gardener's pearls (for you, too)

When the seed catalogs arrived back in January, I dreamed about growing Job's Tears for the sole purpose of making a necklace. Sometimes my craft projects can get out of hand. Job's Tears are tear-shaped pods that naturally have a hole running through the center, which makes them perfect for stringing as jewelry. I didn't end up ordering from the place that sold Job's Tears, so I figured I'd try again another year.

This weekend I went out looking for neighborhood yard sales (no luck) and instead poked around in a tiny shop nearby. I found a bag of Job's Tears for a dollar. What luck! After an hour of threading and knotting, I've got myself a necklace in much less time than it would have taken to grow and harvest the seeds myself. 

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I've decided to share the windfall and have a little giveaway. I'll send one of you enough Job's Tears to make a necklace of your own. Just leave a comment on this post and make sure I have a way to reach you. I'll pick a comment at random on Sunday evening, June 10th. 

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only because I don't want any customs issues from shipping plant materials. I'm sure you understand. :)

Holly Berry Button Necklace

Win this necklace!

Happy Giveaway Day! If you're new here, welcome to Field Wonderful, a blog full of lovely snippets from my life. I hope you'll pour yourself a drink and visit for a while.

As part of Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day, I'm giving away the Holly Berry Button Necklace. It's made from a variety of vintage red buttons that remind me of the brilliant color of winter berries. I especially love this necklace paired with vintage lace because it looks like berries gleaming in the snow.

This necklace is perfect for gabbing the night away at festive get-togethers, staying snug and stylish at home, or brightening up your daily errands.

Would you like to make the Holly Berry Button Necklace yours?

Just leave a comment on this post and be sure to leave your name and email address! This contest is open to anyone who wants to enter (I'll ship internationally). The giveaway closes at 10 PM (EST) on Sunday, December 6, 2009. I'll put all of the names in a drawing and pick one at random. Good luck to you!

Be sure to check out Sew, Mama, Sew for a listing of all the other bloggers participating in Giveaway Day!

First Snowfall Button Necklace

The first snowfall is predicted for this week. I'm nearly bursting with anticipation. I fully expect the forecasted snow to turn out to be a cold gray rain, but maybe, just maybe...

We'll have snow.

 I love the feel and smell of the air during the first snow--crisp and fresh with a bit of magic and woodsmoke mixed in. Catching snowflakes on my tongue, crunching through new powder, and spinning round til I tumble onto a quiet white ground. These are the activities I can't wait for!

Name: First Snowfall Button Necklace

Color: Crisp white with a hint of shimmer

Perfect to wear while:

drinking hot cocoa

       attending festive parties

               visiting friends and family, etc.

Have you already had the first snowfall of the season where you live?

Button Necklace Giveaway Winner!

Before I announce the winner of the Button Necklace, I just want to thank everybody who entered. I love hearing where you would wear the necklace--you guys go to such great places!

The giveaway was a lot of fun for me. If you didn't win this time, stick around, because I'm planning on having more giveaways in the future.

The winner of the Morning Light Button Necklace is:

(Please click on the image if you want to see it bigger. I don't know why it's so small. I tried my hardest to make it larger, but my computer skills failed.)

#7 is Phyllis. Congratulations, Phyllis! You can be expecting to find this pretty necklace in your mailbox in a few days.

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On a different note, there will be no CSA post this week because Finger Pickin' Farms was hit hard by the heavy rains last week. Lots of flooded fields and lost crops. I'm sending thoughts of good weather and good harvests their way.

Button Necklace Giveaway (and 100th post!)

I am completely bursting with excitement about reaching 100 blog posts! I mulled over starting a blog for a long time before I actually sat down and created one this past May. I knew that when I began blogging I wanted to mean it.

Field Wonderful has given me a great outlet to share things I enjoy, and I always strive to make it a positive place. I'd love for you all to feel that visiting Field Wonderful is like stopping by a friend's house--chatting, laughing, and sharing news over cups of tea (and maybe a slice of cake). That's how I imagine it anyway.

Necklace posing with my school books

To celebrate and to thank you for reading my blog, I'm giving away a button necklace that I made. The details--

Name: Morning Light Button Necklace

Color: Pale, shimmery yellow

Perfect to wear while: sipping coffee at a cafe

shopping at the farmers' market

spending time at the park, etc.

Here's how to win:

Leave a comment on this post letting me know where you would wear this necklace.

Make sure you include your name and email address so that I can contact you if you win.

Anyone can comment to win--I'm willing to ship internationally.

The contest will close at 10 pm EST on September 28, 2009. I'll pick a winner at random and announce the winner soon after.

Good luck!

Doily Jewelry Display

Sometimes I think that Margie of resurrection fern must constantly have wonderful, creative ideas. I'm sure glad that she shares some of them with us.

When I saw her new jewelry storage, I just had to try it out for myself. Heck, I already had all of the supplies and it only takes about two minutes to put this all together.

It's such a lovely way to display jewelry and definitely makes me smile each time I see it.

Happy Friday to you!

The Lake at Midnight: A Button Necklace

When I accompanied my mom to the fabric store as a child, I always spent my time there glued to the button wall. So when I recently found myself in possession of several jars brimming with buttons, it was a dream come true. All these buttons, for me? How lucky can a girl get?

After much time admiring buttons by the handful, I decided to make some button necklaces. This particular button necklace is for my mom, which is only fair because rightfully the button jars are half hers.

Button details (btw the necklace had a lovely time in northern Africa)

I like naming the necklaces nearly as much as making them. This shimmery gray one reminded me both of city skyscrapers at night and the dark depths of nature. Mom is definitely more nature than urban, so I've named this one The Lake at Midnight. It would be perfect to wear for nighttime strolls, stargazing, and staying up late to tell stories by the fireside.

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This post is a little hint of what's to come. I'm fast approaching my 100th blog post, and I've made a little something to give away. I am so excited about it! Be sure to check back in the next several days for a chance to win.