Thursday, August 29, 2013

Made in Michigan

Tonight I added a new tab called Made in Michigan.  I'm going to use this to promote and support people, places, and things I like in my home state.  I'm sure it will be a work in progress...

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

What I did this summer

I added my second tattoo....  It is a phoenix feather to represent my future and to remind myself that I will always rise.


Monday, August 19, 2013

Technology hates me

So my quest to actually post two days n a row has been thwarted by technology. My laptop did an automatic update last night, and now it won't let me in. I can't load pics from my iPad. Talk about First World Problems.  I think I'm just going to go to bed and be grateful for what I have and the people who love me.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Been a while...




I've spent the weekend filling my Etsy shop. My booth partner Tracy & I have had many shows this year, and our next one is in October. I figure this is the time to get off my ass and fill it up!  I will be listing some earrings and silver necklaces, too, so keep checking in!

One very, very exciting thing that happened is that I was one of the winners for the Bead Soup Blog Party (yeah, way back in April)!  I won an awesome metal stamping kit from PJ Tools!  Check out their site, some yummy jewelry supplies.  I will be posting more about them later this week.





Saturday, April 13, 2013

Belly up to the table, soup's on!

I just love this part.  All the gut-wrenching moments of self doubt go out the window, and the euphoria of a completed project settles in. Click here for my ingredients.

My generous partner is BeeTree by m.e. She makes polymer clay beads and toggles; her love of nature comes shining through in all of her pieces.  Check out her Etsy store!

We can submit our Bead Soup creations to be judged by an impartial panel.  *crunch* That's the sound of my brain grinding to a halt as a result of some self-imposed pressure.  Never a good thing; but I do it far, far too often.  So I stayed off the internet (ok, not Facebook).  I stayed away from Mary's site.  I stayed away from much of Pinterest.  I barely glanced at others' creations.  I did all this in hopes of coming up with some spectacular designs.  ...and nope.  Nada. Nothing.  Not a damn idea.  (Shocking, I know.)

After beating myself up for a couple of days, I noticed the card she sent me.  It has a beautiful picture of the sun's reflection in the shape of a heart.  Her note reads, "I chose this coral because it symbolizes joy and happiness, it enables the wearer to enjoy life. May you always bead happy." Well duh.  This one is mine.  No working outside my comfort zone, no "Hey, I've never tried this before." like I've done with my other soups.  This one is all for me, plain and simple.

I'm in a rather eclectic, bohemian mood lately.  I'm starting to fill my new (to me) house with bright colors, and I am developing a mismatched and relaxed atmosphere.  So I made jewelry in a style I would wear a lot.

I made a simple pendant out of the focal and some swingy earrings (That's right, swingy.  Not only do I make jewelry, I make new words.)



I'm a big fan of chunky, noisy bracelets.  So that's what I made.


I used the toggle, the coral beads, and the fabric strips in the bracelets. I also added a ceramic Peace bead from my friend Diane Hawkey, and added some copper bells for noise and shiny blue beads for a pop of color. I made 5 separate bracelets for those rare occasions I feel like wearing a simple strand or two, and not the whole kit-n-caboodle.



I believe we cannot move forward without remembering who we've been. We have to accept where we've gone and who we've been.  I rummaged through my keepsake box and I dangled an old key that used to open a porcelain bank from my childhood, and I turned one of my old stick pins into a charm.


Thanks for stopping by.  Please check out all of this round's bloggers on Lori's site.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Bead Soup Teaser

It's almost time for the next reveal of this round of Bead Soup Blog Party.  *My* phase of the Bead Soup Blog Party.  My partner is BeeTree by M.E. 

She sent me her wonderful polymer clay creations and some very lickable coral beads:


I just love the color, it is both energetic and soothing. Here is a tease:


See everyone on Saturday!

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Party, 1st Reveal!

Alicia Marinache
Amber Dawn Goldish
Barb Solem
Bev Breisinger
Birgitta Lejonklou
Breana Fry


Brenda Sue Lansdowne
Bridget Torres
Carol Dee Myers
Carolyn Chenault
Cassi Paslick
Cece Cormier
Cheryl McCloud
Cindy Wilson
Crystal Thain


Cynthia Riggs
Dana Hickey
Dana James
Darlene Fortier
Deana Hager
Deanna Cox
Deb Brooks


Denielle Hagerman
Denise McCabe
CabeWoman


Diana Frey

Tattered Adornments
Diana Welte
Dini Bruinsma
DiYana Alcalde
Dolores Raml
Donna Millard
Dot Lewallwn
Duane Clark
Dyanne Cantrell


Eleanor Burian-Mohr
Elisabeth Auld
Elizabeth Owens Dwy
Emily Greer
Enikö Fabian
Erin Grant
Eva Kovacs
Eva Sherman


Gina Hockett
Grace Rotenberg
Gretchen Nation
Hannah Rosner
Heather Davis
Heather Marston
Heather Powers
Ingrid McCue


Jacqueline Marchant
Jan Petek
Janeen Sorensen
Jane-Michael Stallings
Jasvanti Patel
Jayashree Paramesh
Jayne Capps
Jean Yates
Jennifer Cameron
Jennifer LaVite


Joan Williams

lilruby jewelry
Jodie Marshall
Judy Riggs
Julie Anne Leggett
Kat Barron Miller
Kathy Lindemer
Kim Hora


Kim Houston
Kim Sparks
Krafty Max
Kris Lanae Binsfeld
Krista French
Kristen Stevens
Kristi Harrison
Kumi Fisher


Laren Dee Barton
Laura Bracken
Laura Demoya
Laurie Hanna
Laurie Keefe-Cecere
Lea Avroch
Leanne Loftus


Lee Anne Messerschmidt
Leslie Schenkel
Linda Anderson
Linda Djokic
Linda Murphy
Linda Sadler
Lisa Liddy
Lisa Suver


Liz DeLuca
Liz Engriser
Lola Surwillo
Loretta Carstensen
Lori Anderson
Lori Bergmann
Lori Bowring Michaud
Lori Poppe
Lori Schneider


Lyn Foley
Maddison Langford
Magdalena Sikora
Mallory Hoffman
Marcella Austenfeld
Marcy Lamberson
Maria Clark
Maria Rosa Sharrow
Marianna Boylan


Marie Covert
Marti Conrad
Mary Ellen Merrigan
Mary Harding
Molly Alexander
  Nan Emmett
  Spirit Rattles :: Spirited Earth
Niky Sayers
Pam Chesbro


Pam Farren
Pam Sandy
Pam Traub
Klassy Joolz
Pamela Gangler
Patricia Buchanan
Patricia Johnson

Paula Hisel
Peggy Gabrielson


Perri Jackson
Rachel Baron
Rachel Stanley
Rain Hannah
Rana Wilson
Renetha Stanziano
Robin Reed
Rochelle Brisson
Rose Rushbrooke


Ruth Szapa
Sally Russick
The Studio Sublime
Sandi Volpe
Sandra Pendragon
Sandy Richardson
Sarah Small
Shannon Hicks


Shari Replogle
Sheila Daniels
Sheila Davis
Shiraz Biggie
Shirley Moore
Skylar Bre'z
Brising Beads
Staci Smith




Stacy Pomerleau
Stephanie Weiss
Sumi Rani
Susan Sheehan
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzette Bentley

Ellie's Bijoux
Tamera Norris
Tracy Choy
BumbleBeads Designs
Tracy Stillman
Valerie Norton
Vicki Holliday