Beads Published in Step By Step Wire Jewelry

I have some beads in this magazine off to the left. A huge shout out to Step By Step Wire Jewelry!  They are so great about showcasing artist beads and jewelry.  Love them!

I think I submitted the beads in this issue about a year ago for another issue.  I had almost forgotten they were included until the magazine showed up in my mail a few days ago. I don't know if it is available on the store shelves yet, so if you want it right away you can order it here:  CLICK HERE .

I have some cranberry color delicate scroll beads and I know I have some around here, so over the next few days I'm going to include them in my website shopping area.  I think I'm going to add a page just for beads that have appeared in books and magazines so they will all be easy to find.  They won't be the exact same beads, but they will be similar.  I have been searching for just the right blue glaze for some beads that appeared in Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry  and I think I have found a close match, but it is just that, a close match. That wonderful discontinued glaze ... sigh ... I've searched all over the internet for spare bottles but no amount of searching has helped.

One of the beads in April 2014's Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine is this bead off to the right.  It is hard to tell from the magazine photo that this is a lentil shape bead.  It is hard to show that unless the hole is showing from a certain angle, at least that's been my experience. And it is also hard to show that the front and back are completely different unless two photos are taken.  I have found bead photography to be completely difficult on every level. I sure would hate for a customer to think this bead is round only to find it is a completely different shape.  I did a whole series in this shape and type of bead, wrapping small strips of clay around a lentil shape and texturing the sprigs.  I rarely have the patience to sit and glaze them separate colors like these, so when you do find them in my store it is best to snatch them up as quickly as possible because I don't do custom orders.  I could do a blog post about that someday but really, it's kinda obvious ... I don't do custom orders because I make beads for myself and if others enjoy them that's great and if not, oh well .... (insert silly grin here).

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Clean-up, Fix-up" your workspace BLOG HOP

The idea is to take photos and explain a little of what I did to get from A to Z (or in my case from A to B because I procrastinated and got started at the last possible minute).  I am giving a lovely baby shower for my daughter who is having her second (a boy this time around) in the morning,  and so tonight I am rushing to get everything done.  Wait, let me reword that, we are throwing her a SHOWER in the morning. The baby isn't due for at least another month.  lol

I waited until the last possible moment to start cleaning the kitchen (for the shower party), and while I was cleaning the side of the knife holder I sliced open the knuckle of my middle finger.  Clearly I have no depth perception.  I will spare my readers any gruesome pics of that. It probably could use a couple of stitches, but I dosed it with rubbing alcohol and  hydrogen peroxide and bandaged it tightly so it would stop bleeding.

And it did.  I got the kitchen clean.  And because I could only use one hand, it took a very long time.  It was after 9 pm before I got around to beginning cleaning up my studio.




Before I expose the shocking state of my workspace, let me show off what it looked like a few months ago, pristine, organized, clean .... 

I had just gotten my new bench and put my old worktable behind it because is there such a thing as too much workspace? 

I think not.

In no time at all, it looked like this: (scroll down)  Excuse me while I blush a bit. It's quite messy, but from what I gather many artists studios are in much the same condition.  Most of us are not Martha Stewards, we only aspire that level of wonderful.

For the record, I do prefer it clean rather than messy.  And even though at the moment my finger is covered with a bandaid, I can't bear to leave it in this current state.  I am going to get in there and clean because who knows who might want to peek their head into my studio and see my workspace tomorrow at the baby shower?

By the way, the new baby's name is going to be Caleb, and of course he is going to be adorable, even if he's red, wrinkly, and has a squished nose, he will be the most beautiful baby ever, except for his big sister of course, who is tops in my estimation.

It was 9:40 pm when I went into my wreck of a studio and 20 minutes later had most of the bigger stuff picked up and put away nicely.  While I was opening a drawer, the bottom of the drawer came loose and pulled forward.  Thus one of my heavier hammers (it WOULD be the heavier one) fell out and onto my foot and scraped some of the skin off. It really hurt. I yelped.  But I didn't need a bandaid and I'm not going to take a picture of my poor beaten up small pinky toe.





I suppose I'm having a clumsy sort of evening.  This is why all things worth doing ought to be done after the morning coffee and before the afternoon weariness sets in, but actually I am not tired tonight.  I have lots of energy (for once).

The baby shower in the morning  is going to be quite small, less than 10.  Since this is the second baby, she is only lacking in baby boy clothes. 

Rather than have the party games, I decided to serve beautiful food and let the conversation flow.  We have some Greek pasta salad, and I found a lovely wedge of blueberry cheddar cheese at the fancy grocery store. Can you imagine? Putting blueberries in cheese? I bought some gourmet crackers for that, oh, and some hummus too.  I will also be serving fresh fruit. I had a really neat idea about cutting the fruit into flowers and had watched a video on you tube about that.  It was fun to watch and after we got home from the grocery store, I tried to make a strawberry look like a flower.  Instead it was a mangled mess and I tossed it into a Ziplock bag for the hens to eat tomorrow.  Here's the video though. Looks easy, huh? Well, it's not!









So at about 10:20 pm  I went back into my studio and decided to give it to the top of the hour.

It only took about 10-15 minutes to whip it into shape.  I haven't addressed the shelves, that's for another day.  I have my unfinished/to be finished projects on the extra table in front of the bench.  But I now have plenty of room to stretch out and for that I shout out a happy THANK YOU to our hostess, Sharyl! 





Oh, one last thing .... have some calorie free Shower cake .... YUM!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Participant List:

Host: Sharyl McMillian-Nelson 
… http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com

Donna Millard http://fyrebeadz.blogspot.com/
Beda Hendrix ... https://www.facebook.com/SasijuhlsThings
Ann Schroeder… http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com
Pamela Rachelle… http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com
Kristin L Oppold… http://www.yayjewelry.blogspot.com
Heidi Kingman ... http://heidikingman.blogspot.com
Andi ... http://strungoutjewelry.blogspot.com/
Patricia Buchanan Click “Blog” on the menu bar at
http://www.braceletstoo.artfire.com
Helen Simon… http://helensharvest.com/
Kashmira … http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/
somethingunique ... http://somethinguniquebylana.blogspot.ca/
Renetha ... http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Kathy Lindemer ... http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com
Swapna Dinesh … http://www.swardaa.com
Linda Landig ... http://lindalandig.wordpress.com/
Ann Schroeder ... http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com/
Beti Horvath ... http://stringingfool.blogspot.com/
Sam S ... http://samsbeadshopandjewelry.blogspot.com/
Christina Miles ... http://wingsnscales.blogspot.com/
Islandgirl ... http://islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.ca/
macmillanmarie ... http://www.macmillanmarie.blogspot.com
Emma Todd … http://www.apolymerpenchant.com
Neena Shilvock …
http://www.capriliciousjewellery.com/3/post/2014/02/neither-ship-shape-nor-bristol-fashion.html
Dee Clark… http://biz-e-bead.blogspot.com/
motidana ... http://kalaabhushan.blogspot.com/
Here Bead Dragons ... http://beaddragons.blogspot.com/
Carol D. ... http://dillmansdallies.blogspot.com/
Pam Sears ... http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Nan Smith ... http://wirednan.blogspot.ca
AliMc ... http://northwoodscreativestudio.blogspot.com
Kari Asbury ... http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com
Shirley Moore ... http://www.beadsandbread.blogspot.com
PyxeeStyx ... http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/
Jayne Capps … https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com
Louann Elwell
... https://plus.google.com/117746558861718110652/posts
Rain ... http://honeyandollie.com/
Lori Bergmann ... http://www.LoriBergmann.blogspot.com
Helen Simon… http://helensharvest.blogspot.com/
Arlene Dean ... http://aglassbash.blogspot.com
Sandra... http://city-of-brass-stories.blogspot.de/
Alicia ... http://www.allprettythings.ca
Natalie Pappas ...  http://blog.nkpdesigns.com/