Post-Christmas Sale

I hope everyone had a great holiday and isn't too stuffed from the great food yesterday! I'm still hanging out at my mom's with my daughter and dog-sitting today & tomorrow morning, before heading back to the gallery to get a half day of sales in. I'm having a post-Christmas sale in both my brick & mortar gallery and my Etsy store, where my ornaments have been marked down from $15 to $10. That's quite a bargain on a one-of-a-kind piece. There's only a few left on the Etsy store, but more in the gallery that I never had time to list.

Treasury and Holiday Cheer

The fabulous Melody included me in her treasury, Ancient Evenings & Artifacts!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=28630

Happy Holidays everyone!

We have an Airdate!!!!

http://www.hgtv.com/thats-clever/felted-cloche-hat-tin-photo-album-sticky-notes-purse-metal-garden-necklace/index.html

I don't know why they have me listed as being from Brandenburg. It's bad enough I had to say Louisville instead of Lebanon on the show, but yeesh! I've emailed their online customer service, asking to have it changed.

January 30 - 8am - HGTV! Anyone up for a viewing party? My segment will only be 6-8 minutes (after 6 hours of filming!) but it's airing! I may have to drink before I show it (I know I'm going to look like a giant goober), but there will be a party!!!

On top of that & the ad that Fire Mountain ran, my gallery was also mentioned in an article about our community on the KyPost.com website (there's a link to my gallery website at the bottom). It's been a pretty good day (even had some sales to boot)!

It'd be better if I didn't have to make the journey to Wal-Mart tonight, but duty calls. Boo, hiss.

Treasury!

I got a note from Maunakeamoonlight that I was included in a treasury she put together. It's a really beautiful treasury and it's rather funny, because I'm familiar with Larry Watson's pottery through shows here in Kentucky. Fun!

I want to turn GREEN!!!! - http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=27519

I've started working on my piece for the ISGB/Bead&Button Convergence project. The beads that I got from Joyce Rooks are absolutely incredible, but I'm not showing photos til I get some work done :)

More Glass!

Just got my glass tile necklaces posted on my Etsy account! Thank you to Annie Howes for giving me tips when we met and she dropped things off for my gallery. I appreciate it!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18782495
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18783171
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18784063
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18784495
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18784722
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18785037
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18785263
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18785537
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18785787

Kiss my Glass!

My foray into the world of glass decoupage began Sunday night. I'd bought some wonky rounds and squares with holes, along with some Diamond Glaze a few months ago from the fab Annie Howes. I hadn't had time to play with it, but decided to make time Sunday night. I sat down with my glass, glaze and a stack of decorative paper. I'm really happy with how they came out! The rounds are going to be bracelets and the squares pendants, but I'm doing them with sterling or copper handmade swirls instead of affixing bails. Partially because I wanted to do something different and partially because I'm too impatient to wait to order bails & have them come in!

Wrapped in Blue: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18737344
Funky Punk Glass Bracelet: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18736704

That's Clever! Update & Projects

My Google Reader picked up a change in the "That's Clever!" website today. Series 400 will begin airing in January!!!! My episode is finally going to make it on the air! I was really beginning to give up hope, despite hearing from Weller-Grossman a few months ago. But there it is! http://www.hgtv.com/thats-clever/show/index.html

To the left is my FMG ad on the back of the January/February Step by Step Beads. It wasn't on the stands when I went to Barnes & Noble over the weekend, but it should be in the next few weeks. I have to pick up a few extra copies, including one for the lady who bought the piece several years ago.

Also included in the issue are two awesome ladies from my Etsy Beadweavers team - Lynn & Meri! Of course, they actually did all the hard work of prepping projects and submitting them! Kudos to you, ladies!

I spent much of last night & this morning working on some glass tile pendants. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out, especially the ones I grouped on bracelets. Photos and etsy listings to come!

It's a good day!

First off, new Treasury with some awesome Bluegrass Etsy Street Team members!

Little or no (color that is): http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=26026

I got my copy of Step by Step Beads (January/February 2009) today and sat down to look through it. I usually do a quick run through and then go back later. I finished and flipped the mag over - there I am!!!! Or rather, there's my piece in the Fire Mountain Gems ad! I knew they were going to use my piece in an ad campaign, but I had no idea when. They've used several in the catalogs over the last couple of years from my pieces that have made finals in their jewelry design competition, so I thought maybe that was it. But there it is!!!! I'm so annoyingly giddy right now!

And I'm almost done with my last custom ornament! Yay! The quilt patches are all done and I'm just adding the hanger to the beaded snowman. Yay for good news and productivity!

Don't forget to go vote for your favorite piece in the Etsy Beadweavers December Challenge!

Voting is Open!

Voting has officially begun today, December 9th and ends midnight December 15th. The best way to show your appreciation for the efforts of these amazing artists is by taking on the difficult task of voting for your favorite. (The ballot is on the side bar at right on the EBW Blog.) Again, the individual pieces are listed below the mosaic where you can visit each entry for more information by following the link. Be sure to visit the EBW Blog to vote NOW!

EBW Team December Challenge

Wow. Just wow. I am floored by the incredible entries for the Etsy Beadweavers December Challenge. Just look at these pretties! (My entry is #20.)

Voting begins on Tuesday, December 9th and ends midnight December 15th. The best way to show your appreciation for the efforts of these amazing artists is by taking on the difficult task of voting for your favorite. (The ballot will appear on the side bar at right on the EBW Blog on December 9th.) Again, the individual pieces are listed below the mosaic where you can visit each entry for more information by following the link.Be sure to visit the EBW Blog to vote between December 9th and 15th!

Treasuries!

I've been featured in a Bluegrass Etsy Street Team Treasury!
The Best of Kentucky: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=34752

I've been beading like mad, despite being busy with oodles of other things this week, including the Arts & Humanities Council and some personal issues. I got a few more ornaments made, including a custom one for a friend and another quilt patch. I've got orders for 5 patches and a custom snowman that I need to completely before next week. I have an open house with our community's Dickens Christmas event tonight and then I should be able to tackle the other ornaments. We'll see!

The White Witch

I finally finished my Snow Queen entry for the Esty-Beadweavers December Challenge. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going when I started, but that's pretty normal for the way I start out projects. It's the first time I've beaded around rivolis, but I really enjoyed turning them into snowflakes. There's some right angle weave, lots of peyote, fringe and netting. I love it when I get to play with stitches!

Most of my inspiration from this piece came from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) It was one of my favorite books growing up and has become one of my favorite movies. The White Witch, or Queen of Narnia, doesn't wear anything around her neckline in the movie, but I'd like to think she'd wear this with its representations of snow & ice.

Please visit the EBW blog at http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com between December 9th and 15th, to see all of the entries in our December challenge and vote for your favorite. Search EBW TEAM for more beautiful beadwoven creations and EBWC for monthly challenge entries.

An Award & Updates

Corinne Sullivan at Daydream Art Studios has awarded me with the marie Antoinette blog award. It's the first award for my little ol' blog, so thanks, chickadee!

Official RULES:

1) Please add the Marie Antoinette award photo on your blog
2) Place a link to the person from whom you received the award
3) nominate 7 exceptional blogs to receive the award
4) put the links to those blogs on your blog
5) leave a message on their blogs to tell them they are the chosen ones

Nominees:

Annie Howes Keepsakes

Gem and Beaded Jewelry

TheBeadedLily's Sketchbook

Wilmoth Farms Handmade Soaps

The Bead Kitchen

Smadar's Treasure

Kerrie Slade

I've spent the holidays beading, when I haven't been shopping or stuffing my face. I'm getting close to being done with my EBW challenge entry for December, so I should have it done before the 5th deadline. We'll see!

Back and Raring to Go!

After several days off, visiting my best friend in Vegas/Utah, I'm back and ready to go. This was, perhaps, the worst trip for traveling (flights to & from were delayed, added to migraines and lack of sleep), BUT I got to see Dawn, her family, her daughter graduate from her program and Dawn's friends from CA that I hadn't seen in a while. It was a super short trip, but any longer & I would have been fretting even more over the work that awaited me when I got back here!

While got, the fab Marilyn included me in a treasury. You won't find me in the treasury if you go look now, as I made my first Etsy sale!!! Hooray! That's a fantastic way to start off my week!

I started my entry for the Etsy Beadweavers December challenge yesterday. I'm not sure I'll get it finished in time, but I wanted to give it a go. Which means I need to finish my todo list I already had started and get my booty in gear!

The Holidays are Coming!

I've been buried in webserver, ASP, HTML and CDONTS work for my mother for the last week and a half and I'm finally coming up for air. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a lot of beading done during that time, but I have started on my mom's Christmas present, which includes netting bezels around seashells she brought back from the Outer Banks. It's the first time I've used right angle weave (RAW) to start a bezel, and then I'm cinching them up with peyote. I'm rather happy with the way it's coming, but I've only got three done out of the 18 or so that I have to net. Good thing I love my mother :)

Currently, my poor computer is bogged down while I try to upload photos to Etsy and print holiday greeting cards for one of the artists that I carry here in the gallery. My poor pc is moaning & groaning, but I can't help but multitask! Plus, I'll be out in Utah the next few days, so I'm trying to clear some things off my to-do list. I almost wrote "desk" but yeah... the desk will always look like a tornado hit it.

I've finished several of the beaded ornaments and finally got around to listing them on Etsy today. I was going to put them in a friend's shop here in town, and I still may, but for now, they're in my gallery and my Etsy store. They're rather Victorian, but not heavily beaded.

Ornaments!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17541268
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17541069
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17540883
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17540605
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17540328
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17540073
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17539854
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17539549

Back to Beading?

I'm so close to being done with Mom's computer changes that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, the sites I have left to move all have coding changes. I'm a nerd, but I'd rather be beading.

I think I need that on a bumper sticker.

My Google Alerts found this today: http://gem-beaded-jewelry.blogspot.com/2008/11/beaded-jewelry-by-jama-watts.html. I'm rather flattered at the nod, since Zoya featured me in her newsletter a few months ago. I didn't know she was going to post it in her blog later on. Fun. Thanks, Zoya!

The Alerts feature at Google has been helpful in catching items that might have gone unnoticed. The other day, it found a link to my blog regarding an update to my HGTV appearance. The internet can be a fabulous thing sometimes.

I promise to post pictures of the beaded ornaments next week. AFTER I get this website stuff done and off my desk.

Back in Black

I just found my Onyx earrings in this beautiful treasury created by FleurDeIrk who happens to be another great Etsy Beadweaver! (Don't forget, you still have time to VOTE!)

BLACK and elegant

I've been working on web updates for my mom's business this week, which means I've been coding and doing computer geek stuff and not getting to bead. I thought I'd enjoy the break, but it's killing me! I have ideas for my Snow Queen project, as well as my mom's Christmas present and I still have 3 dozen ornaments I need to bead. Not to mention the fact that I really need to decorate the store for Christmas, despite the fact that I don't decorate my home until after Thanksgiving. All of that topped off with the cold from Hades that kept me from doing a show over the weekend and I'm just one big pile of nerves. Woo-hoo!

Ahem.

Pay no attention to the crazy lady drooling over her beads and waiting for her next shipment of sparklies to come in.

EBW Voting Time!

I had a hard time voting myself! Please visit the EBW Blog and vote for your favorite!
Voting begins on Sunday, November 9th and ends midnight November 15th. The best way to show your appreciation for the efforts of these amazing artists by taking on the difficult task of voting for your favorite. (The ballot will appear on the side bar at right on November 9th.) The individual pieces are listed below the mosaic where you can visit each entry for more information by following the link. Thank you, enjoy and be sure to come back to vote between November 9th and 15th!

1. Catching A Dream Bracelet - myfairladyvt4

2. Florida Gators Orange and Blue Herringbone Bangle - njema

3. Beaded Ancestral Expressions Petroglyph Totem Cane - SalamanderHouse

4. hands against time cuff - thebeadedlily

5. Celtic North American Native - SilkenLariat

6. The Greek Key - BeadsAndI

7. Hungarian meets French - beaddiddy

8. DNA in Violet and Blue - Wide Beadwoven Peyote Cuff - time2cre8

9. ONE WORLD Bead Woven Embroidered Cuff Bracelet - caraway

10. Trail Mix - ThesePreciousThings

11. Roses and Pearls Necklace - SpringColors

12. Proud to be an American - dreambeadweaver

13. Let My People Go Collar - triz

14. The Hoshen - a Breastplate - beadshead

15. Plaid Pride Bracelet - FrancescasFancy

16. Patchwork Cuff - playnwithbeads

Feeling Thankful

Found myself in a treasury dedicated to the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team today. I've met so many talented people from across the globe with my street teams. If you sell on Etsy and you don't belong to a team, I strongly suggest you look into it. I'm a member of B.E.S.T. (search teambluegrass), Fabulous Artistic Moms of Etsy (search fam team) and Etsy-Beadweavers (search ebw team).

Best of the BEST: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=31585

Finding Myself

I'm always floored and thankful when I find my work mentioned by other people. My Google Reader found the following:

Carrie's Place: My Inspiration

What a way to start out my morning. I only hope the warm fuzzies can carry over - I fear I'm coming down with a killer cold. I had a migraine for most of the day yesterday, ended up in bed around 7:30 and was out before 8. I was a big dizzy this morning getting ready, but once I came downstairs & opened the gallery, the nausea has hit me like a freight train. I have a festival in Somerset this weekend, but if I feel like this, there's no way I'll be able to drive back & forth to do it. I think Mom's got it, as well, and that's why co-worker in my booth on Saturday. What a pair we'd make!

I'm going to tough it out for a bit and work on some ornaments, but I've a feeling I'll be in bed within the next few hours. Booooooo.

Another Treasury and Other Notes of Interest

The Jester is Flying High: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=18987

I've been busy (which is nothing new), but trying to take care of my list of things to do. I've finished making about two dozen pendants for the gift shop at Maker's Mark, but I still need to deliver them. Now, I'm working on netted, Victorian-style ornaments for my friend Lee's open house this weekend. I just hope I can get him at least a dozen. He's an extremely talented interior designer and his retail store is FAB-U-LOUS. I may end up pulling an all-nighter tonight in order to get them and some earrings made. It's been a while since I've worked like that, but I've got a festival this weekend on top of Lee's open house. Unfortunately, my throat is starting to get a little scratchy. I hope I'm not coming down with something, as I need to get to Somerset for the festival. I've got rent to pay!

New listings up on Etsy! Forgot to post them the other day.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16809096
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16809301
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16809468
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16809641
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16809851
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16810041

FAM Treasury

B L A C K: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=31090

The Treasure Chest

New EBW Team Treasuries!

For the Love of It: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=18585
Family Ties: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=18529

Ancestral Expressions

I finished my piece for the Etsy Beadweavers November Challenge yesterday and I'm really happy with it. It's bright, free and is very much an expression of who I am.

The November theme is "Ancestral Expressions." When I first started thinking about projects for this challenge, everything that came to mind was very literal about my background. I've always embraced the Celtic/Pagan part of me, as I'm part Scottish, Irish & Welsh. I was sketching Celtic knots, the Celtic family tree, thinking of researching my family's different tartans, but it all seemed a bit trite and contrived. I knew I was leaving out more. I'm also English, Swedish, Cherokee & Sioux. So I thought about doing seven panels - each representing my different heritages. But then I knew I was probably leaving out some nationality that I don't know about.

The thought that came to me then is always my response to when people ask me what I am. I always say "Trail Mix." My mom has started researching our family tree, so I know certain ethnicities and a little about my family's past, but it's garbled and missing information here and there. So, trail mix seems to fit. When I thought about that, I decided to design something that represented the different pasts, their varied histories and holes in the information that I do have. What I came up with is my bracelet, lovingly titled "Trail Mix" - full of color, peyote, right angle weave, herringbone, ladder, picot fringe and some backstitch with the embellishment. The holes represent the holes in my history.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16808573

Please visit the EBW blog at http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com between November 9th and 15th, to see all of the entries in our November challenge and vote for your favorite. Search EBW TEAM for more beautiful beadwoven creations and EBWC for monthly challenge entries.

Treasury!

Treasury features!

Green... with Envy! (features my Green Ruffle necklace)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=17644

Eyes so Blue You Could Drown (features my Peacock necklace)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=17488

Tis all for now!

Sing Praise!

There is nothing quite like getting an email from a happy customer right after they've received an order. I got an email Saturday from the lady who asked me to wrap some Alaskan stones for her:

HI, JAMA,
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I RECEIVED THE PENDANTS AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM. I WORE ONE LAST NITE AND WILL WEAR ANOTHER ONE TODAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HOPE TO SEE YOU SOMEWHERE ALONG THE "ART TRAIL".

THE ROCKLADY


I spent part of the weekend working on my entry for the Etsy-Beadweavers November Challenge, Ancestral Expressions. I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to upload my last image to Flickr and tag my item, but oh well. The winners from the last challenge were awesome. Heck, all of the entries were incredible! It's humbling to see yourself in the image matrix among such talented artists.

Back to my entry... my original thought was to incorporate something from each of the elasticities that make up this person named Jama. I started researching, but just wasn't happy with any of the ideas that came to mind. I'm pretty happy with the way it's turning out. I've got about a 1/2" left of stitching, then putting the clasp on and adding some embellishment. I hope to at least finish it tonight, since it's my night to get together with my fellow lady artists and chat for a few hours while creating.

Just Breathe

The auction is over and I can breathe again for a bit. As always, I wish things would have sold for more and I wish the crowd would have been larger, but everything sold and people got some great deals on original pieces. My feet were killing me by the end of the evening after playing Vanna White in heels, but I survived, as did my mother, who happens to be the treasurer for our organization. Kate was a blessing, helping my mom out, as was my step-dad and my awesome friend Patty. Don't know what I'd do without them lately. Even Amber got into the groove, helping Mom bid on Patty's garnet set. And the appetizers! Michele Espinosa and the gang at the Oak Barrel are incredible. I really hope the restaurant is a huge success.

I say I can breathe, but I still have quite a bit to do.

• Barktoberfest at the park today with Amber & Buddy
  
• Amber soccer game tomorrow
  
• Chamber lunch Wednesday
  
• update inventory
  
• Meeting with youth leadership member Wednesday
  
• Finish Halloween costume
  
• trick-or-treating with Amber 10/31
  
• My grant application for marketing materials is due 11/1
  
• I need to get ornaments ready for Lee's open house the second weekend of November
  
• I have a show that same weekend in Somerset
  
• repair work to finish for a customer
  
• the Maker's Mark pendants to finish and get out to the gift shop
  
• the Etsy-Beadweavers Challenge entry to finish
  
• coffee beans to order for the gallery
  
• catch up on my filing
  
• scrub the gallery
  
• Nude 2009 entry to think about (due 10/31) - Nope, not entering this year
  
• Painting series to finish (15 paintings)

Sometimes, to do lists give me an anxiety attack :)

Hop Hop Hop

Tonight is the Marion County Arts & Humanities Council 4th annual art auction. I always freak out when it gets close, but this year has been especially bad, with all sorts of other things going on with the business and in my personal life. I literally didn't finish getting everything ready until a few hours ago. I can honestly say that, even though I'm a control freak, I'm looking forward to just being a board member next year instead of the president!

I've got two pieces in the auction this year - a painting and a jewelry set. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so I don't mind donating more than one piece. I tend to donate pieces that I've had for a while or that I'm tired of looking at :) Sounds horrible, doesn't it? BUT - they're pieces that I've received lots of compliments on and that people have expressed interest in. It's just time for them to rotate out of my hands & into someone else's.

The sun has finally come out after a nasty, drizzly day. It's now 5:08pm and I'll be here til 7 tonight, then off to the auction at the Oak Barrel at 7:30. I only hope that people have started to think about the value of art. The economy isn't all that great, but there are some incredible pieces in the auction. There always are. I just wish I could get people to realize what an investment it is in both their own futures and the future of the arts in our community.

White Girl Rapping

Ok ok... so it's wrapping, but still...

A lady that I've met on several occasions brought me two neat stones from Alaska to wrap in sterling wire. I'm pretty pleased with the results, especially since I hadn't wrapped a stone in a while. They're simple wraps, but I didn't want to take away from the stones themselves.




I also finished the log cabin quilt patch ornament for the Marion County Homemakers. The ornament is on its way to Frankfort, to the Thomas Clark museum where it will hang on the Christmas tree there. Our community is currently working on its quilt trail and I've been honored to be a part of it. I feel like I haven't done much, but I have helped approve patterns, lay things out & pick color schemes.


Lastly, I mended a purse for a friend, beading along a broken strap. Pretty happy with the results, I am. (says Yoda....)

More tomorrow about meeting the fabulous Annie Howes!

Me? Impatient?

Even though I know I didn't place in the Swarovski "Create-Your-Style Naturally Inspired" contest, I'm still eager to see all of the semi-finalists and winners on the website. Winners were supposed to be announced yesterday in New York, so I keep checking the website to see if images and winners have been posted. I know that would be quick turnaround, but I never claimed to be patient with anything besides my beads! Actually, that's the one comment at shows that always makes me giggle. "You must be so patient!" My standard response is "Only with my beads. Ask my 5-year-old and she'll tell you I'm not patient!"

Today is "to-do" list day. I need to wrap a boulder opal for a customer, finish a Christmas ornament for an organization, work on my Maker's Mark pendants and finish at least one of these necklaces on my desk!

New Listings!

I've been busy this morning (uh, afternoon now...) listing things on etsy:

Crashing Waves-Necklace:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16174586
Crashing Waves-Earrings:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16175038
Iris-Necklace:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16175438
Iris-Earrings:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16175644
The Ocean is Gray:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16171856
Green Ruffle:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16171519
Winter Ice:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16170588
Black, White and Red All Over:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16168439
And the one I just finished! The Wanderer:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16167848

Hooray! I have two more pieces that are almost finished, but a list of ideas in my head that I want to start on. I also got 4 dozen clear bulb ornaments, to do Victorian netting around for Christmas. And I need to start on my Maker's Mark pendants. And I need to work on the MCAHC auction... and then.... and then...

On a much lighter note, I bought my daughter Amber a box of beads and some elastic over the weekend, and we beaded like mad while watching movies. There's some quality bonding time for you :) We also worked on her costume last week. We got wings & a skirt at the dollar tree, then picked up a leotard and tights, adding tons of glitter paint. Over the weekend, we picked up a white peasant skirt for me, which we're now glittering up so that I can wear my wings & we can be fairies together. I love Halloween!

Weekend Wrap-Up

The weekend at St. James was wonderful. We had perfect weather for the art fair, even if we are suffering from a horrible economy. Sales were good, I met a lot of nice people, handed out almost every one of my postcards and even had The Harvest recognized by several readers of Bead&Button. The best part of my weekend came in the form of a lovely fellow beader on Friday. She recognized The Harvest and kept trying on another piece of mine that I called "Garden Necklace." (I wish I had a photo!) After several tries, she decided to purchase the piece. I knew it was going home with someone who would appreciate it, which made me really happy.

Sunday, she returned to tell me that she'd worn the piece to work the day before and had been chased around by her co-workers, wanting to know where she'd purchased it! That was a wonderful feeling.

Since coming back, I've restocked the gallery and realized that I'm quite behind on prepping for the Marion County Arts & Humanities Council's art auction. Oops! But, I've snagged the help of three lovely ladies to help contact artists & businesses. They'll be my saving grace!

Today has been repair day on several customers' vintage jewelry. I don't mind the repair work and I try to keep it fairly inexpensive!

Next projects are a quilt patch Christmas ornament that will hang in Frankfort, KY in the Thomas Clark museum and some netted, Victorian glass ornaments, once I get the bulbs from my sister.

Feature & St. James!!!!

The lovely and talented Zoya Gutina featured me in her September newsletter. Thank you SO much, Zoya.

St. James Court is this weekend and I've started to freak out even more. I told my friend Anne that I'm afraid they're going to tell me it was all a mistake when I get there & I actually didn't get juried in! There are around 750 juried artists & craftsmen from across the US at this show & it's repeatedly ranked in the top 10 shows for the US. It's scary & exciting!

I've also listed my challenge entry for the Etsy Beadweavers October Challenge "Animal Instincts." I actually finished this piece a few weeks ago for the challenge, but wasn't sure that I'd enter it and planned on doing another piece. With all of the festivals, etc. going on here, I didn't get a chance to finish my scarab piece, so the "Zebra of a Different Color" is my entry. Im pretty happy with it's funky dye job. Gives me ideas for my own head!

Please visit http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ to vote on the October challenge from October 9th until the 15th and see the beadweaver team members amazing works of art!

Oink Oink - It's Ham Days

Every year, I say that I'm not keeping the gallery open all weekend during Ham Days here in Marion County, and every year I do it anyway. This year, I actually didn't setup in the arts & humanities booth, since we had so many other artists setup. I was a little worried that it would hurt my sales, but people are looking for bargains when they come here, not higher end jewelry designs, so I'm really not too worried about it. I did, however, decide last night after thinking about not sleeping and not seeing my daughter as much as I'd like, that I'd close up at 1:30 for the day and see her soccer game at 2, instead of having Mom watch the store during the game and then coming back. I've not had enough people in to stay open the extra time. Plus, I'm hosting a financial workshop Tuesday night in the gallery and leaving on Thursday for St. James... I gotta get some down time in! Not that I won't be beading on my sofa!

I'm trying to finish some projects before next weekend. A lot of friends have started freaking me out a bit about St. James. They're concerned that I won't have enough stock and that I'll sell out. Not that it would be a bad thing! I don't have another show until the second weekend in November and I need to make some ornaments for Christmas.

I started on my entry for the October Etsy-Beadweavers Challenge. I need to do some more before I make an opinion about it. I may end up using the first piece I did, I don't know. Can't take pix right now, either, as my friend Kassy has the memory chip out of my camera. I'll probably not post any new listings until after St. James, anyway, since I have to deactivate my listings during the show.

Treasuries, Makers and More

Thank you to everyone who voted for me in The Mark of Great Art project. The results were posted yesterday - I didn't place, but it appears that all three winners were paintings. It's hard sometimes to compare different media, especially when some of the voting was done online and it's hard to get the full impact of mixed media via the Internet. I won't lie & say I wasn't bummed a bit, but I made it this far and my pieces will now travel to New York for indefinite display, along with my contact information. Huzzah!

I'm featured in another Etsy treasury! Thanks to everyone who's been featuring me. I really appreciate the exposure!

Tax!! Taxi! (Someone get me a cab(ochon))

One of my bracelets was also used in an article through the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team.

Treasuries and Catching Up!

Things have been kind of crazy, wrapping up after Bourbon Fest and helping our local arts council prep for our setup this weekend. BUT:

I'm currently featured in two treasuries on Etsy:
B.E.S.T. of Fall! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=26795

Here is what we do in Kentucky! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=10656

I guess you can tell that the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team is getting out & active. I'm thrilled to be a part of such great teams with them & the Etsy-Beadweavers.

Back to Bourbon Fest - it was good, but like every other festival I've done this year, sales were down. It's to be expected with the economy, so I'm not letting it get me down. I did sell three of the items in my Etsy store, so I had to delete those, but I was happy to do it!

I'm prepping for the rosary-making class that I'm teaching tonight and for Ham Days this weekend. The gallery will be open all weekend and I'll be among the walking dead come Monday :) Then I get to do it all over again the following weekend!

I've started another cellini spriral, this time in black & white. I've also started working on another showpiece. I can't decide if it will be for the Fire Mountain contest or Bead Dreams for next year. I suppose it depends on the final piece and if I come up with something else I think will work for BD.

NYC!

The list of the smaller exhibits for The Mark of Great Art project was mailed out to the participating artists yesterday. I found out that both of mine are going to New York City. I'm just giddy thinking about my pieces being in an opening in NYC. When I was younger, I dreamed of living in a loft apartment in Greenwich, working in a gallery. I finally made it to NYC last year and am completely enamored with the city.

I'm so excited! I'd love to make it to the opening, but I'm pretty sure there's no way I could afford it. The cheapest tix I saw yesterday were in the $350 range, not including possible hotel rooms. A girl can dream!

There's still three days to vote for your favorite pieces in the exhibit, as well!

Prepping for Bourbon!

Bourbon Festival, that is! This weekend is the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. It's a long weekend, but it's one of my favorite festivals to do. It's a good crowd and I get to watch the folks drink during the day. Honestly, I get quite tickled at the husbands/boyfriends who've spent the majority of the day in the beer garden come into my booth, trying to find something for the wife/girlfriend to "make it up" for being inebriated! Gotta love 'em!

Monday & Tuesday, I spent the majority of the day making cell phone lanyards, labeling sales books, finishing pendants, etc. Now that those are done (48 lanyards!) and my Maker's Mark pendants are fired, polished and (some) dipped, I get to play! I bought some watch gears on etsy after I started getting more & more addicted to searching for Steampunk items. I've got a friend who's really into the movement and loved the first pair of earrings I made, so I'm looking forward to making more.

I also just got in an order from Dick Blick with molds, epoxy resin & decorative papers. I'm going to use the molds & resin to make some pendants with the watch parts encased and the papers are going to be used for paper beads. I'm a wee bit excited about trying new techniques. I'm such a dork about these things!

I haven't had time to photograph anything really, and with festival season upon me, I always get timid of listing anything online. And when I say festival season, it's Bourbon Fest this weekend, Ham Days the next (I just keep my store open all weekend) and St. James Court the next. Bourbon Fest is usually a good show for me and this is the first year I've gotten into St. James Court. I'm really excited about it, as the waiting list is a mile long. I've got a few weeks off after that & then the Sheltowee Art Fair in November. Luckily, that's my last one for the year!

I'm also trying to finish emailing images for Zoya with My Lovely Beads. I'm writing an article at her request and I always find it hard to write about myself, especially in the third person. But I'm not going to turn down an opportunity to be featured!

Featured again!

I just found out this morning that I'm the featured member this week on the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team's website. My Google alerts just happened to pick it up, so I was really surprised. Thanks so much to Robin & Corinne for the warm welcome and support. I'm so glad that I've gotten involved in Etsy and the teams. It feels good to be part of a group. If you don't belong to a street team and sell on Etsy, consider it. It's a good promotion tool for one, but if you find a good group, the people on there can be invaluable to you. I've found support through Etsy Beadweavers, Team Bluegrass and my Beadchat group at Yahoo. Thanks to all of you!

And don't forget to vote for the Mark of Great Art and the Etsy-Beadweavers September Challenge!

Featured!

The wonderful and fabulous Cyndi Lavin has featured me today in her blog, "Jewelry and Beading". I'm really excited about being featured among all of the other incredible artisans that Cyndi's already featured. Thanks so much, Cyndi!

There's a new article through my local paper about the Maker's Mark exhibit, as well.

And don't forget to vote for the Etsy-Beadweavers September Challenge!

Woo-hoo! An award :)

Julie over at GemsByJules gave me an award for the September Etsy Beadweavers Challenge, Complimentary Contradictions (GO VOTE!). My award is "Best Use of Wooden Rings" :) Julie does this for fun every month during the challenge and is a great beader on top of it. Check her out!

Bracelets!

Added three new pieces to my Etsy store yesterday. The first is "All that glitters..." which is an even-count peyote bracelet featuring twisted dark gold bugles and gold Delicas. The clasp is a gold button closure with a loop.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15034651

The next piece is a sort of study in tubular herringbone, featuring a rainbow of colors. It's rather large and could actually be worn as an anklet by smaller boned people. It also has a a button and loop closure.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15035184

The last piece is probably my favorite. The October Challenge for the Etsy-Beadweavers is "Animal Instincts." I thought I'd try a zebra print, but in different colors than black & white. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but I think I'm going to do another piece for the Challenge :)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15034207

Speaking of challenges - go vote for the September Challenge! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com