Ornamentea

I visited my dream bead store yesterday.  What, you don't have a dream bead store?  Well, you are missing out.  I have been watching Ornamentea's website for years.  They have such a fresh style and new ideas, I couldn't wait to visit.  I made Heber detour our ride home just so I could stop in.  Come on, I've been dying to visit for years.

It didn't disappoint.  There were so many great ideas and I felt so much inspiration.  I think I could have spent hundreds of dollars.

I think I can feel the creativity creeping back into me.  For a very long time even over a year, I just didn't have it.  I would sit down to make something and nothing would come.  There was even a few months in there that I packed up and put away my jewelry making supplies.  I put everything in the closet.  There has never been a time in the last 10 years that I haven't had beads close at hand so that was pretty significant.  Maybe it was exhaustion, stress, processing moves, worry...it was a lot of things.  This parenthood and I guess life thing is rough sometimes.  But, it's coming back, the creativity is here.  I take that as a good sign.

I sat down at my table and I made things I've never seen before.  I brought my glass into my work and created some pieces that I am more proud of than ever before.  There is so much joy in creating something beautiful.  It buoys me up and gets me through the days when everybody is melting down or just being toddlers (you know what mean). Here's some of the things I've been making lately. 

 

 

Something in the Email This Morning...

Dear Artist, 

thank you for submitting to the New Works: 3^rd Annual Faculty and Student Exhibition here at the Workhouse. This email is to confirm your entry into the exhibit. Attached is an art work label for the back or bottom of your piece. Please have you work labeled when bringing it in for drop off.

Public Opening Reception: Friday, January 4, 5-7pm

Thank you for participating!

That's me, the artist.  My heart is just swelling.  

Here is the project I submitted.  All the large beads were made by me and then I put the piece together.  

The Jewelry Boutique

Last week I did something I have never done before...I sold my jewelry.  It seems like lately, I've been doing a lot more with jewelry and that opportunities keep popping up.  I participated in a spring boutique with 2 other sales people.  I don't really consider myself a home-based sales person, so it was definitely out of my comfort zone but I felt like it turned out ok.

I think it was a bit nerve racking for me because it's uncomfortable for others to make the judgement on items that you have put so much effort into.  People seemed to like it, which was validating for me.  Although, the things I was sure would sell didn't and the ones I wasn't sure about sold.

I'm not sure if I'll do this again but it was a good experience to get some feedback.  Here's how it all turned out with pictures of some of the projects.

The Display

Earrings made with my flameworked beads.  I actually have quite a few of these still in stock.  I don't want to solicit but if you'd like a pair, they're $9.

Some of the earrings

A knotted necklace.  The picture isn't really true to the colors.  It was a really pretty coral color with the white.

A knotted necklace with one of the hollow beads that I made on the torch.  This one didn't sell.  Can you believe that?

Vibrant pink beads with one of my hollows.

The Bead Store

This is my bead store.

I always have a bead store.  I think it's the criteria for living some place.  First you find the library (obviously) and then a decent bead store and then maybe the grocery store.  The biggest mistake I could make would be to stop doing the things I really enjoy.  Thus the finding of a bead store to go for inspiration.

Heb and I actually discovered this bead store long before we moved out here.  We were out on business years ago and while stuck in the famous VA traffic, we pulled off the road and into a quaint historic harbor village complete with antique stores and of course the witch store.  We found "Off the Beading Path" and it's been one of my stores since.

These are the projects for the classes that they offer.  It's a good variety.
 
Wait, do you see that?  It's my name.  This is my project on the wall.  I am thrilled.

 I'm going to be teaching this class in May.  It's my first official gig.  Now let's just hope people sign up...

A First - Giveaway

So, I've decided to do something that I have never done before. It's time for a giveaway on the blog.

Why a giveaway? Well, I am slightly curious about who reads and I have been living in the February blues and need something to cheer me up. It's been a lot of stress, working, being frustrated, working and doing school. I don't think I would've made it through another week without President's Day. Bless those president's for having February birthdays. Although, I'm still working on school stuff today....

I've been making beads on the torch like crazy this month to practice and I need to start clearing out. You should see how they are coming along though, so great! I made this pair but they are just slightly too large for me to wear and I didn't want to have to take them apart. I'm kind of picky about earring sizes. Anyway, I made myself another pair just the same only slightly smaller.


So, all of you out there, leave a comment, and maybe get a beautiful pair of handmade earrings. They are made out of saturated red beads (made especially by me using a torch) and wire. Closes in 1 week.

How's that for fun?

Something New

Any of you who read my blog or that know me, know that one of my main hobbies is making jewelry, shown by my foray into other things like actually making the beads. For me, there is such a joy that comes with creating, of putting the things together and seeing the end result. I sometimes laugh that I don't really have a wide array of hobbies, I mean I sing, dance and read but the main one is creating jewelry.

Every once in a while, I put together something that just blows me away. Over the holidays I needed a necklace to wear to the blessing and this is what I came up with. I was so happy with it, I thought I would share it with you all. I hope it will inspire you too.