Saturday, January 25, 2014

Grow Your Blog Party & Giveaway

Welcome to the Grow Your Blog Party! Someone had posted about this on a beading Facebook page, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Thank you to Vicki for being a wonderful hostess. If you look at the amazing list on her blog, you'll find it's grouped according to the number of followers so be sure to visit and follow the ones that pique your interest.

My name is Christie. I'm a wife of 26 years, a mom to three beautiful daughters and experiencing my first year as an empty nester. I'm finding it has its pros and cons for sure! I've always loved to do crafts and was into scrapbooking for awhile until I was introduced to beading through a friend of my sister. I was hooked! After making gifts for family and friends, this hobby segued into a small business and keeps on going. A couple of years ago I had the privilege of teaching jewelry lessons at a large craft store and that was a wonderful experience. Now I teach private lessons in the small town I live near, and my regulars have become family. They continue to want to learn new things and push me to keep expanding my repertoire- it's a win/win situation!

I'm an avid pinner and have lots of great boards- especially jewelry related things. You can check them out here on Pinterest. I'm also on Instagram where my user name is CharisDesigns. Twiiter is something I'm still trying to figure out but you can follow me as @CharisDJewelry.  I have a shop on Etsy as well as a Facebook business page, Charis Designs

Here's some pictures of  some favorite jewelry I've made:
Merry Mermain

Consider the Lilies

Autumn Splendor

Floral Fantasy


Smokey Mountains

and my absolute favorite....
Orchid Beauty

 Several of these were pieces that I made for blog hops, which I love participating in. Autumn Splendor and Orchid Beauty are still for sale- please contact me if you're interested.

With Valentines' Day around the corner, how about a giveaway of some Valentine earrings? Just leave a comment below ( with a valid email) and tell me something special you'll do for your valentine this year (family friendly please!).  Of course, I'm always looking for new followers too ;) I'll pick a random winner on February 1st.

Lots of other blogs to visit, so off I go- hoping your day is filled with splashes of grace and dashes of joy

Christie

34 comments:

  1. Welcome to the grow your blog party. I am Kathy of Kathyinozarks one of Vicki's helpers-greeters.
    wow one of my favorite things is handmade jewelry. I love your mermaid piece. I am getting ready to make a wool crazy quilt purse embellished with embroidery and beads and buttons of an underwater scene. so I have mermaids on my mind lately-lol
    Enjoy the party!

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  2. Lovely jewellery Christie! I think my favourite is "Consider the Lilies" - especially the earrings (I'm an earring magpie!) I don't know if I will do anything romantic for Valentine's Day - I'm afraid Mr FD isn't really enthusiastic about such things!! Perhaps I'll try to make some heart shaped pancakes or cookies - the way to Mr FD's heart is, indeed, through his stomach!!

    fatdormouse.blogspot.com
    dormouse.wibsite.com

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  3. Hi, How are you doing with visiting other blogs? - no way I am going to get around all 600!! liking the jewellery, lovely to meet you:) Vicky

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  4. Saw your link in my FB feed and thought I'd be nosy and see what it was all about! I am in love with "Smokey Mountains"...wow, that is gorgeous! It looks very Victorian to me...beautiful work! What special thing am I doing for my Mister this V. Day? Making his very favorite butter thumbprint cookies that have my homemade raspberry jam in them....of course in the shape of a heart! I think I might just dash off and see who else I can find in your party!

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  5. hi there. i'm Beth from E. Lizard Breath Speaks - so nice to meet you through the Grow Your Blog get together/party. ( :

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  6. Hi again, Christie... I loved seeing so many of your designs all together! It may strike you as funny, but we seldom do much at Valentine's Day, though I liked Karen's idea of heart-shaped pancakes LOL. Drop over to mine when you get a chance :)

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  7. Christie, you jewelry is absolutely stunning! I am so glad for this blog hop and finding your blog. I will be back soon to see what you are up to. Be sure to check out my pinned jewelry on Pinterest. I think you will enjoy. Thank you for stopping by my blog too!
    Teresa
    www.foxhollowtale.com

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  8. Hubby and I are planning some time away from all the stress of normal everyday life.

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  9. Hi Christie~ Glad I'm a follower now. Very pretty work- Love the mermaid piece. As to your question...After 20+years together my DH and I don't get to crazy for Valentine's day, but we did jointly decide to invest in some new cookware this year. Because our pans are old and we 'LOVE' to eat - haha Warm Regards, Tammie Everly/ TTE Designs tammie@ttedesigns.com

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  10. Hello,

    Nice to meet you.:)
    I would like to participate in your giveaway.
    petitearmoire2@gmail.com

    Greetings.

    Bernadett

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  11. Valentine's = apple pie for my sweetie!
    Visiting from the "Grow Hop" and now a new happy follower!

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  12. Hi Christie. Lovely to meet you at Vicki's party. I love all your jewelry......beautiful work! Please drop by for a visit.

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  13. Hi, I found your blog via the Grow Your Blog Party. I am head over heels for all of your jewelry! It is all so pretty, and it makes me wish that I could make jewelry like that. :) I am a new follow via Google Friend Connect. picklesquilting@gmail.com

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  14. *I completely forgot to tell you what I would be doing on Valentine's Day this year....since Valentine's and my birthday are only 4 days apart, my husband will most likely take me to my favorite restaurant (Osaka) for a yummy dinner, then give me my "combined" Valentine's Day * Birthday present. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those Bruno Mars Concert tickets that I have been hinting around at for days ;)

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  15. Greetings to a fellow jewelry maker. Having fun with the blog hop and hope you are too.

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  16. I do so very love these designs! They're gorgeous. Glad I found you via 'Grow Your Blog' - even if I AM a day late!!! Best wishes from Shroo:)x

    www.artyshroo.blogspot.co.uk

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  17. New follower via GFC! and following you on Pinterest :) My plans for V-day..aka Single awareness day.... Spending the evening with my gal pals! Movies and wine, good times lots of laughter~! lifeonprint AT aol DOt com

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  18. found/followed you from the gyb party - I occasionally make jewelry as well! yours is awesome! hope you'll stop by and visit me too.

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  19. half_blue_sky@yahoo.com

    I don't have a Valentine, but I will help my nieces decorate their cute V-day mailboxes for school!

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  20. Your work is absolutely beautiful.

    Enjoy your empty nest!

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  21. Came via the GYB event--whew there are a lot of blogs! Your jewelry is very cool--we poked around your blog and have bookmarked it to come back! We love beads and beading too.

    For Valentine's Day we usually spend a quiet evening with our husbands (separately!) just paying attention to him; we like to make up for all the time spend we running around together!

    Cheers,

    Deb and Kathy

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  22. BEAUTIFUL, whimsical work - count me as a new Follower...came over from the Blog Party, and SO happy I did! I actually got SO excited last week, going through the book store - there were the old valentines I remember handing out as a kid...actually a little nicer, but the type I remember. I bought an entire box for sending out to family and friends this year. My husband is working in Hawaii, long term, so Valentine's Day will be spent apart, but homemade cookies for my daughter will be in store that day, here. Happy Tuesday - Tanya

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  23. You've made some beautiful jewellery. I love the cours in the mermaid piece and the Orchid beauty is really elegant.

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  24. For Valentine's, we always do a home-made, fancy dinner with candles. Strangely, most of them end up being seafood!

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  25. Love the mermaid necklace. I love the ocean and usually anything to do with it. So creative!

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  26. Lovely jewelry. We probably won't do anything special for Valentine's Day. Staying home is a luxury these days. I might make a decadent chocolate dessert.

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  27. Hey Christie, You do have a lot of pinterest boards! I am going to follow a bunch of them. I love pinterest. Your jewelry is stunning! It has been lovely meeting you.

    Hugs
    Caroline

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  28. Hello, I'm visiting from the GYB party, and am glad to have found your blog. I've probably stopped by before during the Bead Hoarders blog hop. Now I'm a new follower, too. It's rather mundane, but my 'gift' to my valentine hubby will be to declutter the living areas, and for myself, I'll continue to declutter the craft room, since it has become the dump-everything-room. Not much crafting goes on down there ;). I'll have to have a destash sale on Etsy really soon

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  29. Sorry, but since Dave passed away, most holidays are spent in total denial. Perhaps one day that will change but not in time for Valentine day. Visiting via Vicki's GYBP and enjoyed your lovely blog and beautiful jewelry.

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  30. Hi, nice to meet you and to read about your jewellery. I also make jewellery. Your work is great. Keep it up. And thank for sharing. Happy hopping!

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  31. hi, nice to meet you! Some gorgeous jewellery there. please don't enter me into the giveaway as I don't wear earrings.

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  32. I love your color choices in your jewelry.

    Thought I'd stop by from the GYB list... Slowly making my way through it. Please stop by my embroidery blog if you are interested. (I'm in the 1st group)

    aprilsongstress

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  33. Christie,

    Thanks for coming by to visit my blog, Carolyn's Creations, through the Grow Your Blog Hop.

    I love the jewelry that you make which is a different style from what I like to do.

    I signed up to be a new follower through BlogLovin'.

    Carolyn

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  34. Love your Autumn Splendor necklace. What my valentine would appreciate the most is for me to grow great tomatoes this year!

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