Many Thanks to All

It has been a very good ride, learning all I did about beading.  Then sharing it with all of you and getting some great feedback.  I've made some really good friends through my blog that I hope to stay in touch with.  But it is time for me to say goodbye for now.  I can no longer bead due to the extreme pain caused by carpal tunnel.  Tomorrow I am passing along most of my beads and little treasures to one of my students...my mom.  I will check back in when it is time to tell you all about the book that some of my projects are going to be in.  For now, though, it's time to turn off the lights.

You can still find me in blogland.  I'll be writing from time to time and posting pics of my life adventures at Indigo Days.  I hope to see you there.  Please keep in touch.

We Have Some Winners!

The Bead Crafty giveaway for 3 $20 gift cards ended yesterday, November 8th at 5:00 p.m. EST.  That means that there are 7 entries into the contest.  I used a Random Number Generator at random.org to select the winners.  The first winner of $20 to Bead Crafty is.....

Kristin K!!!  Congratulations, Kristin!   The second winner is......

And that would be Abracadebra!!!  Congratulations, Debbie!  And the final winner is.......

Another Debbie...Craftymoose!!!!  Congratulations!  I will be sending you all an email with more information about your prizes.  I want to say thank you to those of you who entered and shared this contest with others.

Bead Happy!!!!

Preview

GIVEAWAY!!! Enter Drawing for $20 Gift Card!

FREE BEADS!  Who doesn't want the chance to order beady things and get presents in the mail FOR FREE???!!!  All you have to do is follow, visit the sponsor's site and comment (on previous post here) what you would to buy.  And an extra entry for sharing on Facebook or your blog.  It's so easy!  Why aren't you entering??? 

UPDATE!!!  I got word from Bead Crafty, the sponsor of this giveaway, that they will be offering 200 lines that will go live in November!!!  Come on and enter so you can win one of 3 $20 Gift Cards to Bead Crafty!!!

Deadline is November 8, 2011 at 5p.m. EST.  Come on in and play!

A Beady Review and a Chance to Win One of 3 Prizes!

I would like to present to you a source for beads that is new to me, and it may be new to you too.  Bead Crafty is a nice little online bead shop that is based out of the UK.  But don't let that deter you!  They pick orders the very same day they are placed, and shipping to the US is only $1.95!  The orders may take up to 2 weeks to arrive.  However, I think they have some lovely little finds that are worth checking out and waiting a few extra days for.

Their site is easily laid out so you can find in a snap exactly what you are looking for.  They have 3 main categories:  beads, charms and findings.  Some of the categories are a little slim, and you may not find every component you are looking for to make a specific project (not to say you can't), but what they may lack in quantity they make up for in quality and unique items.  For example, one thing I had never seen before I visited Bead Crafty was kilt pins.  There are 3 loops that you can attach beads to, and would make a wonderful decorative pin or something similar.  Neat!

The prices on Bead Crafty are very reasonable.  And, even though it's a UK site, all the prices are shown in US dollars so there is no confusion about what you are getting for the price.  The prices are clearly marked and to find out the size or more description of an item, all you have to do is hover over it and a little box will pop up.

Also on the site are some interesting Tips & Tricks.  One that I thought was interesting and different was how to make a beaded lampshade.  Beads aren't just for jewelry, are they?  One section that I could not get to was the link for the FAQ's.  I'm a little weird that way...I like to read FAQ's.  Is that strange or do others do that too?  I hope they can get the link fixed to that page so I can check it out.

I sent an email asking about the inventory, to which I received a prompt reply btw, and Sarah said they are going to be expanding their offerings, but their main objective is quality first.  Overall I think Bead Crafty is a quaint little site with some interesting finds.  To me it is the difference in shopping at a charming little boutique versus getting lost in a mega warehouse store.  I think it is worth your while to check it out.  And to give you some incentive to do just that, I AM OFFERING PRIZES thanks to the fine people at Bead Crafty!  YEA!!!!  And there are more than one to be had, so please please please tell your friends about this  giveaway.

How to enter:

1.  Follow my page.
2.  Leave a comment giving two things.  First, I need your email to contact you and to get your info so you can have your prize!!!!  If I can't get in touch with you, then the prize will have to go to someone else and that would be sad.  Second, visit Bead Crafty and tell me one thing you would buy first if you won the prize.
3.  Post to Facebook or your own blog WITH A LINK BACK TO MY POST and get an extra entry (leave 2 separate comments if you do this.)  I will need a link to the post so I can see that you actually did it.

What are the prizes???

How about 3 $20 credits to their shop!  Doesn't that sound like fun?  Let's go shopping!!!!  So, don't be afraid to invite more people.  After all, you want good karma so you can win, right?  lol.  Ok, so maybe karma won't really be a factor, but hey, you never know.

The winners will be chosen by a random number generator and entries will be accepted until, oh let's say 2 weeks...November 8th at 5:00 p.m. EST.  Sound good?

Ok, kids...Get posting!

New Post

New post on Indigo Days if you would please like to join me there!

New Post (but not here)

For a little while I'll let everyone know here when I make a new post to my 2nd home over at Indigo Days.  There's one up tonight, so go check it out.  And I think I got my Follow button working, so please sign up!  There's a few of us over there, but I sure would like to see more of you!  Come on over!

dang technology!

I just discovered that the Follow gadget wasn't working on my new blog, Indigo Days.  (I almost called it Indigo Daze lol...that's how my days are sometimes...just in a daze.)  anyhoo.  I want to thank the people who came to check it out, and I would ask that you please go back and try following again.  I think it should work now.  I'm thinking about a giveaway to give some incentive to come on over.  What would you all like to see for a giveaway?  Give me some ideas to think about.

It's been a long time!

I have been seriously MIA, haven't I?  Sorry I have been away from Blogger for so long.  I really need to get caught up on everyone's blogs.  Do you forgive me for not visiting you lately?  I hope so!

I have no beads to share. :(  Due to lack of funds and the fact that my muse has abandoned me, I haven't created anything since working on the projects for the book.  The book has been keeping me busy, and I really hope that you will stick with me long enough to see it published so you can look at what I've been doing.  As of right now I will have 3 projects in it.  I am very excited about what I have designed, but unfortunately I can't share it with you yet.  In addition to designing and beading the projects, I have had to become somewhat of a mini expert in Photoshop to edit my photos and get them ready for print.  Each photo takes about 2 hours, so it's very time consuming!

I want to announce that I have created a new blog that I hope you all will visit and follow.  Why did I do that?  Simply because I have more to share than just beads.  Yes, beads are completely fantabulous, and I truly love them, but that's just one facet of what my life is.  So, I guess my new blog will be a little more up close and personal.  I'll still post here from time to time, but I think the bulk of my posts, beads and otherwise, will be over at my new spot at Indigo Days.  I do hope you will come see me there.  And I also hope that you haven't given up on me here.

I miss hearing from everyone, so I need to get back to blogging...both my stuff and reading yours!

Mirrix Loom For Sale

Hi ho, everyone!  I hope all of my friends out there in blogland are doing well.  I have an Ebay listing up right now.  I have an 8" Mirrix Lani Loom that I have never used that I am selling.  If you are interested, please click here to go to the listing.  There are about 3 1/2 days left to bid, or you can buy it outright now for 50% off the current list price.  The opening bid is $50.00.  There is only one bid right now, but there are 8 people watching it, so I expect there will be bids close to when it ends.  Here is a photo of what will come in the box:

On beady news, I've got nothing.  I strung a necklace on beading wire with just a mix of beads and there 2 beads on it that are making me not like it.  I need to restring it and get those beads off.  It's on a stand on my kitchen counter and I wrinkle my nose and make the icky face when I pass it by.  Other than that, nothing really.  Ever since I worked on and finished the book projects, things have really quieted down for a while.  I think part of it was because I was so intensely working on those things that I got a little worn out and now need a break.

What is on your table?  Share with me.  Or drop me a note and just say hi.  Anyone is welcome to email me at anytime at indigosbeads@live.com.  Hope to hear from you!

would you like to see something?

I have good news for those of you who read my last post.  Matthew's blood work came back with  no problems!  Yea!  Now we're just waiting for word on his ultrasound.  Praying that turns out ok too.  The confusing part is, if those two things are normal, what could possibly be causing the blood in the urine?  It will be interesting to hear what the final diagnosis is.  But, first we have to get good results on the ultrasound.  Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming for my little guy!!!  (And thank you so much to those of you who have already been doing that for us.)

As for the book, I've got 3 projects completed and ready to send out.  I was working on a 4th, but it just wasn't coming together smoothly, and we are going to scrap the idea.  I'm going to brainstorm some other ideas.  In the meantime I beaded something just because I wanted to, and I thought it would be perfect for this month's Bead Journal Project.  As you may know, my projects each month are to learn at least one new beadweaving stitch and make something pretty with it.  This month was a little different.  I didn't take an idea of a basic stitch and create my own thing around it.  For this month I think I may have created a new method of my very own.  At least I've never heard of or seen it done this way.

I was just playing around, letting my subconscious take over.  I had an inkling of an idea on making something with lots of fringe.  So if I had a lot of fringe, I would need a base to make the fringe come off, right?  I thought about just a string of beads as the core, and I also thought about a narrow square stitch band.  My fingers didn't do either of those.  I don't even know how to explain what I did.  The core twists and curves throughout the core, sometimes peeking out, sometimes staying hidden, while the beads just mix and mingle all around it.  And there is no fringe in the final piece.  Funny how that works.

After I finished it I reflected on it for a while.  The only word that came to mind was "abundance".  This bracelet looked to me like a cornucopia of beady yumminess.  Then it made me think of all the abundant things I have in my life, despite hiccups and struggles that I sometimes tell you about.  I have an abundance of love.  I have an abundance of joy.  I have an abundance of blessings in my life.  Therefore, this bracelet is called "Abundance".  I would have loved to make a necklace, but that would have taken about a gazillion beads which I just don't have.  Here are two pics of my bracelet...

Abundance

You can click for a larger view.  I just love the mixture of colors, textures, shapes and sizes.  It just makes me feel happy when I look at it.

So there you have it.  I finally have something done that you can actually look at and isn't book related.  I hope you like it!