Featured Artist and Giveaway

My featured artist this month is Bad Cat Jewelry from San Antonio, Texas. Bad Cat Jewelry offers stunning handmade jewelry using sterling silver, vintage beads, lampwork, Swarovski crystal, and textiles. You can find Bad Cat Jewelry on Etsy, Artfire, 1000Markets, twitter, http://www.badcatjewelry.com/ which links to her *new* blog: http://www.blog.badcatjewelry.com/, and Flickr. If Bad Cat Jewelry is typed into Google, she will turn up. Bad Cat is also in the process of increasing her stock to sell at a crafter's market in February.

I recently spoke with Bad Cat via email and asked her a few questions...

What inspired you to begin creating jewelry? I needed an outlet when my husband was deployed. I put all the blame on my sister-in-law who got me back into beading (I did a little in college). Then I found out that our friends' child had been diagnosed with brain cancer, and I couldn't help them since I was so far away. So I decided to set up a little tiny business online and donate 10% of the profits to Specially for Children in Austin, Texas.

Where did you start and how did you learn to make the products you are creating today? I am totally self taught. I took one class, but it was basically what I had already taught myself.What are your favorite products to make? Anything that has been in my mind's eye. I love seeing an idea come into fruition and working.

What inspires you? Color and symmetry. I love playing with colors. Symmetry is very important to me. You probably won't see me using chips or oddly shaped stones in my pieces. I just can't do it.

What was your biggest handmade oops? Ummm...really just messing up with some sterling. That always irks me. I'm too impatient at times and just jump into a project without a practice run on some cheap wire.

How do you spend time when you are NOT creating? I would love to say I am an incredibly organized person who runs a perfect household. Its just not true. In my spare time I am trying to coax my active preschool boy into clothing, finding matching socks, and making sure shoes are on the correct feet. I am also trying to fix whatever toy is broken, building train tracks (I should have an engineering degree), cleaning up from little "helping" hands (Pinesol gets crayon out of the carpet), and explaining why the cat doesn't want to be dragged around by his tail.

THE GIVEAWAY

I will be giving away of a pair of Bad Cats beautiful Pink Stacked Earrings, which are constructed using two fabulous, faceted pink stones on sterling silver headpins and attached to earwires. These earrings would make the perfect Valentine Gift for yourself or someone you love. To enter the giveaway simply go to Bad Cat's shop http://www.badcatjewelry.etsy.com/ and to http://www.smokeymountainscents.etsy.com/ then leave a comment on this blog (please don't forget to leave contact info or I will have to choose a different winner because I won't be able to reach you) to tell me what your favorite item is in each shop is. The contest begins January 21 and will end February 4. I will have one of my lovely kiddos choose the lucky winner. The Earrings will ship in time to give as a Valentine gift.

Hashbrown Casserole

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe a few years ago and its been one of our favorite side dishes.

Ingredients:

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 can condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 pkg (2 lbs) frozen hashbrown potaotes

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream and garlic salt. Stir together.

Add potatoes & 1 cup cheddar cheese, mix well .

Pour into an greased 13x9x2" baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees 55-60 minutes.

Fresh and hot from the oven.

Welcome to Smokey Mountain Scents

Welcome to our blog. I hope you will come in, grab a cup of coffee (tea, wine...) and stay and visit for a while. We can chat about all kinds of wonderful things - like - being a work at home Mom , homeschooling (the good, the bad and the ugly) new and yummy recipes and of course handmade goodies.

I would like to introduce you to Smokey Mountain Scents. We are a home-based business that specializes in hand poured Cracklin' Wick Candles, handcrafted soaps and an array of scrumptious skin loving bath and body products.

Cracklin' Wick Candles will remind you of of sitting in front of your fireplace or around the campfire. you will hear the soothing crackling sound as your candle burns and emits a wonderful scent throughout your room.Our candles are made with 100% soy wax and a natural wooden wick. They are available in an assortment different delicious scents , come in the cutest square mason jars in two sizes 8 oz. and 16 oz. and are heavily scented.

Here are a few benefits of a wood wick candle:

First is the soothing sound of a crackling fire.

Second is the scent. The two layer wood wick that disperses the scent quicker than traditional cotton wicks.

Another benefit of wood wick candles is their long life. Wood wick candles can last 100 hours or more, depending on the size of the candle.

I hope you will drop by and visit our shop at:

http://www.smokeymountainscents.etsy.com/

http://hyenacart.com/AmericasHandmadeHomefront/