Just Got 2 Bead

Margie and Me Color Challenge

2011-05-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

Marcie A of LaBellaJoya posts a color challenge on a regular bases, and this is the pallet for the challenge this time. I love the colors in this challenge and I knew as soon as I saw them, what I wanted to create. This is what I created. It is a bracelet that I love. I have also made this in a different color pallet. I just don't have a picture of it yet. I will post one when I get around to taking a picture.

Back on the Wagon

2011-04-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

I guess I sort of fell off the wagon for a few days, but I am back up now.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter for those that believe. Myself, I had a wonderful time. Went to one of my 5 sisters' house for dinner and egg hunt.
I received a phone call early yesterday morning, informing me that my niece had delivered her first baby, a girl named Nola, 8lbs 9oz. Nola was 6 days late in her appearance, I think she will take after her grandma. My sister, is the one in the family that you tell an earlier time to, so she will be on time, you know the type, every family has one LOL. She is very good about getting to work on time, but when it comes to social events, well she is always the last one to show up.
I have finished my piece for Marcie's 'Marge and me challenge'. I finished it a week ago, and I can hardly wait to post the picture of it. I got it finished early, knowing that I would be headed to NC to visit my grand daughter and her family on the 29th. I will take my laptop with me and get it posted to both my blog and to Marcie's blog. If you aren't a follower of Marcie, I will give you a 'feed' to her site when I post the picture. That way you will be able to see all the entries to her challenge. I always have a wonderful time when I do one of Marcie's challenges. She always comes up with some great color schemes.
That is it for today, I can't show my newest yet, so come back on the 30th and I will reveal my challenge piece.
Till then, happy beading.

Day 12

2011-04-20T16:40:00.001-07:00

Only two more days to go. I am going to make the 14 days even if it kills me. LOL
Tonight I am so very tired. I was up at 5am and now I am pooped. I think I will let the show and tell go till tomorrow, and I will post 2 of them.
The weather here in Southeastern Michigan has been seasonally cold. We had snow on Monday and it hasn't gone above the 40's all week. It is normally in the mid 60's at this time of the spring. Looks like we are going to be wearing our winter coats on Easter. :(
I am going to watch American Idol, then hit the sack. 5 am will be early again tomorrow.
Happy Beading, till tomorrow.

Day 11

2011-04-19T20:52:00.001-07:00

I only have 3 more days of my 14 day challenge. So far I have been pretty good, but to tell you the truth, I am running out of things to say. That is something I never thought would happen.
My great grand daughter will be in town for the next 8 days. She is will be spending time with her biological father for Easter break. And because he is single, I will be watching her during the day while he works. I can hardly wait for that. She loves beading with me, so I imagine we will be going through a bunch of my old beads.
Speaking of old beads, here is my Show 'N' tell for today. It is a piece I made, maybe two springs ago. Back in 2009 I entered it in the 'Flower Inspired Challenge' at Beading Daily. I didn't win, but I had a blast making it. Then shortly after the challenge I sold the necklace. The two gals that bought it, also bought everything they needed to make another one. Heard them whisper that they could do some reverse engineering on it, and copy it. I didn't say anything, but they only needed to ask and I would have told them how to go about making one. Wonder if they ever made another.
We are getting an electrical storm, so I need to shut my laptop down.

Till tomorrow,
Happy Beading

Day 10!!!!

2011-04-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

This Monday the 18th and the 10th day of blogging. This morning when I blogged it was about 20 minutes after midnight. I was surprised today to see that it posted as Sunday April 18. It must be that wherever Blog spot is, it isn't in Eastern time zone.
I woke up this morning and all the grass had turned white. So, needless to say I didn't play golf, but neither did anyone else for that matter. We had our meeting, sat and gabbed for a little bit, than all went our separate ways. Next week when our like officially starts, I hope we don't have the white stuff on the ground. Instead of playing golf I went shopping and bought a new TV table. Hubby helped me put it together. Then we had had to rearrange the family room, it looks great. That is everything except my messy work desk. It used to look like this, but now it is such a mess, I won't even share a current picture of the area. I really need to spend some time cleaning the area, but that will mean less beading time. :(
The tray is a former bread tray. It used to have a slatted board that went on top, and that would allow you to cut the bread evenly. Well, it was just the right size for me to use on my lap while I sit in my Lazy Girl chair and beaded. So it was banished form the kitchen to my beading area.

That is my blog for today. I will return tomorrow with a new show and tell.
Till tomorrow, happy beading.

Darn I Missed Day 9

2011-04-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Darned I was going to blog after dinner tonight, but I made a mistake and sat down in my Lazy Girl (AKA Lazy Boy) and I fell asleep. It is now 12:18 am on Monday morning, I missed to blog on the 9th straight day, and I was doing so good. So I guess I will blog now, and again later for a second time on this day.
It was a cold and nasty day again today. I don't know what happened to spring or global warming, but I think it left Southeastern Michigan. They are calling for snow sometime before daylight. I was expecting to play golf this afternoon, but I can see that golf will not happen for me today, if we have snow. I am a fair weather golfer, and snow and fair weather are nowhere near close together in my dictionary.
Okay, here is my show and tell for today. Or I should say my first of two show and tells of the day. This is a ring I made and donated to a silent auction. The auction were run by the teens in our church. They have been profit sharing for the last 3 years, to be able to go to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain this year. It is a 10 day youth rally and the Pope will be there as well. The ring is made of Swarvoski crystals and seed beads. The design was from a web site in Korea. The design called for different beads. I changed it up because I thought that it would be beautiful in crystal, and I was right.

I need to get busy and make some more, or at this rate of 'show and tell' I am going to run out of shows.

Happy beading till later in the day when I will be back to post again.

Day 8 And Still Blogging

2011-04-16T03:52:00.000-07:00

Today is a nasty, rainy day, so it is a good day to sit and just blog.
I have decided, that blogging is way too much fun. I can sit and talk about myself, and what I'm doing, without anyone changing the subject on me. So kool!! And I guess, if you tire of listening to me, and to what I'm doing, you can always just turn me off, I wouldn't even know it. :(

Anyway, today I will be going to my local LBS, to teach a few people how to make my heart link sterling silver bracelet. I offered this class to do on a Saturday early afternoon. Because I have heard so many people express that, they just aren't able to swing a week night class, I decided to try a day time Saturday class. This is the very first weekend class offered at Joan's store. Than yesterday, someone inquired about the class and stated that it would have been better for them in the evening, and asked to be put on the list for a night class for the bracelet. Can't please everyone. I guess, that is why Joan has a hard time filling her classes. Everyone wants, whatever she isn't teaching that week. Anyway, that is what I have planned for this rainy Saturday after noon.
In one of my very first blogs, I posted that I was sort of afraid to post pictures of my things, because of the huge problem with stealing designs off the internet. The world has gotten smaller now, but much larger. Does that make sense? What I mean is. so many more people can view into your windows (excuse the pun for all you MAC users), and steal whatever you have on display. Some people are just not ethical when it comes to the rights of others. I am a firm believer, of the rights of the designer. In fact, the other day I posted about a ring I had made. Well, what you didn't know, is that before I posted that ring to my blog, even though I stitched it myself, I got permission from the designer, Kelly owner of 'Off the Beaded Path'. I called her at 10am that morning, before I ever published that picture. I just didn't want to step on her toes. I must say, she was very nice, and was glad to have me post the picture. I also gave her full credit for the design and gave a hot link to her site. So I just hope that all the people that see my pieces respect my rights and don't copy my pieces. I make pretty much one of a kind pieces, but that is by design. So please respect mine and everyone rights, and come up with your own designs, or get permission from the designer. It is easy and most of them are like Kelly, gracious and willing to share. Okay off my soap box.
TA DA!!! Now for show 'n' tell. This piece is what I made my friend Joan for Christmas. Joan is the owner of my local LBS. The broach is about 2 1/2" - 3" across. I bought the focal piece off of e-bay, therefore I am not positive to just what it is, I just knew it was a stone, and I liked it. I used glass pearls, and Swarovski crystals alone with size 11/0 and 8/0 seed beads. The back is a scrap piece of suede, I bought at Hobby Lobby. The pin is glued to the broach and then the suede is glued to the broach, sandwiching the the pin between, making it very sturdy.
That's my blog for today.
Until tomorrow, Happy beading!

Day 7

2011-04-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am going to have to keep up the blogging. It has been 7 days in a row, so I am on a roll. To today I am going to start out with a quote that I received in my e-mail this morning.
Quote of the day:
'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.'

I thought to myself, how true, how true.
Anyway I am here to show you yet another design. It is a piece I made about 5 years ago. It is a combination of 2 drop peyote and a square stitch. As you can tell my inspiration was the button I used as the clasp. What other does a frog do but jump from one Lilly Pad to another.
Like I said, I did this about 5 years ago, and that was when I was first experimenting with off loom weaving. It has faded a lot since I made it and I will have to redo it. I had used the Toho Treasures in a metallic, and it didn't hold the color very well. I will look around and see if I can find another metallic green that is 'permanent'. Not sure I really trust that word when it comes to metallic seed beads.

The lady that owns the the shop where I will do a wire class, called me yesterday wanting to know the price of the pendent at was hanging on the class wall. I told her that I hadn't priced it out, but it belonged to her. I had used her supplies to create it so it really belonged to her. Well, she sold it for what I thought was under-priced, but it belonged to her. She sold it for $40.00, I would have sold it for a little more, but she is not I. Anyway now I need to make another one for the wall. I will go to the store today to use her supplies and make another similar to that one. Here is the picture of the one sold.

DAY 6

2011-04-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I woke up this morning, with the feeling that I needed to blog. The habit is forming!
Today I will show you something I just made last week. It was one of those things that I just had to do.
I am a self taught beader, and the first stitch I taught myself was the peyote stitch, and I always seem to go back to it when I am frustrated, to no end. It just has a way of making me relax, and forget about the rest of the world. And I just felt the need, to do something I could do in my sleep.
I had these beads for sometime, and when going through all my beads to select the beads, these just spoke to me saying, "use me, use me". :) So I used size 8/0 seeds, 3mm Czech Firepolished, and Swarvoski buttons.
I really didn't know what I was going to create when I selected the beads, I just let them tell me. I guess I may be consider a little crazy listening to what beads have to say :). This is what I came up with.
I didn't put the fringe in the under part of the closure, to not have extra bulk there. I have to say, I am well pleased with the results.

Wow, Day 5 of my Challenge to Blog Everyday.

2011-04-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Here I am again, and it day 5 of my challenge to blog everyday for at least two weeks, to set a habit.
Today I will share with you a ring I made. I got the directions from 'Off The Beaded Path' in Forest City NC. I did change the shank from what she did, but she said to put the kind of shank on it that you wanted. If you are interested in this ring you can go here and watch the video. When you go to this site, on the left side of the screen you will see a box that says You-Tube. Click on it and she has several different videos. This ring is called 'Oval Ring'. I did change the base beads from a clear Fire Polished to a color closest to your crystals. That way they really become invisible.
So I must stay within copyright rules and tell you I made the ring, but the designer was Kelly at Off The Beaded Path. Thank you Kelly for the tutorial video.
I just now noticed a mistake on the ring base. So don't look too close. LOL Now everyone will be examining the ring base to see my mistake. I am human I make mistakes, but most of the time I can fix it. I just didn't notice it till I posted the picture LOL.

Wow! day 4 and I'm still blogging.

2011-04-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am again. Making good on my promise to keep bogging.
Today I am going to share with you some thoughts about my Great Grand Daughter. Yes, that would be the oldest child of my Grand daughter.
Now, she is 7 going on 16. What a hoot she is. She is extremely bright, just like her Mom. Not to mention cute as a bug. Although she is only in the 1st grade she is reading at a 6th grade level. Says she wants to be the President when she grows up. I see Harvard in her future.
Now she has always been very athletic. She was climbing the rock wall at the park since she was 3 years old.
Well, yesterday in gym class, her teacher told the class that they were going to climb the robes as high as they could. She than, told her teacher, well that will be a piece of cake. LOL Then her teacher just had to ask her, why she thought that climbing the robes was going to be a piece of cake. She replied, that it was because, she was half girl and half monkey. The teacher than turn to say something to someone else, and when she turned back, my little monkey was at the top of the ropes.
When I talked to her on the phone this morning, she said after she got to the top of the rope, she looked down and actually got a little scared. I asked what she did when she got scared, and she replied, I just closed my eyes for a moment and told myself I could make it down, not to worry.
Tomorrow I will share with you another of my pieces I have made.
Cheers, and happy beading.

Day 3

2011-04-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my third day in a row for posting on my blog. I can tell, I am already feeling the habit in the making.
I promised last night that I would be back, and post before 10:30 pm. Well it's 11:52 am so I made it with flying colors.
I will show you three pieces of wire wrapping that I did. I have been dabbling in wire sculpture for a little while now, but up till the last few pieces, I didn't think they where good enough to show off. So what do you think of these three pieces? The second piece may look like gold, but it was actually done in Sterling Silver like the first one. This third piece is done in copper wire. I was able to buy some square, and half round copper wire and I just had to give it a try.
Happy beading till tomorrow.

Sunday, second day in my making of a habit.

2011-04-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful and warm day. I meant to blog earlier this evening, but things got in the way of what I wanted to do.
I want to show you another item I made, I made it in February, I just never got around to posting it here on my blog spot. This is actually my third embroidery piece. It really was fun and I am learning more with each new piece I make. I named it 'Midnight Surf '.
I have started a new one, a pendent, but I haven't gotten too far on it, I sort of got bored with it to some degree. I will finish it when I decide what type of necklace I will attach it to.
Okay, I will see you again tomorrow. Hopefully before 10:30 pm. I will have to dig up yet another design to show you tomorrow. I have plenty that I have finished lately.
Night all, and happy beading.

How time flies by

2011-04-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been so long since my last post.
Although I haven't made an appearance here in a while, I have been very busy making things to add to my blog spot.
This is just one thing that I have been busy with. I will be teaching a wire work class at Raisin River Beads on the 16th of this month. That is if I get some students. I have one that has prepaid for the class and I will give her my all if she is the only one that shows up. Here is the picture of the bracelet I will teach.
Back in February we had a ice storm that played havoc with our power. We lost power for 3 days, and when it came back on I had lost my large screen TV, the digital controls for my oven, a portable DVD player, which my grandson was watching at the time of power outage. And the worst lost was the hard drive in my desktop computer. All my written directions for anything I ever designed was written up on that computer. So I had to sit down and rewrite the directions for this bracelet. What a drag, I actually had to redo the whole process, to make sure I had all the measurements correct. That will teach me not to have a hard copy of everything I do.
I have lots more to show you, but I will add a little each day. That way I will have something to say tomorrow. And who knows if I can blog each day for two weeks that should set a habit.
So see you tomorrow with something new and exciting.
Hmmm, what will I post a picture of next?
Till tomorrow.
Bead happy!!

Sorry I haven't been around lately.

2011-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

I haven't been here in awhile and I apologize to my followers. I guess I need to try harder to be a good blogger.
Since my last blog I have been very busy getting caught up with things I had commissioned. I was commissioned by the church I attend to make two covers for the wedding chairs. After putting that off for a while, I finally got around to cutting them out. Then I was on Motrin for a week, because I only had my floor to cut the pieces out on. Well, to make a long story short, no 65 year old should every get on the floor to do such a thing. I messed my back up and had a terrible time getting up off the floor. I don't have a picture of them, but they turned out really well.
Then I had a couple of pieces I was making for charity that had a deadline to finish.

It's done!!

2010-12-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have finally finished the Christmas gift I was making for our Priest. It has taken me about 60 hours. Fr. Rooney's cross is about 10.5 x8.5, so it is of substantial size. I have been asked if it could be sewn on a Vestment. I said I could tack it on so that it can be removed for cleaning. However until the new Vestment is purchased, the piece has been put in a frame.
The cross took me so much time that I haven't time to finish the project for the Associate Pastor. However I will finish his, and just give it to him as soon as I finish. The Associate Pastor is from Cameroon, so I am making him his native flag with a cross below it. It is about the size of a checkbook.
So here is the monster project. Next years gift, is getting started the day after Christmas 2010.

Only two days left.

2010-12-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

I am nearly finished with my biggest beading project for Christmas. I will post a picture of it later tonight.
I have lots of things to get done today, but later I will post the picture of it.It is huge and has taken $96.00 in beads and about 60 hours to complete.
I already have plans for what I am making next year for this person. I just hope he likes what I have made for him.
Anyway I have to run, I must get to the church to prepare for tonight.
See you later tonight.

One down and a lot to go!!!

2010-12-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

My friends mother picked out a nice stone and my friend asked me if I could wire wrap and make it into a pendent. Of course I told her that I could and this is what I came up with. It is a Christmas gift for her mother. She liked it so well that she paid me almost double what I asked for the job. What do you all think? It is done in Sterling Silver wire.

It's December 12!!!!

2010-12-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Where did November go? It seems like just yesterday I was enjoying a turkey dinner.
I have tons of things to finish up before Christmas, and only 13 days left. Yeks!!!
I have at least 3 more things to finish, and a couple of parties to attend. How did I do it when I was still working?
I guess when one is working a 40 hour week, they manage their off time better. I had heard so many times before I retired, that others didn't know how they ever had time for a job. Well, I fully understand that statement now. It seems like the day just flies by. Up by 7:30 nap at 1:30 for a couple of hours, and to bed by dark. Just kidding. I sometimes gets to sleep in, but I am never in bed before midnight. Now I may take a nap or two, in my chair, but I earned it.I worked outside the home for some 40+years. Time to take it easy. Easy? when? how? where?
Sorry, I have to run lots to do. I will fill you in on the finished items as I get them done.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone,

2010-11-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

I hope you all are spending time with family and friends. For those in other countries that don't do Thanksgiving, I just wish you a happy healthy day.
I only have to watch my hubby cook the turkey to take to my sisters for dinner. I come from a fairly large family, 5 sisters, and we still all spend the Holiday together. At the last family function I believe there was something like 74 family members there. That is just my sibling, and spouses, their children, the children of their children.and for some us older members of this family it would include, children of our children, and the children of their children. Does that make sense? It does get confusing even for us. LOL In other words, starting with my 92 yr old Mother, 5 generations.
We each bring a dish to pass, and we always have way too much food. Mom, will bring her much loved cake, I am taking the turkey and a couple of lemon meringue pie, and maybe a cappuccino cake. My sister Patti is supplying the house, mashed potatoes and Polish sausage, Terry will bring the veggie tray with dip and a Pumpkin roll, Jill will bring her much loved veggie pizza, and an Angle Food cake.
There is always a game of Rummikub and a table or two of euchre going on for hours. And of course a lot of catching up even thought we are all very close.
The guys will all be watching the football games, and the girls will be in the kitchen cleaning up. Mom will go home early, she doesn't like being out too late. Most of us will stick around way too long, just because we ate too much and find it difficult to move too soon.
I will try and write again, if not tomorrow than Thursday.

Annual craft show was today.

2010-11-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Today was my annual once a year craft show. Although I made more than enough to pay for my booth and eat lunch, the monies floating around today was less than years past. I did however have a wonderful thing happen to me.
I took with me some of my jewelry art pieces that I had made, and my niece some wonderful metal enameling that she hand cut form copper. I knew from doing this craft show for the last 5 or 6 years that a piece of art jewelry with a price tag of $250.00 would never sell, and it would be a waste of table space, but I thought it would be a good show stopper, and did it ever pay off big time to our advantage. It was well into the show when a youngish couple (youngish is anyone under say 35) stopped at my table, and spent some time looking and asking about the pieces on our table. After a short time they told me that they were from the Collingwood Art Center, and that they were having an ART festival in February, and that they thought that our pieces would fit right in with the type of show that they organize, and asked if we (my niece and I) would be interested in doing the festival. Now all we are doing is waiting for the invitation to arrive via e-mail. I am so excited, I have never been invited to Art festival before. I am so on cloud nine right now.
Now I really have to get busy a step up my art work. I have a couple of other embroidery cuffs drawn in my sketch book. One with several turquoise cabochons, I only like making something once so all my designs are one of a kind.
Thanks for listening to ramblings.

The Very First Bead Embroidery.

2010-11-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

I made this piece taking me the better part of 5 weeks. I bought the stones from a vender that comes to the store. I fell in love with the unakite aknew right away what I wanted to do with it.
I went home got my sketch pad and pencil out and processed to put on paper what was in my head.
As I started beading I lost sight of my sketch, it just sort of took on a life of its own. The only thing that resembles my sketch is the placement of stones and the copper sequins. The beads and the colors never changed, but boy did the design change.
I really could use the same sketch for another cuff and no one would know the difference. Anyway it was really funny, how no matter how much I wanted to get back to the original design I just continued to go the way the bracelet told me.
On the brooch I had no sketch just what I had envisioned in my head. I just glues the main stones or beads and started beading.
I wonder what will talk to me next? I have a few turquoise cabachons that I bought from the same vender as the unakite. Although I also have a design sketched for them, I doubt they will turn out to look like the sketch. I guess if it turns out okay I shouldn't ask, just go along with the flow.

My Margie and Me design.

2010-11-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

I was able to do a challenge with Marcie Abney this last week. She gave us a pallet to using a beaded item design. I instantly loved the colors and had a pretty good idea what I wanted to do with them. I started right away and finished on Thursday, just in time to post it on BD on Friday morning before I went to work. Here is my design. Now give me a break this is only my second bead embroidery I have ever done.
I will post my first ever embroidery later tonight or tomorrow evening.

I'm back

2010-11-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

Well, its been sometime since I last updated here. I will try and do better in the future.
Since I last posted I have become a great grandma again. This is number 6. We now have 3 girls and 3 boys. I would say it is time to stop, we have an even number of the sexes.
Anyway #6 made her debut just in time for trick or treat. She was born at 7:23 on October 31. weighting in at 5lbs 6oz and 17 inches long. She is a peanut. A real cutie.

Here is what some of you have asked for.

2010-05-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked me to post pictures of some of my pieces. So I thought since I had a little time on my hands, while at the repair shop I would do just that.

This first piece is a piece I made several years ago for my craft sales inventory. It is made up of faux leather cord with gold plated chain, and Swarvoski Padpardscha crystals.
This is yet another inventory piece. made with gold thread rutilated quarts and MOP disks, and handmade sterling silver clasp.
This necklace was a very early piece that I used seed beads in. It is a green Aventurine chips and donut. Did a peyote bail with Delicas.
This was a piece I did several years ago, I entered it into a local bead store design contest. And to my surprise, it won first place, and I received a $10.00 in store gift cert. This was before I was using Fireline, and about a month or so ago, I discovered that the nymo was coming loose, what a heartache. Now I have to redo it, to make sure it doesn't fall completely apart. What a bummer to put so much time into a piece to have to redo it.
This piece, was one of my very first pieces using a free form style of wire wrapping. It really turned out pretty good, although this picture doesn't show the sterling silver as being as shinny as it was. I used a (I believe) red poppy jasper and a carnellian leaf bead, as a pendant.

This as close as I come to asymmetrical. I just like things that look even on each side. Hymm , sorry it's just me. I made this with both green and blue f/w pearls, some glass beads, some natural stones, and a MOP leaf, along with some sterling silver bead caps. Oh yea, and some Swarvoski crystals as well.
This piece, is a piece I worked on for some time. It was a piece of triangle shaped shell. It came dilled from side to side, near the top, but I needed the hole larger. I wanted to put the sterling silver wire through it and hang, from it a dangle with some jade and peridot on it.
This recycled glass bead necklace was a commissioned piece for a beach wedding. I also made earrings to match. The wedding was a barefoot occasion in Hawaii.
This is one of my very first pieces of peyote stitch. I used two different sizes, not because I knew better, but because, I used what I had on hand. LOL. It turned out pretty good, considering I was doing this by the scuff of my neck. Didn't have a pattern, and didn't know exactly where I wanted to go with the design. It is adjustable, by the little gold band that goes across, just about 4 inches form the bottom.
These earrings were a special request for a co-worker. She never came up with the money, so I still own them.
This was a commissioned set for a fall wedding. It was her forth wedding so she was wearing a beige suit, and wanted something to stand out. She bought the Swarvoski Squares and some gold plated delicas, and the gold choker. Gave it all to me and said, " make something unique and special for a fall wedding". This is what I came up with.

This piece was a challenge for me. I first, fell in love with the focal piece, and had to come up with something that would set it off. I was stumped, but a fellow beader suggested, that I should put a bunch of color related beads into a baggie, and let them marry for a while till I was happy with them. I did, and everyday I would pull them out and look at them. After, I think maybe a month, I finally was happy with the marriage and put it all together. And you now see the end results. That was about 3 or four years ago. I have never forgotten that lesson.

So now you have seen a lot of my work. Most of these have sold since I made them sometime ago, however there are still a few of these pieces availible if you are interested. Just hoping!!!!
Anyway I would like to hear what you all think, Have I an outside chance, as a jewelry artist?

My car is done, I will post this later this after noon , from home.

My good news

2010-05-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

Just have to share some good news. I sold a necklace on Sunday to a total stranger that happened to fall in love with the piece. I also sold three pairs of earrings and a bracelet to a couple of my golf buddies.
Here is what I sold. The necklace is a gold filled wire wrapped Ocean jasper, on a spiral rope.
This next piece is a bracelet made in the hugs and kisses design. I am not sure who designed this, however whoever did I would like to give them the credit for the design. This isn't the exact bracelet, the I sold was brown pearls with gold seed beads and Swarvoski Padparadscha bicones. It also had a Dragonfly toggle in a gold tone.

These are the earrings I also sold.

And because I had to have to have a brake job done on my car today, that couple of sales helped me pay the mechanic. $296. and half was covered by the sales.

I am back.

2010-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have been really under the weather. I have had a real bad sinus infection, and just now getting back to my blog.
What has been going one other than my health. I was given the title of ' designer' by the owner of the store I work at two days a week at. When I went to work on Friday, I found a package on the counter with a note saying " Sue this is for you." It was four boxes of business cards with my name and under that the title ' Designer'. Boy, was I surprised to say the least. I never had a hint that she had ordered these.
Yesterday I finally able to get out with my golf league. I won't talk about how bad I played, I will just say I enjoyed the fresh air and the company of my golf buddies.
I often sell my things to my golf buddies. They are some of my best customers, and are always eager to see what I have new. Well, to make a long story short, one of my friends asked me if I would get together several things, for her to setup in her husbands law office. She has done this before and I really make a bit of money. She enjoys doing it and I always reward her with several pieces made especially for her. She is such a sweet heart. When I went to the office with my plastic shoebox full of my makings, I was able to meet several of the office staff. I was very pleased to hear things like, " I am so glad to finally meet the 'jewelry lady' " and "I love the things I bought the last time and I am so glad I get a chance to buy more". I am so thankful for having such wonderful friends.
I have a couple of new designs I am working on, and I promise I will post some of my designs here, on my blog when I get a chance to do so. Although I have read horror stories of some designs being stolen from peoples blog site. I don't understand why people what to do such a thing. I guess, they just don't have their own ideas, so they have to steal from someone else .
Today I am heading out to Harbor Freight to scout the store to see what I can find to add to my jewelry workshop. I am going to buy the metal stamping set. They are on sale for $4.99 this week. I called the store yesterday to make sure that they had some in stock. So while I am there I will walk the isles to see what else I can find. I love thinking outside the box. I am also going to stop at Lowes. I was there a couple of weeks ago and had an idea when I see this one item in their many handy isles. I will post a picture of what I find, and what I do with it.
The other day I was on my way to my youngest son's business when I see a 'garage sale' sign. Well I stopped and didn't see too much, till I spotted a box full of wire. It was full of several different types of wire. Doorbell wire, telephone wire, speaker wire, and so forth. I spotted one small bundle of wire. I am not sure what type of wire it was, other than it was copper, and was a double wire wrapped in white plastic. I could see that it was two solid core copper wires and according to the writing on the white plastic, it was 18 gauge. The gentleman wanted $13 for the whole box, so I asked him if he would take 25 cents for the one piece of wire. He said he would, so I quickly handed him a quarter. I told him he could still sell the rest of the box for the $13 and he smiled. I am so pleased with the wire. I haven't had time, as of yet to strip it and do some twisting, which I so want to get the time to do. I love working with copper wire. I most often buy my copper wire from HomeDepot, it is fairly inexpensive and I can buy the size and length that I want.
I am off to do some hardware shopping <> it all goes into my studio, who would have guessed.

Babies, babies, and more babies

2010-04-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

This week, I haven't gotten much done, except help my niece with with her new set of twins. It wasn't the twins I was there for, as much as the other two children. Because my niece had a c-section she isn't allowed to pick up the older two, one will be 3 in July, and the other is 14 months. So we have been just a little busy.
This afternoon my granddaughter, came over and held the babies for awhile. We had a good time just holding and snuggling with the little ones. I love babies, there is just something special about the way their hair smells, and the softness of their little hands.
Tomorrow, I have a peyote beading class to teach, and I am not even ready to do it. It isn't that I have a lot to prepare for it, its' just that, I haven't even written the directions yet. It is just the basic stitch that I am teaching, but I like to have a handout of the directions for the students to take home with them. I am not sure yet, if she is bringing her own directions, that she want me to help her with, or if she is coming with no set idea of what she wants to make.
I don't mind teaching a basic class, in fact I would rather teach a basic class to the customer, before they come and what to make a bracelet or necklace of a stitch, they haven't a clue how to do. It just takes from the rest of the class, if I have to teach the basic class to one student, before she understands what to do, in order to keep up with the rest of the class. If I am going to teach say, 6 people how to make a peyote tube necklace, I would want everyone in the class to have a basic knowledge of peyote. If it is private class than I don't care, however it is better if they have basic knowledge, that way, they would have a better chance of completing the piece in class.

Welcoming 1st post

2010-04-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is my very first blog, so I guess I will start out by telling you a little about myself.
I am a retired tailor, or as I prefer to be called, an alteration specialist. So now instead of sewing clothes, I sew beads.
I have been married to my husband for 46 years come July 25, 2010. Now if you are thinking, that is a long time, you are right. It sometimes seems like 146 years. However I have to admit it has been a pretty good 46 years for the most part.
For 22+ years my husband supported myself and our two sons, with his career in the USAF. We traveled around the world, living in Europe for about 7 years. 3 1/2 in Germany and 3 1/2 in The Netherlands. The rest of the years we were mostly stationed in the Good Ole U.S.A., Oregon, Texas, Arizona, Texas again, and Florida. Hubby also did his time without the family. He spent 1 year in Goose Bay Labrador, and a year in Vietnam.
After hubby's retirement from the USAF we moved back to our home state of Michigan. After securing jobs we settled in a small town in Southeast, Michigan. We have been in this house for the last 23 years. I had never spent that long in any one house before in my life. And I have to say I am getting itchy feet to move. But I have too many beads to want to move anytime soon.
Our children are now grown, and have provided us with 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. They all live in Toledo, Ohio , just across the state line, so we see them on a regular bases.
In the weeks to come I will try to post some pictures of my newest creation. And keep you informed as to my the things at my web store. http:www. justgot2bead.webs.com