new ebw theme announced . . .

Strand
The winner of the last challenge, Karin of gypsyeyesjewelry has decided a the theme for March!



Temptation.



Immediately springing to my mind are art beads of course-- surely some of the smallest, and largest, of all temptations!!!!



I've also got a BAO challenge on the horizon at some point soon.



So I'll be busily beading, which is the way I like it!

family project #3, down and something extra!

Family project #3 was bil's shark tooth cuff. He really liked Barbary Coast but to me it looked a bit feminine on him-- though the cuff itself really isn't girlie. So I made him a leather backed version for his anniversary this year. He said it's the best anniversary gift I've ever given him-- not hard as this is only anniversary #2 and I didn't give him anything last year . . .
I also made this today. It was a custom job-- a gauged nosering Rajasthan style! I *love* this. Seriously. If I could wear it, I would have kept it and made Slang something else. Seriously-- yes I know that's the second time I said that.

Anyway, I may start making these.
I also made a pair of custom earrings today. Everything's packed up and ready to go and I have plans for a nath that I'd really love to work on!

dream a little dream

primitive series-- voila' vine

Yesterday was Shrink Day-- my very first visit to any sort of specialist on the human psyche-- though I've been under a doctor's care for my issues on and off for over 15 years.





Anyway-- I was just telling her about me . . . family history, education, and she asked about college. I explained that all that I've ever really wanted to do is art. I didn't go to school for it because I didn't see the point in going to school for something I couldn't make a living off of. I didn't go to school for anything else because I didn't see the point in going to school for something I didn't want to make a living off of-- which was anything and everything else.





Then I told her about my work history-- food service then retail and now-- I have my own business making art. Which is what I always wanted and never thought would be possible. It's true that I'm not exactly making a living, but it's also true that I'm doing something that I've always dreamed about doing. And it snuck up on me and I didn't realize it till yesterday. Weird, huh?

ocean of storms wardrobe

All in fun-- but who wouldn't feel great in this outfit?

ocean of storms cuff by thebeadedlily

Coming on strong - Sterling silver band with 3 spinners by silvercrush

distressed silver petit blade earrings by discomedusa

silk top stormy blue by BlueSeaBlue

Long black wrap skirt by laramieloom

Bella Caribe Lace-up Leather Sandals Black Deerskin

subscriptions

First let me share something that got a smile from me today:

The Crocodile


by Lewis Carroll

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!


How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!

If you don't subscribe to The Writer's Almanac, you really should! It's a nice mix of old favorites, new awesomeness, the occasional total waste of space and really cool factoids and stories.

I sent out my second newsletter last night-- my subscribers get a chance at a free pair of earrings! If you missed it and want to get in on some extra insanity next month subscribe! The link is at the top right of my blog.

Also of interest today was Seth Godin's definition of creativity.

For me, creativity is the stuff you do at the edges. But the edges are different for everyone, and the edges change over time . . . If you want to be creative, understand that you'll need to get to the edges, even if the edges have moved. Being creative means immediately going to the place the last person left off.

Not a bad definition! I subscribe to Seth's Blog too.

prettiness

Monday is pretty-pictures-from-Treasury-curators-day!

Amber Fire Shower Necklace by gypsyeyesjewelry

Gen-Bu bracelet by CieloDesign

Sunshine and Flowers Peyote Cuff

Enchantress - Bead Embroidery Pendant and Spiral Necklace

Starfish Notecards by abeachthing

Thanks too, to time4acure!

And Bead Art Originals find a nice deal on some wonderful art day!

odd little day

I woke up late this morning so I dashed out without even turning on my computer. That's unheard of for me!

Not turning on the computer means I didn't get to renew anything on Etsy-- which I do faithfully.

Then I went over to my cousin's place for a sushi lunch (polymer clay cousin) and stayed most of the day. No renewing, obviously.

So it was a pretty big surprise when I came home to three orders. Makes me wonder why I bother renewing all day long!

Anyway-- I made the orders up-- they were all from my Primitive Series-- and packed them up and they're ready to go tomorrow. Which is good because I plan to be gone tomorrow too. And Tuesday. And Wednesday (shrink day).

I'm not sure if this is nervous energy prior to therapy, if I'm trying to convince myself that nothing's really wrong with me by making a pass at a 'normal' life, or if I'm just trying to stay out of the way till the Houseguest is gone . . . . hmmm.

Oh well!

--

Several folks have asked to see Hawaii '09 modeled. Well here it is. You get all sorts of odd shots when you're trying to take non-blurry pictures of your neck while not chopping off the top of your head.

I felt kind of silly. (KIND OF?!)

CPSIA-- grace under fire

If you're reading this you probably already know about the whole CPSIA thing that has crafters up in arms. If you don't-- it's a regulation going into effect next month that states that anything primarily sold for the use of children has to undergo extensive and expensive safety testing.

Most small businesses simply can't afford the testing and so will be unable to sell their children's wares. Some have already shut their doors. There are a lot of angry and panicky people out there-- and many have already done their best to bring the issue to the attention of the powers that be.

Two crafters recently caught my attention for their tongue-in-cheek handling of what has to be a scary situation for them. I wanted to share their tactics here.

Safety Pants - CPSIA compliant-- by WholeMother

WholeMother says,

"These pants are CPSIA-compliant SAFETY PANTS. They are made of 100% cotton
flannel and cotton thread. No need to worry about the dangers of elastic,
buttons, polyester thread or color in these pants!

I don't know about you, but white is my preferred color for all children's clothing. Additionally, there is nothing like untying knots while potty training - gives those little bladders a good workout." Read the rest here!

CPSIA compliant toy - Just LOOK at the fun by thetangledwoods

thetangledwoods says,

"Let me introduce you to "ball of wool". He is made of 100% natural, unaltered
American milled wool, and tap water. Should changes not be made before the
legislation takes effect February 10th, this may be the only item I can sell
without fear of prosecution. But he's a fun little...err.. guy, right? You can
do lots of stuff with him... like... watch him sit. Or, watch him roll. Or...
watch him collect dust." Read the rest here!

Both listings have links if you want more information. But this is not a call to action. It's simply a call for admiration of the spirit of those who, like these two, seek to laugh instead of cry.

it could be love

Things mount up before you know it . . .

Bead Art Originals just ran a feature on my Barbary Coast cuff and why I love it so much!

Sue over at Art Ravings did a feature on my work-- clean and crisp-- it won't take a minute to peek at her faves and find out why she loves them!

And Miquette over at Strawberry Anarchy issued the Lemonade Award to me for blogs she loves.

Begging the question, what blogs am I loving these days?

Hmmmm . . .

lisa peters ART

The Rabbit Muse

Log Notes

SandFibers

Bead Art Originals

Art Ravings

Moods and Appetites

Wearable Art Blog

Wearable Art on 1000 Markets-- (which I'm co-authoring!)

Salamander House Studio

So take a second and poke around a bit! You might find something you love!

hawaii '09 complete

I finished it last night and shot and listed it this morning.

A walk on the beach, collecting bits as you go along-- shell fragments, water-tossed stones, sea glass, driftwood, fossilzed coral, bits of string and old metal, a message in a bottle, the occasional treasure from a faraway land, the odd bone . . .

This piece features four 2-drop peyote panels fringed with a selection of wampum, sea glass, stones, lapis, pearls, carnelian and other gems, Grecian copper-dipped clay, porcelain, copper rings, paper beads from fieldandsea, a tiny Horus from Egypt, fosslized coral, a deer antler, 3 cylindrical foclas from LisaPetersART, lutrick and dancingstarbeads focals, driftwood, bones and other treasure.

I connected the panels with sterling rings to copper rings. I edged the panels with oxidized chain and clasped it with a handmade sterling 's' hook. I also left threads hanging to complete the rustic look.

I'm so pleased with this one. I crammed all sorts of wonderful goodies in it-- so it's pricey. It's worth every single penny of course, but if this doesn't sell, I'm not worried. You can find me in Hawaii--I'm the girl walking down the beach in the major necklace.

Hawaii '09

sneak peek: hawaii 09

The EBW theme this months is Tropical Vacation.

I immediately considered and rejected a floral/jungle theme. I have plans to visit Hawaii this year so I challenged myself to create something that I could see myself wearing while walking a Hawaiian beach.

I've been working on it for a couple days.

hands of an artist: Gale Bez

I asked a select group of artists for their thoughts on their most important tools-- their own hands.
Gale Bez is part of the Wearable Art Market on 1000Markets. She makes romantic wearable art.
She says:

--

These hands once dreamed of a dancer’s life as they floated through the air with graceful young movement. These hands have soothed and nurtured the tenderness of children. These hands protect life. These hands have turned the earth, coaxing tiny green shoots into full blooming fruition.

These hands have guided the infirm, the blind and have firmly held shovel handles to bury the dead. These hands have led voices in shimmering crescendos of music and have cavorted happily on the keys of musical instruments. These hands have held the strength of horses while riding mountain trails and have avidly grasped steering wheels of vintage autos speeding across open plains. These hands become one with the sea and have felt the freedom of cresting winds.

These hands that create in visible form the echoes and fantasies of my mind have at times been muted, hindered, damaged by the turnings of my life. They bear the scars and marks of a determined pursuit of knowledge. Yet, they have brought me competently through a half century of life, well lived and well loved.

These hands are star crossed - they stretch upward, ever reaching for the moon and sun, ever attempting to fulfill the potential of their destiny. These hands cannot resist touching the wonder of the world.



Violetta Femme Fatale Fascinator

pretty pixels

Bead Art Originals Items of the Week are up for your perusal!

And take a look at these pretties I discovered in this weeks Curator's shops!

Lapiz on a brick by MacrameByMaja

Olive earrings by KerrieSlade

Express Yourself - Ride The Wave - Turquoise - Business Card Holder/Paperweight - Abstract - Stained Glass - Art by RAT

Classy Chandelier Magnet Set by kimiko611

Gridded Circles in Orange and Blue - Herringbone Cuff

latest additions to the wearable art market

Take a look at some of the fabulous work by the latest additions the the Wearable Art Market at 1000 Markets!

Door by JoJoBell

It Began With Ann's Expression by thejadedog

Bonny Blue by delightworthyn

After Monet by nunofelt

announcing . . .

I've got good news, I hope!
-
Shopping for gifts can be tons of fun-- until 1) you're shopping for that loved one that a) has everything or b) is just plain picky or 2) you've procrastinated too long an the time crunch is crushing the breath out of you!
-
Steps in-- Gift Certificates by thebeadedlily! They're available in a classy card and in the superfast email edition! They come in several convenient denominations-- and one insanely hopeful one-- $25, $50, $100, $250 and $500.
-
Aren't they pretty? I hope you find them useful!

$25 Gift Certificate

hands of an artist: Lisa Peters

My hands post seemed well received so I asked a select group of artists for their own thoughts.

Lisa Peters is part of Bead Art Originals. She makes incredible clay pieces.

She says:

--

At times there are an infinite number of ways to communicate what I feel as an artist, during others there is no way to communicate how I feel and it is within those moments of challenge & frustration that I feel peace.

the green project: a beading journal VI

1/9/09 I finally find the right place for those Russian Serpentine cubes. I was beginning to think they were a no go.

1/10/09 I spilled my beads four--- count them--- 1,2,3,4 times today! I don't really want to know how much time I've wasted picking up these blasted seed beads over the course of this project . . .

1/11/09 I was gone all day. Part of that time was at friends though, and yes, I took my beads.

1/12/09 Finally found a spot for Heather's (humblebeads) squirrel. I was beginning to think it was a no go. And sistermine is a squirrelly girlie.

1/13/09 I took the citrine and topaz that I've had forever and put them in a wirework frame. Bil brought them back from Brazil for sistermine. This was pre-engagement-- they were dating or 'just friends' I've forgotten. They asked me to do something with them-- and they're celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary next month. Hey, no one said I was quick . . . .

1/14/09 Is there some law that says that the last three inches must take twice as long as they should to complete? The muddymuse button goes on and does it look great?! And also the little Horus that we got on our trip down the Nile-- I've had that for years!

1/15/09 It's done! She loves it and appreciates it as very, very few people could-- she'll also pull it off fabulously (as very, very few people could). She won't let me shoot it on her though. She's been very sick and isn't looking so great, still.

It's 18 inches long and 5 inches wide at it's widest point. Now for a Tropical Vacation . . .

PS-- I got everything on the list done with the exception of the newsletter . . . I don't think I can manage it tonight. Love me anyway, ok?