Catching Up

It's probably been a month or so since my last blog. I'm sorry about that. Things have been busy lately. After I hurt my back, I kind of lost all inspiration to make jewelry. I was pretty bummed about it, but figured it would come back soon enough. But you know what came instead? Hurricane Isaac! That was um, "fun."

80 hours without power in sweltering, windless, humid, heat index of over 100 weather - that's miserable. Sleep was very difficult - we tried sleeping by windows, in the car, apparently Steve tried sleeping on the ground outside by the pool (all the outdoor furniture had been packed away). I found the sofa nearest a window with my legs up over the back of the couch to be the best position. With a wet rag on my face. And something to fan myself with nearby. I was up by 5:30 every morning, which would never normally happen. It was just miserable. During the daylight hours, I did manage to make some jewelry because there was NOTHING ELSE TO DO. I read a little bit, talked to some neighbors. Carried my 35 lb dog up and down two flights of stairs because she's too old, fat, and short-legged to manage - and of course the elevator wasn't working. And of course I'm not supposed to lift more than 15 lbs. with my back. A lot of wine was consumed, which created some candle holders for the taper candles we had. I could go on and on. Just trust me, it was awful. And when we could finally get to a McDonalds, we were glad to wait an hour for service because it was a hot meal and a cold drink. I don't know how people used to live?!?!'

Then, it was my birthday last weekend, so I was a bit consumed with festivities/hangover. A recent order from Lima Beads arrived yesterday, and I made a cute pair of owl earrings with some long-hoarded Kristi Bowman copper leaves.

Enough reading - time for pictures now!

I finally went back to the darker bright red for my hair, and I'm glad I did. It's almost as red as my car, which you can see over my shoulder. Also, new sunglasses birthday present to myself.

The aforementioned owl earrings with Kristi's copper leaves.

Look what I found at TJ Maxx yesterday! I now have a family of five. That should be enough.

All of these were made during the so called "hurrication." Believe me, it was nothing like a vacation. At least two happened before the power went out though.

This came together after the power went out. It was one of those things that made itself. I just helped.

Okay, this was actually a week before the storm, I just hadn't gotten around to showing you yet. That gorgeous hammered copper ring was something I won from the super talented Susan of Cicada Silver/Libellula Jewelry

This cute little Golem cardinal pendant had been waiting patiently for months. The first night of "hunkering down" (a term so over-used it inspired a drinking game), I created this one. Still had power.

First thing I made when the sun came up the morning after the power went out. Another one that made itself. When I finish something like that - especially with components I've had for ages, I think "This piece of jewelry has been here all along just waiting to become whole. What took it so long?" I have picked up that charm and those beads so many times and wondered what I should do with them. I guess it took a hurricane to sort that out for me!

Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll get back to making something almost every day soon. I'm in PT for my shoulder (surprisingly, that was just a while I'm here, my shoulder's been bugging me for awhile thing I'd mentioned to my ortho when I went to see him about my back, and that's what I'm in therapy for!?) and with all the exercises I'm doing for it, it's been hurting more and more. So I still have to take it a little slow with jewelry. Do you all realize how difficult it is not to hunch or slouch while making something?!?!

Okay, that's enough for now. Thanks for visiting  :)

I Need to Buy a Lottery Ticket

Yesterday I was chosen to be one of the lucky 5 for Joanne Tinley's Flower Bangle Challenge. How very exciting! Also a bit nerve wracking, as I'm terrified of not being able to do it justice. But I'm sure I'll come up with something fabulous and surprise myself. Bracelets have just continually been a weak point for me. But that's what a challenge is all about. Her bangle blanks are beautiful enough to be worn unadorned. If you're unfamiliar with her work, do yourself a favor and explore her etsy shop.

And on Monday, I was honored to be chosen as Art Bead Scene's Designer of the Week for my May Challenge entry.

Yesterday, Jeanne informed me that she'd unearthed her velvet displays from her old salon and she redid my jewelry display at her current salon. She sent me a photo, and it looks a lot better than it used to. She said it seems to be increasing my sales, so I certainly can't complain about that! She hasn't figured out where to put the earrings yet, but I'm going over there this evening and I'm sure we'll come up with something.

I made this last night, and it will be joining the above display tonight:

Golem Studio pendant, Czech glass flowers w/ little rubies, dyed jade, serpentine chips, copper wire & chain.

Art Bead Love Tour!

It is time for the next stop on the Art Bead Love Tour!!! The winner could be you -- read the details below, copied from Love My Art Jewelry's original blog.

The winner will be chosen Saturday May 5th. 

(Both Cinco de Mayo and my dog's arbitrary birthday!)

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We here at Love My Art Jewelry are always trying to think of new ways to spread the love of handmade, and the message to create handmade with handmade. So we put our brains together and came up with this idea, the Art Bead Love Tour.

 

The Art Bead Love Tour is an ongoing project to spread the love of handmade to new and exciting places. It’s a way to reach people who may have never stumbled upon our blog on their own, and give them a chance to share the love of handmade. We chose to use a chain to link beads as a symbol of how this project links us all together ~ in our unity to stand behind handmade.

We have filled one and a half feet of chain with handmade beads, charms and pendants, donated by our own Love My Art Jewelry Group. There are 60 beads on this chain, worth approximately $450. It includes ceramic, glass, polymer, various metals and metal clay beads. It’s a true tribute to handmade in all its beady glory! These beads are ready to go on tour…….the Art Bead Love Tour! This tour is basically an art bead swap, which will go on and on and on.

Here is how it works.

PLEASE.......

....please read the entire post before entering).

We will have a giveaway for this chain (how to enter is explained at the end of the post)

The Details:

1. The winner of the chain will be allowed to take up to 30 beads from this chain. They will then replace each bead they took, with another handmade bead, charm or pendant of equal quality. It is so important that the quality of the beads be maintained, so that we can keep the Art Bead Love Tour alive. We want to share consistent quality with the next winner. If you make your own handmade beads or components, it’s a great way to get your beads into the world for people to try them out, or, if you hoard collect art beads, it’s a great way to share your collection and get some new additions as well. (Art Beads should be handmade by an artist, and not mass produced, such as Hill Tribes Silver beads or others like them). Remember the focus is on creating handmade with handmade and beads/components taken should be replaced with beads/components that are made by an individual not an organization.

2. The winner will post pictures of what was taken and what was added, in order to keep an account of the chains progress and to keep our followers drooling. Please be sure to give credit to the bead artists as well.

3. The winner will then have a giveaway, just like this one, to keep passing the chain on and on. Rules can be copied and pasted from here.

4. When you re-post your giveaway (remember you can copy and paste from here)-a list should be added to show where the chain has gone, with links to each previous blog. Ultimately, this will end up being a very long list!

5. Chain must be shipped to its new home via Priority Small Flat Rate box with delivery confirmation. Please package it carefully.

 

6. There will be a button on the Love My Art Jewelry Website that links to the current blog and giveaway- so if you have the chain, it will link to your blog, that way our followers can have another chance to win it.

 

7. You MUST exchange your beads and have your giveaway completed within two weeks of receiving the chain.

(Please please please, if you can not adhere to the above rules, do not enter the giveaway at this time. It will go on and on and you can always enter at a later date.) There will be a button on the side bar of our blog so that you can track where the chain currently is.

Look where the chain has been……

Love My Art Jewelry

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio

Shaiha's Ramblings

Jen Judd Rocks!

SilverRoseDesigns

My Life Under the Bus

Ex Post Facto Jewelry 

 

 

 

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Lorelei's e-book & more

For those of you who don't already know, Lorelei just released an ebook called Asymmetry Made Easy, which I just had to buy. It was way too late last night, and I didn't have the time this morning - but I can't wait to read it! A quick peek revealed that it's going to be very fun & helpful. I really struggle with asymmetry and while I get the concept, I have a hard time doing it. I can't wait to see what the master has to say about it! Get your own copy here: http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/2012/04/ebook-is-ready.html

Meanwhile, I made this necklace over the weekend with one of my long-hoarded Golem pendants. I figured since I just got a few new ones, it was time to let one of the older ones go. This is the first time (but surely not the last) that I've put waxed linen cording together with sari, and I like it.

Totally 80's or Pride? You Decide!

I'd been hanging onto this Golem Studio heart pendant for quite some time now, just waiting for the perfect beads to come together. And when Lima Beads announced a new shipment of Czech glass last week (on pay day no less!) I just had to buy a ton. I wasn't even thinking of the heart pendant when I ordered, or at least not consciously. Just as well, I might have overdone it. When the beads arrived on Monday, I sorted them into their own Czech glass bin and then it hit me! I had the perfect first project. I pulled out the heart pendant, and the rest was history. I got side tracked by my fave TV show (RuPaul's Drag Race, which demands 100% focus, so I can't bead through it), and after that it was midnight. So I finished it last night and I just LOVE it!

I can't decide though, is it more 80's a la Punky Brewster / Care Bears / Rainbow Brite? Or is it more Gay Pride? Maybe one of RuPaul's girls might like it? haha.

And the best part is that I already made the matching earrings a few months ago!

I'm not going to list them on etsy just yet - I'll give it a chance at the salon first. (Unless of course anyone just has to have it, let me know. I won't be making a salon run for at least another week or so.)

Earrings Earrings Earrings!

I used some of my new things to make some earrings last night! It took me hours to sort and reorganize my containers to make room for the new stuff, so by the time I made two pairs I was ready to crash. The other two are from Friday night.


Golem Studio heart beads. Lampwork clear beads from yukidesigns.

 

Mostly treasures from Heather's Boxes. Only the aqua Czech glass is new, and from Beadaholique.

 

Kristi Bowman's gorgeous ammonite copper charms, pearls from yesterday's spree, & carnelian.

More pearl sticks from yesterday's spree, some purple AB crystals, and purple Czech glass drops from Lima Beads. It's hard to photograph, but the pearl sticks are the darkest inky teal color.

Tea with Her Majesty

Well my first attempt at having a birthday weekend got Tropical Stormed out, but this past weekend I was able to make up for some of it. Sunday, I had my family party. My mom made my favorite --Veal Piccata and a delicious carrot cake. My 5 year old nephew helped me blow out the candles and there are photos, but they are as of yet not in my possession.

I do have plenty of photos from the English Tea Room, where some friends and I enjoyed High Tea. They brought out the Queen for a photo op. (And before anyone corrects me that pinkies out are uncouth, we were just being goofy and I am fully aware!) We had a really fun time and I left with 3 bags of tea -- Paris Black, Maple Cream, and Baroness Grey. Mmm...

The Queen and I.

 Teas and knees.

 Charlotte the Infrequent Beader and Ashley.

I don't think the Doctor is in here.

Also, on the day after my birthday, I received a very unexpected and wonderfully generous present in the mail! Rebecca Anderson sent me the lovely Moogin Poppy necklace of hers I'd been eyeing for months! I nearly fainted with joy when I opened the package. Thank you again Rebecca! I love it :)

I also went shopping and bought some fabulous shoes and I got my new drivers license (with a fairly decent picture, which is always a plus). And my mom introduced me to a young coworker who had seen my etsy and really liked my jewelry. She bought a few things, including some of the most favorited pieces I had on etsy: this necklace and this bracelet.

I will leave you with a necklace I made with one of the Golem Studio pendants I treated myself to for my birthday, and another necklace made with some beautiful deco bits from Heather's Big Box o' Vintage Treasures.

Golem Birthday Set & Fun Old Stuff

I didn't really get much made this week -- my massage therapist banned me from jewelry making for a week, but when I told her I just had to make one thing for a birthday present, she relented on that. Thursday was my hair stylist's birthday, and since she's been so good to sell my jewelry at her shop, I wanted to make her something really special. She loves cats and bright colors, so I was pretty sure she'd be happy with the necklace and earrings I made her, but I was just a little bit nervous that she might not be as wild about it as I'd hoped. Well, turns out she absolutely LOVED it, and couldn't stop saying great things about it. Stupid me, I should have whipped out my phone and snapped a picture of her wearing it! But at least I had the foresight to take pics beforehand. Here it is:

I used MissFickleMedia saffron rings, as well as the adorable Golem Design Studio cat pendant and flower beads! Also included: sari ribbon, faceted Amazonite, Czech glass, shell beads, carnelian, copper, and dyed jade and aqua metal discs.

 

I love that I had just the PERFECT piece of Sari Ribbon for the piece! So serendipitous.

So onto the fun old stuff. My friend Heather sent me another Big Box o' Vintage Jewelry Parts. And WOW! This might be the best box yet. There were more than a few incredible items included. I photographed most of the best, but there's plenty more waiting to be harvested for beads or rhinestone rondelles, etc.

As usual, click to enlarge any photos.

So many wonderful things here!

What would you do with those MOP buckles? The narrow one has sharp prongs. I'm not really interested in making belts. But I'm scared that if I try to remove them, I'll break the buckles. Any ideas?

Love this little charm! The Figurettes? Who were they?

Not sure what this was or what to do with it - it's puffy, and there's a bar in the back, plus some sort of hanger looking thing. It's cool looking though.

Also love this green face.

 These might be my favorites!

I wish there wasn't any missing enamel. It's so pretty, but I don't know what to do with it. 

What would you do with these things? I'd love to hear your ideas!

New Beads & Last Chance for Etsy Sale!

Darn you Lima Beads! :shaking fists at sky:

They got in some new designer Czech glass, and honestly, who amongst us can resist it? At least Lima's kind enough to let us order half strands :D And I truly did need one of the ones I got to go with a new Golem Studios pendant I bought last week from Artbeads.com's Christmas in July sale. :shakes fists again:

So here's what I got.

That little purple thing in the bottom right corner was just to fill up space in the collage :)

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that July's ending and with that so is my 15% off etsy sale! (the code is FINALLY), so you have through Sunday if there's anything you've had your eye on. And as always, free shipping to the US!

And a little P.S. my friend Heather is shipping my next big box o' vintage jewelry today! I can't even wait to tear it open and see what she found!

Bunnies, Flowers, and Resin

I was SO very excited when Artbeads.com  had a 50% off sale last week and saw that some of my favorite Golem Studio pendants were included! I ordered two, and I couldn't wait to put at least one of them to use.

Golem Studio pendant, missficklemedia saffron rings, Czech glass, bone, jasper, antique bronze, sari ribbon & handmade clasp.

The next necklace I made for myself to go with a new top I bought. I had a wedding to attend over the weekend, and it was the perfect excuse to make myself something new. I'm sure I'll keep it, as half my wardrobe is black & gray anyway.

Hematite nuggets, Lucite & rhinestone flower, rhinestone rondelles, vintage black beads, vintage rhinestone, gunmetal wire.

And finally, some fun earrings.

 Bunnies! and cute aqua metal wavy disks.

Resin & coral and my handmade earwires.