More beadwork and a Helper

I finished a few more brooches today. I've loaded them all on Etsy for now, but will take a few off later next week to restock one of my local stores who sells them. I like this little Cuppa brooch.



This is another favorite. I love labyrinths. This one is a replica of Chartres Cathedral's labyrinth.

A perfect little Spring Bee reminds us that Winter will not last forever.

And this pink Lock and Key Pendant Brooch is just waiting to unlock your keen fashion sense.

This is Arachne (on an infrequent outdoor foray) who sits on my bead table and offers her critiques.

Busy Bee

I've been busy at my bead table, working up the cabs I got from Nan. I LOVE bees. This one reminds me of the fat Queen Bumble bees that come out in the spring and fly lazily along like little B-52's.



And it won't be long efore the butterflies are here too.

This one called "Printemps" (Spring) has a little Sterling Silver honeybee.

Just in time for Valentine's Day - The Winged Heart.

And a Buffalo head for all the Buffalo Girls out there.

And finally, a little Sand Dollar and Sea Horse for all of the Mermaids.

Buidhe, my crazy-eyed cat, kept me company while I photographed the new brooches. His purr sounds like rusty machinery. We call him our Steampunk cat.

New Beadwork

I wanted to share some of the new beadwork I've been working on. The first is one of my most favorite brooches I've ever made. I used this beautiful cabochon from Spirited Earth and wrapped her in bronze netting. I call her the Empress because she reminds me of the Empress in the Tarot deck. The matte cream beads at top suggest a tiara.

The other brooch I just finished is this little Steampunk Claw Clock. I love the brass bird claws.

I just glued up a new batch of Nan's cabs to bead around, so keep an eye out for more brooches. In adition, I'm beading some small framed pieces. Busy, busy. Both of these brooches are now in my Etsy shop.

A Winner!

Cathryn from Chili Cats is the Winner of January's Give-Away.  She get to recieve this fun Cat Brooch.

Congrats Cathryn, and send me your mailing info so I can get this in the post to you.

I do a monthly Give-Away and it's easy to win. Pop over any time this month  - Leave a comment and follow my blog for a chance to win this Flying Heart Brooch with German glass center.

I've been beading some new brooches and will take some pictures in the next few days to show you what's new in my studio. I do have to admit though, that I haven't been doing as much as I should since I am on my seasonal obsession with the family tree again. I have traced one branch of my family tree back to the year 980! That's 32 generations. I have also found a wonderful new cousin in Georgia. I started working on my family tree many years ago (before internet!) to find out more about my Mother's Swiss family. Since then I have traced family to Russia, Germany, England and Scotland.What a melting pot I am! I realized why I love England so much. Some of my avorite places I visited were homes of my ancestors. And Ididn't even know at the time I traveled there.