tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17339963195539930122011-12-22T13:06:14.222-06:00Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.comBlogger1501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-12197008724053833072011-06-13T17:16:00.002-05:002011-06-13T17:18:01.556-05:00

I said the other day that I haven't been doing anything artsy in recent months, but actually that's not true - I've been going to some Stampin Up demos and classes, which I have been enjoying a lot. So while it may not be original artwork, I still come home with really cute cards all finished, which is great! So here's some of the stuff I made at the last class. I doubt I would ever in a million

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-3530441740072167332011-06-08T00:51:00.000-05:002011-06-08T00:51:52.833-05:00

I did a post back several months ago about the things you can do with Ikea Malma mirrors, and Ikea hackers just popped up with another one I really like, done with a laser etcher. I posted it to Pinterest under the heading Craft Supplies I Crave, although I'm not sure it's entirely true that I crave a laser etcher. Or at least, I only crave it in the way that a gadget-crazy person craves the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-38541602226284823372011-02-22T16:02:00.000-06:002011-02-22T16:02:20.600-06:00

Remember back in September or so when I was working on the sampler grid thing for Claudine's class and I said I'd post a picture of it when I finished? (No, you probably don't. I barely did.) Well, I did finish it, way back then, and it's been on my wall all this time, but I never remembered to take a picture - but now I have! And here it is: I don't think it's perfect, by any means, but it's

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-63819322954031477952011-02-13T22:20:00.001-06:002011-02-13T22:20:51.126-06:00

I'd really like to take this class, but I'm trying to restrain myself. It starts tomorrow, but registration is open until April 1st, so I have until then to convince myself that I can afford it. (It's the latest thing in online games that's making me feel so broke. Game + discounted multi-month subscription = about the price of that class.)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-53148800610410940172011-02-13T00:57:00.000-06:002011-02-13T00:57:26.025-06:00

I still have not gotten hold of any of Claudine Hellmuth's layered stamps, and I still really want to. Here's Claudine doing a quick demo (I think this will embed right, cross your fingers): Scrap Time - Claudine Hellmuth's Creative Layer Stamps from Mark Giles on Vimeo. As I said at some length last summer, I am a huge fan of all of Claudine's products - I haven't changed my mind about that

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-84067904906616313572011-02-08T02:42:00.000-06:002011-02-08T02:42:19.623-06:00

This is way cool.

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-47108583687619539542011-02-07T23:58:00.000-06:002011-02-07T23:58:11.736-06:00

I love to see people's updates from conventions and craft shows and such, and the past couple of weeks there have been a ton of them. In case you don't already know why, the CHA wholesale craft show was last week (see CraftCritique, among other places, for lots of updates) and now the Tucson jewelry show(s) are in full swing. Beader Marcia DeCoster has an update up on Lark Crafts' website. I

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-89694942124675723872011-01-10T02:01:00.002-06:002011-01-10T14:16:49.858-06:00

"Malma" is the name of a mirror that you can buy at Ikea - this one, to be exact: It's 10" square and is usually available in a couple of different stains, for $2.99. (Reportedly Michael's sometimes has a knock-off version for $1.) I bought a couple of the dark-stained ones the last time I went to Ikea, back before Christmas, and today I went looking for the original tutorial I saw, the one that

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-51336093455819482522010-11-12T00:43:00.001-06:002010-11-12T00:44:49.129-06:00

So I fell down the stairs three weeks ago and hurt my feet - I know I'm darn lucky I didn't actually break something, like my head - but my feet are still achy enough that I skipped the quilt show this year and I'm still aggravated about that. I was intending to go right up until the last minute, but I finally decided that it was a bad, bad idea, given the amount of walking involved, and I think

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-37235491211977524942010-10-23T01:40:00.001-05:002010-10-23T01:40:52.049-05:00

Sand Fibers did a whole post full of ravens, including this one, which I adore: Raven pendant from Etsy seller polkadotmagpie (Also take a look at this cool mixed media piece with ravens, too, from the AS Creative Team Blog.)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-87695953117729297512010-10-13T09:09:00.000-05:002010-10-13T09:09:38.789-05:00

Cathie Filian is posting really adorable Halloween crafts this month - it looks like she's posting something daily all month. So go look, because there's some great costume ideas and also some cute decor ideas.

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-2415009701270991822010-10-06T02:38:00.002-05:002010-10-06T02:40:25.182-05:00

quilted autumn leaves Originally uploaded by MelliciousIt's fall - even here on the Gulf, the nighttime temps have dropped quite a lot - and I just happened to notice this picture of my beloved fall leaf quilt, which apparently made Flickr's 'interesting' page briefly back when I first posted it. (Here is the finished version: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mellicious/140829643) I had been

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-33037813977733567082010-10-04T01:22:00.001-05:002010-10-05T01:38:51.940-05:00

Here is a partial shot of the bracelet I made in my BeadFest Texas class: The class was excellent, and I actually got my bracelet finished, which is amazing (although I may go back and redo the jump-rings, because while they look great, they are a little large for normal use. By which I mostly mean that they seem prone to catch on things.) Anyway, I duly pounded on metal and used various kinds

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-38210359325783275132010-09-26T00:15:00.000-05:002010-09-26T00:15:17.309-05:00

I think I mentioned before that I've been playing around with Tumblr, and actually I've been using it lately at least as much I've been using Twitter, or probably more. I enjoy Twitter, but Tumblr is a lot more versatile - and unlike Blogger it can figure out what size to make an embedded YouTube video without me having to figure it out for myself! My Tumblr account is called Delicious Color,

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-53064092848113626752010-09-16T00:45:00.000-05:002010-09-16T00:45:25.255-05:00

I showed some of my 2" squares the other day, and here is the full set: They're now glued down to their intended background, but I haven't got a good picture of that yet so I thought I'd go ahead and show you what I have. Here's a better look at four of the five new ones: Two of them are the Bazzill glazed paper I talked about before - those are the two with the white on them. You go really

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-84423366876728442952010-09-14T22:09:00.004-05:002010-09-15T01:02:31.987-05:00

I went in the book store earlier, and I saw some fun Halloween crafty things: Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Creepy-Cute Toys, Magical Treats, and More! Ruby slippers! Also, has everybody seen the Martha Stewart thing? It doesn't show up as a book on Amazon, so I can't link it, but I've seen it on a couple of newstands already -- it's called "Halloween Handbook: the best of Martha Stewart."

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-43219744190695425552010-09-10T00:59:00.003-05:002010-09-10T01:05:12.481-05:00

I am dying to see the new Harry Potter movie, and there's a new trailer out: (Oops, I thought I was grabbing the low-res version, and it looks like they have substituted the high-res version instead. So you probably want to click over to YouTube or The Leaky Cauldron so you can actually see the whole thing!) (I am either going to have to figure out how to post video so that it sizes correctly

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-74992118973471543252010-09-05T02:10:00.008-05:002010-09-10T00:45:53.777-05:00

On-the-fly color mixing (with CH Studio paints): Sky Blue + Purple Palette = a really lovely cornflower-ish color Smidge of Blue + Dab of Yellow + Pastel Yellow = a nice forest green (I discovered the latter because I tried the first two  - that is, Smidge of Blue and Dab of Yellow, which is a darker golden-yellow - and thought the resulting color was too dark. So I thought "Add more yellow!" and

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-9730112116971604762010-08-31T02:44:00.007-05:002010-08-31T18:39:42.159-05:00

I bought some little spacer beads from Amy Houston recently, and I really love these beads. They're about 6mm wide, so they're not super tiny. (I'm guessing it's not easy to make lampwork beads much smaller than this, though!) This is one of the sets I got. I love these colors. (I also wish I could take pictures as good as hers!) Anyway, I decided I like these so much that I did my first-ever

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-50999274371400808552010-08-27T16:37:00.003-05:002010-09-14T22:26:44.123-05:00

You never know what you're going to find on Amazon, and how much they're going to feel like charging that day. For example, I found a blog post (unfortunately I no longer remember where it was!) that featured a couple of pages from Print & Stamp Lab: 52 Ideas for Handmade, Upcycled Print Tools. So I looked it up on Amazon, and lo and behold, they happened to have it on sale for $5 and change. So

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-42868793357120010892010-08-26T04:06:00.002-05:002010-08-26T04:08:14.572-05:00

This is really brilliant. (I suspect you need to have seen both movies - "Inception" and "Up", that is - to really appreciate it, though.) What's amazing is how well it all fits. Who thinks of this stuff? (I've seen "Inception" twice, by the way, I loved it. And I love "Up" so much I've watched it repeatedly on video, which is something I don't do a lot.) Hmm, I think my super-narrow format

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-3521213205345870802010-08-25T16:16:00.001-05:002010-08-25T16:24:56.766-05:00

I was watching this video earlier on itunes: It's still a pretty amazing thing technically, and an amazing piece of craftiness on somebody's part. (Also, my god, Peter Gabriel looks so young!) Added: if you enjoyed that one, be sure to also check out Sledgehammer, which according to Wikipedia was made before the "Big Time" video. It's probably even more impressive technically (and a better

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-32156230411417448142010-08-19T04:16:00.003-05:002010-08-19T18:49:33.541-05:00

When I posted about the circles and rub-ons thing I made, I meant to write down exactly how I mixed these colors, because I knew I would forget, and I wanted to write it down for my own reference. And of course I did not actually do that, and now I want to know. We are now on week 8 of 12 in Claudine's class, which is starting to sound like we're getting toward the end, although really there's

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-43318193236122141222010-08-19T04:11:00.001-05:002010-08-27T17:04:06.617-05:00

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...who is the fairest CB folder of them all?? This is really a cute Cuttlebug-inspired idea - not at all what you'd expect.

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-35602967548922937752010-08-16T02:48:00.000-05:002010-08-16T02:48:32.915-05:00

Here's the Swarovski-bead watch I talked about in the last entry, and then I also I finished the watch that was unfinished at the time: The little cube beads are some that I bought from Sonoran Beads last fall at the quilt show (they're in this post - and they're on sale on their website at the moment, too, I notice!) The spacers in with the cube beads are some I had on hand - they work really

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-81307167436325754932010-08-10T03:49:00.004-05:002010-08-10T18:42:23.897-05:00

I know it's been true lately that the only way a new reader would really know this is supposed to be a jewelry blog is from the name. Well, I guess there's some jewelry-related stuff in the sidebar, too. There just hasn't been much jewelry-related content. So that's why I'm excited to finally have some. First of all, we have some earrings: This is not a great picture, particularly because the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-74918598909574912402010-08-10T03:36:00.000-05:002010-08-10T03:36:17.621-05:00

I'm a couple of weeks behind with the weekly projects for Claudine's class, so I just did the week three project in the middle of week 5. (Actually, being rather famously a procrastinator, I consider this to be pretty good. But I've kept up with the classwork in general much better than I really thought I would.) There's nothing terribly complicated about how this is put together. It has

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-88095375074417001212010-08-06T05:42:00.002-05:002010-08-06T14:41:04.926-05:00

I really have a thing about Halloween. I have tons of Halloween junk already - far more than one household of two people has any use for - and I am having to restrain myself from going out and buying all the new crafty stuff that's coming out for this year - for example, the stuff shown in these two YouTube videos from Two Peas. It's all just so cute! Meanwhile, what I ought to be doing, assuming

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-66802014547195913552010-07-29T06:10:00.004-05:002010-07-29T15:20:58.981-05:00

Here is the latest and greatest from Claudine's class: This is done in a similar way to the video that's been posted on Ranger's site - here. (Let's see if I can embed it...) The only difference is that instead of embossing a second color, we're dusting on Perfect Pearls powder. I think the silvery color of it looks really appropriate for the gear images! (Masks by Tim Holtz; I used Zing

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-29995842036489084922010-07-26T16:45:00.007-05:002010-07-26T16:58:11.248-05:00

These are my two little trees done on 4x4" framed canvas. I got worried when I saw this picture because the horizon looks so off on the second one, and it is a tiny bit off, but not as much as it looks like in the picture. I decided it's not so off that I can't live with it. Which is good because the blooming tree has already been redone a couple of times. The first try is here and I got carried

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-14041148234003514852010-07-24T22:32:00.003-05:002010-07-24T23:38:55.602-05:00

This is so cute, but it's the kind of thing I'd never get around to doing! Embossed Metal Card Tree (done with a Cuttlebug; you can tell what I've been looking up...) I don't know why it never occurs to me to look on Amazon for things like a Cuttlebug - they have a really good deal if you have Amazon Prime because the shipping is free. I bought mine from HSN in a sort of package deal, but if I'd

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-75119107888005868272010-07-24T05:19:00.007-05:002010-07-29T04:49:51.269-05:00

Reader KarenD (probably the only person among my current readership who has met me in person) has different hobbies than me these days (hers are quilting and knitting, I believe) and she didn't know what a Cuttlebug was. I tried to explain, but here is the picture of mine, which I don't believe I had previously posted. (My goodness, it looks green in this picture - it's actually not green at all!

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-22416409793953050252010-07-23T15:00:00.003-05:002010-07-23T16:07:30.662-05:00

So, I got to use my new Cuttlebug! I put a piece of sticky-back canvas in the wrong way the first time I tried, so I guess that means I got a deboss effect instead of an emboss, but it still looks pretty. The debossed one is on top, and the emboss, which was what I intended to do the first time, is the bottom one: Putting the paint on was very easy to do; I was surprised at how well that part

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-71187170606904544652010-07-18T23:51:00.013-05:002010-07-24T17:32:20.425-05:00

This week in Claudine's class: This is actually the project from last week, changed up a bit. It will probably end up on a card eventually, but right now it's just a big loose heart. I used Claudine's Dash of Red paint mixed with Extra Time (which is a slow-dry medium) for both layers - it's just got some Blank Canvas mixed in with it on the bottom (larger) layer. The smaller heart is a piece

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-25832736529578615122010-07-17T20:56:00.001-05:002010-07-23T15:06:13.849-05:00

Now this is not a book you might expect me to purchase if you know me well, because I am not a scrapbooker (as I think I've mentioned): The Scrapbooker's Creativity Kit: Prompts And Ideas To Jump Start Your Layouts But I'm taking Claudine's class and it sounded interesting (and I found a good price on a like-new copy!) so I thought I'd try it. And I think, now that I have it, that it's really

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-65277743204311993162010-07-17T00:02:00.007-05:002010-07-17T00:35:20.439-05:00

I think I've linked to this book once before, but that was when I had been perusing it in Barnes & Noble, and I actually own it now. Custom Cool Jewelry: Create 200+ Personalized Pendants, Charms, and ClaspsThis book is about two years old now, and I suspect that a lot of the mixed-media type of ideas in it have gotten much more mainstream during that time - heck, this book may be the reason

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-49117511303705560322010-07-14T22:03:00.000-05:002010-07-14T22:03:32.250-05:00

I have several new books I haven't talked about yet. (I may put them into several posts because more than one Amazon link per entry tends to get wonky.) Fabulous Fabric Beads: Create Custom Beads and Art Jewelry Kristal Wick didn't invent fabric beads, but she does seem to have perfected a technique for making them. I have plenty of fabric to play with, so I really should try this. (I kept

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-7381376000108857542010-07-14T02:56:00.002-05:002010-07-19T03:29:07.797-05:00

It just occurred to me that I never did post the picture of my latest bit of classwork here: This is a resist done with a watermark stamp and painted over. I actually used a Perfect Medium stamp, because I couldn't find the Ranger Watermark inkpad that was recommended, but the one I had worked just fine. (The class consensus, though, is that Versamark, which is another brand of clear ink, does

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-80972289849612619862010-07-13T17:39:00.002-05:002010-07-14T02:39:38.938-05:00

I knew this existed, but I was too lazy to look it up, and then Cleolinda did the work for me by providing  links right on her Twitter feed: Twilight in 15 minutes. She actually linked to the new one (Eclipse in 15 Minutes), of course, but there were helpful links right there to the others, so I'm golden. And it is, as usual, very funny. If you've never read any of Cleolinda's parodies, she's

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-80878777218140012602010-07-12T02:44:00.001-05:002010-07-12T02:49:22.538-05:00

(I don't know where I stole "administrivia" from - somebody I read somewhere uses it though. I'd guess it was my friend Col; at least it sounds like him. In any case, it always seems very apropos.) I just wanted to say, what with my readership apparently burgeoning and everything - I have nine whole followers now! - that I am so far resisting changing my comment settings, even though I have been

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-58837876986855155982010-07-12T01:32:00.006-05:002010-07-12T01:44:15.648-05:00

I'm doing something I never quite thought I'd do - I'm watching Twilight. It's not really my thing, but I was curious. It's become such a pop-culture legend, you know? And I guess I can see why the teenage girls are all into it - it's that whole doooooomed romance thing, I think. I might be more into it if Robert Pattinson was more my type, but he doesn't really do it for me. I don't know why,

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-14627933788036399722010-07-10T03:23:00.002-05:002010-07-12T02:26:10.677-05:00

I don't know that this is actually a trend, but I'm hoping: Because I get so bored with wedding dresses. What would you call that color, sort of a pale taupe? It seems a little more grayed-out to me than a pure sand color. Anyway, whatever it is, I like it. Plus look, it has sleeves, even if they're only little bitty things. Honestly, have you seen anybody wear a wedding dress with sleeves in

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-71088744850660136932010-07-08T23:35:00.018-05:002010-07-09T00:10:48.965-05:00

Warning: this is one of my periodic, slightly excessive I-went-shopping-and-here's-everything-I-bought posts. Just so you know. (It could be worse, much worse - at least I don't get around to doing this every time I go shopping!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just last night, this postcard came in the mail: But as it happens, I already knew

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-19820907524787602302010-07-06T21:48:00.000-05:002010-07-06T21:48:42.730-05:00

Those of you who've been reading here a while may remember that I have a weakness for donuts - the jewelry kind, that is. And on a related subject (the relationship will become clear in just a minute), I have been resisting playing around with Suze Weinberg's Melt Art techniques, even though I like a lot of the stuff she does with it, because I'd have to buy a good many more supplies and I've

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-84232518871691272622010-07-05T23:42:00.000-05:002010-07-05T23:42:47.260-05:00

I read somewhere that doilies are coming back into fashion, and that reminded of me of this little quilt of my mom's: I think she got the pattern at the International Quilt Festival some years back. I always thought it was a very clever idea. (I have a whole collection of pictures of my mom's quilts on Flickr, if you're interested - here.)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-25858496706136738032010-07-05T16:52:00.008-05:002010-07-19T03:29:55.437-05:00

This was the weekly project for my class and I am really in love with it. The green on the tree - and the grass - was my own addition - the main technique for the week was doing gesso transfer, and the practice picture we had was this tree, but it was just black and white. I went to Michael's and bought this little 5x5" canvas on sale, and then I loved the results so much that I went back the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-9747313541538015832010-07-02T05:18:00.010-05:002010-07-19T03:30:32.975-05:00

I made these earrings a couple of days ago and I really like them - they look adorable on. They are not all that long, but they swing around just enough, as far as I'm concerned. Enough to be a bit eye-catching, I guess you'd say, without being so big they bother me. I'm having a terrible time getting decent pictures of any of my pendants, but here's one: This is one of the first ones I did with

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-30077289487231221472010-06-30T20:33:00.001-05:002010-07-19T03:31:01.861-05:00

I got Kerry Bogert's Totally Twisted: Innovative Wirework & Art Glass Jewelry, and all I can say is, I'm sorry I waited so long to get it. I love wirework and I'm always saying I want to start doing more of it, so maybe if I try a couple of these projects it'll get me kick-started. We'll see. But anyway, this book is beautiful to look at and the projects look great and the only downside I see is

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-92167047845023535092010-06-23T02:00:00.007-05:002010-07-19T03:31:24.391-05:00

It may be foolish of me to try to write an entry right now, when I'm operating on very, very little sleep, but I'm in the mood and I'm not always in the mood lately, so it seems best to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. (In fact I'm not sure I've touched an iron since we moved a year and a half ago, but there is one around here somewhere, I do know that!) I've made several pieces of

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-4445538584518169532010-05-29T03:38:00.002-05:002010-07-19T03:31:50.742-05:00

I don't know what's up with me and the classes all of a sudden, but classes and workshops usually make me happy, so maybe I ought to be taking more of them, right? Which is to say, I signed up for another class. I feel kind of guilty about spending money since I'm still not working, but I'm already signed up for these two (that is, the BeadFest class and the one I'm about to tell you about) and

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-31983041121709427142010-05-27T03:49:00.002-05:002010-05-27T03:52:45.513-05:00

Anybody want to come take a class at Bead Fest Texas with me? They opened up registration, and I decided on a whim to take "Scrap Box Bracelet" which is a full-day class on October 2nd. It's expensive but it includes almost all of the materials, so that helps. Here's the sample bracelet: I've been meaning to learn cold connections and that kind of thing, anyway. Plus I like the bracelet. I'm

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-53275841220109289622010-05-18T15:58:00.000-05:002010-05-18T15:58:12.798-05:00

I keep starting and abandoning entries about where I've been, and I guess that's because the question of where I've been is not really easily answered, or rather there are multiple answers. I spent most of the winter being terribly depressed - but I've been working on that and I feel considerably better now - and even though I neglected my classes horribly while I was busy moping, I did manage to

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-31883024435884320662010-04-01T02:50:00.003-05:002010-04-01T03:15:34.522-05:00

I've been sort of absent - sorry about that! OK, so, when last heard from... I posted a couple of weeks ago about how I was experimenting with painting easter eggs. I finally got around to taking some pictures: This was part of my first round of experimenting. (Visible behind is the only non-easter-related thing I did, which is a decoupaged letter S. There are some decoupage eggs, too, so I'll

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-5638649309008508912010-03-11T02:10:00.005-06:002010-03-11T04:16:27.878-06:00

I can never resist getting snarky about Oscar dresses, so I wrote this up and since it has a good bit about jewelry in it, I'm putting it here for your consumption. You can play along by looking at this slideshow, which are the same pictures I was looking at when I wrote this. Be sure to notice that if you hover over those pictures there are additional little "detail" pictures of jewelry and bags

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-40711483296136163672010-03-01T19:12:00.001-06:002010-03-01T19:13:20.513-06:00

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had been painting easter eggs. I've been having the best time playing around with it, even though I really have no idea what I'm doing. This didn't start out having anything to do with Easter, really, it started because I was wanting to try out the paint, and paper mache easter eggs seemed like a good (small, cheap) thing to experiment on. I had a set of

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-71051987981010972172010-02-22T23:24:00.000-06:002010-02-22T23:24:36.740-06:00

I love the colors they're using for the Winter Olympics:   This is a random curling photo I ganked from someplace; I picked it because you can see the wall of the ice rink pretty well in it. This same design (or at least a very similar one) seems to be on all the ice rinks and painted on fences, etc, all over the place. If you've watched any ice skating, you've seen the one there. I just think

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-34063416272341428122010-02-19T00:25:00.000-06:002010-02-19T00:25:51.043-06:00

OMG, I got a listed in a Treasury! My first one! Thanks to corkycrafts for including me! (And I seriously crave a couple of those other pieces there...)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-89653582964955892542010-02-16T23:40:00.004-06:002010-02-16T23:43:51.079-06:00

The Zipper Quilt, on display Originally uploaded by MelliciousSo I went to Target today and one of the things I noticed was a lot of stuff in my favorite pink/orange/yellow combination. The picture here is one of the last quilts I finished (which was a couple of years ago now). I came up with this combination sort of by accident, and at the time I thought I'd come up with something really

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-3743219515830544612010-02-16T03:02:00.002-06:002010-02-16T23:43:33.266-06:00

I have been keeping an eye on The Purse Blog lately even though I am far too cheap to ever consider paying for even the cheapest of their purses (which are mostly in the thousands of dollars; this is really the very high end we're talking about here), and despite the fact I think a good many popular bag designs are pretty darn fugly. But it's a way to keep an eye on color trends and such, and

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-15984782501163047522010-02-13T01:07:00.001-06:002010-02-13T01:08:55.451-06:00

Does anybody but me dislike red roses? I mean, there's not anything really wrong with them per se, they're just kind of boring. Especially at Valentine's Day, when it's hard to find anything but. So I was happy to see this article at D*S with something different: black hearts. Which are really beautiful. The colors you see this time of year are pretty boring, on the whole. Valentine's stuff

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-1514694514805269502010-02-11T00:38:00.003-06:002010-02-11T01:56:00.391-06:00

Cute heart pins from Margot Potter (and some permission-free vintage images to use with them!) Beaded heart suncatcher from Ornamentea - there's no pattern but it looks like you'd be able to wing it pretty easily. Sand Fibers has great downloadable heart cuff patterns and a sale on things with a heart on them! I suppose it's too late to get other online purchases in time for V-day unless you

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-45711132354296747682010-02-08T06:14:00.000-06:002010-02-08T06:14:17.495-06:00

Highlights found on Google Reader: A candy box full of flowers. Gorgeous! Really cute heart gift tags Decoupage hearts Monet-inspired heart Mailbox for your valentines (I'll find more as soon as I post this, but I'll stop. For now.)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-91359044373831939822010-02-05T03:29:00.000-06:002010-02-05T03:29:53.506-06:00

I found another example of movie-branded jewelry: Avatar. (Figures.) I kinda like the armband, although I would never wear such a thing - seems like it would be uncomfortable, somehow. Plus I didn't really even like the movie that much. (Very pretty to look at, very short on plot.)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-3001501312198342422010-02-01T22:06:00.004-06:002010-02-01T22:15:25.656-06:00

I'm still being all obsessed with True Blood, so it's not surprising that I noticed the jewelry some of the characters are wearing, I guess: This is from Season 1, the first time we see the vampire bar Fangtasia. In the book, it's explained that these vampire bars are wildly successful because they cater to tourists and "fangbangers" (basically, vampire groupies) and so to make it work, the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-23780550235451724622010-01-29T02:17:00.012-06:002010-02-19T01:32:45.252-06:00

I got my order from Paper Wishes a couple of days ago, and prodded by that, I finally got around to trying the Amazing Glaze I bought from Ornamentea before Christmas. The result wasn't perfect but it came out pretty cute, so I'm happy with it as a first try! The picture is a little out of focus but at least you can get the idea. This is a pendant made by Nunn Designs - it's heavier and deeper

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-21861497550691992592010-01-25T01:58:00.000-06:002010-01-25T01:58:43.935-06:00

This isn't a new book and I'm sure y'all know all about it already, but I wandered by Margie Deeb's website and was interested to see that The Beader's Color Palette: 20 Creative Projects and 220 Inspired Combinations for Beaded and Gemstone Jewelry had been chosen as one of Library Journal's Best Books of 2009. It is a really good book. (I love books about color, anyway, and I suppose I'm sort

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-16370260067429641562010-01-19T16:30:00.004-06:002010-01-19T16:56:56.678-06:00

I've gotten really hooked on the HBO vampire series "True Blood" - to the point that I've also been reading the novels (most of which are in the box set which will be pictured at right if I can get all this to work right - just in case here is the link: Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set ). I like these books so much that I read all eight of them already. But I'm still in the middle of watching

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-28665866625185920292010-01-19T04:11:00.001-06:002010-01-19T04:12:27.330-06:00

I made a Twitter account just for jewelry stuff - under, rather predictably, deliciousbeads. (If you really adore me and want to see the non-jewelry stuff too, the old account is mellicious. Lots of rambling on various subjects there.) I added a few jewelry makers and related businesses and such but I will have to work on that some more!

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-77228296797435658062010-01-13T00:31:00.001-06:002010-01-13T00:32:40.269-06:00

You know, I had mostly forgotten about it, but I'm pretty sure my copy of Bead Simple: 150 Designs for Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, and More got wet in the hurricane. (I was just discussing with another ex-Galvestonian at Christmas how hard it is to be sure what become of specific items.) Now that I looked at it again tonight, it makes me want to go buy another copy. I

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-39702246259147256632010-01-12T21:04:00.002-06:002010-01-13T00:33:43.126-06:00

So I went to Barnes & Noble to look at mixed-media-type books. I looked at some straight scrapbook kind of stuff too (did you know there are at least two books called The Joy of Scrapbooking?) but here are some things I liked from the jewelry section. (I'm gonna put the links in in two formats in case the ones with the pictures don't work right.) Amulets and Talismans: Simple Techniques for

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-68857357688183196342010-01-12T01:44:00.000-06:002010-01-13T00:33:43.129-06:00

I don't think I really want to go and open my own store, but I was thinking in a daydreamy sort of way that I would like to open a store that was not quite a bead store and not quite a scrapbook store, but sort of a combination of both, and maybe more. I keep wanting to play with mixed media kinds of things and I know I'm not the only one, so I guess that's what I'm thinking of, a mixed media

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-42626131696790136632010-01-08T02:39:00.002-06:002010-01-13T00:33:59.609-06:00

Remember back before Christmas when I said I was going to post pictures of the stuff I got from Ornamentea, and then I didn't? I never got around to taking the pictures at the time, but I finally did this week. I knew if I waited any longer it was going to get scattered all over the place. Here is the contents of the Amazing Glaze kit: Besides the jar of glaze itself (which is sort of a

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-33104630317256744342010-01-05T13:21:00.001-06:002010-01-05T13:22:31.458-06:00

Sorry to have been all absent lately - I've been sick, so I haven't done much of anything for the last week or so. (I did go visit my dad one day, though - we never spend Christmas in the same place any more so a post-Christmas visit has become traditional.) I know I haven't gotten out much in the last year, but I have yet to see anybody actually wearing one of these gigantic necklaces, have you

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-40186385816123293282009-12-31T00:57:00.004-06:002009-12-31T02:26:09.956-06:00

Well, I didn't make much jewelry in December but I did make one thing that I ended up really liking: It's one of those "necessity is the mother of invention" things. I had brought a near-random assortment of beading stuff with me at Christmas, including one of two strings I bought of this stuff from Szarka, which was called "candy jade" but of course is not real jade. I had wire and several

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-89953128144112943782009-12-24T02:41:00.000-06:002009-12-24T02:41:59.404-06:00

Sorry, the promised entry about my Ornamentea stash did not materialize. I will get it up after we get home, for reals. Here is my holiday card for all of you: This is the actual card I sent out this year. (The title is what it said inside.) I've got my Etsy store shut down until I get back - which is in just a couple of days, we're not going far - and I really want to get back to the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-69741875975100469332009-12-21T22:37:00.000-06:002009-12-21T22:37:31.205-06:00

Well, I was intending to post about the jewelry class I was supposed to take tonight, but it got cancelled. Bummer. (The store seems to have screwed up their record-keeping in a fairly major way, actually, but they gave me a store credit so I'm not going to slam them too badly. And with it being four days before Christmas, it had occurred to me that there was a possibility of cancellation.) BUT.

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-6942938941169089042009-12-15T23:57:00.001-06:002009-12-15T23:58:13.693-06:00

Things I bought from Ornamentea in the middle of the night last night: preordered Steampunk Style Jewelry (because you getgot freebies with it - I may have gotten in at the very very last minute on that one, because the freebies aren't there any more) the "Getting Started with Amazing Glaze" kit - even though I already have a different brand of resin that I haven't done anything with yet. This

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-27564004779601340052009-12-14T04:06:00.000-06:002010-01-13T02:33:22.954-06:00

Ooh, a new Kaffe Fassett book: If you're not familiar with Kaffe Fassett, you really ought to be - even if you never go near a quilt. His palettes would make lovely color schemes for jewelry, if nothing else. (I doubt that I'm the first person to think of that.) And his fabric is absolutely delicious. Kaffe Fassett flickr groups: items made using his fabric or yarn or patterns Kaffe Fassett

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-66823374632705050362009-12-10T15:50:00.002-06:002010-02-23T00:30:05.370-06:00

Ooh, this is pretty:   From Needleprint; it's an antique piece being sold at a Christie's auction. I like embroidery. I've even been known to do some from time to time. (If you dig in my Flickr pictures, there are some crazy quilt blocks that I did a few years ago. And I've done a few pieces of cross-stitch and even needlepoint way back when.) And I am fond of scroll-and-vine patterns so it's

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-83992948686683698162009-12-07T08:28:00.000-06:002009-12-07T08:28:57.018-06:00

I'm off to Dallas for a seminar - hopefully I will be able to sneak in some shopping while I'm there! So no time to write a long entry right now. I have (Google-aided) locations for two or three bead shops so I ought to be able to find at least one of them, if not more. Hope they're worth it.

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-48697406422354205772009-12-04T02:31:00.001-06:002009-12-04T02:34:07.971-06:00

I was supposed to be studying earlier so of course I went and started making a necklace instead: I've been intending to do a green necklace for ages, and especially so since I bought this green clay nautilus at the Bead Society show. (I'll have to go look the maker's name up, later - I've forgotten.) The beads on the right are what I was thinking of as my "palette" and the beginning of the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-21756997360604255952009-12-02T01:39:00.004-06:002009-12-03T04:17:38.784-06:00

I bought a copy of the December Elle magazine, because I have to get my fashion fix once in a while. (If you'd ever seen me in person and seen how I dress, you'd know the real irony of this. Nevertheless, it's true.) It turned out to be chock-full of jewelry, presumably because, as we all know, nothing says "true love" like an incredibly overpriced colorless rock. -- Oops, sorry. Pet peeve of

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-13630470762870104712009-11-30T14:54:00.000-06:002009-11-30T14:54:58.410-06:00

I would just like to note that I successfully finished NaBloPoMo! I haven't really been making a big deal about it, but I did post every day in November (well, more or less - I had that little blip on Friday where the entry didn't post, but since I had it written it counts as far as I'm concerned!) and I have put up a new badge to commemorate the occasion. My rate of posting may slow down a bit

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-34081846133918945872009-11-30T04:53:00.002-06:002009-11-30T04:54:15.687-06:00

Cyber Monday deals I've seen so far: Don't forget the Artbeads one mentioned in the post below - ends at 11 this morning, Eastern time (which is a bit odd) Lillypilly Designs: save 20% on entire site and receive $2 shipping (in US) - code 20thankyou Patterns from Bead & Button/BeadStyle are 50% off There are lots of Cyber Monday sales going on at Etsy (including mine!) but here are a bunch of

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-4118994285064441152009-11-29T22:34:00.003-06:002009-11-29T22:54:27.153-06:00

Well, so I behaved myself pretty well on the round of bead stores on Friday, but I saw somewhere that Artbeads was having a 20% off sale this weekend (on a $60 purchase - and I think it's through tomorrow, actually*) and I have been meaning to stock up on these little rondelle beads anyway, and I haven't really been able to find them anywhere else, so it seemed like a good time to do that. They

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-10521652810828323482009-11-28T20:50:00.002-06:002009-11-29T00:13:30.797-06:00

So we made it to three Austin bead stores yesterday (Nomadic Notions, Sea of Beads - which are right down the street from one another in North Austin - and Bead It, in South Austin) plus a scrapbook store which might have been called Memory Depot. I really didn't buy a lot of stuff, though - a few odds and ends, but nothing big, and not so much as a single string of beads. (Single beads, yes, but

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-36184846404943336202009-11-27T07:06:00.048-06:002009-11-28T15:40:33.976-06:00

There will not be much of an entry today because my sister and I are going bead shopping - w00t! (I think she has drunk the jewelry Kool-Aid. At least she is showing signs of it.) Like a lot of people, I guess, shopping on Black Friday has a long tradition in our family - since long before anybody started calling it that. When I was a kid we usually spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' house,

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-87467363397623127162009-11-26T03:23:00.000-06:002009-11-26T03:23:57.706-06:00

So, Thanksgiving. We mostly did go to Grandmother's house for Thanksgiving, actually (I'm thinking of the song, up there in the title) - or rather, Grandma and Papa's house, that's what we called my mother's parents. I don't think we ever went to my other grandmother's house, the one who lived closer - we had dinner with her all the time, so as I recall, she usually got short shrift at

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-12424963790609330662009-11-25T05:07:00.000-06:002009-11-25T05:07:45.628-06:00

I've got my "Black Friday" promo up on Etsy - I'm offering free shipping anywhere in North America, and reduced shipping elsewhere (either $3 or $1, depending on the item). And I reduced the price on the wirework pendant - I knew I had set it a bit high in the first place! I gave in yesterday and went to the Michael's store in Houston that's carrying the Crafty Chica stuff. It seemed kind of

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-7094029427732318372009-11-24T04:05:00.003-06:002010-07-05T01:16:00.011-05:00

Here's a progress picture on the crystal donuts, although actually I've gotten another one finished since this was taken and started on one more. These things make up pretty fast. The new ones above since the last picture are the one on the far left, which is Siam (dark red - you can't see it very well in the picture), and then the bottom row: vintage rose and crystal luster Delicas, erinite

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-39592463048477275142009-11-23T03:48:00.002-06:002009-12-05T02:08:52.540-06:00

I started making another donut with some of the crystals I bought at Michael's - these are not Swarovskis (which Michael's does sell, under the Jolee brand) but Chinese crystals sold as "Crystazzi" brand. But I've used them before, and honestly, to the naked eye you can't really tell the difference. I'm sure an expert could, but I really can't. I have to admit that I like to use Swarovskis, just

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-13991975622683228882009-11-22T06:16:00.001-06:002009-11-22T13:58:21.214-06:00

Here's my worktable, still in the process of being cleaned up: These little tubes of beads were scattered out all over the place - wherever I had last left them, I guess. The welter of silver pins and beads on the front left is where I was working on my Icicle necklace. And you can see the Fireline in the back that I was using for the donuts. This kind of thing is part of my

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-70121578866281692112009-11-21T13:53:00.003-06:002009-12-05T02:08:52.543-06:00

I went up to Houston yesterday and went to Z Bead. The funny thing is that I haven't been there before, but I felt like I had the minute I walked in, and I guess it's not surprising, because it has the same owner as Nomadic Notions in Austin and San Antonio. It's somehow very obvious - the girls working there said they hear that a lot, even when people don't know ahead of time that it's the same.

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-33305751370830004642009-11-20T04:11:00.001-06:002009-12-05T02:08:52.545-06:00

I guess I ought to do a post - if I wait until later today I'm liable to get busy and forget! The only beading-related activity that went on today was a trip to Hobby Lobby and Michael's. This mostly came about because I have been watching for Hobby Lobby to put polymer clay on sale and they finally did. I went ahead and bought Kato, because that is what I already had. I looked at Fimo and it has

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-87445459160782126592009-11-19T02:54:00.001-06:002009-11-19T03:11:00.779-06:00

You really need to read 2012 in Fifteen Minutes. (And by "you" I mean "everybody". Because it's funny, and especially because it may save you from actually having to see 2012.) Also, in other movie news, we went to see Pirate Radio last weekend, while everybody else was apparently going to see the aforementioned disaster-of-the-month thingamajig, and I really liked it. If you hate 60s music, you

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-76534740478526999592009-11-18T05:02:00.001-06:002009-11-19T03:10:33.495-06:00

Here is the aforementioned haul from the Houston Bead Society Show. (The flickr version has notes.) I made a really cute pair of earrings out of those dark red rondelles. And I also got a finished version of one of the necklaces with the decoupage rounds, finally. I'll work on pictures tomorrow. (And inevitably, I started working on another donut. This one is Siam.)

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-63996644968759703182009-11-17T05:09:00.003-06:002009-12-05T02:08:52.548-06:00

Here are the new "donuts": I talked about the top two here so I won't repeat myself on that! The yellow one is jonquil (4mm) bicones and Delicas in "lemon ice". These two colors are so similar I can't tell looking at the picture what part is crystals and what is Delicas. The purple one is cyclamen opal and the Delicas are silver-lined purple. (So far I think the opals look just as good as the

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-11311804515995961802009-11-16T06:14:00.000-06:002009-11-16T06:14:29.737-06:00

Trying to study in the middle of the night, I have to have noise of some kind. Occasionally I listen to music; more often I turn on MSNBC and let it run (my nightly fix of liberalism). Tonight, though, I watched most of "Torchwood: Children of Earth" - I'd seen it before, of course, but all the better because I don't have to try to catch every second. I keep wanting to go make jewelry instead,

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-60520989535600882242009-11-15T01:46:00.001-06:002009-11-15T03:42:28.068-06:00

This is what I made in the class today (plus one I made after I got home), using some of those Swarovskis and Delicas I was talking about yesterday: I love these - except maybe the one on the bottom left which I admit looks kind of odd, especially in this picture. Here are the colors I used: top: bicones are palace green opal, Delicas are color-lined leaf green bottom left: bicones are rose,

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733996319553993012.post-71826248851598459702009-11-14T04:54:00.000-06:002009-11-15T03:42:48.255-06:00

I came home from the Bead Society Show with a very small bag of beads that cost quite a lot of money, all told. I was trying to restrain myself, but somehow every time I bought something, it ended up being several somethings costing anywhere from $20-50 at each vendor. Really, I did restrain myself, because I could have bought so much more - I think I only bought things from four different

Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08650096480471632691noreply@blogger.com0