Gallery Time - and some new photos!

As you can see, I've posted a couple more photos -

the first one is the blue and brown pearl piece I blogged about in an earlier post. I finished it yesterday. The name of the piece is "Rejoyce". The focal pendant was purchased from a fellow up and coming bead artist named JOYCE, who has a 'secret' source for some wonderful semi precious and sterling pendants. Every once in awhile, she'll decide to part with some of her stash - and this is ONE of the three pendants that I snatched up in her moment of insanity! It's Chalcedony, Blue Topaz and Sterling. I've accented it with Aquamarine, beige Pearls, Blue Topaz chips, and some 'pops' of bright blue glass bicones. I know she'll love what I did with the pendant. Thanks, Joyce, for giving me a chance to "RE-JOYCE"!
The second one is a much simpler piece than I usually do - but that giant, chunky COOL pendant really speaks for itself - a couple simple strands of seed beads and one strand of accent CZ glass and shell was all it needed. And of couse, my signature 'fringe' just to fancy up the top of the pendant. I really don't DO simple much anymore! This piece goes great with both of my favorite summer colors - lime green and of course - PURPLE!
I will be starting a new project today. I have 4 boxes of possibilities to choose from....

My month at the Art Gallery is coming to a close. I just took my mom for a visit last week so that she could see it, and was a bit dismayed to see that the 3 items that sold on the day of the Open House are STILL the only 3 items sold. I was hoping for a bit more than that. I guess I can hope that everyone was waiting until the last minute? The last day is Tuesday..... Now my task is making room and rearranging my little shop space at The Schoolhouse to make room for my designs. I have gained another space across the aisle that will be lit and serve as my 'gallery'. I've also got another storage piece -with drawers, cabinet and SHELF space on layaway that will be perfect to display on. Now I just have to make ROOM. I love that I've tripled in size in the last 3 years - but yikes! More space=shelling out more $$$!
To all of my fellow following bloggers that are going to Bead & Button - safe trip, and much success - both in teaching and while PURCHASING those wonderful round hole-y things that we have all become addicted to. :[)

Another busy day in beady paradise...

Today brings the arrival of all the beads in 7 different color schemes, and assembling the kits before the class on the 6th. Could my mom have timed her home trip any better? Now I get to put her to work! I hope that my students and shoppers are happy with my color and bead choices.
We're going to be going to the Art Gallery today, too. Mom didn't get to attend the opening or the open house, so she's arrived home in time to at least still see the exhibit. It will also give me a chance to check for those big RED SOLD tags on any of the items that may be spoken for (I HOPE there's LOTS!) and also to check the guest book to see how many people have actually passed though to view and comment. Again - I HOPE there's LOTS! We'll be going to lunch afterward, too, so all in all - today is MOM day.
Set aside the Pacific Burst project yesterday. Just can't seem to get those 'bursts' to sit right. So I did my usual and favorite WINGING IT! with a new project in soft sandy beige pearls, and a pale blue color accented with Blue Topaz, Aquamarine, and, as the finishing touch - a few pops of bright CAPRI blue too. All these colors are in the pendant piece that I'm using. Can't wait to finish - which may or may not be today depending on WHEN that bead shipment arrives....
I had an interesting customer in the shop yesterday. She had a watch that she had the band custom made by another bead artist. She was very unhappy with the result - and wanted my opinion on how to gently refuse to accept it. Ultimately - the piece was too large. Secondly - the magnetic fastener, while beautiful, was HUGE - bigger than the watch face itself. I offered to help her choose beads and make her a new one - but she still has the task of speaking with the other artist first. She wants her watch face, and to pay the artist for her time. I have no idea what that particular artist might charge for time - could be nothing - could ultimately be the bulk of the cost of the piece. I wished her luck and told her to let me know if she wants my assistance afterward. Makes me rather nervous that she may be making the rounds to ALL of us LBS owners doing the same thing - and will she be happy with what I come up with? I may ask her for a non-refundable deposit ON TOP of a custom work charge. Sticky tricky situation.....

Funny sight

Wasn't sure what I would blog about today until I looked out my kitchen window. THIS is one of those days when I wish, I wish I had a camera phone. We live on a busy street in a small suburb of Lansing - this street has our middle school, elementary school, library, township offices and fire house, so the light that's just kitty corner from our house gets quite busy - especially during school hours. Traffic was again backed up so that it was stopped out in front. I looked up to see our HUGE village mascot "Swish the Fish" - sitting on it's trailer in front of my house. "Swish" (as he was named by the school kids) is a giant sunfish made entirely of recycled plastic laundry, dish, and milk jugs. Some of our township trustees use it for a teaching tool about recycling at the schools, as well as having it at our community events. It's quite colorful, and quite a sight when sitting right in front of my house. I was hoping to find a photo of "Swish" on our township website - but I guess you'll just have to try to picture it in your mind.
So other than "Swish" and the fact that I'm probably going to have quite a busy day, there's not much else to blab about. I've been working on Lauren Miller's "Pacific Burst" bracelet (from Bead Pattern Central) - but have run into a glitch with the "burst" part - so I hope to work on that some more today....I also hope to have some new things to show and tell, and place on my Photobucket & Facebook sites.
TTFN

Mommy's home!

And Pop, too, for that matter. My parents have returned to summer here from their sunny home in The Villages, Florida. They are still getting settled in, of course, but she still couldn't resist the urge to visit (and treat to dinner) her first and only girl child - ME! Take that, brothers mine! I'm sure we'll be spending alot of time together this summer, and then when they make the return trip home in October - my husband and I will be going with them for a week or so - to celebrate? (not sure I want to celebrate) my 50th birthday. So I'll be trying to save up all summer. Which made me have to choose what kind of beading fun to have this summer. My priority is keeping the shop stocked with what my customers want and my trip to Florida. Something had to give. So I'll have to skip the next "The Beader's Muse" contest. Sorry, Scarlett. I LOVED the first one, and have the piece I made for it exhibiting in the art gallery right now. I hope to be able to enter again in the future. I'm also having to skip most if not ALL of the Great Lakes Bead Guild workshops. Between the prepayment and the gas for the trip - just not going to happen. I hope the gals that I usually go with and take turns traveling with will understand. Hubby going from 2 jobs to a shortened hours 1 is taking it's toll. Plus we've still got to finish paying off his medical bills from the surgery last month....does it all ever end? I sure hope I can get a lot of people to buy beads and my jewelry in the next few months.....

More color - and a contest

If you haven't gone to http://www.fabfibers.blogspot.com/ yet and commented to enter the contest - only one more day! Great beads being given away (see top photo) - and a great site to follow too.
Today's color - RED. The Feng Shui equivalent of PROSPERITY! Red is not a color that I work with alot (even though I love Feng Shui) - but here is my SPICY! bracelet - "red" hot orange, probably more suitable to the Orange color from yesterday. Oh well.

I'm playing hooky today - and playing in my garden. And probably beading. As much as I enjoy "doing my own thing" when I bead, I'm working on Lauren Miller's "Pacific Burst" bracelet (from Bead Pattern Central) right now - following the instructions to the letter - and having a great time. LOVE IT!
TTFN Happy Beading!

Photo Envy

I love how all my fellow bloggers have such great photos on their blogsites. I post photos - but they are no where near the quality. I guess it's a goal to shoot for. I've been wanting a new digital camera for a couple of years, but now that my husband's second job (that he needed his camera for daily) is kaput - I can tempt (hehe) him out of his. It's quite bulky, though, to be carrying it around in my bag all the time. So today - I have camera envy too. Someday soon.....

My husband and I drove through one of the ritzier neighborhoods on the river yesterday - the houses with all the beautiful landscaping and home accents. Also envious.... the beautiful array of spring flowering bulbs, and bushes and early blooming perennials was - well, stunning. Just gorgeous - and what I hope that my yard will grow up to be someday. My hostas, my clematis and my peonies, my false indigo and my brown eyed susans (the list goes on and on) are lifting their tendrils to the sun more and more every day. REJOICE! For we have finally hit the 70 degree mark 2 days in a ROW!

And by the way, Beverly and girls - I'm following your GREEN theme for color week with my Hosta photo!
Happy Beading! I'll be spending the day ordering beads for kits for fringe bracelets - the same beads in 7 different color schemes....
TTFN

Sunday = Weird-day

What is it about Flea Markets that bring the, shall I say, "interesting" people out of the woodwork? The antique and craft mall where my bead shop is located held a small Flea Market today - just to see what kind of people it would draw, and how that affected indoor sales as well. Many of our antique dealers expressed an interest in flea marketing - so I hope they're happy with the results. It started out very chilly - like winter coats, and blankets out of the sale bin and drinking hot coffee - chilly. It only warmed up after about 2pm. I think the result was mixed - with some of the dealers doing well - some, although having similar merchandise and prices - not so well. We had a large group of people, both adults and children - come through (come to find out a full cargo van AND car load) that made us all suspicious right away - and it was very difficult to follow them and keep an eye on them. Unfortunately, despite our efforts - I'm sure they managed to stuff a few items in their pockets. I suppose this is just the "nature of the beast" in this situation - but it made for a very stressful and hard working day. I'm having trouble sleeping - although I should be exhausted! My legs ache, my feet hurt and I just can't get that group of people out of my head.
Still taking suggestions from anyone that can help me fix OR remove the photo slideshow on my sidebar. And I would like to know how some of you have managed to personalize your blog pages with your own photo headers, etc. I can't seem to find any info on how to do that. Or is it a part of your website somehow? My brain is going in all directions at almost 1 am. It's probably a good thing I'm taking tomorrow OFF. Not supposed to be a very nice day, though. Still haven't been able to plant many annuals or work in my perennial garden. Just to rainy and cold. My parents will be home from Florida for the summer in a week. I don't think they're going to like the weather here....
Guess I'll go try and read myself to sleep. It'll be in the chair and probably with the light on - but at least it will be sleep.
TTFN