A Snowy Afternoon

First... in case you missed it... there is a Totally Twisted Giveaway going on!! Go leave a comment!!

Now... to how we spent the last few hours...






...freezin' our bums off at the park!! We had a quick 6inches of snow last night that made for perfect sledding conditions today. I made a big thermos of cocoa and out we ventured. The boys had some awesome wipe outs trying to jump off a ramp on their snow boards!! And Lauren was zipping down the hills on her boogie board. All our snowy clothes are drying by the fire as I type. It was a really great afternoon.

Shipping Changes

*Special Note*

I have had to make changes to my shipping policy for international customers. I have a bit of sticker shock when mailing out overseas copies of Totally Twisted! The book, when packaged, weights a little more then 1 pound and must be sent "Global First Class".

Here are the new rates when ordering a signed copy of Totally Twisted:
US Residents - $3.50 USPS Media Mail
Canadian Residents - $8.00 USPS Global First Class
Everywhere Else - $12.00 USPS Global First Class

Any charge beyond the flat rate I will pay. (Sometimes the rate overseas is $10, sometimes it is $14. I think $12 is a happy medium.)

Thank you so much for your understanding!! Those of you that already ordered your copies, no worries, there is no extra charge now. These new rates start today. Also, these rates only apply to orders for copies of Totally Twisted. When ordering beads or jewelry, as long as the total weight is less then 1 pound, the shipping rate will be $3.50.

Totally Twisted In The House!!

They're here!! AAAAGGGGHHHH! I am a little excited, can you tell?!? I am at a loss for where to begin... do I start with how lucky we are that those printers in China were ahead of schedule and my book arrived two whole months early... or do I tell you about what I was doing yesterday when I noticed giant boxes outside in my breeze way and how I hadn't heard the UPS fella drop them off... or I could tell you about my envelope woes and how many times I have had to order new ones trying to get ones that will fit the book just right without costing an arm and a leg... or should I tell you about trying to decide just what to write on the cover page when I sign my name? Where to begin?!?

I will start with the timing. How awesome is it that the books arrived for an earlier release than expected?!? Amazon is still listing the release date as April 1st but they are already shipping and copies of Totally Twisted are popping up in mailboxes all over the country!! Now, here it is February 17th, not April!, and I am signing these beauties, addressing dozens of envelopes, and getting ready to send them out into the world. Sheer awesomeness people... truly! And em yeah, apparently, an 9 x 8 1/4 book won't fit in a 11 x 9 envelope, you need a 12 x 9 1/4 one. LOL. Trust me, I know. Thankfully, I have a shipping supply company that has next day delivery at no extra charge. They ROCK! And man was that UPS fella sneaky. Granted, I was a little distracted as I was babysitting my cousin's two year old daughter for the day. But still, he carried in four 20+ pound boxes and I never heard a peep. I went to wash some dishes, looked outside and there were all the boxes!! OH OH, and something super cool I saw on Amazon this weekend... they were down to only 5 copies in stock at one point!! EEEEKKKKK!!

I have been hemming and hawing over what I should write, other than my name, when I sign my books. Silly, I know. But I want something that is clever and catchy and, of course, *me*. It finally came to me yesterday and you'll have to wait until you get your copy to see what it says!! Some of y'all like surprises, so we'll leave it that way. And so y'all know, unless you specifically requested my to do the signing "to" you, I am keeping it simple. That way, should you ever want to hand it off you some one, it doesn't say "to my dearest friend Sally". LOL. Zing me an email if you want a "to"... there is still time.

So, how peeved do you think the post office lady is going to be with me when I walk in with 50 pounds of books to be shipped? LOL. I may go in the evening to the automated do-it-yourself post office to avoid the glares from everyone in line behind me. Oh the things you don't think of in the beginning!!

Okay... now what? I am hoping to plan a "blog tour" for the month of March. I have goodies galore up my sleeves for you. Namely, one word peeps... KITS. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let's do a GIVEAWAY!! Leave a comment here on the blog (just click the word "comments" at the bottom of this post and it will take you to the comment screen) with your name, don't forget your name!, and in three words or less tell me what has you excited today. I will pick a name at random on Monday Feb 22nd at 9am, and international commenters are welcome!!

Breaking News!!

YOO HOOO!! I just got confirmation that 100 copies of my book will be delivered to my door step today. That means I'll be signing and shipping with week, sooner than expected!! Watch your mailboxes peeps... books will be coming soon.

I'm A Ravelympian

Over on Ravelry, they do something fun during the Olympics. It's called "Ravelympics". To play, you pick a project (or two or three), cast on during the opening ceremonies, and hopefully, finish before the end of the closing ceremonies. Then, you win a fun medal to place on your Ravelry project page to show you competed (now the competitive side of me would love the have "winners" and gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded, but that could get ugly and Ravelry is a happy place).

This is my first Ravelympics, and with Lauren's birthday coming up at the end of March, I figured her Momma-made gift would make for the perfect project. The project is The Pixie Dress, a sweet whimsical crocheted dress what will look wicked super cute over jeans and a tee shirt (perfect for layering in these cold months). The yarn is Dream In Color Knitosophy in the color called "Strength" (kinda pricey, but thankfully, WEBS discounts the more you buy, and this yarn is superwash!). You enter your projects in different events like "Lace Luge" or "Cable Cross Country". I entered my Pixie Dress in the Lace Luge event and the Junior Olympics event (jr meaning made for a child).

I had fun casting on while watching the ceremonies. I have been crocheting since I was a little girl, and although I have to look up in the back of the magazine how to do each stitch (cause my mom just showed us how to do it, we didn't know the real names for stitches) it goes really quick. It can be so mesmerizing, really... almost hypnotic. The way you wrap the yarn, dive into the stitch, grab and pull through... do it a thousand times and tell me you weren't seein' double and nearly asleep.

Anyway, I am a little more than half way through the skirt already and thanks to my friend Lindsey's husband, she is convinced I am making her a table cloth, LOL. You can see why I had purple on the brain last week, yes? And speaking of which... the kids couldn't be off school at a worse time. I am feeling so inspired right now. I have lots of ideas brewing... I really wish I was in the studio. Oh well, February Break is just a week. They will be back in school soon enough. And, until then... I have a project to finish.

should also be known as artist heaven

I got the most amazing treat for my birthday on Saturday!! I got to spend a little time in artist heaven on earth... Artisan Works. This place is a true Rochester Gem and I can't believe I haven't been to it sooner. I was a kid in a candy store. These are just a few of the 200 plus photos I took, and I narrowed all those down to about 80 here in my Flickr Gallery. If you have the time, grab some coffee and click through each photo. It'll be like you were there!! I was truly awed and amazed. *sigh*

After that, I had a wonderful dinner before heading back home to chocolate torte and wine with a movie. I was so spoiled. And a huge thanks to my Mom for taking the kids off our hands so that Ron and I could spend this quality time together. Love you Mom!!

So, how was your weekend?

Valentines

lots of love... kerry

Rotating Tires

In Monday's random thoughts, I mentioned I wanted to make a giant transparent purple hollow bead with a big hole (or something to that effect). I didn't get much beading time this week, but I did get just enough to experiment with what I was day dreaming about. And it ended up being one of those times where I truly surprised myself at the torch. Because, holy crow, I did it!! I had an idea, sat down, tried it, and it freaking worked!! Sure, you might be thinking "Kerry, everything you do works", but no, it doesn't always and these, in my opinion, are really hard to make. I am feeling so proud of these.

Okay, so, I am calling this style "Tire" beads. They remind me of inner tubes you float around a lake on some lazy summer day. You know, the kind where your butt gets stuck in the middle, lol. After I shot that little video yesterday, I spent some time working up this necklace with a few of those tires. It is called, obviously, "Rotating Tires". It is so so fun!! I love it.

Watch Me Make A Bead - Hollows!

It has been way way too long since I made a how-to video for y'all. So, here you go!
Watch me create a pretty blue hollow bead in just about five minutes.

Some things you should know:
1)Yes, I know my glasses sit low on my nose. Sorry, they are too big. Besides, I like looking over the top of them. It lets me see what I am doing.

2)To me, my voice sounds high pitched and nasally. Ugh... but oh well... that is me. LOL.

3) I did this in about ten minutes with so script or practice. I just did it. So if there is something I missed or questions you have, leave a comment and I will do my best to answer it.

Enjoy and thanks for watching.

Soup Is Served

It's today, it's today, it's today... party time!! A few weeks back, I signed up to take part in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party. I was wicked super thrilled when I was paired with the divine Barbara Lewis as my co-cook in the beady kitchen. The ingrediants for my soup she sent were just.plain.awesome. I can't tell you how even more over the top excited it has me for the Painting With Fire workshop I am attending in DC in March. But enough gushing... on to the creations!



I knew the minute I saw Barbara's beads that I would be pulling out my own enamels and mixing them with glass. I started with a base of transparent light brown and dusted it with layers of lavender and bold blue, picking up the tones in the enamels that I think Barbara used. I thought hollows would settle perfectly into these sorta filigree like bead caps. I created a chain linking the beads together that is about 6 inches long. I attached it to a super long length of some very pretty raw brass chain. The chain is so long that you can wear it doubled up, or like a lariat, or like a long laynard. Love it.




That last photo there is seriously seriouly one of my favorite jewelry photos ever. As I made this second necklace, I using most of the extras that Barbara sent. The Czech fire polished crystals, the bead cones, some pretty little florettes, and that gorgeous focal. I knew I wanted layers, lots and lots of layer. I mixed in several different brass chains, waxed linen cording, and, to make it *me* some vintage enameled chain too. I also have had a couple Jade Scott pendants I have been waiting to use in something special. Yep, one of them is in here! Working on this got me thinking... if I did the "vintage style jewelry thing" that everyone loves right now, I would do it like this... vintage with POPS of brights. I mean really, Kerry=Color, does it not?


As if the necklaces (and the pair of earrings from the week before) weren't enough, I had so many beads that I could make some bracelets too! I told you she sent too much!! This first bracelet is styled after a Lorelei Eurto bracelet I (the top one) bought a few weeks ago as a treat to myself. I made some very think, very chunky discs in my favorite shade of transparent ink blue, rolled the edges in a few shades of enamel, and set them up on their sides like the ceramic ones in Lori's bracelet. I made a flower disc as the catch for the clasp to match the sweet Barbara flowers. *sigh* I love it, and it huges your wrist just right.



For this bracelet, I grabbed one of my big huge felted wool beads and popped it in the center of one of the larger caps Barbara sent. I made a big wire work loop, added one of my smaller hollow beads, linked to a short length of silk ribbon, the wool bead link, some copper chain, another Jade Scott charm, and a vintage enamel flower. Try to say all that in one breath, lol... it's a long sentence! Just so in love with this. It dangles off one side of your wrist, so much cooler then those springy bracelet key chain things, but kinda like those. LOL...


Okay... so now what right? You have seen the soup jewelry from me, but you are still hungry right? I just wet your whistle and you need more!! First, check out what my partner created with the beads I sent here!! THEN, pop on over to Lori Anderson's blog and just start clicking... clicking... clicking... and check out what the EIGHTY plus other artists created. It is one hellva party... my guess it is going to last for days and we will all have hangovers... but in a good way. :)

Coming Soon

Tomorrow is the big reveal for The Bead Soup Party. Stay turned. I made some stuff I am really in love with and I can't wait to share.

More Random Ramblings

I am seriously considering making this a weekly feature here, lol. Mondays are always so crazy, I like getting my random thoughts out in a few quick minutes and moving on with the day. I hope you feel welcome enough here to get your random thoughts out too, in the comments. I love reading them.



:: Had a really heavy meeting with Andrew's therapist this morning and I have a lot to think about
:: need to get the house cleaned up for an appraisal tomorrow for our refinancing... gonna save about $32000, go us!
:: I really really want to be making beads right now... giant transparent purple hollows...
:: nah nah I was the only one in the house that thought the Saints would win and I was right :P
:: I hope it snows a ton on Wednesday



:: I need to stop trying to make scones because I really suck at it...
:: speaking of which, I need to take something out for dinner...
:: my birthday is Saturday and I can't wait for the crab cakes at Peaches!
:: ugh, Ron said there is about a 20% chance he will be laid off this year...
:: clear dots would make great texture on the surface of those purple hollows...



:: dentist appointment Friday, hope I don't have cavities...
:: Jacob seems to have Lauren's cold, ugh, let's hope he doesn't end up with pneumonia
:: February break next week... wonder what we are going to do all week...
:: I really need to go to the bathroom...
:: *sigh* I want a nap.

Because...

...we could all use a big dose of juicy color.

Another Give Away of Totally Twisted

Check it out! A blog linked to The Detroit News is giving away a copy of my book! Go enter for your chance to win.

Outside Voice

With Lauren home sick all week, I have had lots of time to sit in my big comfy chair and finish up my latest knitted project. Some of you might remember the "Inside Voice" sweater I knit over the summer from the "Whisper" pattern in the Spring '09 Interweave Knits. I cast on this project the day after Christmas. I spent so much time making things for other people that I felt I was due a project for myself.

The yarn started it all. I was at a knit night with girly friends when my yoga instuctor, Amy, came in wearing her "February Lady" sweater made with this yarn. It was serious yarn lust at first sight. The yarn is called Twisted in the color Corbie from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. There is so much yardage in these skeins that I only needed 2. Sweet. This color is so dreamy. It is the perfect shade of washed out dark denim with hints of a soft green. *sigh* My sister saw it this morning and thought it looked like something my hubby would wear. She called it a "Ron-Boy color" and I think she is right. It is kinda boyish, and that must be what makes me want to cuddle with it.

Anyway... I was in yarn-love and wanted a project I knew I love so as not to waste the lovie yarn. I was tempted to knit a sweater called "Ingenue" in the book Custom Knits, but decided to fall back on the Whisper. I can already tell that this is going to be my throw-on-the-floor-by-my-bed-at-night-and-slip-it-on-when-I-go-downstairs-in-the-morning sweater.

And a special thanks to my fabulous photographer, Lauren. Oh what fun it is to get to take pictures with Momma's fancy camera.

Colds Suck

edited to add: turns out this in an ear infection and pneumonia. Looks like a couple more days on the couch for us!

Momma's Always Right

My random thought yesterday about this one coming down with a cold was spot on. She was up at 2:30am with a high fever and a cough so bad it had her throwing up. YUCK!! A few days snuggling on the couch, watching cartoons, and staying in pjs all day are just what the Momma has ordered. I'll be back when everyone is feeling better.

Shelving & Socks

Random things from my mind this morning:

:Jack Rabbit
:the cat is being a spaz
:just 12 days until my birthday
:Lauren sounds like she is getting a cold
:the new shelves in the studio are too deep
:I love the new log splitter Ron bought


:must get to the post office today
:the dishes need to get done, again
:I hate laundry
:I am going to wear blue polka dot socks today
:the cat is now eating a rubber band


:Andrew left the lotion out on the coffee table
:I need to put another log on the fire
:if I can finish the last tutorial I need to write, I can have some time to knit
:gonna skip knitting and yoga tomorrow because LOST is starting
:I need to call my sister.

Another Night Out

I had one roller coaster of a week. There was some really awesome highs and some really crappy crappy lows. It was wonderful to get out with my book club friends for a night of wine tasting and salsa dancing. Oh, how I needed the break and 'adult' time.

Here is to next week being a better week.

More Magazines To Grab

I am very excited to share these new publications with you!! First up is the lastest issue of Step By Step Wire Feb/Mar 2010celebrating their 5th year in print! SBS Wire shares some exciting news for wire loves in the letter from the editor. Now, instead of just 4 or 5 issues a year, they are upping to 6, YOO HOO!. So, this is the Feb/Mar 2010 issue and I have a project inside. On page 36, you'll find step by step instructions for my "Waste Not, Want Not" resin and wire bottle caps. Yep, the ones I showed you last week, only filled with wire instead of words.

The Best of Step By Step Wire was a surprise to me! I was in Barnes and Noble, saw it on the shelf and said "hey? what's this?" Then flipping through the pages I found I have two projects in here!! How cool is that? I am honored to know that the editors of SBS Wire thinks two of my projects are in the top 25 of the last 5 years!! Honored!! The two projects are classics of mine... Berry Wineand Sandy Lanterns. If you have been on the fence about ordering either of these projects on their own, then definitely order the magazine. That way, you get both projects and 23 others!