"OWLIE" by Jean Yates, using pewter owl beads by the wonderful Green Girl Studios http://greengirlstudios.com/

I had a last year to meet some of my favorite people. I was so crushed that it didn't work out. I haven't really gone out of my way to mention it, but we have been sick here (mostly two of the kids), and this made the timing to meet people all wrong. In the long run, it was a fortunate thing that it didn't work out because one of Jim's customers lost the heat this morning (and it is cold here, today!) and Jim couldn't have "baby sat" after all while I went out... so everything would have gotten all bollixed up ( see what I mean about getting all English on you?--that is English slang if I ever saw it--although my spellchecker spells it this way, and I don't!) and Jim had to make a bunch of phone calls and do other things which preoccupied him, and then race out.

Yesterday, we were hoping however!

Guess who, who (?) <--is that grammar correct?Maybe it is for Owls! :) -- I was going to get to meet? You will never believe it!

Cynthia, Azalea, and Andrew of Green Girl Studios...the only one of their crew missing would have been Greg!

Jim even did research on local places to eat, yesterday! This is because it is always very exciting and incredibly unbelievable if and when I get to go out. It is about as rare and amazing as crop circles on our front yard. The last time I went out was when I went to a doctor. Geesh! What a dumb life I have.

Anyway, I had to call Greg back and back out when the kids started getting sicker. He was busy holding down the fort at home in NC while all the other GGS'rs were near ME in NYC at the SoftFlex Company Festival.

Cynthia and Andrew and Azalea were going to especially go out of their way and drive to see me here in Westchester!

I had to tell Greg that everyone had gotten sicker (I didn't go into the exact details of this and I won't do it to you, either) and having lunch together wasn't going to happen. I was really crushed. They are my favorite people in the world. I had all these fantasies of giving them CHOCOLATE, AND CRAYONS AND COLORING PAPER, AND A Book, Discover Beading, along wth the exact cover bracelet which actually got my career started , which has their charms on the ends--and those charms made all the difference. I love to give beloved people things. So that was my plan. Damit!I can't even think of any good things about not meeting up with them... 1) we picked out a restaurant already

2) I actually look like my photos, so I wasn't going to scare the heck out of them. Well, maybe I am a little wrinklier.ha ha

3) even if they were tired from the show, the excited feelings I have about meeting them would have caused me to go into talk overdrive. There would not have been any lulls in the conversation, I assure you. Probably they would have had to hold their hands over their ears, eventually, just to get a break from me! They could have had a nice refreshing nap without me noticing 4) I think these people are the nicest people I know, right up there with Kim and Eliz and Margot. So today I am pretty darn sad that this lunch and visit didn't work out, but to make up for it a little...I have these cool earrings to offer you, using their beads. This is a design which I have never shown anyone, nor have I written out the instructions either. Now I made them, in their honor, because they are SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE, including Greg. And I am giving you these earring instructions! I hope you like them and I hope you make them! Thanks!

"Owlie", by Jean Yates

note: we all know Andrew loves owls, but Cynthia has owl stories too... I love the amazing, beautiful owls she carved for these earrings. They are called "Bubo Owls". For information on the origin of the name, please go here: http://www.theseventhvoyage.com/bubo.htm

Materials for project:

2 pewter Bubo owls, item #149, Green Girl Studios

1 pair sterling silver fig leaf earrings, item # AT407, Nina Designs

4 Hyacinth colored 6X8mm oval CZs, item # CU0155, Fusionbeads

4 Topaz AB 2x bicone Swarovski crytals, 4mm, to top the CZs,# 04BI0265, Fusionbeads

4 sterling 2.5x4mm stamped Hill Tribe silver beads, item # TH6019, Fusionbeads

2 sturdy 22 gauge 3" head pins, sterling

4 lighter weight, slimmer head pins with three balls on the ends -- head pins won't fit through the CZs if they aren't a bit skinnier!

Believe me, I have learned the hard way! I got these at Nina Designs. They come in a pack of 100 however, so be prepared to lay out more money than you really need to if you want the same style of the ones I used. I believe they are 26 gauge.

Tools:

chain nose pliers

round nose pliers

wire cutters

Method:wire wrapping (what a surprise!)

Instructions for one earring:

1) Place a Hill Tribe bead,

a Bubo owl, and another Hill Tribe bead on a 22 gauge head pin

2) Wrap this to the bottom loop of the fig leaf and make sure it is facing the same way (forward) as the leaf. Cut the excess wire of the head pin.

3) Take two 26 gauge headpins and add a CZ and a Topaz AB2x crystal to each.

4) Wrap to the left hand and right hand loops on the fig leaf earring component, making sure the oval CZs are facing flatly forward. Cut the excess wire.

5) Repeat for second earring.

note:Why I like particularly like these earrings:The design is cool, the silver of the components and the pewter the owls are made of have the same amount of oxidation and go together well, even if they actually aren't the same metal.

The mood is right, too. The lovely colors of the hyacinth orange and the little bit of topaz emotes a feel just like the cosy warm tones which shine and glimmer through the autumn leaves at this time of year.

Plus, those fabulous Bubo Owls knock me off my feet every time I see them!

So, Green Girl friends, I am so sorry I missed you this time around.I think about you all the time, and always with great love and affection.

As you know, you are sort of like my second family. I need more relatives: and there aren't many people that can say that!

Corny as it sounds, I adopted you (not like you had any choice about it!) waaaaaaay back."A Green Girl item a day"definitely takes the blues away!

jean