Rest in Peace, Dearest Shammer Cat 8/19/04-7/25/09

It took me a while to write this, as it does not come with a happy story. Nope, it comes with a tragedy, one that sickens me to my bones and makes me question so many things.

My cat, Shammer, was shot to death Saturday night by someone who lives near me. And when I say near me, I mean within the 1 mile of road that I live on. I didn't find out until 1 a.m. Sunday morning, as my husband witnessed the worst of it. Shammer was shot, made it home to our yard, and died there. My husband discovered him at approximately 7:30 p.m., which means IT WAS STILL DAYLIGHT OUT WHEN SOMEONE SHOT HIM, which also means that HIS COLLAR WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE IN THE DAYLIGHT, which then in turns means that someone performed this heinous act knowing full well that this particular cat WAS OWNED AND LOVE BY SOMEONE. That final part hurts the most. And enrages me at the same time.

Shammer was a young cat; he was only on this earth for about five years. He was a favorite because I never had a black cat, and I always wanted one. He was a fierce hunter, but became somewhat lazy after Ernest died (which also makes me question if this recent incident is tied to the "unknown cause of injuries" to Ernest last year, almost a year to the date). His favorite place to hang out was on top of the couch; however, if you covered yourself with a blanket he liked to lay on top of it with you, purr, meow in your face, and nudge you for kisses. Many mornings he liked to show off his hunting skill by leaving remnants of the mice he caught on our porch--kinda gross, but he was proud. He liked to chase Gus's and Betza's tails as they wagged, and his own tail was a bit crooked, as he accidentally got his caught in a door when he was a young and playful kitten. He taught Dexter how to be tough and how to growl, and he taught us what it's like to raise a kitten. We'd never had one before him.

Like his brother Ernest, Shammer made it home to tell us something was wrong, but this time, we were too late. At least we know what happened, and that he didn't reach his end alone in the woods. My husband was there with him, and my husband had to bury him. Now, he'll rest with our other pets who have passed on...and we will remember everything he gave us. Rest in peace, Dear Shammer. May you find an endless field of catnip, warm garden dirt to lay upon and scratch your back, and may you and Ernest cuddle up and take daytime naps on a bed with an over-fluffy comforter. You are missed, and one day, we will find out who did this.

Love,
Chelsea

Thinking of Photos and Strategies

I need to do a major overhaul on my shop. Soon. But these things take time. A "photo shoot" on one item alone could take almost an hour...so I don't think I'll be having an immediate turnaround. I have big ideas and elements that I'd like to incorporate, but they're labor intensive.

I love how Bead Trends sets up a background for their photo...I need to study their techniques. Of course, I also need new things to photograph, which will also be my focus moving forward. Made to order items are going to be kept to a minimum, as I don't have enough time to be creative and fill orders and maintain sanity with my day job! So, something's gotta give. Once I feel like I have enough new items in stock, I may go back to some made to order pieces, but for right now I need to put that on hold.

Another reason for the push for more "on hand" items--a craft booth. Next July (2010), I'm thinking of having one at a local show...which will also incorporate some beautiful stuff from my sister in law (and if I'm lucky, some things from my husband, too! I promise to post some pics of his latest creation soon).

Anyway, that's all for tonight, dear readers. I also need to go and think about an ad for Simply Wired Custom Jewelry's Facebook page and figure out how to get some fans, as I have no desire to spam my poor friends. Once I do some more research, I'll probably launch the ad sometime in September. The gathering of 100 fans also enables me to get a normal looking URL address, which would be quite nice. :oD

Last November, Bead Trends Magazine - In the Mist...

Bead Trends - In the Mist
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

...this November, Bead Trends Magazine - Beneath the Moon. I'm excited! They do such lovely work with their photos, and the magazine is just thick and beautiful and inspiring.

Last year, In the Mist and Warmth were featured...and as for this year's, well, I have to keep the photos a secret until release. I've been meaning to take photographs of the magazine pics for a while, but kept forgetting. My apologies, dear readers.

Water Follows Water 4

Water Follows Water 4
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

A custom order, finally complete! This one has been a long, long time in progress. I knew how to make the coils, but wasn't sure how to wrap the focal piece. Then, once I had that figured out, I had to set aside hours upon hours to coil, coil, coil and bend, bend, bend. Finally finished as of today. I hope my friend likes it (I'm lucky she's patient with me)!

Learning Facebook - Become a Simply Wired Custom Jewelry Fan!

I got a new ad up on the blog and everything.

<--Check it out, over there, right below my Etsy Mini.

Wanna become a fan? I think you can go there by going directly to the Simply Wired Custom Jewelry page. I'm sure you have to be a FB user in order to get to the page. Regardless, let me know if it works...

Best Yard Ornament, Ever

Best Yard Ornament, Ever
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

I love, love, LOVE this one. I need to find a new home in my yard, though, as I don't have the fountain working yet. I'm hoping to find a solar piece for it; however, until then, I'll do the standard set up. He's about three feet tall and oh-so-cute...a definite tribute to my puppies!