The Next Random Post

It's been months... life has been in full swing, and I've been up to here with stuff to do and stuff to procrastinate. Stuff to do; moving from CA to OR, unpacking, registering the kids for school, and trying to find my beading supplies. Stuff to procrastinate; unpacking, writing a blog, making anything from my beading supplies.

Now don't take that the wrong way... I LOVE to make my pretties. Somehow not everything got packed into the same boxes... and there is so much still to find, like findings and wire and such. I have some of the crystals out and have been staring at them for the better part of three weeks. Perhaps something awesome will come of that. I will keep you up to speed, and post pics, as soon as I have something to show you!

In my life outside of beading, I have been reading, and watching movies, and making new friends in our new neighborhood. I am learning that this area is pretty historic, even if it is still very small town... On the weekends we go hiking and to the beach.

And on that easy note... until next time. Perhaps less than six months from now!!

Not Lazy... Just Busy

It would seem as though my poor blog has been neglected, yet again, for a month! Some good news, though; I have received more blogging beads from Artbeads.com. These beautiful Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendants are blue, as a tongue-in-cheek, anti-Valentine's Day theme. I know too many military wives whose husbands are on deployment, that I just couldn't stand the thought of happy and pink this year. Sorry. I will be making a necklace and earrings set from these, as time permits... (these pics are directly from Artbeads.com)



The clasp that I have chosen is quite unique, and the design I have drawn out uses it as an "inverse"... so that it will be the focal of the necklace. This clasp can be found in the Sterling Silver Clasps section, by following the "Toggle" and "Heart" links. Though you may want to wander through the entire section, just to admire the vast selection of clasps!!
I am posting these pics to show you where my creations start... just from the sight of these fantastic items. As I have not yet completed my design, you will need to wait to see my finished pieces... Ah, the joy of something to look forward to! You know I'll blog again!!

** And to make the FTC happy... I did receive these products free of charge from Artbeads.com, so that I could review them honestly; and I was not paid in any way for my opinions. **

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!