Emerald Window

Hilarious Snack

2011-10-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

What a great way to get your kids to eat a snack!

Homeless Dogs

2011-10-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

Our Dog, Red.

I recently read Nan Emmett's rant about people who don't get their dogs spayed. AMEN, SISTER! But my post today is on a different line. It's homeless dogs. I used to see homeless people with dogs and I'd think "What kind of idiot would get a dog while he's homeless?" But then the kinder side of my brain said "Maybe they had the dog before they were homeless and couldn't part with their friend and companion.".
I see MANY homeless folks on the streets with their signs and if they don't look like druggies or alcoholics (I'm not funding any one's addictions) than I give them a buck or two if I can spare it. But when I see someone with a dog, it breaks my heart. So I have started a one-woman campaign to make sure that at least a few of those dogs don't go to bed hungry.
I bought a big bag of dog food and split it up into 1 gallon Ziploc bags. I added a milkbone or two for a treat and I keep them in the front seat of my car. When I see a homeless person with a dog, they get a couple of dollars and a bag of dog food. It won't end hunger for homeless dogs of the world, but it helps a little and I get endless doggy smiles and tail wags from it.
One more thing before I go. What started this whole "Feed the homeless dogs" thing was a scene a few weeks ago. I was coming home and was stopped at an intersection. On the corner was a man with his dog. The car in front of me honked and beckoned them over. They gave the man two hamburgers from the McDonalds down the street. So what does he do? He takes the meat patties out and gives them to his dog and he eats the buns. There's a special place in heaven for that dog owner.

Makes Me Go "Awwwww"

2011-10-06T23:49:00.001-07:00

Found this picture on Facebook. Not sure who took it, but it's adorable.

Halloween

2011-09-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

It may just be the first day of Autumn, but I've been thinking HALLOWEEN! It's one of my favorite holidays. I loved dressing up (my favorite costum was a fortune teller)and of course I loved the candy, but there was more to it than that. It was walking on that edge of fear and thrill. Being in the dark , being ditched by the older siblings, running from door to door before the boogie man could get me. And I LOVE Autumn.
So when my daughter came to me and said she was doing fundraising for Race for a Cure (Breast Cancer), and wanted to know if I could help out, my first thought was Halloween Brooches! So I've made some up and 100% of all of the proceeds go to her fundraising efforts. I'm putting one a day in my Etsy Shop or you can order directly from the blog here. Just leave me a comment saying you want one and I'll get in touch.

The pins ABOVE are approximately 2 inches (5cm) across. They have a black ultra suede backing and they are $17.00 (US) each. Shipping is free. I have a couple more that I am finishing up and I'll get them posted in the next day or so.

These last 2 are an inch and a half across (3.5cm) also have black ultra suede backing. They are $14 (US) and that includes shipping. Again, ALL proceeds go to RACE FOR A CURE.

Day of the Dead and a Contest

2011-09-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is coming up on November 2nd. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is a day of honoring your ancestors that is celebrated in Mexico and many of the southern states in the US. One of the customs of the celebration is to make tiny, colorful Sugar Skulls that are decorated with icing as treats for the children. I love making my sugar skulls out of beads. They last longer and have less calories. Ha. I make them as brooches or necklaces and sell them online and at the local crafter's market.

Although most sugar skulls are bone colored. I have a serious market for the black skulls -- mostly among younger customers. This one has a gold tooth - for a bit of whimsey.

One of our local galleries - The Maude Kerns Art Center - has had a Day of the Dead exhibit each year for a very long time and I have always gone to it and promised myself that the next year I would create something to submit for it (it's juried). Well, this year I finally did (and was accepted!). It is titled

"The Grandmothers" and is a beaded bit that celebrates the lives of my Mother, my maternal Grandmother, and my maternal Great Grandmother. I made the sugar skull out of large, size 8 seed beads. Then I sandwiched photos between glass and did a netting stitch to bind them. Finally, I made a garland of marigolds (used often for Day of the Dead) out of TINY size 18 seedbeads that were like dust specks. Each flower is the size of the end of my little finger and took an hour (each) to make. The base for all of this is an old mantle clock case that I found at a garage sale for $3.

The Exhibit runs from October 14th to November 4th in Eugene, Oregon.

And finally, my favorite bead store, Harlequin Beads, holds a beading contest each month. This month's theme is "Seed Beads", so I created the heart above to enter in it. The prize is a $100 gift certificate in their shop! They sell online as well. So check them out here.

Cameos!

2011-09-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

I recently bought some really nice cameos off of Etsy and have been beading them. I love them. And they seem to be selling well also. Here's a little glimpse...

And for my Halloween Friends...

She's Growing...

2011-08-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

For those of you watching ZD (Or Ziti, as I call her) grow up, here are a few new shots.

These were taken at a picnic that I went to with some friends. Since I had no one to leave her with, she came along - and had a blast!

She is teething a lot and hands and feet are her toys of choice.

Here she is getting her bottle (the rest of us had iced tea).

And here she is sniffing the roses and entertaining Robin.

She has learned how to use the litter box, how to escape from her "crib" and today she ate solid food for the first time, although I still give her a bottle to make sure she is getting enough fluids. It has been pretty hot here and she hasn't quite grasped the lapping water bit.

Update on Baby Cat

2011-07-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

You'll probably remember that a couple of weeks ago I started fostering a baby kitten. Since my last report, we have all grown head over heels in love with the little nipper and - with my long suffering husband's blessing - my son is adopting the little one. He named him "Zavalon Dexter", or ZD for short. This was after my husband said that I couldn't name the cat because I always came up with weird names. Guess my son inherited cat naming from me.
So we took the little one to the vet because of problems with colic and diarhea and found out that our "He" was a "She" . Totally OK with that other than the fact that it's more expensive to spay females, but that's minor.

So little ZD is happy and healthy now, She's getting real cat ears instead of her little rounded cub ears she had before. Starting to explore a little bit. Eating canned food mixed with her formula in a bottle and last night she actually played with a kitty toy I had bought for her.

In this picture she looks a little like a squirrel.

Sweet Little Baby Needs Me

2011-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Approximately 2-3 weeks ago, a feral cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in a field near a friend's house. Not long after, a mower went through the field and killed all of the kittens except this one. So I have a poor little orphan to bottle feed. He's TINY - that's a quarter by his head. And he's been having a little trouble with colic. But I think he will be just fine. I'll be sad when it comes time to part with him. I already have 9 cats and can't take anymore. But I'll feel good knowing that he got a chance at a good life in someone's home - not running around wild.
So here is my rant. There are lots of options out there for low cost spaying and neutering. Please don't adopt a pet if you aren't going to have them fixed.
Another scenario - My father lives out in the country. Someone thought he'd make a great host to their throw-away pet, so they dumped a half feral cat off at his house. He took pity on it and started feeding it, but had a hard time getting close. Unfortunately, the cat was pregnant and very soon gave birth to 2 kittens under his house. By the time that the kittens showed themselves, they were wild as little jack rabbits and twice as fast. Dad kept working with the mama cat and finally got her tamed down enough to catch her and take her in to be fixed. But by that time, one of the kittens was pregnant. So he worked at taming them down and eventually caught her and got her fixed as well, but not before she had 2 kittens of her own. You see where I'm heading? One of her kittens got pregnant and had FOUR kittens. So now from one original stray, he has 9 cats and kittens. I finally saw the need to step in - Dad isn't as young as he used to be, so I went down there and trapped the four kittens - a terrifying experience for them. Then I kept them in my bathroom to try and tame them down a bit. Finally, my friend Janetta, who works for the Humane Society, took them and kept them in her shop and they are now socialized and tame enough to adopt out. But not until they are neutered or spayed!

Two of the 4 kittens from my Dad's house.

If you have a pet and don't want it anymore, PLEASE take it to a shelter. It may cost you a little bit of money, but that is your responsibility for taking it in the first place. The shelter will get it fixed and adopt it out - or it may have to euthanize the poor thing because there are more pets than pet-lovers, but death is preferable to living in the wild where diseases attack cat colonies and they are preyed upon by coyotes and such.

My Daughter, Bryn, feeding a feral orphan. We kept this one.

These are sweet little creatures and deserve a good home. But please don't bring any more into the world. There are plenty to adopt already.

"Wicked" trying to escape the bathroom. We tamed her down and kept her, but she refuses to come in the house. Instead, she lives under the neighbor's shed and comes home for food and lovies.

Thanks for letting me rant and remember -Spay and Neuter Your Pet!

The Magic in Our Methods

2011-07-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

I was reading a letter from a fellow artist a while ago and she was expressing the emotions she puts into her beadwork. She said that each piece holds feelings of peace and inspiration. Yeah! I get that. Sometimes I get so involved in beading that it's almost trance-like. I feel very peaceful and joyful. The endorphins have kicked in. I am in my Zen.
So do those feelings transfer to the new owner of the piece when it is sold? I think so. I have had pieces that I have bought from other artists and some have wonderful feelings attached, some are gloomy, and some make me agitated. Is this what the makers were feeling when they made them? If so, should I be charging extra for the calming vibes of my beadwork? Of course not. But it is nice to know that I am sharing some calm and peace with my customers, whether they are tuned into it or not.
So how about you? Do you have a certain emotion that sets in when you do your art? Or is it different with each piece. Is a disturbing painting disturbing because of it's visual value, or because the painter was filled with angst as he painted it? I'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this. Do you get "vibes" from art? And do you think it's from your relationship with the piece or the maker's? Or both?
So sorry again for my tardiness in picking a winner for the Give-Away. June's Give-Away recipient is..... LOIS MOON! Send me your mailing address, Lois, and I will get your brooch in the mail to you pronto.
Since my summer is a bit hectic and I haven't had as much time to blog as I'd like. I am going to take a bit of a break. I'll still write a little something now and then, but I'm curtailing the Give-Aways until the beginning of the Fall/Winter season. But I'll make it up by making my first return Give-Away a doozy. Stay tuned.

I am Bad, Bad, Bad!

2011-06-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Oh I am a bad girl! I have lots of excuses, but I really should have updated this blog LONG ago. So sorry. Here it is almost the end of June and I just picked the winner of May's Give-away. And she is...
ROBERTA WARSHAW from Roberta Warshaw Artisan Jewelry. My apologies, Roberta for this late delivery. Please send me your mailing address and I'll get your brooch sent pronto!
So what has been keeping me from my keyboard? Well, you probably read about my mom's death. And then there was the funeral (I arranged all of the flowers including a huge casket piece of lilies). And I have been spending more time with my Dad to help him transition into living alone. And I trapped (humanely) 3 little feral kittens at his house so he doesn't have to deal with an eventual cat population explosion. Afore mentioned kittens are now living temporarily in my bathroom as I play "Kitten Whisperer" and get them tamed down so they can be adopted out. I have myriad scratches and gouges and two pretty nasty bites, but I'm making headway. They will let me pet them now, but only one has condescended to be picked up without a fight. I have to give major kudos to my poor husband who REALLY didn't want feral kittens living in the bathroom (again!), but who has patiently let me have my way because I'm a cat woman.
I have also started selling at our local Saturday Market - A fabulously creative and magical market here in Eugene. I sell my beaded brooches and my sugar skulls and some charms I made and some beaded hairpins. I have made some wonderful friends, especially my boothmate, Cheri, who has taken me under her wing and helped me get started in the market. Cheri makes irresistable earrings out of recycled bottles. Her business is called "Boozy Baubles" and you can buy "Beer Baubles", "Wine Baubles" or "Liquor Baubles" as well as her totally awesome "Cola Baubles". Check out her entire Etsy Shop here.
I've been beading every chance I get. I'm going to my Beading Circle again which has many great beady friends to connect with. And I've made friends with some beaders at the Saturday Market and have traded for some wonderful pieces.
So - all in all- I feel like I am getting back to my comfortable life and promise to keep up on this blog!
I will leave you with a picture of June's Give-away. Just follow this blog and leave a comment to earn a chance to win!

Up for grabs!

Participating in My Mother's Journey

2011-06-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

My mother, Hilda in 1940

I know I haven't been around much these past weeks (Thank You, Leanne, for noticing). My mother was diagnosed a few months back with lung cancer and she had a long, strange journey to go through before she finally passed away last night.
She started off angry. When the doctor gave her 4-6 months to live, she said she felt like he had given her a death sentence. I had to remind her that none of us get out alive and she had 80 good years to show for the life she had. She said her doctor was still a "s#%t head". But she eventually accepted it and tried to keep a good sense of humor through the pain that she felt. She told me that she wanted to be buried with her wedding rings still on ("check to make sure the mortician doesn't steal them") and that she wanted to be dressed in comfortable clothing, "even if it wasn't dressy".
My niece is getting married tomorrow on the other side of the world in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mom wanted to go to the wedding in the worst possible way, but knew she couldn't. She said that the only way she'd see the wedding is if she died beforehand so her spirit could be there. Last night when I called to tell my sister that Mom was gone, I told her to keep watch tomorrow at the wedding in her garden, because Mom was on her way and would be there.
I spent the last three days with her. My sister-in-law and another niece were here to help, but it was mostly my duty to administer her morphine every hour around the clock. At night I'd fall asleep and wake up exactly an hour later, without the aid of an alarm clock, give her her morphine and then fall back asleep in the chair beside her - to wake up an hour later and repeat the process. The rest of the time I'd talk to her and hold her hand or sit next to her working on a beadwork project. She had the luxury of dying at home and in her last hours she roused a little to tell us all she loved us before she wandered off again and began talking to her mama who had died almost 50 years ago.
My dad is feeling a bit empty now and I'm staying with him for a few more days until he adjusts to being alone. His cat is a comfort for him and he has friends that he talks with on the computer. My brother lives next door, so I know he'll be watched over when I'm not here.
My mother and I didn't always see eye to eye. She was a strong personality and had very firm ideas on religion and politics that I didn't always share. But I'm glad I was able to take this journey with her and see her off into the next world. And I'm sure that I'll probably get a glimpse of her in my own garden someday soon.

My sister, Kathy, came from South Africa right after my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This picture was taken just before she left to go home - Dad, Mom and Kath on the front porch.

Be Afraid....BTW

2011-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I don't often do Bead Table Wednesdays because I'm not an organized person. But thought I would bare myself to your judgements today by showing you EXACTLY what my bead table usually looks like on Wednesdays and any other day of the week.

Here it is. I didn't move a thing, try to tidy up or even spray air freshener. It is pure chaos, but that's what gets my creative juices flowing. Notice my little feline muse (Arachne) sleeping in the corner of Grandma's table.

These are some pieces I'm working on just now. The Butterfly will be a necklace, The watch with wings will be a brooch, and the Queen Bee surrounded by flowers is the centerpiece for a "Celebration of the Bees" necklace that I'm making for my friend Jana who is a beekeeper and friend to the little sisters in our gardens.

This purple piece is a work in progress. Not sure yet if it will be a pendant brooch, or a necklace. The fairy will be the centerpiece for a very dainty necklace. The armadillo is just there to keep me company.

Oops! Looks like the flash and click of the camera awoke our little Princess. She is NOT amused.

A Winner and Some Beadies

2011-05-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to WOL at the Owl Underground for winning the April Give-Away Brooch (pictured below). I especially like this little brooch and have one similar that I wear when I meet friends for coffee.

Sooooo....What shall I give away for May? Let me rummage around here in the secret Beady Chest for a moment.....Aha! Here's something I hope you will all like.

This little Kokopeli is adorned with beads in coral and russett with a matte black and white checkerboard around it. This is what's up for grabs in the month of May. So leave a comment and follow this blog to be in the running for it.

Meanwhile....

I participated in a Spring Jewelry Show last week-end (3 days) and took my beading with me to pass the time between customers and to show people how I create these little morsels. I had been beading non-stop for the show and got a number of pieces made during the show as well, so I'm pretty flush with brooches. I'm loading some on my Etsy shop and taking some to the gallery and the shops where I sell.

Here are some that I still have locally.

This one is made from one of Nan Emmett's fab cabs.

The keys and my Sugar Skulls are my best sellers.

This one is made from a vintage button and some yummy bright olive beads.

I have a thing for owls.

I love the colors in this Sugar Skull. I sell a lot of these and get many comments. People either love them or hate them.

If you want to see more, visit my shop HERE.

Royal Wedding Invitation

2011-04-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I'm inviting you all to the Royal Wedding. I'm sure they won't mind if I bring along a few extra guests. But to get in, you will have to play along with some clever subterfuge. This invitation has been extended to me by my friend at Kit and Kaboodle, via http://wessexreiver.blogspot.com/
In order to attend you need to:

1. Award yourself the title of either Lord or Lady.

2. Use the first name of one of your grandparents.

3. Take the name of your first ever pet and double barrel it with the name of the street or road you grew up on, then string them together to come up with your guest moniker.

So practice your curtsies and bows and deck yourselves up - Oh, and let me know what name I need to sneak onto the guest list for you.
Cheerio, Ta Ta, and all that...
Lady Flora Taffy-Sprague

Coburg Stash

2011-04-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Not far from where I live is a delightful little town named Coburg. It has streets lined with ancient trees and quaint little shops. Over the years it has become a Mecca for antiques dealers and there are many, many shops there filled to the brim with all things old, charming, and handmade.

This week-end (April 28-30), my friend Janice at Primrose Lane, is hosting a huge assortment of vendors selling antiques, vintage goods and clothing, garden art and fine, handcrafted jewelry. I have been invited and have been busy beading my little brooches. Here is a sampling of some of them.

The show is Thursday (Noon-6), Friday (10-6) and Saturday (10-6) in Coburg, Oregon, just north of Eugene. It is held at the Coburg Grange and the IOOF Hall (across the street from each other). Parking is shared with the Dari-Mart. Can't miss it, this is a tiny little town. Hope you can make it.

Arachne and the Squirrel

2011-04-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of wildlife around our house and I delight in hanging feeders and birdhouses in the trees. But the squirrels have a habit of taking them over. So I hung some feeders outside my studio windows, thinking that they would be unreachable by the squirrels.
Arachne has a great time sitting in her bed and watching the birds.

But this morning, the clever little squirrel was sitting atop the air conditioner and made his way on the window sill to the feeder.

The squirrel never made it onto the feeder. I think he was a bit intimidated by Arachne staring at him through the glass. My Sweety went out and put some peanuts in the tree feeder for the squirrel, so hopefully he'll leave this feeder alone.

Mini Skulls and Snuggly Parking Meters

2011-04-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Decided to make some Sugar Skulls in tiny size 15 seed beads. I really like them more than the big ones and they seem to be popular. Here's a couple of them. They are only 1.5 iches.

You can get them (and bigger ones in size 11 beads) at my Etsy shop here.

I also saw something that I thought was very creative - not a stretch for a crazy great town like Eugene - Sweaters for the Parking Meters!

In other issues - my mom is on a steroid now and is breathing much better and has lots of energy. My sister is on her way back to South Africa after a 3 week visit here. The sun is shining and I'm on my way outside to plant some violets that I brought back from my parent's house. Hope you are all enjoying spring.

Day of the Dead in April

2011-04-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "Christmas in July".
I made some beaded Sugar Skulls* last year around Day of the Dead and they sold quite well. But I didn't think anyone would want them at other times. So I didn't make any more. However, since they sold so well last year, I thought I'd get a head start on making them this year so I would have more of an inventory come November. But when people see them, they want to buy them NOW. So I keep selling them almost as fast as I can make them.

No two are alike.

This week-end I was in Los Angeles to see family and I brought one for my sister-in-law. She wore it all week-end and kept getting comments on it. My 9 year old niece shyly approached me and asked if I would make one for her. She decided she wanted a little one in greens and purples. This is what I made her.

* For those who don't know what a Sugar Skull is; it is a colorful confection made of sugar to be consumed by children, young and old, on Day of the Dead, also called Dia de los Muertos. This is the day that the Mexican culture celebrates and remembers their loved ones who have passed on. It is a rich and beautiful celebration.

A Winner....

2011-04-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

The winner of the March Give-away is .....(drumroll please)....Simply Smitten!

Please e-mail me your mailing address and I'll send you your brooch. And for all you blog lovers, click the link above to read SS's wonderful blog.

Soooooo.... what shall we give away for April?

How about this cheery little Cup of Tea Brooch? If you would like to sport this little bling to your next coffee klatch, just become a follower of this blog and leave a comment.

Life with Mum and Dad

2011-03-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't been beading much. My mum and dad are getting close to the ends of their time here on this earth and I've been spending as much time as possible with them. Mum had a bad turn a few weeks back and was in a wheelchair for a few days, but she's graduated to a walker now. My sister came from South Africa to spend some time with them, and that has lit a fire under their failing health and they have both brightened considerably.

Mum has terminal lung cancer and COPD and Dad has COPD and Diabetes. We have been asking them endlessly for old family stories and writing them down. My niece brought a digital recorder and recorded some of the stories. The whole family has been gathering - supporting, loving and comforting. I will miss them when they are gone, and I relish this time I have with them now.

Locks and Keys and a Monkey Too

2011-03-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished six new brooches. I put 3 of them on my Etsy site this morning. Will add the other 3 tomorrow.

This is the first monkey I've ever done. I kinda like his cheekiness. I think he's trying to steal that lovely raku spiral bead that I got from Star Spirit Studio. And it looks like he also knicked a swarovski crystal with his tail!

I have a thing for keys. This one is surrounded with TINY little iridescent purple seed beads.

When my daughter was little, we flew to San Francisco and the flight attendant gave her a pair of little captain's wings. She wore them for weeks! This is my version. Ruby Zoisite center with brass verdi gris wings and wrapped up in my favorite blue-green seed beads. Yum.

You all know how I feel about pink (NOT my favorite color!) but many people love it, so in the spirit of offering something for everyone, I beaded up this cute little lock and key in precious pink.

...And here's another lock and key in blue.

...And one in Blood Red!

Here's a shot of my bead table this morning along with my beading muse, Arachne (cat), sleeping in her bed.

Hummingbirds and Hairpins

2011-03-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do something different besides jewelry, and I had this snazzy little brass verdi gris column and some fabulous Czech Glass flowers and leaves, so I made a beaded picture. There is a sweet little copper hummingbird sipping nectar from the top flowers.

I also have a collection of beaded hairpins that I listed in my Etsy shop today. I displayed them in a whimsical way on black card stock with leaves drawn on so they look like sunflowers. These orange ones are my favorites...

But I also like the lavender-pink and green combo ...

And the acid green pair too. These have fun millifiori beads for their centers.
I just got a shipment of fun trinkets from one of my favorite shops, so tomorrow is Beading Day.

My latest "helper" in my studio is goofy "Foos". He has decided that my home-made cardboard lightbox is way too much fun. First he shredded the tissue paper sides, and then he ripped out and shredded the white paper lining. I know I should have made him stop, but I so seldom see such unbridled joy, that I let him have his fun. So now I need to make another lightbox for photographing my beadwork and I need to keep it OFF THE FLOOR!

Raku, Crystals and Seed Beads

2011-03-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

I gave myself permission this week to postpone all housekeeping and errands so I can get some beadwork done to restock my Etsy shop. I had just bought some wonderful raku pieces and was itching to bead them. So here are some of the new pieces.

This raku Geranium Leaf was made by Star Spirit Studio (on Etsy). I love her work.

I wrapped it in copper and blue beads and hung a copper heart from a blue Swaovski crystal in the center to give it a little movement.

This is one of my "Eleventh Hour" brooches. A bit Steampunk, and a bit dazzle.

This one is called "Spirit Tree". The photo doesn't show it to it's true potential (my bad).

This one reminds me of a glitzy Flying Saucer. Ha!

Lovely raku Sea Turtle with beads of Russet, Bronze and Ivory.

I started this brooch months ago, but just finished it yesterday.

Sun Disk and Acorns is another favorite. I love working with metallic beads.

This brooch is made of antique jewelry and watch parts. Bronzes and Golds.

All of these brooches are now in my Etsy Shop.

Winner

2011-03-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Jacinta from Jamberry Song for winning February's Give-Away!

So what's up to give away next? A little something from the sea...

Another sweet brooch made with one of Nan's cabs from Spirited Earth.

To enter, just follow my blog and leave a comment. It's that easy!

More beadwork and a Helper

2011-02-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

I finished a few more brooches today. I've loaded them all on Etsy for now, but will take a few off later next week to restock one of my local stores who sells them. I like this little Cuppa brooch.

This is another favorite. I love labyrinths. This one is a replica of Chartres Cathedral's labyrinth.

A perfect little Spring Bee reminds us that Winter will not last forever.

And this pink Lock and Key Pendant Brooch is just waiting to unlock your keen fashion sense.

This is Arachne (on an infrequent outdoor foray) who sits on my bead table and offers her critiques.

Busy Bee

2011-02-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

I've been busy at my bead table, working up the cabs I got from Nan. I LOVE bees. This one reminds me of the fat Queen Bumble bees that come out in the spring and fly lazily along like little B-52's.

And it won't be long efore the butterflies are here too.

This one called "Printemps" (Spring) has a little Sterling Silver honeybee.

Just in time for Valentine's Day - The Winged Heart.

And a Buffalo head for all the Buffalo Girls out there.

And finally, a little Sand Dollar and Sea Horse for all of the Mermaids.

Buidhe, my crazy-eyed cat, kept me company while I photographed the new brooches. His purr sounds like rusty machinery. We call him our Steampunk cat.

New Beadwork

2011-02-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some of the new beadwork I've been working on. The first is one of my most favorite brooches I've ever made. I used this beautiful cabochon from Spirited Earth and wrapped her in bronze netting. I call her the Empress because she reminds me of the Empress in the Tarot deck. The matte cream beads at top suggest a tiara.

The other brooch I just finished is this little Steampunk Claw Clock. I love the brass bird claws.

I just glued up a new batch of Nan's cabs to bead around, so keep an eye out for more brooches. In adition, I'm beading some small framed pieces. Busy, busy. Both of these brooches are now in my Etsy shop.

A Winner!

2011-02-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

Cathryn from Chili Cats is the Winner of January's Give-Away. She get to recieve this fun Cat Brooch.

Congrats Cathryn, and send me your mailing info so I can get this in the post to you.

I do a monthly Give-Away and it's easy to win. Pop over any time this month - Leave a comment and follow my blog for a chance to win this Flying Heart Brooch with German glass center.

I've been beading some new brooches and will take some pictures in the next few days to show you what's new in my studio. I do have to admit though, that I haven't been doing as much as I should since I am on my seasonal obsession with the family tree again. I have traced one branch of my family tree back to the year 980! That's 32 generations. I have also found a wonderful new cousin in Georgia. I started working on my family tree many years ago (before internet!) to find out more about my Mother's Swiss family. Since then I have traced family to Russia, Germany, England and Scotland.What a melting pot I am! I realized why I love England so much. Some of my avorite places I visited were homes of my ancestors. And Ididn't even know at the time I traveled there.

Imagine Gallery Beadwork

2011-01-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

I showed you some of the beautiful glass paintings that my friend Tym did recently and I've finished the beadwork around the last of them.

I love the crab (I'm a Cancer). I hung this sweet little starfish and some orange beads for accent.

I like the frog much more now that he has a beaded frame.

This one reminds me of Italy.

The dragonfly is a delicate necklace now.

I love the grapes. I was originally going to make it a brooch, but it was too heavy.

So now it is a necklace for those wine tasting tours.

Collaboration

2011-01-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

My friend Tym owns a local gallery and I sell some of my bead work there. Last time I was in there, she showed me these beautiful glass paintings she did and asked if I'd like to make them into jewelry. So I'm beading her little vignettes and having a grand time doing it.

Here are some of the glass paintings Tym has made.

And here's a couple more that I have started to work on.

And here are two that I've finished the bead work on. The Seahorse is a brooch and the City Scene is a pendant that I will make into a necklace. These will be for sale in her Gallery - Imagine Gallery in Eugene. If you are interested in any of them, drop a line through my profile and I'll forward your inquiry to her. Check out the photos on the gallery facebook page here.

Going back to a previous blog where I showed you the baby caps I was knitting for charity....I have now made 30 of them and continue knitting one or two each evening. It's very cathartic and makes me feel a little productive while I watch the tube.

A Winner...

2011-01-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Gaby Bee for winning December's Give-Away, The Dragonfly Brooch, above. Gaby is the author of the blog, Colorful Adventures and a new friend from Germany. The brooch is winging it's way to her now and a new Give-Away is up for grabs for January.

I'm a cat lover (I have 9 of them!) and I fell in love with Nan Emmett's cat cab from her Etsy Shop, Spirited Earth. So here is a kitty I'd like to share with some lucky cat lover. The brooch is medium-large sized, perfect for a coat, shawl or handbag or pinned to hold back a light curtain.
All you have to do is add your name to my follower's list in the sidebar and leave a comment anytime in the month of January.
And as a gentle reminder for all my friends in the north, please remember to give any outdoor cats (even the wild, feral ones) thawed water and extra food during the freezing cold days and nights of winter. The animal gods will bless you.
I've been busy knitting and beading. I finished a necklace that was a collaborative piece between Nan and myself for our mutual friend, Jana in Kaui. Here it is below.

Jana is an outrageous artist herself. She sculpts beautiful forms in clay, with her inspirations coming from the nature around her. Here is a recent scupture she created.

You can see some of Jana's clay plaques at Banana Patch Studio, here.

Baby Beanies

2010-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I took a knitting class a while ago and it really sparked something in me. I'm one of those people who always needs to feel productive, and when I watch TV, I feel like I'm wasting time. But I love watching some TV shows, and since I can knit and watch TV at the same time, it was a perfect pastime!
So I knitted a few scarves and some slippers and then, while browsing through a knitting magazine, found an opportunity to be knitting and helping little babies around the world (all while watching TV!). How productive id THAT!

So I have been knitting little caps for babies in third-world countries. I don't have anything to show the scale of these, but they are tiny - only 12 inches in circumference. I can knit 2 of them in an evening of TV watching. I have a ball mixing the colors. My daughter said I should be doing them in pastels, but I hate pastels and I figure there will be MANY people making little pastel beanies, so I am making mine in vibrant colors. I think babies need STIMULATION. It's funny - I dressed my daughter and son in vibrant, bright colors when they were little. Now my daughter wears mostly white and pastels and my son wears black. I was dressed in pastels when I was little - mostly light blue and aqua, but now I wear purple and red and orange. I guess we rebel against our childhood colors.

So I have made 8 caps now (I made another one after I took this picture).

I have until the end of February to make as many as I can.

If you are a knitter and crocheter and would like to help out as well, here's the link to get the patterns and where to send them.

So get the needles and hooks out and keep some baby's noggin warm.

Valentines at Christmas

2010-12-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

I always hate it when the stores start putting up their Christmas decorations in October. It just seems to rush everything. BUT if you are creating something to sell during a holiday, you need to start early if you are going to have enough product. That said, I was THRILLED to find in my postbox today a Valentine's inspiration package from Cindy Caraway. She does a monthly give-away on her blog and I had won. After tearing off the outer wrappings, I found this creatively wrapped parcel.

It just screams "Promises of good things!" I pulled back the tissue to reveal a dainty little tin box. Inside was this:

Ribbons and wrappings and beads and lace and cherubs and hearts and pearls and bows and flowers. I was SO excited. I'm already musing about what to make with them. And to show you that I'm serious about getting an early start on Valentine's Day, here are some brooches I have already made.

Four down, many to go yet.

So THANK YOU Cindy for the fabulous gift of inspiration. Please check out Cindy's blog, Artful Living on the Bluff, and leave a comment and you too may win something delightful and inspiring.

Secret Santa

2010-12-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a Secret Santa since I was in grade school. In the 4th grade, a boy drew my name (A boy!). I was horrified to think of what I might receive from him. But on the day of the Christmas party, I was more than pleasantly surprised. He had found a cigar box and filled it with all kinds of little treasures. A folding fan with a painting of a bird on it, paper umbrellas, marbles, a pocket mirror with little jewels on it and assorted other little trinkets that I can't remember now. It was one of my favorite gifts of all time. I felt like I was opening a small treasure chest.
Well, now, 40 some years later, I have another Secret Santa. I entered to be on the Secret Santa list at Lillyella's blog. She sent me the name of my gift recipient and I set to work making a beaded brooch for her. I put it in the mail to her last week. And then I forgot about Secret Santas until yesterday when my husband brought in the mail with a package for ME. I didn't recognize the name on the return address and when I opened it and read the accompanying card, I was still in the dark. Had someone sent me a random gift? In the package was a FABULOUS hand-folded envelope.

Intrigued, I opened the clever little beaded latch and tipped it over.

Out spilled a BEAUTIFUL bracelet made of dark olive pearls, olivine crystals and lovely carved, dark green stones.

The clasp was silver and quite elegant. I was still in a quandary as to why this person had sent me such an incredible gift when my husband said "Could it be from YOUR Secret Santa?" Of course! That was it. I realized with a little guilt that I should have waited until Christmas to open it, but I'm notoriously impatient and would have never made it that long anyway.

Here's a close-up of one end of the bracelet showing the carved beads, the pearls, crystals and Sterling
clasp.
So I want to say a HUGE Thank You to Shannon from For My Sweet Daughter. This gift ranks right up there with the 4th grade gift and you have been a very good Santa.
Shannon also has an etsy shop HERE. and a blog HERE. Please visit.

Rina and Isabel

2010-12-06T01:13:00.000-08:00

I went to an art showing tonight with my friend, Robin. Her friend, Rina, was showing her exquisite cut paper artwork. Have my eye on a piece that I'd like to buy for my livingroom. Met a very nice lady there named Isabel, who gave me the address of her website. She also had stunning artwork. So it was a very enjoyable evening with good art, new friends and great brownies that Rina's mom baked.
You can see their art at:
www.flickr.com/photos/rinayuriko
and
http://www.dutroncy.com/

A Winter Winner!

2010-12-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Brrrr. It's Cold Outside! I'm hoping that the torch brooch from November's Give-Away will warm the cockles of the heart for Kath at Hillside Cottage (AKA Railway Cottage) because she is the current winner! Congratulations Kath.
Sooooo, what to give for December's Give-Away? Let me rummage around in the magic chest here a moment.....Ooooohhhh, let's go with THIS one.

This brooch is comprised of a horn bead with a dragonfly etched onto it. The surrounding beads are brick red, gold and purple. A little shimmery, just like a dragonfly.
So leave a comment to be eligible to win this brooch.
Have a GREAT December Everyone!

Photographing Art Indoors

2010-11-28T13:01:00.000-08:00

I sell my bead work on Etsy and therefore need to be able to photograph my brooches and necklaces for posting. In the summer, I take my pictures on the back deck, under a clear fiberglass roof that diffuses the natural sunlight perfectly. But now it is dead winter, which in Oregon means very little natural sunlight. I have a bright studio with 3 windows, but it still isn't enough on it's own for good photos, so I turn to my trusty light box.

Above is a picture that I took this morning on a dismal grey day with the light box. Below is a picture of the same brooch I took outside on a nice sunny day last summer. Both look presentable.

My light box is nothing fancy. It's just a cardboard box with windows cut out of 3 sides and white tissue paper glued over the 2 side windows.

Here's my lightbox set up on my craft table (my grandmother's yellow Formica table bought in 1950). I use 2 cheap ($10) lamps with very white florescent bulbs in them. The bulbs I use are made by Satco and are 5000K, which is one of the whitest lights you can get easily. I bought these at my nearest hardware store for about $4 each.. The K represents the whiteness of the light. A 5000K light is similar to sunlight. A 2700K light is more yellow and warm, which might be great for a bedroom, but not good for photographs. It's still classed as "soft white" but it does have a yellow cast. A 4100K light bulb is classed as "bright white", but still not the best for photography. A 5000K bulb is classed as "Natural Light" and that's what I find is best.

I position my lights very close to the ends of the box shining through the tissue paper (which diffuses the light). I use a piece of white poster board to lay in the bottom and curve up along the back of the box. I like to add a sprig of silk Ivy since I like to have a little something green in my photos (just my personal preference). Having lights at both ends helps to eliminate shadows.

I usually position my piece to one side so the light is better. Sometimes I need to use the flash, and sometimes I don't, depending on how much light is coming in through the windows.
I use a DSLR now, but have taken photos for years with my little point and shoot digital camera and can't tell the difference between the two. You don't need fancy equipment to take indoor photos of your art work.

Green Man and Hair Jewelry

2010-11-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

Autumn makes me change my color palette a bit. A week or so ago I got a great package of raku cabs and beads from Wondrous Strange. As a little bonus, she sent me this wonderful green face. I've always loved that verdi gris green with copper, so I thought I'd make an Autumn Green Man. The leaves are all a coppery gold color and the background is worked in green and copper seed beads. I thought it needed some type of little satellite, so I added a couple of bronze leaves on a chain. The beaded leaf is kept in place by a lapel pin on it's back.

A while back, I bought a "Helping Hand" pendant from Nan at Spirited Earth. Our last name means Green Oak in German and I give my husband an ornament every year for Christmas that is "Oak-ish" in some way. When I saw the acorn in the palm of this hand, I knew I had to give it to him. So I made a copper hook, added some beads and created this special ornament for him to hang on the tree this year.

And I had a request for largish hair barrettes, so spent last night creating this piece of Hair Jewelry. It measures about 3 and a half inches long by 1 and three quarters inches tall. The clip in back is adjustable so you can clip back just a little bit of hair or a whole lot.

And since I showed you my Hair Jewelry, now I'll show you my Hare Jewelry. I don't like pink, but I force myself to create items in that color because people like it and I can't totally refuse to carry pink bead work. But this pink was OK to work with (NEVER ask me to do Barbie Pink!) and I love the little Hare running against time.

Wings and Ears

2010-11-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some fun projects these last couple of days. My friend Jillian sent me some wonderful beads along with a shard of a porcelain doll's head with the ear still on it. I knew she had some quirky finds and had told her to send me something I could bead for her. I got the ear and decided to glam it up a bit. Maybe a porcelain doll that Cleopatra would have played with....

So here is her finished brooch. If she keeps sending me doll shards, we may be able to piece together a little Frankenstein's monster.

I also got some fabulous raku wings and Lentil beads (and an awesome face) from a great shop on Etsy called Wondrous Strange. Here's one of the wings I beaded as a brooch.

Tonight I'm going to the Art for Animals Auction to bid on some wonderful art. All proceeds benefit our local animal shelter.

Throwing a Little Vintage Into The Pot

2010-11-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Isn't she adorable? I was at an estate sale this week and I found this beautiful old photograph. The man behind the cash table said "She should have a home, why don't you take her home and make her part of your family". I agree, she needs a home, but since I have an over abundance of ancestors, I am offering her up to my Etsy customers. Do you need a sweet little girl in your family tree?

I've started offering vintage and antique items in my Etsy shop. I can't help it - I'm a sucker for anything old.

My favorite quote is "Anything old is sacred, anything new is suspect."

This old book is another find for my shop. It's a first edition copy of "Merry Hearts and Bold". The title itself is fabulous. I love the old illustrations and the stories teach lessons. Can't get that from a video game. The copyright is 1942.

I'm a sucker for anything beaded, but I really love old beaded purses. Scored this one at a vintage shop. Love the art deco design and the beads are teeny tiny.

This cinnabar bracelet is carved, not stamped like all of the new cinnabar is now.

This little dutch doll reminded me of one I used to have when I was a little girl (oh, so many years ago!)
I love digging through flea markets and garage sales looking for old treasure. So does my daughter, Bryn, which gives us a great Mother-Daughter activity to do together.

Selling on Etsy

2010-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

I don't profess to be an expert on selling on Etsy, but I have sold some things and I get questions often from people wanting to set up shops who are intimidated about it. My advice - Just DO it!

Etsy is pretty easy, but it isn't a get-rich-quick-scheme and you do have to work it. My biggest piece of advice is NETWORK! Think of Etsy as your very own little shop in a VERY big mall. Think Thousands of shops. How are you going to get people to find your shop? You can wait for the few stragglers that happen to stumble on your shop - and you will make a few little sales, but if you want to make any money and share your product, you need to get the word out about your shop.

There are many ways you can do this. The easiest I have found is Facebook. I have almost 800 Friends on Facebook. Do I know them all personally? Not in your wildest dreams, but I Do consider them all as friends. I participate in a give and take relationship with them. I read their posts, I comment on some of them, I offer encouraging words when needed. But I also post any new items from my Etsy shop onto my Facebook page. I don't think of it as aggressive selling, I think of it more as offering my beaded pretty things to friends who may want to purchase them for themselves or as gifts. I keep it all very low key and friendly and warm. Other ways to get the word out are through Twitter, Stumbledupon, or Kaboodle, although I admit I haven't used them as much as Facebook.

Another key to Etsy is to have a blog. I use Google Blogspot because it is very easy to set up and maintain. I am not a computer whiz by any stretch of the imagination and I don't have a lot of expensive high tech computer gear either. Blogspot is simple and I find that most bloggers use it. I have made some fabulous friends from all over the world (and especially my Beloved England) through my blog. I post many of my beaded items on my blog, but I also use it for social posts, helpful articles and a monthly Give-Away that brings more readers to my blog and also rewards them. And it's fun to send out a new give-away brooch each month. It's like sending a gift to a special friend.

Joining an Etsy Team is another way of getting the word out. I belong to the Etsy Bead Weavers Team. They give great advice, create forum threads (which I admit I haven't figured out all the way yet) and link buyers and sellers together. If you type "Etsy Bead Weavers Team" into the search engine, you'll get a showing of all the shops that belong. It's a great support group and there are MANY Etsy teams out there to offer help.

So get creating and selling. It isn't hard and can be pretty enjoyable and profitable too. If you have questions about starting up your own shop, drop me a line. I'm always happy to help.

I'll post more on Etsy here at a later date - Just figured out how to take good indoor pictures of my brooches. Maybe I'll tell you how to do that next!

Busy with Steampunk

2010-11-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

I have created 14 new brooches in the last week. Busy, Busy.

Some are my traditional beaded beauties like the one below:

And others are decidedly "Steampunk". If you don't know what that is yet, it's a marraige of Gothic and Industrial Victorian. They use lots of watch faces and clock parts to represent the connection of the eras and lots of cogs and gears too. But it also has the elegance of the Victorian age. I really like it. You will see lots of brass used in these pieces.
Some more Steampunk below:

All of these pieces are in my Etsy shop.

The End of Sunny Days

2010-11-07T21:35:00.000-08:00

I went up to The Oregon Garden on Thursday. It was a glorious sunny day. I got lots of plants placed, ready for planting. Also had a little time to wander around the Garden with my camera and snap a few pics of the Autumn foliage.

I spent a little time in the Conifer Garden chatting with Doug.

The Witchhazels are SPLENDID just now.

We had a heavy rain on Friday and it has beaten many of these lovely leaves off of the trees. I'm glad I had the chance to see them before the rain. Now we have a week of gloomy, rainy days predicted.

I wish I could get one more sunny day. I have been VERY busy in my studio and have many new brooches, hairclips and necklaces to photograph. It's too dark in the house and on the porch now. I went out today and bought bright white light bulbs to use with my light box. The last ones I had were too yellow. Will experiment tomorrow to see if I can get a decent indoor picture. I have to come up with something because winters in Oregon can be very long and dark and I don't want to wait until Spring to photograph my jewelry.

A Winner!

2010-11-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

I have been such a wicked girl. I've been so wrapped up in Halloween and Day of the Dead and beading and craft night with Bryn (my daughter) that I haven't been posting as much as I should have been.
But here I am to atone.
First of all, we have a winner of the Sepia Heart Brooch from last month.

She is (drum roll) Janet of Singing Woods! Congratulations Janet! Once again, a brooch that has one of Nan Emmett's cabs, makes it's way back to Texas.
So, I'm thinking "what do I offer for this month's Give-Away"..... Hmmmmm.... Maybe something sparkly for the Holidays.....

So leave a comment any time this month to win this Black and Green German Torch Brooch. The black torch centerpiece is vintage German glass. I almost kept this one for myself (although my jewelry box is overflowing with brooches I've kept), but I'm offering it with all my love to one lucky reader. And while I'm on the subject, I want all of you to know that I appreciate you coming to my blog to see what mischief I'm up to. You are all my best buddies, my comrades, my fellow artists and kindred spirits!

Win some Goodies

2010-10-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Head over to Andrew Thornton's Blog to win some FABULOUS goodies. He gives something away every Thursday, and I have him listed in my sidebar, but this week he has a huge cache of beads and stampings and .....

View, Click and Comment

2010-10-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm on a big push to get people to Andrew's Treasury page. We've sold 4 items off of it already, but we need more people to view it, click on the items, and leave comments to keep it towards the front of the Treasury where it will be seen. Click here to magically be transported through cyberspace to the Treasury. There are lots of items of all differant price ranges to choose from and they would make great Christmas presents for you or someone else.

A Mermaid for Andrew

2010-10-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

My blogger friend, Andrew Thornton recently underwent surgery for skin cancer and has been flooded by hospital bills. I remember when I was diagnosed with cancer. I wasn't afraid of the treatment, and I wasn't afraid of dying, but I was terrified that I would bankrupt my family. Luckily, I recieved some help which put my mind at ease. So helping Adrew get a little bit of peace of mind is my way of "giving back".
I have created this necklace, using a ceramic cabochon from Spirited Earth and have it listed now in my Etsy shop. When it sells, all proceeds from it will go to Andrew.
I also sent a message to the Etsy Beadweavers Team (I belong) and many of them have also donated items in their shops to help defray Andrew's medical costs.
I'll be creating a treasury on Etsy on the first of November with all of the donated items. So check back often; I'll keep you updated. Be thinking about Christmas and Hannukah presents or a little something for yourself that will be steeped in good energy because it was part of a great effort among many friends.

Under Lock and Key

2010-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by keys. They unlock such wonderful mysteries - Secret Gardens, pirate chests, big creaking doors...

So one of my favorte things to bead around are keyholes and keys.

There's just something special and mysterious about them.

Most of these are in my Etsy shop for sale.

This isn't anything involving a key, but wanted to show you anyway.

My neice, Katie just had a birthday and she wanted a necklace in autumn colors, so this is what I made her. I like it so much I'm going to have to make something similar for myself!

Halloween Beads and a Scrumptious Pendant

2010-10-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I won Cindy Caraway's blog give-away and recieved not only this fabulous handmade pendant...

But Cindy also sent me some delicious Halloween beads....

And so I made a couple of Halloween Necklaces out of them....

Paired with my Day of The Dead Skulls, I'm ready for the Holidays!

Teddy Bear Benches and Sea Treasure

2010-10-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

I never feel the urge to clean in the Spring, but it hits me quit hard in the Fall. So as I have been "destashing" my house, I have found a couple of interesting items that I listed on my Etsy shop. One of them is this adorable Teddy Bear Bench. I bought it 20 or so years ago and it was old then. I displayed it in the depot at the Village Green for years, but now I have it back and I'm ready to part with it permanently. I put a coffee cup in the picture so you could see the scale.
I also found this nightgown that was my auntie's. She had it custom made for her in the 1960's and then never wore it. All the cutwork embroidery was made on a home sewing machine - back in the days before sergers or computerized sewing machines.

It has a matching robe that goes with it. Size Small.

I've also been making and selling lots of beaded brooches. The Sugar Skull brooches have been popular for people getting ready for Halloween and Day of the Dead.

I recently got another stash of wonderful clay cabs from Nan at Spirited Earth. I posted earlier about the Chalk Horses, But now I have finished a couple more.

I've always been very fond of bees.

And I have never been known to turn down Sea Treasure.

So other than beading, I have been trying to get some last minute gardening done. My son is moving out of my studio and I'll be having Studio Sales in it during December, so the path to it needs to look nice.

I'm a little stressed about doing the studio sales. Haven't done this in a very long time. I always have the nightmare that I'm going to throw a party and no one shows up. It's right up there with the nightmare where I'm naked at school and I can't find my locker.

The Gift

2010-10-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

This is a profound video that expresses exactly how I feel about having Breast Cancer. It is something I would never wish on anyone, yet it opened my eyes and my mind in a way that nothing else could. My life is better now because of it. Please watch it.
Sorry that part of it is cut off. I don't know how to fix it, but I think you can get the message without seeing the whole picture.

Chalk Horses and Sugar Skulls

2010-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

A few years back, I visited England and was amazed by the Chalk Horses that are carved into the hillsides there. This one was on the Salisbury Plains.

So I asked Nan Emmett at Spirited Earth if she could make me a few Chalk Horse cabs to bead around and she made me 3 stunning examples. Here are 2 of them already beaded (I haven't done the third yet).

I think she did a great job of capturing the magic and beauty of the Chalk Horse.

I've also been making beaded Sugar Skulls for all of my friends who celebrate Day of the Dead (November 2nd). I love this holiday for it's reverence of our ancestors and our loved ones who have passed on, and it's a most colorful and creative celebration.

I'll have these brooches and more on my Etsy shop momentarily. Please stop by.

Also - Congratulations to Mermaiden for winning last months Giveaway (Beading Book). This month's giveaway is this Sepia Heart Brooch made with another fabulous cab by Spirited Earth.

Practical Magic - "The Man I Wished For"

2010-09-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'm posting my Practical Magic Blog Party post a day early so that my sister in South Africa can see it on the proposed date (the 25th).
One of my favorite parts of the movie was when a young Sally stirs up a spell to attract a man that could never exist (at least she thought so). Years later, he walks into her life and delivers the line "I wished for you too".
It made me think about when I was young and dreamy, wishing for my Prince Charming.
Well, I met said Prince when I was 16, only didn't realize he was The One until I was 18. Married him at 20 and have been by his side for 33 years.
So this is my magic I have conjured up to celebrate the love of my life, the answer to my wishes.

I beaded this frame to hold of picture of Sweety when I first met him - back in our hippy days.

I added symbols of our life and our love. This Celtic Knot represents the ties that have bound us through the years- Our children, our home, our extended families and such.

The sun and the moon represent the fact that we are basically opposites. He's a big city boy, I'm a country girl, he likes action movies, I'm into Jane Austen, he's very focused and driven, and I'm creative and spacey.

The Labyrinth represents the path that we have walked together. Lots of twists and turns, but no dead ends.

And the Key shows that he was able to unlock my heart and that it belongs only to him.

I never had to resort to a spell to bring me my Sweety. We found each other on our own, but there is definitely some kind of magic out there that is responsible for taking 2 people who are so different and making them love each other so much.

Winged Aquaterra And Beaded Pendents

2010-09-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have fallen in love with a stone I found at my favorite bead shop. It's called Aquaterra and I think it is STUNNING. Here I made a brooch from a small aquaterra bead and some verdi gris wings.

Here's a larger bead that I set with matte black beads and celedon opalescent beads.

I have a fair this week-end that I'm taking them to. If they don't sell there, they will be in my Etsy shop later next week. If they do sell, I'll be making more, so keep checking back.

This pendent is made for anyone who wants to create the necklace part themselves. I don't care for stringing and don't feel it's really my forte. I have a repeat customer, Arlene, that is a beader herself, but doesn't do this type of bead embroidery. We did some trading a while back (She's the lovely lady who made the beaded hippocampus). She has since ordered a couple of custom beaded pendents that she can create the necklace part for by herself. I love this arrangenment since I am not crazy about stringing. So I have decided to create a few pendents to put in my Etsy shop for other beaders who are more into stringing than bead embroidery. Which leads me to a question - How many of you purchase (or trade) beaded embellishments or other beaded items from differant beaders to use in your own projects? I have seen some fabulous pieces that I would love to work into my own designs.
If you make something from a piece you bought from another artist, could you resell it as your own since you "finished" it? Or would you have to sell it as a co-created piece? And would you be able to sell it on Etsy, where each piece is supposed to be created by the seller?

Mama and Babies in the Garden

2010-09-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

If you are afraid of snakes, turn the page! I found this mama snake and her 5 babies in the garden today (one of the babies was shy and wouldn't come out from under the bush). The babies were VERY inquisitive and not a bit afraid of me as I took their picture.

The babies clustered around their mother's head, like maybe she was communicating, or giving them a nuzzle.

This little guy poked his head out to see what I was up to, and then ducked back into the bush.

I think most people are afraid of snakes because they get startled by them in the garden. But they are very beneficial, eating hundreds of insects and if they are bigger, (like Mama here) they eat small rodents as well.

Give snakes a break!

And the Winner is...

2010-09-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to MoonRae for winning the Angel Brooch in last month's Give-Away. Since MoonRae lives in Texas and the angel cab was created in Texas, it's almost as if the little angel is returning home.

Leave a comment in any of this month's posts to win a copy of The Beading Answer Book by Karen Morris.

Back to the Light Box

2010-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's raining today - a mixed blessing. It has been so dry and hot here, the rain is most welcome. Being a true Oregonian, I rather prefer it cool and moist (hence my nickname "Mushroom"). But there is one reason that I will be sad to see the sun go away. I take my photos on the back porch where the fiberglass roof diffuses the sun just so. I prefer to have a certain amount of color in my Etsy photos. And since my favorite color is green, I usually have a picture or two of each item photographed against a green leaf from the sorbaria bush outside of my porch. I also often include a carved wand I bought for my husband in Glastonbury, England. A little green, a little magic....

But with the disappearance of the sun, I can no longer take my photos on the back porch and have to use a light box instead. Up until the first frosts, I can still include the requisite sorbaria leaf, but after the New Year, it's all rather....white. I'm not a fan of white, although it does show off the piece with no distractions.

So what do you think? Do you prefer the stark and uncluttered image from the light box or the colorful image from the back porch?

Rhinestones and Brigitte's Pearls

2010-08-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

My sister and Niece - Kathy and Brigitte - are visiting from South Africa. While we were at our parent's house, my mom had us go through the jewelry boxes of the grandmas, great grandmas and great aunties. Not being a wealthy family, most of the jewelry was of the costume variety, but it was all fun and lovely just the same. Here are a few pieces that we found.

A nice melange of glittery bits.

I remember my grandmother wearing the huge green rhinestone brooch, but these others were new discoveries.

These fan earrings are a favorite, but they are clip ons, and I don't usually wear earrings anyway. But I enjoy looking at them.

I searched all of the jewelry boxes for loose rhinestones and glued the ones I found back in their pieces, but I couldn't find the rhinestone that was missing from this piece.

I remember my mom wearing this turtle. When I was little, I imagined it as a turtle who had lazer beam eyes and was carrying it's eggs on it's back. What happened to that wonderful imagination?

This was my dad's favorite watch when he was a very young man. He saved up and bought it and loved it, but he had a hard time keeping it running. After the 3rd or 4th time to the watchmaker for repairs, the watchmaker told him to buy a new watch. Must not have has warrantees in those days. I think it is really beautiful evn though it doesn't run and is missing one of the thin straps on the band. I may wear it as a bracelet.

This piece is quite old and one of the coveted pieces in the jewelry boxes. I don't know what the centerpiece is - glass? faience? a stone? The setting is silver.

And here is the beautiful and talented Brigitte wearing a string of pearls that I restrung for her.

A Hippocampus And Some Soutache

2010-08-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

This beautiful Hippocampus (mythical creature - half horse, half fish) arrived a few days ago from Arlene at

ArzieHodge on Etsy. I have been fascinated with these creatures for years and get quite excited when I find one. This one is beaded beautifully.

These are 2 Hippocampus's (Hippocampi?) that I found at Lotusland in Santa Barbara, California.

I have also been learning how to do Soutache Bead Embroidery. Soutache is a double channel trim used for decorating clothes and upholstery.

These are my first two attempts. I bought some soutache in differant colors and I'm working on one with burgundy and green colors. Will post it when I'm done.

And this is a brooch I just listed in my Etsy shop. I love doing to key holes and keys. This one has a sodalite bead in the center.

More Before and After from Spirited Earth and Give-Away

2010-08-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

I promised you more pictures of what I did with the cabs I recieved from Spirited Earth, so here they are:

I love the bee cab, but I have to confess, I liked the olive matte one more than this one. But I liked this one much better once I got it surrounded with black matte beads and irridescent ceylon green beads.

The angel is a sweety. I wrapped her up in Mermaid colors and hung a few Swarovski crystals and a vintage bead off the bottom. Yummy. This brooch will be my Give-Away this month!

I love the horse and wanted to do something special with it, so I made it into a necklace. I wrapped it in bone matte and irridescent ceylon beads then hung strings of stone chips (from Jenn Judd Rocks) and seed beads from the bottom. The chain is accented with wrapped smokey quartz and more stone chips. I made the clasp myself to match the necklace. This one isn't for sale, it's going back to Nan at Spirited Earth.

Nan's Cabs - Before and After

2010-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

A while ago I recieved some fab cabs from Nan at Spirited Earth and I posted "Before" pictures. So here are a few "After" pictures to go with them.

I didn't want to do anything too fancy because I was afraid of taking the focus off of the cab. So I just did a little bead embroidery in matte colors and made it into a brooch.

I got a little more daring with the Sand Dollar. I used a few metallic seed beads and hung a copper starfish and some crystals from the bottom. I think this is my favorite.

This was my favorite cab before I started messing with it. I LOVE the owl. I decided to leave the gold netting and put down a base of cream colored matte beads and then added the oak branch.

I think you'll agree with me that the cabs I did the least to are the best finished product.

I'm still playing with the rest of the batch. These 3 will be in my Etsy shop within the next day or two.

A Celtic Winner

2010-08-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Leanne at Somerset Seasons for winning this Celtic Knot Brooch in July's Give-Away. I haven't decided what to give away for August yet. I thought about putting together an inspiration kit of beads, or I could do another brooch. What do you think I should do?

Generous Jen and a Holly Bride

2010-08-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I recieved a magical package in the mail. Jen Velasquez at Jen Judd Rocks had a give-away at her blog and although I wasn't picked by her random gizmo, I think she had pity on my because her give-away beads were green and I am ADDICTED to green. So she put together a packet of beads for me too. When she left me a message saying she was sending me some beads, I thought "some" equalled 3 or 4. But when I opened the package, I was flabberghasted to find this fabulous stash!

There are felt beads and paper beads and glass special goodies and gemstone chips and agates and you-name-it - it's there. I'm so excited. Even my son, who is not moved by beads, was amazed and stood picking them up and looking at them individually. I have so many ideas of what I want to do with them, and I'll post the results here when I am finished. THANKS, JEN!

Also, a dear young friend, Holly, is getting married this month. I told her I would like to bead something for her for her wedding and her request made me heart-full. Her stepfather had died suddenly last year and she wanted him to be able to walk down the eisle with her, so she asked me if I would bead a brooch with his initial (J for John) so she could have it wired into her bouquet. So here is the final piece and it is now in her possession and ready for the wedding march.

Many blessings at your wedding, Holly. I'm sure John will be there with you.

Faerieworlds Pics

2010-07-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Faerieworlds. It was not as busy as I wished; hadn't sold much yet, but hoping it picks up tonight when they have more entertainment and things cool off a bit. I did take some great pictures of costumed fairies, which were in abundance.

It was Bad Fairy Day today and this one was especially bad tempered. When I asked if I could take her picture, she snarled at me like a wild animal. I didn't know if that meant yes or no, so I took the picture, assuming that if it meant no, she would simply chew my arm off and call it even, Luckily, no arm chewing.

This fairy was a good fairy and actually thanked me for taking her picture. Nice manners are always indicative of good fairies.

This leather vendor had a definite Steam Punk vibe going on.

After I showed these ladies their picture in my little viewfinder, the one on the right said "I didn't realize I looked so scary!"

Loved this gent's clever costume, but his troll was grumbling mightily.

Everything that is left after Faerieworlds will go to the Gallery and onto Etsy. No more fairs this year.

Spirited Earth Cabs

2010-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

I feel like it's my birthday! I just got a nice little package in the mail from Nan Emmett at Spirited Earth. She sent me a wonderful assortment of clay cabs she had made me. I have coveted her beads for some time and asked her if she would make me some without the holes for my seed bead work, and voila! Here they are.

The bee is my favorite and I have some great beads to go with this yummy turquoise glaze.

I was so excited about receiving these that I started prepping them for bead work before I took "before" pictures. So here is this batch already glued to the ultra suede and ready for their trip to the bead store when it opens (in a few minutes) so I can pick out beads to match them.

I already started to bead this one - my favorite. I was concerned that the netting was too much and detracted from the intricacy of the cab. Still on the fence about it. I may rip out the outside row.

I'll post more pictures when I've finished messing with them.

Thanks, Nan!

Faerieworlds This Week-End

2010-07-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been beading my fingers to the bone and have come up with close to enough jewelry for Faerieworlds. So here are a few photos of what I'll be taking, all carded and priced and ready to go!
I have 54 Brooches made and might make a few more before this week-end.

They have the days divided up into "Good Fairy Day" (Friday) and "Bad Fairy Day" (Saturday) and I guess Sunday is a free for all - doesn't matter if you're good or bad.

This looks grey on my monitor, but it is actually a deep grass green. She reminds me of the Absinthe Fairy on Moulin Rouge.

Hopefully some good fairy buys this sweet little butterfly. A bad fairy might pull her wings off.

These are some of the bracelets that I'm taking. Still have about 20 more to make .

I also have Necklaces, Hair Clips and Beaded Earrings. Shalyhn has made some long Feather Earrings

I'll only be at the festival one day (Bad Fairy Day), but my jewelry will be there all 3 days. We have a marvelous booth very near the main stage, so we can listen to the wonderful music all day (and night - it goes to midnight). Since I'm there on Bad Fairy Day, I'll be on the watch for Kleptofairies. I hope they don't come around because I'd hate to have to turn them over to the Karma Kops.

What's In The Trunk?

2010-07-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

I promised some pictures of what I've been working on for the Faerieworlds Festival. So here are some of them. I've been concentrating on Brooches, but tomorrow is my last day for that and then I switch to building up my stock of necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

I made a number of Steampunk pieces since a lot of this crowd will be younger.

I have considered keeping this piece. I LOVE the bird claw which I got from The Mermaid's Dowry on Etsy (Check her out, she has AMAZING stampings).

And what Faerieworlds Festival would be complete without a Faerie or two?

Butterflies and Crystals fit well with this theme.

I love the whole "Running against Time" theme.

I made this with watch parts from one of my Mother-in-law's old watches. Thanks, Mimi!

Winning Some Swag

2010-07-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

I love leaving coments on blogs just about as much as I love reading the comments left here. But when there is a Give-Away involved, I REALLY love leaving comments on blogs. Not that I'm particularly lucky. Aside from winning a bike once, my luckiest venture was winning a fabulous husband (and I had to really WORK for that one).
But, I was lucky this week when I won a Bee-utiful necklace from Melissa Rappaport on her blog. Just in time to wear with a new dress, it came in one of my favorite colors (purple) and had one of my favorite critters (a dragonfly). Be sure to check out Melissa's blog.

THANK YOU, Melissa!

In other news, I am going to be vending with a friend at the Faerieworlds Festival in Oregon at the end of this month, so I have been beading like a maniac until all hours. I haven't listed any of my new pieces in my Etsy shop because :

a. I don't have any time.

b. I want to save my stash for the festival.

c. I'm too lazy.

But I was going to take a picture of some of the new bits I have made and post it here, but I was taking a nap with my nap buddy (soft orange and white Fido kitty) instead of taking pictures and now the light is gone. Tomorrow - I promise.

So stay tuned....

Alphabet Walk - W

2010-07-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

So today I have the letter W on the Alphabet Walk. This has been a lot of fun and I've met some great new bloggers.

WITCHHAZEL at Village Green Resort, Oregon

THE WHITE GARDEN, Sissinghurst, Kent, England

WATER TOWER MURAL, Edgefield, Portland, Oregon

WATERLILIES, Kew, London, England

WATERING CANS, Great Dixter, Sussex, England

WINDMILL, Los Angeles, California

WATERFALL, Proxy Falls, Oregon

WEIR ON THE RIVER AVON, Bath England

WINDOWS, New York City, New York

WEEPING WILLOW, Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, Washington

Alphabet Walk!

2010-07-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to One Sydney Road I am part of a blog photo walk featuring the alphabet. I actually picked 2 letters, F and W because I couldn't decide between my forest pictures or my waterfall pictures. I hope you enjoy these photos starting with the Letter F...

The FLOATING FOREST, Silver Falls, Oregon

FOUNTAINS, Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania

FIRE HOUSE, New York City

FACE, Chanticleer Gardens, Pennsylvania

FRANKLINIA ALATAMAHA, The Oregon Garden, Silverton, Oregon

FOSSIL, on the side of The Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California

FROST, The Oregon Garden, Silverton, Oregon

FARM, Near Dozemary Pool, England

Please be sure to check back on Friday (the 16th) to see what I have lined up for the Letter W.

Freaky Fun Fair and Following a Kaboodle.

2010-07-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

This week-end I went to The Oregon Country Fair, which is celebrating it's 41st anniversary. This is not your regular fair. First of all, it's huge, rambling through many acres of woodland with artist's and craftsmen's booths tucked hither and yon in the trees. Fairies and Giants stroll the paths and many a musical parade can be found, followed by green clothed Limelights. I love the entertainment and the art and the color and the music. What I don't love is the heat and the crowds. So I went early in the morning and enjoyed myself until I started to feel claustrophobic and then wandered home clutching a tie-dyed scarf I bought from some little kids and 2 porcelain owl pendents bartered from a fabulous porcelain jeweler. Here are a few pictures:

This vine serpent is the perfect place for hot and tired kids to take a break and relax in the shade.

The stilted sheep were a favorite of mine, wandering here and theer through the crowd, bleating, while a very tall shepherdess followed behind. I loved them because even though they are darling, they are also a little creepy.

This butterfly was definately a Monarch (I could tell by his tiara).

Funky flamingos danced to tribal drums while two of the many giants danced behind.

And while we're on the subject of the awesome and the artistic, I have found a blog that I love and I've been amazed that more people haven't found her. Follow this link to Kit and Kaboodle and make sure you check out her weekly "Whimseys". She has a knack for rooting out fabulous pictures, videos, music and more.

Beaded Beauties - Treasure Boxes and Treasury

2010-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

I love making functional art. And I was a bit jaded with always making beaded jewelry, so in addition to the clock (see sidebar) I also made a few Treasure Boxes. They are both listed in my Etsy Store here.

And if you want to see some fabulous Beaded Bling by some talented artists, check out the new treasury here.

A Winner!

2010-07-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I couldn't quite figure out the random pick do-hickey, so I wrote everyone's name on a slip of paper and put all the slips in a lovely purple Fiesta Ware bowl and mixed them up and held it high over my head and picked one out and the winner is:
SABINE from Potato Says Hi.
I bopped over to her blog to tell her she had won and to ask her to send her address and found that she is an amazing 12 year-old who has her own blog (with FAB pictures of owls) and she sews and who knows what else. I was quite impressed that she's blogging at such a young age. So I'm hoping everyone will stop by her blog and say hello and tell her where you are from. I hope she can use the book, but I'm also sending her a beaded brooch because I'm so impressed with her enterprizing spirit.
Congratulations Sabine!
The next Give-Away is for this Beaded Celtic Knot Brooch.

Leave a comment anytime in the month of July and it could be yours. Clicking to follow my blog will earn you an extra entry.
Have a great July!

Personal Amber Challenge

2010-06-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

I love raw amber, although I seldom buy it because I am not educated enough to tell the real stuff from the plastic rip-offs that are so prevalent. However I do have a couple of nice amber pieces that my sister has brought me from South Africa when she's come to visit in the past. The first was this beautiful necklace of different colored amber, brass beads, and a bone bead and clasp.

Challenge # 1 The necklace is too small for me. So I need to add some other beads to it, but they need to be really special beads that won't detract from the richness of the piece. And I think I'd like to remove the bone bead and clasp. Although they are beautiful, and lend themselves very well to the necklace, I get a bad vibe from bone beads. Anyone have any ideas they'd like to share?

My sister also brought me these HUGE amber block beads. She originally brought me 5 of them. Having a very dear friend who collected amber, I asked her if she would like to have a couple of them. This was before I found out that they are worth over $150 each! However, like I said, she is one of my dearest friends and I'm happy she has them and would NEVER want them returned. I know that they are very appreciated and loved where they are.
So here is challenge #2 to myself - What do I do with these amber blocks? I thought about using the smallest to make a pendent with antique brass and amber fringe dangling below. Perhaps I can add it to the necklace, above. But what do I do with the other 2?
I love making jewelry, but I seldom wear it. Three necklaces with huge, chunky beads would be too much. I have considered trading the other two beads for something really wonderful. But what? More beads? Maybe. Any ideas?

MASSIVE BEAD GIVE-AWAY

2010-06-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

WOW! I hang my head in shame at my puny give-away when I see what Denise Yezbak Moore is doing. Check it out here. If you like beads, you MUST head over to her blog NOW and see what she is giving away. OMG!

Alphabet Blog Walk

2010-06-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

What a Brilliant Idea! Carla at Paper Clippings of a Wandering Artist turned me on to a blog called One Sydney Road where they are hosting an Alphabet Blog Walk. You sign up for a letter and then take a picture representing that letter and post it on your blog on a specific day. Then everyone downloads the bloglists and hops from one blog to the next checking out everyone's photos. I chose the letter F because I'm heading up to the forest today for Summer Solstice.

So hop over to One Sydney Road and claim a letter!

Also, check out the Fabulous Portal Pics at Kit and Kaboodle.

Doors

2010-06-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

There is a quote I love that goes:

"There are things we see and things we don't see, and in between there are the doors".

I've always had a fascination for doors; these icons of transition.

Here are a few of my favorites.

We Grow Too Soon Old, And Too Late Smart

2010-06-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

My grandmother used to have a tape dispenser sitting on her kitchen shelf - bright orange and tole painted in the classic Pennsylvania Dutch style (wish I had that now). On the side of it, in ornate lettering, it said "We Grow Too Soon Old, And Too Late Smart".
Oh...how true.
This morning my Sweety and I decided to tame the Bewilderness (backyard). So armed with a whip and a chair and a few sticks of TNT (mower, weed-eater and loppers) we set out on the offensive. I geared up the strimmer while he grunted and shouted and showed his muscles to some huge pieces of wood left when we had a tree taken out last winter. I watched, quite impressed, as he took a splitting maul and gave it go. After two swings, which ended with a dull "thunk" sound, his eyes were popping and I could hear his brain reverberating off his skull.
I, meanwhile, made pretty good headway with the weed-eater and the loppers. By the time I was finished (actually I was finished - the yard, alas, had a long way to go), I was shaking and weak.
Sweety, meanwhile, had fired up the lawn mower and mowed down the scrawniest of the 3' tall weeds that comprise the (ahem) "lawn".
We paused for a break and, looking at each other decided our best plan of action was a "Free Firewood - You Haul" sign and a couple of strong kids in need of spending money.
So here I sit, showered, hydrated, and much wiser, dreaming up designs to create at my bead table. Sweety is pouring himself a tall, cool something and the Bewilderness is roaring it's triumph.

June Giveaway

2010-06-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,
As many of you know, I sell my beadwork online and I have highs and lows and I'm always looking for a way to improve my art and my sales.
Recently, a dear friend in Connecticut sent me "The Handmade Marketplace" by Kari Chapin (also illustrated by Emily Martin of the Black Apple!). I have gleaned wonderful tips and tricks from this book and wanted to share it, so I hustled down and bought another copy to give away on this blog. Just leave a comment on any of the posts for the month of June. At the beginning of July, I'll do a random draw and send the book to the lucky winner.
The subtitle for this most helpful book is "How to sell your crafts locally, globally and online". I have already made some changes and implemented some new ideas and I'm happy with the results.

Kari will be appearing at Land Gallery in Portland, Oregon on June 18th. Hope all of you locals can stop by. For more info, click here.

Speaking of Global - I have made more friends, in more parts of the world, than I can count since I started this blog. I'm especially glad of all of my English blogger friends since I love England and wish I lived there. Reading their blogs gives me a sense of belonging to that wonderful world on the other side of the planet.

Inspiration From The Forest

2010-06-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

People have asked me why the name of my business is "Emerald Window"? In short, it's because I love the forest and I get much of my inspiration from it,even if it doesn't show in a particular piece. The forest rejuvenates me. I look at everything as if I was looking at it from some magical woods (through an Emerald Window!). I like to fantasize that I live in a hollow tree that magically expands to house proportions as I walk through the rustic door. I should have been a sylph.

Here are some pictures that capture a little of the magic I feel when I am deep in the green.

These pictures were taken at Silver Falls near Silverton, Oregon. This week-end my sweety and I are planning a picnic and picture-takng trip up to Belknap Hotsprings, where I worked, oh so long ago.

I feel some creativity coming on.

Treasuries

2010-05-27T18:06:00.001-07:00

To link to these treasuries and check out the shops, please click on the link in the sidebar.

Websites, Beads and Belly Dancers

2010-05-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

Many of you may know that for years I have been a horticulturist, designing large scale gardens for resorts and wedding venues. But after a skirmish with breast cancer, my sails seemed to shift of their own accord and I started losing interest in the garden - something I thought I would NEVER do. I was very passionate about plants. I still love looking at them, I just don't have the energy to grow them anymore.

So I've been moving on to other things such as:

Beadwork - I love beading. It was my thereapy while I was going through chemo. I started my "Beading for Buddies" program believing that it would take my mind off my cancer, give me something to do while I was sitting for hours hooked up to a poison drip, and give me something to give to all the friends, neighbors and strangers who reached out to help me and my family while I was feeling so rotten. I ended up giving away over 125 beaded brooches and finding a new passion. I bead every day now and sell some of my wares and still give a good many away.

Photography -I love taking pictures and remember my first crappy little instamatic camera I had as a child. It took fuzzy pictures (probaly because I was a figgity child and never stood still). it also cost a fortune (comparitively to a child's allowance) to get the pictures developed.

Now I have a fab Canon DSLR that Sweety bought me.

I recently took pictures of Shalyhn, a belly dancer extraordinaire and then played with the pictures on Photo Shop. Here's what I ended up with. Fun.

Shalyhn is my son's girlfriend and I love taking pictures of her in her costumes.
Another new interest is Website Designing. I don't know a lot about this just yet, but I'm taking lessons and I hope this will be my new "Day Job" when I go back out into the work force. Until then, I'll continue to play with my beads and take pictures and putter on the computer.
What are YOU interested in?

A Pleasant Week-End On The Farm

2010-05-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

I took my Sweety to Southern Oregon this week-end to see a play in Ashland (Pride and Prejudice at the Oregon Shakespearean Festival) and to prowl around Ashland and Jacksonville. I love Ashland for it's magical feel. Lithia Park is something right out of a fairy tale. We found a FABULOUS bead store called Bead Studio. Went to a cute little artisan's market, ate some really good food. Then we wandered around historic Jacksonville for a while.

However, I think the best part of the week-end was the Bed and Breakfast we stayed in. The Apothecary Inn is located in a tiny town called Ruch, right outside of Jacksonville. This inn is owned by a young couple who raise miniature donkeys, Dwarf Nigerian Goats, llamas, chickens, angora goats and a couple of cats. They also grow much of the food that they prepare for their guests in the form of gourmet breakfast. Such yummy items as Maple Ginger waffles, eggs with sage and chives, and watermelon and raspberries. Granted, not everything comes from the farm, since there isn't much growing in May, but the fresh eggs were delectable and the cream that we put in our coffee had none of the "goaty" taste that you equate with goat's milk (Thanks to the breed of goats they raise). Homemade blackberry jam on freshly made sourdough rolls was pure heaven. We left with 4 jars of homemade peach preserves and peach-rosemary jam tucked in our luggage.

Our room was nothing to sniff at either. One of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept on, hot tub on a private desk, and hand made soap in the bathroom. The house is decorated with lovely antiques and original art. A spinning wheel in the livingroom is where Ryan spins the wool that Jillian weaves on her loom.

The grande dame of the farm is "Gloria", the sweetest llama you have ever met. She is the "guard dog" for 4 angora goats and greets visitors from her pasture when they arrive. My husband was so smitten he asked me if I thought the neighbors would mind if we got a llama.

All in all, Ryan and Jillian made our little week-end get-away a success. treating us like we were family. I highly recommend their Inn, especially if you want a place to get away from the hub-bub of the city. You will leave feeling like you found long lost members of your family.

When Do We Sleep?

2010-05-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was up until 5:00 am finishing this necklace and playing with a few bracelets. I get busy beading and don't notice the time until all of a sudden I realize I'm really cold (our furnace is on a thermostat that shuts off at 11:00 pm). Even then, I usually slump into a sweater and keep beading. My husband gets up at 5:00 am for work, so I was going to bed as he was getting up. Two ships passing in the wee hours.

But I feel good that I finished this piece. It's on my Etsy site and it is called "Amethyst Garden".

Here's one of the bracelets I was working on. I love orange and green together. I was a little perplexed at first about bracelets since so many people have different sized wrists. But with these chain type bracelets, I make them big (8") and then add extra links back along the bracelet with beads attached so they can hook into whatever link fits best and the extra hangs down with little flowers like a pendant.

I've been expanding my horizons with beads quite a bit. I started out making bead embroidered brooches, but now I'm also doing necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Hope to be selling at our local street market soon.

I recently joined Etsy's Bead Weavers Street Team. They have monthly challenges that seem a little daunting to me, but it will be a good way to stretch myself creatively.

I'm heading to Ashland this week-end with my sweety of 33 plus years. Checking online to see what bead stores might be along the way....

Sweet Little Bits and Pieces

2010-04-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

I remember a day long, long ago when I was sitting at my Grandmother's table (the same table I am writing from right now) going through my cigar box full of odds and ends that I had collected. Grandma looked over my shoulder and said "What sweet little bits and pieces".
I have been collecting sweet little bits and pieces for my whole life. And I have found a new outlet that I use for making my beaded jewelry. It's FILLED with SLBAP's.
Check out Dime Store Emporium (http://www.dimestoreemporium.etsy.com/ ). The verdigris centerpiece in the necklace above is from this great shop.

The silver componants from the "Dreaded Pink" brooch came from there also. Wish I had used these with a color other than pink (I hate pink). They would have been fabulous if I had done it all in green.

The mask from my "Masquarade" pin and the wings and key from "Little Wings" all came from the Dimestore Emporium.

More SLBAP's to bead with.

If you like their store, check out their blog here.

Happy Creating!

6th Photo Game

2010-04-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Naomi's Fertility Doll

Cindy from Artful Living on the Bluff issued an open invitation for other bloggers to join in the "6th Photo Game".
What you do is upload the 6th photo you loaded onto your blog when it was first started and then comment on how you would change or improve it. I'm not sure whether we are to comment on how to change and improve the photo or the subject in the photo. So I will comment on both.
My friends, Naomi and Joe want a baby. They've been trying without success for a while and needed a little "Good Juju". So I created this fertility doll for them. It is made of seed beads, jade, ruby zoisite, adventurine and a big green belly stone that I have no idea what it is. It's all bead embroidered onto ultra suede and sewn together.
What would I do differantly to improve it? I'd make it more 3 dimensional and doll-like, but I am not too talented in that aspect of sewing. Also, I wanted to get it done quickly so I could get it to her pronto.
As for the photograph, a better background would have been nice and some close-up shots.
I was a little distressed that this was my 6th photo because my 7th photo was much groovier.

This is my Art Deco Beaded Brooch. The 7th Photo.

See! Isn't this way cooler than the fertility doll? (Sorry, Naomi).

Anyway, trot on over to Cindy's site (above) if you haven't already and see what nifty creation SHE came up with. It's awesome.

Work Space - Closet or Studio?

2010-04-25T00:54:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last week trying to figure out the best way to utilize my work space. I have a 10' x 14' bedroom-turned-studio that also houses 3 huge bookshelves (filled with books), my grandmother's ancient refridgerator (filled with magazines), my great-grandmother's trunk that was brought from Russia (filled with quilts), a closet filled with art supplies, and 2 tables - one for paperwork (and the computer) and one for beadwork. Throw in a couple of bulletin boards, some stacking storage containers, an antique tea table and boxes full of all of my belongings I brought home from my office when I was laid off....You get the picture. It's a little crowded in here.
I drool at the magazine photos of perfectly appointed studios with their high-efficiency layout. I yearn for a full cabinet of wide architect drawers for storing my finished beadwork. Geez, I'd be happy with a small desk to put my office supplies in.
Instead I store my finished beadwork in a small antique suitcase. My office supplies are in a plastic box under the table, and my idea of high efficiency is if I can find what I'm looking for before I forget what it was.
How do I cope with such a set-up? Humor....and a bit of denial. If I keep my mind on my beading table, all the clutter is behind me and I don't have to look at it. I can bead happily, dreaming of the day that my kids move out and I can have their rooms to spread out in.
What is your work space like? Is it cozy chaos or efficient ergonomics? Do you work out of a closet or do you have elbow room? How do you utilize your space to get the best use from it?
Go ahead - give me your opinions. I welcome them all. I may even print them out and file them for future use....if I can remember where I put them.....

It's a Beading Frenzy!

2010-04-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'm jaded, but I realized that my Etsy site was a bit boring since all I had on there was brooches. So I started making necklaces - one of which I have posted on here already. And today I started making earrings. I need to be a well-rounded beader. So I've been in a beading frenzy.
Here's a couple of new pieces.

I have a couple of other pieces that I haven't photographed yet. Maybe tomorrow.

On a totally unrelated note - I've been visiting lots of art blogs and I must say that there are a lot of incredibly talented people out there. I've tucked most of them, lovingly, into my bloglist. Please check them out and be inspired!

Multi-Dimensional Me

2010-04-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

You all thought that I only did beadwork, didn't you! But I actually do a lot of differant art. Here's a page from one of my altered books. If you turn the dial at the bottom, it shows 4 differant pictures of the seasons in the little window.

I also dabble in Photography. This is a photo of a headstone I took at Stourhead in England. Looks like a tapestry, doesn't it.

And I'm also a Garden Designer. Here's a before and after shot of the Courtyard at The Village Green Resort where I worked for 9 years designing gardens.

I've also done Stained Glass professionally, painted in watercolors and dabbled in pottery. I like to think that I am a Sampler in life. I try everything and I stay with the few that I really love.

I have many artist friends who inspire me and I plan to put some of their art on this blog as soon as I can get pictures of it. Are you an artist? Please send me a picture of what you create and I'll post it to inspire other artists.

Dark of Night and Fertility Dolls

2010-04-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've been busy at the beading table and have just posted a couple of my favorite pieces on my Etsy site. This is a necklace I created called "Dark of Night".

This one is an Art Deco Brooch and is one of my favorites. (How many of these can I justify keeping?). The Czech Glass leaves have a beautiful fire-burnished finish.

I also made this fertility doll for friends who are trying to have a baby.

Speaking of fertility, I finally took off my healing bracelet that I had made when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. It was made with Cat's Eye, Citrons and Garnets. I'm finished with all of my treatments now and feeling fine, so I gave it to a friend who is going through some health issues. Hopefully it will calm her fears. In place of my healing bracelet, I'm now wearing a fertility bracelet made of Ruby Zoisite and Peridots. It's not that I want to become pregnant (no chance of that anymore), but because I want to have a fertile imagination so that my beaded creations will transcend the mundane ideas I used to have. I want to create WONDEROUS beadwork. I'll keep posting my work and you can judge whether it's working or not.

Pink 2

2010-04-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

I promised I'd post a picture of what the dreaded pink brooch looked like when it was finished. So here it is. I still don't like pink, but a couple of people have commented on it, so I guess not everyone is as jaded as I am. Will see if it sells. I think it should have had more green in it, but I do like the little flowers and I love the silver leaves.

Here's a couple that I like more. I'm working on one tonight that is all bronze and cream. Yummy. I've developed quite a stock of Czech glass beads and buttons and so I'm trying to figure out a way to use more of them. All of these are available on my Etsy site. The link is in my sidebar.

Mermaids and the Dreaded Pink

2010-04-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Late last night I was in my studio frantically finishing a brooch I created for a friend who has been making some life changes. She loves Mermaids, so I made her this "Mermaid Pool" with pearls and a starfish and little sea danglies at the bottom.
The other photo is of a brooch I started last night. I really don't like the color pink that much, but I know many people do, so I thought I should do some pink brooches for Spring. This is the beginning of it. I'll post a finished picture in a day or two. I love the silver leaves. Seems a waste to use them on something pink....

Welcome and Step Inside...

2010-04-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

...Have a cup of tea, sit in the comfy chair and put your feet up. Now tell me what you do to get your creative ya-yas going. Are you a painter? A sculptor, a jewelry maker? Do you mosaic, sew or saw? Stained Glass, Birdhouses or clay? Or do you create with words? Do you conjure poetry or regale fairytales?
This blogsite is dedicated to art and artists. My art, your art, Aunt Sophie's art. So let me know what fills the belly of your soul. E-mail me at Clsse@comcast.net or Cynth600@gmail.com and let's get this ball rolling.