Waste Not... Want Not...

I have been making a very conscience effort to make something everyday. I don't want to feel completely overwhelmed for show season this year. (Like I was last year.) So, today I was thinking... "what can I make....what can I make?" I looked around my desk to see what beads I had, when I saw these ones in my Bead Box bowl of beads. I think I have told you before... if you don't buy them up, I am gonna use 'em! It's one of the reasons I don't put beads on "sale"... I can always come up with something to do with them.



So, there I was... sitting at my desk... counting the seconds until my headache would go away (I had a doozie of a headache). I decided the plaid beads needed square accents. I thought of Eni Oken's tutorials that teach you to "frame" beads. I thought... "that'll work!... I'll make a wire wrapped frame and square the frame off to the shape of the nuggets." I made the first link and it took FOREVER!! Okay, not forever, but a good 40mins for one link it just way too long. So you know what I did?



I figured out an alternative way to do all that wrapping!! My way had the bracelet finished in about 30mins. Going from 40mins a link to less then 10mins a link is pretty cool wouldn't you say?!? Look close at the photos... can you see the difference? I think NOT!! I am so thrilled with the results. I love this bracelet. It is called "Framed". I think I might need to write an tutorial of my own for this link :)

Hip Hip HOORAY!!

Lots to talk about today!! First a big huge gigantic HIP HIP HOORAY!! for my son, Andrew. He won a hooray award at school today for COOPERATION!! The elementary school, OP, that the kids go to teach important character building skills each month then reward studentst that exhibit those skils most. Awards the boys have brought home in the past have been "Respect & Responsibility", "Friendship" and "Caring & Compasion". I am one proud Momma. Though I have to share a funny story with you. One of these days I will devote a whole blog post just to my Andrew, he has quiet the life story. But to sum things up a bit, he can best be described as a paradox... just last week he was suspended from the bus for two days for writing a swear word on a piece of paper and giving it to a kid that is mean to him. LOL.. .suspended and awarded in the same two weeks... good job Andrew, lol.



Now jewelry thangs... FIRST, I have been forgetting to tell you!! Check out page 37 of the June 2007 issue of Bead&Button Magazine. If you have been with me for a while you might remember this blog post back in January 2006. Well, this is the issue that caused all that excitement last year. My necklace "Silver Lining" is in the "Show Your Work" gallery pages of this issue. You can see it HERE at the B&B website too. The publications date was changed from what they first told me, but that's how it goes. It is so cool to see it there now. Kinda weird too, cause I don't do that style jewelry anymore. It's neat seeing the change, huh?

Now this necklace here... the thing I was hinting at yesterday is the top one. Unfortuantely, it just wasn't living up to my expectations so it got taken apart and reworked this afternoon into this.....

drum roll please.....







Cool huh?!?! I am so much happier with the reworked necklace. I am calling it "Reeling" and it is a sorta handmade chain of beads. It is heavy weight 14 gauge wire scrolling in and out of 5 different sizes of glass rings. I love the process of making jewelry. I get all these ideas popping in and out of my head... I get to try to make them... then watch as they come to life... some turn out better then I expect and some (like this one) don't come close. But that is what I love... the not working leads to even more ideas... plus I get to go back and rework the other one too. I won't give up on the first version... just try again with a different spin.

Water Slides

I had a little time last night after dinner (before American Idol) to make beads. I pulled a bunch of rods in a "Seafoam" color pallet intending to work on a new necklace design that had POPPED into my head. But before I knew it, I was pulling twisties and making discs again. Which led to this, "Water Slides". Aren't these colors just perfect for Spring/Summer?



I strung this up this morning after cleaning the beads... then spent my day writing. I love writing, and I so far, I have loved doing tutorials. But for some reason, I have been putting off doing these latest ones. I just needed to sit down and do them. I was hemming and hawwing in my head... should I write an outline, then photograph the steps like I usually do? These tutorials don't need the photographs, so I was telling myself it would be a waste. But then again, could I really write the steps well if I didn't follow my "usual" process. Internal debts with yourself can be such procastination causing things, can't they? LOL! Anyway... they are written, so that is good. I am glad to get that behind me. I will send them off to my personal proof reader (Hi CINDY!) and then get them off to my editor.

Somewhere in there I also snuck in some torch time. Just an hour because I was puppy sitting for my Mom too and I wasn't allowed to leave Penny in her crate for more then an hour. I made the beads I had set out to do last night. I am interested to see how the turn out and if this new idea I have is going to come to life the way I hope it will. I used some new colors from CiM (Creation is Messy), a sweet pea transparent green color and a milky translucent white. (I should so get a job naming colors!!) I think the necklace is gonna need LOTS of beads... and I ran out of mandrels (that is the only hint you get). I'll share pics as soon as it's done!

Are you wondering when I will have new Bead Box Beads? Well, give me some color combo suggestions and I'll get to work...

Martian Markers & Cosmic Crayons

YOO HOO!! Look at all those beads!! I told you I would have a ton to show you. And I know what you are thinking... your are saying to yourself "those are in a slide show, does that mean they are all on eBay?" YEP it does!! It was perfect timing. eBay had a 20 cent listing day today so I could get them all up and it didn't cost an arm and a leg. But enough complaining about eBay fees... lets chat about the beads!!

There are FIVE auctions in all. Two sets of 9 beads (sprees & nuggets) and 3 tube focals. First up, the bead sets... they are called "Martian Markers" & "Cosmic Crayons". I love both of these sets!! I really do, they are totally "me". I would see these online and want to bid on them. Luckily I made then, and have extras in my personal stash, so I won't need to bid. The first on is based on THIS piece by Amanda Hone. These are the ones I was telling you about yesterday. If I am being completely honest, on their own each bead is kinda weird, but when you group them together they are really cool!! The second set was inspired by THESE art magnets. One thing I think is particularly cool is how the sets are very different, opposites even, (circles & squares) but the colors pull them together and they would totally work together.



The focals just rock. You maybe thinking... "how did she pull those out of the Sarah Hornik style ones... they are NOTHING alike". Well, that is the whole point isn't it. The thing I was inspired by was the shape. Long, lean, slender tubes. Anyone of the three would be really cool as a drop pendant, a focal in a bracelet, or hey, even some miss matched funky heavy earring. Whatever you can come up with!!

While we are on the subject of what you can come up with. I want to add a "Designer Corner" here to my blog. It is a pain in the butt to add to my website, but easy for me to add here. If you have a website with a piece of jewelry using my beads, send me the link!! I will add the link here to my blog. I already have a few that people have sent me recently, so I will work on getting those up and running. Please understand though, I would LOVE to post a link to everyone's site, but I can't. I wouldn't have the room, please, only send me the link if you have jewelry or other items using MY beads. Thanks!!

Sun is shinning... I just bought a big ol' tub of chalk and a hula hoop... time to get outside and play! I hope you'll come back and bid on the auctions when they start later tonight AND go get a bid in on "Mystery" it's ending soon!!

Totally Captivated

I have been totally captivated by my torch the past two days. I can't pull myself away!! And you know that, for you, it is a good thing, right? It means I am gonna have loads of new beads for you to fight over!!

Let me tell you the stroy behind the past two days on the torch.... every morning I have a bunch of blogs and websites I love to check out. I like to see what people are up to, and I have a few favorites who's beads just make me drool. Yesterday morning, I knew I wanted to spend the morning torching... and I knew what kinds of beads I was gonna make. Had it all planned out in my head. But before I started working, I did my usual morning routine. I was reading a post by Sarah, at www.beadsbysarah.com, and by the time I got out to the torch I couldn't get Sarah's beads out of me head!!

Some of you may have seen or even bid on Sarah's beads on eBay. The are just spectacular and utterly inspiring. After attempting to make the beads I "planned" on making durning my torch time, I thought... "screw it, I am gonna make some Sarah beads". I figured it would be the only way to get them out of my head. I love the shapes, long slender tubes. I love the layers, there are SEVERAL. I love the way the glass just flows. I used what I had out on my desk for the other project, I didn't really plan very well. But I was THRILLED when these came out of the kiln. I LOVE them. Major Props to Sarah!!

I am gonna keep these in my personal stash of beads. As I have said before, I won't sell beads I make that use other beadmaker's style/design. Not until I can use the techniques and change the style enough that you can't tell where my ideas came from and they are totally "me". And what is cooking in the kiln today is just that sort of thing. It was the "throwing the plan to the wind" that let my imagination run wild. It was just what I needed and....

What till you see what is in the kiln!! They are more "Art Inspired Art", this time the paintings and collages of Etsy artist, Pinwheel (www.pinwheel.etsy.com). Amanda's art is just incredible and the style is very "me". Looking at her stuff can memorize me for hours. SO, I mixed up some Sarah with a load of Pinwheel and I got stuff brewing that I can't wait to see!! And if it turns out as well as I hope, I got loads of ideas lined up with contiue the design into a series. I sent Amanda an email via Etsy to show her one set that is finished and gave her an idea of the direction I was going to go next, and she said she loved it. She is the first "living" artist I have done sets inspired by. I was worried I would be stepping on her toes, but she is good with it. It is so hard to know what is acceptable and what isn't... from what I found, you just gotta ask, or you'll never know.

Last thing... let's get back on track with free beads being drawn on the right day, lol!! Today's winner is Heather H!!! YOO HOOO Heather!! Thanks again for your continued support of my site everyone, I do so totally appreciate it. I love you gals!!

Alls Clean

Sorry I have been missing so many posts lately. Spring has finally started to sprung around here! Yoo HOO... and we have been spending most of our time outside. I devoted seven hours yesterday to reorganizing and cleaning the garage. It so needed it. We don't have a basement in our house so all the storage is out there. Add in the kids toys and bikes... Ron's mowing stuff and tools... then top it off with my glass equipment... you got a recipe for a giant mess!!

Today is going to be even nicer then the past two. It is going to be in the 70s! We have plans to have all the grandparents over for a belated Easter dinner. I better get cracking getting this inside of this house as clean as the garage is.

I worked on beads Friday afternoon. I have a new set all ready to go, but I don't like weekend ending auctions so I will save it for during the week. I am going to try and get out there this morning and see whatelse I can get done. So be sure to stop back in tomorrow of pics of new stuff!!

L.O.S. ~ Means Two Things

Who all remembers what L.O.S. stands for? Do you know? I have mentioned it before... today is has TWO meanings!! First LOTS OF SUN!! Yoo HOO.. .I can't tell you how long it has been since be had a beautiful sunny springish day. I spent a couple hours this afternoon just sitting in the sun on our front porch soaking in the rays... and while I was sitting there, I worked on soem jewelry too. So, L.O.S also stands for Liver of Sulfer, the icky smelling stuff I oxidize sterlign wire with.

You can tell just how sunny it was by these photos. I took them on a sheet of copy paper in the sun on the porch. Little, to no, editing required on these kinds of shots, I love 'em. The first piece is "Rocker". It is made with the clear black and teal discs I showed ya last week. I love it, but then again I am bias. I love all three of the necklaces I made so far in this style. I have used up so much 18 gauge wire making these that I am almost out!!



This second piece is my "Mystery" bracelet. I was experimenting with the wire work. Something different. I don't know if I am happy with it or not. I am happy with the beads, I just don't know about the wire work. I mean the wire work is good, I just don't know if I like it... I would love to hear your thoughts. I think the links look a bit like a treble clef (am I spelling that right?) you know, the musical symbol. These were a few of the beads that I made the other day when I made the "Mystery" auction that is on eBay (go bid!). I was up in the air for a while on the beads too, just like I am about these links. But I grew to love them as I am sure I will the bracelet. I do love the mix of pink purple and red on these beads... yummy!!

My time at the torch yesterday was frustrating and very productive, lol. How could it be both? Well, I am trying really hard to get a very specific design on a bead. Very particular... and it is frustrating because I just can't get the vision out of my head and into a bead... but productive because I am learning a lot on the new torch. I think I am getting much more proficiant on in, sort of, lol. I am going to set my ideas to the side for a couple days while I work on beads for you all. let this very particular style stew in my brain a bit longer... in the meantime... I got ideas for you all too!!

Time to wash all this dirt out from under my nails (love dirt under my nails) and get the supper on the table!!

OH... and yep, I forgot, sorry... this week's free beads winner is LISA D!! YOO HOO LISA!! I'll get a fresh batch of freebies loads asap. Thanks so much for the support everyone, I love ya!

Disenchanted

Disenchanted is the word of the day, no wait, it is the word of the week, maybe even the whole month!! It is the word that best describes my mood of late. I don't know what it is that is causing it, but I wouldn't doubt that it has something to do with the fact that it is mid April and still in the 30s with snow and mud covering the ground.

It seems everything has me frustrated. Grrr.... the kids are doing great in school (parent-teacher conferences tell me so) but at home they are totally wound up and going just as stir crazy as I am. They can't play outside in the ankle deep mud so instead they nit pick each other until someone comes to me crying with a red mark on them somewhere. It's enough to make a Mom wanna run away from home!

Then there is our house... more grrrr.... since we can't get outside we are on top of each other. I have mentioned before I am ready to move, but my hubby isn't. Our house is small, too small for five people. It is fine when we get locked in around November... and it isn't so bad in December, but by April, I get all claustrophobic... the walls close in on me. I get miserable and frustrated with the house.

Then there is the whole glass/beads/jewelry part of life. I love love love what I do!! But it I can't seem to devote the time I want to it. Which puts me in a crappy mood. I have lots of ideas and no time to do it. There is "busy" work I could be doing, but it is boring, lol. I know, I sound like a kid that doesn't want to do their homework, I admit it!!

I watched that special on Oprah last week about "being happy" and I do really consider myself a happy person. I try to be positive, I try to take things as they come... I look on the bright side. I am not worried too much, I am sure this moodiness won't last very long. I just thought you should know what is going on in my head. That is what this blog is for right? So you all can learn about me, my life and my studio. Well, that is my life in a nutshell the past week... disenchanted. I'll perk up and come around... don't you fret. Letting you know what is up is already making me feel a little better (plus the beams of sunshine coming in the window over my shoulder are helping too). AND, I have a date with my torch at noon... and I am really excited about a new idea I have. I'll let you know how it all goes.

And on a somber note, I want to express my heart felt condolences to the many people effected by the awful happens at Virginia Tech. It is a truly surreal situation and I can't imagine what the families of the victims are going through. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Mystery

Just a quick drive by update... I am late for a parent teacher conference!! Check out my new auction "Mystery" starting later tonight on eBay!!

I'll be back with lots of details later :)

Not So Sunny Sunday

Grrrr... it is yucky today!! Here comes another boring weather relate blog update... uck, ick... :P ewww... it is cold and snowy and we might just be waking up to a FOOT of snow!! We all have our fingers crossed that this big 'ol nor'easter hits south of here.

I kept really busy this weekend. I am not spinning anymore, thankfully. But I don't plan on using the torch until tomorrow. The couple days break is good, I think. Yesterday we had friends over for an impromptu dinner get together. But before they came by, I finished this new necklace. It is one I have been slowly building, making a single ring here and there. If you follow my blog, you have seen bits and pieces of it. Now it is done!! It is very FUN!! And I can't think of a thing to call it... I would love to hear naming suggestions. It is a shorted 16.5 inches, lots of my favorite colors.... just can't think of anything clever to call it.



So made a necklace and had people over yesterday... today I painted the boys' room, after having my parents over for breakfast, and then this afternoon I played Lord of the Rings Risk with Ron and Andrew (kicked their butts, hehe). The room had to be done. I hadn't painted it since we moved in SEVEN years ago. The boys grew out of their bright blue room with white and yellow stamped stars ages ago. I kept it simple and painted it a calming taupe. Kinda like a grayish tanish color. Matches their bedding nicely :). I might add a big blue stripe around the middle of the room after the paint has had enough time to cure. Now we are kicking back, gonna relax with some leftovers for dinner and that is about it.

I'll let you know that status of the snow tomorrow, and hopefully have another necklace to show you... gotta keep at it to be ready for those summer shows!!

Bead & Baubles

BEAD BOX BEADS!! Do you see? There are BEAD BOX BEADS!! I tried sending out an email update but was getting an error message from Yahoo. So, here is your notice!! Go check them out. They are all beached themed. I love these colors. I was inspired to use them by one of the gals at book club Wednesday night. Right now Chris is sipping wine on the deck of a sail boat in the Virgin Islands!! How soiled is she? LOL! She deserves it though and I hope she has a blast. Anyway... the thought of cool coastal waters and lovely sandy beaches gave me the ideas for these new beads. And honestly I love them all!! I could have kept and come up with designs with every set. I love the cubes with the silver mesh... the raku colors are incredible (thanks to the new torch) and discs were awesome!! So hurry, go check them out and grab a set!!



I told y'all I was working on a few new things, and I DID!! this new piece is called "Rolling". Are you getting a bt of a "rocker" vibe from this? I am... and I LOVE IT!! I wore it to book club the other night and the girls flipped for it. It was a huge hit. These are half inch black rings rolled in raku frit that are interlocked with handmade (by me) sterling silver wire rings. I patinaed the piece with liver of sulfer and then buffed the high spots. Edgey, rustic and sophisticated, that is what I think!! I already started making the rings to make a similar one to this with transparent etched beach colors... yummy!!



Remember a few weeks back when I said I was going to start keeping at least one set of Bead Box Beads for myself to make things? Well, I am sticking to it!! Do you remember me bracelets "Crisp" & "Rusted" from last summer and fall? Well, now we have "Coastal" to add to the group. Those "Beach Ovals" that are available in the Bead Box were my favorites, so when I was working yesterday, I made a lentil version with this bracelet in mind. The raku discs I made to accent it are sooooo cool. You are just gonna have to drool over them in person, the layers of color are outta this world!!

I have more beads done and designs I am working on. Plus I have 3 tutorials that need writting. I got word from Bead&Button the other day that they have accepted my "Hip To Be Square" tutorial and it is slated for the Dec 2007 issue. (That can change though, I'll keep ya posted!)So, I shouls have lots of pics and things to share. I'll make my eye open for some more inspiration to keep the Bead Box Beads coming too. Busy busy!!

On a more personal note... I had to take a trip to the doctor's today. I woke up this morning with my head spinning as if I had just drank 5 margaritas. I was grabbing the walls in order to walk down the hall and it wasn't long before motion sickness set in and I was throwing up (ew gross!). Anyway... come to find out, I have Vertigo. Nothing serious, and easily treatable with medication (meds that I can't take cause they make you extrememly sleepy... no sleeping with 3 kids running around!). It is dinner time now and I am feeling alright. Definitely better then this morning, but still dizzy and woozy. I am gonna stay away from the torch for a few days till I am sure it is gone. (It'll be something that always comes and goes.) I don't want to have the spins while spinning a mandrel in front of a 2000 degree flame, lol!! But that just means I'll work on all those other things I mentioned before. Anyone else have Vertigo? Do ya have any "home" remedies for me that won't knock me out? I would love to hear it!!

Mini Mom Vacation

I am on a retreat, with myself for the next few days!! Where am I? Just at home. Really, a retreat at home. My Mom has commandeered my kids until Friday, so it is just me, myself and I until then. Okay, Ron is here to in the evenings, lol, but he isn't part of the retreat.

My time started yesterday afternoon. I tried making beads but after two nights of less then 3 hours of sleep thanks to sick kids, I was just too tired. I did make an effort for an hour and wasted a lotta glass, lol. So, I turned everything off and took a nap instead. Then this morning, after a solid 10 hours of sleep, I have been torching away!! I also started another new necklace design. I have the kiln filled to capacity right now with all my large hole mandrels and new Bead Box beads. So, I am taking a break for lunch. I am gonna get a shower then just relax for the afternoon while the kiln is doing it's thing. Then I'll be back out there all day tomorrow. If everything goes according to plan, I should have some fabulous new beads to offer Friday or Saturday.

In other news, I have a new addiction. I can't stop browsing all the shops on Etsy!! Here are a few I have bought from in the last couple weeks.

First - "BlackBags" - found this one a few weeks back at kstyle-style.blogspot.com. I love the fabrics she uses and they are fantastic quality!! I had to have the Retro Spotted one, you all know me and my addiction with retro spots.

Second - "lotuswraps" - from time to time I just need to embrace my bohemian self and indulge in a silk wrapped skirt. I got a sweet purple, green and gold wrap coming from them!! And on their website they show how you can wear the skirt 15 different ways.

Third - "TallGiraffe" - another skirt I had to have!! And this artist is just awesome to work with. She had a green skirt with polka dot trim that sold and I asked if she would consider making another one. SHE DID!! And not only did she spend 3 hours driving around to find the perfect fabric for me, she custom sized it and she had it in the mail in less then 3 days. She is awesome!!

Finally (my very favorite) - "Pinwheel" - I could spend hours looking at this artist's work. Click on it and you'll see what I mean. Everything she does is so bold and graphic. I love her vision and style. I know I will be using several of these pieces for inspiration on new bead designs. Can't you just see my style beads and her style paintings hanging out together?!? I got a set of her note cards and that knitted hat pattern.

So, there is something for you all to do today... go hang out on Etsy supporting one-of-a-kind artists. I'll be back tomorrow with lots of beady photos of what is in the kiln today. PLUS tonight is BOOK CLUB!! So I should have all the girls thoughts on "The Mermaid Chair" for you too.

*IMPORTANT* eBay Scams

A customer of mine sent me an email this morning that she received from someone posing as me. I want you all aware... I DO NOT SEND SECOND CHANCE OFFERS!! If you receive one of these mails please DO NOT click any of the links in the email and forward it immediately to spoof@ebay.com.

Here is what was sent:

From "valentin andrei" valentinousa18@yahoo.com

"Hello,I'm the seller of the item that you've recently bided through the eBay system (Item title:KABs Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads - 4WC SRA LE Item number: 190097219811)Because the high bidder could not finish the deal i have to offer you a second chance offer at your last bid price.If you are still interested in this item and want to buy it at your last bid price please reply me.The transaction will be made only through eBay service so we will be both protected by eBay SafeHarborTeam.I trully appologise for this inconvenience and sorry for disturbing you.Thank`s for your understanding and co-operation!!!"

The scam is that these people get you to pay for the beads and then keep your money. They don't have the beads, obviously. Watch for these emails!! Don't be a victim!! Never reply to them and if you ever have a question about an auction, please email directly with the "Contact Me" button on my website or through eBay.

Something New with Raku

No slide shows today, but new auctions!! Check out these two FOCALS. The first is called "Raku Cube". I am getting amazing colors out of raku frit and glass rods on my new torch. I love it. It is so earthy and organic, but in my "Cubism" and "Mod Dot" (below) styles, they are sleek and modern. I have never offered focals on eBay before... so I decided to try something different... they start at 99 cents. Yeah, that is right, under a buck. If you all like 'em and bid on 'em (they start later tonight), I'll make more from time to time. This top one is my favorite of the two, but then again, you know I love cubes lately.



This one is "Cosmically Mod", it is my "Mod Dot" style done in black, turquoise and raku. Again, really cool colors and a fabulous focal. There is one raised dot that has "micro bubbling", that comes from me over heating the glass in the torch, oops... but the bead is still "sound", it will not crack or break. And it was so pretty otherwise, I just had to offer it up.

I hope you like these... I would love to hear your feedback. They are definitely different then what I have been doing lately, but that is cool. I like mxing things up, keeps me motivated!!

On the family-of-nothing-but-sick-kids front, lol, I took Andrew to the doctor's this morning. No strep throat and no appendix problems... just "something viral". He is still running a high fever, has a sore throat and a little vomitting, but hopefully it won't last much longer. Lauren now has the sniffles, and I think I am feeling that "tickle" in the back of my throat telling me I'll wake up with it tomorrow too. Fingers crossed that I won't though!! I have too much to do!! This sick kidos thing throws a wrench in my plans to have Bead Box Beads later this week, but I'll try. Of course, I'll keep ya posted.

FREE BEADS!! (Sorry I have been terrible about posting the freebie pics, I'll try harder this week :)) This week's Free Beads Winner is.... JENNIFER P!!!! YOO HOO Jennifer!! Thanks so much for your support gang!! I really do appreciate it. I'll see what I can come up with for beads to give ya this week.

Merry Christmas!!

Oops... I mean HAPPY EASTER!! We were all a little confused this morning, lol. Check out what we woke up to!! About 3 inches of the fluffy stuff... yeah, really SNOW in almost mid April. And it isn't expected to get out of the 30-40s till next weekend. Can you imagine? I do think we had more snow this morning then we did on Christmas.

Honestly, none of us are feeling very festive around here... we were startled awake at 3am with a "MOOOMMMMMM, I'm gonna puck!" And poor little Andrew has been at it ever since. noone else is showing signs, everyone else feels fine... but the extended everyone else (aka my parents, and Ron's) want to stay that way so Easter Dinner has been cancelled. Ron and I are trying to keep up our spirits though. (Even though we are dog tired.) We are gonna cook dinner anyway, we are sharing some wine and he is kickign back with the Master's golf tournament on the TV. Lauren and Jacob managed to find all the eggs and baskets by 7:30am so they are relishing the chocolate and being lazy still in there pjs.

While Andrew was feeling good from the Mortrin and everyone was watching "Flushed Away", I snuck out and did some experimenting on the torch. I may have a few "focals" for you. I haven't really ever attempted larger single focal beads. I'll let you know how they turn out. In the meantime... go bid on "Quadrangles". The poor little things are feeling selfconscience out there in eBay world, all lonely with no bids. They are fun beads, really they are... they deserve a good home just as much as those other sets :)

HAPPY EASTER!!

Quadrangles

I know, I know... I have been a very bad blogger. I hate leaving you all without updates just as much as you hate checking in here and seeing the same post three days in a row. Hopefully all the goodies I am going to share today will make up for my lack of blog.

First up... a slide show of my latest Ebay Auction starting later tonight!! Check out "Quadrangles" (a word I found in the theraurus that is the same as "square"). This is my first set of beads off my new torch. As you can see, I remastered discs. And to make these totally different... they are all squares!! Which I think is really really cool. I actually debated for a while weither or not I would list them. I actually wanted to keep them for a new jewelry design, but hey, I can always make more!! So, I hope you love them as much as I do, and make sure you go BID BID BID!!

Next up... some torch experiments. I know I have been told you can't get "real" raku colors out of a Hot Head torch (my old torch). I always argued... "I can get good colors"... OH HOW WRONG I WAS!! I never realize what "true" raku colors should be. This is just one of the beads I made that has been rolled in a little raku frit. If only you could see it in person... there are amazing blues, greens and even purples in there. It is just yummy, and for sure you'll get a chance to fight over some raku beads in the next Bead Box update.

These are just another color experiment for the linked disc necklace design. They may or may not get etched (I am leaning towards etching them)... I love the clear centers and the POPPING teal. Another something fun for summer huh?

Anyway... things here are nutty. The kids are home and already bored. It is been snowing in April (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT)!! I am teaching a private class this afternoon for a few hours. I have a few orders that need working on and a torch that still needs playing with. So I have loads and loads to keep me busy. We are planning on have Easter dinner here tomorrow, too. The kids were up at 6:30 this morning hoping that today was Easter and they could look for their baskets... no such luck, the Easter Bunny didn't come last night... LOL... I am sure he'll be hopping through our neighborhood tomorrow though.

Getting Aquainted

I spent a few hours today getting better aquainted with my new torch and we are getting along just swimmingly. I discovered something that I think is going to help with tackle the learning curve I was worried about.... I need to watch the glass and not the torch. I am worring too much about where I am in the flame. But if I watch what the glass is doing and move it till I see colors (molten states) I am used to, it is much easier for me to control. I actually had a pretty successful torch session today once that little idea popped into my head. I even have a new Ebay set cooking in there. (or the start of one anyway, lol) You know, I was much more nervous about the switch then I let on yesterday, but things are looking good.

I did something drastic yesterday. I cut my hair, again. And now it is super duper uber short. Really really short, lol. So short, I have to learn to style it and I won't be sharing a picture until I do, lol. I am in shock today over it. I don't hate it, I just don't recognize myself. I'll get used to it. I think it is rather trendy (even though I don't think short is "in" right now). It'll be fun growing it back out too... there will be loads of style possibilities as it grows too.

So... I think I covered everything I was gonna cover today... new torch going great... new hair really short... yep, that's about it. I am working on that Ebay set... I have 3 tutorials I am working on... and they kids are off school for 10 days starting Friday. I am going to try and come up with some Bead Box Beads... stay tuned.

I didn't blow up!!

EEEEEKKKKK!!! I am so excited!!!

I spent this morning on the phone with two local welding supply companies comparing prices on hoses, regulators, oxygen tanks and refills. Then, I spent mid day getting all the supplies I needed and guess what I was just doing!?!?! I WAS MAKING BEADS ON MY NEW TORCH!! YEE HAWW!!

So here is the deal. I have had the torch here for a couple weeks, but I have been holding off setting it up. I was nervous about setting it up. It is such a huge change. Plus a huge expense. The torch with shipping was $208 and the supplies to get it running was $315, encase you ever wondered what the start up is on a basic duel fuel set up. I am rather proud of what I did today. I absolutely refused to wait for my husband to come home to do it for me. I wanted to do it all myself. I am totally capable, I just needed to have confidence in myself.

I bought the hoses, those were pretty basic. The regulators I bought are Smith brand. Highly recommended by the techie gurus on the glass forums I frequent. I got "flashback" thingies. Which basically make it so the gases can't travel into the wrong lines and cause an explosion. Safety First people!! The tank of oxygen is a 244 cubic feet tank. It will be interesting to see just how long it lasts. It is huge! It weights about 125 pounds. The guys at the welding place loaded it in my car and told me to have my husband help me unload it... NO WAY!! I did it all myself. I am a big tough girl... I got big guns (aka biceps, lol). I hauled it into the studio.

I think we need to have a quiet moment of silence for my trusty hot head. It has been with me 2 long years and never let me down. I love that little guy.... okay moment over.... next thing I had to do was get the old torch out!! I spent a while this afternoon unscrewing the hoses that had been mounted to my bench for safety, I unmounted the torch that was screwed to the desktop. Then I had to do a little rearranging. The big desk moved down, the little desk was turned perpendicular... it is a whole new set up. I mounted the new torch to the desk. Yeah people, I know how to use a screwdriver, yep yep yep!! Once secured, I set to getting the tanks ready. I twisted the regulators on the tanks, tested the pressures, checked for leaks... then it was time to try it....

It is so cool... it is whisper quiet. Ron said he couldn't even tell it was running. There is definitely going to be a couple weeks of a learning curve. It is super hot and melts the glass very fast. Once I learn where the hot spots are, I'll be able to better control the glass. You should have seen my first bead!! It was lopsided and wonky. I think it was worse then the very first bead I ever made, lol. By the fourth I was back to being able to make basic rounds again. For fun I rolled a black bead in raku frit... and hot damn I didn't know that raku could go the colors I say in the bead. It is just amazing.

I am so proud to have set everything up myself... and I will be busting my butt the next few weeks relearning how to make beads on this new gem... but I hope you all will stay with my and watch my progress. Bare with me while I mess around, that kinda of thing. I will have Ron get a picture of me making some beads so you can see... for now, I wanna race back out and play some more!!

More Before and After

I am a huge fan of Before & Afters! So when Imade the decision today to oxidize something, I knew I had to get Before & Afters of it. I made these beads yesterday. They are a mix of Mosaic Green, Trans Gray and Clear. I was so psyched when I put them in the kiln. I thought they would be really cool. I thought the Mosaic Green would stay the darkish translucet color it was in the flame, I thought you would be able to see the color gradiant between the trans gray and clear.... I THOUGHT WRONG!! When I opened the kiln this morning I was sooooo disappointed! The green went all bright, and you can barely tell the difference between the gray and clear. Grrr.... I was so bummed I almost scrapped them. Seriously... I was just going to throw them out.

Something switched in my brain and I decided to use these more like test beads instead of tossing them. I cleaned them up while the kids ate their oatmeal this morning. The "test" part of these is how the etching solution would effect them. They were only in the etch bath for 3-4 minutes. You could actually see the "fog" like surface form of the clear while the beads were soaking... really cool. They all got washed again to neutralize the etching solution. By now the kids were ready for the bus...so I shoooed them out the door. And while they rode their scooters in the driveway waiting for the bus, I wired up the discs into my "Sunrise" style design.

Would you believe this design only needs a pair of wire cutters?!?!? I don't use any tools to make it! Well, correction, I only use tools on the clasp, but how cool is a design that doesn't need tools? All you need is tough fingers to wrap the wire. Anyway, this led to "testing part 2". I knew I wanted to see this style of wire work oxidized so into the liver of sulfer it went.



LOS is pretty cool stuff. I ordered some a few weeks back. I figured it was time to stop wasting hard boiled eggs and use some of the real stuff. (Yeah there is a way to oxidize with eggs, if you want details, send me an email) The new stuff worked like a charm and with in seconds the bright and shiny silver was black. Everything got cleaned again and then I set to polishing the wire. After oxidizing, you need to "highlight" the wire work. So you use polishing cloths to buff off the oxidation. It stays black and tarninshed in the low area and the high areas come back up to a shine. It really gives this design a wonderful depth.



So here I am sporting my "New Industry" necklace... the one that's beads were almost tossed this morning. Now an absolute FAVORITE!! The green matches a new scoop neck tee I got at Old Navy last week. It is definately a design that can be dressed up or down as needed. Did I mention I love it and it's my new favorite? Oh yeah, it is!!

Puppies & Poker

How could anyone possibly resist this little face? I would like to introduce you to Penelope, "Penny" for short. She is an 8 week old English Bulldog and she is my Mom's new family member. I don't know if I have told y'all this before but my Mom is a dog breeder of sorts. She has two pure breed basset hounds that she breeds from time to time and now here kennel is growing with this new addition. She had to have three dogs, one for each of my kids to walk when they are over visiting her!! Our house is much too small for a dog, but this cutie has Ron thinking we outta have one. Maybe in a few years when she has some puppies of her own.

We had a great family party yesterday for Lauren and the kids convinced my parents to take them home with them for an overnighter. I have been on jewelry, bead and tutorial writing over load lately, so although I should have seized the quiet time to work, I ended up taking the night off. Ron goes to play poker with friends every couple of Saturdays and I decided to tag along last night. It was just what my stressed out mood needed. I have been wound pretty tight lately so it is great to kick back for once. Ron said I wasn't allowed to play poker with the guys. He was worried that I wouldn't know what I was doing. But he did let me play in a Texas Hold'em tournament that the 6 of them had. And guess who wiped the table with those boys?! YEAH that's right... little miss "you don't know what beats what" kicked butt and won the hole tournament. YAHOO!! I can home with $40 :) And Ron said they didn't let me win, just the opposite, these are the types of guys that would happily take anyone's money if they can.

This morning I was still basking in my quiet time and made some beads. I was able to finish my "Sunrise" necklace and it is currently tumbling in the tumbler getting it's workout. We are going to have an early dinner and watch a movie with the kids tonight. Tomorrow I plan on getting over to the welding supply store to get my new torch up and running finally. I am really excited about it. I have ideas cooking for some new jewelry and some new beads too. Make sure you keep checking in to see my latest.

W.I.P.s

Can anyone tell me what a WIP is? No, it isn't a Weapon of Intolerable Pain... No, it isn't a Woman In Pink... Nope, it isn't a Weird Impulsive Practice... okay, you give up? It's the abreviation for Work In Progress. And I have a few to show you today.



This first WIP I mentioned a few days ago. I said there was a color combination that was screaming to be used and this was it. Coral Orange, Light Turquoise and Transparent Teal. I made these on larger mandrels so the holes would be big enough for two pieces of wire. I still need to make 5-6 more of the discs for that the necklace gets to 17 inches in length... but I thought you would like to see it "in progress". Pretty cool design huh? I plan on making one of these in all etched transparents with antiqued wire... you'll just have to wait for that one.



Next up is one I have hinted at before too. This one is taking longer to come together because I only have one really large hole mandrel to make these rings. I did order more but I have been waiting three weeks now for them to arrive, grrr... But I am keeping at it, eventually I'll have enough rings made to make this a full necklace length. It is totallly a WIP... and I keep reworking it. This initial version of it used pure silver 16 gauge double ended head pins. I love the look but it just wasn't practical. It kept wanting to twist and tangle, so here is what I did...



I mixed in some basic solid discs and created a new variation on the classic wire wrapped link style necklace. This one moves and plays so much better. The big rings slide through the loops of wire and can spin in their holes. I will still go back and play with the first design, I know it will work but it just needs some tweeking. For now, this one is going to stay this way... I love it. And aren't these colors just perfect for Spring/Summer.

For today, there are more party festivites going on for Lauren. My parents and sister will be coming by for a cook out and cake. FUN! I hope to get a little torch time in before they get here, but Ron snuck out golfing and I might be outta luck. We'll see.

Beads & Birthdays

Here she is... the girl of the day!! Lauren had a hot bubble bath, put on a new dress, had her nails painted and just had to have a few photos taken. Isn't she a pretty one!?! Gotta love those curls. Just wash and go with those. And I love that my camera can take sepia tone photos. This was my favorite photo of the day.

Lauren was up early to open some presents. She rode around on her new three wheel Barbie scooter for a while. Then we made double chocolate chocolate chip cookies to take to preschool. Of course we had to have her favorite lunch, Chicken McNuggets!! While she was having fun at preschool I snuck home to decorate the house with balloons and streamers. I also made her a butterfly birthday cake. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw the decorations. She said "I just love when it is my birthday!"


Somewhere in there I also found the time to get the Bead Box beads posted. Loads of discs to keep ya busy. And hey, discs aren't just for jewelry you know... if you know any knitters, these make fabulous buttons!! There are loads of bright colors and lots of twisties and matched sets too. Should keep ya busy for a while. And two sets would be enough to make your own "Playground" bracelet. You can grab a couple yards of silk cording over at www.deepwoodart.com and while you are there, you can find out about Fran awesome new free beads contest. I got my shirt... did you get yours?


Time to dash back to the festivities!!

Secret Projects Rock

You know how Ty Pennington has a "Secret Project" every week on Extreme Makeover? Well, yesterday I started work on a secret project of my own. I am not ready to reveal what it is yet, but I think it is going to be pretty cool. I am thinkin' I'll give you hints over the next couple weeks while I work on it. That'll keep things interesting. You can send me emails with your guesses as to what my secret project might be. Here is your first clue... It is NOT a tutorial.

I am already to go for tomorrow's Bead Box update. I am up to my eyeballs in DISCS!! And I even did like I said I would and worked on a BB set of myself to make something out of. There was one color combo in particular that was screaming at me, so I made extras for myself with those colors. I am thinking by Monday or Tuesday, I'll have a piece of jewelry to show you.

Today's piece is one I made over the weekend with a set of old BB beads that were in the bottom of my purse for the past three months. The a warm dark red with layers of purple, transparent purple and coral orange dots. This one is called "Contained". I used one of the wire cages from my "Temporarily" necklace and caught a pretty trans purple round inside (looks a little blue in the photo huh?). I like the asymetrical-ness of it.

I need to wrap up a few things around here and then I am off to get Lauren from my Mom. She spent the day playing with her so I could get some quality bead time in. And tomorrow is the little princesses big BIRTHDAY!! Pink pink pink... all she wants is pink. I realized, I haven't had any pics of the kids for you all in a while... tomorrow I'll get a few :)

Catching Kandinsky

You asked for discs... I am delivering. Check out "Catching Kandinsky"... the auction will start later tonight on Ebay. This is a HUGE set of TWENTY THREE beads. And the inspiration was Wassily Kandinsky's 1913 painting "Farbstudie Quadrate".

For those of you not familiar with turn of the century artists... this dude is considered one of the leaders in the modern abstract art movements. You can see his painting scrolling through the slide show above. It is very bold and graphic... the colors just ROCK, and to think... it is more then 90 years old... the man definitely had vision. Each one of my main 12 discs represents one of the 12 blocks in the painting. I think these would make really cool toggles like in the necklace and bracelets of the previous post... of they would make sweet looking buttons for felted bags... or an outta this world necklace!!

Last night was rough around here. We had big boomer thunderstorms that knocked out the phone and internet service for hours and hours. Plus, I was trying to have Ron take a photo of me for the new magazines and the book thing... you all know how much I hate hate hate hate to have my picture taken. So nothing was turning out. Ron's only advice was that I shouldn't have cut my hair... so he is no help at all... the brat. I think Lauren and I are going to need to take a ride over to my sister's and see if she can get a good picture. The whole thing just put me in a lousy mood. The beads cheered me up though. The colors are so bright... they can't help but make things happier.

FREE BEADS!! The free beads winner this week is BRENDA T!! YOO HOO BRENDA!! Thanks so much for all the votes everyone!! Keep up the good work!

The Results

I thought you might like to have a look at what all those discs turned into!! The top pairing is the new set for my tutorial. The new necklace is lighter then the original "Playground Antics". This one is shorter (17 inches instead of 20 inches) and it has fewer beads (40something instead of 60something). Still clinks together and makes a great sound like the original!! Which is my favorite part of the design :) I had enough beads in red and purples to do the second bracelet in the second photo.

So, you all want discs of your own to play with huh? I have gotten a bunch of email about it!! I was thinking of another color combination, but I suppose I could put it on hold and do more discs this week for Friday's update. What do you think, a mix of simple solid discs and a few fancy layered ones too? I'll see what I can do!!

For now, it is time to get this house under control. When you spend the weekend writing and beading instead of following your wild kids around in circles cleaning up after them... things go nuts. I have loads of stuff everywhere!! This place needs to be dusted, mopped, and all around tidied up... and don't even get me started on the laundry situation!!

I'll pop back in with the new Freebie winner later.

I Do Discs

Beads, on top of beads, on top of beads... check out what a pile of almost 200 beads looks like!! If you asked me Thursday if I could make this many beads by Sunday... I would have told you NO WAY!! But I guess I was wrong. These are what I made Friday and Saturday. There was enough here for 2 Playground bracelets, a Playground necklace, a set of free beads, and a bunch left over.

I am close to done on my latest tutorial. I wrote it, I photographed it, I made the finished pieces to send in with the tutorial... and now it has been emailed to a friend to proof read for errors. Once she gets it back to me, I will bundle everything up and send it in. Then hopefully I will be able to let you know a possible publication date. (Though, those can change all the time!) I am really happy with how everythign came together writing it this weekend. When I ge tthe urge to write... I gotta just sit down and do it. If I try to do other things when I have internal tutorial dialogs going on the results of whatever else it is I am attepmting to do just turns to mush. I have one other tutorial to write in the next couple weeks then I think I am going take a tutorial break!!

Anyone notice how fast Spring seems to be coming on?!? Before you know it, Summer will be here and with it... ART SHOWS!! I debating which shows I would do this year and if I should add new ones to my schedule. I asked a fellow wire worker in the area which shows she likes the most and she gave me the names of three great shows in Buffalo NY, just a 1 1/2 hours away. This year they won't work out because of scheduling conflicts but I am thinking of expanding to do more shows next year. It is so hard to decide though. Things seem to be working really well online for my business and part of me thinks I should forget the shows and focus my website. But then there is this nagging other side that loves the build up to a show, and meeting all those new people!!

For this year, here is what I decided... I will be doing The Cornhill Arts Festival in July and The Clothesline Arts Festival in September, with a Holiday Open House in the late Fall. Cornhill and Clothesline where HUGE shows for me next year and I think I would just be crazy not to do them again!! Which means I have roughly 3 months to get ready for the first show. Plenty of time!!

Last year I seemed to leave all the show prep until the last two weeks before a show, and I never felt prepared enough. So I never left really ready or like I had enough "Stuff" to show. I am determined not to let it happen again this year (even though I think some of my best work comes out of that "crunch" time). How will I make sure it doesn't happen this year you ask? Well, I am making myself pick at least one set of every bead box update to keep and make something with. I think between that and my usual idea inspired creations, plus the last minute crunch... I will be better prepared. :)

Speaking of the bead box... I plan to make beads Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday... clean and photograph everything Thursday and that leave Friday for a update. Friday is also my little Lauren's FOURTH birthday!! She is getting so big!! I didn't get through the set I wanted to do for Ebay so somewhere in there I'll work on that too. We got luck with a beautiful sunny afternoon and I have been enjoying it and playing in the gardens rather then beading... you understand how it is. Months and months of subzero temps gives way to sudden bursts of 50degree days... you gotta soak them in!

50 & 300

I know y'all were wondering what 50plus beads look like... well, here you go. It looks like this!! These are what came out of my kiln this morning and this and more are in my kiln right now. I have a feeling that after this weekend I will be all disked out. But for now, I still have loads to do. I counted mandrels again this afternoon and I have about 80 beads soaking in the heat right now. I am finding this is a great way to experiment with color combinations. I found a few that definately need further review... and some that should never again see the light of day.

I pulled all these off their mandrels and got them all cleaned up. Sorted them and then set to work redipping all these mandrels. Took a while to get it all done. And some where in there Ron and I went to see 300. It was a visually spectacular movie. It is absolutely incredible. The story and plot leaves something to be desired, so it isn't "Best Picture" material... but it is definately worth the trip to the movie theater. A word of caution though, it is not for that faint of heart... there is a bit of blood and gore. But nothing worse then Braveheart or Gladiator. Go see it!!

I will have a fresh batch of bead photos for you in the morning... and maybe an Ebay auction too. I have a little "art inspired art" disc set that I think will be pretty cool if it works the way I hope it does. If I can get all the tutorial stuff done this weekend, then I'll have the week free to make Bead Box beads!! I hope for a Friday update... stay turned!

In a Groove

Hot dang, I just have a sweet torch session!! YAW HOOOO!!! I am so excited to open the kiln in the morning. It was just one of those zen sessions where the glass was flowing just right... the colors were working... and the ideas were endless. I counted the mandrels sticking out of the kiln and I made more the FIFTY, yeah 5-0, beads. They are all for the tutorials I am working on right now. Discs Discs Discs.... 50 one of a kind discs. You know what is going to be really cool... getting a big huge group photo of them all.

I saw this auction on Ebay the other day... makes me think I should list a set of discs, huh? Can I have a quiet moment of delusion right now? Okay, here is my delusion... I think the burst of disc auctions is all because of me... yeah, cause everyone wants to make one of my "Playground" necklaces or bracelets... yep, you have me to thank for the disc craze, lol... I hope y'all realize my sarcasm. What did Han Solo say to Chewbacca about Luke Skywalker being a Jedi Knight... "I'm out of it for a little while, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur".

The kids and I had a great day. It was warm enough to ride bikes this morning, then we went to my Mom's house to take her two fat basset hounds for a nice long walk. Then home to make beads and now Ron is cooking a chocolate cake. I don't things get much better then this :) Plus to top it all off... tomorrow my sister is coming over to watch the kids so Ron and I can go out to a movie. And believe it or not, this will be the very first time she has ever babysat her niece and nephews. No kidding. She has never watched all three of them for me. She has taken one or the other for an afternoon outing once or twice... but this will be a first!! Ron and I plan to see the movie 300.

I'll be back tomorrow with new bead pictures and a movie review!

Tooth Talk

"Mom, look at this" has got to be one of the worst phrases ever uttered. Nine times out of ten it is followed by a slimy creature that hops/slithers or by something that's bleeding. Only once in a very rare blue moon is it followed by a beautifully drawn picture or a 100% spelling test. No, no... it is usually something Mom doesn't want to see. Jacob used that phrase last night... and it was in one of those bad ways. "Mom, look at this"... and then picture a weird facial expression and a fingernail popping off my son's crown!!

SHOCK, HORROR!! Yes, Jacob has bad teeth. Not horrible aweful ones, but butter soft ones prone to cavitities. He has had 7-8 (yeah, I lost count), four of which were so bad that he had to have crowns (shiny silver caps). This one in particular was bad, so pad he was supposed to have a root canal treatment on it. My heart just sinks everytime he has a cleaning and they find another cavitity. He is my best brusher, he brushes everyday, twice a day and flosses more then I do. I took him to the dentist today and we were there for over an hour. Turns out he is teething early again and has already started to lose his molars. They did an extraction and removed the crown. And you can see the point of a new tooth popping in.

The dental detour took up my whole day. So any "work" I hoped to get done was neglected. I am going to try and get out to the torch tonight to work on a few things. But I don't think I'll have anything new for you all until Sunday. There is some sort of "staff training" day at school tomorrow so the boys are going to be home (translate that to - I won't be making beads tomorrow either).

I took a quick shot of the finished bathroom just now. The photo has it much brighter then what it is. But I think it is growing on me. Next up... my boys room make over, lol... eventually I'll get every room made over!

Type Type Type

I am starting you off with this cool shot of my "Picasso's Plantation" set. For one it is a really cool picture and two... you need reminding that the auction for these beads ends tonight!! GO BID!! They are going for a super price, at least in my opinion. Someone needs to make something extra special with these or I am gonna be sad I sold them.

I have spent the whole afternoon writing. I want to get my latest tutorial squared away. It is going to be a two part project and it is turning into a lot of work. It is already FIVE pages, and I still have more to write. But hey, that is what an editor is for right? She'll knock it down to a good size. One thing I have to say about writing is it leads to a nasty headache!! I am waiting for the water to boil now so I can have a cup of tea. I am sure that will do the trick.

Tomorrow and Friday I will work on all the photos for these tutorials and then I'll get back to making beads for you all!! I have a new color combo idea, inspired by the bathroom project. Which is totally finish, thank you very much. I haven't gotten a good picture of it yet, but I'll try again tomorrow when the sun is out. But think... blue and white... and a sandy beach.

Kettle is whistling!! I am gonna go make tea... you go check out the auction!

Busting with COLORS

I posted the latest Bead Box beads. The beads a very bright and very fun. They aren't quite what I had in mind for the colors, but they are still cool. Go check them out. There are three sets for bangles, go snatch them up.

I am gonna go paint... check ya later!!

Weekend Warriors

Ever have a spur of the moment remodeling job you just had to do? I do all the time. I told you about Lauren's bedroom redo a few weeks back. Today, I decided that the bathroom had to have a change. When we first built the house in 2000, we got the cheapest, crappiest, dog ugliest flooring imaginable. We would have upgraded but just didn't have the extra cash at the time. So shortly after moving in, we bought some of those 12x12 inch peel n stick floor tiles. Which at first, I loved, but eventually detested.



Why did I detest my flooring? Cause it was about six monthes after installing it that it started peeling up. Grrr.... I delt with it for a while (like 3 years, lol) then peeled up all the times and installed new peel n stick tiles that were twice as expensive as the first ones. They were fancy "beveled" edge ones. (A beveled edge is where there is a "V" between each tile rather then having them butt up to each other. I loved the new ones!!



That was until "things" started growing in those "V" spaces. Grose. No amount of bleach could keep it clean. So, in the back of my head I am thinking... "I really wanna move some...", "if I wanna move, we gotta get the house in "selling" condition"... "to get the house in selling condition, I need to pick a room at a time and give it a total overhauling". All a sudden I got a jolt of energy today that decided today was the day to overhaul the bathroom. Ron and I pulled up all those peel n stick pieces and then pulled up the original nasty flooring... and ta da... installed a NEW vinyl floor. It is one piece, not tiles, and man oh man was it a project. We started around noon and just finished up around 8:00pm.

Doesn't look amazing?!? The first photo is of my hubby, Ronnie, pulling up those icky sticky tiles. Look close and you can see the effects of a house with three boys and only one bathroom. Yeah, talk about discusting. The second was a few hours later with all the layers of flooring pulled up. And last but not least... the almost finished bathroom. Why Kerry, what do you mean it's only almost finished? I need to paint silly!! I picked a really great color called "Farmhouse Blue". I am thinking I'll paint on Tuesday and naturally, I'll be sharing a picture when it is done!

On to beady related things. I was able to make 5 little Bead Box bead sets yesterday. I am going to list them tomorrow but I WON'T be sending an email. So you'll have to watch for them. See you then!!

With Any Luck

A very Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone... Irish or not, lol. I was thinking about what I would post about today while I was making my bed this morning (yeah I keep running blog dialogs in my head, it is weird). I started to wonder why we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I don't really have an answer... I know "why" and who St Patrick was and what he did for Ireland. But I was wondering why some half Italian guy like my husband who has not one spect of Irish blood in him, wants to eat cornbeef and cabbage with me. I don't have an answer. If I come up with one, I'll let you know. I just couldn't find an easy answer like I can for other holidays, (ei - Valentine's day celebrates a couple's love, sappy, I know).

I am a Mutt, how about you? I think it was mid way through High School that I started to realize that there was more to my background then I am tall because my Dad is tall. I remember phone calls with people were someone would say "so what are you?" I did a report once that told me just what I am, lol... I am French, Dutch, Irish, English, and German. I don't know why I identify with the Irish side most, I just do.

I have a funny story about something Ron said once. I don't know if it is relevant but I'll share. Ron comes from a very large Italian family. He grandparents were off the boat Italian and his Mom is one of 9 children. They have a big Christmas Eve get together every year filled with traditional Italian foods. They have lentil soup, deep fried vegetables, squid, cod fish soup and of course sausage after Midnight Mass. Couple years ago, Ron was walking through the buffet of all these dishes with me close behind. He asked "Do you wanna try this, do you wanna try that?" I shook my head no no no no no no, lol. I said "Honey, I am Irish, I don't eat these things"... to which he replied "So you want a crust of bread and glass of water?" I said "There is bread? WHERE? That would be perfect!" LOL... I don't mean to offend. I am sure there are plenty of Irish people that love squid and cod fish soup, lol.

So anyway... that is me in a nutshell today. I am just hanging out, doing chores... waiting for Ron to get back from the store with my cabbage so I can get the cornbeef simmering, lol. I love cornbeef and cabbage. I'll be bumming around the house in my latest $5 Old Navy St. Patty's Day tee-shirt. I am gonna try to make some beads, but we had a sudden cold snap. And we woke up this morning to 12 inches of snow!! So, I might not be in the mood to sit in the freezing garage. But I have plenty of other things to do, so now worries, I won't be bored. I did figure out where my mojo went yesterday. I had been writting my new tutorials all morning then tried switching gears mid afternoon to do Bead Box Beads. I was frustrated cause I was thinking tutorial beads... not BB beads... thus a bad bead day that could not be salvaged. I think today will go better. I think I wasn't "feeling" the latest color combo either... so I have a new one in mind and we'll see what comes of it. Dark Red, Coral Orange, Dark Purple and Lime Green... what do ya think?

Get Me on ETSY!!

I don't know how many of you know about Etsy.com, if you don't know, it is about time you did. Etsy is similar to Ebay in that individual sellers list items available for sale. What makes it different is that everything is listed at a fix price and for 4 months. No bidding, all buy it nows. From what I see, it is mainly artists selling handcrafted goods... which is really awesome!!

It has been mentioned to me several times that I should sell on Etsy. So today, when I couldn't locate my bead making mojo, I started checking out Etsy. The process couldn't be easier!! I plan to list my jewelry on there, still giving my website and blog visiters first dibs on new designs. Then after something has been around for a little while, I'll post it there and see if I can get it some more attention. It is just one more way to grow my (or yours for that matter) business. I have been feeling like everyone buys up my beads really quick, but the jewelry all hangs around until show time (with the exception of the "Playground" bracelets, lol, I can't make those fast enough). With Etsy, I hope, it will get some extra views from unexpecting searchers and maybe it will get moving.

If you think you can't afford a website, but you want to try selling your jewelry (or whatever else you make)... I am thinking this is a good way to get your feet wet. It is very inexpensive, only 20cents a listing and 3.5% fee for the sale. Compared to the huge fees that Ebay levies... I say it is worth it.

I added a link to the Etsy store front in the column to the right or just click www.kabsconcepts.etsy.com to check it out. And hey, you my see something you didn't notice before and have to have!!