Just in time for Bead Table Wednesday

My mojo has returned!   YAHOOOO!  And it brought it's friend, the pattern fairy.  By that, I mean I seem to be successfully coming up with an original pattern for something quite new on the market - the TWIN bead.  Still writing, still experimenting, still doing MAJOR frog stitch (if you're not familiar, that's taking work OUT-'rip it' 'rip it').  But I think it will be cute in the end.  I little lacier than I planned, and still have NO idea how I will add a closure, or what kind - I'll worry about that if I actually successfully get to an end I'm happy with.  Here's where I am so far....

And the fun thing is about these Twin beads - THEY GLOW IN THE DARK!  How cool is that?  That's why I had intended to create something a little funkier, but really, they're too small to do funky justice if you get what I mean.  So hey, twin bead makers out there everywhere (because you know there will be more than one place making them) - how 'bout BIGGER ones?  Like size 8ish?  Or 6?
:0)

I think I'm going to be happy with the result.  You'll just have to check back (or check Facebook for the link) to see the finished piece. 
I will be presenting my packaging solution to the bookstore today.  Wish me luck.
Peaceful Wednesday beading,
TTFN

The light dawns (pre-dawns, actually....)

Not sure why it always happens at 4 in the morning, but I THINK I have a workable solution to my price tag problem at Coyote.  I have to run everything by the owner first, but I am hopeful that all will work.  I'm sure she'll be fine with the tags, and the bags even, but adding the rack - not sure how she'll feel.  And she'll want to actually SEE it in place, which means dragging it up there, and then hoping I can leave it.  Otherwise - back to the drawing board.  This is what I'm hoping to use as a replacement for the rods across the window:

The bags will be larger, though - more like 3x3 or 3x4.  Won't have as many either, but that's ok.  I can always restock.  The hardest and most time consuming part will be rebagging all the strands I so pain stakingly UNBAGGED over the course of the few years I had the shop.  ~sigh~.
The tags will be two part - I'll have to cut and hand-crease them (so that the bottom can be torn off), but I still think I can make it work.   It will look something like this:   

Cool Moon


Cool Moon       
$

I did some checking on line, and found several already 'perfed' tags - but much, much larger.  I want, and I'm sure Connie wants, something much smaller.  The empty space will have the name of the stone written in, and the crease will be just above the second Cool Moon. I HOPE. IN THEORY. That's how I see it in my head. I just have to have a sample and photos, as well as maybe even the rack itself ready by Thursday morning.
I also am making progress in finding the matching pieces to complete the custom pair of earrings.  I THOUGHT I had gotten them at JoAnn, but alas, realized they were a Prima Bead item.  And wouldn't you know, that is the ONE thing they're sold out of?  So I found something very close, and she said she wouldn't mind another color anyway, so crossing fingers.  Hope it works out. 
Off to Grand-dale again for one of my last few days.  Just a few hours.  Plenty of bead time before and after.  And my mojo is slowly sneaking back in.  I worked on a pretty antique-y looking piece at the Expo, and then yesterday picked up (at 50% off all strands) some cool chunky pink/clear/brown Fire Agate and accents of pearl, crystal and chunky peachy pink agate to match.  FUNKY!  FUN!  Can't wait to start that one.  Hello MOJO!
And thanks to Zeus, my babble is being cut short (you can thank him with dog treats).  He wants his breakfast.  NOW.  WOOF.

Peaceful beading,
TTFN


                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                  

Two days down, it was just so so

What more is there to say?  Although a fun time was had by all (at least those in my immediate orbit), it was not as heavily attended as we had hoped.  A bit disappointed in the turn out, since the center where the show was being held had quite a few other events happening.  But I kept my chin up, and over the course of the two days made about $120.00.  It isn't much - but since I only paid $30 for the space - I DID make a profit.  Still can't get anyone to purchase my statement pieces though.  I still haven't found the right market for them.  Considering Etsy - but hate to have them tied up there until late summer, when I have about 4 other shows lined up before then that I would like to take them to.  Ugh.  What to do.  Too many things to think about at 2 am again.  I've also got to make a decision about the beads at Coyote.  It will make me sad to have to pull them out, but I simply don't have the funds or the inclination to retag every single strand with two part tear off tags that are marked exactly the same on both parts.  TIME CONSUMING.  Not to mention expensive.  And I still don't know that it will make the clerks (myself included) remember to tear off and keep 1/2.  But if it isn't done the way the owner wants, I may not be able to keep them there.  That is also keeping me awake.  
Now on to another of my favorite, but sometimes just as frustrating subjects - my garden:  the seeds that we sowed are already becoming seedLINGS - the homemade greenhouse is working perfectly.  Can't wait until my garden is in bloom again.  I think this is my least favorite time of year - because of the WAITING.  I want everything to be beautiful RIGHT NOW.  And because I'm in Michigan, and it's only mid-APRIL, I can't actually plant anything in the ground yet.  We're still getting hard freezes at night.  So it's wait, wait, wait...and I'm not good at that.  I want to get my garden accents and statuary out too - but hubby says it's still too soon for that too.  Ugh.  More waiting.  I want it to look like THIS again:

And it will.  Someday.  Just not soon enough for me!!!!!
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

One down, one to go

Here's a little peek at my table display for the Art Expo.  While it's been fun, it hasn't been entirely profitable.  And I'm not sure if the fact that it's storming will have an effect on traffic today.  It's early still - not even light yet - and we don't start until noon today.  But there is a 70% chance of these crazy storms on and off all day, and they've already sent the power out once.  So let's hope, pray, do a reverse rain dance that it will be drier this afternoon.  Not to mention how hard it would be to load the car in the rain when all is said and done.  Blah.
Anyway...here's what I've got going on, which I may change a bit before we open today...

I'm thinking of removing the big purple frame from the center, and putting the mannequin there instead.  But we'll see.  At the same time - I like it for the purple.  Of course.  ;0)
I DID start a new project while there yesterday though, so the mojo is slowly returning.  I also have a request to EXACTLY DUPLICATE a pair of earrings that I sold.  Don't do it very often, but these don't have a lot of frilly freeform involved, so it should be quite simple.  Finding the accents that I used will be the hard part.  I was able to take an excellent photo of them, and enlarged it when I printed it - so seeing the detail and stitches that I did is pretty easy.  Now to find those center dangles....

So wish me luck for my second day.  If I could sell just ONE of my statement pieces, I'd be jumpin' for joy.
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Today's the day

Up just 5 minutes before the alarm, with queasy nervous stomach and my injured eye acting up - but off I'll go in about an hour.  I am proud to say that I consolidated everything I will need into 3 bags, a rolling cart, the purple rack and the metal table.  A trip each for both of us. 
Wish me luck and lots of sales.  I have many people telling me they'll 'try to stop by'.  Doesn't sound very promising - but then it's usually the folks that I've never met that are my buying public.  My friends just come for support.  And I am grateful for both.
Peaceful beading (although my mojo - peaceful or otherwise, has still not returned),
TTFN

No news. Good news.

Sorry there's been no postings for a few days.  Don't even think I'm gonna do Bead Table Wednesday today.   I lost the 'mojo' again, and have barely touched a bead in days.  I have almost completed my prep, inventory and packing for the big weekend show, which I'm nervous about, which is probably why the mojo up and left me.
So no news.  Not really.  Just been entertaining family for Easter, and playing a lot of Angry Birds and Scrabble.  Something to fill the time I would normally spend beading.
Don't stop visiting though.  I'm sure there will be beads in my future again soon, as well as news about how the weekend event has gone.  Here is the info again if you'd like to know - or pass it along...

Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Hoppy Easter!

My husband kindly and politely (unbeknownst to me) invited his mother to Easter dinner tomorrow.  I found this out while grocery shopping this morning.  So, a bit of house cleaning has been on my agenda today, as well as creating a new dessert recipe.  Not sure I'll ever create it again - it's no bake, and just the prep still took almost an hour!

Doesn't it look scrumptious, though? 

It's Oreo/Reeses Chocolate No Bake Pie.  Provided by Pinterest, of course.  Lots of crushing and unwrapping, and two trips through the mixer.  Like I said - a LOT of work, but from the taste of licking beaters and bowls - yummy!  Too bad we have to wait until tomorrow to find out....tomorrow I'll be creating another new recipe for the main course - a sort of scalloped potato/ham/cheese thing that I also found on Pinterest.  Mom is bringing scalloped corn and rolls.  Bon Appetit!
I DID get a small bit of beading done this morning, in the quiet of pre-dawn.  I had mentioned in a previous post that the one thing that sells pretty consistently at the bookstore, and that I'm out of AGAIN - are these little charms.  I use color changing charms and/or beads in them, and give them a theme - for $8 people snatch them up quick!  Here are the ones I created this morning, 3 of which will already be spoken for.  My favorite one is the dragon/luck one in the middle....

It's a gorgeous day here in the middle of the mitten - the dogs dragged their dad to the dog park after groceries were put away.  They are ALL quite exhausted.  Bella just woke up from her nap to help lick bowls in the kitchen.  ;0)

Have a wonderful holiday everyone.  Travel safely and enjoy the ones you love....
Peaceful beading,
TTFN