Online Friendships

I retired five years ago and now I'm able to work on the art that I never had time for when I had a real job.  I also spend a good amount of time on the computer each day, reading email messages and newsletters and looking at endless websites and blogs with information on decorative painting, polymer clay, and jewelry-making.  It's so easy to get lost for hours when those sites have links to other sites--it's like being on a treasure hunt!  My husband thinks I'm just wasting time, but I've learned so much from all those places I visit.  It's sort of like going to art school where I get to determine my own curriculum!
 
I've also joined several decorative painting, jewelry, and polymer clay groups, forums, and blogs.  I'm amazed at how many friends I've made in those groups--people I will probably never meet because they live in places that it's doubtful I will visit at this point in my life...although you never know.  They're all so generous with their help and information. 
 
One of my friends is Bonnie from Arizona.  She has a fabulous blog and she posts there frequently with all the gorgeous new polymer clay beads and jewelry that she makes.  I'm amazed at how much she gets done on a daily basis!  She also has a wonderful, dry sense of humor.
 
A couple of weeks ago Bonnie was helping me with some information I needed and she informed me that she was going to send me a pair of earrings that she had made.  A few days later the mail arrived and there were two, not one, but two pairs of earrings!  They are both beautiful and I love how they sparkle.  What makes them even more special is that Bonnie designed them herself.  She is one very talented woman.
  

These are the earrings that Bonnie sent to me. Aren't they beautiful?

The light green ones go with my favorite summer dress.  The irridescent blue/black ones go with almost anything because they pick up so many colors.  They work really well with the Manhattan Skyline bracelet that I made, which is great because I didn't have earrings that looked right with that bracelet. 

Thank you, Bonnie, my friend.
 
Check out Bonnie's blog at and plan to spend some time there!
 
http://bleekreations.blogspot.com/2011/07/celebrating-200-and-oh-my-its-resin.html