New Year’s Hopes and Contemplations

The countdown to 2016 is upon us so like many of us, I’ve been contemplating what I want to accomplish in the coming year, and taking stock of what I’ve accomplished so far.

As I ruminate on this, I’ve decided I need to figure out what my idea of success is, if it’s still the same or has it evolved? When I first started selling, my idea of success was to sell enough to reinvest in more gemstones and tools. That evolved into creating a more consistent sales pattern. Which evolved into defining and developing a cohesive line that allowed me to play with different skill sets and price lines. In these regards I have been very successful. I’ve set and met my goals, exceeding in some areas and refining what still needs work.

Since opening the “doors” at Amazon’s Handmade Marketplace, I’ve been deliberating on my ideas of success and have decided it may just be time to set the bar a little higher. I like Amazon, a lot. I like the business lay out, I like how straight forward things are, I like how it makes sense to me, I like how it even makes Etsy clearer for me. I believe Amazon will help make me a better seller on Etsy and I look forward to the coming year on both selling platforms. I truly believe this is going to be a very good year!

As far as resolutions go, I generally set goals and map out plans for them all year long re-evaluating as necessary and adjusting accordingly. Where last year was about photos and tags, this year will be about book keeping and inventory, exciting isn’t it? 

I lost my inventory data when my desk top died and I started rebuilding it some time ago but that stalled out. I just recently lost a decent sale when I didn’t have the inventory on hand to complete it. That hurt, I need to know what materials I have on hand and reorder when low so that doesn’t happen again.

Book keeping is boring but I constantly have a stack of receipts to file and that just needs to be addressed, I used to be on top of these things. Part of that is just not really liking the software I have and the resulting procrastination. I need to just get over it OR find new software, I’m leaning towards new software.

Other than that it’s just building a cohesive shop on Amazon and keeping a decent balance of items in my range. As well as developing a nice clean look in Etsy so both market places have similar looks. This should also streamline my photo process for me which is a bonus really.

As I read over this I’d have to say I have a recurring theme for my goals this year.  I’d say the word of the year is Efficiency.

Efficient: adjective: working in a well-organized and competent way

: organized, methodical, systematic, logical, orderly, businesslike, streamlined, productive, effective, cost-effective, labor-saving. ANTONYMS disorganized.

hahaha yes I am a Virgo why do you ask?!  Yes, I did just reorganize my pantry…… and cupboards……umm no I’m not a neat freak, the dust bunnies would thank you not to put that particular idea in my head lol  I just like things where I can find them easily so I can make a mess with them! Including numbers, because lets face it - taxes and inventory need to be seen at a glance and the less work it takes the better.

I do have other goals as well but they revolve around family and the house. I’ll probably share those later in the year as things get done. Knock wood  😊

What say you? Any wonderfully wild plans for your year? Fun things or serious? Goals Hopes Dreams Ambitions? Share them here if you're so inclined.

B’Sue’s Build a Line Challenge Hop 3 of 3 The Reveal!

The day has finally come. I’ve worked on this line of mine for the past few months. Designing, sketching, refining and creating. I’ve enjoyed myself immensely and finally let go of others imposing philosophies and allowed myself to just play. Creating from the heart has always been what I do best and it was about time I got back to it.

I believe jewelry is meant to be loved, to be made with love,  given with love, and received with love. 

It is my honor and joy to present to you from my heart and hands Mucha’s Musings.  

  ~ A muse as you all know is the whisper in your ear full of joyful inspiration and Mucha’s Muse definitely had some things to say!

Without further ado,  Mucha’s Musings, 

the Mother Nature Collection:

Mucha's Musings: Mother Nature Collection

This collection revolves around the bronzed bust of nature. 

It features a resined pendant of Nature herself with a sterling silver crown bezeling. ($45.oo)

Lever back earrings inspired by the pair she wears, available in three colors and two finishes, brass ox and silver ($19.oo ea).
A matching sterling silver crown ring ($19.oo), a brass open filigree ring with vintage faux pearl ($15.oo), and a brass filigreed band with rhinestone ($18.oo). 

Also in this collection a layered gemstone pendant in mixed metals ($55.oo), a gorgeous statement cuff featuring another vintage faux pearl ($55.oo)and stud earrings in a beautiful lacey filigree complimenting the cuff and rings($19.oo).

the Champagne Collection in Pink:

Mucha's Musings: Champagne Collection in Pink

This collection centers around the champagne ad for Moet & Chandon, pulling its soft colors and florals throughout. 

Featuring a resined pendant of the ad in mixed metals on a fine patterned ball chain.($45.oo)

Copper stacking rings with pink crystal accents ($35.oo).

Rose ox copper flower earrings with matching crystals. ($15.oo)

A gorgeous layered brooch featuring a large vintage faux pearl and crystal pearl drop with a floral porcelain bead in pinks and browns. ($40.oo)

A pink cameo in brass ox with a sweet faux pearl drop. ($40.oo)

Two bracelets, one in silver plate layers featuring a gorgeous vintage faux pearl($39.oo), the other a layered stacker in a mix of glass, crystal and crystal pearls in shades of pink and cream with silver plated accents.($28.oo)

Finally a pair of long swingy earrings in silver plate featuring more of those beautiful pink crystals and pearls for loads of delicate sparkle ($29.oo).

the Champagne Collection in Brown:

Mucha's Musings:  Champagne Collection in Brown

While technically not Mucha I couldn't not be inspired by this champagne ad as well! Again pulling form and color from the ad this collection features the chocolate browns, diamonds and rounds, flourishes and florals.

The mixed metal cameo was given a softly aged artisan patina and features the same vintage faux pearl you've seen repeated in the other collections. ($40.oo)

A second layered pendant features a glass focal and drop. ($48.oo)

The stackable bracelet echoes the color of the glass and softens it with crystal pearls and copper accents. ($25.oo)

Two pair of earrings, one pair of big bold statement earrings in a beautiful rusty black finish that shows of the curves of the flourish beautifully. ($35.oo)

The second pair of earrings are a simple pair of Iris in the same gorgeous finish. ($15.oo)

the Chocolate Collection:

Mucha's Musings: the Chocolate Collection

This wonderful ad for Mexican Chocolates was the inspirational focus of this collection.

It features a mixed metal pendant that is a layered and resined copy of the ad itself. ($48.oo)

A layered bolo tie for him ($42.oo) and a long feather pendant for her ($38.oo) both in silver plate and on rich chocolate brown leather.

A second necklace in gorgeous jaspers dyed in the softest sea greens and turquoise, paired with leather, wood and copper, just gorgeous with that rusty black finish on the leaves. ($55.oo)

A pair of earrings in the perfect blend of sea green and turquoise chalcedony, all dressed up in brass ox. ($30.oo)

Finally a pair of ear vines in silver plate showing off blooms of vintage faux pearl and turquoise colored beads, hand wrapped and secured in place.($28.oo) Vines feature studs with stability discs and may be gently formed to your ear for a perfect fit. 

This collection is still whispering sweet nothings in my ear, don't be surprised if you see it expand in the future!

the Arts Collection; Music:

Mucha's Musings: The Arts Collection; Music

Based on the Four Arts series by Mucha, this collection focuses on Music. 

Featuring my favorite pendant of the line, a mixed metal layered beauty hung from a beautiful leather cording. ($55.oo)

A sweet heart  of a bangle in copper, completely stackable (25.oo)!

A pair of gorgeous filigree hoop earrings. ($24.oo)

A set of stacked copper rings ($35.oo).

And finally a hand forged clef note lapel pin in copper. ($24.oo)

Admittedly the smallest of my collections it too is still whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Music it seems would like me to recreate several of my sold pieces to round out the collection - so as with the Chocolate Collection do not be surprised if she gets her way! 

As I noted in hop number two all my collections were designed with mix and match in mind. The ability to mix and match with each other and with my existing inventory at Wind Dancer Studios. I'm thrilled to be able to introduce this line to my shop in the coming days. Please look for it soon!

Until then I've uploaded all the pics to my Flick'r if you'd like to see them individually.

Brenda has assembled 55 of us for this Challenge. She’s worked hard keeping us on track and on task. Reminding us of what is important and what is not so much. I could go on and on but this is a Hop and hop we must. I do thank you for stopping by and celebrating my new line with me! And I thank Brenda for pushing me back out of my comfort zone and reminding me what art is all about. Now, lets go see what the others have created. The past two hops have hinted at some wonderful lines and I can’t wait to see them myself!

Our Tireless Hostess 
Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B'sue Boutiques
Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Marcia Tuzzolino
Aurora Designs

Jann Tague
Clever Designs by Jann

Judy King
Apt to Wander Studio

Linzi Alford
Magpie in the Sky, Spoil Heap Tales

Cynthia Wainscott
Exotic Peru

Carole Carlson
Beadsophisticate

Lynn Stinten
Dragonzwench

Marica Zammit
Bead Lovelies

Catherine Shattuck
VRBrose

Michaele Collie
The Vintage Gem

Mary Craig
Jewelry Alchemy

Lee Koopman
Strega Jewelry

Erin Whitacre
Shattered Time Jewelry

Monica Casady
MJCasady Copper Works

Leila West
Leila Nicole Designs

Cindy Peterson
Howling Dog Jewelry    

Leila Belcher
Leila Bee Designs

Gloria Allen
Wings and Beads

Pamela Anger
Novegatti Designs

Tammy Adams
Paisley Lizard

Lynda O'Mara
LOmara Creative

Elizabeth Hildreth
MadScientistsDesigns

~*~*~*~*YOU ARE HERE!!~*~*~*~*
Dana Hickey  waves HI!!
Wind Dancer Studios

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Janet Calardo
Jan Lea Designs

Maria Clark
Sweet Willow Designs

Lori Beekman
B. Accessorized

Jennifer Kroeger
Relic Charm

Amy Jorgensen
Hoarder's Corner

Robin Reed
Artistry: Handcrafted Bead Designs

Ingrid Anderson
Lilis Gems

Louise O'Shields
Desire Divine Jewels

Susan Killam
Killam Creative

Mary Katherine Deis
The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry

Nike Bottalico
Nike Bottalico

Susan Bowerman
Woodside Wireworks

Kristy Le
Kristy Le Trendy Jewelry Designs

Jan Peters
Stylized Vintage

Mitzie Crider
Needful Luxuries Occasional Blog

Gina Hockett
Freestyle Elements

Linda Anderson
From the Bead Board

Alexandra Sefton
Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

Melida Boman
The Journey of Pens and Things

Teresa Shurter
TreeZ's Treasurs

Melissa Latimer
Smithed Up

Renee Hong
Fine and Dandy Jewelry and Art

Nadine Edris
Moondance Jewelry

Lori Meyer
Parisienne Girl

Jennifer Merrill Williams
Artists of All Stripes

Denise Lussier Poirier
Jewelry by Denise

Renee Allen
Small Stuff Design 

Autumn Adams
Autumn Dawns

Elizabeth Owens
1996 Shabby Lane

Kat BarronMiller
Midnight Kat Productions Art Jewelry

Sandra Ballard
Mama San's Mojo

Coral Law
ab:coraldesign

Quickie Post Today....

The kids head back to college this week. It's bittersweet. Yay for them, they like being around the friends they don't get to see during the summer..... but the house is always so quiet once they go back. Not that they're loud, but people make noise you know. Water running while brushing teeth, taking a shower, doing laundry. Various sounds from phones, computers, stereos and game systems. Teasing.  Me because they're so much taller than I am, each other because they can. It just gets quiet.

But because it's back to school, it means I've been busy with birthdays and paperwork and melting things lol

I had the pleasure of being featured in a treasury and one of the other featured shops featured the treasury on her blog and of course me too :) Yay me!  So...... go take a peek!!!

http://poetesswug-thewugsbackyardblogspot.blogspot.com/2014/08/monday-rainbows-and-treasuries.html

Thanks for stoppin by!!

We'll see you next time!

Happy 4th!

My hopping has slowed to a crawl and if yours has too Bead Soup is HERE!

Working on a custom order for the last couple of days and seem to have gotten ahead of myself along the way. I pulled the studs out of the tumbler yesterday only to realize I had not left myself a place to attach the dangles. Hangs head, the dangles are kind of necessary, they're the part she really really wanted. The earrings will be done just as soon as I can figure out how to connect the two pieces, and I think I may have done just that........ we'll see just as soon as I finish writing this post! Sometimes you just have to put it out there, say it aloud or as the case may be, type it, for the solution to come to you.

Last week I participated in my first SKIRT Team scavenger hunt. I had seen friends scavenger hunt treasuries but had never figured out the game. Can I just say.......they're a blast! Not only did I have fun but I WON! I have had the great pleasure of being in the "hot" seat in several Patriotic treasuries this week and have found some really cool shops in the process. There are still a couple days left before I get to choose this weeks winner but thought I might share with you some wonderful finds from those treasuries and the curators who featured them. Since it's Independence Day this week I'm carrying on the Patriotic/Americana feel.

An Americana Thank You to the Scavenger Hunt Curators!
SKIRT Team Scavenger Hunt #9

Thanks for stoppin By!

If you're in the US have a safe and happy holiday weekend! Even if you're not, I wish you the same!

See you next time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week in the US is our day of Thanksgiving.

A day ….
Of giving thanks for the blessings life has offered you for the past year.
Of being grateful for the people in your life who support and love you.
Of accepting your self for the wonder you are and being glad for it.

A day ....
For honoring those who have come before you to make the day possible.
For bestowing your best onto those who are to come next.
For enjoying good food with good people.
For love and laughter.
For remembrance.
and Hope.

May we all share some hope and light upon this world. For if we each
shed a little light, the world can be a much brighter place. For that we
can all be thankful.

Thank you my friends, seen and unseen. You make my world a better place for knowing you.

Thanks for stopping by!
Next week…. we start making Christmas decorations we found on FB and Pinterest! :D
See ya next time!

photo found on Pinterest - no credit given on pin :( if anyone knows please let me know!

Tesori Trovati Reveal!

This has been the most interesting nothing goes as planned creation and post I have ever had the pleasure of.



I'm sure I've told you of winning the bead from Erin of Tesori Trovati. We were to have a reveal hop in September. Erin made a wonderful (I'm sure) bead and sent it my way. It just never seemed to actually find me. Tracking has it being mis-sent across the river and then returned to Little Rocks sort facility supposedly to be sent here but then it just stops there in Little Rock, no more info and no bead.

So Erin, doll that she is, makes another one. Of course now I've missed the reveal so it was extra sweet of her in my opinion. This one arrived safe and sound, and was definitely worth the wait!

Erin, Paige and I had decided we would plan a reveal for the end of October. The last Saturday of the month, which was this last weekend. I had it in my head we had one more weekend. I did take pics this weekend so it was ready to go but instead of my being ahead of schedule I was behind. sigh I offer my apologies my head is usually better attached!



"You are a child of God, with credentials like that you can do anything." I would give my daughter the moon and stars if I could. I would move heaven and earth for her. I strung them on a chain for her instead.

Paige and I had played with ideas and had started working on some resin charms as I had originally intended to run a chunky chain through the bead as a start to a charm bracelet. But as this was a collaborative effort with my daughter things changed as we worked on it. While I love some embellishment, she prefers much cleaner lines.
Then the resin didn't want to set. It was a very humid and rainy day, so we warmed it to help set the Ice Resin. The larger charms with thinner layers eventually set up. The smaller with a thicker layer, still has not completely set two weeks later. It's slightly tacky and grabs anything that touches it. Lesson learned, this is not the resin I used in my youth. I made a few more charms with extremely thin layers and they have set up wonderfully. They will be used for the beginnings of a charm bracelet and if the smaller charm ever sets up, it will too.



To keep the bead from wobbling I punched a couple small discs and dapped them for a slight dome of their own. As luck would have it the arc is a perfect match to the bead caps I used. I love the added bonus of the two tone look it gives to the caps. I used a long eye pin I had on hand but I think with the length of the necklace I'll cut a short piece of wire and replace the simple loops with wrapped. This length invites playing with the beads and I prefer they be secure. Paige agrees!

So there you have it! A late posting of a late bead, with an on the fly redesign and it fits the kiddos personality to a T! This is my gift to her. She's been wearing the moon pendant since I gave it to her and is waiting for the new loops on her cosmos.

Thanks so much for taking a peek!
We'll see you next time!

In Which We Machine Wash a Favorite Leather Jacket

My son normally keeps his bedroom door closed. He doesn't want to accidentally close a cat or dog in the room and come back to a puddle. Smart thinking I say. Unfortunately on the extremely rare occasion of having left the door open someone with four legs and a tail left a puddle for him, on his bed, with the door wide open and access to the proper place for that unhampered. Needless to say he was a very unhappy camper. To make matters worse his favorite leather jacket was on the bed.

We spot cleaned the jacket, stripped the bed and sprayed a peroxide and baking soda mix on the mattress. By morning the bed was fine and freshly washed sheets were in place. The jacket on the other hand stunk to high heaven and was discolored too. The discoloration I'm thinking was cleaning residue.

Sad and still a bit angry he started calling dry cleaners looking for someone to clean his jacket. No leather cleaners in the state, the dry cleaners would have to ship it out of state and he would be charged a minimum of $50 regardless of whether or not the jacket came back clean. They told him the jacket was garbage, just toss it.

You all know I've spent a fair amount of time on Pinterest. In my Pinterest travels I came across one of my new favorite blogs One Good Thing by Jillee. She has compiled a wondrous amount of useful info in her blog and I remembered a very recent post about cleaning leather. I instructed Alex to get on my computer and head to her blog to search for that post. Her post said she cleaned her leather purse using Castile Soap. Lucky us I just happened to have a bottle of Castile Soap on the shelf.

Over to the washing machine we went castile soap in one hand, stinky jacket in the other. Following Jillee's directions we washed the jacket while I gathered towels for a second load. After a brief drying on gentle with some fluffy towels we hung the jacket up to finish drying.

Alex thought he caught a slight whiff of the nasties so I directed him to hang his jacket out in the fresh air for a little while. Something about line drying makes everything smell so good I figured it couldn't hurt. The skies started clouding up so Alex brought it back inside and …… no smell, not even a hint of the nasties.

The favorite leather jacket is clean, smells good and is still soft and supple. Alex waited until it was absolutely dry and gave it a nice wipe down with some leather conditioner to be on the safe side, but that jacket looks and smells just like new!

Thanks to a slight Pinterest obsession and a newly beloved Blog, we saved the favorite jacket that everyone else had deemed garbage! Thank you Jillee!

And thank you for stopping by!
We'll see you next time!

Beads, Cameras, and Computers

Almost sounds ominous doesn't it? Maybe more so if you have a daughter who is in the midst of creating a digital drawing of an evil sea creature. She used to write slasher stories in creative writing, now she channels that energy into hearts that eat their way out of the chest and evil mermaids. I have come to the conclusion it's her way of dealing with stress and uncertainty, it's her release. The scarier her creation is the happier she becomes, we all should have such releases.

I've finally gotten the computer, printer and time capsule networked and everything is wireless! Yea me! Those few necessary wires are hidden away so it all looks very clean - at least there aren't loose wires lol Clean is relevant!! The only problem is, while I was tucking away those few wires and stashing the surge protector, I whacked my elbow on the corner of the computer desk. It hurt, not as much as it could have, but my left hand (I am left handed) has had numb and or tingly fingers with intermittent loss of fine motor skills i.e.: I drop things if I rotate my wrist and can't quite feel the stopping point when using pliers. If I touch my elbow where I whacked it I can send an electric jolt down my arm into my fingers, that was actually kind of fun the first week, but now I'm ready for it to heal up and give me back my hand. I did a little research over on the Mayo Clinic website and it looks like when the swelling that is affecting the nerve goes down my hand should return to normal. My neck and shoulders have also been extremely tight lately, which I'm sure is a contributing factor.

Art has always been my release (wonder where the kiddo gets it from?) so I thought I'd work on my Hoarder pieces, I had been putting it off waiting for the feeling in my hand to come back. It's going much slower than I'm used to and making matching wire swirls is a little tougher than normal but I can feel the stress levels easing. Looks like I will actually have a couple somethings to show at blog hop time, I was starting to worry I wouldn't.

I know I've been running late with my blog postings the last couple weeks, numb fingers makes typing interesting too lol I laugh but I do apologize for my tardiness. So, last post I promised I would write about the beads I received from Lori as winnings from Bead Soup 7. Lori sent these awesomely sweet vintage beads.







Aren't these all just gorgeous little things?! Thank you Lori! PJ Tools I appreciate you! One can never have too many pretty things :D

Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time!

The Wire Goddess Team

I'm on the Wire Goddess Team on Etsy. It's a group of wonderfully talented wire workers, their art works are ever inspiring and I'm proud to be among them.

Todays post (making up for missing last week!) is brought to you from one of our members. It's been awhile since I've shared a treasury and this one is worth a share.

Don't you just love the King Arthur Bear? and that jewelry, just gorgeous isn't it? Little works of art :)

Oh, btw, my new computer arrived yesterday! Paige has been wonderful sharing hers with me for the last eight months and as a small thank you I bought her some hand spun yarn and decals for each of our laptops so we can tell them apart. Since her birthday is coming I had her do a little shopping around for what she wants while she was at it :) It's been a very good day!

Thanks for stopping by!
See ya next time!

I won!

You all did a wonderful job of crossing your fingers toes and eyes for me.... I won!
Rather I was one of the winners. I don't know what I won yet as the prizes still need to be divvied up, but the prize doesn't really matter. I get to jump up and down and do happy dances because I won!!

Sadly none of my picks won (other than my admiration). I obviously have no idea what the judges are looking for lol Although my last pick on my blog post didn't win, the maker did... for one of her other pieces, yay Elsie!

The list of winners....

Cherish Designs by Kris Lanae Binsfield
Kris won several awards and this earns her bragging rights as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party® contest. Congratulations, Kris! Grand Prize, Wire Work,Judges Choice

Judges Choice Fusion Beads, Emma Todd of A Polymer Penchant.

Kalmbach Publishing, Debbie Rasmussen of A little of this, a little of that. (this one was one of my favs, not sure why I didn't get it included in my picks hmm)

Nina Designs had a tie!
Nina Designs, Silvia Serricola at Pipa the Latest
and Malin de Koning at Beading by Malin de Koning

PJ Tool Jewelry & Craft, Melissa Mesara at one-eared pig beads

Best Use of Seed Beads

Both Beaducation AND Kalmbach Publishing chose Karin Slaton of Backstory Beads

Both Fusion Beads and Nina Designs chose Debbie Rasmussen of a little of this, a little of that
(that's three wins with two pieces for Debbie -- way to go!)

Lima Beads, K. Hutchison of Jumbled Hutch

PJ Tool Jewelry & Craft, Lily Krist of Handmade by LilK

Wire Work Beaducation, Eva Sherman of Eva Sherman Designs

Fusion Beads and Lima Beads chose Kris Lanae Binsfield of Cherish Designs (see above, Grand Prize winner)

Kalmbach Publishing, Susan of Libellula Jewelry

Nina Designs, Kristina Hahn Eleniah of Peacock & Lime

PJ Tool Jewelry & Craft, Jean A. Wells of Jean A. Wells Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry

Fiber

Beaducation and Lima Beads chose Claire Hasemeier of Blue Quail Designs (a Facebook entrant!)

Fusion Beads, Stefanie Teufel of Stefanie's Sammelsurium

Kalmbach Publishing, Cheryl McCloud of One Thing Leads to Another

Nina Designs, Agi Kiss of MoonSafari Beads

PJ Tool Jewelry & Craft, Heidi Kingman of Heidi Kingman Jewelry

Best Use of Color

Beaducation, Tari Kahrs of Pearl & Pebble

Fusion Beads, Agi Kiss of MoonSafari Beads

Kalmbach Publishing, Christina Miles of Wings N Scales

Lima Beads, Keren Panthaki of Vas Dea

Nina Designs, Megan Milliken of MaeMaeMills

PJ Tool Jewelry & Craft, Dana Hickey of Wind Dancer Studios <--- That's ME!!!

Out of the Box

Dish made by Adlinah Kamsir of DreamStruck Designs

Zack's Choice

Chosen by Zack as his absolute favorite, Leslie Wayment of AA Beads & More Out of the Hat Winner

Pulled out of a hat of alllllll the entrants,
Mary Tanner (a Facebook entrant!)

Lori's Hat Winner

Lori took all her absolute favorites(and that was TOUGH to narrow down)and then drew one out of a hat.

Susanna Lehto of Othel Lehto

And last but not least,

Runner's Up

Kat Douglas of Washoe Kat's

Elsie Deliz-Fonseca of Eliz-Eliz and All that Craft

Jennifer Cabic of What I Believe...

Danielle Kelley of Imbue the Muse

Melissa Trudinger of Bead Recipes

Amber Dawn of Inventive Soul

Evelyn Duberry of ShebaMakeda Glass Art



CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS!! Congrats to everyone not on this list as well. You are one talented group of artisans!



On the Homefront.....

We have a couple bills to pay first, but I finally get my new computer!!!!! I am so excited. Paige has been the absolute sweetest to share her laptop with me for the last EIGHT months I know there were times when she wished she didn't have to ahem finals, eight page term papers, research for those papers. She actually went to the University's library and used their computers so as not to split up where she had all her info. I need to do something REALLY special for her. Her birthday is coming up too so I need to get on it!



Thanks for stopping by! I'll post again when I know what I won :D
See ya next time!

Bead Soup Seven Reveal!

And here it is, the day we've all been waiting for, Saturday! It also happens to be the First Reveal for Lori Anderson's most recent Bead Soup Blog Party. This years event is the biggest to date! Over 500 blogs and a second hop has been added for those beady peeps who don't have a blog but really wanted to participate. Wow! This has become one heck of a party! This is my third time to participate and I can tell you the fun and excitement over reveal is just as great the third time as it was the first! Kids at Christmas is how I can best describe it! Ok Ok no more tortuous wait. You came here for pics and pics you shall have!

But first....a reminder of what I received.



Welcome to My Reveal - Woodland Fae

This first photo, while not strictly Bead Soup as none of the components came from my partner, is I think still appropriate. You see some time back Lori had a caption this photo contest on her blog. I won! The focal on this neck piece was a part of the prize package she and Zack sent me. I wove the collar and added a second piece of filigree and as it felt a part of the rest of todays collection I choose to show it here. Thank you Zack and Lori!



I love the stamped brass filigree rings you see all over Etsy. I had one, once upon a time, I loved that ring. Paige has claimed this one.



Courtney, my first partner from Party #5 sent so many wonderful beads that I ran out of time before I ran out of beads and ideas. Jennifer sent these cool little enameled gears. The color on the gears made me think of Courtneys beads and sure enough the first pair of earrings was born!


I realize the clear crystals become one with the ice, so a second photo


The filigree of the ring kept whispering to my muse "wouldn't more flowers be sweet?" So I faux enameled some head pins and answered my Muses call.



Another pair of earrings she said to help beckon the spring.



Now those sweet little butterflies spoke to my muse. Reminding her I had a clasp to use. A bracelet became of that.



Now you've heard the story of my evolving design. That is if you've been reading along with me the last several weeks.
When I pulled the beads together for my design I began the process of taking away and creating several other pieces in doing so.
This second bracelet was born of the remaining Soo Chow Jade as I noticed how sweet it looked next to the Art Nouveau stamping when I had accidentally knocked over the container while reaching for the bead caps.



I love this three stranded necklace. It was the first of the take aways. I began by creating the beaded chain and quickly realized the Soo Chow Jade worked beautifully where I had planned for the chain. I remembered I had the abalone heart and quickly went to work creating a filigree design to grace it.




My second necklace was born of the same taking away process. This time I wanted to see how the glass drop looked with another piece. I had had it as the center of the floral focal. But I had to take it off the flower to see when I noticed how much more beautiful it looked with the lamp worked focal Jennifer had made. Wrapping the lamp work with several pieces of filigree it became the focal belonging to the Soo Chow Jade.








My final piece was the first designed and the last made. It was a learning experience that I'm very happy with. It proved to me I am capable of the fine art of taking away. It can be a hard lesson to learn, exuberance often overloads a design and knowing when to stop can be hard. Taking away is sometimes the best thing you can do for a piece.
As I was very happy with the floral, filigree, and scrolling design of the front I didn't want the back to detract from it. Once I had learned to paint the copper with a flame I knew I could back the pin adding to the design rather than detracting from it. But I also wanted the back to be as pretty as the front. Enter etching. It made my pin back as pretty as the front.

The Pin itself however proved a little tougher, I had intended it to be a fibula. The position of the etching on the metal though, restricted where I could saw. This turned out to be critical. Twice, just as I was finishing the pin and about to turn it - it snapped. Out of room to saw a third attempt I used what little room I had left to create a bracket. Using a large gauge wire I balled one end and forged the other until I had a nice clean sharp point. The results, I'm quite happy with!




So, there you have it. I've used almost all of my soup. I hope you've enjoyed your visit with me today. I've really enjoyed cooking for you and hope I've served up a small feast worthy of the Fae who inspired it. Before you go please join me in hopping over to Jennifer's blog, Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry, and let's take a peek at what she has cooked up for us!

Thanks for stopping by!
THE REST OF THE HOP!

we interrupt our handmade Christmas for a note on customer service...

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile may remember my Dear Alan post on the umm virtues of customer service.

Today I find myself in the same position, but this time with Fire Mountain Gems. Can we say an entirely different experience?!

Check this out....
Dear Dana,
Thank you for your email. We sincerely apologize the package we sent you was shipped via USPS to your physical address which may cause the package to be returned as "No Mail Receptacle". We have initiated a correction order for a replacement package to be sent. Your order confirmation number is xxxxx (cause you don't need to know that lol). We have also noted your account that in the future all Best Way Select orders need to be shipped via FedEx Ground if shipping to your physical address.

This package will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail with a signature required, courtesy of Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. You will receive an automated email containing shipping and tracking information when the package is picked up. This shipping method generally arrives within 3 – 5 days; however it can take up to 14 days from the date of shipment.

The order invoice you receive will state 'Amount Billed'. This notation is needed for our internal accounting purposes. Please be assured that you have not been charged a second time for these items.

We look forward to serving you in the future. If you should have any further questions or comments, please feel free to reply to this email. You may also contact us via Live Chat by clicking the button below or contact one of our friendly Customer Service Representatives at 1-800-423-2319 during regular business hours.

Best Regards,

Tamara
e-Service Contact Center
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

Not only did they get MY name right, but THEY initiated the correction and took steps to prevent it from happening a second time. I NEED to put them on my Christmas card list :) at least Tamara. And Wal Mart could take a page from their book on customer service, because that's how you do it! Kudos to Tamara and Fire Mountain Gems!

Til next time!
Dana

I am still here.....

Just really missing my computer :( I have so much I'd like to share but I really don't want to stuff Paige's computer full of my pics.

Alex finished his first cross. I made the frame for him and then showed him how to weave it. He did such a great job! I'm proud of him and he's happy with his gift, three more to go.

Started priming my bathroom. Ran out of primer and then put the brushes in water to clean while I went to get the other bucket. Yup, you heard right, got a little ahead of myself lol

Trying to decide which room to tackle next.
I still have to finish the ceiling in the laundry room. It has a seam I never finished, not sure how I managed that either. Get that seam finished and I can paper in there like I did the kitchen.
I can finish sanding the entry hall, texture and finish painting it.
I can sand the kids bathrooms - they were supposed to - and get started painting them.
Or I can head downstairs and finish the bedroom/gym.
They are all on the to do list - I made up a list of things I could do that don't require Alan to finish something first and was actually surprised at how much I had! Now I feel like a slacker lol

On the desk are my forum swap pieces. All cut, patinated, sanded and waiting for me to decide how to assemble. I really like them so far, hoping my friends do as well. I also made up the cutest little angels and IF I had a computer I'd show you! sigh. Apple is having a black Friday sale, maybe just maybe we'll have a little extra money in time for the sale. Fingers crossed.

It's been a really rough couple of weeks around here, I'm blessed to have such a wonderful family and enough to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied. I am ever thankful these types of weeks are rare in my life and I know without a doubt if we just keep moving forward we will be fine.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my ramblings once again :)
May you have a blessed Thanksgiving even if it isn't a holiday you celebrate in your locale, we all have something in our lives to be thankful for right?!
We'll be counting down the days to Christmas when I post next and as always I'm committed to a Handmade Holiday so look for gift ideas you can make for your loved ones to be posted soon!
See you next time!

Believe

I've mentioned my favorite blog before. Brass Tack Thinking Todays post is just pretty inspiring. It's one of those "I just knew I could" stories.

Someone somewhere decided that an inspiring story had to be about overcoming adversity and this post has a touch of that too but the true inspiration comes in the form of I just knew I could.

Haven't we all done something that someone else thought impossible or improbable? But we just knew it would work and so we just did. And it did, and life was great and we just didn't get the fuss. Right?

Well if you haven't, you really should try it and you really should read this post.

http://www.brasstackthinking.com/2012/10/fate-serendipity-happiness-and-listening-for-patterns/

The guy swam 1000 miles with no special training. He just knew he could. Seriously! He knew he could swim 10 meters, so 1000 miles was a gimme. Even if it meant just swimming 10 meters at a time.

Is that not brilliant? We can all do pretty much anything a little at a time can't we? And that is what makes him so inspiring.

Let's all pick one thing we REALLY want to do but have been holding back on because the big picture was so darn intimidating. Now, what would we need to do to get from here to there? Break it down into manageable tasks. How much time will you need to achieve your first block of tasks? Set a goal and a goal date and lets do this!

I want my house finished by August and I have some writings I've been working on I would like to gel and be a little more cohesive. I've kicked around the Need to Do's but haven't actually written them down as a check list, I think it's time.

What about you? Have anything you'd like to share? Feel free to comment, if it's important to you - it's worth doing!

Thanks for stopping by!
See ya next time!

Revelations, Doubts and Imagination Run Amok

Meet the earrings that have caused me a great deal on introspection as of late.

Source: etsy.com via Dana on Pinterest

They're a simple style, clean and dainty, very comfortable to wear. Hoops are readily found in many shops, a breeze to make, and quick too. So why the introspection? I found the exact earrings in sterling silver in Sun Dance recently......for more than double what I charge.

My college major was business management, so I am confident in my pricing structure. At least I was. The business woman in me is chiding me to revisit that structure. Etsy's workshops have all been focussing on pricing lately too, which only adds to it.

I think to myself if the items I make and sell are also found elsewhere for more than double I am seriously undercharging for my work. On the other hand I live in an economically challenged region in the US and I don't want to seem to be overcharging. See the dilemma?

I thought I had solved that by charging a healthy- for this area - hourly wage, and by the time all the math was done for factoring price, my wages would be boosted and still reflect a fair price. A recent workshop hinted that I should be charging almost quadruple for my wages, seriously? hmmmm the price of those hoops would support that theory as well.

ah but the flip side to that coin..... several of my pieces take far more time to create than a simple pair of hoops. Hours and hours would kick my prices out of the reach of all but a few. While I wouldn't mind selling to those few :D I am not completely artsy (business major remember lol) I can be practical and do realize that being able to sell to more than a few is actually a good thing! Truly when I say from my heart and hands to yours, that's what I mean. I want you to have my jewelry. For that to happen the price must be affordable...... but still, I need to be fair to me. My prices need to reflect that.....

On the Desk: is an explosion of beads and wire. I'm not kidding! My brain keeps kicking out ideas that my hands MUST try NOW before the last piece is done!! My UFO's have multiplied like bunnies. What's worse is I've been ummm borrowing precut pieces for this from that because it's the right size and I really want to see if it works sigh. Monkey brain! Swinging from idea to idea as if they were branches. It has actually gotten so bad that my To Do list actually reads:

Dust
mortar rocks
lay stepping stones and soaker hose
write blog post AND ideas for later (it bothered me I was behind!)
sketch ideas BEFORE exploring & FINISH at least ONE UFO
finish painting Paige's room (touch ups and bath)

etc etc

I did manage to actually finish one pair of earrings. I finally got around to using that gorgeous Seraphanite I bought with my winnings some time back, sweet sweet earrings. I was actually a little worried they looked a little too much like a pair Cleo has in her shop. That is a problem when you have similar tastes with a friend who also makes gorgeous jewelry. You really don't want to look as if you're borrowing (or worse) their ideas, even if they inspire you.

Well this blog post could easily have been turned into several!! So I'll leave it for now and see you next time!

Busy Busy! Summer is almost here!

I'm sorry I missed last weeks posting! My son Alex has been having a wonderful couple of weeks and I have just been absorbed in his joy! We were invited to an awards banquet and were considering blowing it off. Who wants to sit for a couple hours and listen to how wonderful everyone else's kids are when you're pretty much inclined to think yours are every bit as wonderful, right? lol His instructor tells him it's a must attend, so we put the good clothes on lol and omg he's Student of the Year!

He opted to compete in Skills USA this year. Alex is second year auto shop and really enjoys it, but regretted not trying last year. His scores on the written test were so high it earned him an invitation to the AAA Ford Competition in Batesville at Mark Martin's. Only 10 teams are invited and scholarships are awarded to each participant.

Each team is given a car with the same problems. They each have one and a half hours to find and fix all 9 problems. Alex was the second team to get their car started and were the fourth team to finish. They lost points here and there, never having worked on air conditioning they completely passed on trying to locate the problem and fixing it - turns out it was a plug unplugged under the dash oops! So they finished in 9th place. But to be 16 and to be in the top 9 in the state is such a huge honor! I just really couldn't ask for any more than that, it was such a great learning experience for him. He came home with tools, a scholarship and a job offer!

Since auto shop is no longer just a class in high school - it's vocational study at the University. He also has completed his course of studies and "graduates" tomorrow night.

It is finals week at the University and my younger daughter is finishing her freshman year. It's so hard to believe how fast this year has flown by! She has her classes scheduled for next year and have made sure she's met all her requirements to keep her scholarship going. She's really looking forward to getting her Etsy shop up and running this summer - be on the look out for updates on that front!

Last but not least I've changed my profile picture on Etsy. In embracing the hand made movement, as we all have, I've decided to make my hands in the process of making one of my filigree pieces my new avatar. Though I suppose technically since it is still me, it's just a new profile pic! Big Grin!

The idea came to me when reading the forums at Etsy. They were discussing a silent protest showing their disproval of a manufacturer as having been chosen as the seller of the week. Ooops!! This as they are cracking down on drop shippers and resellers or at least trying to step up their efforts. Then a team mate of mine on the wired team is suspended for her rather wordy thank you for supporting hand made announcement while she places her shop on vacation for rebranding. On her blog she shared a photo of her hands.

And well darn it if hand made isn't ALL about our hearts and hands and so it just makes perfect sense to me.

So here they are my hands as avi - though I guess I could have used a full size pic instead of the avi sized one huh?

Be good to yourselves, enjoy your summers! Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you next time!
Dana

182 down 18 to go

Who knew blog hopping could be so exhausting?!

It's not the reading that's wiped me out. It's the high energy of it all. The anticipation, the pure joy and happiness - it's Christmas in every post! :D

This has been an amazing ride and I'm happy to have been a part of it. Truly.

Next time though.......I'm pacing myself!!!! lol I've gone through 182 blogs, pretty sure I left a comment for everyone, my sincere apologies if I didn't. I found a couple blogs I had not marked off that I had already visited and some that I hadn't but had marked. If I missed you please let me know!

Sincere thanks to Lori for co-ordinating and logistics this was world wide and a pretty amazing thing to pull off in sync!

Well then 18 more to go for me and back to dust bunnies and rock laying! Seed starting I think - maybe I can cloche them and protect them from the MagPie's and actually get them into the garden this year! But that's a story for another day! Til next time!

Thank you.....

As many of you know, my family's bread and butter business is in construction. We're established well enough and have our own niche we can weather some bad weather or a down economy. But the combination of the two can be a little tougher to take in stride on occasion.

After having two record breaking weather years in a row and again over 2 feet of rain in the last month it's been a little nerve wracking. Add to that, the little bit of work we've managed during a dry spell was for a contractor that has gone from writing a check at the end of the day, to we write checks once a month and only if we've been paid on the job you worked on. Well, let's just say the Hand Made Pledge and you, my wonderful customers, are what made Christmas possible at my house this year. I have been "the unpaid or volunteer office manager" for many many years (don't get me wrong - the benefits are to die for, I got to be with and there for my kids and I wouldn't give that up for the world) I haven't had my own "earned" money in a long time, and the fact that I was able to contribute to our Christmas meant an awful lot to me.

For that I offer my deepest heartfelt Thank you! I truly am looking forward to the coming year and wish for you too a Happy and Prosperous New Year! :)