The Finishing Touch

I got my love of creating years ago, when I was just a kiddo. 

My gramma knitted. I found it so fascinating that she created something .. like a sweater 

.. out of nothing but a ball of yarn. 

She taught my sister and I how to knit, by having us make headbands. 

 If you knit, you know... 12 stitches, back and forth for one long strip, 

then we joined the ends together and voila .. a head band !

 She created sweaters for everyone ! 

The only one I have left is this lovely green one, now worn by my granddaughter !

 (how cool is that !)

Sadly, my gramma passed when I was 11, but the 'want' to create always stayed with me. 

 In high school, I taught myself to crochet, 

 and I made granny square vests to wear over my catholic school uniform ! 

 I also loved to make purses... I got really fast at it and would make them for friends too ! 

 Anyway, all that to say that I saw the coolest thing in my AARP magazine

 (yes, I'm that old!) 

 back then, when my gramma passed, 

 she was in the middle of making adorable vests for my sister and me. 

My sister's got finished, but not mine. 

(she was the oldest, so she always got everything first)

   After a while, my pap's sisters came and cleared out gramma's knitting room, 

 taking everything...even the half made vest she was making for me. 

I was so jealous that my sister got hers but I never did. 

To this day I can still envision those ladies (we didn't know these aunts) 

 coming and taking all my gramma's stuff.

 My gram was the first death I'd experienced of someone close to me. 

 That days still haunts me ! 

 so.. when I read this article, it touched my heart. 

 Two woman started an organization which connects knitters and crocheters 

 with unfinished projects of people who have passed on. 

 It brings tears to my eyes !! 

check them out

For all you fiber artists out there, have you ever heard of them ?? 

Isn't it a great idea !! Just so heartwarming. 

 If you are interested in becoming a finisher, or have a project that needs finishing, 

(and what a great name, you just know the person who came up with that is a creative !) 

click on the yarn for info:

Anyway, that's my 2 cents for today. 

You just never know what you'll find in the AARP magazine ! 

It comes with my membership .. so if you're interested in that .. you can join here:

Go share the juNxlove ♥

what's in a name

I've had so many questions over the years about how to pronounce my business name and where/how I came up with it. I love word play and just went round and round with a dictionary and a thesaurus to see what I could come up with. I liked the actual word juxtaposition, meaning "two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect for design purposes" and I felt that it fit what I was doing, combining 'junk' with new settings and chains to make 'cool' jewelry. I created the name juNxtaposition®, adding the N and then capitalizing it, just for quirkiness {and so people would notice it} & used the tag line "the art and placement of junk for design purposes" .

Most of my jewelry (and now home accessories) are created with items purchased at flea markets, generally referred to as 'junk'. I have since trade marked the name so that people will always know it is me (I've had to literally defend it when another copied it !) While a lot of customers do not pronounce it correctly, they do know it when they see it, and they know it's me ... the jewelry lady with the funny name that starts with a J. I followed none of the rules that I learned in Marketing class back in the day, it's hard to say, it's hard to spell, no one knows what it means ... lol but it has worked for me for 17 years now, and with the internet, everyone just needs to 'save' the link ... so I'm sticking with it !

At this point ... between the pink ruffles & the crazy name, it's established 

... so I think I'll let it be ♥  don''t you think ?