What "Happy" is to me..............

This wasn't hard for me.  Really, on any given day, during any trial in life, there is one constant thing that makes me happy.

My kids.

Each of them has their own little way of making me smile, or laugh or want to tell one of their wildly funny stories over and over.
They are awesome, because they don't get drug down by life, because they don't worry about bills, or prejudice, or the many troubles that us adults do.  They just are.  They are sweet.  They are innocent.  They are happy. 

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Happy with the simplest things.

A caterpillar on a stick.
Planting leaves.

The shell of a cicada.
A puddle.
Feet in the water.

It doesn't take much to make them smile in wonder.

My kids are awesome.  And you know what?  Everytime we go outside, I come in with a bouquet of flowers from the yard.  They always give me flowers. 
What an act of love!  They shower me with gifts every chance they get, whether love is scribbled on a paper, or picked in a flower, it is love, for me, and I am happy.
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Little
dirty hands, raised up
presenting a gift
flowers picked and wilting
full of radiant love
full of pure joy
full of thankfulness
received in humility
received into the heart
held close
Happy

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Ok, that was the touchy feely stuff- now for the jewelry making end of this challenge.  I did it.  I went out and bought Magic Glos resin to make this piece.  I saw a tutorial on it long ago, and they captured flowers in it……how perfect would that be for my Happy Piece.

You can see the tutorial that inspired me below.

  Let me tell you, it really is that easy to use.  I liked this style, for the organic look of the edges.  However, it is actually very hard to get it flat, with no bubbles, with no thin crumbly edge……I could go on.  So, if you are looking for perfection, keep looking.  I think it works too fast for perfect results.  I do love that it’s easy to use.  So for me, since I don’t demand perfection (I mean, nature isn’t perfect, and that’s what I want in my work, a natural feel), it’s my choice for resin.

 I also knew I wanted to rivet the flowers encased in resin to some sort of copper backing.  Again- didn’t go as planned.  Guess what?  Resin cracks easily.  Not sure I will do more rivets with these, I lost too many, but I may bezel some.  I also made these….

(but they were flowers I bought.  The ones I used in my necklace were actually from my kids.)

So- I riveted my kids flowers in resin, to the copper backing, which had some xoxoxoxo stamping on it, and some greenish patina.

I finished the piece with some copper loopty loops I have been making.  The sea green patina matched perfectly.   Connected them all with wire, and added a chain………………………..

VOILA!

HAPPY!

Have you entered something that makes you happy yet?  We would love to see what it is!