Happy Birthday To Me!!!

I'm 39!  Again!  Today is going to be a fun day.  My DH is taking me to Hobby Lobby to go shopping with the money my wonderful daddy put in my bank account today.  I am going to get polymer clay supplies, and I'm going to check out their beads.  I know there are those out there who would never dream of using "cheap" beads from places like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc.  But you know what?  For those of us on a budget, we can stretch our money and use our creativity to make those "cheap" beads into some pretty nice things.  What is wrong with some inexpensive things as long as they're pretty and you like them?  That would be like saying no clothes are worth buying unless they come from Nieman Marcus.  That would just be ridiculous.  When I get home I'll take some pics of what I get and post them in a day or two.

I also had a hard time deciding where I want to go for my birthday dinner with my family. Damned if I'm cooking on my day!  I was thinking Panda Express, but my DH says that adds up awful darn quick, and they don't have anything vegetarian for my daughter, Samantha.  Came up with a great idea!  Souper Salad!  What is better than a buffet for a family with kids?  They don't have to wait to eat, they can eat as much as they want, they get to make their own desserts, AND Sami can have her vegetarian food.  Win win win!

At tonight's baseball game my daughter, Sara, hit a HOME RUN!!!  She's the only girl on her team in the boys' league and one of the youngest on the team to boot.  She sure showed those boys!  Way to go Sara!!!

AND to celebrate my birthday with all of my readers, everything in my Etsy shop is 20% off today with coupon code happybday2011!

Introducing the Next Generation of Bead Artists!

On Saturday my daughter, Sara, was complaining about how bored she was.  I was sitting at the kitchen table working on a necklace and I asked her if she wanted to help me.  She sat down, eager and ready to learn.  I showed her a couple times how to do the spiral rope stitch and we worked on my necklace for a few minutes.  Then I asked her if she wanted to make a bracelet of her own.  Her eyes lit up and she got a great big smile on her face.  I got out all my color-coded buckets of beads and spread them out on the kitchen floor for her to see.  She started picking colors, and before you know it she had her color palette ready to go. 

I did the first 3 loops because getting started can sometimes be a little bit tricky, and I did the clasp.  A couple times the thread got tangled and I helped her get it undone.  But other than that she did this entire bracelet all by herself!!!  I am so proud of her.  What a talent she is already at 9 years old.  Can you imagine how good she'll be in a few years?  She's already anxious to learn another stitch.

She chose a 8/0 apple green color for the core bead, then red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink for the twist.  The rainbow colors are size 11/0, except the green that is a 15/0.  She has decided to name her bracelet "Rainbows Over The Hills".  Isn't that a pretty name?  Here are some photos of Sara and her beading.

RAINBOWS OVER THE HILLS

 You can click on the photos for a larger view, too.

And the best part?  She says you can wear it with anything because it's got all the colors!  She's talented and practical! :)

She'll come home and ask me if anyone said anything about her bracelet, so don't be shy...leave Sara a message.

My Project Is Done!!! :D

What does this little daisy clip art have to do with my newest project?  Not much, except maybe that I felt like my latest project really "blossomed".  And, hey, I think it's cute.

Ok, on to my project.  I felt so good making this necklace.  That's what I find so gratifying about beading.  I get to be creative, and it makes me feel good.  It's great therapy.  This piece really flowed for me.  I didn't have to think about it...it just came together.  No forcing it, no second guessing it.  You ever have a great project like that?  I hope to have many more because it was so utterly enjoyable.

The centerpiece is a cab by Beth Evans of Bellesanbeaus on Artfire.  She does amazing work.  It turns out this cab was a little bit of a mistake.  I had asked for shades of blue, but she mistakenly sent me shades of green.  And it's a good thing she intuitively knew exactly what I needed better than I know for myself because the green cab is PERFECT!!!  I also used Nicole Campanella's wonderful-to-work-with Beadbacking.  It's so easy to work with when doing bead embroidery.  You don't have to worry about backing your fabric with lacy's or anything else.  You just bead right on it, you can cut around it in the shape you need, and it won't fray or stretch.  And it's acid free.  PERFECT as well!  You can get Nicole's Beadbacking from her Etsy shop, Beadwright.

Another awesome thing is that I used everything from my stash.  The only thing I bought for this project was the clasp.  The little green cabs Beth gifted me.  That was so nice of her!  Again, she intuitively knew what I needed.  I also mixed in some orange, which is not a color I normally work with.  I find it a very difficult color and orange and I don't play well together.  But this week we called a truce, and look how the orange just shines with the green.  I love the orange lucite flowers that rest near the collar bones.  (They're a little higher on my "model" because he's only 11 and a little smaller than a person it was actually meant to be sized for.)  But Matthew was a good sport and jumped right up when I asked him to model for me.  He's kind of funny because he's in his underwear only and he was real paranoid that I didn't show his boobies in the pics. hahaha.  Kids are fun.

I've never made a necklace where I did bead embroidery and had to put the pieces together.  I wasn't sure how to do that.  Then I remembered the wise words from Robin Atkins, the bead embroidery goddess..."Just do it!"  I don't know how other people do it, but my way seemed to work!  Yea!

Enough, enough already!  I know...let's get on with it!  Ok everyone.  Here are the pics.  I realize that this probably won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for me it's just stunning.  And I guess that's what counts.  Matthew doesn't want me to try to sell it, but he reluctantly said I could lol.  Someday it will find the perfect home.

I originally was going to call it Lush Green, but I just had the idea of Greenman in Springtime.  I've always loved the Greenman, so maybe it's fitting that I make a tribute to him.

Greenman in Springtime

Normally I take my photos in the daytime in a nice shady area to get the beautiful natural light, but I was too anxious to wait until tomorrow to show it off.  I also learned how to do a spiral rope for this necklace.  I was pretty happy with it.  It took the 3rd try to get the color combination I was happy with, and I'm pleased with the way it turned out.  You can click on the photos to see a larger view.  Isn't that face cab fabuloso!?! Comments anyone?

Mother's Day Giveaway

Artbeads.com is having another giveaway.  This time the prize is a big $100 gift certificate!!!  All you have to do is select your favorite item from their Mother's Day selection of suggestions and leave a comment on their blog on what you would do with that item.  To see the rules and links just go HERE.  I really really really want to win, but if I can't I hope one of you do so I can live vicariously through your purchases and projects.  :)

These are just a couple of the many pages of items to choose from.  Good luck!

What a Difference in a Day

Wow.  I have been experiencing two polar opposite ends of the spectrum these last 2 days.  I have been working on a necklace featuring one of Beth's face cabs that I always talk about.  I sat it on my table and started pulling out beads.  I am using some colors that I do not normally use.  That may sound difficult, but I am finding that this piece is practically creating itself.  I have been loving working on it, looking at it, showing my progress to my biggest fans (my kids :).  Matthew loves it so much that he said I have to keep it and not put it up for sale.  The beading has been effortless.  Well, maybe a slight hiccup.  I learned how to do a spiral rope and I had two false starts.  Not on the stitch itself but on the choice of colors for the core and stuff.  The third one was the keeper, but it wasn't even a big deal.  I stitched about an inch each of the first two combinations, so I'm just calling those 2 inches practice.  I can't wait to finish it up and show it off.  But I have to get a clasp for it first.  Could have sworn I had an extra gold-plated clasp in my box, but no.  Plenty of silver plated, but not what I need.  Bummer.

this is how i feel today.  huh?!?!

I went from that extreme of artistic and creative flow to complete and utter confusion.  I have to create something now that is totally not my style.  I've never attempted it or particularly cared for it.  And now I have to make something beautiful.  I have tried looking to my computer and the trusty old Google to find ideas.  I have scoured Etsy looking for inspiration.  Nothing.  Nada.  Blah.  So what do I do?  How do I come up with the perfect idea when I don't even really know what this style is supposed to look like?  I've been giving myself pep talks, telling Me that this is an artistic challenge and I'm stretching my boundaries, spreading my wings.  It's not working.

I know you amazingly talented artists out there in Blogland have had this happen.  I have a mental block and my muse is no where to be seen.  Actually, I think she is still hovering over the necklace I'm so happy with and doesn't want to leave it.  What are your suggestions, ideas, remedies, mental block busting methods of overcoming such a challenge? 

Finished a bracelet

Remember the Wrapped in Red netted collar necklace I did just recently?  I finished the bracelet to go with it.  I had it done except for the clasp for about a week, but I was procrastinating putting the clasp on.  I don't know.  I guess there's just not a lot of fun in putting on a simple clasp.  Had the netting part of the bracelet done in two days.  lol.  Oh well.  It's finally done and here it is... (and btw, if you are interested in the patterns to make my netted necklace or my hematite bracelet, I have them listed in my Artfire shop.)

Out of the Flames Giveaway!

Lori Cook of Out of the Flames has hit a milestone for her blog...150 posts!  To celebrate she is giving away a very lovely set of a bracelet and earrings.  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on her blog, and maybe you'll be the lucky one.

My thought of the day...if the government shuts down this weekend, does that mean there won't be any mail service either?  That could really screw A LOT of people up.  My other thought...I'm super pissed off that Congress will get their checks on time but our servicemen and women won't.  How f'ed up is that???!!!  Ok...enough of politics.  I think it's the very first time I've ever mentioned politics here on my blog, and I probably won't ever do it again.  At least not for a very long time!  Unless they really make me angry again. lol

sharing a giveaway...come look!

As you have read recently, I am delving into the world of polymer clay.  Can I tell you how many times i typed "polymer clay", "polymer clays beads", and all other variations into google?  I found a blog over on Wordpress that has an amazing tutorial series on African Trade Beads with polymer clay.  At the same time my friend Beth kept mentioning the name Marie Segal to me.  Then Marie came and visited my blog here on blogger, so I went and visited her blog (also on Blogger).  Wouldn't you know it???  It's the same blog that is on Wordpress, and even though Beth had mentioned her name several times I didn't make the connection...it was Marie's blog!!!  Then to have Marie come visit my blog in the meantime.  How funny.  Small world!  Anyhoo, on Marie's blogger blog (not Wordpress), she is having a giveaway of one of her pieces she created using her polymer clay canes.  It's really beautiful!  I want to win it for myself, of course, but it's so pretty that I thought you should see it too.  Just go see her on her blogger blog (not the Wordpress one) at Art From My Heart for a chance to win.  And while you're there take a look-see at some of the other wonderful things she has done.  Good luck!

And the winner is....

I wish that I had something to give away to every one of you.  I received such nice comments from so many people and I could tell that a lot of you really did want to win this bracelet.  When I decided to do this giveaway, I wanted it to be something really nice.  I had this cuff listed in my shops for quite a long time.  It got lots and lots of looks, but I'm guessing the price tag must have put people off.  That's when I thought that rather sit and collect dust any longer (don't worry...it's been put away and not really dusty), I'd give it to one of my blogger friends.  The bad news is that there was only one Drops of Honey bracelet.  But the good news?  I've got a couple more cuffs that are sitting in my shops collecting dust.  They will make great giveaways for other milestones, right?  So there will be more chances to win something.

I used a number generator from random.org.  There were 25 entries and on the click of the button, it was number 4.  Congratulations......Mandy!!!!   Mandy is currently on a quest to learn and post something new every day for a year.  Why don't you go visit her blog, Beads for Brains, and take a look at the things she has done.

Last chance to enter my giveaway!

WIN ME!!!

I'm excited about the giveaway.  Remember, if you want to get in on the fun and have a chance to win my Drops of Honey embroidered cuff, deadline is tonight.  So hurry and get your name in the hat.  Go to the previous post for all the details!

I'm also excited about the new things I will be creating soon.  I have decided to jump head first into the pool of polymer clay.  I've seen such amazing things come from polyclay that I wanted to give it a go and see what I can do.  I am in no way, shape, or form talented in the area of painting, so making amazingly painted face cabs like Beth over at Bellesanbeaus is definitely out...but, I think I can mix clays and techniques to make some pretty cool polyclay beads and focals.  I'm hoping the birthday fairie (my daddy) comes this month.  I have on my wish list a pasta machine that I saw at Hobby Lobby, an extruder, some little cookie cutters and, of course, lots of colors of clay.  I bought a few blocks of clay about 2 weeks ago along with some tools and a bead roller.  I learned one important lesson already.  Don't use Fimo Classic!  It is soooooo hard and is nearly impossible to get soft enough to work with.  Fortunately I only bought one of those.

I have 2 books about polyclay beads on order at the library.  One of them came in and I'm going to try to get hubby to take me to the library to pick it up.  I can't drive myself....had a scare yesterday morning.  I got up early and went to the corner store.  I have no a/c so I was driving with the windows down.  I heard a swoosh-swoosh-swoosh sound coming from my tire as I was driving along.  I thought that maybe i need some air in the tire.  They sometimes make that sound if the air is too low.  Went home, got Sami ready for school and was headed out the door to take her to school.  I decided to take another look at my tire.  I bent over, put my hand on the tire as I started looking at it, and OUCH!!!!  Something cut me!!!  Holy crow...my tire is almost shredded!  The wires are coming through and the tire is all cracked around the side wall!!!!  I am sooooo lucky my tire hasn't exploded and come off already!  Especially on the freeway or something.  How dangerous is that?!  So, to make a long story short, I will not be driving my car until we can afford some new tires and I will be depending on my DH to take me where I need to go (I don't drive his van).  Sooooo I am excited about picking up the one book that came in and drooling over the pretties and learning whatever I can.  I will keep you all posted.

Also, I have learned how to make PDF patterns for beadwoven pieces.  I have made a pattern of my Wrapped in Red netted collar necklace and a pattern for my hematite flat spiral bracelet.  If you'd like to take a look, they are in my Artfire shop here.  And, I had some pros review my first patterns.  They were gracious enough to take the time to guide me along, give some critiques and suggestions, etc. to make sure that my patterns are as professional as possible.  Thank you Nicole from Beadwright and Kathy from England!!!  You two were my angels these past few days, helping me with something new.

Ok, kids.  I'm going to head off for now.  I have been rambling today, haven't I? :)  Don't forget...go to the previous post and enter the giveaway if you haven't already!