Mother's Day!

I missed my Feature Friday this week because my mind was occupied by something very special. Our 8th grandchild was born early Friday morning! Ezekiel Jesse made his way into the world joining three sisters and two brothers making everything even in his family and our grandchild count at 4 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. :) How cool is that? So it was a very happy Mother's Day for our family and we enjoyed getting to spend time with one another and Oooo and Awww over our newest addition. He is so sweet and and so beautiful! Newborns make such funny faces and thankfully don't mind getting laughed at too much.


Blessings, Zuda Gay

First Annual Anniversary Contest

Hehehe, my title tickles me! You always see fifth annual or tenth annual, but they had to begin at first, didn't they? May 24 was the first anniversary of my Etsy shop. I am having a 10% off sale until 11 pm EST May 31. That is the first phase of my celebration and thank you to my customers. The next phase is what you are reading about right now! WOOHOO!!! I am giving away this ACEO titled "Family".


The next give away is a custom designed Flower Pendant on a cord or ribbon. You will say size, shape of petals, color scheme and if you prefer a wire bail or a focal bead style.


Also, anyone who leaves a comment on this post is entitled to a 20% discount until 11 pm EST, June 7th. Just write bloggy discount in your message to seller, don't hit the pay button and I will send a revised invoice. Or....convo me to tell me what you want to buy and I will revise the listing and put Reserved for you in the title.

What do you do??? Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite flower. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.....make sure you leave a way for me to contact you. Some blogger profiles are private and they don't tell me a thing. I hate drawing a number and finding that I have no way of contacting that person.....it makes me sad! I will draw the winners on Sunday, June 8 at Noon CST using a random number generator.

I want to thank everyone who has made this year totally amazing for me. First of all to God who has blessed my efforts and has provided for us in some very imaginative ways. To all my customers....you are the best customers....EVER!!! And last but certainly not least, thank you to all the wonderful friends I have made this year - especially the BBEST team who laugh, cry, encourage, bully, dance and share their chocolate every day.

blessings, ZudaGay

Number Seven!!!

Introducing our seventh grandchild, our fourth granddaughter
Anika Claire
Born January 9, 2008
9 pounds 14 ounces
21 inches long

This Anika in the warming place. I have no idea what it is called.
Just to show how filled out she is and her lovely skin tone.

Anika, mommy, daddy and big brother!

Big brother Eli being......Eli.

Sweet picture of Papa and granddaughter.

Me and our precious girl.

I am showing this because this is how my life will be when mommy goes back to work!

Beautiful Anika Claire - one day old.

Grandchildren are a blessing from the Lord!!!!

Blessings, ZudaGay

The Story of My Name, as I remember it

I've had many questions about my name as it is a bit different. One question is, "What kind of name is Zuda?" The answer is, I have no idea! I had someone leave a comment on my pbase photo site that Zuda is her family name and she lives in Germany. She is the only person I've come across with my name...even though it is her last name.

So here is the story as best I remember it. I have one sister who was born while Daddy was serving somewhere in the South Pacific in the Navy during WWII. Mama named her Donetta after Daddy and Kay I guess because it goes well with Donetta. My brother came along seven years later and Mama had a name all picked out and named him Charles, I guess because she liked the name and Marshall which was Daddy's father's middle name....his name was Nova Marshall. I came along 5 years later and Mama had a name all picked out, I think it was Candita or something like that. Well Daddy thought it was his turn to get to name the baby. Mama didn't think so, after all she was the one who did all the work giving birth and all. Mama's mom gave her a talking to and convinced her to let Daddy name the baby. So my Daddy named me Zuda which was his mother's name. She died shortly after his birth. No one knows were the name came from. And he decided on Gay as my middle name. He had a good friend when he was growing up named Gay (who was male) and he always liked the name. And that is how I became named Zuda Gay.

Mama never did like the Zuda part and so I was called Gay most of my life. Daddy called all three of us kids Butch for the most part - big Butch, Butch and Little Butch. Hehehe.....I'm not sure why.

I had a thrill when I woke up Wednesday morning and saw that I was featured on Cynthia Tinapple's Polymer Clay Daily blog. Oh my goodness!!!! I've read PCD practically every day since she started it. To say that I am thrilled and honored and shocked would be putting it mildly.

I want to share some of my favorite pieces that I've made recently.

A Study in Golds and Browns

Red Flower on Gold Leaf Pendant


Fairy Garden Pendant

blessings, ZudaGay

A Little E Story

Little E is our 4 year old grandson. I've taken care of him while his mommy works during the school year since he was around 6 weeks old. E is a character! An adorable red haired, freckle faced, precious little boy. A little bit Opie-ish. I was emptying the dish drainer this morning and Little E came in to see what I was doing. I asked him to open the drawers as I put in the utensils and then the top drawer to put away the silverware.

As I was placing the spoons and forks in the correct slots he was digging through the odd pieces that reside in the front part of the drawer. He lifted out a baby fork and wanted to know if he could play with it. I told him he sure could, so he took off for the toy cars he had left on the living room floor. I finished what I was doing and sat down at my desk to work a bit at the computer while E was occupied playing. After a little while Little E said, "Gramma, Look! It's a forklift!" He was lifting one of his toy cars up on his fork. I don't believe E thought it was as funny as Gramma.........

A picture of our little guy deep in play mode:

The End Of August

I was telling our little E that today is the last day of August and tomorrow is the first day of September. I don't think he quite got what I was telling him so I went on to tell him that fall was coming when the leaves turn colors and fall from the trees. He remembers jumping in piles of leaves and seemed excited about that prospect. His favorite thing to do right now is for us to go to the Methodist Church's paved parking lot, in the next block, so he can ride his Big Wheel. The lot has a half circle sidewalk attached to it with a bit of a hill. He rides his trike up the little hill and then pauses then takes off as fast as he can down the hill and skids on the pea gravel in the alley that runs along the side of the paved lot. I don't know about Papa, but it scares Gramma just a little bit!

Jessica, the girls and baby A came over after everyone was home from school. Little M wanted to play with little E and they got into a couple of fights. Maybe that is the way 4 and 5 year olds play. But I got to sit and hold our sweet baby A, so all was well with me.

For my show and tell today I am showing a bright and happy flower pendant that I haven't listed yet. I like it, but I'm not thrilled with it so if anyone who happens to be reading this would take a second and tell me what you think about it, I would appreciate it!
blessings, ZudaGay

What Happened to Tuesday?

I have no idea where Tuesday went. All of a sudden I'm living in Wednesday. Strange how that happens!

I loved the Sunflower Pendant I listed on Monday in my Etsy shop. I guess that others did too, it ended up in two Treasuries and was sold! How cool is that? This morning I listed another leaf. A maple leaf this time. I did something a bit different, I carved the veins out with a gouge....and I didn't cut myself!!! I can be a danger to myself with sharp tools. Then I used Genesis Metallic Heat Set Oil Paint in the veins and edges. It is such a cool paint because I can use my heat gun and have instant gratification.

Our little E started Head Start on Monday. He gets to ride a little school bus to school and then he gets to ride home with his mommy who teaches the other Head Start class. So far he is excited to get on the bus. I sure hope he continues this way. I'd hate to have to make him go if he didn't want to go. I was a terrible soft touch with our girls. I imagine that they stayed home "sick" more than they actually needed to......but I liked having them home.

Well, I will end with a picture of my Maple leaf for a little taste of fall.
Blessings, ZudaGay

Grandsons

Our third grandson was born last Thursday. T is 12, E is 4 and A is a newborn. I am learning so much about life viewing it through the eyes of boys. Boys are so much fun and take a lot of patience! I've learned that you need to stop and watch bugs and tractors and that backhoes are the most interesting things. T is lending me his Harry Potter books to read. I'm on the third one and I'm enjoying them a lot. I'll share a couple of pictures. The first is T holding A right after he was born. It isn't very good because I can not take a good picture without a tripod. I move way too much!!!


This is our sweet baby A.



And this is E whom I've provided daycare for since he was tiny. He is holding our cat Rusty.


Very cute aren't they?!
blessings, ZudaGay