Beads and Bread

7000 Bracelets of Hope Blog Hop

2012-02-25T00:30:00.005-08:00

Hi everyone! I've joined in again to create a bracelet for the Global Genes Project. This hop is hosted by Erin Fickert-Rowland of Elysianstudiosart.com and Christine Altmiller of OneKissCreations.blogspot.com If you've never heard of the Global Genes Project, I copied this straight from their website. I think they can say it so much better than I can. GGP is a global rare disease awareness

Suburban Girl Design Team

2012-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, I don't know why I didn't read all the rules the first time around, but I totally missed the fact that I could get another chance to be a part of the Design Team if I blogged about it. About what? Well, here it is, straight from her blog: I've decided it's finally time to put together a Suburban Girl Design Team. I currently have three members and am seeking three more! Design Team members

Michelle Mach's Card Challenge

2012-02-14T18:00:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! Today is the reveal day for a challenge I entered about a month ago. Michelle Mach sent each participant an embossed card to play with. I was so thrilled, since I have recently started playing in the world of Mixed Media, and this was a great way to "get my feet wet". I told her to chose the design for me. (They were all beautiful.) Mine is a Hearts design. I thought a long

My first official pattern review

2012-02-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

And, boy, am I excited! This pattern is by the extremely talented Callie Mitchell, also known as Peregrine Beader. You can check out her lovely Etsy site for more fabulous patterns and jewelry. She also has some free tutorials on her blog, as well as great information and insights. The pattern is for her Elizabeth I Cuff Bracelet. This is the pic from her Etsy store. Aren't her colors

My first official pattern review

2012-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Communing with Bread

2012-02-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

Or....Communion Bread, to be totally correct. It's been a while since I've done a bread post. Some people may have thought I've stopped making bread. Not true. However, I have had to make some major changes. I've had some health situations that have resulted in my not being able to eat wheat or yeast at the moment. So, I've been terribly thrown out of gear by this, since my family can still

Lark Books-Studio Series

2012-01-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Just had to share with ya'll very quickly. I recently won a Lark Books giveaway over at Beading Arts, from the wonderful Cyndi Lavin. Actually, it might have been from her other site, Mixed Media. Anyway, she was giving them away on both sites. I won the Lark book entitled, "Tables". Now, I understand. Not as exciting to you as if I had said....Jewelry! However, I just got the book, and I'm

BTW and PIF

2012-01-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

Kinda sounds like a computer geek, huh? Nope, just a little catching up, and a huge THANK YOU!! Here's what's on my bead table today. This is for the Beading Babes project. I've had a huge learning curve for this pattern. Took me ripping out 4 times last night to get it down. Then, as I worked on it today, I decided I didn't like the colors of the beads, so I'm off to rip it apart again. .

Sharin' the Love

2012-01-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

How cool is this?? My friend Sally over at Wild Sally Road blogged about these. They are called Word Clouds. You can find them here. I just put my blog in, and it came up with all these words from my blog posts. I'm so in love with it!!!!!Now go play with your words! Blessings, Shirley

Two more Days!!!!

2012-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Til what??? Bead Soup Blog Party, of course!!! I'm so nervous and excited this time around. Excited, because I've participated twice before, and this is an absolute blast! Nervous.....because this time it is by lottery, so I may not make it into the pot. Why by lottery? Because this baby mushroomed out of all sane proportions last time! I think there were almost 400 participants, all over the

New Year and New Horizons!

2011-12-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

We are fast approaching the new year, and, as always, I'm excited. It's like a fresh start, you know? I will be teaching a class at our homeschool co-op this semester, and I'm very excited about it. I want to show the kids how to use mixed media to explore the art world. Here are a couple of projects: Cigar boxes to transform into memory boxes. My 11 and 9 yr old made these yesterday from

Eek! Run, don't walk!! Juls is clearing out.....

2011-12-14T06:15:00.000-08:00

Juls is clearing out some beady inventory! If you've lusted drooled over her beads like I have, head on over and get yourself some beady goodness! Cause, really, you need your own handpicked Christmas gift. Blessings, Shirley

Beading Babes Project #2

2011-12-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

Beading Babes is a group started by Karyn of Releases by Rufydoof. We choose a project....or two! We take about a month to bead it, then reveal. I love this group, cause it's very low key. If you don't finish right on time, that's cool. If you make modifications to the pattern, that's cool. If you don't use the exact beads, that's cool. Pretty awesome! Ok, I'm a bit late on this reveal, I

Color Challenge Reveal

2011-11-30T05:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah! It's here! What an awesome challenge this was. Erin @ Treasures Found hosted her second Color Challenge. I was thrilled to participate in this one. I was still very much a newbie and finding all the cool blogs when she had the first one. Apparently she had lots of fun with paint chips at that one! She found a fantastic source of color inspiration for us to use in the site, Design Seeds. My

Thankful

2011-11-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

My how time flies! It has been 3 whirlwind years since we moved to the coast. I was a very unwilling participant in this plan. Today I can say that I am thankful I listened to God, and followed His direction for our lives. It did take a while. So, if you are in the midst of a storm, be patient. My life has been so enriched by so many things. We have a truly special group of acquaintances and

My Bucket List

2011-11-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details. This is a seriously awesome giveaway, and you get a chance to think about some things you want to

I love beading!

2011-11-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

My computer has died, life is a whirlwind, but thru it all, I can lose myself in beading! I'm so very grateful to all you awesome folks out there that keep issuing beading challenges! I'm participating in Beading Babes this month, and I'm so very thrilled with both of the pieces. I'll give you a little sneak peak of one of them. I'm so very thrilled to get to use my JulsBeads on this project. The

Channeling Mandy via Nancy, Sally, Kristen, and Heather!

2011-10-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

What a title, huh? My buddy Mandy, over at Beads for Brains, is always making samples of new stitches. So my buds Kristen and Sally hooked me up with the incredible Nancy Dale, who posted instructions for her awesome ColorPlay necklace yesterday. Nancy gave a link to BeadMavens, where Heather Collins posted a video on how to do CRAW (Cubic Right Angle Weave). Now, I'm here to tell ya, I have

Playing around

2011-10-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Just playing around with some different things. My daughter wanted to make a gift for a friend, and we didn't have much time, so I thought we would try making a wrap bracelet, like I've seen everywhere lately. We watched a quick little video on it. Seemed pretty straightforward, so we got all our supplies together..... Clamped that puppy down to a bead box lid. Chose some beadlettes as my

Deryn Mentock's Inspirational Challenge

2011-10-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ya'll know I can't resist a challenge, right? So when I stumbled upon Deryn's blog, Something Sublime, and she said she had a color challenge, I was jumping up and down happy! I immediately said yes, cause I'm tellin' ya, those are MY colors!! Check 'em out! Deryn's blog is full of romantic, vintage images, so that's where my mind was heading. I don't really wear that kind of jewelry, so I was

Score!

2011-10-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

I found some great stuff at Tuesday Morning. I don't shop there a lot, but sometimes I can luck up, like with these metal buttons.Check out the herringbone pattern on the one on the right. I love the details in these. The middle one is a rose gold, while the left one is sort of a white platinum. The black one fades to a gunmetal in the center.You can see the black one better here. Look at that

Painting with Fire Book Tour

2011-10-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

What an exciting event! Barbara Lewis is launching a book tour for her new book, Torch Fired Enameled Jewelry: a workshop in painting with fire. It seems there will be lots of opportunities to win prizes, as each jewelry artist presents their perspective on the technique. I have been lurking reading about this technique for several months now, and am thrilled to get to hear from so many

Michelle Mach's Fall Challenge Reveal

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today's the day for the Fall Challenge Reveal. Michelle Mach put together a lovely selection of Vintage filigree, and vintage lucite. Here's a pic of the kit. I actually won the Fall Challenge kit, and was very excited that Michelle invited me to participate with the others who purchased the kits. I got the lovely lucite ball in the front, with the orange hints on the swirl. This is the main

For the Love of a Child

2011-09-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

This has been on my heart for the past week or so. As a home school mom, I am with my kids pretty much 24/7. Sometimes that becomes a heavy burden, and I have to take a break. I was very guilt-ridden when I first realized this. I thought I was an awful mom to want to get away. Then I realized that it was exactly what my children and I both needed. We needed to miss each other, so we would

Bead Soup Giveaways & What I Learned

2011-09-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finished visiting all the awesome blogs for the Bead Soup Blog Party. I am truly humbled and thrilled to have participated with such a talented group of people. I have a whole pile of new blogs to follow, and my brain is still reeling from all the great ideas people have shared during their creative process. I am truly grateful for the wonderful comments left on my soup. I have

Bead Soup Reveal 2011!!!

2011-09-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yah!! It's finally here! Lori Anderson has pulled off quite an accomplishment this time. We have over 350 participants in the Bead Soup Blog Party, from all around the world. Lori spent hours and hours, carefully putting together the partners for this hop. I was just as fortunate this time as I was last time. My partner for this hop is the very skilled Mallory Hoffman, of For the Love of Beads.

Blessed beyond belief!

2011-09-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

I am really and truly overwhelmed. A few weeks ago, I received an email from Michelle Mach, telling me I had won a Fall Challenge kit. When the package came, I was extremely intrigued by the contents. Nothing that I normally use, but I do so love a challenge, so I told her I'd be thrilled to enter the challenge. Look at this great mix of stuff! Some lovely Vintaj pieces. A very unusual vintage

Bread Class 101

2011-09-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure of teaching some wonderful ladies the basics of whole wheat bread baking. It was one crazy setup, since they were all homeschool moms. What does that have to do with it, you ask? Well, it means that our kids are attached at the hip 24/7. Thankfully, mine are at the age when I can say, "I'm working. Go have fun with your friends, and don't come into my area of work."

Shadowbox Challenge Reveal

2011-08-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all! The wonderful Lorelei Eurto set up a challenge with enameled shadowboxes from C-Koop. I was one of the lucky ones drawn to participate in the challenge. What I love about this is how far it took me out of my comfort zone. As a beadweaver, I work with little tiny beads, creating pieces out of them, one bead at a time. Now, I had to figure out how to incorporate this lovely metal rectangle

Do you need more beads?

2011-08-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, duh, of course you do! So head on over to Kristi Bowmans' blog DreamsomeDesigns and enter this awesome giveaway! Kristi's giveaway Blessings, Shirley

Really Cool Neighbors

2011-08-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share a couple of pics of my neighbors! Yes, we did sit the poor guy on a used lunch plate to take his pic! Somebody doesn't have a happy face. Good thing they don't have long memories, cause my daughter is constantly catching them to show me how cute they are. We have a pond in our back yard, and we feed them, so they aren't shy to come right up to your feet. This beautiful

Teaser, Got My Soup, and a HUGE Thank You Lori!!

2011-08-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, just to warn you, this post will probably not make a lot of sense, cause I'm totally jumpin' up and down excited!!! Played with Picnik forever today to get my teaser pics the way I wanted them, so here they are... Mallory, I really, really hope you enjoy your soup, cause I gotta say....WOW!!!I was so blown away when I got my package!! Yes people, I will be venturing out..way outside my

Treasury Color Challenge Reveal

2011-08-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, not as early as I would have liked, but I did get it posted on the day of the reveal. The lovely Amy over at Copper Diem set up a color challenge using an Etsy Treasury. We had two weeks to create something based on the treasury. I received this beauty. Artist Aid JAPAN Relief - ...AleciaVOn Vacation set of two vintage atlas ...usedandabuse...$28.00 USD Mystic arrow. Beadwoven tr...

Awesome Beady Giveaway

2011-08-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Really cool bead giveaway. Almost $100.00 worth of beads. Just don't tell the girls at Tackle that Bead Stash that I sent you to Beads of Clay, m'k? So, what are you waiting for? Go!!! Have a Blessed day!, Shirley

Baby Christian needs our help

2011-08-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all, If you have not already heard, the wonderful and talented Julianna Cannon is having a sale at her Etsy store to help out her precious preemie nephew, Christian. He was born 4 months premature, and there will be lots of help needed in the coming months. Here's what Juls posted: I am offering a 25% discount on everything in my Etsy shop, with all proceeds from this sale going to support

VBS Comes to an End

2011-08-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, the precious faces! These little sweeties made the work all worth it. It was exhausting, and I have to admit I took a nap every day when I got home. But I'm telling you, there is nothing like the excitement on those little faces as they file into your room, asking what craft we're making today. Our theme was the Armor of God. They made tshirts to represent the Breastplate of Righteousness,

Excitement is in the air

2011-07-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, where to start? Haven't been on blogger lately, cause I've been busy cutting and pasting and glueing....crafts. Our church is having it's first VBS, and crazy me said, "Oh, I'll do the crafts, I love crafts!" Not really understanding that meant I was in charge of crafts! So, no beading for me lately. I did finish a piece for a bracelet swap over at Tackle that Bead Stash; and it has been

BTW

2011-07-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, today is UFO day, definitely. You know, those (stage whisper) unfinished objects??? Well, mine have been piling up, and since I'm devoted to staying home today, (me and the youngest got serious sunburn yesterday), I figured it would be a great opportunity to clear some stuff off the table that has been pushed to the side long enough. The necklace and button pendant were for the last Margie

Winner, winner chicken dinner

2011-07-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm so super excited about this bracelet! I was the lucky winner from Penny Neville over at Copper Penny Designs for her 100 blog post. This is one of the prettiest bracelets I've ever seen. I just wish the pics could show off the sparkle properly. The Viking knit is stunning. (Like I really needed something else to explore!) But I have a feeling it takes a while to get this kind of result.

It's Coming........

2011-07-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Can't begin to tell you how excited I am!!! I'm not such a competitive person, but it really reaches a fever pitch when you are working thru all the participants to get to the last one. The easiest thing for me last spring was to copy and paste the list of participants in a Pages (word) sheet. Then I just kept it open, and as I got a chance to go to my computer thruout the day, I could

BTW and other goodies

2011-07-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Enjoying your Wednesday? It's hot enough to cook an egg already outside. I wish I could say I'm spending the day beading, but we received an invitation to the pool, so I'm taking the kiddies and the sunscreen and venturing out. Have I mentioned how lily white we are? Well, the boys are not so bad. My oldest can tan with the best of them, and my Daniel will tan after he burns. But me

Perspective

2011-07-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, this has been on my mind for a few weeks. For lots of different situations, I would realize that perspective is what makes the difference. When you are a child, your home may seem huge to you. When you go back to visit as an adult, it feels much smaller. I can remember telling my dad that I couldn't wait to get taller than him. As a kid, that was an exciting event. As an adult, looking at my

A Beady Giveaway

2011-07-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

So this is a quick shout out for another wonderful giveaway. Amy over at Spyder Jewels is sharing the love. She has an abundance of seed beads to share. Head on over and join in the fun!! You don't use seed beads, you say? Well, I'd just be thrilled all over the place for you to win, and then I can make some seed bead goodness for you!!! Blessings, Shirley

BTW and other goodies

2011-06-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased Diane Fitzgeralds Shaped Beadwork. Oh, the projects! Packed full of cool stuff. I needed a quick birthday present, so I chose to make an open diamond. I think it turned out very pretty, and the recipient loved it! Love the fact that I opened this book, and landed on this page. The photo says, "Monarch's jewels on display" ! How funny is that? As a hobby beader, I try to be

Bead Table Wednesday-Not

2011-06-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't have beads on my table today, I have....bread! My husband took some orders at his office, so these babies are all ready to go with him tomorrow. No, you can't make nearly as much mula on bread as you can on jewelry, but you can create some repeat customers! :) These are blueberry-chocolate chip muffins. Check that crumble topping! What lurks under that white cover? Why, cinnamon

Beads (Giveaway) and Bread

2011-06-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the name of my blog, after all. Don't you just love beady giveaways? Me too! So, you need to head on over to Andrew Thornton's and jump in on his fantabulous giveaway! Seriously, he's got over $200 worth of beads in this goody bag! Then you can come back here and drool over some bread. :) This was a new recipe, Herbed Cheese Muffins. And, of course, I made it with freshly milled

Bead Table Wednesday-barely

2011-06-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, just barely made it! After a very productive day of running errands, and a phenomenal hamburger at one of my favorite joints, I'm finally able to sit down and post my pics. This was what I was working on for last month's Margie and Me Challenge. I adore the colors, and I know it will come together eventually, but I am frustrated. Do you see the lovely matte silver grey 6's on the outside

Cool Science Stuff

2011-06-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

As a homeschool mom, I have had to experience many areas of life in which I am not an expert. Period. Totally clumsy nerd. Science is one of those areas. All those theorems and hypothesis and experiment after experiment?? Yawn......BUT, I really dig the cool action/reaction stuff. Know what I'm talkin' bout? Yeah, those "if I do this, here's what happens" kits. Last year at the NC homeschool

My first Bead Table Wednesday

2011-06-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Not that I'm never beading on Wednesday, just that I usually realize on Thursday that I missed it, again. So, I'm delighted to actually have a new project that I started today, to show off. Last week I received my copy of Beth Stone's book, Bead, Play & Love. I have been devouring it ever since. I decided to start with this lovely stitch. She calls it "Let's do the Twist". She has wonderful

Come Play with Beth!

2011-05-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Beth Stone has a great idea to share with the beady world. I'm just going to copy and paste her info below, so you can read it for yourself. I would like to invite you to participate in "Beads. Beaders. Beading: a showcase of beaded art from around the world." This project was inspired by the photography book called, "A Day in the Life of America." For this project, I would like

Margie and Me Reveal Day!

2011-05-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

So here we are again, Margie and Me Reveal Day. This has been such an exciting, frustrating, learning challenge. I absolutely fell in love with the first painting, Flaming Jane. I love the soft, cloudy look of the dress and her curving posture. I was very excited to start a necklace for it. However, I was about two thirds of the way thru, when I ran out of one of the beads. I promptly went to

Gifts and other cool stuff

2011-05-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

What a lovely PIF gift, don't you think? I received these beauties in the mail Saturday, and have just now been able to stop a moment to show them to you. These came to me from the wonderful Niky over at SilverNikNats. They have the most awesome sparkle. Which makes me want a new camera even more! I am also in absolute heaven with a new purchase. Beth Stone wrote a self published book

I made a Treasury!

2011-05-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, ya'll just stop laughing at me! I love learning all this cool techie stuff. So, this is my first treasury, in honor of this month's Margie and Me color challenge. Orange You Happy! AMBER IVORY RUFFLE LAMPWOR...alishawhite$12.00 USD Venetian Sunrise - (14) Ha...outwest$18.00 USD Handmade Lampwork Beads by...GlassBeadArt$15.00 USD Handmade Lampwork Tribal ...mlbellino$14.99 USD NEW COLOR

We won!!!

2011-05-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

So I won a great giveaway from Penny Neville over at Copper Penny Designs. It was for her 100th blog post. I can't wait! You've got to go check out her Viking Knit bracelet. Awesome!! And my kids....are gonna win something great from their parents. I got our test scores back today. I choose to test the kids each year, using the Stanford Test. This is to help me prepare for next year, not to

When Things Go Awry

2011-05-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those days?The hubby woke me this morning at 6:15 with the words, "The dog has diarrhea and I don't have time to clean it up. You need to come help her."I love my little dog, really. And, it's my fault, since I gave her some bread crusts last night.( Her little tummy just couldn't handle all the food. )But giving a dog a bath and cleaning a crate at 6 a.m. is not how I imagined

Margie & Me...Finally!

2011-05-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly took me long enough! Of course, if I hadn't decided that I just had to do a necklace, it would have been finished on time. But I have a slew of bracelets, and really need some new necklaces. I really love the soft colors of the first palette Marcie gave us, so that is the inspiration. I am proud of myself for several reasons on this necklace. Number one, I could have just

Bread Today, Margie Tomorrow

2011-04-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

So, today is reveal day for the current Margie and Me Challenge. Why don't I have my piece ready, you ask? Well, I chose to go with the softer color palette, and really, really fell in love with the color contrasts. To the point where I just got lost in looking at them on my bead tray. It happens! Stop giggling! Well, ok, so I also forgot the deadline date. I've been entering too many challenges.

We won!!!

2011-04-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

I say "we" in this post, because this win is definitely not about me. Lisa Boucher over at Lisa's Clay Happenings gave away some wonderful autism pins she had created. I was one of the lucky winners. Check them out! Aren't they cute? We have a new associate pastor for our church who has two young children with autism. One is high functioning, one is not. I have been around a few autistic

Button Swap Reveal!!!

2011-04-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased with this swap. I think it really pushed me outside my comfort zone to design a project around a button. Of course I've used buttons as the toggle for bracelets before. But I wanted to try something different. My wonderful partner, Krista French of French Elegant Jewelry, sent some great buttons. I was having such a hard time choosing which to use. And, I had a couple of other

Button Swap and Giveaway is tomorrow!!!!

2011-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the Button Swap tomorrow! The lovely Michelle Mach is hosting this swap, and she has been kind enough to attach a giveaway to it. Yeah! So, if you leave a comment at each site from the participating blogs, you will be entered to win a wonderful set of buttons. There are 25 participants, so if you leave a comment on each blog, you get 25 entries to win!!! Blessings, Shirley

7000 Bracelets for Hope Blog Hop

2011-04-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today's the day! I had so much fun creating a bracelet for this project. Lori Anderson of Pretty Things connected us with the Global Genes Project. I really hope you'll take the time to head to their site and read about them. It is a wonderful cause. We were all asked to make a bracelet to be sent to a mom of a child with a rare disease. Since you don't know a specific wrist size, it is a bit

7000 Bracelets for Hope

2011-04-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful Lori Anderson is at it again! This is a great project to help awareness of rare diseases. The info from the website, Global Genes Project, states that there are 30 million people with rare diseases, and of that number, 75% are children. It really breaks your heart. So here's a little something you can do to help out. Just one bracelet, to show your support. Hurry on over to

Margie and Me Reveal Day!

2011-04-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

Yeah! It feels like it took forever for this one to get here. I kept thinking, I could do another piece, maybe, no, yes.....but with all the other stuff I've involved myself in, I decided not to try to squeeze it in and maybe do a poor job. This challenge was a lovely painting called, "The Sower with the Setting Sun". I really love all the vibrant colors in this painting. I knew when I looked

Happy Anniversary--to Me!

2011-04-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wondered if God answers prayers, I can tell you He does. Because when a little girl of the 60's, from a divorced homelife, said every night, "I just want to be married"; He honored that prayer. We celebrate 22 years of marriage, and 26 years of friendship. (Yes, it did take a while to get him to the altar). We started out ridiculously in love, and built into a tried and true

Got my Buttons!!!

2011-03-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Oh wow! Just got the coolest buttons from my Button Swap partner, Krista at FrenchElegantJewelry. This is a challenge created by Michelle Mach. You can read all about it here. What I am learning through all of these wonderful bead challenges is simply priceless. With Marcie's Margie and Me challenges, I have been pushed way outside my normal range of color, to explore and mix colors in new and

Incredible Artist

2011-03-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

I am so very excited to show these pictures to you. The lovely Raida Disbrow of Havana Beads is an incredible artist. She makes fantastic jewelry, and when I saw a pic of a dog bead on a key that she posted, I had to email her. We adopted a very sweet mutt in December. Her mom was classified as a MaltiPoo, and they didn't know about the dad. With the size of her feet, I think he had some Bassett

Gift from Pay It Forward

2011-03-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Do you know what Pay It Forward is all about? About giving, and receiving, and blessings, and gratitude, and thankfulness. You feel all those things when you are making something to Pay It Forward to someone, and when you receive your own gift. I was a lucky recipient of a Pay It Forward gift from Deci over at Gem Trails. Look at the lovely earrings I received from her. My frustration was at

Silk Scarves are painted!

2011-03-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is just an eye candy post. Seriously, this is so much fun. Totally addictive and very time friendly. This is not the end result, stay tuned for that, but for now, enjoy the pics! Not sure if you can see it in the pic, but this lovely shade of brown was mixed with a metallic silver. Gives a gentle sparkle in the light. My bowl of flowers.....and it never needs water! The top one has a

I love the mailman!

2011-03-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, not really....but I do love looking for mail when I know I have things coming. I received this lovely card from Lori Anderson. With this really cool inspirational page inside. I love the little tabs at the bottom.This is so going in my bathroom! Or, maybe next to the coffee pot. It's a toss up as to where I go first! The other cool item in the mail today was my silk scarves from Dharma

An out of town visitor

2011-03-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

One of the cool things about living here is all the variety of wildlife we have seen. This guy showed up at our pond last year. I took some pics, and emailed DNR. They quickly replied back that he is an Anhinga. They originate from Brazil. Not sure if that's where mine is from, but he did come back this year. Definitely had our pond earmarked for easy meals! So we wondered why he just sat there

Let's Pay It Forward!!

2011-03-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is such a lovely way to show your appreciation of people, and to share kindness. I am participating in this thru Silverniknats blog. The first 5 people who comment on this post will receive a handmade gift by me (it could be any thing)! In return you must write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011 and send your first 5 commenters a gift handmade by you. It's a great way to make new

Tools

2011-03-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

What's your favorite tool? I have a few favorites, in each area of life I work in. In the kitchen, I am having a love affair with an awesome tool from Pampered Chef. It's a star shaped masher that works wonders when you are cooking ground meat. I also couldn't do without my Rada knives. My mom used to sell them for fundraisers with the AT&T Pioneers. They are just plain jane great tools. In my

Pretty Shiny Things!!!

2011-03-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

I really hadn't planned on doing 2 posts in one day, but I just couldn't resist this giveaway. This was one of many favorites in the Bead Soup party, and I'd love to win it. You know you would too, so head on over to Pretty Shiny Things and enter!

Are you FULL yet???

2011-03-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

The bead soup party still rages on! With 210 total participants, it's a serious journey. I've had so much fun checking out all the beautiful designs, great soups, and wonderful artists. The awesome Lori Anderson had a seriously GREAT idea with this one. I think my brain has been expanded to its limits. I have some inspiration for new pieces, and a total appreciation for copper and brass like

Bead Soup Reveal

2011-02-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

The day is finally here!!!! Below you will find the list of participants, please go check them out. I am #210 on the list, so you have a lot of eye candy to see! This is my first Bead Soup Party, and I've had a blast. You can see my piece below. I love the result, and I had plenty left over to make something else! My lovely porcelain donut was a mix of blues and greens. I chose a twisted

Button Swap and a Giveaway!

2011-02-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

Just in case ya'll thought I was all caught up in a Bead Soup frenzy, (which I sorta am) I just found a new challenge! Michelle Mach is hosting a Button Swap. Head on over to her blog and sign up for some great fun. I love using buttons as closures on bracelets. They make interesting statements on shirts, purses, shoes, just about anything. I decorated some sweat jackets for my kids one year with

Love your Blogging Buddies

2011-02-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

So this post is really a response after reading Lori Anderson's post over at Pretty Things today. She asked, Why do you follow a blog? It really made me think about the blogs I have chosen to follow. She gave some great info (as always) and now I'm going to make sure the people who have been wonderful enough to make comments on my posts, actually hear back from me! I think this is the coolest

Margie & Me Reveal

2011-02-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm a tad bit late. Friday's are always crazy around here, and even though I only had about an hour's worth of work to finish my piece, it just didn't happen last night. So, enough of the excuses. I chose to work with the Madrid piece for this challenge. If you haven't heard of the Margie and Me challenges, go check it out at LaBellaJoya's site. I've had so much fun working on these. Here

Bread Baking Day

2011-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, I decided to show the steps for making our new favorite, Braided Cheese Bread. It's funny, when I'm frustrated about how a beading project is going, it helps to make a batch of bread. My lovely new dough mixer will make either 3 or 5 loaves at a time, so we have two regular whole wheat loaves, and the cheese bread. Roll out to a rectangular shape. Brush with melted butter. Generously

When the Hurt Runs Deep

2011-02-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

The title of a new book by Kay Arthur. The subject of my new church ladies group discussion. It's so funny how easy it is to see God's perfect timing. I am having to deal with a lot of family history that is extremely hurtful right now. I would much rather do anything rather than deal with these issues. But I have to, because of my mom. Have you ever done something for someone else that you

Sweet Hearts

2011-02-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am feeling the need to talk about Valentine's Day. It means a lot of things to each of us, at different times in our life. When you're a kid, it means candy and giving goofy cards. When you are a young adult, it can mean a romantic date, a hot night on the town, or giggling with your peeps at a sleepover. When you are newly married, it is a mandatory vase of roses and chocolates, and

Super Sunday

2011-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

I know, for most of the United States, today is SuperBOWL Sunday. But for me, it is also a Super SUNDAY. Our pastor's message today was awesome. He gave us this analogy to ponder: Our journey with God means HIM being in control, not us. HE is the driver. We are not the passenger in the front seat. Nor in the back seat. God asks us to ride in the trunk. So, imagine the trunk. First: dark. You

It's Here, IT'S HERE!!!!!!

2011-02-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Oh, I'm so excited, my Bead Soup arrived today. My dear partner, Tara at The Newbie Beader's Blog, has had a tough time getting it to me. She is in the middle of moving, and it came back to her once. So, without further ado, here are my lovelies to play with: A stunning porcelain focal, and beautiful filigree clasp. Gosh, no hardship there in using these gorgeous pieces! Yeah, seed beads in a

Whirlwind weekend

2011-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we are off to NC to finally have Christmas with my mom's side of the family. This was the first weekend we could fit it in. And, I'm meeting a dear friend from TN along the way, for some serious girl time. So, I've been baking bread like crazy for my girlfriend and my mom. And making a few last minute gifts. Here is some extreme eye candy for you on your way to the weekend. Oh, and my

I'm a Winner!

2011-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Oh. My. Word. I'm so excited!!! Jumping up and down excited. I just received an email from the awesome Karen Williams over at Skunk Hills Studio, that I have won a copy of her book, Freeform Peyote Beading. I have been interested in freeform for a while, but haven't had the nerve to get started in it. A few months ago, I entered a contest with the phenomenal Carol Dean Sharpe over at

New and Old

2011-01-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

Had an absolutely lovely time today. Got to see lots of old friends as we signed up for homeschool co-op classes. The kids were thrilled with fun classes like guitar, dance, and "Dangerous Things for Boys" You know my son is gonna have a blast with that one!Then I come home to find an awesome giveaway on Lori Anderson's blog, Pretty Things. It is a fantastic metal stamp set from PJ Tools. I

Math & Beads

2011-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, that's not really as weird as it sounds. There is quite a lot of math in beadwork. If I had suspected just how much, I may not have been so enthusiastic about jumping into jewelry. I am extremely frustrated a lot of times, trying to see how to incorporate the math equation into a pattern. If you need an example, go see the awesome beaded beads over at GwenBeads. They will seriously blow your

Beads & Bread!

2011-01-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

Weird title, huh? Well, youknow, I'm a multi-talented kinda girl. I've been having a blast, making lots of bread with my new dough mixer. There's nothing like the smell of fresh bread!I'm also ultra excited to announce my partner for the Bead Soup Party is....Tara Plote of "The Newbie Beader's Blog. She is mainly a stringer, while I'm mainly a beadweaver. So, it should be interesting what we

Excited beyond belief!

2011-01-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, I just have no words to describe how excited I am! Why, you ask? Because excitement feeds on other excitement! I've just finished reading Lori Anderson's post about the Bead Soup Party that I am participating in for the first time. Making jewelry is a hobby for me at this point, but I am thrilled it is something God has put into my life to enrich me and others. Like most women, I love shiny,

A Christmas to Remember

2010-12-28T16:46:00.001-08:00

So, was it everything you planned it to be? No, well that's ok. You get another chance next year! This was one of the best Christmas' we have had yet. Awesome gifts, you say? No, not really. Although I did get the dough mixer I have been drooling over for 4 years. It was so much more about just enjoying each other, and the time together. Everyone does it differently. We are not a sports family,

Blessings

2010-12-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

If you're not ready for Christmas, you still have a couple of days left. This year has been more hectic than ever. I know that my plan for next year will be to....have a plan! You are much more able to appreciate your blessings that way. I have many blessings to be thankful for this year. Even though this will be the first Christmas without my dad and my father-in-law. Each year, someone you

Kids and Christmas

2010-12-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, are your kids over the top excited? It's a good thing. Have they lost all focus on seat work? It's a good thing. Are you wondering about how to imprint the meaning of Christmas on them? Be calm. Christmas is about many things, not just Jesus' birthday. That is the reason for the season, but not the end of it. Christmas is about family, compassion, joy, hope, and reaching out to others. So

Halloween and Values

2010-11-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I spent a very disturbed weekend. I have never liked Halloween, for obvious connotations. I have allowed myself to be pressured into letting my kids "dress up" for "Fall Festivals" in the past. This year, my heart was convicted that this is just wrong for Christians to support this holiday. I'm sure if I had anyone reading this, I'd probably get a ton of comments. But since this is just

Down Time

2010-10-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

So, I had some wonderful ladies over last night for some homeschool down time. I make jewelry for my hobby and release of pressure. I asked the ladies who came what they did, and no one had anything. I was so shocked. I really love my kids, and totally know that God called me to this journey, but I just can't imagine working as hard as I do with homeschooling, and not having a "release". I always

Science and other things

2010-09-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, I will be the first to admit, I am not of a scientific mindset at all. My oldest is in 6th grade, and is using Apologia General Science. The project for next week is to use air resistance to keep an egg from cracking upon being dropped from a height. So thankful my husband is a "do-it-yourself" guy. He quickly came up with a "helicopter" format, and off they went. I am really gearing his

Sixth Grade! Yikes!

2010-09-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm not really a "blogger". Can't remember now why I created the account, and haven't done much on it, but after reading hundreds of blogs, I realize that maybe my words and thoughts can touch someone who needs to hear them. So, I'm going to try to get better at this, and then maybe post on a more regular basis.We have entered into the world of middle school this year. My son is in sixth

Stressed Out

2010-04-14T07:41:00.001-07:00

Well, if your 11 year old tells you it's time for you to schedule your spa treatment, can you take that as verification that you are stressed out?Just discovered that my test materials have not been ordered, and have to pay an extra $30 for rush shipping. Now, I'm really not trying to blame anyone, but I also don't feel like I should be the one paying for it either. So I don't run into this same

Starting Out

2009-04-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

So, I have been reluctantly dragged into the 21st century! In my quest to better my talents as a homeschool mom, I am applying to review homeschool products. Therefore, I needed a place to post my reviews! I pray my friends and family will be gentle when they laugh...