Time for Tiny

Tiny Diamond Back Terrapin

It's Spring!

So of course,most jewelry designers are working on Summer!!!

To me Summer means,beach,ocean and scuba diving.

I have my favorite Summer bead themes:

starfish,angelfish ,shell fairies and sea turtles.

I am compelled to add detail to my beads.

Adding detail tends to make my designs grow very large.

I really do love making and wearing large beads.

All the better to create a bold statement piece my dear!

I have thought from time to time of making some much smaller pendants.But somehow,I never find much extra time to explore "new".

Recently my daughter began volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation facility .

This week she texted me a photo of the smallest critter she helps care for.

It's a teeny diamondback terrapin. Diamondbacks are the official state reptile of Maryland .Their shell patterns are Amazing !

This little guy took a wrong turn when he hatched . He will be allowed to grow a bit larger before he can safely released.  I apologize for the photo .I am not very savvy with phone to blog picture transfers

While I was being awed and amazed at the wonderful little turtle ,
my muse began shouting in my ear.
"HELLO ...Great tiny turtle here...make tiny turtles...NOW!!!"
When my muse gets inspired she will not shut up !
Might as well stop everything and go with the flow .
This week I made tiny turtles!
I did tweak the design inspiration  and make mine sea turtles
Since they were small ,I decided they worked well as beads.
I added a hole instead of a wire loop .Now they can be added to necklaces or bracelets  as unexpected components. Or by adding an eye pin and looping it, they work as a simple pendant

I am so thrilled to be able to follow the progress of this tiny turtle.
I am so thrilled to have had  this tiny unexpected inspiration.
this week
watch out for unexpected little inspirations
and

Bead Happy!  

m.e.

Trees and Taxes

Cheery Cherry

This week in Washington D.C. the Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom.
Not all the news from Washington makes us happy
But, word that the Cherry Blossoms are putting on a show, does bring a smile .
It might be a good thing that tax time arrives in  the Spring.
If I had to do my taxes during the gray, dreary days of winter I would be double depressed !
The newly emerging  flowers put me in a joyful mood. I feel like  the poet Wordsworth "And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils."  

Unfortunately,tax time does NOT put me an a joyful mood .
It does NOT make me feel like dancing ..unless you remember  doing  the "Stomp"
This blog aims to be light hearted. I won't even begin to discuss personal issues about how my meager tax dollars are being spent .
It's bad enough just filling out  the forms and doing the math .
All those "easy" to do online programs just add to my aggravation.
If they are soooo easy why do they give me a headache ?
It's not like I have a complex portfolio of investments to sort out .
I have a teeny income from my day job and a microscopic income form my ETSY shop !!!
 How difficult can that be to document ???
I keep all my receipts.......somewhere....
I fill out my fancy on-line spread sheets .....sometimes..... 
I do not want to compute cost of goods or shipping expenses.
I want to play with clay!!!
I want to make fun flowers not deal with funds and fees!!!

I  think most people who have a hobby /addiction to making and selling, could do without the paper work .
 Artist and accountant are not often housed in the same body !
There is an art to keeping expenses balanced on the spread sheets.
There is an art to keeping beads balanced on the jewelry designs.
The skills are similar.But, not the same!
For me balancing the beads is a challenge ,balancing the books is a  chore.
If the IRS calls ...I'm going to tell them to take a stroll along the tidal basin  and enjoy the Cherry blossoms .
I have beads to make.......
booking keeping will keep until the  blush of  Spring is over
this week
try not to  stress the bookwork
just
Bead Happy,

m.e.

Pausing to Explore Social Networking

Paws at the Keyboard

Today I'm taking a pause from beads.
All week I have  been thinking about the vast wilderness of social networking .
Soooo many opportunities ...Sooo little time!
 I believe all the available venues give us a valuable chance to interact with like minded people.
We can have some serious discussions and a few laughs too!
We can learn about anything and everything ,shop til we drop and advertise our own creations.
But, how to use these opportunities ???

Trying to figure them all out gives me a  Headache!
My co -workers are huge fans of Facebook.
Every fact and photo of their lives seems to get posted there.
We even have a page for our hospital !
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jarrettsville-Vet-Center/189810707709994
 I know many people swear by Facebook  as an adverting tool .
 I set up a business page a long time ago .But, I just don't seem to be able to figure out how to use it to advantage. I would very ,very be happy for suggestions!

I also have explored Twitter.  But, I don't think I have time or inclination to tweet regularly.
Recently I discovered Pinterest .
ETSY makes it beyond easy to use. I have to admit ,I find it addicting!
I am always finding great new things on ETSY .
 Now I can share them by "pinning'.
I am also finding that other peoples"pins" are a great source of inspiration.
Plus ,I've found some items that I really,really  need ...LOL!!!
I am still trying to learn about Pinterest.
Yikes !!! they made some changes today !!!
If you use it ,let me know so I can look you up.

 ETSY forums and  the world of blogs are great for  networking too .
I do visit the forums .But, rarely ..OK..never comment.
Sometimes the discussions get a little heated!
I  am a  confessed blog addict .I'll admit, I am remiss at commenting there as well .
 But, I do read my favorites regularly .I am sad when good ones disappear( I miss you ChiliCats and  Lanyardlady).
I am inspired and educated by all the  beautiful bloggy  beadiness  out there!
I here by promise to try to make more comments ,so that  people will know I'm  interested in what they have to say. Because I truly am !

The thing I need most of is time ...
time for blogs,time for beads, time to stop and smell the roses.....
This week I am revisiting  /rethinking the world of  social networking .
I am trying to discover which forums give me best personal value for time spent there.
For now Pinterest seems to be the best bargain for me.
This week
enjoy your favorite computer connections
and
Bead Happy!

m.e.

March ABS

lettre d'amour

Time for the March ABS challenge !

this month's inspiration is  Le Moulin a Poivre by Vincent Van Gogh

 http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-monthly-challenge.html

Wonderful muted colors with pops of bright red and  blue!

some great graphic shapes there too

However, I was immediately  struck by the subject matter.
Maybe because Spring is right around the corner

Springtime in  France ,ah sweet romance ..........

A while ago ,I purchased a roll of amazing cotton ribbon .
It is a soft white, printed all over with French phrases and postmarks . Perhaps from love letters...
See the couple in the painting ? They look a bit older to me.
 Are they strolling  arm in arm ,remembering  the love letters they exchanged when they were young?
I was swept away by  my imagination
I added a few hearts and some blue bell blossoms .
What is romance without flowers !
To show show off my prized ribbon, I  tied a big bow.
The shape seems to reflect the windmills.
Why did I add the bee ? for Napoleon of France ,
for my own shop name ,for the Buzz of a new romance...LOL!
Must I be totally honest?
I used it 'cause it's cute,matches the copper chain and balances the teeny blue hearts!!!
Not every element has to be significant does it ?

This is just a simple Springtime design  .
A little something easy breezy  to wear when the weather grows warmer.
I am far too involved speculating about the story of the people in the painting ,than to dwell on the elements of my design....
I like to think my necklace tells the the story of their love.....

This week let your creations

tell a story
and Bead Happy

m.e.

Soup's on

Nassau  Memory

Sad news : my name wasn't drawn for Bead Soup Party #5

Glad News: I can still savor the delicious bowls of soup creations !
 
On a personal note,this week I had to have my old ticker checked out. 

I find stress tests stressful! And who invented the term "minimally invasive"? If I have something stuck into my body I really feel invaded !

Thankfully the tests proved my heart to be healthy.
I feel truly blessed . More good news , red wine and dark chocolate are deemed good for the heart .I can follow my doctor prescribed diet and  still have quality  meals... LOL!!!! 

I do want to  apologize for not making comments on the ABS blog tour this month.There were some wonderful entries!
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-03-01T06:00:00-05:00&max-results=7
I apologize in advance for not making comments on the Bead Soup blogs . 
I have a had very weary week. But, I will check out all the soups!
No matter how long it takes me!!!

For my photos this week I chose two of my favorite memory creations.
These 2 pieces are made with treasures my daughter and I collected on vacation last summer. 
They each include a wonderful bottle cap bead made for us by Glass Garden Beads.http://www.glassgardenbeads.com/    

My heart  really  needed a bit of boosting this week .
Some heart warming memories where just the thing.
I am always collecting tiny treasures from life's special moments. 
If I can make a hole it something, it can become a bead.
If something can become a bead ,I can make it into jewelry .
That makes my Heart Happy!
I'm off to visit Lori Anderson's blog hop ,

 http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

this week enjoy some Soup
and  
Bead Happy !

m.e.

Summer Time