Finally!!

My life has been a little chaotic lately, but things settled down enough to get pictures of jewelry for a show and make up a display. It seems I don't really have much to say tonight, so I'll just post some pics for a change. Before I do that, I'd like to give a shout out to my friend Beth...thanks for the boxes!! :)







Have a lovely whatever...

Procrastination!!

My friend and I decided that we are going to do a craft show this year. It will be the first for both of us. We have to turn in an application, take pictures of our jewelry...you know the story. So what did I do this weekend?? I redecorated not one but two bathrooms!

It was bound to happen. I bought new towels this week because I was growing weary of the old ones. With the new towels came the need for a new shower curtain, then new candles, new candle holders, new artwork... you know the drill, once you get something new, you have to keep buying until everything matches. Fortunately I was able to make the decorating happen on the cheap. With some colorful tissue paper, Mod Podge, wine glasses from wineries I have been to, and some jewelry box lids I was able to make candle holders and some wall art. I never in a million years thought I would ever decorate with decoupage...but here I am doing it!!! I did have have to purchase flowers and a vase, but they were all clearance priced. I am really quite proud of my flower arranging! I'll try to get a picture posted soon...but you know how terrible I am at getting on that...so don't look for it anytime soon!! At least I got something done in my procrastination!! I have always been a very productive procrastinator!!

Dr. Horrible!!!

This is wonderful!! A must see. You only have until Sunday the 20th to watch!!

Ahhhh numbers!

I am one of those freaks that loves creative stuff AND numbers. I love spreadsheets like excel. Normally I create my own spreadsheets, but when I googled to help me get info on a formula I was wanting to come up with I came up with an etsy store JJMFinance.etsy.com what a welcome site this was!! He already had the spreadsheet I was going to make! He saved me so much time and effort! I am so pleased with the Jewelry Raw Material Manager. Its fantastic!

I am currently in the process of numbering all of my beads and entering them into the spreadsheet. This is a long arduous task, but it will be so worth it when I am done!! I wish I had done something like this years ago...it wouldn't have taken so long. So, what you do is give your beads, chain, wire, whatever supplies you have a number, then when you make something, you just put the numbers in the formula and it gives you the price of the item! This is exactly what I wanted, without all the headache of actually have to create it myself.

Here are a few screen shots from JJMFinance.etsy.com Click on picture to enlarge.









He makes all kinds of spreadsheets for running your etsy business and not just for jewelry either. You can tailor them to whatever your craft may be.

Now Necklaces!

For some reason I have never really made that many necklaces. I don't know why really...I guess because I enjoyed making bracelets so much. Well, that is not the case now!! Over the past few weeks I have been ultra inspired...in all things. I have made lots of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and pendants. I even made a necklace with gold in it!! I have recently made a purchase of fine silver and brass wires so I may soon be making stuff with that as well. Of course I have a tendency to not use a new item for awhile after I first use it...so it may be awhile! Here are some recent new items on Etsy




The two are both out of my comfort zone...I am trying to make things that are different. These definitely fall into that category!

I have more items to post, but I am having problems with photography. Hopefully I'll get some more up soon!

Bobby

I Tivoed the movie Bobby this morning, and I am currently watching it while deciding what to create next. I had to come comment on it, because I am only a half hour into the movie, and I just want to know who isn't in this movie!!! I don't think I have ever watched a movie with this many stars in it! Ok...that is all I wanted to say! Have a lovely Sunday.

UPDATE: After watching the movie I have just one thing to say...WOW!

Pendant Craze!

I have started a new craze of late... making pendants. I go through phases, right now its the pendant phase craze...or the pendant craze phase (PPC or PCP) I shared the PMC pendant I made last week, this past week I have been making glass pendants, and today I have been making pendants out of building blocks I bought from TheLittleChickenCoop.



Aren't these blocks the coolest? Right now I am kind of limited on what I can do with them, but I'll be getting out the trusty dremel soon...I'll soon be making a lot more than pendants!

I'll get around to taking pictures to share soon!

Precious Metal Clay

I finally did some work with PMC. My first couple items were little trinkets...



Not much to look at, but a good first try!

I also a made a shield shaped pendant that I listed on etsy



For more pictures of it, or to buy, click on the picture above.

Featured Etsy Blogger Alicia Mae

This months Featured Etsy Blogger is Alicia Mae. She keeps herself busy by running three, yes three Etsy shops!

AliciaMaePrints.etsy.com

AliciaMae.etsy.com

randomsupplies.etsy.com

Aside from those shops she is also into Painting, woodburning, handcrafted jewelry, and home decorating! What a busy busy woman!!

My favorite items are her prints, I love nature photography. Check these out...







Alicia Mae currently has free shipping on all prints!

Ahhhh...Success!

I thought I'd take a moment and define success for me. It is one of my goals in 43 things...and aside from that its one of the themes for EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival. To be honest this is tough. Success, at least in the business aspect would be, at least at first making a couple hundred dollars a month. Something to sustain my beading habit. I think Success often changes it's mind. Success may want more. Success would be making something new every night (HA!) and listing it the next day. OK maybe thats a stretch...but making something new every other night could be done. I haven't been successful in this. I love to procrastinate. I really have no excuse other than my love of procrastination. I have even thought out a plan, so that I could post something new everyday. My plan is to make items (obvious) take pictures, when its sunny. Write out the description in Word or something then everyday I'd just have to take 5 whole mins to copy paste and upload photos. No big deal really. I just have to do it...like all things!

On the other hand, I am working towards it slowly. Its hard to work in this chaos I call a studio...and I have been working on cleaning it up at least 3 days a week. So I think I am slowly working towards being successful.

still working!!

I am still working on the "studio" I have gone through all the beads and now I am working on the closet and then the desk. I haven't been working as long on the non bead parts as I did on the bead parts. I just wanted to hurry up and get to the beads! I have made a couple pieces. Both different types for me. I'll try to post a pic next time I'm here.

I never knew!!

OMG! I never knew it would take this long. Just last night I finished sorting out my beads. And, I know thats not all of it...so I guess I didn't finish. I did however, finish sorting out the beads that are in bead trays. It looks so good! The top of my side desk looks a lot better. I still have a lot to go though. I guess the next thing I need to work on is the inside of my desk. If I get the inside done, I'll have more room for everything...and perhaps more room for the all important bead!! :)

Back to it again!!

This time I am serious...no, really!! I haven't started making anything yet, but I have bought some beads, and I am in the tedious process of re-organizing my beads and FINALLY organizing my "studio" I have kind of let it all go to shit these past few months, and I have turned a blind eye to it. Now that I have been re-inspired, thanks to my neighbor and her new found love for beads! Unfortunately, its going to take me a long time to organize my area properly. I am not a neat person. I get distracted easily. I want to be able to dedicate this entire area to beading, and not get it all mucked up with crap! This is going to be difficult for me! My DH would be so proud if I could pull it off!! He's always on me about my messy desk! Look at this terribleness...





And that is only the half of it!! I am working at it and hopefully in about a week I'll have it all spiffed up, and I can show off my "studio"

Napkins

This weekend I am making napkins. They are ugly! Well, the fabric isn't the greatest. I bought this fabric a few years ago when I briefly thought about quilting. So I got something cheap to try it out. I didn't get very far with it, so I had a bunch of fabric that I wasn't using. For about five years, we have been using fabric napkins instead of paper. I was only thinking that it would be good for the pocket book not having to buy paper napkins all the time...but another nice thing is that its good for the environment. I am not one of those "Green" people...I will however do something if it ends up being cheaper for me. I guess I am environmentally friendly though...I no longer use paper towels, and I have fabric bags for grocery shopping....and I do recycle. I refuse to be "Green" though. I call it being economical and saving money...or Green :)

Slacking!!!

I have so been slacking at posting lately!! I have been so busy with lots of projects. I finally finished my dress last week. Over the weekend I made a purse...just a simple one. I am currently working on making a cute skirt for myself...and a present for someone else. Don't want to mention the who or the what yet. I haven't made much in the jewelry realm for awhile. It seems as though I have been in a rut. I guess when I decided not to buy any more beads, it kind of put me at a complete stand still. I did force myself to make a bracelet, and a couple earrings a couple weeks ago....just for old time sake. I just can't get into it like I was. I haven't even touched my camera since before Christmas (or at least it seems that way.) I'll try to post pics of the dress and the purse when I get around to taking the pictures.

On another note...I am trying my hand at "farming" this year. I have planted Strawberries, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onions, Chamomile, Lavender, and Cilantro. I have also planted some Green beans from seed, but they have yet to pop out yet so not so sure about that one! I tried my hand at Basil last year, and I didn't do so well...so we'll see about this one!!

I have always wanted to be one of those self-reliant persons, that could live off the land...its just my thumb is more yellow-brown than green...but we'll see! Practice makes perfect, I suppose!

Excitement!!

I am so excited!! I have always wanted to learn how to sew with a sewing machine and do all those seamstress things. Its finally going to happen!! I start classes next week! I have had a sewing machine for 10 years now...I used it for the first time, 4 years ago. I self taught myself the basics, like threading, replacing stuff, sewing in a straight line, and turning. I know nothing about how to sew from a pattern. I have bought several patterns over the years, some I even get as far as cutting out the fabric, but I just couldn't seem to do it. I know I must sound completely crazy, but I want to make those 50's housewife dresses!

The cats...

One thing I have been doing I have been doing a lot of is spoiling my kitties! My youngest, a boy, loves little mice, so one day when I was sewing I thought I should try making a mouse for him out of my scraps...he loves them!! What a great way for me to use the extras, plus I don't have to buy them anymore! As for my darling girl, she loves to sleep all day...so I thought I'd make her a new cat bed. She loves it! Maybe now she'll stay away from my new blanket!!

Bizzy Bee...

I have been terribly busy lately!! I guess because of all of my new resolutions!! I have kind of stuck a new one in there...I have been a little more eco-friendly lately as well. Mostly for the the saving money aspect and not because I think I am going to save the world! What have I done? I think its pretty major...at least in this house! I stopped using paper towels! Thats not to say that I don't have any paper towels...we just stopped using them. We bought a whole bunch before Christmas - you know, one of those ultra big packs...so we still have some for now. What am I using as a replacement? Those cheap-o wash cloths you buy from dollar stores, rags, and cloth diapers for big messes. So far all I have used are the wash cloths, we haven't had any big messes yet, like cat puke...so we'll have to see how that works. I have to say I love the wash cloths, their great...they last longer, and they were cheap!

I am also in the process of of switching to cloth feminine pads I have purchased some, but I have also been making some. I am having a custom order made from honeybeehill Here is a pic of some of her work...



She sells jewelry, and tea and other stuff too. I had LOTS of questions and she was very helpful.

As I said earlier, I am also making some as well. I have been hand sewing them, as I am not very good with the machine...and I didn't feel like dragging it out. I may still drag it out though...I am most likely going to need a lot more! There are all kinds of free patterns out there. So far, at least as far as hand sewing goes, I like this one. I also like this one. Which is the same thing, only longer. This is a great site with a lot of great info on fabrics, where to buy, how to make, other reusable options, and the whys of it all. Actually the biggest reason, aside from the obvious cost savings, and eco thing...is comfort!! They are so much more comfortable!!

Enough of that rant! Updates on the resolutions I have lost a little more than 3 pounds so far, I haven't bought any beads, but I did buy fabric for the pads, but I did use gift cards plus a little more. I am still working on the time thing...I have gotten better, but obviously not too much better, otherwise I would have posted before now!

I haven't been making jewelry lately, mostly because I am on my sewing spree. Aside from pads, I have made a couple monsters, some eye pillows, and overall just kind of playing around. I did finally finish my scarf, and felted it. I am also working on decorating some canvas bags for when I go to the grocery store. So basically, I have been doing everything but jewelry making!

I will try not to stay away for so long in the future. I need to get back to my once a week thing again!!