Happy New Year!!

I'm going to start this blog post with good memories from 2009, since it is over tonight.

I am happy to say that I got a new camera for Christmas!! I will be able to post new pieces as I create them, now!!! And since there are so many that were not photographed, I will be able to put them up, as well. I am looking forward to having a "fuller" studio on ArtFire.com for you to browse. Check it out here, AlsoMrsB's beads & baubles.

I have loved becoming a part of the community. I know this coming year will bring more from the venue than I can imagine, and I am grateful to be a part of them!! Keep up the awesome work ArtFire.com!!

I truly enjoyed entering the Soft Flex Company's beading contest, and that I made it to the finals was beyond my dreams! My "Volcanic" necklace and earrings are now available in my ArtFire studio, here: Volcanic Set. Feel free to send your friends in to look, too!

To my new found friends at Artbeads and Rings & Things, I couldn't have made as many things as I did this year without you!! Thank you for all your support and friendship! I will continue to tell everyone who listens (and some that don't) where I get all of my fantastic components!

To my friends from Etsy... especially Christina Guenther, without whom I would not have looked for my bead box, thanks for all your friendships. I am so glad to have been so supported in that venue in my "newness". Make sure you check out, Wicked Soaps, Among the Ruins, Annabel's Aprons, Imeon Designs all of these fine artists have been spectacular friends, and sounding boards. Thanks so much Ladies!!

In bringing in the new year, I'd like to wish everyone prosperity, peace and health... May the New Year be everything you need to accomplish all you can!!

Oh, Lookie, A New Post!

Oh, Good Glory! It's been over a month!!

Not that I have forgotten about you all, my good readers, I have simply forgotten about life. Nope, I'm not gonna "whine"... I need to give that up.

I am going to, again, extol the virtues of "Blogging for Beaders" and my friends over at Artbeads.com who have again, so graciously, invited me to be part of their blogging team!! AND ~ they are so smart over there ~ they are now offering MY READERS the opportunity to partake of "the goods"... I am authorized to run a contest/giveaway for an Artbeads.com $25.00 email gift certificate!! So I am open to suggestions, as I have not yet hosted a giveaway... I have seen them done, and am always amazed at the creativity involved. Leave me a comment with your suggestion for what type of contest you think I ought to host, and perhaps we can get one going...

Meantime - I have put together another piece with the help of my friends over at Artbeads.com and am desperately trying to share it with you... but my dang camera is acting up again!! So I am going to let you know about the components that I have used by sending you over to the Cubic Zirconia section. And, I'll keep this one short and sweet, so that I can spend more time kicking my camera and looking for a new one!! (Really I'm not going to kick the camera, it's the only one I have!! But I must get a new one...)

While you are checking out all of the CZ offerings at Artbeads.com - make sure you look at the pendants, here; as I have partnered a long teardrop pendant with multiple bezel links found here, and a beautifully simple clasp, here. When you have your shopping cart filled use the following code for a 10% discount, too!! SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0424 It's good through the end of the year, December 31, 2009.

Here's the *~bad~* picture that came about of the simple CZ piece...
And, as if you couldn't tell, but I must... what with the new FTC disclosures; all of the Cubic Zirconia pieces used, in addition to the Sterling Silver crimps and Sterling Silver crimp covers, were given to me, free of charge, by Artbeads.com, as a member of their blogging team, so that I may review the products and give my honest opinion of using them.

You can always find pieces for sale in my ArtFire.com Studio.

Life Gets In The Way

This isn't the prettiest of posts, and I apologize, but I need to get this out. It has taken me over a week to type this, as I keep revising while I'm writing... I have not used this venue to vent, yet. I'm finding it difficult to do so, not wanting to "burden" you, my readers. At the same time, I want you to know that things are happening in this life that are causing me great duress. I have not been "working" with my beads or my posts, for a number of reasons.

I can tell jokes that make people laugh in the middle of the most macabre, or sad times. I can "breathe pink" and speak in "silver linings" in the darkest of spaces... I am having the damndest time putting my beads on posts and wires and strings, due to circumstances beyond my control, lately. I want so very much to be able to create the beauty that I see in my bead box... I want so much to be able to share it with others... And then there is the "impasse". I am seemingly stuck.

It seems every time that I make plans to sit down with my beads these days, life gets in the way. I really need to learn how to create through chaos. If you know how to do this please contact me... I have been battling my own personal demons for a while now, and cannot seem to find a way to make my pretty beads and baubles; and this bothers me greatly. I have pearls, I have Swarovski crystals, I have wire, I have findings and charms. I seem to be missing the "something" that puts them together.

So, in an attempt to "shake it up", I went to the Rings & Things Bead Tour Show.


I found some pretties to string. Not that you can tell from this picture, but there are some gorgeous "blue goldstone" beads along with some white pearls that are begging to be put into a Holiday Theme. I also found several terrific "silver dipped" pendant leaves to be used as focals.



I've put them on my stringing board, with the intent of entering Rings & Things contest "Your Designs Rock". I've gotten excited about getting in on the Early Bird and New Entrant raffles... in addition to the Grand Prize of $750 credit at Rings & Things!!

So, perhaps I've been "shaken up" a little... Things aren't improving as fast as I'd like in my "bead-i-verse"... But I'm working on it. Now I'll just go and get to work.

As always, check out my ArtFire.com Studio, there's new things gonna happen there, too!

Handmade Holidays - Everyone Should Have One!

AlsoMrsB



Unique Gifts

I'm not sure what I'm doing between now and then... perhaps "just some beading"! Hahahaha. This year no one that I know is getting a "purchased" gift. I have scads of stuff that I can use to create all my gifts and tags. And all of my wrapping papers are at least vintage, if not antique! LOL!

It seems ages since I've posted here... and I look... and yes, it's been a month, now. Wow. It is Autumn already. I am smelling the change in the air, too . This is my all time favorite season. It is my personal preparation time for "the Holidays".

I used to go out to the malls and hit the stores looking for the perfect things. These days, I don't like the rush, or the crowds, or the lingering feel "those people" leave in their wakes. I've had enough of bullying my way to a decimated display to find the last of an item that has been opened and abused!

This year... all handmade. For everyone, including myself! Santa has these terrific little elf friends, and they LOVE to craft and design with the best of us... I have found several of my own "elf friends" on ArtFire.com!! Check out these ArtFire Artisans for some fabulous finds to have your own Handmade Holiday!!


For the BEST in handmade soaps, lotions and facial products, shop with Heathens Hearth. Their soaps are decadent but won't break your bank! Amy and Misty are truly queens of Customer Service!


For some of the prettiest choker style necklaces that I have seen, check out Archeress Arts!


Here's a GEM of a Studio! For nature inspired copper and polymer clay jewelry, check out Emily Claire Creations.


My ALL TIME favorite for hats, and knitting patterns for hats, is Pixiebell She has a VAST selection of styles as well as all the "happening" colors for the seasons! You won't be disappointed with these chapots!



I'm still "doing my thing" in my ArtFire Studio.

Check out the newest search-able features on ArtFire.com.

Finally Finshed - The Pendant Project

Here IT Is! The photo that I've submitted to the SoftFlex Company's "Flex Your Creativity" Beading Contest... IT is The Pendant Project that I have been promising for weeks for , from their Swarovski Pendants collection. I have had so much fun putting this piece together, and am totally grateful to Artbeads for asking me to join their blogging team!!

There are some more detailed pics, but this is the first of five that I have submitted to SoftFlex for the contest. Several of the others pics will be listed at the bottom of this post!

One of the rules for the contest was that the picture could not be "on a person"... so that "blew" the first photo I took (and LOVED)! Though, I am overall, very happy with this piece; there were a few "little tweaks" that I would liked to have made. I could NOT do so because completing this was making my nerves, as well as my fingers, raw! And the excitement of finishing the piece was so overwhelming, that it became hard to tie the knots for the "floating" aspect on the three strands of wire.

I used the SoftFlex wire Trio in "Extreme" as I thought it fit the piece beautifully. I certainly hope that I have captured "Volcanic" and "elegant" with this one! Do let me know what you think, in the comments section, below!

Here are some detailed photos... not ones that were allowed for submission, (as the piece is on a person.) Please note, the bail that I have used is NOT from Artbeads, they were out of stock; I found this one at Rings & Things (Thanks, guys, for having it in stock and getting it to me so quickly!!)


































I hope you have enjoyed the anticipation, and now the end result, of these weeks of creativity. I know that there is no other way I would have liked to spend this time.

Thanks for reading, and remember; you can find me online at ArtFire.com and Etsy.com. Look for this piece, (and many others, including the "matching" earrings) to be listed in my ArtFire studio in the coming days...

ArtFire where listing and selling are always FREE!