Tuesday, July 17, 2012

What's In A Name

Shelley Graham Turner claims not to have a "way with words", yet she always fascinates me with the inventiveness of her blog posts. Its her Birthday, so she is having a party with this blog hop and giveaway. Her challenge to others (or as she puts it, "I'm nosey as heck!"), asks that we explain how and why we gave the name to our blog.

OK, this will be simple.
Hers:    Fabric of My Life and her Logo Name Tori Sophia Designs - Interesting, thought provoking, makes you want to go there.
Mine: Amazing Designs - dull, boring, some would say ordinary.

Courtesy of Merriam Webster Dictionary
Definition of AMAZING: causing amazement, great wonder, or surprise.
Definition of AMAZEMENT: the quality or state of being amazed.
Definition of AMAZED: to fill with wonder : astound.
Definition of ASTOUND: archaic - overwhelmed with amazement.
Well now this seems to be a little circuitous, and oh so fitting for me.

I have often found myself going in circles, especially since I retired from nursing, a few years back. Even though my feet could no longer handle lugging my body around concrete floors, my mind kept running a marathon. Wow, retirement, time to do what I want and love most (even if its just a whim).

In the past, that has been using my hands to create things: needle crafts, crochet, knitting, candle making, gardening, orchid growing, and even thinking back to my ancient teenage years, gluing jewelry components (store bought) together, and presenting them to my amazed (see definition above) mother.

Fast forward to several years ago, when my son and daughter-in-law ventured into creating "Hairtwisterz" out of polymer clay, to sell at farmer's markets, and then craft fairs. They intrigued me, and thought they had an inventive idea, but needed to expand on it (wrong, they sell a ton). So, I suggested they also make jewelry with this wondrous medium. My son's immediate response: "No, you do it!"

Now, no child of mine is going to dare me to do something, that I won't take them up on (though I could have done without finishing all those term papers, years after I was done with my own high school days). So off I went to the craft store, payed for my blocks of Premo, tissue blade, pasta machine, books on polymer clay, and then hunted through the house to find other objects to use (Where are those knitting needles? Buttons? Polyfil? etc).


Another fast forward, ASTOUNDED, AMAZED, full of AMAZEMENT, AMAZING! A very happy journey, that I know will not end any time soon!

Here are the others in this hop:
Audrey Belanger of Dreams of an Absolution
JennaTomalka of Twin Birch Studio
Marla Gibson  of Spice Box Designs
Toltec Jewels of Jewel School Friends
Shawn Mills of Bent Wire Boutique
Marlene Cupo of AmazingDesigns ---YOU ARE HERE
Joyce Blair of Bent Wire Boutique
Keri Lee Sereika of Pink Lemonade
Janye Capps of CoolBeads by Boot~C
Tammie Everly of TTE Designs
Christina Miles of Wings N Scales
Kelly Patterson of TravelingSideShow by PyxeeStyx
Heather Otto of The Crafthopper
Jenny Vidberg of Shyme Designs
Shannon Hicks of FallingInto The Sky     
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell of Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Candida Castleberry of Spun Sugar Beadworks
Shelley Graham Turner of Fabric of My Life by Tori Sophia --- Blog Host/Birthday Girl!

Now I'm off to read some great stories! Hope you do the same.




5 comments:

  1. Isn't it wonderful to have our children inspire us. Enjoy your busy retirement! :)

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  2. Marlene, your designs are AMAZING :-) Love your work!

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  3. Haha I loved this Marlene! Your son is smart to know how to get Mom moving - dare her! He knows how to work his Mom, Marlene will NOT be dared...I mean HOW DARE YOU to dare Marlene - are you CRAZY?!

    Love you Marlene. I can count on you to step up and give me an honest comment or opinion without the BS. I love that.

    And I really want to know MORE about those Hairtwisterz thingys...my grandkids would def wear in their hair. https://www.facebook.com/pokes#!/hair.twisterz

    xxoo Shelley (Shellsney to you!)

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  4. Great to read the story behind your name!

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  5. That is a cool story Miss Marlene! I always love to know more about the people that I follow. Enjoy the day. Erin

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