Human Touch Designs - Lisa's Page

As summer starts to wind down to the tune of children busying themselves as they prepare for the new school year, I've found myself comparing this summer to those of the past. This summer has certainly been busier than I ever expected, but it seems as though those around me have grown exponentially through all of the hustle.

My baby brother is preparing to leave for college in a few weeks - something that makes me immeasurably proud, yet saddened to think that we may not see each other often, or that he may never fully return to living in the area even after he graduates. There are twelve years seperating us, yet I feel closer to him now than I ever have before - he's grown into a mature, responsible, handsome young man who really seems to have his head situated properly on his shoulders as he prepares for his biggest challenge yet - full time college away from home.

My little sister graduated from college earlier this year, and while she took the summer off to spend time with her daughters, she will soon be faced with the everyday challenges associated with working full time, while balancing her new career with her family. I know she will be successful and that in itself makes me proud of her.

My second brother has also been through dramatic changes, none of which I'll drag out here, but if you read this Beaner (our nickname for him since he was a little kid, though I have NO idea why even to this day), know that I love you and I support you and your newfound happiness.

I sit here days away from my 30th birthday, which I suspect makes me even more reflective on my life and the lives of those who have such strong influence on me. To each of you out there, thank you for your continued love and support. I begin a new journey on August 27th - that of student again. I'm nervous and excited, naturally. I'll be finishing my Associates Degree in Accounting and moving on from there to earn my Bachelor's - which means that I will be a commited, full-time student again for the next four years! It's a wonderful opportunity and I'm ready to dive in - in fact, the 27th seems like an awful long time away, though I suspect that I should enjoy what I have left of my free time now.

My "boys" (hubby and son) are awesome and supportive. My son will be entering the 4th grade later this year and that alone makes me wonder where in the heck the last 9.5 years have gone. It's amazing to look at his baby pictures and video and compare those to the little man that stands before me now. He is certainly growing into his own person, complete with attitude and his own little quirky behaviors. I'm proud - couldn't possibly be prouder, I dont think! I just wish I could turn the clock back for one day so I could snuggle him up into my arms and sing to him the way I used to when he was a baby. I was his moon, sun and stars back then - and I miss those days!

We had a great weekend together, my "boys" and I. We took a drive up to Holland, MI and spent the day playing mini-golf, riding go-karts, and playing games for tickets which my son promptly turned in for a Spiderman dart-ball thingamajig. He really melted my heart though when he took the remainder of his tickets to buy a trinket for me - a really neat little keychain that looks like a mini lava lamp. He explained that it was pretty and purple, and so he thought it was perfect for me. He's always been a thoughtful little guy that way!

Wishing all of you a pleasant summer, or what remains of it.

Peace and blessings,

Lisa

I finally found the energy last night to sit down with my mounds of beads, unsold pieces, and a bit of peace and quiet. I reworked several of my pieces and even found time to create a new one or two. I'm hoping to take photos this weekend and have pics and listings posted to my etsy shop next week. I finished my first hemp piece (the one I created for my husband) and even moved right on to the next one - another hemp necklace, created as part of my brother's graduation present. I love both pieces and so do the recipients! My son even took an interest in what I was doing, and I've promised to show him the ropes (or cords, haha) when I start my next one.

We have a fun, relaxing weekend ahead of us. My husband and I don't get many weekends together, it's just the nature of his work. This will be our first planned weekend off together in almost four months, and we've packed it full of busy goodness! We're heading to South Bend, IN on Friday for a concert with some friends. Following that with a trip to the Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area for a chopper show on Saturday (for him) and a Renaissance Faire on Sunday (for me). We're both excited to be able to get out of the house and spend time together, and so I'm hoping the weather cooperates!

Wishing all of you sunny days, peace and blessings!

-Lisa

Mother's Day is just around the corner. If you're still searching for the perfect gift idea for that special Mom in your life, consider a custom birthstone jewelry piece or bookmark from Human Touch Designs. All jewelry pieces are custom created to fit your requests! For more information, or to view examples of our work, visit our website at www.humantouchdesigns.com today!

If you place your order on or before Wednesday, May 7th, you'll receive 20% off your order!

Hi everyone! Sorry for my absence over the past few weeks. I was sent on an unexpected business trip to the east coast and I haven't been able to update since the preparation for that trip began! Now that I'm back home and settling into a normal routine again, I promise to be a more faithful blogger.

The etsyBEAD Street Team has decided to make their EBTW promotions a two-week campaign, rather than changing the theme on a weekly basis. I personally think this is a wonderful transition to make, as it will encourage more members to participate by giving each of us more time to prepare and create according to the theme! The current theme is "Charmed, I'm Sure". To see all of the wonderful offerings for the current theme, please click here!

Greetings everyone! I returned from my trip to find a welcome surprise in my email inbox.

Tammy of Ivonnardona's Creations has featured Human Touch Designs on her blog. Tammy is an extremely talented artist, as well as a fellow member of the etsyBEAD Street Team, and I urge you to check out her blog and her shop! The article/interview can be viewed on her blog here!

As a member of etsyBEAD, I participate in weekly themed sales. This week, we have a really stunning collection of pieces that have been offered at discounted prices and/or with special offers. Please be sure to check them out. Signaturesterling was kind enough to include "Garden of Love" in her treasury. You can view the treasury here!

For a complete listing of all items in the etsyBEAD Spring Bouquet sale, click here!

And don't forget, the last day for the INCrowd "Wearin' o' the Green" scavenger hunt is Saturday, March 15th. Now go find those shamrocks!

I've been trying really hard not to post about Spring, for fear of somehow jinxing the impending arrival of the warmer weather, the sunnier skies, or the cheerful chirping of birds in the morning. We've had two absolutely beautiful days of spring-like weather here in northwest Indiana, and I'm finally ready to break my silence (my apologies to fellow NW Indiana residents, as we're now almost certain to get another two feet of snow!). The time change has been unusually difficult for me this year - as the guys that I work with at my regular 9-5 can attest to! I don't think I've been on time a single day this week, and while I'm grateful for the extra sunshine in the morning, my body is screaming for an extra hour of sleep in the morning, and I have a stack of empty coffee cups to prove it!

I'm working on a few custom pieces this week, and preparing for my son's 9th birthday this coming weekend - we're celebrating with our family with some yummy Star Wars cake and ice cream! We celebrated with Cars last year, as you can see from the picture above. I'd love to say I could take credit for the cute cake, but alas, I cannot! Thank goodness the local grocery store has a great bakery within to help me out when I'm in a pinch for time! I'm still undecided as to what to buy for him, but he's been certain to provide me with a specific list of ideas to help me out! He's a great kid, and I'm blessed to be his mother... I think I'm most devastated by the fact that he's halfway to becoming a legal adult, ha!

Wishing all of you a beautiful day, peace and blessings!

Finally, we arrive at Daylight Savings time, and though I'll miss that extra hour of sleep, I'm more than willing to trade it for that extra hour of sunshine! Winter is finally drawing to a close, and I couldn't be happier! We still have snow in the forecast here in the midwest, but thoughts of Spring and Easter (and my son's 9th birthday!) are floating in the air...

In celebration of the extra hour of sunshine, we have listed a few items at 20% off for etsyBEAD's ebtw sale entitled "Spring Bouquet". Be sure to check our sale out here!

I've been a busy bee this past week and am slowly adding my new items to the etsy shop. I've been working with some more natural materials (I found some leopard jasper that I just LOVE!). I've also been using some magnetic clasps on a few of my new pieces, which are great for those of you that struggle with more traditional clasps, but don't want a bracelet strung on elastic cording. Be sure to visit to see all of our beautiful new pieces.

Special thanks to Lizzy of LRSOriginals for featuring "Garden of Love" in her first treasury. Be sure to check it out here!

Also, the Sunday Funtimers Bowling League at City Lanes in Michigan City will be raffling off one of my pieces in the coming weeks. Very exciting!

Also, be sure to subscribe to this blog to receive future updates right in your email box. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed! Peace and blessings to all of you - maybe if we collectively "think Spring", it will finally arrive here in the Midwest!