ETSY!

A few glitches to work out, but I am open again, and have ONE item for sale on my site.  I'll add one more every day for a week or so, and then see how much traffic I'm getting, and see if I can tweek some of the tags, etc.  I still have to figure out the banner thing - I made one, and I like it, and it's in JPEG form, but I can't get the sizing right and it won't copy over.  I also don't know how to link my actual Etsy shop to this blog - it just comes up to the Etsy home page, where you'll have to choose shop from the drop down menu, and enter 'shescool'.  When I figure it out - I will fix it!  But I am linked to BOTH my Facebook pages, my personal and my Cool Moon Creations business page.  I've been wanting to try it again for awhile, and have probably been sounding like a broken record about it to a lot of people, and I figured since I am REopening, and Mercury is getting ready to go retrograde, there was no time like the present.
Wish me luck!
Hope I start hearing about and having info to share too about the upcoming Art EXPO! at The East Lansing Public Art Gallery.  Just a month away....
That's all for now - I'm going on an earring making jaunt - I have a special friend coming to 'earring shop' on Tuesday, and I realized as I was inventory-ing for Etsy pieces that I am sorely lacking in that department!
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

A Cool Moon Quickie

NOT that kind of quickie!  THIS kind of quickie:

Quickly whipped up in a few hours, it's a brooch.  "Mocha Moon" is $35.00.  The face is of quartz crystal.  This one is off to my little bookstore space - I'm thinkin' he won't last long.
So that's life in my little neck of the woods today.  Reading and beading.  How 'bout you?
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Etsy dreaming

I think I'm almost ready.  I have a few more questions that need to be answered - and then I will reopen my shop!  NO beads this time (boy, that was a pain), just woven, seriously beaded jewelry -that I'm hoping will get noticed by The Beadweaving Team, and liked from links to Facebook, and of course, Pinterest, and more importantly ~ BOUGHT this time!    Wish me luck, cuz I have TONS of competition.
I'm getting ready to do something else a little different that I'll need luck for too:  The magazine Bead Design Studio has asked their readers to write a story about how their tastes and budget fit with how and what they bead, for submission in a summer issue.  And, seeing how (if you can't tell by the eloquence of this blog!) I fancy myself a bit of a wordsmith - I decided to submit one. If my article is chosen, I will also win a one year subscription to the mag, which I love!  It'll be great exposure too, of course. I'll be submitting it once I get the Etsy shop open, since I reference it in the article.  Deadline is April 1 - so that means I'll busy for the rest of the month - photo taking, listing, writing, and BEADING.  PLUS putting in a few hours in all of the current Cool Moon sales venues like Coyote and Grand-dale, and probably even the art gallery. 
So next time you stop by - you may see the Etsy shop link on the right, taking the place of the Grand-dale link, since they're closing.  I will probably start taking a few pieces - and some display items - a little bit at a time each day that I work (4 this month, and 4 the next).  I know the rule is no booth stripping - but what are they going to do - ask me to leave?  It will just be easier than doing it all at once, and at the same time completing my Art Gallery show inventory for April.
That'll do it for today - probably no Bead Table Wednesay submission today - unless I have time later!
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Still Hoppin - and Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild teaser - only because the photo won't go where I want to put it!

First of all - I admit that I was premature in my 'critique' of the most recent blog hop.  I'm still not done hoppin' through them all - but there ARE some pieces that'll knock your socks off.  Sorry if I offended.  I am not an official critic, nor do I expect people to really take me seriously.  I'm just spoutin' out loud and spilling into cyberspace - something that I do more and more often as I age.  So lest I offend again:  Here is my list of favorites from what I've seen so far (if you're not on it, sorry - doesn't mean you didn't do the work, just means it's not my fave):

As with last year, my over all favorite is EVA KOVACS!  Seed beads, of course.  And weaving, so you know that I'm going to love it.  Seed bead shout outs to Laurie Keefe-Cecere, Ginger Bishop & Martina Nagele (also blog partners), for their unique use of seed beads too.
I also give two beaded thumbs up to Marjolein Trewavas for the air of romance that her piece gives.  So pretty;  Cory Celaya and Cassie Donlen are the most unique pieces I've seen so far, and WIRE!  LOTS and lots of wire this time - my favorite wire WOW?  Dana Hickey.   Not done hopping yet - but that may be my last post about it.  Like I said - I don't intend to be, nor want to be an official critic, nor want people to start hating on me for speaking my mind.  Lori Anderson does a fantastic job putting this all together, and I don't want negative vibes to start shadowing our blog/FB friendships either. 
So, that was the TELL.   Now - on with the SHOW: 

"Call of the Wild"
You may remember the last time you saw the focal - there were no 'feathers'.  Once I completed the whole thing, I realized it just didn't look balanced without them. 

I even 'feathered' the bottom part of the chain ring/toggle clasp.  Again, I thought it needed the balance.

So there it is.  Call of the Wild is truly one of the wildest pieces I've ever done.  I think I'll show it off at the bookstore for a month or so, before I take it to the Art Gallery Show in April - IF it makes it that far!  $220.00 though.  Not sure my bookstore clientele will go for that.
Anyway.  On with my day.  A quick trip to the bookstore, then I think I'll treat myself to an afternoon at another bookstore - Barnes & Noble, hang in the cafe, browse the stacks, maybe find some fun new bead books to buy.
Peaceful beading - and blog hopping!
TTFN

Are seed beaders still in the minority?

Despite the fact that there are books, magazines, and tons of other resources devoted to patterns and techniques - it seems as though we seed bead artists (and that's what we are, artists) are still among the minority, bead-wise.  As I hop through the Blog Party blogs to see what the swappers came up with, I have seen very few seed beads, and even less weaving.  Am I the only one that can whip out an entire cabochon rich, seed bead detailed necklace AND earrings in less than a week?   All I know is, if I am ever lucky enough to be chosen to participate, whatever I receive as beads to work with from my partner, WILL have seed beads, and weaving.  It's what I do.
It just seems as though many of the party participants, even though they requested to do so, didn't have time to devote to putting together something worth while.  So far, the only pieces I'm impressed with are the pieces done by the woman who lost a close family member in a car accident in the middle of the creative process (yet still managed to finish & post on time), and Lori's, of course.  Come on girls - step up to the bowl!  Stir that imagination a little more!  Add some spice!  Now granted - I haven't even made it half way through - so I may be premature in my 'critique'.  I'm headed back there now, fully intending to be blown away by some of the awesome beaders I know are out there. 
Just my observations on a windy, snowy and as of yet sufficiently caffeinated Sunday morning.  =@)
Peaceful beading - and by the way - 'Call of Wild' WILL be finished TODAY.
TTFN

The Call is getting Wilder

I still have to make two more of the feather/rings, but have decided to take out the clasp/cabs and just use a bar and loop.

Photos still don't quite do it justice - the leathery cab is a pretty moss green, and there is more moss green amongst the turquoise and peridot - so it's MUCH brighter in person!
Hopefully I'll have more progress to blog about this weekend - but hubby surprised me with a day off, so a three day weekend, and no plans means we just may go find something to DO!
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

"The Call of the Wild"

Or at least I THINK that's the name.  It may decide else-wise as I continue on - but here's another peak at the progress being made.  The PROBLEM with designing on the fly, off the top of your head, and whenever the whim hits, is that you have to try to REMEMBER HOW you did something in case you need to duplicate it.  Example:

I had this idea in my head, and even drew it out on paper.  I wasn't even sure I could implement it.  BUT - implement I did, and quite quickly too.  Only problem being - I need FOUR of them.  So now I'm studying this piece like mad, (and yes, I'm writing it down this time) trying to remember how I did it.  It will be a part of the necklace base that holds this pendant, which is still not really finished - it will have some gorgeous opaque turquoise daggers along the fringe at the bottom:

So next time you see it, I'll include the fringe portion too.  I still have have two more cabs to surround, and 2 1/2 more link/feather pieces to complete - but all in all - it's coming together as I envisioned.  WILD!
I should probably take this time to make a sad announcement too - I'll soon be losing one of the shops  where I've been selling my things.  The Grand-dale Shoppe is closing it's doors.  It was a great little place - in a kinda bad location; a very small town where people gathered at the restaurants, and the post office, but rarely ventured out into town to do other things.  And since they are on the outskirts, with somewhat limited parking - well, unfortunately, it was probably inevitable.  And I kinda knew that going in.  Even though the building was for sale the whole time, they tried very hard to make a go, and bring events and excitement to Dimondale.  It was fun while it lasted, and I have new friends and new opportunities because of it.  Thanks Jim and Dawn, for allowing me to be a part of your little place for awhile.
And speaking of The Grand-dale Shoppe - that's where I'm off to today, and Coyote Wisdom too.  Making the rounds, visiting my peeps, havin' some fun on a somewhat sunny day.  At least it's not snowing!
Peaceful beading,
TTFN