I am TOO working!

I just don't have an awful lot to show for it yet.

This should be done by Monday morning so that it can go into the Priority package I'm sending Mak of MAKUstudio. Wish me luck!

Some time ago, Mak said she wanted something like this cuff made from one of her pieces.

All I can say is, Be careful what you wish for!

Living Vicariously

I only live about five hours from Tucson, so it may surprise many of you that I have never attended the Tucson Bead Show. Alas, there are so many reasons/excuses: 1. long drives (anything over an hour) are hard on me, 2. hotel rooms can be hard to come by, 3. I can get rather claustrophobic/anxious in large, tight crowds, 4. I lack the self-control not to go into life-long debt. Pretty pathetic, eh?

This year, however, I will attend, vicariously. This little piece is going to be at booth GP305 with my BAO buddy Marianne Kasparian ... who may be better known to you as the wonderful Mak of MAKUstudio.

Mak sent me the center bead a while ago, but (as usual, I'm afraid) it's been in my "I love this, let me just drool" pile until a few days ago when I finally had a "vision" of what I wanted to create. I finished all the beading, went to my fiber stash, and found, to my dismay, that the beautiful satiny white ribbon I knew I had was the same beautiful satiny white ribbon I gave to my mother in the fall. Well, Mak saved the day because she has some exquisite silk ribbons she will add to finish this off as a choker (or, if the ribbons are tied right, it could be a bracelet).

If you are going to be in Tucson, please stop by and visit with her and her gorgeous raku creations. If you aren't going to be in Tucson, even vicariously, stop by her store and enjoy yourself! Here's just a small sampling of her goodies:

African Mudcloth, Part the Second

I FINALLY finished the promised cuff and got it photographed and listed this morning. Whew. This is another one that really took much longer to bead up than I had expected, having perhaps more to do with my vertigo and headaches than the pattern itself. Regardless of how long and why, I am super pleased with the results and hope you (and some buyers!) will be as well.

And doesn't this pendant just look perfect with it?!


Now, be well and get going!

Wednesday's Treasur(i)es becomes Thursday's Treasuries

I've looked at my schedule and have decided that Thursday's Treasuries make a lot more sense than Wednesday's Treasur(i)es, so...as of today...I am not late...I have reorganized.

Take a look at the beauties I was lucky to find my work in this past week. Notice a distinct color theme?! Yearnings for Spring?

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Midori + Blue Curacao Treasury

kimiko611 included my Bright Peyote Triangle Pendant and Choker in this collection.

Turquoise and Lime Shadow Birds Magnet or Push Pin Set would be right at home in this list.

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Delicious Lilac and Lime and Splash of Color

CieloDesign included my Beta Carotene Peyote Triangle Fiber Necklace in this collection.

Tigers Eye Necklace would be right at home in this list.



And just a few days later, she included my Red Bargello Ribbon Peyote Cuff in this collection.

Azure Dream Necklace would be right at home in this list.

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All fired up

njema included my Sophisticated Felted Cuff with Ceramic Button in this collection.

Curls in the Dark Vase/Jar would be right at home in this list.

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Green Me Up, Scottie!

NightSkyJewelry included my Gorgeous Green Yarn Bracelet in this collection.

Sherwood Forest - Green Onyx Sterling Silver Earrings would be right at home in this list.

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Easy Bein' Green

teamzvonik included my Partial Lime Swirls Peyote Cuff in this collection.

Terrestrial (original oil painting on textured wood panel) would be right at home in this list.

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Bead Art Beauties

SmadarsTreasure included my Upcycled Felted Cashmere Cuff with Bead Embroidery and Raku Button in this collection.

Sparkling Bracelet with a Beadwoven Button would be right at home in this list.

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The Bbest of Bblack and Wwhite

yankeegirl included my Houndstooth Peyote Cuff in this collection.

There is no black and white in this colorful shop, so I'm picking one of my favorite flowers to show you: Twins-Photography Print-Morning Glory

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Thank you so much to all the wonderful Etsians who have singled out my creations for their beautiful treasuries! I get such a thrill every time I see a gold star next to a list :D

We interrupt your regulary scheduled programming

for a migraine. (Morwyn, are these catching???) Wednesday's Treasuries will resume on Thursday. We hope.

In the meantime, it's all about the love:

I invite you to share the love any time between now and Saturday morning: just click HERE!

Tuesday's Triangle

Still working on the cuff...

How many of these can you check off?

I saw this tag on ArtMind's blog and thought it was a nice change of pace to some of the tags I've seen lately. What I liked best about it is that I'm not tagging anyone else with it. If you like it, please consider yourself "tagged"; if you don't, don't worry about it ;)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

And here are two tags that I've posted on Facebook and Flickr, so I thought I would repeat them here, for you reading pleasure or annoyance ;)

25 Things
(My BAO teammate Heather Powers tagged me for this one)

1. I am half American, half German. Germany actually still considers me a citizen.
2. The German Army tried to draft me when I turned 18 which was kind of funny for several reasons: 1. I no longer lived in Germany and 2. at the time (I don't know about now), there were no women in the German military.
3. I was born the day before JFK took office.
4. I am probably more socialist than I am democrat.
5. I am going grey, quickly.
6. Beadweaving is my obsession.
7. I used to be an avid letter writer; now I have problems putting a coherent email together.
8. I am married to and deeply in love with my best friend. He is one of the handsomest men I have ever met. He also happens to be the kindest man I've ever known.
9. I have three dogs: Kyra, Tatum, and Callie.
10. I had five cats when we got married; now I have none. :(
11. My first serious boyfriend was a Russian, when I lived in Belgium, while my German father was stationed at NATO. This was during the Cold War.
12. I always believed that Germany would be reunited.
13. My mother-in-law is German.
14. I watch three soap operas regularly.
15. My favorite network night-time tv shows are Lost, 24, Grey's Anatomy.
16. I live for new episodes of Dr. Who and hate that Babylon 5, FarScape, Firefly, and Star Trek (any version!) are off the air.
17. I suspect that I am a secular humanist.
18. I went to kindergarten in Italy, where a nun slapped me for not speaking Italian.
19. I have been published in Step by Step Beads, Air Defense Artillery Magazine, and Der Spiegel (letter to the editor) as well as a few, more local publications.
20. I am all-but-thesis for a Masters in Professional Writing and Rhetoric. Not that that matters. Twenty years later, I quit a graduate program for an MBA in Marketing because, unlike the first go-round, I wasn't enjoying myself.
21. I am involved in getting a farmers and crafts market started in my area.
22. I have written several business plans for hire, but none for my own business, which is probably why I'm not making a living with my art.
23. I could live on bread and cheese...and potatoes.
24. Because of #23, I struggle with my weight.
25. I have an older half-brother I have never met.

16 Things
(LorenaPaola tagged me for this one on Flickr)

1. I have lived in Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the United States.
2. I skipped 9th grade, repeated 10th grade, and skipped 11th grade.
3. I was a horrible student until my senior year in high school when I discovered (no thanks to family support!) that I had a brain.
4. I finished all my course work for a Masters in Professional Writing and Rhetoric but never did write that dog-gone practicum.
5. I was a rather troubled teenager.
6. I never thought I had a creative bone in my body.
7. I am completely tone deaf to my own voice to the extent that I cannot even scan poetry.
8. I have hyper-sensitive hearing. We used to call them "teacher's ears."
9. I used to be extremely good at multi-tasking.
10. I love to read but am prevented from doing so because of head aches. I really miss it.
11. I have struggled with weight since I was a second grader.
12. I love the moon.
13. I find it difficult to just sit and watch tv. I have to be doing something with my hands.
14. Several people have remarked that I seem able to talk to just about anybody.
15. Despite #14, I am horribly shy. I just over-compensate.
16. I am loved like I never thought I would or could be loved. And for that I am grateful every day.

A new little pattern and the dangers of sharing

I know lots of you really love hearts, so I decided to put my simple little bargello heart (the one used in the pendant I showed you this weekend) in a sweet little pattern for a bracelet.

It should go without saying, but (and I beg you not to be insulted by this; it has just been coming up as an issue lately!) . . . PLEASE respect my copyright! If you want to bead this bracelet, you can BUY the pattern in my store. Please do not just copy it off of this photograph. That would be both unethical and illegal. Thank you for understanding.

BAO Item of the Week and a Little Preview

With Valentine's Day less than three weeks away, I thought it would be fun to highlight one of my softer, more romantic pieces.

Soft Raku Dreams

This is one of those pieces that is just so much more wonderful in person than my photographs can suggest.

Purchase and pay for this necklace by midnight February 1 and receive free shipping AND a beaded peyote band ring. Just be sure to leave your ring size in the Notes to Seller.

You can find details on the eleven other BAO Items of the Week on our blog:

And here's a taste of what I'm working on today:

I hope to have a finished product to show you on Wednesday.

Be well and get going!

Today, I "heart" hearts!

I'm really not much of a romantic. Not much of a touchy-feely, mushy kind of gal. Not into soft lacey things. Not much into pastels. Not much into hearts, really.

But we all need a change of pace every now and then, which is why these pieces found their way from my hands to my store. And perhaps to your wrist and neck?

This little pendant piece is super sweet and romantic, perfect for a young woman (or even girl).

This cuff, on the other hand, has a more modern edge to it, and thus appeals to the non-romantic in me more:

And, yes, this is the little heart from the pendant again. I think it adds a little sexy surprise to everything, much like a tattoo in unexpected places.

I *heart* you!

Be well and get going :D

For Your Beading Pleasure

In response to special requests by several beaders, I have just listed two more patterns in my store.

I always forget how much time it takes to put these together. whew. If there's a cuff of mine you'd like a pattern for, leave a comment and I'll put it on my "to do" list. ;)

Stuck on Steel

Yesterday, I listed a new, custom version of my "Hugs and Kisses" cuff using dark steel delicas and matte metallic grey triangle beads. It turned out gorgeous, and the buyer seems pleased, at least with the photographs. We'll have to see what she says when she gets to wear it :)

I think I will be re-listing this as a "made to order" piece soon, so if this is something you would like for yourself, just let me know ;)

In the meantime, I have played with my bargello hearts pattern to modernize it a little. This first edition of the new design is in steel and silver-lined wine delicas, but I'm envisioning it in all sorts of color combos.

My husband wants me to make another one with the wine beads as the background. hmmm. That could work.

On a personal note: Mom's (minimally invasive!!!) hip-replacement surgery went well yesterday, and she is now recovering at Tucson Medical Center, expecting to come home this weekend. Life is good.

More Fiber Goodies and Wednesday's Treasur(i)es

Last Thursday, I went to my favorite yarn shop - Unravel - and splurged on some gorgeous yarns (think teal, think green, think pink!) and three sets of bamboo dpn's in larger sizes.

One of the yarns is called "Love" ... and these are the first creations I've made from it, both listed in the shop.

On Monday, my dear mother-in-law gave me a gift certificate for my birthday. A gift certificate to Unravel!!! In almost the exact amount I spent there on Thursday. hehe. It's all in the timing. Now I get to visit this wonderful store without guilt.


And now to the little gifts that I receive year-round. This week, my work was featured in eleven wonderful treasuries. Each of these is such a gift! Thank you :D

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for the love of a title!!!

editionbw included my Abstract Southwestern Peyote Cuff in this collection.

Benjamin has many wonderful creations in his store, but you should really take a look at the scarves, which are all beautiful, like Wrap Scarf with Detachable Brooch, and which are all on SALE right now.

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Little Treasures

HighDesertDesign included my Evening Tidal Pool Peyote Cuff in this collection.

The talented Christine has both strung and beadwoven creations in her shop. I'm really partial to the beadwoven bracelets, like

Woven Bead Bracelet.

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Colorful Circles

ByTheBy included my Beaded Fabric and Peyote Cuff in this collection.

BytheBy has wonderful children's clothing in her shop. If I had a little girl, I would want her to have Daisy Kingdom Sundress or Jumper.

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Winter Brights

backwoodsophisticate included my Beaded Fabric and Peyote Cuff in this collection.

backwoodsophisticate uses a wide range of media to create her wonderful creations. I'm really intrigued by 3 in 1 Leather and Button Bracelet.

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Beauties from the BBEST Team

inalather included my Dramatic Red and Black Peyote Cuff in this collection.

inalather has a shop filled with wonderful lotions and soaps and shampoos. I'm really really tempted by Shampoo That Rocks for Patchouli Lovers. I just don't know that my husband loves patchouli enough to appreciate it in my hair. (And my mother hates the smell as much as I love it, so I would be barred from her house.)

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Starving for Conversation

RunAliceRun included my Repercussion Peyote Cuff in this collection.

Alice does wonderful, fun things with dominoes, poker chips, and buttons to decorate yourself, your fridge, your magnet boards. :) Spring Ahead - Domino Necklace is just one of many beauties in her shop.

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Turn up the heat

njema included my Dramatic Abstract Peyote Cuff in this collection.

Ginny is one of Etsy's many talented beadweavers, as evidenced by Gridded Circles in Orange and Blue - Herringbone Cuff . I especially enjoy how diverse her shop is.

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Gorgeous Stuff!!

CieloDesign included my Youthful Fancy Necklace with Raku Focal and Bead Embroidery in this collection.

Miriam is one of my BAO team mates. Like

Ophelia's Necklace, much of her work has a distinct exuberant romance to it that I just adore.

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Aqua Love

RachelesOriginals included my Youthful Fancy Necklace with Raku Focal and Bead Embroidery in this collection.

Rachele is a brand-new Etsian whose shop is already filling up with beadwoven beauties. If Passion Fire Woven Necklace is any indication, we are in for some real treats by this artist.

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This is a new day!

ingermaaike included my Summer Flame in this collection.

The wonderful talented and kind Inger is a fiber artist extraordinaire. I've been fortunate to be able to give her creations to several very special women in my life and to keep one of her wraps for myself. I've been drooling over

Twisted blues.

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YOU ARE LOVED

primsbyandrea included my Kite in the Night Sky Embellished Wool Felt Clutch in this collection.

Andrea is a mixed media collage artists who works in the primitive/naive style. One of my favorite restaurants is the Red Rooster in Anthony, and so Mixed Media Collage Rooster Chicken PRiMiTiVE folk art BREAKFAST caught my eye.

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Thank you so much to all the wonderful Etsians who have singled out my creations for their beautiful treasuries! I get such a thrill every time I see a gold star next to a list :D