Saturday, March 30, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Hop #7

So today is finally the day for the reveal....I spend so much time preparing for these blog hops that it's surprising when the big day finally arrives. (So much preparation? Lori probably just fell out of her seat laughing!)

My partner Maria Clark (http://sweetwillowdesigns.blogspot.com/ ) sent me some beautiful components and the gorgeous polymer clay pendant was made by her. Purple is one of my favorite colors and copper is definitely my favorite metal so I was thrilled when I opened the package. The beads are so beautiful on their own that I didn't want to create something too intricate and detract from them.

I know there is much hopping to do today so I will get on with the pics. Please be sure to visit the other folks in today's reveal and don't forget that there are two more reveals over the next few weeks.




Here are the other bloggers:
Alicia Marinache
Amber Dawn Goldish
Barb Solem
Bev Breisinger
Birgitta Lejonklou
Breana Fry
Brenda Sue Lansdowne
Bridget Torres
Carol Dee Myers
Carolyn Chenault
Cassi Paslick
Cece Cormier
Cheryl McCloud
Cindy Wilson
Crystal Thain
Cynthia Riggs
Dana Hickey
Dana James
Darlene Fortier
Deana Hager
Deanna Cox
Deb Brooks
Debra Behrends
Denielle Hagerman
Denise McCabe
Diana Frey
Diana Welte
Dini Bruinsma
DiYana Alcalde
Dolores Raml
Donna Millard
Dot Lewallwn
Duane Clark
Dyanne Cantrell
Eleanor Burian-Mohr
Elisabeth Auld
Elizabeth Owens Dwy
Emily Greer
Enikö Fabian
Erin Grant
Eva Kovacs
Eva Sherman
Gina Hockett
Grace Rotenberg
Gretchen Nation
Hannah Rosner
Heather Davis
Heather Marston
Heather Powers
Ingrid McCue
Jacqueline Marchant
Jan Petek
Janeen Sorensen
Jane-Michael Stallings
Jasvanti Patel
Jayashree Paramesh
Jayne Capps
Jean Yates
Jennifer Cameron
Jennifer LaVite
Joan Williams
Jodie Marshall
Judy Riggs
Julie Anne Leggett
Kat Barron Miller
Kathy Lindemer
Kim Hora
Kim Houston
Kim Sparks
Krafty Max
Kris Lanae Binsfeld
Krista French
Kristen Stevens
Kristi Harrison
Kumi Fisher
Laren Dee Barton
Laura Bracken
Laura Demoya
Laurie Hanna
Laurie Keefe-Cecere
Lea Avroch
Leanne Loftus
Lee Anne Messerschmidt
Leslie Schenkel
Linda Anderson
Linda Djokic
Linda Murphy
Linda Sadler
Lisa Liddy
Lisa Suver
Liz DeLuca
Liz Engriser
Lola Surwillo
Loretta Carstensen
Lori Anderson
Lori Bergmann
Lori Bowring Michaud
Lori Poppe
Lori Schneider
Lyn Foley
Maddison Langford
Magdalena Sikora
Mallory Hoffman
Marcella Austenfeld
Marcy Lamberson
Maria Clark
Maria Rosa Sharrow
Marianna Boylan
Marie Covert
Marti Conrad
Mary Ellen Merrigan
Mary Harding
Molly Alexander
  Nan Emmett
Niky Sayers
Pam Chesbro
Pam Farren
Pam Sandy
Pam Traub
Pamela Gangler
Patricia Buchanan
Patricia Johnson
Patty Miller
Paula Hisel
Peggy Gabrielson
Perri Jackson
Rachel Baron
Rachel Stanley
Rain Hannah
Rana Wilson
Renetha Stanziano
Robin Reed
Rochelle Brisson
Rose Rushbrooke


Ruth Szapa
Sally Russick
Sandi Volpe
Sandra Pendragon
Sandy Richardson
Sarah Small
Shannon Hicks
Shari Replogle
Sheila Daniels
Sheila Davis
Shiraz Biggie
Shirley Moore
Skylar Bre'z
Staci Smith
Stacie Florer
Stacy Pomerleau
Stephanie Weiss
Sumi Rani
Susan Sheehan
Suzette Bentley
Tamera Norris
Tracy Choy
Tracy Stillman
Valerie Norton
Vicki Holliday

Thursday, January 31, 2013

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
Lee Koopman
Zoe Marcin
Please support these wonderful ladies with a quick visit to their sites.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

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.
Spinning-wheelWhen 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.)

watch partsMy 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
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Friday, January 11, 2013

Should I Discount My Prices?

Two women boxing
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
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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Beads Make Me Laugh

Several bead artists came together recently to raise funds for a favorite charity. Each of us created ten beads and traded them with nine other artists. I believe there were five groups all together. Now a set of all 50 beads is going to be auctioned off and the proceeds will be given to Beads of Courage, which is a group that distributes beads to severely ill children.

We were allowed to choose any medium, and my favorite is glass (lampwork specifically) but I chose to use polymer clay. The theme was "Laughter" and that helped me choose clay over glass. Don't get me wrong, working in glass is one of the great joys of my life and it's quite therapeutic, too. But polymer clay gives me a different kind of joy. It's like adult play-doh to me. Not trying to diminish the value of polymer clay at all here...just trying to convey why I chose this medium. I love smooshing it in my hands and pulling and shaping and balling it up if I don't like how it came out. Definitely can't do that with molten lava glass.
Ok, I'm going to make this short and sweet so that you have time to visit the other blogs that  are involved with this project. Make sure to leave me a comment if you recognize this smile... I used a "Hunchback of Notre Dame" doll to make a mold. I chose this face because I know one child in particular who loooves this character :) After I made an impression with the mold, I smooshed it around and used tools on it so that each one would look a little different from the rest. A few of my family members are represented here, lol! After I baked them I used red, white and gold acrylic paint.
Please be sure to visit the other blogs...my favorite of all the beads I received is bacon and eggs...it definitely made me giggle :)

And here are the blogs...Please be sure to visit them all and check out the auction, too :)

Denielle Hagerman http://somebeadsandotherthings.com  <<<You Are Here
Jennifer Cameron http://wp.me/p1xIa0-wn
Natalie McKenna http://www.grubbi.co.uk/