Featured Friday

I'm full of changes lately! First I added my monthly giveaway, then I added featuring other artists in giveaways the rest of the weeks of the month (let me know if your interested!), then I added a new shop, and now I'm doing a new blog feature! It's called Featured Friday and each week I'm going to do a couple of regular sections. Featured Facebook - where I share a link to my latest discussion over there, Featured Special - where I share this week's sale or special item, and Featured Giveaway - where I give an update on this week's giveaway and remind you it's the last day to enter :P So with out further ado...

Featured Friday

This week on Facebook we'll be talking about your favorites - come join in the discussion!

Featured Special

Pink Lemonaid Ring - 15% off!

(also on Etsy)

Featured Giveaway

I'm very excited to tell you that we have 32 entries so far this week! 

Today's the last day - so pop on over and get your entry in to win this bag:

A Hopeful Post

Pink Lemonade

I know, I know - I've pretty much been absent for the last two months. Seems like every time I think I'm going to get back to a "normal" routine something else comes up! I'm hoping that's going to change though and that I'll be back to my normal blogging and listing and creating self :) So far - so good. One morning accomplished! Oh wait...that's not much of a start is it? Well here's hoping for more than just the one morning!

Seriously though, I had some pretty massive migraines this week and we're not really sure why it was so bad. I had about three days where all I did was sleep! Argh. I think it was just a bad convergence of factors, but it was still frustrating. So I stayed home from my Market today (probably good, it's wet out) to relax some. Having said that - I'm still kinda "working" around the house :P But this way I can rest!

I'm so bad at relaxing >_>

Catching Up Once Again :)

Well everything has been a little sporadic from me lately do to the medication withdrawals and the migraines from 'em...but here are my latest listings from etsy and artfire! Tell me which one is your fav and I'll give you an extra entry into my top commentators contest!

Crafty ADD #28

Wow - It's been two and a half weeks since I've done an ADD post - if that's not confirmation that I've been pretty out of it, I don't know what is! I got a wee bit done in that time though...

Crochet

The first strip is complete and I've gotten a start on the second. Waaaaay behind on this project!

Cross-Stitch

The quote reads "Nothing is hopeless, we must hope for everything." It's just cut off by the embroidery hoop :P And it's by Madeleine L'Engle. I'm getting close on this one! Which is good - cuz it's a present :P Well that, and the next project is for ME and I want to start on it.

Jewelry

Another ring! I really need to get these posted on-line huh? I'm feeling pretty sick today, but I'm going to try to get at least one ring on-line by the end of the day. We'll see how I do...

This hemp necklace started out with a plan for different beads, and then I discovered that the beads didn't have a wide enough diameter! So I went shuffling through my boxes and found these beads that I'd totally forgotten about! I think they go perfect with the white hemp.

And this is my current project. I started it because it's basically "mindless" and all the other projects I have in my head right now take thought, and I just haven't had the brains to work on them lately!

The good news is I seem to be getting back into the swing of things, even though I'm still not feeling good, so hopefully this will be a more productive week on many different fronts :)

Crafty ADD #27

It's been just over two weeks since I posted a crafty ADD update - and with good reason. I lost my Granny last week, for any of you that didn't know, and that put the rest of life on hold. I did get a wee bit of crafting done on the trip up for the funeral (hey come on, this is how I cope!), and of course I got stuff done before, and even a little after! So here's my loooong ADD update :)

Crochet

Have I ever mentioned that I hate rolling the yarn up into balls? Oh wait, I'm sure I have... Ok, so maybe hate is the wrong word, but after spending an HOUR rolling this up (there were some massive tangles to unravel) that was all I was doing that particular night.

This picture doesn't show adequately the progress I've made, so I'll just tell ya :P On the first strip I've done the first edging row around all the squares and tied in all the ends. I need Mom's help to do the next edging row so I started in on the next strip. I need to step up the pace on this project >_>

Cross Stitch

I started another book mark! This one's going to be a present :D I'm having fun with it - don't think it will take me too long either - which is good :)

Jewelry

I'm in love with making rings! I know I haven't gotten any up on my site yet (hey, I have a GOOD excuse this time!), but I'm still having fun making them :) And they don't take that much time! Hmmm...in fact...I may make another one when I'm done with this post :P

This pretty bracelet is going to my consignment shop - but if anyone falls in love with the colors I will gladly make it for you!

Remember seeing this one in one of my previous ADD posts? I bought a clasp and finished it :)

I have a couple more pieces to show off - but I'm saving those for a specific post :P

Crafty ADD Update #26

Another week - and more crafty stuff! I have officially created a new category in these updates - the miscellaneous category :P Why? Well I have some random things that I do (like paper stuff or whatever) that I don't do frequently enough for them to really have their own category. This way I no longer have to worry about that. You'll love my Misc. item this week :) Oh - and a note about crocheting - it didn't happen this week. Oopsie. I got very caught up in beading, which you'll see!

Misc:

I made myself a light box! That picture makes my living room look a lot darker than it is...but I have a light box! *bounces* The box is a little cockamamie which is why you see a pill bottle peaking out from one corner. I need to figure out a better solution to that... I also want to get a third lamp that can do overhead light because I'm still get some shadows just having the two lights. So my project isn't finished...but it's a big improvement over where I was at!

Jewelry

I made the rope to go with my Peso Pendant that I made last week! I'm really please with how this turned out and I'm looking forward to taking more pictures so that I can list it :D

Rings! I've made my first rings! Woohoo! Plan on listing these this week as well :) And making more!

I actually *gasp* made things for myself this week too! The spirals I made earlier today to go with the shirt I'm wearing, and I did the bead woven earrings earlier this week. The seed beads are kind of an iridescent peacock color. I bought them last week and knew right away that I wanted to weave some earrings with them. By the time I was half way through the first one I knew I was keeping it for myself! Which really is a good idea since I don't have any of my own bead woven earrings. Bracelets - yes, ring - yes, necklaces -yes, but I had no earrings! i had other styles, but it was high time I had a pair of my own bead woven earrings.

This lovely bracelet is made using a chevron weaving technique that I learned from this month's issue of Bead and Button. I love how delicate it turned out! All it needs to finish it is a good clasp, I want to go buy a really cute one for it :)

Oh yes, and I finished my paw prints bracelet, and forgot to take a picture of it completed before I gave it to my friend! Ooops! Don't worry though, I do plan on making one for my shop, eventually....

Bead Soup - and More!

Sorry I've been awol for a couple of days. I've been really sick. I'm on the mend now...I think...but not really sure. We'll see :)

Anyway, I had to show off the bead soup I got in the mail - and the new stuff I bought be before I got sick!

I'm participating in a Bead Soup Swap hosted by Lori Anderson and I got my beads in the mail this week! This picture doesn't do them justice, my brother shot a quick snap for me a couple days ago when I thought I might manage to blog while sick. Um. Yah RIGHT. That didn't happen.

The bag on the left are extra beads...and I plan on playing with those at some point after I make my Bead Soup Necklace :) I'll probably dump them out on my tray and see what inspiration hits. I'm betting I'll net several pairs of earrings and some new charms out of that conglomeration!

The bag on the right is full of gorgeous lampwork beads that compliment the focal and nifty toggle clasp that you see down on the bottom. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with them, but I plan on spreading them all out on my bead board and playing in the next day or two. The unveiling isn't until February 10th anyway, and I didn't want to work on the project while I was on quarter brain power while sick :P

Now for my shopping....I bought a ring stick! This means that soon I'll have rings available in my shop :D I've made up two already, and I'm excited to make more!

They also had a seed bead sale when I went in to by the ring stick (and a few other basic supplies I didn't bother photoing) so I got these! The white I needed anyway, the brown seed mix has so much potential, I've already used the iridescent beads (you'll see pics soon!), and I know EXACTLY what I'm going to use the red beads for :D

Crafty ADD #25

It's Monday - so it's that time again - time for me to share all the stuff I've been working on this last week! I had a pretty good week craft wise :) Let me share with you...

Crochet

I didn't get quite as much done on this as I would have liked last week, I kinda got caught up in beady things, so I'm resolving to do more this week!

Drawing

That's right - I actually drew something! Now if you ever ask me I'll tell you that drawing and all that "traditional" artsy stuff is entirely NOT me. But... We're doing monthly challenges with one of my groups now (Bittersweets Daily Challenge) and this month's was ACEO's! I've got another idea (in a different medium) up my sleeve but I decided to pull out my pencils and do this as well :)

Jewelry

I re-did and finished my ring for myself! Now I'm excited to get a ring stick so I can start making them for my shop - I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from this!

"Treasures of the Sea." This broach is my entry into the Etsy Bead Weavers Monthly Challenge. It's simple, probably won't win anything, but I had a lot of fun with it :) Hopefully I'll have it listed later today or tomorrow.

Remember that coin I showed you earlier this week? Well I reworked the beading around it. It's a lot tighter and looks much better now! I'll be doing the necklace for it soon :)

This was the first piece I did while lying on my back with a migraine this weekend. See, as long as I'm lying down my migraine stays at a semi-tolerable level, so I decided to figure out a way to bead lying down, and I wanted something easy to start with! I picked up this assortment of beads a few weeks ago, planning on making a necklace like this, and so that's what I worked on as I adjusted to lying down and beading :) Hope to get this one listed soon as well.

Crafty ADD Update #24

I had a very hard time focusing on anything this week! Part of that was going on another short road trip to see my Granny, and part of that was feeling sick, and part of that was....I don't know? Here's what I got done though :)

Crochet

Not much progress on this over the course of the week, but I got a little bit done! I'm kinda stuck on the hat I've been working on. I need to get together with Mom on that one. Not showing anything because I crocheted and tore apart several times.

Jewelry

Almost done with this! I need to get a clasp for it and then it'll be done! Woohoo!

Here's what I've gotten done on the remake of the ring I talked about yesterday! I decided to add a little design to it as well as make it narrower this time around.

This is the start of my challenge piece for the Etsy Bead Weavers Challenge this month :D I'm going to call it "Treasures of the Sea."

Trying Something New

I've been wanting to make a beaded ring for awhile now...but I keep putting it off. Part of it was that I wanted to make one for myself before I even consider making them for the shop. That wouldn't be such a problem excpet for awhile I didn't have a wedding ring. Why? Well, I gained a lot of weight in the last two years due to the meds the docs have me on, so my ring didn't fit any more. And I REALLY didn't want a beaded ring on one finger when there was nothing on my ring finger! We got me a new, plain silver, band for Christmas, so I decided it was time to move forward and make a beaded ring for myself!

I started with purple, of course, and it was really easy. The hardest part was seeing just how fat my fingers are :P I think it's cute, but it's way to wide. So I'm going to tear it apart and make a second one. With two colors this time I think...

Will these be appearing in my shop? Probably eventually. I need a ring stick though so I can make them in proper sizes.

Etsy Bloggers Featured Blogger - Create a Thought!

Art Book Journal Kit

This month's featured Etsy Blogger is Create a Thought - and I had so much fun going through her shop! I mean, look at this quote she has in her shop announcement:

"There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes. ~William Makepeace Thackeray"

Since you all know I love to write - my love of that quote should come as no surprise!

Here's just a few of the cute items you can find in her shop:

Imagine the Stars Ring

Robot Love Mini Journal

Just Because Handmade Card

And don't forget to check out her blog!