We have a winner!

Let me start by thanking you all sincerely for your comments, enthusiasm and participation in my giveaway post.  I’d be creating all the same if not a single soul were watching…but I think it’s better by far to let more voices in on the process.  Your comments have sparked many new directions with this one little bead. Your kind compliments, fed the muse’s delicate ego.

Having a giveaway was a way to set myself an end date of when I would get these babies in my shop and, hopefully soon, out into the world (plus it’s a lot of fun!)  I’m happy to announce that as of today my shop has a new section: Polymer Roundabout Beads.  Here’s the starting line up! Thanks to all your ideas, many more iterations will follow.



I’m not terribly surprised that wordsmith Erin Prais-Hintz was the one to suggest “roundabout”.  I so enjoyed reading all the wonderfully creative names you all offered up, but kept returning to this idea of a roundabout.  Picturing it from above with many lanes, it goes off in many directions and at any time could be filled with a wide variety of colourful cars and trucks (or I suppose, in some parts of the world, scooters, bicycles and livestock). Oh yes, what bounty of ideas could spring from such a name.  I must think of creative way to thank Erin for this thought.

Today though, this thank you gift needs a new home…


The winner is lucky number 33! That’s Sherri Stokey, who said:

“Love the beads - I'd love to try these in a macrame necklace!”

 

Oh I so hope she does! Thanks so much everyone and Sherri I’ll drop you a line for your mailing address.

A wire, a word and a window

a wire.  Well, a lot of wire is in my future.  Supplies and tools have started to arrive and I’m very excited to join a bunch of excited ladies for the Aspire to Wire e-course starting next week.
a word.  Ok blogosphere I hear you.  A single word to hang the upcoming year upon.  Oh the pressure.  The mere mention of  “SMART” goals kinda makes me wrinkle up my nose and shift my weight in the chair.  Writing goals down?  Hmm, maybe it’s time to give it a try.  Deep breath.

1 – It’s really fun to write a blog knowing that there are folks reading it.  Followers I can and can’t see (directly) are a wonderful thing.  Thank you so so much for coming here and chatting with me!  Ready for it? GOAL – 300 followers by end of year.  Measureable and I hope achievable.
2 – I would also love to see my etsy shop full of a variety of shapes, colours and loveliness.  I know that when I land in a shop I love to have at least a handful of pages to browse through and get a taste.  GOAL – a shop full of 150 listings by end of year.  That sounds a little safe, perhaps a stretch of 200 (eek).

Baby steps.  So how do I reach those goals?  Let’s make that the job of the word for 2013.  Ready? (said more to me than you).  MANIFEST.  The verb, that is.  I’m going to sum that up as I’m gonna make stuff happen.

a window.  The part you would see is 58mm across.  Really though, it’s so much bigger than that.  Today I decided that I was going to have enough confidence in what I have to share to show it to you with the most powerful tool I could wrap my hands around.  Ta-da!



My new DSLR, lenses and cute sling bag that doesn’t look like a camera bag at all  (no sense in attracting thieves).  Thank goodness for Frank, the thoughtful salesman at the camera store who listened intently to my pointed questions comparing several models...for two hours.  Notice there is no goal above about better photographs.  Just giving myself the time and space to learn.  I think it’s going to be a fun ride! 

And the sale goes on!

Last night I figured I’d attempt to make a treasury.  I remember, back in the day, you had to wait for a spot to open up before you could create one.  At that time I had no inclination to sit there refreshing a screen and waiting for the magical number to appear for the privilege.  Such a cynic, I know.  Somewhere along the way etsy made it so you just create Treasuries at will.  Treasury made I thought I should probably wait less than five years before figuring out how to share it here.  Again, surprisingly painless (unless of course this all goes to pot once I hit publish**it did, hopefully fixed now**).

With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, uh, Sunday and Cyber Monday done now may be the time for a more leisurely stroll through some of the shops with sales going all the way to Friday.
So I present my first treasury for you continued shopping joy

'Cyber week rolls on with handmade components' by APolymerPenchant

Do you love handmade components? How about jewelry designers who work with handmade components - all ready for gift giving? These gorgeous shops, all with sales continuing until Friday! $1300 worth of giveaways from the Artisan Whimsy Market

From Day to Night uniqu... EmaKDesigns $35.00	Etched Copper Bails, .8... MetalMeThis $40.00	Handmade Bird Bead, Bla... somethingtodob... $3.50	SALE Handmade Ceramic S... MarshaNealStud... $30.00
Lampwork Glass Bead Set... StoneDesignsby... $50.00	forest finery 22 - simp... TesoriTrovati $18.00	Lampwork Boro Glass Spi... LAJewelryDesig... $26.00	10 x Handmade Ceramic B... Grubbi $12.00
Lampwork Beads - SueBea... suebeads $30.00	Tree Pendant 1X2 Custom... Moreskyejewels $8.00	Copper Ulu Original Tex... KristiBowmanDe... $20.00	FIVE Handmade Bicone Be... MartiC51 $7.95
Flourish Petal (Enamele... OregonMadeJewe... $23.32	SHOP SALE Boho Bangle B... jeanawells $69.50	Braided Leather and Cer... LindysDesigns $35.00	Rudraksha Beads and Pol... Sadafulee $30.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

I’m going to keep trying to fill up my shop this week while the 20% off is still in effect, by using coupon code AWHOLIDAY at checkout.  My biggest hurdle is the fact that I don’t have pictures of everything and the sun is not cooperating.  To that end, I bought myself a light box on Monday (… unknowingly messing up my sweet husband’s plans for a Christmas gift).  I know there is much out there you can DIY and various solutions, but I opted for something a bit more robust, hopefully worth the investment.  I’m a little peeved that it claimed it was shipping out of Canada, but I was instantly suspicious when the bill didn’t have any tax.  Later I click the tracking link and it pulls up USPS even though the confirmation says it is coming via Canada post.  All that to say if it shows up at my door with brokerage fees to be paid I will be LIVID.

ps If you haven't entered the giveaway still some time - ends Friday

Michaels Toast of the Town Necklace hop

And a Finally Friday necklace, make that two - or really four since they’re both reversible.  Since the Toast of the Town necklace can also be worn a bazillion ways I’ve totally lost count.  Lets go straight to the pictures.



Now I did my level best to follow the directions so thoughtfully written by Erin Prais-Hintz, but I did adapt on the fly a bit.  I talked about my shopping trip and how my palette changed, but I ultimately steered back to more blues.  I started with the pale green shell beads and the few oval pyrite.  Then I grabbed the teal ring and the Crystazzi glass pearls I had already (both also from Michaels).  Next up I made two styles of polymer beads and the toggle bar (the bar is actually a bead gallery pendant hanger I transformed).  Once I had all that I was still needing something in the 4mm range to spread all over.  I was craving a little more texture, so in went the blue apatite chip beads and I love them here, I should have used more.


I can’t wait to see all the variety born of this design, this is a blog hop after all.  Please be sure to visit Erin’s blog to check out her next incarnation of this design and link on to all the other participants.  Many thanks to Erin for the design, and inspirational push to try it out myself.

…But before you run off, I did promise you two other necklaces.  The focal pendants for these I created a few years ago and once I saw the Design Seeds palette I thought of them right away.



The beads featured along with the pendants are all created from the same polymer canes, I think this particular cane design I learnt from a Donna Kato book.  These longer squiggle beads and large hole beads are both available in my etsy shop.



Here is the second design.  I’m pretty sure that the clasp below is a Vintaj one I think I will need more of, since I really like how this design came together – if I do say so myself!

Many thanks to Shannon also.  Her regular choosing of palettes helps me not get lost in the sea of gorgeousness that is Design Seeds.

A fresh look at fall

It snowed today. I’m blocking it.



I made these brooches a few years ago while I was doing shows and pre-baby.  They didn’t get much attention at all which surprised me since I was pretty happy with them.  I have two shows coming up in November so I’ve started pulling out and accessing what I have. I still quite like them and I think I will leave them just as they are.



These feature unusually shaped fresh water pearls, wired securely into the polymer.  Just a touch of iridescence gives them that great flash.  I made sure the brooch attachment was nice looking too and each one is at an angle so it appears more like a falling leaf when worn.

I’m thinking I’ll get these listed in the shop and see what the wider world thinks.

Do you come across those situations, things you love just not getting the attention you expected? Do share!

Twice Lucky?!

Wow! Scrolling through my google reader today and what do I see, but my necklace on the Art Bead Scene blog again.  I was distracted, so a bit confused as to what I was seeing and it was at that moment I remembered there are prizes – and hey I had won! Awesome.  So having won a pile of wicked beads a couple of weeks ago and now a gift certificate for B’Sue boutiques it may be time to go buy a lottery ticket as the good (and bad) usually come in threes right?

I’ve been working hard at filling up my shop, I’m such a slow poke, but getting faster.  So after seeing my poppies online again, I thought I really should get my but in gear and get those listed.  All the feedback I’ve had so far has been very motivating.

So.. Now available here



I also have a limited quantity of the poppy beads themselves, you can find those here

A Beautiful Day!

It was such a beautiful, sunny day today.  We're getting more of the same for the rest of the holiday weekend.  We started the day with a local neighbourhood garage sale and spent the rest of the day scrubbing our finds clean.  I tried to fit in an outdoor photo shoot, but ended up a bit rushed.  The sun was so hot the camera was heating up and I was starting to worry about the polymer getting too hot.  But even moving quickly I didn't get everything shot before nap time came to an end.  It seems someone else was eager to get back in the sun.

I think this is my favourite shot of the day.  Still working on getting a set up I like.  This shooting outside routine means great light but it's a bit of a gamble since with the strong sun overhead the screen is mostly reflection. So for the most part, I shoot away just based on when my focus cross hair lands where I like.

Maybe getting somewhere, but oh so slowly!

Boy, listing on Etsy is a slow process for me.  I'm trying to be patient with myself, but I will be much happier when I get into the swing of it. I did manage to get my collection of squiggle beads listed.  They are so fun to make I'm excited to keep trying new colour combos.

There is a story that I think I've read about a million times at this point. You know, I can rhyme it off the top of my head as entertainment when waiting in line etc.  There is a mama and baby snake, who "wiggle with a squiggle", makes my daughter Averleigh smile and wiggle her hips, every single time.

If you're a toddler, Flip, Flap, Fly! is a must-read!