Handmade Componets.

I am not by far the best handmade jewelry designer. I am not exactly new at it, I have had beads in my possession for nearly 10 years. I got serious about jewelry making when I met my Husband, four years ago. He poured money in to "my" company and still stands beside me with support. I am steadily working on a way to store my jewelry and beads/supplies.

But this post is about making components yourself. I have always admired artist who made their own components. And wished I would follow them in  their knowledge. A new friend Patti Vanderbloemen mailed me a few directions on making simple components. And I made a pair of ear wires. She also suggested that I look for free E-courses online and last night I finally did. With my copper wire and basic tools, plus a bail making pliers. I sat on my uncomfortable couch and watched videos. After the first run, I restarted and followed along. My first attempts were a bit wonky and rustic looking. But after awhile I managed to crank out some decent looking clasps. I even embellished a few with crystals and glass pearls.

I made a few with out watching videos and them the ideas started flowing. I am again nowhere near being able to do anything fancy with wire wrapping. But I am pleased with my work. And will use my new clasps, and continue to hone my wiring skills. 

Below you can see my various clasps. :)

All I need to do is hammer them.

Resources: The following websites are where I found the videos. If you know of anymore, please let me know. :)

Beaducation and Beadaholique,

My First Etsy Sale

 I am relatively new at  Etsy. I had my shop for a little over a year and never sold anything until yesterday. I listed the earrings below and the wonderful Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs purchased them. I am over the moon with excitement. It is a wonderful feelings. And now the unsettling feeling, of wondering if she will enjoy them. I made the ear wires myself and hope they hold up. lol.

Copper Moons: Beautiful cooper moons and lush turquoise glass beads.

Weekend Recap

It is Monday and I wish the weekend could have lasted a little longer. We have a eventful and busy one. Saturday we went to see marks father and did some back to school shopping for my daughter. She is going into 7th grade. I am very surprised that she passed 6th grade. She had a very hard year emotionally and mentally. I will blog about that some other time.

Mya Nicole and Timothy Brayden

She is my little artist. She loves to draw anime. She is at that long stage of being uncomfortable in her skin. She is by far a girly-girl.  And shopping for her was not easy. I got her one southpole shirt from the mens section. Two other shirts were black and gray. and the one I loved the most was shaped like a poncho. We also got Mason some clothes, He is in 3T already! He is a chunk.. We got Timothy superman onsie/pants and a romper.

I read in a book that a one year old should be able to make a tower four blocks high.  I was curious how high Mason could build. Unfortunately he didn't have any blocks. So we fixed that.:)

Timothy and the blocks

I had a hard time getting Mason to sit with us and play. After a little coaxing he joined us. Along with trying to eat the blocks. He finally started to stack the blocks. I was so happy. :)

Seven blocks high!!

I was equally happy when he stacked seven blocks. It fell over but we both were so happy.
Tomorrow I will blog about his new big (BIG) boy bed..

6th Annual BSBP, Reveal One

I am late posting my BSBP photos. I would like to thank Lori Anderson for accepting me as a participant. I would also like to thank my partner Norma Turvey for sending me the most beautiful soup. I did not take the best photos during this fun time. Which I have learned my lesson. :)

This is the lovely box that my soup was in.

I love the box that Norma placed my soup in. Once I have used up all the beads I will move this box to a special place to be admired. :)

The brown and tan beads mix beautifully.

I had a ball just looking at these beads and even brought them to my bed and decided what I was going to designs, One necklace was created in my bed while the baby slept in the crib next to me.

These lampwork beads and clasp are just beautiful.

I did not use all the lampwork beads nor have I used the beautiful headpins. I am new to wire wrapping and would not want to mess them up.

The brown stone focal is beautiful. It makes me smile when I see/touch it.

Now on to what I designed with these beautiful beads. I am still planning to use up the rest of the soup once my wrapping skills advance.

Brown crystals, Brown and Black rounds and gold seed beads

This was the first bracelet made, I love the crystals. I have to change clasps this one is a cheap thing that keeps sticking.

I made this chain out of jumprings, The clasp was a gift from Patti Vanderbloemen

I used the gold seed beads and pearl like beads to make two stacks of dangles. The chain is made out of simple brass and gunmetal jumprings.

Here is the second bracelet I made, With handmade chain

I used jumprings purchased from Lori Anderson and basic brass ones, I thought the clasp Norma sent was to beautiful to be at the back of a necklace. So it is used as the focal in this simple bracelet.

Red leather lace, and my beautiful focal.

This is a very simple necklace, It has various pearl dangles, round dangles, and crystal dangles. I am new to using leather lace and had issues wrapping the ends. :)

This is the first necklace I created. The clasp was from Patti Vanderbloemen

I created this necklace in bed. I  had to restring it a few times and finally decided to add chain that I had purchased a few years ago and horded. The glass rounds  were purchased from the Lovely Lisa Lodge.

How the necklace hangs.

I am down to the last necklace designed. And I am surprised I did not make any earrings. I will have to make some. :)

This is one of the beautiful lampwork beads Norma sent.

The chain was a gift from Mark, for my birthday, I added two drops, one of flowers and the other is a blue and orange crystal. I hammered the end of the wire to keep them in place. The lampwork is coverd by yellow crystals from Lisa Lodge. And It was an attempt of wire wrapping. One more picture.

How this necklace dangles.

My photographing skills need work and I need better props. I do hope you enjoined your visit, And will be visiting all your sites through out the week.

Summer Color Blog Hop

Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasure, hosted a destash and blog hop for those who purchased a random bag of beads. I fell Iove with the bag of beauties she sent me.

My color was pink and peach. I am late at posting this as always. I made three pieces and still have some beads left over.

Below you will find my lucite bracelet a shell necklace along with a freshwater pearl necklace.

Thank You for visiting my blog. :)

34th Birthday

I turned 34 on the 12th of this month. And I am not ashamed of my age. I have had three beautiful children and found my soul mate in those 34 years.

I was surprised by a gift from a new friend. She sent me two wonderful books along with a portion of her beady stash. I have also received a handful of beautiful handmade tiles from a wonderful Marie of SkyeJewels. Along with a care package from the beautiful Kari. She also makes tiles, I have found wonderful friends this past year.
And as I wrote this post I also got two more care packages in my mail. Along with a small but beautiful gift from Gaea. :)

My father and siblings sent me a basket of flowers. This was the best gift. I have not seen my father in 20+ years. I have a little sister and a nephew that I have not met. I have had a wonderful birthday filled with fame and friends. :)

Lori Anderson

The wonderful Lori Anderson is hosting a fantastic giveaway. She is offering five fun prizes. I entered for a mystery soup. Do hope I win I just adore her style. I have been lucky to do a trade with her. She sent me the most delightful beads and allot of vintage one also. So follow the link below Bd enter for your chance to win!!

http://prettythingsblog.com

Bead Soup!

I received my bead soup from Norma T. this week. When I opened the bubble wrapped package I was greeted with a beautiful small tulip covered box.

Beautiful box and card

My soup is a beautiful browns and I absolutely love it. She included a strand of lampwork beads. They are just amazing. The clasp is a silver magnetic flower.(in the photo is looks gold)

She also included triangle stone pendant. And various matching beads. Including fresh water pearls and gemstones. Once I can take a better photo these below will be swapped out. :)

Thank You Norma you have made my first bead soup special!!Please come back July 28th to see what was made from this beautiful assortment of beads.

BSBP Partner Announced

This is my first year participating in the BSBP hosted by the lovely Lori Anderson. My partner is Norma Turvey. We exchanged a few simple emails and my soups are on their way to her. I could not pick just one so I made her two. I am excite to be accepted this time around and look forward to next time. Please come back on July 28 for the reveal.

What Luck

I have the worse luck at times and the best luck at times. It's starts with mark getting a new job, well the job lasted and week and the owner did not pay him for that week. So we fell behind.. He found a new job within two weeks from the last job. And a few weeks in to the new job. Our car is repo'd.. Good news is some beady friends send me some feel better gifts.

Next I dropped my iPod and it shattered the outer screen.. The next day Christina from Feng beads announces I won her fraggles giveaway. I have only won two online contents, first was Lori Anderson's Ebook. And the fraggles. I am blessed. I absolutely love my new online friends.

On baby news, Mason is learning to climb up in to the chairs. :) he is almost two. Timothy is wanting to get down and move it like big brother. And even though she is not a "baby", my daughter passed in to 7th grade. This is a blessing. She has been through allot of emotional hard ache this past year.

The 6 Annual BSBP

I am so excited to say I get to join in the Bead Soup Blog Party. Hosted by the delightful Lori Anderson. I signed up last year but was cut from the list.

Lori suggested that all her participants blog about how they started designing jewelry. My story is simple. I started making cellphone charms. Bought a Stringing Magazine, and fell in love. I saw the great Lorelei, Andrew and Cynthia Thornton. I slowly built up my bead stash. And made little things. I dream of the day my name would be listed in a magazine with these talented people.

I have been lucky to chat with some of these wonderful designers on Facebook.

Beads And A Gift

Its already Tuesday. And exactly one month from my 34'th birthday. I can't believe I am that old... Yikes..

It would make a wonderful birthday present to win a set of beads from Lorelei. She is hosting a giveaway of three bead sets, Beautiful beads. I am hoping for the set from Humblebeads. I have admired her work for a while.

 I was unable to attend the Bead and Button Show this year. My husband felt bad so he purchased beads for me last month. Well within the past two weeks they all came in. He is such a wonderful man. While he was getting his truck looked at he bought me these two beads.

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Owl and Pink glass pearls with glass bicones

This was his first time buying beads with out me with him. I don't think he did to bad.

Blue sunburst and fall colored bell flowers

Pink button flowers, blue and yellow  glass beads and fall colored leaves

Brass butterflies, small and large red cathedral beads.

I also received a wonderful gift in the mail, a beautiful handmade necklace and earring set from Diana Keever.

I adore owls and this is just beautiful. The white looking beads are actually a light blue.

She was also so sweet to include some loose beads for me to play with. I absolutely love them, cant wait for a actual date with my husband so I can wear the set with out babies grabbing at it.

Beautiful wire wrapped bead, A girl focal and various loose beads in blues and greens.

I hope you enjoyed my little gifts from friends and family. i am blessed to have them. I also did a small bead swap with the wonderful Lori Anderson. She is such a wonderful person and I adore talking to her. Well I have children yelling for me. I will blog again tomorrow.

Love Of A Child

I am a mother of three, my oldest is 13 and my youngest is 5 months today. I do not think I could live if something happened to my children.

Mason Zane born Oct 12, 2010

I do know how hard being a teen mother is, I had my daughter in my late teens. Its a struggle and you can feel alone. I suffered PDD  when I had Mason. I don't know why. But It was a dark time and I felt so alone. It faded and I never once had a thought to harm my child.  I have read stories online the past few months that infuriate me.

A young mother got high and left her 5 week old child in his car seat on the top of her car. She drove away with out noticing the missing child in the back seat. Her baby was discovered hours later in the road.  This report made me mad.

Mya Nicole (13) swimming at Grandmothers

I have also read that a 22 year old mother killed her child for crying while she was playing Farmville... Another mother let a professor she met online rape her 5 month old daughter while she watched. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!

Mya Nicole (11) and Mason (3mo)

The worse was last night. I have heard about this video and wanted to dismiss it as a rumor. Mya came out of her room last night hysterically crying. She watched a mother beat her 8 month old baby, while being recorded and others stood around and watched. I watched this video while I held Timothy. It made me physically sick. This woman beat her baby with a pillow, tried to break her arm and leg, pulled her hair, and slapped her in the face/head. This poor soul crawled to this woman and wanted comfort. She shoved her away and continued to beat her.

Timothy Brayden born Jan 6, 2012

I cried and hung on to Timothy, and prayed for this baby.



I did not sleep last night, I kept seeing this poor baby being abused, and wondered if she was still alive. These women do not deserve to be mothers. The love of a child is something sacred. I know someone who is struggling to have a baby. And she would be a wonderful mother. Instead innocent souls get born to monsters.

Mason Zane (18 mo) and Timothy Brayden (4 mo) Easter 2012

The Mother Of All Messes.

I have seen allot of posts of wonderful messy studios. I do not have a studio, I have half a kitchen and a small bit of the laundry room for my chaos. We live in a small three bedroom apartment and I needed some where that I could block off from the hands of a toddler. My desk area is pure chaotic pandemonium.

The lap top has a cracked screen so I have to use a TV, my husband bought for me. It is just as scary as it looks and only gets worse. As the photo below will show. I will be attempting to tame the mess and try organization. The finish photos to follow. It is such a drab boring area..

Today is laundry day.. so it adds to the mess..