Day 6 - Use a different metal

Today's challenge is to try a different metal - here I come copper....

Typically, I'm a silver girl.  I don't know why - I just like it.  Today's challenge was to use a different metal, so I went with copper.  I found these GORGEOUS earring pieces and purchased these stunning vintage, czech glass beads and found out how beautiful they look together!  Proud of this one. =)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/125688978/vintage-copper-and-green-earrings

Day 5 - Use some leftovers

YAY!  Use some leftovers!! 

These beads are awe-some!  When I first started beading, I purchased these little tubes of glass beads.  They were a nice variety for a good price and at that point, I was still a beginner and didn't need anything fancy (do I NEED fancy now?  NO!).  I've come to LOVE these beads because I can make ADORABLE pieces for a decent price and still good quality.  These beads are some of my oldest and some of my favoritest!  OH - and I made a new product too - medical id bracelets. =)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/125580554/multicolor-medical-id-bracelet

Day 4 - Try a New Beading Weave....um...

So - today is "Try a New Beading Weave" day - I don't bead weave.  Instead, I decided to do 'Finish a project' day...so that's what I did. 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I will be having a piece of my jewelry in BeadStyle Magazine (the largest in the World), in July!  I made this piece in the same style as the piece that will be in the magazine.  I made it a little more formal/bridal - just because I could. =)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/125571526/pearl-crystal-silver-bib-style-necklace

Day 3 - A piece for a friend

A few weeks ago, a girlfriend asked me to create a badge holder for her, for her newly minted badge!  I have been working on a few different options for her and am awaiting her decision on which she likes best =)

YAY!  I also made another badge that could be purchased by anyone, but is simply beautiful, if I do say so myself. =)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125572285/badgelanyard-holder-silver-and-clear

Day 2: A simple strung necklace

A simple strung necklace - I chose to re-do a necklace I had that hadn't sold.  Here's the new...


Here is day 2:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/100672149/pink-cream-and-silver-necklace

And the old:

Giving it a Whirl!

In my last post, I talked about not being in my bead room, enough.  SO!  I have decided to do a 30 day beading challenge.  An online supplier has issued a challenge and offered a calendar of 30 days of beading fun and I'm going to give it a whirl!

Day 1:
A pair of earrings
https://www.etsy.com/listing/125259832/light-blue-springy-wire-earrings

Ugh

I realized tonight that it's been a looong time since I spent some "quality time" in my beading room.  Just haven't felt inspired lately.  I dunno why.  Perhaps because I've been discouraged with some things that are happening behind the screen, but more I think because I just have been feeling kind of..... un-important.

I'm not saying I'm depressed, but just frustrated that people who SHOULD care for us - continue to refuse care to me.  It hurts my feelings, but more than that, it makes me sad that the reason I feel this way is because I feel unwanted and unworthy.  Now, many might think "oh gee - she's feeling bad because she's single".... no.... I'm feeling bad because DOCTORS are treating me this way.  (BTW - don't we PAY them to care about us?)  Why is that acceptable?  I didn't ASK for the issues I have, I didn't PICK them, I didn't CHOOSE them.... so why is it ok for someone to tell me that they don't want me?  *I* didn't have that choice.  Do these people REALIZE the message that they sending?  The message is "you're not worth my time" - then they wonder why depression is so rampant.  Really?!

Craft Night!

Here it is - or was - Valentines Day and I find myself single - again.  In years past, I've often had parties to celebrate singleness, done Mystery Dinners, and all kinds of other fun evenings with lots of friends and great memories.  This year, I was feeling kinda down not knowing what I was going to do, because I'm still new here and still feel pretty dis-connected.  I don't feel like I have a flowing group of friends that I can call at the drop of a hat to hang out for the evening, go do something crazy or just hang out.  (For the record, I've been here since August and I've not had one friend (non-family member) come to my home or frankly, even know where it is)

Since I've been here, I've done my best to attend a weekly Bible study with some ladies.  I've struggled to feel like I fit in and feeling like I'm not liked.  More importantly, I feel like it doesn't matter if I'm there or not - which makes it even harder for someone who has struggled with social anxiety, since becoming chronically ill, to feel like they "belong".

Well, on Tuesday, after our study - I was talking with 2 other girls and discussing what we were going to do tonight, after dinner.  I offered to bring supplies to make bracelets.  I just kinda threw the idea out and it seemed to be well received.  So, as I started to plan for this (mind you, 48 hours ago) I realized that if I was going to do this - I wanted to bring out the 'good stuff'.  We, as single women, are often discounted as not valuable because we're not married.  The truth is - we're the 'good stuff' in God's eyes!  SO, knowing that I'd want to bring Swarovski, Preciosa and other high quality beads I realized that I didn't have enough for a group of  up-to 10.  I needed a plan change - and quick.  I came up with the idea to make pendants.

I brought some glass tiles, some 'glossy accents' and scrapbook papers and we went to work.  We had so much fun cutting things out, being creative and laughing!  I also told the ladies about my angst of not having enough of the 'good stuffs' to bring for the class, so I brought small little Swarovskis and put one on each of the girls bails (the little metal piece which makes a little piece of something into a pendant), before they glued them on. *OOOH I love me some phone photos - still sad my camera is holed up in my storage unit in Virginia =(*

It turned out to be a great night - full of home cooked food, hand crafted pendants and remembering that WE are God's Swarovski - Shining like the sun, for HIM!

I SOLD It!

Yep - that's right - I sold one of the pieces (the one below) I made for the No-Show!  SO excited that despite the stinko situation, I was true to myself and true to the beautiful pieces that I make. 

I went to a show this weekend, it was pretty d-e-d...however a very sweet woman came to my table (I was tucked away from the main rooms) and she fell in LOVE with this necklace!  I felt like a SuperStar!  It just reminded me that regardless of how discouraged I feel, God has given me this talent.

The other thing I'm reminded of is that OTHER PEOPLE LIKE MY STUFF! Ok, some of you are like 'Duh!  That's why you're selling, right?' - well kinda - but the truth is - I sell so I can feed my beading habit.  =)  The whole process just reminded how important it is to remember that this woman (No-Show) liked my jewelry that I had made just for fun - not because I was trying to make something specifically for a wedding.  It also reminded me of how fragile my feelings toward my work can be so easily be broken. 

I  realized that I pour so much of ME into each piece I make.  Every time I make something - a piece of me goes with it.  That's either really COOL to think or really CREEPY. =)

You are an Obsession....Your my obsession...

Pearls.  It's true.  I can admit it.  Pearls are my obsession.  Why?  They're beautiful.  They're classic. They NEVER go out of style.  Did I mention they are beautiful?

I've got a show tomorrow and this last week I took out all my pieces to decide where to put what (after removing Christmas-y pieces) and it was like a sea of pearls!  (HAHA!  A SEA of Pearls!)  I didn't realize how many pieces I had made with them in it...matte pearls, big pearls, little pearls, colored pearls, white pearls... Pearls! Pearls! Pearls!  Could be worse I guess...could be poo!