My workshop

Ok..so this picture is alittle old...if you had seen what it looked like yesterday, you would have thought a hurricane hit or..."OMG! How does she find anything!"Sometimes I wonder myself...



Beading is like cooking for me...if I have a messy work space, I am totally uninspired to make anything...not even an earwire.Must be why I don't cook very much!




I think it would be kind of cool to see others work area's , so if you are reading this, do a blog post and post a picture of your creating space..messy or clean..if it's messy, you'll make me feel much better! Then leave a comment here so I can see it :) So here's my clean area!

As of today, all the drawers are labeled with what is inside...it sure was a pain opening each drawer to find where I stuck the crimp beads...To the right is my pc and printer. I really need to get one more set of drawers since I have ordered a few more gemstones (but we won't talk about that...)Since next weekend is a three day weekend (YAY) I'm going to see if I can get my video on here and demonstrate if I can't catch my hair on fire , you won't either!

So..now I know a few of you are repeat readers, so don't try and sneak out of posting those pictures! So before I go, just a little cuteness on the way out...

Extremely cool class!

Hi everyone!! I didn't forget about my blog or all my lovlies that keep me smiling with your replies :) I had a semi busy weekend. Only semi because I had a fused fine silver class. Cool thing number one..I got to use a torch! FIRE, FIRE hehe(sorry...from the old Bevis and Butthead days) The torch was just like those creme brule' torches they carry at the kitchen stores, but has alittle more umph.So after several minutes of watching the teacher with many ohhh's and ahhh's...We got to try our own . Now you have to start simple by making rings around a dowel rod and snip them into jump rings. After much ^%@@&%$#%$ I discovered I suck at making jump rings. They were always cut on an angle. I muddled through though and actually managed to link them together and get a halfway decent bracelet started.





Cool thing number two...you don't have to make just circles :) I experimented with a few shapes I'm turning into pendants later.I'm having a bit of a hysterical block right now...too much to do and where to start syndrome...




I don't know how much you all know about silver, but I am exclusive to sterling which is 92.5 % silver and the rest I believe is copper. Fine silver however is 99.9% silver. The reason we used fine silver for the class is ...it doesn't oxidize. If I were to take sterling and heat it like the fine silver, it would turn black because of the copper in it. Fine silver just gets alittle hazy from the heating. You just toss it in a tumbler and out it comes all sparkley again. I think I may have to bit the bullet and get into more fine silver...the good Lord knows I bought enough extra after class before I hit the door.(Had to get a fire brick,bench block, fine silver,a string of Apatite...) I can't seem to leave that place without spending somewhere in the $100-$200 range. When the owner sees me coming in , I'm sure she's thinking "there's the light bill paid", "there's the rent paid" ...



So I digress... Cool thing number 3... you get to hammer the poo out of it! We looked like Santa's little helpers in the back room just pounding away on our lovely (expensive) fine silver..boy what a stress reliever! Can I get a halleluia crafting sistah's??!! I need to put in an order for stainless steel shot, so I haven't tumbled the silver yet, but here is my silver goodness :)

I also made some nifty little headpins and plan on doing a little short video demo on making themif anyone has any interest. I have to talk to my sweet friend Christie at Dragonfly Lane (woot! another clickable!) and see how she makes her awesome demo's!

Well...going on 2 am here, so time for me to hit the hay. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Many happy blessings!

MOOOO!

I wanted to give a special shout out to my fellow Pennsylvanian friend Eve of Faff Creations (psst...I made a link!!) I've been on a few swap threads at Etsy and only had one other trade. Eve contacted me about a trade for my little copper and flower earrings




As soon as I saw her shop, I knew what I had to have! Eve makes the cutest felt pocket mirrors!And I had to have the cow... *snicker*


I think these would make awesome stocking stuffers for family and friends , so go check out her shop!

Had a visitor.....

Some visitors are very unwelcome...specially the green buggy variety.How this one made it past me into the house is beyond me...who could miss it??! REALLY?!



A big ugly cicada...bleck! I have nightmares of that thing crawling on me as I'm sleeping!

On to a brighter note :) One of my favorite things is wildlife photography. We have a large pond and a small pond with many frogs and other critters visiting (hopefully no more cats )
Couldn't resist taking a few today since it was so pretty out. This first one is our small pond and one of the boy frogs hanging out in a morning glory vine.



This is a peach water lily in the large pond in full, glorious bloom. They seem to be taking over the pond this year, so I guess it's time to thin them out alittle...




One of our resident dragonflies at the big pond. They hang out all day,lay eggs in the water and new come out next year....




Lastly for the bulldog junkies :) and you now who you are...

For pity's sake !

You would think it would be simple..I mean, I do run my own chat forum and have for two years now...I fix codes and change the background..but I can't CAN'T figure out how to make a clickable link without the URL! *thud*

Joeyandaleethea gave me a tutorial and I somehow managed to mess that up too...somedays the internet really makes me feel my age :(

TAG! I'm it!!!

I've had my very first tag from Renee at Candy Stick Lane http://candysticklane.blogspot.com/

Here are the rules:

1. List seven random facts/habits about yourself

2. Choose another SEVEN bloggers to tag and list their names in your blog

3. Leave your seven tagged bloggers comments to notfiy them of their tagging and to direct them to your blog for tag instructions.

7 facts/habits about me...

I'll try to do you justice Renee, but I doubt I can top your list ! :0

1. I collect cooking magazines and cookbooks to look at the pictures and fantasize about maybe ...just one day...actually making something from them. I don't cook ...much. I can cook, but never enough time in the day to do it..then I would have to wash..yes wash..as in hand wash ..dishes :(

2. I'm an orphan (technically)both of my parents have passed away now. My Mom when I was 20 and she was 48 from colon cancer and my father when I was 27 and he was 58. They think he had a heart attack.I'm often terribly envious of people my age and older that still have their parents. I still really miss having them around.

3. I'm a british high tea whore..yup!One of my favorite things to do is find a tea room and have "High Tea". Scones, lemon curd, soup , petit fours ...the works. My bud from Norway comes home and we have tea parties and our guys also participate!

4. Spent a night in jail :0!!! Yep..ahhh...reckless youth! Let that be a lesson to ya if you don't pay your parking tickets! :p

5. I'm a hoarder..depending on what hobby I'm taking up, I seem to think I need to have all of it... *sigh* a few months back I took up polymer clay...I bought drawers FULL of it. Every tool, magazine and book out there on it , I had to have it. And here it sat..for some time..I just now sold it in my etsy shop. The last of it goes out in the mail hopefully this week. Some kind soul bought the mother load of clay from me :) Now..jewelry design...I have drawers overflowing. But, no I don't think I'm going to give this up. I did open another Etsy shop to get rid of a few things.

6. I'm not a good friend. You know the saying "to have a friend , you have to be a friend". The majority of my friends are online friends and the real life friends I have, I keep in contact with via the internet...not phone, not hang out together type deals. I LIKE to stay home.I don't care much anymore for hanging out because I have 15 things going on at home that I could be doing...I'm terrible!

7. I'm as shy as shy can be! I do not like talking to people face to faceand if I'm put in a situation where I know I'm expected to talk , I clam up all the more. I really don't know why. I can chat your ear off on the internet, but not if I meet you on the street.

Those are the facts and I'm stickin to um!

Ok..I'm gonna tag..

ackoelade at http://ackoelade.blogspot.com/

Chantelle at http://www.sixthandelm.blogspot.com/

Judy at http://artsyclay.blogspot.com/

The Therapist at http://asianbodyworktherapies.blogspot.com/

Anodyne at http://anodynedesign.com/blog/

Amanda at http://beadnfiberbabe.blogspot.com/

Ok that's it!! So let's see all those little known facts about all of you :) Most of all , have fun with it..don't think of it as a chore like I used to when I blogged way back...looking forward to seeing them all! You're it!

And the nice matters awards go to....

Today is the big day, so I hope you all get to check in!I'm awarding out the "Nice Matters" awards that I'm allowed to pass out to fellow bloggers who have been ...well..nice!

So without further ado...

My first award goes to Christie of Dragonfly Lane http://wright5804.blogspot.com/Christie is one of the nicest people I have met! She does the most fabulos tut's on polymer clay that you would ever see!

The next award goes to Renee of Candy Stick Lane http://candysticklane.blogspot.com/
How could I not give an award to a lady that loves my dog??And who has given me my first tag!

My next award goes to a dear friend of mine Melody from Aria Images http://ariaimages.blogspot.com/
Mel is the one that gave me my first Etsy sale and also made this awesome template for me! That deserves TWO niceness matters awards!

My next award goes to Georganne of Georganne's Handcrafted Baby Accessories http://georgannesbaby.blogspot.com/
Georganne is awesome! I bought a baby item from her for a friend and she whipped it up in two days and has sent it off already!

The next award goes to Evelyn of Mother and Child http://motherandchild.typepad.com/mother_and_child/ for rouonding up a bunch of us crafters to raise money for Krystal Glass who is a single mother fighting breast cancer. I have the utmost respect for Evelyn!

My last award goes to Beki of PamperingBeki Custom Boutique Jewelry and Accessories http://www.pamperingbeki.com/If I hadn't found her beautiful blog, I wouldn't have known how to add music to my own blog! Thanks Beki!

So you all can grab your well deserved award and pass it out to other deserving bloggers :)

Who do you look like?

I saw this on another blog today and had to try it to see who I looked like..not sure that I agree, but it was funny to see nontheless...



So...what do you think?? I was thinking more along the lines of Sandra Bullock myself...but who am I to argue if they think I look like a 20 something celebrity?? LOL! You do have to register for it and basically give them your first born, but ...it's all in the name of a good giggle!

Holy Golden Globes Batman!

I won an award!! My very first blog award! *cue soft background music* I would like to thank everyone for making this dream possible. First my Mother and Father, without whom I wouldn't be here.*Music getting louder as James Blunt (sigh) starts dragging me off stage as I've taken too long on my speech * Ok, wishful thinking LOL! Here's my purdy award for "Nice Matters"




This was awarded to my by a selfless, caring individual whom I have known for many years. My best friend Tracy over at the Pink Purl blog.We went to highschool together at old Spring Grove Sr. High (those were the days) Two people couldn't be more opposite than she and I! I'm 5'10" and Tracy barely comes up to chest level on me.She's super soft spoken and I like to tell it like it is, but somehow we've remained friends for about 20 years :) She's the first person to jump in with both feet to help a friend. I am truely honored!

Now I need to pass on my award to some deserving folks!Stay tuned to see who get's the next honor!

Newest Project

I've recently discovered a new stone I love working with... Picasso Marble!Picasso Marble is a stone that is mined in Utah. Some call it Picasso Jasper, but it is a marble, not a jasper. Technically it is a metamorphosed limestone occurring in the form of a coarse to medium grained rock of re-crystallized dolomite or calcite.This marble is mined in Utah and no two pieces are ever alike.



Been busily working on creating something with this beautiful marble today. I'm not sure I did the piece justice..I like it, but maybe could do better? After much hemming and hawing, I finished. I would love feedback on this piece!



Until next time~ Happy Beading!

Ta-Dahhhh!

Here it is! The newly designed Bully Beads! Isn't it purdy!! I need to send out a HUGE thank you to Melody of ariaimages.etsy.com for making me a beautiful template! I was so excited I could hardly wait till she was done to post something new!

On a heavier note,there is going to be a benefit for a sweet lady in Texas named Krystal who is a single Mother battling breast cancer. There was originally going to be an Ebay auction and a bunch of crafters were going to send some things, however ..Ebay requires you to be a licensed charity so that didn't work so off we all rushed to make something to send to Texas for the benefit taking place on Aug. 18th. You can read all about it on my buddy's site Pink Purl . There is a link to her site on the right hand side.

Here is my humble submission



I hope it makes some money for the cause. I have a sister in law who battled breast cancer twice and because of the treatments they had back in the 80's now has heart issues. Please say a prayer for this young mother and her son.