Wordless Wednesday

New Project - Day One

A quick sneak peek at my current bead embroidery project.  It doesn't look like much, but I can't wait to get it done.  I tell you that I plan on making a beaded collar type necklace.  This will be my first attempt, so we'll see if it actually works.  Check back in for more progress shots.   

Not much but a cute picture of Yoda!

I have been so crazy busy as of late.  As some of you know who have stopped by my other blog, J got a new job and we are currently in the process of finding and buying our first home.  This is an exhausting process and has made us both pretty stressed out, I think J might be more because he has the stress of also starting a new job. 

I have had no time to bead because after we get done with everything else we need to do at night I'm exhausted to the point of passing out.  So I will be happy once we are done with all of this, not just because the stress will be gone, but we will also own our own home.  And that's a good thing.

So I leave you with this picture of Yoda.  After a very long weekend, I found her all cuddled up in the blanket on the couch sleeping.  I woke her up to get this picture.     
 

Momma, this blankie is comfy, I'm just gonna nap right here.

New Blog

So I've decided to start a second blog, because I definitely need more things to do in my life. J/K  This blog will follow me and J's path to adult hood and you can get to know me as a person a little bit better.  I'll be talking about those things you need to do to actually be sort of considered an adult; buying a house, moving, fixing a house, getting married, etc, etc.  You know those things.

It's called, Three Fates and J Grow Up.  Yup real original, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else to call it at the time.  Right now I'm focusing on us looking at houses and J's new job (yes he finally, after two years of looking, got a job in Mad Town).  My first posts are looking at the houses we've gone and looked at thus far.  Then I plan on branching out and venting my frustrations of moving and home improvements.  But we must buy a house first.

So if you'd like a look into a little bit of my personal life and maybe get to know me a little bit better, stop on by my second blog.  It's not much yet, buy I'm slowly growing it, and who knows maybe I'll get J to post on there a few times, but probably not.  

September Voting Time!

It's that time again, time vote for your favorite entry in the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge. 

Stop by the Etsy Beadweaver's Blog and vote for your favorite entry.  This month's theme was Bollywood, and boy are there some fantastic entries, 52 to be exact. 

My entry is number 38.  I really had fun working on this challenge and I'm very happy with my entry.  I used a clay cab that I made myself and then did some bead embroidery to make a medallion style pendent.  I also made a little spiral rope wrap bracelet to match. 

Stop by the EBW blog to voter for your favorite today.  Voting is on the right hand side of the blog.  I know it will be a hard decision to pick just one, but please click HERE to vote before September 15th.

Music Influences

I have been working on a number of different projects lately that have been inspired by music.  I have always loved music and have always had music in my life.  My dad is a musician, playing both guitar and piano.  My brother is also a musician, he sings and plays guitar.  And as most of you know, J is a musician.  He plays lead guitar in his ska band.  So my life is filled with music.

I have been using all of this as inspiration as of late.  I have been working on some larger projects (that I hope to have a finished project soon to take pictures of) as well as some smaller, simpler ones.  I have been having fun playing with all the guitar strings that J has given me over the years.  I have so many ideas for them.

I also have some guitar pick necklaces.  I have been making these for some time and selling them at shows for about 3 years now.  But it just recently dawned on me to put some of them up in my Etsy store.

I use a little tiny rivet on each pick to make sure that they don't break and I string them on leather or ball chain.  I really like the way the tiny rivet makes them look, and it gives them extra strength (I've had some of these in the past that were easily broken).  It just gives them a finished look.  I have a pink necklace and I love it.  I use to wear it everyday, but I haven't worn it in a while.  I think I need to get that little guy out.

I am looking into getting a dye cutting machine that will allow me to make my own guitar picks, so that way I can make them in what ever colors or styles I wanted.  But I'm still on the fence about this, maybe I'll see after Christmas.  

Click HERE to check out all the guitar themed items in my etsy store.

Finally got the camera out!

I have been finished with my entry for the EBW Bollywood challenge for quite some time.  I wanted to make sure that I got this one in on time since I had so much fun making it.  But as always I had a hard time convincing myself to drag out the camera and photo tent and tripod, etc, etc, etc.  It will be so nice when I have room to have the all this stuff setup all the time.  So it will be super easy to just snap some quick pictures.  But I digress.

So without further ado, here is my entry for this month's challenge.  I was really excited to do this challenge.  I love the beauty of Bollywood movies.  They are so colorful and beautiful and a little over the top.

I had been playing with my clay recently.  I have boxes of clay and supplies, but have really never sat down and used it.  I have tried in the past, but it just wasn't for me.  But since my lampwork studio is unusable right now, I thought I'd get out the clay and try again.

I just made a couple cabs.  Nothing special, just used some foil I had and made circles and hearts.  Just to see what it would look like and if it would be possible to bead around them.  I've made a cuff with one of the hearts but, I had this one cab that I didn't know what I was going to do with it.  It was huge at about 2 inches wide.  What was I going to do with this large pink cab?  Then this month's challenge was announced and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

So I went to work doing a bead embroidery medallion using silver lined gold beads, copper lined clear beads, and my favorite vintage black AB beads.  I backed the necklace with light brown leather and added purple fossil beads as a fun and colorful beaded edge. 

I have decided that I have plenty of product for shows, so I have decided to push myself and try new things.  So I have decided to try spiral stitch.  And I have to say, I love this stitch.  It makes such a lovely beaded rope for pendents and medallions or just by itself.  And it works up so much quicker for me that my other favorite; circular herringbone.  I have been playing with different beads sizes and type also, and love what is coming out.  I'll have pictures of some of those soon. 

I used the silver lined gold, the copper lined clear, the vintage beads, as well as a transparent pink to bring the color of the cab into the beaded rope.  Then I got a huge filigre button for the clasp.  Love that button so much; it's just so pretty.

And because I'm having so much fun with spiral stitch, I made a little wrap bracelet to match.  It's not exactly the same as the necklace rope because I don't like things that are matchy-matchy.  It's just a fun little extra that matches the necklace and pulls everything together.  

Now I only have the problem of naming this creation and getting it listed on etsy.  I guess I have a couple days still to do this.  But I better get my butt in gear.  That's easier said then done these days.

You can check out my challenge entry piece HERE on etsy.  

And The Winners are.....

Today is a good day.  Today I will announce the winner of my blog giveaway.  I am celebrating three great years with Etsy and I wanted to share the celebration with the most important people, the people that make it all possible, you!!!

So without further ado, I give you the two winners of my blog giveaway.  I used Random.org list randomizer to pick both winners.   After the first winner was picked, I removed that person from the second drawing. 

The winner of the blue earrings is.....

Latricia from 1 Stop Mom Giveaways and Reviews (I know, I accidentally typed in 1StepMom, my mistake). 

And the winner of the butterfly cuff is....

Theresa of Theresa's Treasures

I will be contacting both people later today to let them know that they are the lucky winners.  Congratulations to both winners and thank you all for entering.  If you didn't win this time, there will be more giveaways in the future.