Birthday Girl

This week I turned 68 ! I celebrated with a BIG chocolate fudge cake and these beautiful Roses.
I especially love the vase. My cats can't figure out how tip it over .....yet. Some people reflect  on their hopes ,dreams and goals  at the end of the calendar year.
On my birthday I always spent time contemplating where I've been and where I hope to go .
This year I'm still busy with my polymer clay .
I'm still happy making my flowers.But ,I have added many more toggles to my shop.
I started my Pairs for Paws project at the Veterinary Hospital where I work

I've lost count of the  number of  earrings I've made.
All the profits from the sales,go to our local animal rescue

http://www.nokillharford.org/

For years I have only sold beads on ETSY.
All of my ABS creations I keep for myself . My other jewelry desings are made as gifts or for private sales. However,I found I really enjoyed making simple earrings .
I decided to open a shop just for earrings and use the profits to purchase supplies for Pairs for Paws
I am having fun with my second shop and have made a few sales !

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hyacinthsbyme

Full time job ,two ETSY shops and my rescue project keep me VERY busy
But, I would rather be busy than bored !

I don't foresee any more major craft/art projects in the coming year
But ,you never know ..so many beads ...so little time
I would like to try working with metal . I love the look of etched pieces.

I could probably give up housework all together and gain some extra  time .

Happy Birthday to me .
Happy Birthday  to all my fellow Leos
even if it's not your birthday month
have a  great August
and Bead Happy

m.e.

August ABS

Love Endures

Time for the August ABS challenge 

http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/08/august-monthly-challenge.html
All can say is COLOR !!!  I Love the strong deep colors in this painting.
I love how the hues bleed and blend into each other.
It always delights me to note how one dimensional swaths of paint can create the illusion of  texture.
My inspiration  this month  reached out and grabbed me !
My design was going to be all about the colors and perceived textures.
I  decide to concentrate on the beautiful red and purples. I used a blend to create a few beads and a heart toggle. Why a heart ? Because I was wondering about the three people in the painting.
What could be their story ?
Perhaps a  tale of love ? Love with all its ups and downs ,joys and sorrows .
Normally I have all of my components picked before I start .
But, this month I was over eager to play with my clay.
So I had a beginning .But, I had no end plan .
I had no "go with beads"picked out
Off to my  bead stash boxes ,to search for something with rugged texture to complement my red and purple beads.
Ah ha ! The perfect  thing ....rough cut pyrite cubes. They seem to reflect both the gold and the black in the painting!
How do they do that ?
I had just enough to make a bracelet . Not a design about innocent romantic love.
Instead this piece is about all the nicks and knocks love may bring us .

Maybe a more realistic outlook than pretty pastel hearts and flowers.

Either way

this week celebrate Love 

and Bead Happy ,

m.e.

Magical Moments

Muse Magic

This week was a hot one in Maryland .
We had that  Summer Season  Sauna weather.  
Life seemed to progressing in slow motion .
I think the inspiration part of my brain melted.
My muse was no where to be found. She was probably  sitting in the shade sipping a  cold drink .
No beadie ideas popped into my head ,no blog topics either .
Honestly ,I had just about decided to skip both beads and blog today.
I poured a third cup of coffee, decided to water my plants,and
whoooa !!!!
Overnight an AMAZING mushroom appeared in one of my orchid pots!
Awesome color ...Awesome texture !!!
Even a heat  addled brain has to be inspired by this cool little fungus .
I have no idea why it decided to grow right now . That orchid has been in the same spot for 3 years!  Most of my collection summer outside . But , I keep a few on the kitchen windowsill all year.
I have no idea what type of  mushroom it is .My Goggle research came up with "Leucocoprinus Birnbaumii ".  Does anybody out there recognize it ?
I 'm not sure if people who are not artist/makers actively seek out inspiration.
But, I'm fairly sure my beadie buddies are always on the hunt for new ideas to play with.
We visit real and virtual places just hunting for that next design or color combo .
Sometimes the inspiration is visual,sometimes its just the feel of a place ...even a sound or smell can inspire. I do get good ideas when I am activly searching .
However ,once in a while an idea comes to me when I least expect it !
Suddenly  I notice ..Wow.. that's an interesting  color ... look at that  unusual shape ...

I  don't know how  or why  that  mushroom popped up just when I needed a nudge.
I suspect it  has to do a bit of Midnight Muse Mischief
Hope this week you find some
Muse Magic inspiration of your own
and I hope you
Bead Happy,

 m.e.

Benefit of Summer Rain

July is half way over.! The older I get, the faster time seems to fly by.
When I was a child most moms were stay at home moms.
Summer vacation was a unstructured holiday for children .
We  did ,of course, take a few "lessons".
Some of my friends took piano or ballet .
Most of us us went to "dancing class "to learn basic ballroom dance and a few "party "manners. We also went to camp ...maybe a week at girl or boyscout camps or  a week at summer"bible school".
But, we did not have the very organized summer days my grandchildren and their friends have.
Since most moms now work,many children spend the week at day camps.Their summers are filled with all sorts of wonderful and interesting opportunities to learn new skills. They seem to be bubbling over to share all this knowledge. And for the most part I'm all for it . 
But,I do get nostalgic for those long summer days with"nothing to do ".
We made up our own games and adventures.We read books in the shade on hot afternoons .We caught lightening bugs when the sun went down . I wish I still had those carefree days with nothing to do .

Usually by mid July  Maryland  has begun a summer drought . But,the spring rains never seem to have left our area . The good news ...the flowers and vegetables are growing great ! The bad news... the weeds are growing great too!
However ,there is an unexpected bonus. Because it's too wet to work in the garden, I have some extra hours to do whatever I wish . My time with "nothing to do " has been filled with my grown up version a of games and adventures .I've been playing with clay and trying new techniques .
I'm even venturing into an imaginary jungle called Facebook ...will I ever be able find my way around?
This week I hope you can find some time to play
and
Bead Happy ,

m.e.

ABS July

Berry Breezes

It's time for the July ABS challenge
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-monthly-challenge.html

When I design my piece for the monthly ABS challenge, I usually I go on first impressions.
This month I was immediately drawn to the floral patterns on the black background .
I had decided to translate that  part of the painting into a bib style necklace.
But, I took a moment and thought again....
I  keep my monthly ABS creations to wear myself.
I love the idea of designing  something just for fun .
If the piece will be just for me,I don't have to give the slightest thought to function. I can just play !
I have a Summer party to attend next weekend.
It's my grandson's sixth birthday !
I wanted to wear something light and airy ...something Summer fresh and breezy .
Serious jewelry seems out of place at a six year old's Birthday celebration
My idea for a mostly black bib necklace just wouldn't  work for next week. I did want something new to wear.
So, back to that drawing board in my brain .............
I printed this month's painting ,added a few design notes and tucked it into my inspiration journal .
I'd save that idea for another day .
For now I'd make a more playful piece.
From the painting I pulled the graceful leaves and all the lovely shades of green.
I decided to use a cotton ribbon to give a light breezy look.
No clasp is needed . I made this to just slip over my head .
Searching my supply stash for color coordinated elements,I found some gorgeous vintage beads in a juicy chartreuse.
I just could not help seeing those beads as wild berries ...part of Summer's secret bounty.
It might seem to be a big stretch from  Picasso to a Patch of Summer berries.
But ,I do think my necklace fits both the painting and my party plans!
this week pick elements of inspiration
to suit this Summer Season
and
Bead Happy ,

m.e.

Up, up and away...

My Beautiful Balloon 

Holidays are very busy at my work .
Our veterinary hospital also has a boarding facility.
When the rest of the country is on vacation,our staff  is working extra hours taking care of the pets.
This week I felt a bit too tired to seek any beadie inspiration .
But, Friday on my way to work , inspiration flew right over my head !
A gorgeous hot air balloon riding  low in the early morning breeze floated over my car.
Luckily no other vehicles were on the little back road I travel .
I had to stop short,  pull over and take photos !
I really,really wish I had taken my "real"camera with me that morning .
Thank goodness I had my cellphone . ( I must try to save for an upgrade ! )

I rarely work in bright primary colors. I usually gravitate to muted shades.But ,those balloon  brights against the black stripes look wonderful !

The Fourth of July is a day off  for  me.
Of course I'll celebrate with a cookout and local fireworks.
But, I think I'll also get out my clay and  work on my own version of stars and stripes.
Sometimes inspiration arrives in subtle whispers that are easy to over look. But, when it's big ,bright and seems to come right out of the heavens ,I listen !
Right now I'm gathering up my clay in primary colors ....and I'm  humming the Fifth Dimension song... "Up, up and away ..My beautiful, my beautiful balloon "
This week I hope
great inspration comes your way
and
I hope you
Bead Happy,

m.e.

Make Hay....

Straw to Gold

I'm still making  "word " beads. This week  I tweaked them into toggle clasps.I have been thinking quite a bit about what words to use.

I love jewelry with whole quotes .
Everyday I wear 2 simple stamped metal bracelets
One says "If life gives you limes make margaritas "
the other says  " Living in their pools, They soon forget about the sea "
both useful inspiration to keep life's little trails inperspective

Whole quotes can be wonderful. However, adding a single word to a design gives the meaning some flexibility. Don't we all  embrace "hope" a bit differently . Don't we all dream a slightly different dream?
So far I have been using the most familiar  words. Partly because they seem to be the best ones,and partly because they fit on my beads ...LOL!

But, I have found one remarkable thing..
Concentrating on a single word has put me in a"stop and smell the roses "frame of mind.
 Somehow the effort to  simplify my thoughts ,has made me stop and appreciate the simple pleasures in life.
This week the field in front of my house was cut , raked and bailed.
I spent hours admiring it in every light . I reflected on the colors ,patterns and the act of harvest itself.
The photo above is of the morning sun turning the rows of straw into gold.....
this week seek the simple pleasures
and
Bead Happy,

m.e.