Mirka, daydreams and benedictions

My Snow Queen project! Finished last night, listed today!

When I heard the theme, I immediately thought white of course! Who didn't?

I Googled 'snow queen' and found out there was a story by Hans Christian Anderson (of The Little Mermaid fame) called The Snow Queen. Anderson's was kind of an evil fairy type character and that reminded me too much of my 'all moonlight and dewdrops' choker, which I made for the EBW 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' theme in honor of Titania.

I wanted something different. So I looked up 'snow goddess' which is close in my mind to 'snow queen'. I was introduced to a few who had very prickly temperaments!

Now I felt like I was on to something. Snow in mythology seems very mercurial, sometimes savage, always beautiful.

It seemed like a good idea to do a necklace-- it's been awhile since I've done one. I settled on a challenge for me, because it would be my first, a curved collar.

So I gathered some beads, many of the same ones I'd used in the netted choker, but I stuck with a more natural feel. The crystals were raw, a piece I acquired in NYC and a Herkimer diamond I bought a couple months ago from a rock hound at the September Bazaar. Some kyanite, iolite, moonstone. Labradorite, rock crystal nuggets, crackled glass.

By now I was really into the theme. I was seeing my snow queen as a wild woman, kind of a Genghis Kahn type character, but much prettier! I beaded the collar, being careful not to included too much glistening white, but instead straying towards the silver, grey, pale blue and clear beads.

When I finished that I set about embellishing it. (Sistermine and mothermine wanted me to stop before I added anything. It was 'beautiful as it was'. Well, of course! But not too exciting!) I added the Herkimer diamond first, wrapping it simply, but boldly. My Queen wasn't Mongolian. She was Tibetan, and she had no use for going overboard, but the one crystal, while fabulous, wasn't enough to satisfy her! I arranged the kyanite and crystal point in a pleasing but asymmetrical pattern and added them.

The plan was to encrust the surface with other bits and pieces, but when I held it up after the last bit of kyanite was in place, I knew that wasn't going to happen. It would be too much for my half-yeti wild woman.

I looked up Yeti and found the name Mirka. Local legend says anyone who sees the mirka 'dies or is killed'. My snow queen grins fiercely, turns and twists out of sight.

My latest Treasury is still up! Daydreams and Benedictions

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Reminders:

Voting is going on for the EBW Challenge. I'm coming in 3rd right now, which is pretty exciting!Go Vote!

Check my blog sidebar for a link to sign up for my monthly newsletter. You'll be entered to win a $20 credit toward anything in my shop on December 1st!

i have a problem or how do i do that?

Perhaps I shouldn't talk about this here. But where else would I talk about it? I want my work to sell itself. I don't expect it to make itself, so it's funny that I'd expect it to sell itself.

I, personally, don't need a reason to buy beautiful things. I see it, I want it. I think I'll wear that! It's different and special. If I can make up an excuse, I buy it.

I don't have to have much in the way of incentives. Free shipping saves a dollar or two, a percent off is nice. I'm indifferent to gift boxes. If you come across nice on your blog and listings that's a definite plus and may be a kicker if you don't, but honestly, I'm buying the piece because I've decided that it's for me or it's for someone I know so well that I can tell it's for them. (Or sometimes I need a gift which is less personal, in which case, saving is good because it can be tough to decide on things like that.) I'm buying because I desperately have to have that exact item and none other, or need 'it' anyway and 'this' fits the bill. If I wasn't buying from Merchant A I'd be buying a similar product from Merchant B.

The Wold in a Grain of Sand

I wonder if most of us are like that? And if so, how do I get to be Merchant A? In the first scenario, I see something an resonate with it. I've had that happen with customers. Sometimes I see something, but it's obviously out of my price range-- sometimes I only think it's out of my price range. That's happened with my cuffs especially. If they were $10, they'd be gone (and so would my mind . . . ) But I've had people walk away and I've had them walk back.

In the second scenario, I literally look at everything! I'll take hours trying to find the 'right' thing that sends the right message and the right price. But I don't really know what pushes me over the edge. I have to figure it out.

Either way urgency can be a factor, if it's ooak and I have to have it or if I'm in the market and the 'deal' is just for the weekend.

It seems to me that the work sells itself because I'm unconscious of the factors involved, beyond my own preferences and needs. I have to pay attention so I can adapt those factors to work for me too.

So, what makes you click the buy button? What makes you hold off? If you sell your creations has that affected how you do it?

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Reminders:Voting is going on for the EBW Challenge. I'm coming in 3rd right now, which is pretty exciting!Go Vote!

Check my blog sidebar for a link to sign up for my monthly newsletter. You'll be entered to win a $20 credit toward anything in my shop on December 1st!

all the colors of a zebra

I'm drifting today. Lot's of things are on my mind. I'm really wanting to improve my craft booth display. Right now it sits at amateur, because I've only ever done small shows, which is fine, but I'm considering taking it to the next level-- juried events-- and a booth can really define how people see your art and will even make a difference on if you get in or not.

I'm thinking of the pros and cons of hang tags and earring cards and design, cost and effort. Storage. Organization. Time management.

I'm thinking of ways to alleviate excess frustration.

I'm giving thought to this blog as well, what it should contain and what it should not.

All of that does relate to art and business. It also relates to quality of life. But all of that thought is of limited value unless it's acted on.


Recommended Daily Dose of Art:


Reminders:
Voting is going on for the EBW Challenge. I'm coming in 3rd right now, which is pretty exciting!
Go Vote!

Check my blog sidebar for a link to sign up for my monthly newsletter. You'll be entered to win a $20 credit toward anything in my shop on December 1st!

monday pick-me-up

Monday, Monday!

The Bead Art Originals Items of the Week are up on the BAO blog, along with their respective offers! With my Fish Stories cuff, for instance, I'm offering a $15 credit toward your item of choice in my shop!

Ten Treasuries for thebeadedlily this week which is awesome! I love making them and including beautiful things for folks to see, so it's great that other artists enjoy treasuring my items for more people to see! It's one of those good circles of life!

So here are some beauties from the lovely curators!

The lovely Swanee included two pieces in two Treasuries, so here are two of hers. A hard pick, as everything in her shop is wonderful!

Bead Woven Medallion Bracelet

Quiet Bracelet in Brown

Njema's Blue Flower Red Thorns Bangle

SandFiber's Wild and Crazy Red Peyote Triangle Pendant Choker

enchantedbead's Beaded Beads Necklace in Purple

MAKUstudio's Heart Necklace

Naftali's Black and White or Grey

bizzybcreations' Green Moss Wool Scarflette Neckwarmer

JunkyardGypsy's Madam Butterfly Recycled Assemblage Art

BeadsAndI's Purple Delight Beadwoven Bangle

And thanks, too, to Eclectibles!

Also, please don't forget to go vote for your favorite beadwoven art on the Etsy BeadWeavers Blog!

And remember December! On the 1st I'm going to do a drawing for everyone on my mailing list for a $20 credit toward anything in my shop! The sign-up widget is at the top right side of my blog, so sign up after you vote!

ancestral expressions challenge voting open

EBWC Nov Mosaic
Originally uploaded by wMarlaine

The Etsy Beadweavers have done it again! More hours than you'd think, more thought than you'd expect and more incredible beaded beauty than you want to miss seeing!

Here's the mosaic that's up on the blog, now please take a second, click on over there and vote for your favorite. Feel free to leave a comment too! Thanks:)

an invitation, or I'm too tired to type much

So tired tonight after a day at the Bazaar.

The today Bazaar was less than a smashing success so I'm hoping that next month's handmade show will be better. Much better!

I've decided to to start a newsletter! You'll see the sign-up box on the top right side of my blog! To encourage you to sign up I'm having a drawing December 1st for a $20 credit toward anything in my shop! So go ahead! Sign up tonight!

Daily dose of beauty:

Anna Neff at A Rose by Name issued me the Butterfly Award for coolness! Thanks Anna!

I'm nominating 10 blogs-- some of the coolest out there! By coolest tonight, I mean prettiest!

LLYYNN

lynne hoppe

Sand Fibers

The Altered Page

The Art Zoo

Smadar's Treasure

beading mania

decor8

Humblebeads Blog

MaryLou's Art [Ad]venture

sneak peek at the snow queen project

And it's going to be a collar! My first actually. It's 3 drop peyote in silvers and whites. I got the curve by adding cubes and seeds to the bottom row at regular intervals while keeping the rest of it in Delicas. I edged the top in size 15 seeds and I'm edging the bottom with the same beads in a denser pattern and adding moonstone and iolite.

The plan is to close it with a sterling 's' hook and embellish it with odds and ends, kyanite and a Herkimer diamond. That's the plan anyway!

If you're in Savannah don't forget the Savannah Market Bazaar tomorrow!

Mention this post and get a free bracelet with any purchase!