New Treasury

Binkaminka has included my Copper and Silver SteamPunk Pendant 1 in her treasury, Wild Solitudes.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=48895

I've also listed two new bracelets:

Oooooh, Shiny Object!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22903302

The Spring Spiral
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22902740

Time Travel

It's finished & listed on Etsy, so I can blog about it now :)

Like TheBeadedLily, my first thought was incorporating watch parts into my April EBW challenge piece. My necklace was inspired by my love of SteamPunk and it's merger of Victorian era and Industrial Revolution. One of my close friends is a pilot and she's enamored with this era, which inspired me even more to head this direction.

This piece incorporates metallic 8/0 seed beads in shades of copper and bronze, woven around watch gears and other parts encased in resin. I'd already created the resin pieces for bracelets, pendants and earrings that I've been creating as part of my SteamPunk line on etsy. Further accenting the piece are drops of copper chain and amethyst faceted beads capped in copper. A copper toggle fastens on the side, adding a modern, assymetrical touch to the piece.

Necklace measures 19" in length, 4.5" at its widest point and 3" at it's longest in the center.

As always please visit the Etsy Beadweavers blog http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com to vote for this necklace or your other favorite between April 9-15. Meanwhile, search "EBWC" on Etsy for more stunning bead woven Time Travel creations!

New Treasury and Work

The fab facesarefunny from the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team put together another great treasury, this time called Tangled Up in Blue (I love Bob Dylan!). She was nice enough to feature my Wrapped in Blue glass time bracelet! Go give it some love.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=48136

I've also been hot gluing away on my Kentucky Derby hats and have been enjoying it immensely. I've finished 6 and have another 9 coming in to work on. If anyone out there is interested, message me through here or Facebook about ordering a custom one. I'll be posting pics of the completed ones soon and am thinking about listing them on Etsy. I've got two private showings in April that I'll be traveling and taking the hats to (Girls Night Out in Louisville & Wine Tasting in Richmond), but they're on display here in the gallery, as well.

I've also finished up my Time Travel entry for the Etsy Beadweavers April challenge. I've got it photographed, but haven't had time to crop, etc. I'll have it up before the end of the week. In the meantime, here's a few pics of it in progress to wet your whistle!

The waiting continues

I finished my application for the FMG contest today. I'm entering three pieces - one in the cabochon/turquoise category, one in the earrings/cabochon category and another in the seed & bugle beads category. I've had two finished for a while and am entering them on a whim, but designed the third just for the competition. More waiting.

In the meantime, I've put the flowers aside until I can get to Michaels in Elizabethrown this weekend to pick up some tulle and silk flowers. I'm considering doing some cloches as well as the typical sun/straw hat, if I can find something that fits with what I want to do. In the meantime, I'm going to bead a band of galloping horses for one of the hats. Have I mentioned that I love the Derby?

Oooooh, the suspense!

I spent the better part of my morning cropping photos and readying them for my Bead Dreams application. I'm entering two pieces this year, For the White Witch of Narnia and Blue for Cleo. For the White Witch of Narnia was created last year for one of the Etsy Beadweavers challenges, but I have since reworked the necklace more to my liking, making it fuller and giving it more drape. Blue for Cleo was completed after I finished my entry & finalist piece, The Harvest, for the Bead Dreams show last year. It's 16 different blue agate cabochons configured into a collar. I'm really proud of both pieces, but know after not making it into Bead Dreams before that it's a tough competition. My fingers are crossed.

I thought I was finished with my Fire Mountain application, but I decided to redo it. That one should be done and then it's all wait & see for all of my entries. Until I decide to enter something else!

In other news, I've been working on flowers for Kentucky Derby hats. Oooooooo....

Featured!

The awesome Kelly at Macaroni & Glue has featured me in her blog this week. Thank you so much, Kelly! Kelly does some really cute stationary in both her Macaroni & Glue store, as well as her stores, Freshly Crafted & Retro Crafted.

Temptation Treasury

Voting is still going on at Etsy-Beadweavers for the March challenge. Please go vote! You have until the 15th of this month!

Tied to that is a new treasury put together by njema:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=46481

I'm currently making flowers for Kentucky Derby hats, one seed bead at a time. Break out the Icy Hot!

Blog Giveaway at Chocolate & Steel

Want to win something? Want to win something gorgeous & handmade??? To enter for a chance to win this beauty, go here: http://chocolateandsteel.blogspot.com/2009/03/giveaway.html

Go ahead now, check it out! You know you want to! But hurry, ‘cause the drawing is on Friday, March 13!!

And don't forget, voting is still going on at the Etsy-Beadweavers Blog for the March Challenge. Voting is open until the 15th!

March Voting is Open!

The entries for the challenge are in! They are as always simply beautiful, creative and amazing! Etsy Beadweavers took the time and have the talent to create these inspiring challenge pieces! Tiny little beads and a needle and thread along with incredible patience bring these selections to you to vote and choose your favourite.

You can click on the item in the text list below the mosaic on the blog which links to the Etsy Shop listing of each entrant where you will see more detail of each piece! (I'm # 21!) Be sure to visit the EBW team blog today through the 15th to vote!

Also, I finished my KY Crafted application for this year on Saturday. I delivery my pieces for jurying in May.

Treasuries Galore!

I feel so blessed to be part of the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team when I see treasuries like the two that I was honored to be part of. What great artists and a great variety! Soaps, jewelry, hand-dyed & hand-spun yarn, paper crafts, fine art... it's all there and more!

The first treasury was put together by facesarefunny and is called ...hypnotized... by these Kentucky wonders.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44522

The second treasury is called Am I Foxy? and was put together by WhimsybyMari.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=46006

FrontPage?

So, apparently, according to Google Analytics, I made it to the Front Page yesterday on Etsy! There doesn't seem to be a screencap of it in the Flickr photostream, but that's pretty exciting. It's the first time I've been on there.

Also exciting was the visit I had from the folks with the Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute. They were in town for a conference and our local coaches told them to come talk to me about my experience in business, etc. While they were here, one of the ladies bought my "Washed Onto Shore" necklace, which absolutely made my day even better.

In other news, I'm getting ready to place an order for some beads to make lots & lots of flowers.

New Listings!

I don't update for a while and then WHAMMO! Here I am again!

I finally finished my entry for the Etsy Beadweavers March challenge - Temptation!

Chocolate Cherry Cordials:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21799457

Please visit the Etsy Beadweavers blog http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com to vote for your favorite piece between March 9-15. Meanwhile, search "EBWC" on Etsy for more stunning bead woven Temptation creations!

I also listed four other items:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21798663
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21797346
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21796225
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21795874

Thanks for the Ego Boost

I just got my newsletter from Fire Mountain Gems with an update about the 2009 Design Competition. While I haven't gotten my entries in yet for this year (although the app is done), FMG has updated their website with the 2008 finalists. Over the last three years, I've had two pieces make finals each year, been included in their Comprehensive & Best Sellers catalogs & in an ad campaign (featured to the left). I needed this ego boost today as I've been thinking about reapplying for a guild here locally.

http://tinyurl.com/cbdzwc

New Treasury!

The lovely & talented Smadar of SmadarsTreasure has featured my Black, White & Red All Over bracelet in her treasury, Red, White & Black. If you read Bead&Button, check out her work in the current issue!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=45425

Another Treasury

Wow. I'm blown away at the mentions in treasuries lately on Etsy. The latest mention comes from my Bluegrass Etsy Street Team cohort, facesarefunny.

Swirly!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=43212