Sneek Peek

The Challenge Kit

I try very hard to post a  new blog entry every Saturday  morning.
I do this for three reasons.
1 :I am disappointed when my favorite bloggers post erratically or with long waits between entries.
I look forward to my coffee and early morning "bead reading "
If anybody out there reads my blog ,I want them to find something new at predictable intervals
2:  In everyday life I sometimes talk and nobody listens.
 When I blog ,I can ramble on and on .
I can  pretend people are listening! That is FUN!!!
3: I enjoy the discipline of creating a work schedule and sticking to  it.
   I actually like the challenge !!!

This weeks entry is going to be short.
At last  I was in time  purchase one of Andrew Thornton's Challenge kits!
http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/2012/05/lima-beads-readers-challenge.html
I am a  bit intimidated. I expect the entries to be Extra Fantastic.
They always are !
Today I  am beading... not writing
The big reveal is Friday June first
Please stop back to see my creation
This week challenge yourself
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

What I'm Adding

House and Home

 A House is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body" 
 Benjamin Franklin

 This is a rather lofty qoute for my little blog.
But, I have been thinking about houses and homes all week .
I think fuel for the mind is especially important to those of us who are artist/makers.
We need a well stocked food pantry and  well stocked art supplies!
To be content, I need both beans and beads!
I require cookbooks and craft books.
 I enjoy planing what 's for dinner ,I enjoy planing a new bead design!
What makes my House my Home???
 Family of course ,including the fur-persons...our 2 cats and 3 dogs
Also the memories it holds for me . Memories that come to come to life with photos , little heirlooms and mementos . I also treasure my "bead" stash . I have a large collection of beads and jewelry handmade by favorite artists and friends. My home is where my heart is. 
Why am I so sentimental about House and Home this week?
 Last week I included a little house on my ABS entry.
This week I made a few more bracelets for gifts .
I liked the tiny house beads so much, I decided to made some for my shop .While I worked on them, I thought about houses .
I thought about all the shapes ,styles and colors a house can be.
I thought about  what those buildings mean to the people who live in them.
The photo is  from my last year's Nassau vacation.Isn't it  inspiring!
I can not stop coming up with new colors for my  little houses
I just want to sit and make a zillion of them
But, my family requires a little fuel for the body ! Unless we are going to order pizza for dinner, I'd better strike up some balance between feeding my brain and feeding our bodies!
This week feed your body and your brain
make your House a Home
and Bead Happy !

m.e.

Home Sweet Home Beads

ABS Inspiration

House  and Home

Time for the ABS challenge !
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-monthly-challenge.html
For some time I have been admiring fabric cuff bracelets.
When I saw this month's inspiration painting, the lines of the houses made me think right away about rectangular fabric cuffs .
I don't see the world through rose colored glasses.
My lenses seem to turn things into bead designs... LOL!
Lately I have been truly obsessed with aged metal and patinas .
I gravitated right to the rust tones in the painting.
I started by making a rusty little house shaped bead.
Is a House a Home ?
Is Home where the Heart is?
Who holds the Key the my Heart?
All these are questions for my bracelet .
To add a little of that beautiful  green color ,I found some suede cord and mixed chrysprase beads  in my stash.Look closely on the left ,one  little bead is shaped like a tiny heart. It was meant for my bracelet !

My friends and family really like this design . I am almost ashamed to say how easy peasy it was to make ! I  cut three rectangles each a bit narrower than the other.I threaded the suede cord through and drew it a bit tight to make the felt "ruffle" . To fasten it, I knotted a bead at one end and a loop at the other. Then I just sewed on the beads! I didn't have any  thick thread that matched .But, I did have regular thread in several "go with" shades. I couldn't decide which to use ,so I put them all on one needle. I liked the effect so much  I added  little sprigs of thread  ...because ....well , because I felt like it !
This bracelet  is soooo comfortable and it was sooooooooo  easy !
But, please don't tell anybody. Many of friends are asking me to make them similar bracelets .They find it different, daring  and dramatic . Please keep my secret .....
this week try "less is more"
create something
Simple but Bold
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

All Work...no play

Shark Dive 2011

All work, no play for me this week.
The photo above is from last year's vacation in Nassau
That's my hubby and me on the right in the yellow fins.
Right now I'm counting the days until  its scuba time again.
This week has been a long one .
I've been working double shifts, filling in for  co-workers.
The extra dollars will be Very,Very  welcome on vacation !
But, the hours are a bit exhausting.
I had so many beadie ideas I wanted to work on this week.
Plus, there is a new ABS challenge posted !
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-monthly-challenge.html
I can't wait to get started ! You know I like to post my entry early !
 This month ,I have something new up my sleeve..pun intended LOL!!!

But ,no time to play with clay this week .Just work ,work ,work for me.!
At least I know I'm not alone. Does misery really love company?
Many of you also have"pay the bills "jobs that 'interfere" with your bead projects . I am not a candidate for an ETSY "quit your day job "feature!
Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But, I have some bead ideas that I REALLY want to work on!
Sometimes juggling work and beads can be difficult  .
But, I feel my "need to bead' is important to my well being

Life is best  when there is balance. All work and no play is not good for us.One more day of double shifts for me and then a day off  !!!

Tomorrow I'm relaxing ! I plan to try to make my ABS entry idea come to life.

this week 

find time for work 

and 

Play

Bead Happy !!!

 

m.e.

Sea Shell Fairy

Hold the Pickles....

Hold the pickles ,hold the lettuce. Special orders don't upset us...
Remember that commercial ?
This week I am setting  aside my metal coating experiments.
I have several  custom orders pending.
Special orders make me very ,very happy !
At least they do most of the time...every once in a while getting an order just right can be a headache.
But, I love stretching my creative wings .
Making a bead that fits someone else's vision is  great way to
to stretch. Usually when I am making beads , I  have an idea floating around my head . If I don't have a specific design  in mind ,at least I have a  season or theme in my head . When I get a custom order  I have to try to envision someone else's design idea. It might be special color combos or even a different design.  I like my beads to go to good homes. A custom order means the bead is already adopted!
I am always curious to see how my work is incorporated into a design.Often people are gracious enough to send a photo of the finished item, so I can see how everything fit's together. I LOVE that!

I always send photos of custom orders before I list them .
I want to be certain I have the customer's vision correctly executed. Sometimes I do have to do a bit of tweeting. However, usually I have had several discussions with the customer, so I know what they have in mind.
I put a little of myself onto my work .
I believe good jewelry designers do this as well
We all put a little Heart in our Art !
Collaborating with someone to create a custom order is a wonderful connection.This one on one personal touch is the best part of  handcrafted sales venues.
I am thrilled to meet people from all over the world .
I can  create a special a bead that travels half way round the globe to become part of a special piece of jewelry . Then that jewelry may travel again to become someone's special gift.
To me this is truly  Awesome !
The joys of these connections completely overshadow those infrequent orders that do give me a headache.
Special orders are Special indeed !
This week make a  special bead connection
and
Bead Happy,

m.e.

Heavy Metal

This week I've been heavy into metal !
I've been playing around with Christi Friesen's new line of "Swellegant" metal coatings.
http://store.cforiginals.net/swmecoco.html
I love trying new techniques . This stuff is soooooooo  much fun !
I can actually coat my designs with real metal ,then add awesome real patinas !
I was able to make a flower pendant look like a rusty old piece that had been buried for ages.
This was thrilling to me! My family is less than impressed.
They are fans of my usual colorful clay blends.
They do not understand why worn and  slightly grubby metal shades excite me so much.

One reason is because aged metals are popular in jewelry designs right now . Since I do sell my beads ,I need to keep up with what the designers desire. Currently we are seeing a lot of jewelry  mixing antique with  new. Many people are mixing metal shades and combining unrelated elements. I love this look. I am always attracted to jewelry designs that are interesting little works of art,especially when they have a story to tell.

I admit, I do consider what might sell when  I work with my clay.
However,in the end I create what I love. I make what makes me happy. Playing with new toys always makes me happy ! This week I can not get enough of turning clay into metal ! I feel like I have the Midas touch !
I have been hurrying home from work to rust things!
I admit to rushing through household chores to experiment with verdigris!
I feel like a kid in a candy store ! All week I've had metal finger tips!
I know the directions warn to wear gloves. But, I just never seem to be able to work comfortably in gloves.
Besides, I believe Art requires a bit of mess .
Is your work space always perfectly organized and neat ?
tell the truth......
Also I think Art requires a bit of play time . You should be enjoying what you do. I believe that is what truly sets handmade items a part from manufactured. Artists add love , machines do not .
When you make something, never forget to add the joy of creating to your piece.
this week
take time to play
if you can,try a new toy
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

Photo Frustrations

If you have been following my blog for a while, this picture may seem familiar. It is a picture I took of my daughter trying to photograph the bright wings of the blue morpho butterfly This butterfly has amazing electric blue wings on the front side ,dull  brown on the back.
When they land they seem to always fold their wings shut exposing only the brown pattern ....very frustrating!!!
 It took her a long time to get the shot she was after.

This week I am experiencing some photo frustrations of my own.
First ,Picnik  is closing down on the nineteenth .Despite my own research and my friends good advise, I have yet to find a substitute I feel comfortable with. This probably has more to do with my lack of time ,than with lack of decent photo editing programs. But ,still I am frustrated ! I understand how to do what  I want with Picnik .
I really don't have the  patience to learn a new format!

My second frustration is aimed at others .
Lately I have been having so much fun with Pinterest . I  have always scouted around ETSY for new ideas, inspirations,gifts and goodies . Now I have a place to store my favorite finds and share them with others .
But, here is my frustration... poor  photos!!!
Sometimes the pictures are clear as can be .But they are dull,dull,dull!
I call these the "e-bay shots" clear straight on shots on plain solid white background.  If I know I want ,for example ,red ribbon, I can see every detail of  this red ribbon. But ,what if I didn't know I " needed "red ribbon ? This type of photo sure certainly would not lure me  in to take a closer look. .It is surprising how many sellers don't include a photo that draws a buyer in . Many people on ETSY don't even use all their listing photos.Worse yet ,some photos are out of focus or taken with no thought to background at all ! My personal preference is to see  a "glamor "shot and then a few really clear photos from different angles.
 I do like props that help enhance the item . However,I must admit certain items look best without props. Too many additions might make a lovey picture,but may make it unclear what is really for sale ! I feel frustrated when I find an item that promises to be something good .
But ,the picture is just too poor for me to "pin" it or want to purchase it.

The more I look outward the more I think I should be looking inward. When I find fault with others could I be learning lessons to use in my own shop? I know I could ! Photos are how we window shop  the internet . I must continue to work on  improving my pictures .
I will have to take the time to settle on a new editing program .
I will have to experiment with new tips,techniques and tricks.
Maybe my photo frustration can lead me to photo fabulous !!!
this week
try some new photography techniques
share your favorites
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.