4.26.2011

Hoo are you?

NightOwlCrafting



1. Do you plant a garden or flowers, or neither?

Neither, although I'd like to.  My hubby is the one with the green thumb.  This year it'll be            cardinal creepers and day lilies

2. Does it bother you to have your blinds or curtains open after dark so people can see in your house?

Not really, until it's time to take a shower and go to bed.

3. Do you like to go camping?

LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!  Best time of my life was camping in New Mexico for 2 weeks.

4. Do you have a laptop or a desk top computer?

Both, actually.  The laptop gets the most use.  My desktop stays where I used to live with my former roommate.  Don't have room for it in my new place.

5. What time during the day do you have your most energy?

Late at night, when I should be sleeping. I've always been a night owl ;)

4.24.2011

Hooray for me!

As of tomorrow, Monday April, 25, 2011, at 10:00 am, I will no longer be among North Carolina's unemployed. :D  Quite excited am I.

4.19.2011

Giveaway!!

Aquariann is hosting a giveway by Tilley's Jewels for  $25 gift certificate.  You should definitely check it out.

Tilleyjewels Handmade Giveaway

Hoo Are You?

NightOwlCrafting


1. What are your plans for Easter?
2. Do you die eggs for Easter?
3. What is your favorite Easter candy?
4. Do you celebrate the make believe part of Easter and/or the 
religious part?
5. What is your favorite part about the Easter holiday?

1.  *sigh* Unfortunately this year, I'll most likely attending a funeral.  My Great-Aunt died today.

2. Not anymore, but I did when I was a kid.  To this day I can't smell apple cider vinegar and NOT think of Easter.

3. Peeps!  I'm (almost) 34 and my mom still buys my some every year :D

4. The past couple of years, neither because I've been working, but it'll be all about religion and little else this year.

5. I'm almost ashamed to say it, but the candy.  I have a major sweet tooth and I'm a sucker for seasonal candy, especially   Easter candy.

4.17.2011

My Apologies...

Yesterday was a huge fail for me as far as the blog hop goes.

I got all comfy and started my tour.  I think I saw only 8 or 9 blogs before the migraine started.

And then, later, well, I don't know if you've seen anything about it on the news or anything, but North Carolina was hit, no, pounded pretty hard yesterday.  I'm talking a storm so severe that they'll be marking it's anniversary in the future.  I don't think it says it anywhere on my blog, but I live in North Carolina.


The county in blue is Wake County.  The star shows approximately where I live.  The county in green is Lee county, where Sanford is.

Wake county was hit pretty hard, especially the area from the star down.  Damage was hit and miss. My home and neighborhood came away with little or no damage. Now this:

from WRAL.com
This house is maybe half a mile from my parents' house.  My parents also live with the area the star covers.  The main problem here was downed trees.  My parents are without power, but no damage.

But poor Sanford, just a little south of Wake County, well, see for yourself:

LOWES
from WRAL.com
That's a Lowes Home Improvement store, or what's left of it.  Notice the truck on it's side.

I think we all know what could inflict that much damage.  Here's your culprit:


So, um, yeah, I didn't get a whole lot of anything done yesterday.  I'm quite anxious to see the bracelets everyone has created.

4.16.2011

7000 Bracelets for Hope - Blog Hop Style

Like I said, I’ve done this once before, but when Lori presented a chance to do it again, blog hop style no less, I jumped on it.  What I’m talking about is the 7000 Bracelets for Hope campaign by the Global Genes Project.  The goal is to have jewelry makers from all over the country make a simple bracelet with a blue jeans theme.  These bracelets will be passed on through the Global Genes Project to families of children with rare diseases along with a message to offer a little ray of sunshine and hope into their lives.   I can’t tell you how it felt when the recipient of my first bracelet contacted me to thank me.  I was walking on air the rest of the day.
So anyway, here’s my bracelet:



It’s simple, made with dark blue fresh water pearls, copper seed beads, and silver plated rings.
To see what others made, check out Lori's blog post over at Pretty Things for a list of participants.

4.14.2011

Maybe there is an artist in me after all

I have, for a long time, doubted my ability to draw anything more than stick figures, or the view through a microscope.  But after a conversation with my roommate of 10 years as we wandered through Jerry's Artarama, I decided to try, to pick up a pencil and just draw.  It's not great by any means, but it's recognizable.
the first of (hopefully) many

4.11.2011

On another note...

Lori's givin' stuff away, yay!  And it's all awesome! Check out her blog Pretty Things.


(crossing my fingers)

What came out of the box...

I have finished my first piece using beads from my box of beautiful.  Call me biased, but I think I did a pretty darn good job.  I used several of the HUGE red rounds and added to those some pewter bead caps, along with some turquoise and howlite, and two tiny little beads of coral.  Check it out:


What do you think?





4.09.2011

A box of beautiful

A couple of weeks ago, Lori started organizing another bead swap, only this time no rules.  We don't have to blog about it, we don't have to send anything specific (except don't send crap), we can basically do whatever we want.  My swap partner this time around is Sandy Richardson, and I was amazed when I opened my mail box this afternoon.

Inside was a beautifully wrapped package.  Like a kid on Christmas morning, I excitedly (yet carefully) unwrapped my package only to find this


Isn't it pretty?  I couldn't wait to see what was inside!  My jaw dropped when I opened it up to see this

Look at all that RED!!! Everything in there is gorgeous. This is what I got... 



And last but not least...


These are my favorite because they're so BIG (16mm) and so RED!  I don't have a lot of red in my collection, so I'm super duper excited to see what will become of these beautiful beads. :D





In the works...

Got a bunch going on these days, and I keep piling it on.  Why????

I've just opened up a new shop, this one on Artfire.  It's very small at the moment - only four items - but it's a start.  I've got pictures of several items, I just need to list them.  I just wish I didn't find the listing part so tedious.

I'm participating in Lori's 7000 Bracelets for Hope Blop Hop.  That kicks off next Saturday.  My bracelet is all but done.  I just have to find the right clasp.

I've become a member of a group called Triangle Jewelry Makers, which is exactly what it sounds like.  We are a group of jewelry makers that live in the Triangle area of North Carolina.  It's a social group more than anything else, but there's a lot you can learn while you're socializing.

Then there's the Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks, but I've talked about that already.  I gave it it's own page so I can keep all my pictures in the same place.

On top of all that, I may actually have a job soon.  Which is a good thing.  But I'll have a lot less time for anything else.

Such is life.

4.06.2011

Artist, I am not....

...well, not in the sense that first comes to mind for the majority of people.  I can't really draw anything recognizable other than stick figures.  I don't paint, I don't sculpt, or any of the other things most people think of when they think of art.

And what do I do?  I string beads. "That's not art,"  most people would say.  I say you're wrong, but I digress.  I am going somewhere with this, I promise

I mentioned a few weeks ago something that I'm a part of called The Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbooks.  I will explain it poorly, but I will explain it nonetheless.  There are 13 of us.  You can check out my Sisters if you click on the tab that says "My Creative Sistahs."  We each have purchased sketchbooks that will be passed around once a month until all 13 books have passed through the hands of all 13 sisters.

While a book is in our our hands, we will draw/paint/sketch/whatever something that represents that month to us.  For instance, my birthday is next month, and I may be turning 34, but I'm still a huge kid about my birthday.  I can already tell you that when I get my second book, my entry will be all about some birthday cake and balloons. :D  But again, I digress.

I cannot draw or paint starting from a blank slate, so this project is a HUGE challenge for me.  I have taken it upon myself to learn something new.  I suppose you'd call what I've created a combination of collage and decoupage, maybe?

For our first pages in our own books, we are to choose a color, any color for any reason, and illustrate what that color means to us.  The color I chose is a burgundy/wine color.  And I've had flowers on my mind a lot lately, what with the peach and apple trees blooming, and the periwinkle we have growing in the back yard.

So here it is:


Perfect by no means, but I'm darn proud of it, seeing as it's my first attempt.  What I've done is "recreate"  my wedding bouquet of hydrangeas and roses with paper and glue, and a little paint around the edges courtesy of my beloved watercolor pencils.

4.04.2011

7000 Bracelets....Blog Hop Style

I contributed to the 7000 Bracelets for Hope campaign back in January.  Nothing fancy, just a quick project with materials I already had:

But I cannot put into words the feeling I got when the recipient of my bracelet contacted me to thank me.


Now I'm doing it again, this time Blog Hop style. Check out Lori's blog.  This blog hop is her doing.  And it's soooo simple and fulfilling to participate.





4.02.2011

Get listed in the Blog Guidebook for FREE!




The Blog Guidebook is the vision of two friends who want to see the blogging community grow in friendship, creativity and beauty.

Right now you can add your blog for free so pop by and do it!!!! I did!

4.01.2011

An Old Hobby With a New Purpose?

Ok, so here's the thing...  When I was younger, like 12 or 13, I collected stamps.  Most of them American, but a family friend was the assistant to the head  of the Foreign Language Dept at NC State, so I got my fair share of international ones as well.

This week I found a box containing part of my collection, entirely US stamps, all cancelled.  There are two that I already have projects for, but I'm contemplating selling the rest.  But how?  I have a few individual stamps.  I found one with Dolly Madison.  A few Frank Lloyd Wright.  Some that are obviously a set, like windmills from different states.  I have three that are from 1938.  None are more than 29 cents if that gives an indication of age, well, that, and I think it was like 1991 or so when I stopped collecting.

I think I'll put them on Etsy... as supplies... as vintage... as both?

Opinions?