Window to Your Heart

Thanks for your interest in my jewelry!

A little info for you:

I am able to take most any photo and make it into a unique necklace or bracelet.  If there is something in your life that you hold dear, I’d love to create a “Window to Your Heart”.  I can do work with wire to write a name, monogram, or word.  If you have a picture that you love, I can shrink it down and make that a precious keepsake as well!  I LOVE to hear what you’re thinking…putting our heads together to create something unique and meaningful for you or a loved one.

Remember to be selective in your pictures.    Some of the pictures I’ve attached below will give you an idea of what might look good.

Prices vary according to size and amount of detail in the work. All metal is sterling silver (with the exception of wire within the charms).

A basic photo necklace without a chain (just the charm) is $20. If you would like it on a sterling silver chain it’s $10 more. A one sided monogram like the “J” necklace (in my previous post ‘Sweet Failure’) is $15, just for the charm with $10 added with the chain. Those are the basics and the prices go up from there. 🙂

As I mentioned these are hand-made so you can expect small bubbles, but I do my best to eliminate as much as possible.

If you’re interested please send me an email and I’d love to talk with you about what you’re thinking (including things not yet pictured—pretty much, the sky’s the limit!)!!!

Thanks for your interest!

If you’d like to talk more please email me at brookellanos@hotmail.com!  Also, I have a few other examples on a previous blog titled “Sweet Failure”. 😉 God bless!

Sweet Failure

I have really learned a thing or two when attempting 2 new crafting things (one of which I have a pretty hefty financial investment in):

1. I stink at failing…meaning, I don’t like it….ESPECIALLY when it comes to crafting.

2. I have been greatly humbled by the fact that I “can’t do everything I want the first time”…I know, my sis-in-law laughed at me because I sound super full of myself. 🙂

3. I’m a lot more like my prideful 5-year-old than I’d like to admit.  Yep…she learned it from watching me.  I think I tend to do only that which I know I will succeed at (which is why I can say “I do stuff right the first time I do it…see #2).

4.  Failure is VERY encouraging in that when you actually DO succeed at that which you have previously failed…it’s SUCH a reward!  Had I never failed, having a great completed project would be much less exciting.  And let me tell you, I’m EXCITED!  : )

*The slideshow is the product of the successes after my recent failures*

Would you say you avoid failure?  Or are you the type to jump in with both feet knowing the excitement of mastering something completely new?  I still haven’t figured out how many areas I do this in…maybe I’m avoiding it subconsciously!

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The Need for Fellowship

I don’t know about you, but I NEED fellowship.

I think that at times I have fooled myself into thinking I don’t.  But, I really do.

I need those who are going to grow me in my relationship with the Lord, those who will listen to what’s going on and give me advice that I sometimes don’t want to hear, those who will laugh at my cluelessness or brush off a thoughtless comment I made because they know what I said I didn’t mean the way it came out, those who will be there just to spend time with me and breathe life into me, those who remind me of my Lord just by the way they live their life.

Acts 2:42 talks about the early church:

⁴²They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

There is a reason they were doing this!  It drew them together, unified them, and encouraged them in their faith.  I know that there is NOTHING like chatting about the Lord’s Words, breaking bread (cookies, chocolate…), and praying with those the Lord has gifted your life with.

So, to those who are my sisters in Christ (I won’t embarrass you cause you know who you are), no matter whether your family or friend…I cherish you more than you can know and praise our gracious Lord for your friendship.

My Source

This summer has been a Proverbs summer for me.  I feel so desperately lacking in wisdom and discipline so often.  Reading Proverbs 1:7 sums it up for me:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

As this summer came, I found myself slacking in the Word…big time.  I’m such a task oriented person that when I don’t have a study I’m attending, I tend to find other things that trump studying the Word.

I have felt for about a year that the Lord has wanted me to study FIRST thing.  Sure, I made excuses (not everyone has to do that, I can study anytime as long as I’m studying, etc. and so on), but I ended up submitting to the fact that the Lord is asking ME to give up MY favorite time for Him.  *sigh*  I’m super selfish.  I want MY time-frame and MY schedule.  It works, it’s easier, but it’s MINE, not the Lord’s.

So, after being intensely convicted (by an amazing woman I deeply respect and admire) about giving the school year to the Lord and seeking Him each day on what HE wants for the day and not what I want, I submitted.

So, I’ve been getting up every morning to seek Him and WOW…what a change.  I feel more awake and alive each time I sit in His breeze and just breathe in His Word.  It truly does set my path straight for the day and get my mind already where it needs to be.

What have I learned this summer?  God is the source of wisdom, knowledge, and discipline and I’ve been a fool.  Praise Him that I can learn and be refreshed by His Word daily.  What a privilege I too often take for granted.

So, if you’re reading this…keep me accountable…would ya?!?!