New jewelry

Every once in a while I get the urge to pull out my beads and jewelry making supplies. When I was making a birthday present recently, I really wanted to make something special for the birthday girl... She's a knitter, so I started with some stitch markers made from tourmaline I've hoarded for years... But then the bin with tourmaline also had fluorite and amethyst and this necklace also just sprung out of thin air that night too. Lucky birthday girl!
The earrings are smoky topaz (oh how I love deepest browns) and pearl... And I'm keeping them. :)

Glass charms

Oh I am having so much fun with these
glass charms. Mimi made the first 20, but when those sold like hot cakes, I had to step in and crank out a bunch. Then the gears started turning, and not only did I want a sewing machine charm, I wanted ones with public domain vintage sewing machine ads. Then I thought, "well, how about things I have sewn? Or tiny versions of my artwork?"
A whole new medium to work in. Yippee!
Today I wore a charm with an image of the grey improvisational quilt I finished recently. The charm looks more like modern abstract art than a photo of a quilt... But I know what it is and that makes it all the sweeter.
I'll let you know when these get posted.
They're so fun to make. I can't stop.

mimi raises money for World Vision

Well, we did it!
We got Mimi's section of my etsy shop up and running and she's already made a sale as she tries to raise money for World Vision.
You have to click here and read the adorable description that she made for the pendants and don't mind me as I shamelessly plug her attempts to raise $$$ for other kids around the world. I love it when my kids get ideas like this and I'm so proud of her.
We will be posting about 12 more necklaces today and I know you'll be able to find something for someone in your life! (and YES, I will make special a special post about the sewing themed ones, because you can't miss those... Those were made by momma's special request)

Mimi wants to raise money for hungry kids

Stay tuned as Mimi is going to start selling necklaces that she makes this week. This week, the World Vision catalog arrived with lots of cool options to buy animals for hungry families around the world. Mimi immediately decided she wanted to earn $100 to buy some ducks and chicks for needy families. We recently bought supplies to make glass pendants and Mimi used clippings from her own magazine to make this necklace from one of the Rainbow Magic fairy images. She will be making 10-12 more charms this week and we will post them in my etsy store. They will be $10 each and all money will go to this cause. (hooray!)
... Be thinking about the little and big girls in your life who might want such a cool treasure.

bye bye, charms.

Just as information for those of you out there who are Libby Dibby charm wearers... As of today, I will no longer be selling the handstamped sterling silver charms.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience this may be for some people who wish for more.

Typewriter jewelry

Recently I got it in my head that I wanted a necklace made out of a vintage typrewriter key. So I popped over to etsy and found a ton of options! But far and away, my favorite was the one that I ended up with. It's made by IvieRidge and I absolutely love it. I wear it all the time and get so many people asking me about where I got it.  Thought I'd share the source and the etsy love.

Nesting

Last year a family of birds nested in the jasmine that blocks our bedroom window from view... So we had a phenomenally close view from the inside of their private little home. For payment of that private show, we had to give up fruit from our trees and had to deal with a bird that flew into my studio one day (remember that?)
This year a different family of birds took over the spot. I think they are robins. It's precious to hear the cheeping babies every morning and though I couldn't get a good shot of them in the nest, you can kind of see how their white downy heads stand out from the brown little home.

The other photo is just a pic of one of my favorite pendants... I was wearing it yesterday in the forest and felt like it wanted its pic taken out there with it's inspiration.
Though I have a love-hate affair with birds (Z is convinced I'm allergic to pigeons and I am too)... Little birdie nests are always an inspiration for me.

Mother's Day is coming

Easter, Spring Break, Mother's Day, Teacher Appreciation Week.  They are ALL jammed together this year! And to be honest, those are not relaxing days, though they seem like they might be.

Here's what I want this year.
One of my favorite places to volunteer around here is a home for homeless pregnant women in Venice Beach called HARVEST HOME. Truth be told, since we've had the baby around, I don't get over there much - fostering adds about 12-16 hours of "other" stuff into your week besides the mama stuff, so my time is highly precious.

If I had more time, I'd be over at Harvest Home, doing what I've done in the past... hosting craft nights, teaching classes on how to wear your baby in a sling, having get togethers - I love doing that for moms and my heart goes out to the moms who are on their own in such a hard place as Los Angeles.

This year I haven't been over there. but I just got an email from HH that shows a way I can help, even across the city.  They've made their sweet logo into a pendant that is a mother/child heart pendant in sterling silver. Though we all know that I'm not short on pendants, I love jewelry and I love Harvest Home and for a donation, we all can have this precious heart as a memory of their sweet moms and babies and our own journeys as moms as well.

Here's where you too can get one. (click the link)

we have a winner!

the magic number was 6.... and so that means that miss Nicole wins the charm!
hooray!
Nicole, you'll have to send me an email with your request and address!
thanks for playing everyone!

Wirework Giveaway

Creating things is how I cope with stress. J has been gone on a trip for work the past 2 days, and you all know that I've mentioned foster care can be a teensy bit stressful. (wink)
I am in constant search of things for my hands to do whilst running my day to day circus.
Yesterday I was back to wire nests, crosses, and trying out a few other shapes in wire for pendants.

And then in the spirit of one of New Year's Resolutions I made - to appreciate my old friends more - I decided it's been too long since we had a giveaway here on the blog for my bloggy friends. (you)
So I'm giving you the choice... Nest, cross? Gold/silver?

In exchange... Sign up to follow the blog... Tell someone about the giveaway... And write a comment that is either 1) a way you show love to friends or 2) is a meaningful New Years Resolution that you've made.
Giveaway closes next Tuesday (Jan 18)

Gifts of Gold and Silver

Today IS Cyber Monday, and yours truly has been so wrapped up in art and foster visits... I plum pudding forgot.
So here's my gift of gold/silver to you...
All December long... If you order either a mama skirt or a spinny skirt, you get a free sterling charm - personalized with a word of your choice.
Just mention your word in the comments section in checkout.
This works for my etsy site or my website.
And if you'd prefer a discount instead, just plug in BABYITSCOLD in as a discount code for 15% off.
Either one, it's your choice.
Silver or gold.
Thanks for being my awesome friends, readers, customers and generally great folks to write to.
Www.libertyworth.etsy.com
Www.libertyworth.com

I have the coolest friends - Project Ani

My friend Ani is a treasure. She's a strong and beautiful woman who is currently starting a new life for her and her 2 1/2 year old son. We've been friends for years and now we are neighbors, as well.
This new season for Ani hasn't been easy. After being laid off recently, she's been doing everything she can to make ends meet for her and her energetic little man, having garage sales - scraping pennies together.

What I haven't mentioned yet, though is how creative and artistic Ani is.  She's really a creative genius. So when life hands her lemons, she's making some beautiful lemonade. I gave her some supplies, she added to them from her collection of vintage brooches, lace and other items and voila! BEAUTY.

Today I've listed 4 of her jewelry pieces in my etsy store to sell for her to put food on the table.
(One sold before I even got to post this!)
I hope that as you shop for the holidays, you'll consider shopping in Ani's section of my store.  It will be a blessing to more than just the giver and the recipient.

Nest necklaces

I've been itching to make these nest pendants for a long time. Years, maybe? I made a nest necklace a few years ago that was commissioned for an auction and was so wishing I'd made an extra for myself. Last night, Mimi and I both made them (I'll post hers later, it's awesome)

I also have been itching to make this tourmaline tree for a while too. It was inspired by something Mimi and I saw in a catalog a while ago... It took a few hours to make, but it sure is rewarding...

Considering making a few extra nests for the holiday seasons boutiques and upcoming shows. I think they will make nice gifts this season.

Earrings on Etsy

If you've known me or my creations for a while, you know that I started off on my own many years ago when I left my textile design job to make handmade jewelry. It was a lot of fun, but a little hard on my hands to be wrapping wire for 8 hours a day.  I still have all my supplies, though, and lots of jewelry that I keep finding stashed places that I simply stopped putting out at sales, etc.

Today I've listed a few pairs of earrings on my etsy store - I used to sell these for $22-$30 each, but now I just want them out of the boxes and onto people.... So they are all less than $20.  Depending on how these sell, I might be coaxed to put some of my clearance necklaces onto etsy as well.  We shall see.

And I also have a sale on my profile charms, too... They're only $10 (because I am crazy like that) just for a week. snatch them up.... supplies are limited.

a happy day in oak park

Today was spent strolling through Oak Park, popping into my favorite boutiques, meeting my pal Anita for coffee and generally just getting inspired. We made our way from downtown Oak Park to the Harrison Arts District (where I used to live and walk around daily... Where I first bought the vintage skirt that inspired Libby Dibby!)... And we waltzed into Bead In Hand... Which is a treasure of a bead store. I used to walk past the store so often that I finally started buying beads, unable to resist... Which led to selling jewelry, which led to leaving my corporate textile design job, and when I was selling jewelry, I traded necklaces for sewignlessons from an OP friend here who taught me how to make the skirts... Yada yada... And here we are.
Anita was adorable and wore her Libby Dibby skirt to meet today and I loved it when she got stopped on the street by a girl who complimented her on it. (it felt so anonymous and unsolicited!)...
I also was the recipient of this fabulous little beaded heart that she made for me... Oh how I love it! Oh how I love friends. Sigh. I'm happy.

New Charm Photos

I don't know why it's taken me so long to do this. I finally got some good pics of the hand stamped charms.
I'm hoping dear hubby can upload them to our actual site while he's on break from making tv shows in the next few weeks. Until then, here they are and you can order the charms on etsy, too - where you can see the pretty pics.

Libby Dibby Jewelry - it did exist once

I told you I made jewelry in a past life, right? Well, I found it all on time for the sale. It is utterly ridiculous how much there is. (oy vey) The circle photo below is the image of a necklace I made the other night... Trying to keep my hands busy so my mind and heart can process it all is totally my MO around here. This necklace was not "designed"... I literally scraped the bottom of of my unsorted bead boxes and came up with this. I've worn it the past two days. It feels therapeutic and also kind of "scrappy" to wear it. (plus it goes with everything). I'd forgotten how much I love to make jewelry... That was fun.

International Sanctuary - aw, shucks.

I was peeking in on Tori's blog the other day and saw that she'd helped International Sanctuary get their new website up and running. Which of course I had to check out - because I love the whole "purchase with purpose" concept that they have.

If you've been a long time reader of mine, you'll know that I had lunch with the founders of International Sanctuary a while ago whose mission is:

"iSanctuary is a new and growing non-profit organization that was formed to develop social enterprises for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.

Currently we are training 40 rescued girls, from the ages of 13 to 18 in Mumbai India, in the skill of jewelry making. Once the girls are trained, their products are brought to the US and UK to be sold to fund their futures."Anyhow, I figured, even though I would be seeing them soon at an event I am hosting for MOPS - a mini-boutique in December, that I needed to make a little purchase in support of them. For a while I've been eyeing their "Ring of Fire" bracelet - it's kind of a signature piece for them and when I have noticed it on other women it's something I immediately recognize as an International Sanctuary piece. So I dropped one of those into my cart. Then I went over to the necklaces page and saw something that was so sweet! They have a necklace named the Liberty Necklace and is fashioned after a design that I made with Stephanie that day last December. We had such a fun time talking about clustering colors and shapes in the variety that would create a rich look... and I'd made some earrings and a necklace for her and off to our lunch we went. I knew we'd had fun together, but I'd never dreamed that they'd use my design and name it after our work-session. What an honor.
I bought one. And wore it proudly yesterday. I may need to buy a few more as gifts. At a mere $20, they are a lot of fun to pick up for thoughtful gifts this winter. (and they're cute!)

Hot couture ... Ruby necklace

It's SO hot I can't think straight. And with these wildfires in Southern CA (last night we could see flames from our front yard, even 20+ miles away) it's not fun breathing- or trying to entertain cranky overheated preschoolers. But I did enjoy dressing this morning with my new necklace made by my friend Rubyellen (at www.mycakies.etsy.com). It's a lightweight fabric scrap necklace that elevates my humble tank top to something cuter and at least as I faint in the heat, I'll look cute doing it.

Savoring what treasures are inside

Here are what was inside my precious box. Are they not perfect? J had to admit, Anita is one of the best gift-givers ever... He said, "even I would not have known that you'd love those. And yet, they are perfect for you" (and J is notorious for great gifts)
Again, thank you Anita! You made my week... I'm savoring...