Sci-fi Blog Hop

I have been a fan of science fiction since I was a little girl so when I heard about this blog hop, I just had to join in! One of my favorite cartoons used to be Inspector Gadget. I used to watch that show in the morning before school and then one night a week my family watched MacGyver. Ya, he was a cutie but I was always fascinated by his ingenious damsel-saving contraptions. I know MacGyver isn't "science fiction" but he did use science and his contraptions were definitely fiction.

As I got older, I discovered the original Star Trek when Nickelodeon started showing reruns of old shows (I'll save my Monkees story for later) and when I was in high school "Star Trek: The Next Generation" began. I saw almost every episode during the original seasons plus about a dozen times each in sydication. Right now my dvr has 23 episodes waiting for me to watch during my jewelry making sessions. Do you have a question about an episode? I can probably answer it.

These days I don't have much time for television but I have had the time to discover a new favorite: Dr. Who! Not sure how I missed this show before since it has been on for like two and a half decades, but I try to catch up when I get the chance. I have noticed that two things are consistent through every episode I have seen so far: the tardis and the scarf. Here is a link to everything you ever wanted to know about this famous scarf.

(I found this photo here)

I had no problem deciding what piece I would make for this blog hop. As soon as I heard about this hop (two days ago), it took me about five seconds to decide what I was going to make. I jumped right on my torch and in less than three hours I had about 150 spacer beads made. I strung them up the next day and voila! Now I can wear Dr. Who during the summer and winter.

And here are the artists who were able to join me for this jaunt. Please stop over and see what they created:

Pam (the Crazier Sister) ~  Hostess

Melissa Trudinger

Lee Koopman
Zoe Marcin

Skye

Shelley Graham Turner
Denielle Hagerman  <<You are here
Susan Bowie

Please support these wonderful ladies with a quick visit to their sites.

Memories Blog Hop - My Grandpa

Lori Anderson is hosting another blog hop today that revolves around memories of a loved one. Unfortunately I have been feeling under the weather so I did not complete my piece and I feel really bad about it.

My grandfather died almost two years ago after battling Alzheimer's for seven years. He was a great man who influenced me in ways I am still discovering. He grew up in the mountains of North Carolina (Beasley Cove to be exact) where he learned most of what he taught me. Aside from good work ethic and the value of friendship, he showed me how to preserve food, find food in the wild and other home-ec type skills. My favorite lesson was learning how to spin wool.
When his family home caught fire (after he was grown and living in his own home) the only thing they were able to save was his mother's walking wheel (probably because it remained on the front porch, always.) Grandpa wasn't able to remember exactly how to spin (he was already showing signs of that horrible disease) but we were able to play around enough to spark a lifelong interest in me. I have my own spinning wheel now and a pair of socks that were made by his mother from the wool she used to collect off the neighbor's barbed wire fence (they could not afford their own sheep.)

My grandfather moved to Michigan to work for General Motors in the fifties and there met a man who would change the direction his life. This man taught grandpa how to become a watchmaker and it remained his passion for the rest of his life, over fifty years. I remember standing next to his workbench and just staring at all those little tiny cogs and gears and springs, just mesmerized by it all. I learned many lessons at that bench, not the least of which was attention to detail :)

Grandpa used to collect keys, especially skeleton keys. I only have one from his collection but when I found a pile of them for sale recently I snapped them up and do what I do...I put a bead on it!

Please visit the other participants:

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things

 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs

 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things
Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space

Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams

CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ

Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey

Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found

Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston                 CSW Designs

Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog

Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier

Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!

Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne                   josjewels1

Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs

Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue

Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design

Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert                      Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo                           Ornamento

Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren                           re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner

Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle

Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya

Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets

Should I Discount My Prices?

Two women fighting over the price of a handmade item

This is a question that all of us who sell our wares ask at one time or another. Without fail there are half a dozen customers asking me to reduce my prices at every show. Here is a link to an article with a very well-thought out opinion about this: http://madeinlowell.blogspot.com/2012/12/paying-for-handmade-gentle-rant.html