I Finally Decided.

So I went to the store and got some new paper for my backgrounds. I'm so happy with my new results.

Here are my pictures I've decided on for the show.

First is my Sea Shore necklace. This is one of J's favorite piece. I am so happy with how this one turned out. The picture looks fantastic (well I think so). I really think it looks good, well good for my first juried show. I hope they like it.

Next is my Latte at Hotel Mercedes cuff. This has to be one of my favorite pieces. It's based on the stained glass windows in the Hotel Mercedes in Paris. I fell in love with these windows, and thought it would be perfect for the art deco challenge.

I hope that the jurors will like this cuff too. It's one of my most complex cuffs.

Last up is my new blue beaded hoop earrings with lampwork beads. I wanted a pair of earrings that really fun, but also one that showed off my lampwork beads. I think these really fit the bill. The picture turned out pretty good too.

I can't wait to go pick them up from the store tomorrow. I hope they look as good on paper as they do on my computer screen. So let me know what you think of my new pictures. You can click on them to see the bigger version.

Getting Ready for the Show Season

So I've decided this year to start entering jurried shows. I really had a hard time selling anything last time. I had plenty of people tell me my work was beautiful, then they would look at the price, put it down, smile, and walk away, and I'm sure laughed about my prices with their friends. But that's what I get when I only enter non juried local shows. You know the ones where people are only willing to pay a couple of bucks for anything, and $30 is way to much for a beaded bracelet with sterling silver components. So this year I've gotten the nerve to enter a little bit higher class shows.

The last few days I've been trying to figure out which pieces I should use for my jury photos. I set everything up and tried to take my beast pictures. These are a few of the ones I have so far. I personally think the gray background washes out some of them out, so I'm off to the craft store to get some more scrap booking paper to redo all of them.

This is honestly very hard for me. I'm not a real great photographer and I cannot afford to pay anyone to take them for me. So hopefully I'll be able to get three good ones this afternoon.

These pictures are the ones of my necklaces. I think I'm going to go with my Sea Shore necklace. It's really hard for me to narrow them down. I know they are going to judge me on the three pictures I pick.

So I think I'm going to go with my Sea Shore necklace, my Art Deco Challenge cuff (Latte at Hotel Mercedes), and my blue beaded hoops with the lampwork beads. I think these represent my work pretty well.

I go back and forth in whether my stuff is good enough for a juried show. Some days I think I have very good pieces, and then other days I feel like I am just adequate and there is no way that I'll be able to make into any shows. I actually had someone I work with tell me she didn't think I had a chance at getting into one of the shows I was applying for. Yeah, thanks for being my friend. So I'm just going to apply and let happen what every happens. What's the worst that can happen, I'll be rejected. That's fine. I think I've come to terms with that.

So hopeful I'll have some new pictures by tomorrow so we can all compare them. I'm off to the store right now.

Bracelets, bracelets, bracelets!

I have a couple new offering today.

First up is a wonderful lampwork and wire wrapped bracelet. It makes me think of warm spring days with little flowers poking there head up for the first time. And the thought of warm days right now is so wonderful since the Wisconsin winter has been so unforgiving this year.

I used a verity of different colors to make each on of the beads. They are very simple, but I think still are pretty. I paired them with copper wire, well because I love the way copper looks. I know a lot of people don't, but it's one of my favorite, so I use it a lot.

I really love this bracelet. You can check it out HERE in my store if you want.


I also have a wonderful beaded bangle with a lampwork focal bead. I love, love, love these bangles. You can wear just one or stack them with others. They are really fun to wear.

This one I used a kinda gray transparent seed bead that has a great rainbow (AB) finish, so it gives it a kind of deep purple feel.

I used this fantastic frit that I was gifted (thank you anonymous gift giver from LWE) on the focal bead. It has hints of lavender, and pink, and dark purple. Oh I just love it. One of my friends and co-workers has a pair of earrings using this frit, those are also fantastic. I'm very happy to have been gifted this (along with a whole bunch other stuffs). I hope to be able to return the favore by sending out a fun gift in the future to a fellow lampworker).

You can check this bangle out HERE if your interested.

I finally finished this one and got it listed!!

I can not believe how long it has taken me to finish this necklace. I finished everything buy the tiny amount of wire work that needed to be done during the summer. And now it has just been hanging on my projects wall waiting to be finished. So Tuesday night I made a list of things to do and this was one there. I'm so glad it's finished.

I absolutely love this necklace. I used beautiful glass bugle beads that are a rich red color and then twisted, so they really catch the light. Then I have these great black beads. I can't remember what they are right now (I think they're blackstone, but I'll look when I get home). It really sparkles.

I also am addicted to beaded end caps right now. Every single multistrand necklace and bracelet I have been making are finished off with these. I think they are fun and interesting. So I used tiny glass seed beads to make matching end caps. And of course I finished this one with sterling silver wire and a sterling silver lobster clasp.

I am so happy with how this one turned out. I saw the red bugle beads and had to have them. I don't usually work with a lot of bugles in my beadwork because they can cut through thread. But I figured the bugle beads would have a hard time cutting through flexible beading wire.

I did get this necklace posted in my store. If interested you can check it out HERE. I'm calling it liquid fire because of the intense color and sparkle.

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Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the month of February. It's a really fun black and white stripe cuff. Everyone is welcome to enter this giveaway. Click HERE for more info on how to enter.

BLOGGERS UNITE - WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY - CPSIA BLOG-IN

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

February's Give Away- Help Me Think Of A Name!!!

So it's time for February's Blog Give Away. This month I've decided to get a little bit of help from you. I am having trouble thinking up a new name for my new blue cuff. I really like the cuff, but everything I think of for a name just doesn't seem to work. So I've decided that the challenge this month will be to ask for help on naming my cuff.


This month all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post with a name for this cuff. I will give an extra week for this give away. So the deadline will be Sunday, February 8, 2009. I will decide on a winning entry between February 9th and 10th (I know everyone is going to come up with fantastic entries, so it's going to take me a little while to pick a winner). I will announce a winner no later then February 11th (I will announce the winner on this blog as well as contacting the winner personally).

And because this give away is going to take a little bit of thinking, I thought that I would give away a pretty cool prize. No it's not going to be that cuff, sorry guys. But it is going to be a cuff.

This winner will win this wonderful black and white beaded cuff. It's about 3/4 inch wide and can be adjusted to any wrist size. It's on black leather and lined with black and white checkered material. It's a pretty fun cuff.

So start thinking of fun and interesting names for the blue cuff above! I'm looking forward to seeing all of your ideas. Good Luck to everyone!

A Pair of Hoops and a Pattern

Well first off I have a super fun pair of beaded hoops that I finished and are up in my store. These hoops would be a great pair with my blue beaded cuff.

They are made with the same colors and some great lampwork beads. I used blue glass that would compliment the different shades. I then accented the lampwork beads with light blue Swarovski crystals. I love the way these look. They are a really fun pair of earrings.

Click HERE for more info. Cuff will be available shortly!

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Next up is something new for me. I've decided to start selling a few of my patterns (thank you Sand Fibers and Beadygirl Beads for the encouragement).

My first one is going to be my black and white circles cuff. This pattern includes a word chart, two different graphs (you choose which one works best for you) and a list of tips and tricks.

I have put together a PDF. Which I am very proud of myself for doing this. I have never put together different files to make one PDF, so it was a big accomplishment for me.

I hope that this goes over well. I am working on some other patterns. I hope to have some of those posted within the week or so.

You can see this pattern HERE.

Cool!

I've been given two new awards, sweet!

The first award is from Split Rock Ranch.

The Lemonade Award is passed to bloggers for showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude. Thank you very much Split Rock Ranch. If your looking for some really cool yarn and fibers check out Split Roch Ranch's etsy shop.

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The next award came from Daisy Bookworm.


Thank you so much for this award! Go check out her blog today, it's filled with wonderful poetry.

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I want to thank both of you for nominating me for these awards, it really does mean a lot to me. I'm going to go against the rules of both of these awards and not nominate other blogs. It is not because I don't like any other blogs or any thing like that, I would just have such a hard time narrowing down my favorite blogs and I wouldn't want to leave anyone out.

I also am extremely busy right now. We are planning a "spur of the moment" trip to Las Vegas. We leave in only a week and a half, so I'm scrambling to get everything in order. I am excited about this trip; I'm excited to go to Vegas and I'm excited to see our friend who has been in Iraq for the last year. So I will be a little lacking in my post in my blog and posting new items in my stores, but I will be back up to speed in a few weeks.

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Our 44th President!

Obama Inauguration Speech

I don't post many things like this on my blog, but I think this is such an important moment and it really is a good speech, I want to post it for all to see (even though I'm sure everyone has seen it many times). I watched the inauguration yesterday on streaming video in the lab (all by myself, ☹). I wasn't going to miss this. I am truly proud to be an American. I know we have a long hard road in front of us, but we will get through it.


And one of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln (like I could pick just one!) from his 1st inaugural address:

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." - Abraham Lincoln.

*Edit - January 22, 2009* I am very disappointed in some of the things I have been hearing since the inauguration yesterday. I knew that the hate would spew forward, but some of it is just horrible. Please do not post on my blog if you are full of hate; I will not tolerate it.

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I will be back to my regular post soon, so stay tuned for some new things. I've been working very hard on many a new thing lately. I first need to get my EBW challenge piece done, and then off to new projects. WooHoo.

I've been Featured

My copper beaded ring has been featured on Moods and Appetites. I was so excited to find out my ring was featured.


Here is a better view of this ring. I really love how the copper beads look in this ring. Simple but still lovely.

This ring is in my 1000 Markets store.

It's all done peyote stitch with copper beads as the main color of the band and then "pearl" seed beads as the decorative edge.

All the beads in my store are made to order, just let me know your size and you can have your very own ☺

I just had to show off a little bit. I'm really loving 1000 Markets so far. I've been featured on their community page, and now I've been featured on a user's blog. Awesome.

Well I'm off to create a couple more cocktail rings (teaser, stay tuned for those coming up soon)!

New Cuffs

I've been working on a more geometric line of cuffs the last few weeks. I wanted to create a few cuffs that were beautiful, yet fairly simple. I also have been working on cuffs that are not attached to the leather. I do love how they look when they are on leather, but they are not for everyone. And these cuffs are a little bit more delicate looking and dressier. Here are two of my newest cuffs.



The first one is a simple black and white cuff. I love this one, just simple circles, but so lovely. It has a modern feel to it. I finished off the cuff with a "crystal" button for a little bit of sophistication.

I love how this one turned out. I'm thinking of making myself one, just like this. It's modern and clean. Maybe I'll make a few more like this but in different colors. I can't wait to sit back down and work on different versions.




This next cuff is a little bit more "complicated." I say that only because the pattern is just a little bit more complex, yet it still is fairly simple. I only used three different shades of blue.

I love, love, love this cuff. I was so happy with how it turned out. I was worried it would be way to wide for anyone to wear (well except me because I love wide cuffs). But even though it comes in at 2 inches wide, it still has a delicate feel to it.

I really can't wait to try this one out in different color combinations. I am going to try purples next.

I really like how these two cuffs turned out. I'm glad that I went back and tried making cuffs like this again. I have a whirlwind of idea in my head right now. I'm trying to get them down on paper so that I can eventually create a wonderful finished product.

A New Focal and Some News

I have been so bad lately, neglecting my blog like this. It's been a full week since my last entry. I'm sorry. I have time set aside tonight to get new pictures of my stuff. I realized all of my cuffs need to be re-shot and I have a number of new ones that need some attention. So hopefully I'll have some new items tomorrow. ☺

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I have a new lampwork beads up in my etsy store. It's a fun little focal.

Here is mossy ponds. I was trying to go for a dragon scale look with this one, but it didn't quite work. But it still looks pretty cool.

I used light ivory as the base and green (I can't remember which green, I'll look when I get home tonight). I then used clear on top of the green to add a little depth. I think it turned out pretty cool, even if it's not very "scaly" But I love the way green and ivory reacts with each other.

It measures about 1 inch, by 3/4 inch, by 1/4 inch. Click here to see more.

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I also have received my membership number for the SRAJD. WooHoo. My membership number is 2006.

SRAJD is a wonderful organization of self representing artists in jewelry design. It's a place where the consumer can go and verify that they are buying from a authentic self representing artist. It's really great. You can visit the website by clicking HERE, where you will find a list of very talented jewelry artists, and you can even help the cause by donating a little money!

These Items Need a Little Love

Click Here for the Recipe for Homemade Marshmallows (sorry, I was having trouble with my internets the last couple of days so I couldn't get this posted sooner).

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So with the holidays over, life is back to normal, well not really, but it's getting there. I have been so exhausted and I've had a migraine for about 4 days (thank goodness it's gone now). I'm now having to deal with the fact that I have to catch up with the time I missed at work for the holidays. Yeah, going away for 2 weeks when you're the only lab assistant is not really a good idea. And because of this I haven't gotten any new pictures taken of all my new goodies (and I've also been ignoring other things like groceries and cleaning). So my list of things to do is not getting any shorter right now, but I promise to have some new things to show you by the end of the week. I have a couple of things that I can't wait to share. ☺

But for now I've noticed a few things in my etsy store that need a little loving!

First off is a pretty orange beaded rope necklace. Now orange is not really my color, but I decided to try something new, and I really like how it turned out. The color is super fun and the beaded ropes are just nice to wear. They are light weight and not too flashy.

The beads are transparent and have a great AB finish to them, so the really glimmer. I finished this one off with great light blue glass bicones and a sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

This necklace is about 17 1/2 inches in length.

Fun and funky for everyone.

You can see it here in my etsy store. Please give it a little love. ☻


Next up is a great lampwork bead. I love this one. The yellow/green colored glass is just fantastic. I love this color and it really pops on the black background.

I like making this beads, it's simple, yet has a pretty cool design. I think I'm going to make a few more. I also have a set of orange ones up on art fire. Those are awesome too. (I tried my hand at a new pink and just burnt the crap out of it, but everyone seems to like that one the best, maybe that's the trick) ☻

This bead is about 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch high, so it would make a great little focal bead.

You can check it out here in my etsy store.

Look What I Made!

Okay so they don't really look like much. They sort of look like a mess, but don't be fooled, these are my super yummy homemade marshmallows. Yup I decided to try to make some marshmallows. I'm not really sure why, but I heard that they are better then any store bought one, so I guess I decided to give it a go. And guess what? They are fantastic. They are so good. I can eat them all on their own and I love to put them in my hot chocolate. J loves them, and I keep catching him eating them. I'm so proud of myself. I love to cook, but when it comes to anything sweet, I just can't do it. So my making some homemade marshmallows is a pretty good accomplishment for me. And we're already planning all the flavors we can try next time we make them. YUM!!! Now I just need to figure out a better way to cut them so they don't look so messy!

Green Goddess Earrings

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I just got a new pair of earrings up in my store. They are a pretty simple pair of dangle earrings, but I still thing they are pretty cool.

I tried something new when I made the earwires. I put a tiny yellow agate bead on the earwire as an accent for the golds and yellows in the glass beads. I think it's kinda of a cool concept.

As always all the hardware is sterling silver.

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I've been working on a few new cuffs over the holiday season. These are pretty simple, but still beautiful. I also decided to bead these up and not attach them to the leather cuffs. This gives them a little bit more of a delicate look. I really like them and hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures taken today or tomorrow!