What I’ve been up to

I have found the coolest little “bead eden” in the world. It’s on ebay, of all places. I’ve always been really leery about shopping on ebay because I was always worried I would get something unexpected, and unwanted.  I came across this shop a few weeks ago-and went back to look-again and again and again. Finally I decided to get a few tubes- just couldn’t resist. That first bead order was one of the best things I’ve done in ages. Notice I said “that first” bead order. The shipping was really fast AND it’s only $1.99 an order to the US and to Canada-hear that Beadden?? LOL! The selection is great and some of the mixes look fantastic, although I haven’t tried them out yet. I am really pleased with this ebay store and wanted to spread the word. Oh yeah, http://stores.ebay.com/Miyuki-Gal-Beads is the link. I”ve also added Sue’s blog to the seed bead bloglist. She has lots of beaders contributing to it stuff they have made with beads they got from her. It’s a neat blog. So, if you are looking for a reputable bead seller, try her shop. customer service lives at this place.

Remember all those ornament drapes I was beading myself batty over?? Well, to try and make a long story short-the shop is under new ownership and they weren’t interested in the drapes. So, I tried a shop in the Historic District, and sold a few to a funky little shop. Now, this funky little shop has a holiday open house and the lady who owns it has asked me to be the “Artist In Residence” when she has it. Of course I accepted her offer. I also tried a Christmas year round shop in Fla.. When I walked in the owner was on the phone cancelling an order she had placed in July. Needless to say, she didn’t buy any drapes.

So thanks, all you politicians for screwing up the economy the way you have.

Starvingjewelryartists is having a Holiday Seed Bead challenge. Just click on the SJA link on the side and it will take you there to get the info about it.

Here’s an unexpected place for jewelry supplies-Overstock.com.. I was looking for a bead embroidery book and stumbled across the supplies. I got a neat Labordorite cab!! They also have assorted metal findings and crimps, swaros, seed beads, and a bunch of other stuff. Really surprised me.

I think that about wraps this update up. Oh yeah, I don’t know how I could forget this- sometimes towards the end of March, I’m going to be a Grandma for the first time. Yeah, I’m excited about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t know yet if it’s a girl or boy-won’t care, just want she/he healthy and happy.

Still making drapes

I just wanted to say that I am still alive and still beading ornament drapes. The good news is that I am halfway finished. WOOHOOO!!!!!

In the midst of all this beading, I have managed to create my own pattern and have stumbled across some cool color combos.

I’m still hanging out at SJA, while I’m beading.

I’ll be back to blog more when I get this order done. Only 63 more to go!!

A brief update

I am busy beading an order for 125 ornament drapes for a high end interior design shop, which is why I am not keeping this blog updated. I have pics posted over at StarvingJewelryArtists. You can get there by clicking on the link on the side of my blog. The pics are in the Itty Bitty Beads section under Ornament Drapes-parts I-VI. See ya when I get caught up on them. I’ve only got about 93 left to make. Back to beading.

Design woes

I love making ornament drapes-especially the ones that other people have designed and have put those patterns out there for sale or for free. I’m hardheaded, so I am attempting to design my own.

I have made some small components with seed beads (what else) and for the last 2 weeks have been trying to combine them in a netting effect over a shatterproof ornament. I have taken it apart 5 or 6 times while I was working on it, thinking I had a better way to do it. I use some of the cheap beading thread from Walmart for my “experiments”. That way I don’t feel bad about wasting thread when I cut something up. LOL! I also had to remake some of the componenets because in cutting them apart from each other, I managed to cut the thread in a couple of them. That’s ok. Gave me more time to think about how to put them together.

I think I may be close to finishing a prototype. I have it over the ornament now and it’s close to being closed up. It would be a good time to have an octopus for a pet because trying to hold slippery seed beads over an equally slippery ornament requires a lot of firm holding onto both while trying to get a needle through a nearly full seed bead with one hand. I tried painters tape and that gave me enough help so I could baste a few together so I could see what needed to be attached where.

I see bugs and kinks in it now that I have decided not to correct at this point in time. I will work around them just to get it finished and see if the idea in my head looks remotely like what is in my hand.  I will deal with the kinks if I decide to do another one. That is still undecided.

It’s been an interesting, not to mention a time consuming experience. It has shown me that I have more patience than I gave myself credit for. LOL!

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Stuff done-stuff to do-it never ends

We are short handed at work, so I’ve been working 10 hour shifts and beading, too. Got a gorgeous cherrywood burl cab beaded. Now I just need to get it on it’s way to get sold. I think I’m done with the ornament drapes, too. That all depends on if I get grabbed by a color combo next time I’m going through my beads. I had a helper the day I was taking pics of the drapes. This is Skits-he was Red’s cat. He has decided that he will be a photographers assistant when he grows up. He works cheap-a few pats and the occasional belly rub and he’s happy. Here are a couple of drapes actually hanging on an ornament. It’s not a good pic of the cherrywood cab, but it gets the idea across. I’m going to make a necklace for me next-out of a gorgeous turquoise teardrop that was a gift from a friend. I just have to figure out the details-that’s the hardest part.

The Christmas muse needs a vacation

There are some shops in the area who want some of the beaded ornament drapes I make. I’ve been working on them and have about a dozen made and have about 6 weeks before I need to have them all finished. My Cmas. muse won’t leave me alone. I have a beautiful cherry burl wood cabachon (cab) that I got from a friend on a beading forum. I want to make a necklace out of this cab, but Cmas. muse keeps running through my head like the freakin’ sugar plum fairy. All I need is about 3 days to do the necklace-once I get it figured out what beads I’ll use. Anybody want to take a holiday muse to the Bahamas for a long weekend?