!

Craftiness today? Nothing yet, it's been a completely unproductive day so far. Maybe later on today I'll feel like creating something. I feel kinda dookish today, so I dunno. Part of it I think is craft ADD. I hate having crafter's Attention Defecit Disorder. It's true. I spend most of my time trying to decide WHAT I feel most like doing today. Do I want to make jewelry, candles or paint? Maybe some crochet? Maybe something totally new and unique? I could probably drive myself crazy! Well...if I wasn't already 3/4 of the way there!!

Well there's someone out there in the world that is totally unhappy today. Last night my husband and I were sitting on the couch at about 11:30 when my phone makes this funny ring I've never even heard before. Well I pick it up and see I have a new text message. Interesting, because I didn't even know we HAD that capability! LOL Anyway, the text message says "i miss you" Funny, my husband was sitting right next to me, and the area code on the number was 704..we did reverse look up, it was from NC, but from far away. Also funny, so I'm racking my brain trying to figure out who it can be, as we don't travel much.....I can't come up with anything so I call it. A chick answers, incoherently I may add, but definitely a chick. I say hello, and she hangs up. I call back, it goes straight to voice mail. Well, I sit there thinking to myself that at least I would have laid any suspicions my husband had to rest. Hubby is laughing. I am lost so I ask him what...He says "Some chick just text messaged some guy that she misses him, and a chick calls back, how effed up is that???" I start laughing. Well that explains why the second time I called it went straight to voice mail!! Hubby tells me I should call her back and leave a message explaining things. I didn't. I'm still laughing. I know I'm going to hell.....

All of my items can be found for sale on my website or my Etsy store at the following links:

http://AuntieDis.Etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

August Resolutions....Let Them Eat Cake!!

2006-07-31T20:12:00.000-04:00

Right this very minute I am contemplating eating chocolate cake icing out of the container. I don't know why I bought the cake mix and the icing?? I don't have a mixer. I surely am not going to mix it by hand...I'm too lazy...sooooo..I guess the only thing left to do is just eat the icing with a spoon. Makes perfect sense doesn't it? PMS...Chocolate Icing...perfect together. Ok, well...I have been playing with Polymer clay lately and making magnets. So speaking of cake..pictured above is my latest magnet...In my favorite cake flavor by the way! I'll be making more in different flavors soon.

Soooo..everyone makes New Year's Resolutions right? I didn't make one this year. I can't see the point in making something that I'm not going to abide by....soooo..I'm going to make an "August Resolution"....Yup, I'm going to TRY to keep one blog updated. Just one. This one. I have logons and blogs and websites and all kinds of stuff everywhere on the web. But I pick this one to try to stay faithful with. From now until eternity. Until death do us part.....

http://AuntieDis.Etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Purse ....Attempt Deux

2006-04-13T00:58:00.000-04:00

Oh.......I don't know, what do you think? I mean, it's only 1 AM, I may be a little partial...it looks way better than the purple version, so what do you think?

Mug Mats part duex

2006-03-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

Here are the 'Fiesta Mug Mats' I crocheted today. Set of 4. Acrylic yarn. Nothing fancy. Hub says if I don't get rid of some of this stuff no more yarn for me, so here goes....these actually came out pretty good. The colors in the pic stink. They're "fiesta" colors...red, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange, burgundy..think Mexican blanket...but for the life of me I couldn't get them to photograph well. You can find these on Etsy.

www.AuntieDis.Etsy.Com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Mug Mats

2006-03-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

Today's Yarn

2006-03-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

Well, here's a picture of the tiny pouch I created today. What do ya think? It's really a purple color, but for some reason I have a really hard time with purples and blues!

www.AuntieDis.Etsy.com

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Another craft

2006-03-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

You know I need another craft like I need a hole in my head, but I've decided to take up crochet. There's so many cute little purses and pouches and hats and...well anyway, all I've managed to come up with so far are tons of these little squares....at least they're finally squares and not triangles any more...but still...lots more practice to go I guess. The edges need some help I guess...but I'll practice some more and see what happens!

www.AuntieDis.Etsy.com

2006-02-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

I've been busy as a beaver creating new goodies! You can view some more of these items on my website at www.AuntieDisDelites.com or on Etsy at www.AuntieDis.Etsy.com

ETSY...the new handcrafted marketplace, check it out!

2006-02-09T06:43:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to tell everyone about Etsy! It's totally wonderful!! I have set up a shop there. It's a unique marketplace, where 98% of everything sold is handcrafted, and the remaining 2% is supplies to make handcrafted items (yarn, fabric, beads, etc). For those of you that love the handcrafted, this is the place for you! And best of all, there's NO bidding!! It's not an auction house like the "big bay" it's a marketplace environment for tons unique gifts! From knitting to candles, scrapbooking to jewelry, there's a bit of everything there! You can get lost on the site for hours just looking at the neat things people have made! Polymer clay, paintings, pottery, candles, knitting, handbags and tote bages, crochet, knitting, sculpture, needlepoint, there's even things I've never heard of! And for those of you that love jewelry..and I do mean LOVE jewelry, there is a TON of artisan jewelry on the site! You can find our shop here, where we have listed some unique items that can only be found on Etsy:

www.AuntieDis.Etsy.com

But you can find Etsy in general here

www.Etsy.com

Thanks for taking the time to surf around the site and see what peaks your interest! There are tons of other artists on there that appreciate your visit also!

Recently Beaded Beauties

2006-01-30T21:03:00.000-05:00

Mexican Zebra Jasper Necklace

Rain Drop Earrings

Circle of Life Earrings

Here are some of my latest creations. Feel free to check out my website for more at

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

I can now also be found on Etsy at

www.AuntieDis.Etsy.com

And on BluJay at

www.BluJay.com/simplysinfulsoycandles

Keeping your Sterling Silver Shiny

2006-01-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

Keeping your Sterling Silver Shiny
January 29, 2006

We all know that to keep our sterling silver beautiful, from time to time, we have to polish it! Silver tends to tarnish from contact with the air. Dampness + sunlight = tarnish!! First it will turn golden, and then start to blacken. The more humidity in the air, the faster the silver tarnishes. This is a natural process, and those of us that love silver are forced to polishing! Here are some tips to help!

Silver Polishing Cloths
This method is by far my favorite! Silver will polish by rubbing it with a chemically treated silver cloth. When used regularly, this helps greatly. If silver is left to tarnish to the black stage, it's going to be much harder than just wiping with a cloth. Invest in a good silver polishing cloth, and use it regularly so you don't have to spend hours scrubbing tarnish! These cloths also leave a slight bit of anti tarnish on the silver to aid in resisting tarnish and keep your silver shiny.

Silver Dips
Silver dips can also be used, and they're fast and easy! Do NOT use these with gemstones, as it can ruin them. Be sure to rinse thoroughly with fresh water or a white residue will be left on the silver that will be tough to remove. Dip the piece quickly in and out of the dip and then rinse thoroughly. You can repeat this step if you like. You can proceed to rub your silver with the polishing cloth when it is dry.

Marcasite Jewelry
The biggest challenge when cleaning up marcasite jewelry is not loosening the stones. One thing to remember with marcasite jewelry is not to wear it when washing your hands or doing dishes. Detergent and soaps CAN loosen the stones. Silver dip WILL loosen the stones. Your best bet with marcasite jewelry is the silver polishing cloth. If you need to replace your marcasites (or rhinestones), use the E6000 glue (not super glue!!) that you can get at your local craft store.

Sterling Silver Flatware
I can remember my mother spending hours once or twice a year polishing the family silver flatware! Wash and DRY each piece thoroughly before storing! Remember, dampness + sunlight = tarnish! Store all of your flatware in an airtight drawer or chest, or in preventive bags. Rotate your flatware. This will age the silver evenly. You can wrap your silver in acid free tissue paper, and then store them in flannel sacks, or if you can not use flannel sacks, tissue paper and an airtight plastic bag will suffice. Never wrap silver in any type of food wrap or newspaper, or use rubber bands on it. This will ruin it's finish. If you must polish, use baking soda or powder and a toothbrush with some warm water. Frequent use prevents tarnish. NEVER use a cleaner with ammonia or sulfer in it.

Gemstone Jewelry
Gemstone beads and cabochons should be immersed in warm, soapy water and scrubbed gently with a soft brush. Ultrasonic cleaners ONLY work with hard, crystalline stones, like diamonds or amethyst. Try to avoid the ultrasonic cleaners and dips. Silver polishing cloths are ok to use with gemstones.

I hope this has helped to take some of the frustration out of keeping your silver shiny!

Tomorrow:

New items we've been creating!

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Wedding Anniversary Stones

2006-01-16T21:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the list of wedding anniversaries and their corresponding stones.

1st-Peridot

2nd-Garnet

3rd-Jade

4th-Blue Zircon

5th-Pink Tourmaline

6th-Turquoise

7th-Yellow Sapphire

8th-Tanzanite

9th-Amethyst

10th-Blue Sapphire

11th-Citrine

12th-Opal

13th-Moonstone

14th-Agate

15th-Rhodolite

16th-Red Spinel

17th-Carnelian

18th-Aquamarine

19th-Garnet

20th-Yellow Diamond

25th-Tsavorite

30th-Pearl

35th-Emerald

40th-Ruby

45th-Cat's Eye

50th-Topaz

60th-Ruby

65th-Blue Spinel

70th-Smoky Quartz

75th-Diamond

Traditional Birthstones & Their Swarovski Color Equivalents

2006-01-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Birthstones
January 15, 2006

This handy little chart will tell you what the traditional birthstone is for each month and the Swarovski Crystal equivalent color. The gemstone is on the left and the Swarovski Crystal equivalent color is on the right. Quite handy when trying to pick a gift for someone!

January
Garnet.............Garnet
February
Amethyst.............Amethyst
March
Aquamarine...............Aquamarine
April
Diamond.............Crystal Clear
May
Emerald............Emerald
June
Pearl................light amethyst
July
Ruby...........Ruby
August
Peridot...........Peridot
September
Sapphire......Sapphire
October
Opal or Tourmaline.............White Opal
November
Topaz................Topaz
December
Turquoise or Blue Zircon........Blue Zircon, Light Sapphire, or Montana

Tomorrow:

Wedding Anniversary Stones

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Today's Beauties

2006-01-14T22:48:00.000-05:00

Amethyst Swarovski Crystal Bracelet

Alexandrite Swarovski Crystal Bracelet
Padparadasha Swarovski Crystal Chandelier Earrings
Purple and Green Swarovski, Czech glass and Cane Glass Bracelet

I've been working like a dog on my website all weekend, and creating tons of jewelry. Of course I decided to show you some more of my new creations. I've got some new crystals, and I've just been as happy as a clam sitting there beading all day! All of these items are available on my website at www.AuntieDisDelites.com Stop on in and tell me what you think of the new look and new bling!

Gemstone Colors

2006-01-10T21:05:00.000-05:00

Ever want to have a stunning piece of jewelry created just to match that special outfit? Guys, do you want to buy your fiance a special pair of earrings to match her eyes? Check out the handy dandy chart below for some help!

Common Colors

Black:
Obsidian Onyx Black Agate

Blue:
Aquamarine Blue Lace Agate Lapis Lazuli Sapphire Tanzanite Topaz Turquoise Dumortierite

Brown:
Agate Jasper Tiger Eye

Green:
Aventurine Bloodstone Chrysoprase Emerald Jade Malachite Peridot Tourmaline Unakite

Orange:
Carnelian

Pink:
Kunzite Rose Quartz Rhodonite

Red:
Coral Garnet Ruby

Violet:
Amethyst

White/Clear:
Diamond Moonstone Opal Pearl Quartz Zircon Howlite Mother of Pearl Riverstone

Yellow:
Amber Citrine Tiger Eye

Various:
Aventurine (any one of a number of colors)
Alexandrite (purple and blue)

Feel free to request special articles, or if there's something you'd like to know, please feel free to ask! I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have!

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Still more new creations.....

2006-01-09T20:50:00.000-05:00

Well, its really hard not to just flood my blog with my newest creations, but I simply HAD to share the results of my late (and I do mean 2 AM late) Sunday evening. I just couldn't resist any more! I'm gearing up for some spring craft shows, and I have been working hard, I wanted to share some of my newest pretties with you. Soooooo...without further ado..what do you think?? I know I'm not the best picture taker...believe me, these are getting better! All of these items can be found for sale on my website:

www.AuntieDisDelites.com

Aqua Tears Dangle Earrings

Czech Glass & Swarovski Crystal

Egyptian Cartouch Heiroglyphic Earrings

Czech Glass & Swarovski Crystal Beads

Blue Zircon, Clear & Jet Swarovski Crystal & Foil Lined Lampwork Bracelet

7 1/2" Sterling Silver toggle and accents

Tomorrow:

Gemstone Colors

Cats Eye and Swarovski Bracelet Sets

2006-01-06T19:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I promised some pictures of new bling, so these are the latest I've been working on. You can find them at my website www.AuntieDisDelites.com Every once in a while I get in the habit of naming my creations so from top to bottom these are named as follows:

"Black Tie"

"Green with Envy"

"Petal Pink"

"Storm Clouds"

I love the little crystals embedded in the cats eye beads. Talk about some bling, whether dressed up or dressed down!! :)

A Brief History of Swarovski Crystal....

2006-01-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite jewelry materials to work with is Swarovski Crystals. Big, small, even in between sizes, it just doesn't matter. I love the sparkle, I love the colors, I just love everything about them. They go with absolutely anything...semi precious gemstones AND Czech glass. Even alone, they add just enough "bling" to your designs. As I was working with these little beauties the other day, creating some delicious cats eye and crystal bracelets and earrings, and I began to think that readers might be interested in a brief history of how they originated....

In 1892, at the age of 30, and after 9 years of working to realize his dream, Daniel Swarovski developed a machine to cut crystals to perfection. No longer would they have to be cut by hand, and this machine made things much faster and more precise. He registered his patent, and Swarovski Crystal was founded in Wattens, Austria. In the late 19th century, crystals were used for everything from enhancing evening wear, to chandeliers, to telescopes and lenses, and grinding tools. By the mid 20th century, Swarovski began finding worldwide fame. He began experimenting with special treatments to produce different effects in the crystals. In 1972, Swarovski distributed the "moodstone" which changed colors according to the wearer's mood. In 1976, the first Swarovski Crystal figurine was created. It was a mouse. This mouse led to many more crystal collectibles....and then in 1995, on the Swarovski company's 100th birthday, the trademark Swarovski swan was created. From crystal tattoos to clothing adornment, to chandeliers and binocular lenses, Swarovski is innovative and creative, and has the best quality crystals around!

So there you have it, just a brief overview of Daniel Swarovski and the fabulous crystals he created. If you'd like to read in depth about this company, you can do it here:

Swarovski Company

Tomorrow:

Some new designs featuring my favorite crystals! :)

Let Me Introduce Myself......

2006-01-04T19:22:00.000-05:00

Hi there! My name is Diann, and I am the sole proprieter of Auntie Di's De-Lites, located in North Carolina. I created this blog to share with you any kind of interesting information I feel that you may want to read about. Whether it be photos of my latest jewelry designs or candle scents, or a history on certain gemstones or perhaps a pattern or recipe to create your own items! Check back frequently for new subject matter!

And now, a brief history about me....

It all started in the year 2000 with candles. I just couldn't find one that was strong enough or burned long enough for me, so I became determined to create my own. I chose to work with 100% natural soy wax and non-metal cored wicks. Well....my friends liked them so much, that they convinced me to turn my hobby into a business.

While deep in my candle cave, waiting for my wax to cool, I was repairing a broken bracelet, and I discovered that I like to dabble with beads also....I liked it a LOT....and so it began. My love for beads. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets...I love to design them and bring my designs to life. I work with a variety of mediums from genuine Swarovski Crystals to semi precious gemstones and Czech glass beads. My favorite items to create are earrings. It's fun to wear a different pair of earrings every day!

Recently I was persuaded to try E-Commerce. So I created my website www.AuntieDisDelites.com and I dabble on Ebay from time to time. I am still, for the most part, trying to figure it out, but I got quite a few of those yellow "Dummy" books for Christmas on various home business and E-commerce subjects, and I'm determined to give it a fair chance. I'm confident that my first class customer service and high quality products will please my customers both near and far. In the mean time, I love going to craft shows and interacting with my customers personally, and also other crafters.

So drop in and say Hi and leave me a comment, I'm a friendly sort of gal, and love to chat!

TOMORROW:

The History of Swarovski Crystals