Wire Gifts!

The nicest thing happened to me yesterday. A very good friend brought me a gift...some 32 gage wire. RED! She knows how much I love color! She gave it to me to make my flowers out of. She even sat and watched me make one! ...Don't you love it when you have friends that are good enough friends to know just what you like?!...and then they give it to you!!!
  This same friend is the one responsible for me opening up my ETSY shop! She saw all of the things I had crocheted, and that were just sitting in my house, and she said: "Why don't you sell them on ETSY? I have a shop there!" I said: "What's ETSY?" The rest is history! :-))...She's a beautiful jewelry designer herself. Her shop is under some renovations right now, but she does such beautiful work! http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpanishLullabies  Let me show you what she brought me!

 She knew that I was thinking about how to make my flowers with wire because we kinda sorta talked about it in the past. Can you see the flower I made?!

She says it looks almost like a spider's web. I agree...but sturdier. Now I have to decide if I want to put one of my crocheted backings on it. It's so delicate looking that I fear that the backing may take away from it. What do you think? Backing, or no backing?!...
  I must say, between my friends and my hubby, I've been getting some pretty good gifts lately!!! As a matter of fact, my hubby went to a local jewelry supply shop recently looking for jewelry mannequins for me, and came back with NO mannequin...but he brought me this gift.

 Apparently the supply store is going out of business and the lady said she was going to open up another shop somewhere else. She didn't have anymore mannequins, but since she was getting rid of everything...and saw my hubby coming!...she sold him these chains for only $1.00 a piece!!! He was so excited because, as he said,  "You sell jewelry, and I just KNEW you would love these!!!" He was so excited when he presented me my gift. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I really didn't need necklaces...I NEEDED A JEWELRY MANNEQUIN!!! LOL...Oh well, a gift is a gift! And I don't take it lightly when anyone gives me one!
   Before I end, let me show you two of the necklaces my friend made. I bought one of them from her shop, and she gave me the other one FREE,...as a gift!

Who is a Friend?

Dependable and loving,
all your jokes make perfect sense;
To keep you happy and unharmed,
they'd gladly spare no small expense.

They know your moods,
Can take the heat.
They know the things
you like to eat.

Will tell you things
that lift your fear,
and even the things
you don't want to hear.

They'll quickly point out
your "panicky" smile;
and pull up your slip
that's been hanging a mile.

They'll be your cheerleader-
Pom Poms in the air!
And when others are gone,
they will always be there.

Laughter and glee,
sobs and deep pain,
are shared by your friend,
in the sun or the rain.

Your accomplishments cause
only joy to their heart;
When they see your success,
it's as if they're a part.

And even though they know
the very worst that you do,
they map your intentions-
and they still love you.

So who is this friend?
It's your mother, your wife,
your neighbor, your kid,
someone who's sharing your life.

They may be close, and related,
or may live very far;
but this friend is 'your' friend
and they know who you are.

Your secrets are safe,
your feelings secure,
their shoulder is ready,
and their motives are pure.