Click to view July 2013 BEAD Chat Magazine by Artisan Whimsy on GLOSSI.COM
This is a beautiful Magazine and is worth checking out...
Friday, July 19, 2013
Artisan Whimsy Bead Chat...Awesome Magazine
Click to view July 2013 BEAD Chat Magazine by Artisan Whimsy on GLOSSI.COM
Thursday, July 18, 2013
YAY...getting our house refinanced...
Got the good news today.....and I am so happy and had to share. Today we got the call that our loan on our house has been approved. Its so weird because a few years ago, when the housing prices were up, our house was worth over $400k. Today, its worth $225k, what does that tell ya! But the good thing about it, is we still have some equity. We have lived in the money pit of a house for just over 21 years now. We were young and stupid when we decided to buy this house...but that is life. Seems weird to refinance now, but we put it on a shorter loan and the monthly payment is still less than what we currently are paying... So that really is some great news! We need to redo our front and back yard so desperately. They are both not pretty at all. I can not wait to have my yard back. We used to have these ugly trees in our yard but we had to get rid of them...roots were nasty! So after that, we had no trees , no shade and so the yard went south and turned into a weed factory. It didnt matter what we did to keep it looking good because the weeds moved in and being that it gets so hot here in the summer, you cant really do much in the way of yard work. Spring time is lots of rain, soggy muddy yard...then it dries up some and POOF...weeds! Our neighbor across from us and behind us have the same problem...I think we just share the wealth of weeds...
So now you know all about our weed infestation...lol...but its going to look great once we get all the work done on it. I might just show the before and after... hmmm...
Ok, off to creating again. My summer is running out of time fast then back to work I go..so I need to take advantage of every minute I have..
Have a great day!!!
So now you know all about our weed infestation...lol...but its going to look great once we get all the work done on it. I might just show the before and after... hmmm...
Ok, off to creating again. My summer is running out of time fast then back to work I go..so I need to take advantage of every minute I have..
Have a great day!!!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Mermaid Pin Doll Swap
I was so excited the other day when I received my package in the mail. I knew my mermaids would be inside waiting for me to get them out and enjoy their freedom! Ok, so maybe they wont enjoy it as much as me. I need to find a little spot for them to reside so that I can check up on them from time to time to make sure they are behaving...hehehe
So, here they are cute as can be.
I would like to thank my fantastic doll buddies over at Doll Street Dreamers and to thank Gloria for putting the swap together..
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Earrings to match my Ooh La La necklace
It took me a little bit of time to put these earrings together. The wire pieces are much smaller and it took some finagling to get the wire in its right place...but I like the overall look of the finished earrings. These are not oxidized yet, and I may not even oxidize them and let them darken naturally. I think it needs a bracelet now...what do you think??? Hmmm...
Chinese crystal designer glass rondelle Beads faceted 3x2mm 116-Heliotrope Purple
Saturday, July 06, 2013
“Partner Picks Summer Challenge and Giveaway” Reveal is here!
Wow.. I have been going crazy trying to create something from the amazing beads I received from my partner, Karla.
But before I got into my craziness, I thought I would share a little about my partner. Not only does she love to bead and love earthy tones (like me), she also owns a business making her TEXAS PEPPER JAMS. You must check out her blog and see all of what she does and makes. I tried one of her recipes already and it disappeared rather quickly. Raspberry Crumb Cake is the bomb! You MUST to try it. You can find her tasty jams on her website and on her Etsy shop.
I thought I have plenty of time to work on my creations but life has had its ups and downs for the past 2 weeks. Good news, all is well. So, I did a little sketching here and there. Liked one of the drawings I came up with and started to get to work. I made a quick pit stop at our local bead store and picked up some seed beads. Matched them up nicely with the bead mix I got. Its been awhile since I have done some seed bead work so I started one little strip... Didn't like it. Tried again. Everything was lookin pretty good, the bead fit nicely in the little casing I made for it. I was tightening the beads down, and next thing I knew the large bead slipped right out and it went flying on the floor. I picked it up, tucked it back in the casing...took a little maneuvering but I got it to fit. Again, the dumb thing popped out. The bead is sooo smooth that no matter what I did, it kept popping out of the beaded casing. I was frustrated to say the least.
Running out of time, my idea wasnt working, and I wanted something different. Sooo, back to looking at bead magazines and looking online for inspiration. Nothing...its amazing how many different designs are out there and I couldnt find anything that I thought would work. 2 or so days goes by and still no idea what i was going to make. Then the stars must have lined up cuz I got my new magazine of Bead Works in the mail and there it was! My inspiration, a design that I just knew had to work. So...back to the bead store because I can never do anything the easy way. I had 15 minutes to go in and out...cuz I parked in a 15 minute zone. I knew what I wanted, went in and out in less than 30...phew, no ticket! By now, its Friday.
So, I get to work...stitching away. I was on a role... Then it came time to see if the bead would slip out or not. I held my breath and slid the bead into the casing, it fit perfect! Very little slipping, step one was now successful. Next I stitched the back side. It went so much smoother than the first time. The bead fit perfectly. Even though there are a few flaws...I hid most of them..shhhh...LOL I had to make changes to the design to make it work for this particular bead. The problem I had was the bead has a slight twist, so the casing needed to bend with the bead, and that I exactly what it did.
I had these old seed beads that matched perfectly with the colors on the large bead. Now, once I perfected the casing, I needed to figure how I wanted to hang it around the neck. I made two beaded loops on the sides of the bead. Ok, got those done, now what? I knew I wanted to make stitched beads. So here I go again, hunting for the right style of bead. It was starting to get late, but I didnt care. I was on a mission...LOL I found a simple beaded bead pattern online through Pinterest.
I saved the image and put it up on my computer in my work room. I set up my station and got to work. Well, you know what happens when you dont wearing the right glasses, you dont always see things the right way! So, my first bead was a flop! I had to rip it out and do it again. I was getting so tired by now that all I wanted to do was to get one bead made up. 11pm sneaks up rather quickly when you are having fun! I made half of the bead and told myself that this is not looking quite the same as the picture. I knew it wouldnt because they ask for bicone beads when I used large seed beads instead. And I really should have used a different thread but I didnt care, I was going to make this work... Then, I kept looking back at the pendent and really didnt like the loops I made on the sides. Then, it happened again! That AH HA moment! I put the thread with beads and Sari Silk ribbon through the loop and through the half beaded bead I just made and it looked great! So, midnight comes around and my eyes and brain were fairly fried by then and I called it a night.
Saturday morning I crawl out of bead...I wont tell you what time it was, but breakfast could have been considered lunch...hehehe But I slept so well, and my brain was awake with my large cup of coffee...bacon and pancakes.
I finished the necklace, made a few pairs of earrings, and made another necklace by 7pm. I feel good. I am very pleased with my little creations.
I was afraid I was going to miss the deadline which I thought was last Saturday. Lucky me it is this Saturday...
But before I got into my craziness, I thought I would share a little about my partner. Not only does she love to bead and love earthy tones (like me), she also owns a business making her TEXAS PEPPER JAMS. You must check out her blog and see all of what she does and makes. I tried one of her recipes already and it disappeared rather quickly. Raspberry Crumb Cake is the bomb! You MUST to try it. You can find her tasty jams on her website and on her Etsy shop.
I thought I have plenty of time to work on my creations but life has had its ups and downs for the past 2 weeks. Good news, all is well. So, I did a little sketching here and there. Liked one of the drawings I came up with and started to get to work. I made a quick pit stop at our local bead store and picked up some seed beads. Matched them up nicely with the bead mix I got. Its been awhile since I have done some seed bead work so I started one little strip... Didn't like it. Tried again. Everything was lookin pretty good, the bead fit nicely in the little casing I made for it. I was tightening the beads down, and next thing I knew the large bead slipped right out and it went flying on the floor. I picked it up, tucked it back in the casing...took a little maneuvering but I got it to fit. Again, the dumb thing popped out. The bead is sooo smooth that no matter what I did, it kept popping out of the beaded casing. I was frustrated to say the least.
See how the thread broke! Broke my heart, all that work...UGH
Dang slippery bead!!
So, I get to work...stitching away. I was on a role... Then it came time to see if the bead would slip out or not. I held my breath and slid the bead into the casing, it fit perfect! Very little slipping, step one was now successful. Next I stitched the back side. It went so much smoother than the first time. The bead fit perfectly. Even though there are a few flaws...I hid most of them..shhhh...LOL I had to make changes to the design to make it work for this particular bead. The problem I had was the bead has a slight twist, so the casing needed to bend with the bead, and that I exactly what it did.
Back side, nothing is gonna slip out of this baby!!...LOL its not perfect, but it worked!
I had these old seed beads that matched perfectly with the colors on the large bead. Now, once I perfected the casing, I needed to figure how I wanted to hang it around the neck. I made two beaded loops on the sides of the bead. Ok, got those done, now what? I knew I wanted to make stitched beads. So here I go again, hunting for the right style of bead. It was starting to get late, but I didnt care. I was on a mission...LOL I found a simple beaded bead pattern online through Pinterest.
I saved the image and put it up on my computer in my work room. I set up my station and got to work. Well, you know what happens when you dont wearing the right glasses, you dont always see things the right way! So, my first bead was a flop! I had to rip it out and do it again. I was getting so tired by now that all I wanted to do was to get one bead made up. 11pm sneaks up rather quickly when you are having fun! I made half of the bead and told myself that this is not looking quite the same as the picture. I knew it wouldnt because they ask for bicone beads when I used large seed beads instead. And I really should have used a different thread but I didnt care, I was going to make this work... Then, I kept looking back at the pendent and really didnt like the loops I made on the sides. Then, it happened again! That AH HA moment! I put the thread with beads and Sari Silk ribbon through the loop and through the half beaded bead I just made and it looked great! So, midnight comes around and my eyes and brain were fairly fried by then and I called it a night.
I just love those fun colors of these large seed beads.
Saturday morning I crawl out of bead...I wont tell you what time it was, but breakfast could have been considered lunch...hehehe But I slept so well, and my brain was awake with my large cup of coffee...bacon and pancakes.
I finished the necklace, made a few pairs of earrings, and made another necklace by 7pm. I feel good. I am very pleased with my little creations.
I was afraid I was going to miss the deadline which I thought was last Saturday. Lucky me it is this Saturday...
Here it is....the challenge necklace. I had to go back and tighten the larger seed beads on the front. They did a little too much dangling around. LOL
This pair of earrings was fun to make. I made the enameled rings about 3 weeks ago for fun. The colors matched perfectly with the mix I had so I decided to use them for these earrings.
I really like how other jewelry artists include string, twine, silk and other types of string in their creations. I really like how these turned out too.
I know its a very simple bracelet, but sometimes that is all you need!
I actually made another necklace with this bead, but I didnt like how it was turning out. So I decided to do a little wire wrapping. My sister told me that she has seen lots of women wearing necklaces with just one little piece dangling, so this is my version of just one simple pendent. I like how it feels when wearing it too. Soft...LOL This is Sari silk which I bought from Divinity Fibers on Etsy.
Finally my last piece. Now this was a bit of a challenge for me because you know its hard for me to work with big beads...LOL So, I thought that if I used the big beads, I somehow needed to still make the necklace not so heavy. If I used lots of wire or metal components, it would be too heavy. Lately I have been in love with the kumihimo, but again, its a little bulky. I wanted slim and light weight and pretty. So, I did a drawing on Thursday evening while I was doing some brain storming and came up with this design. I think it came close enough to the drawing what do you think??? I used silk thread in a nice dark gray. The thread fit perfectly in the holes of the big beads, did you know the holes are actually pretty small?
I don't have a name for this piece, but it will happen someday soon I promise...Hehehe...
I made these head pins with enamel and copper. Wrapped them around a hammered piece of copper.
Ohhh la la... This almost looks like my hair...seriously! I have natural curly hair and when I get up in the morning...this is it!
I added some of that eyelash yarn, just a few strands to add a little more fun!
So, instead of using a clasp, I decided to do a little macrame clasp, the strands loosen enough to put the necklace over your head. The pretty pearls dangle on the ends
Ohh la la... Light weight and yet it has those beautiful chunky beads. I love how the flash makes these beads stand out..so pretty.
I like this shot, it really shows how delicate and frilly this piece is.
I still have more beads to play with, but I need to clean my house first...LOL
For more images, go to my FLICKR site.. Enjoy!
Dont forget to visit my partner...
cant wait to see what she did with the beads I chose for her...
Karla
ps...here are some other participants blogs if you want to take a peek at their creations too!
ps...here are some other participants blogs if you want to take a peek at their creations too!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Znetshows Winnings...
I will have to admit, I had a tough time deciding what I wanted to get from Znetshows GC award for winning on the Diamonds in the Rough Challenge. I really needed more metal pieces to add into my designs so I searched out what Bill has on his site. Then I kind of went crazy! I couldnt stop at just a few items. I went a tad over my limit but its all good.
So, here are a couple of pictures I took after I organized all the beads. I had some down time while visiting my parents and had the package sent there. My mom was hospitalized the day after I sent in my order and Bill was awesome enough to have the box sent to their house. I ended up staying an entire week not knowing what was really going on with my mom. Good news she is doing very well. They did find a blood clot in her leg which was quickly taken care of. Although she is in the safe zone now, its still going to take 6 months for the dumb thing to go away. But she is well supervised and in good hands. Anyway, while I was there I was able to make a run to Harbor Freight with my dad and picked up a couple of containers. I received the box within a couple of days and was so excited. Even my parents were impressed!
Again, I want to THANK everybody who voted for my pieces. I plan on making many many designs with my new goodies..
So, here are a couple of pictures I took after I organized all the beads. I had some down time while visiting my parents and had the package sent there. My mom was hospitalized the day after I sent in my order and Bill was awesome enough to have the box sent to their house. I ended up staying an entire week not knowing what was really going on with my mom. Good news she is doing very well. They did find a blood clot in her leg which was quickly taken care of. Although she is in the safe zone now, its still going to take 6 months for the dumb thing to go away. But she is well supervised and in good hands. Anyway, while I was there I was able to make a run to Harbor Freight with my dad and picked up a couple of containers. I received the box within a couple of days and was so excited. Even my parents were impressed!
Again, I want to THANK everybody who voted for my pieces. I plan on making many many designs with my new goodies..
Monday, June 24, 2013
NEW LOOK!
Well, I have been busting my rump trying to get my blog revamped. I think it looks pretty good right now but I still need lots to do. Im not 100% sure I like it, but its growing on me. What I really want is to eventually have all my own artwork as the background and so on. Its so much to learn and I dont have the patience to learn it right now. I know its not all that difficult, but I have a lot going on all at the same time. I had it looking good, but for some reason the background image was lost. I think maybe the original artist must have removed it from his website...thats ok. Cuz I know little bits on how to do my own thing. Eventually I will have it standing out with my own style. But for now, I think this will do..
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Clam Shell Cultured Beach Glass Creations
Bill has given us another little challenge to go along with the Mini Conch beach glass beads. I received a cute little package with a hand full of fun mini clam shell beach glass beads... So far I have been able to create a couple of designs. I thought it would be fun to do something different than jewelry. So, I made this fun keychain. All the beads used are from Znetshows, even the chain. Only part not found there was the clasp and clam shell metal bead. But who knows... Anyway, aside from the keychain, I made a pair of earrings. I am also working on a bracelet. You know how it goes when you have this idea, you put it together then you look at it and think....hmm...not quite what I imagined, but close...it just needs that something else added, and Im not sure what that is yet...
There is a tutorial in the makings for the Keychain...
Beads used in the pair of earrings are as follows:
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
June Inspiration - THE BEACH - ZnetShow Challenge begins..OH YEA!!
Good morning...
Yesterday I was quite excited when I checked the mail and my box of goodies was there. Before opening my other mail, I quickly grabbed a pair of scissors and opened my box. BUT, before I tell you what I got, I want a little about the challenge and who my partner is.
This months "THE BEACH" challenge is to have beading partners. Znetshow has a Pinterest page and one of the boards has some wonderful photos for inspiration. We could either chose a photo from this board or choose our own. I decided to choose my own, which I posted below. Your partner picks out beads from this HUGE list of beads to choose from which is provided by Znetshows. We dont know what each other is getting until we our box in the mail. Bill, from ZnetShows is so generous when he fills up our box with beads so that we can make multiple designs.
My partner is Karla Texas Jelly Jams, an awesome jewelry designer and she also has this fantastic business making tasty JAMS. I recently made her Raspberry Jam Crumb Cake recipe and it was sooooo good! It was gobbled up rather quickly..hehe I need to write up a little review on that... Funny thing, is our taste in colors is very similar so without even knowing what we liked yet, we chose beads that we perfect!
Ok, so now you have a little idea what this challenge is about and a little about my partner. Please check out her website, you will absolutely love it!
Yesterday I was quite excited when I checked the mail and my box of goodies was there. Before opening my other mail, I quickly grabbed a pair of scissors and opened my box. BUT, before I tell you what I got, I want a little about the challenge and who my partner is.
This months "THE BEACH" challenge is to have beading partners. Znetshow has a Pinterest page and one of the boards has some wonderful photos for inspiration. We could either chose a photo from this board or choose our own. I decided to choose my own, which I posted below. Your partner picks out beads from this HUGE list of beads to choose from which is provided by Znetshows. We dont know what each other is getting until we our box in the mail. Bill, from ZnetShows is so generous when he fills up our box with beads so that we can make multiple designs.
My partner is Karla Texas Jelly Jams, an awesome jewelry designer and she also has this fantastic business making tasty JAMS. I recently made her Raspberry Jam Crumb Cake recipe and it was sooooo good! It was gobbled up rather quickly..hehe I need to write up a little review on that... Funny thing, is our taste in colors is very similar so without even knowing what we liked yet, we chose beads that we perfect!
Ok, so now you have a little idea what this challenge is about and a little about my partner. Please check out her website, you will absolutely love it!
Here is my photo of inspiration for my Partner..
I found this awesome site through Pinterest that has all of these great color swatches. Design Seeds. I chose this picture because of the beautiful colors and it looks like a place I would like to sit and relax... listen to the ocean waves and birds...I miss the beach!
This is my Beach Mix which I received in the mail yesterday... Very yummy wouldnt you say? Reminds me of seaweed with some little fish tossed in. The beads are a bit larger than what I normally work with so this will be my challenge. Below is the list of beads which you can find on ZnetShows.
This picture was chosen by my Partner
As you see, there are lots of colors here to choose from. I love my bead mix and I need to sit down and start drawing up some designs...
Check back with my soon to see what I have created with these beautiful beads...my brain is thinking already!!!
Friday, June 07, 2013
Ahhh... Finished! Jujubee Bracelet
While siting and watching the Giants lose... I finally finished making my Jujubee Bracelet with the Mini Conch beach glass beads from Znetshows. I have made bracelets with this technique before and they always turn out so pretty. Normally though I use smaller beads, but I just love how this bracelet turned out. Its slightly heavy, but it makes music when you wear it. I dont know what it is about jewelry that makes music that fascinates me. I think of work I suppose, you can always hear certain people walking down the hall and you know who it is by the sounds/music that they make. We wear lanyards a lot, and with keys hanging off of the lanyards along with other fun things, we all seem to make some kind of sound/music while walking. Anyway...my mind is wandering because its late at night and my brain is a little on the slow mode! LOL I just had to put the pictures up so you can see how the bracelet turned out...
Please feel free to share and comment on my blog... I enjoy the company! :-)
Please feel free to share and comment on my blog... I enjoy the company! :-)
Hope you enjoyed the candy...eye candy that is... :-)
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