Be Afraid....BTW

I don't often do Bead Table Wednesdays because I'm not an organized person. But thought I would bare myself to your judgements today by showing you EXACTLY what my bead table usually looks like on Wednesdays and any other day of the week.

Here it is. I didn't move a thing, try to tidy up or even spray air freshener. It is pure chaos, but that's what gets my creative juices flowing. Notice my little feline muse (Arachne) sleeping in the corner of Grandma's table.

These are some pieces I'm working on just now. The Butterfly will be a necklace, The watch with wings will be a brooch, and the Queen Bee surrounded by flowers is the centerpiece for a "Celebration of the Bees" necklace that I'm making for my friend Jana who is a beekeeper and friend to the little sisters in our gardens.

This purple piece is a work in progress. Not sure yet if it will be a pendant brooch, or a necklace. The fairy will be the centerpiece for a very dainty necklace. The armadillo is just there to keep me company.

Oops! Looks like the flash and click of the camera awoke our little Princess. She is NOT amused.

A Winner and Some Beadies

Congratulations to WOL at the Owl Underground for winning the April Give-Away Brooch (pictured below). I especially like this little brooch and have one similar that I wear when I meet friends for coffee.

Sooooo....What shall I give away for May? Let me rummage around here in the secret Beady Chest for a moment.....Aha! Here's something I hope you will all like.

This little Kokopeli is adorned with beads in coral and russett with a matte black and white checkerboard around it. This is what's up for grabs in the month of May. So leave a comment and follow this blog to be in the running for it.

Meanwhile....

I participated in a Spring Jewelry Show last week-end (3 days) and took my beading with me to pass the time between customers and to show people how I create these little morsels. I had been beading non-stop for the show and got a number of pieces made during the show as well, so I'm pretty flush with brooches. I'm loading some on my Etsy shop and taking some to the gallery and the shops where I sell.

Here are some that I still have locally.

This one is made from one of Nan Emmett's fab cabs.

The keys and my Sugar Skulls are my best sellers.

 

This one is made from a vintage button and some yummy bright olive beads.

I have a thing for owls.

I love the colors in this Sugar Skull. I sell a lot of these and get many comments. People either love them or hate them.

 If you want to see more, visit my shop HERE.

Royal Wedding Invitation

Hi,
I'm inviting you all to the Royal Wedding. I'm sure they won't mind if I bring along a few extra guests. But to get in, you will have to play along with  some clever subterfuge. This invitation has been extended to me by my friend at Kit and Kaboodle, via http://wessexreiver.blogspot.com/
In order to attend you need to:

1. Award yourself the title of either Lord or Lady.

2. Use the first name of one of your grandparents.

3. Take the name of your first ever pet and double barrel it with the name of the street or road you grew up on, then string them together to come up with your guest moniker.

So practice your curtsies and bows and deck yourselves up - Oh, and let me know what name I need to sneak onto the guest list for you.
Cheerio, Ta Ta, and all that...
Lady Flora Taffy-Sprague

Coburg Stash

Not far from where I live is a delightful little town named Coburg. It has streets lined with ancient trees and quaint little shops. Over the years it has become a Mecca for antiques dealers and there are many, many shops there filled to the brim with all things old, charming, and handmade.

This week-end (April 28-30), my friend Janice at Primrose Lane, is hosting a huge assortment of vendors selling antiques, vintage goods and clothing, garden art and fine, handcrafted jewelry. I have been invited and have been busy beading my little brooches. Here is a sampling of some of them.

The show is Thursday (Noon-6), Friday (10-6) and Saturday (10-6) in Coburg, Oregon, just north of Eugene. It is held at the Coburg Grange and the IOOF Hall (across the street from each other). Parking is shared with the Dari-Mart. Can't miss it, this is a tiny little town. Hope you can make it.

Arachne and the Squirrel

We have a lot of wildlife around our house and I delight in hanging feeders and birdhouses in the trees. But the squirrels have a habit of taking them over. So I hung some feeders outside my studio windows, thinking that they would be unreachable by the squirrels.
Arachne has a great time sitting in her bed and watching the birds.

But this morning, the clever little squirrel was sitting atop the air conditioner and made his way on the window sill to the feeder.

The squirrel never made it onto the feeder. I think he was a bit intimidated by Arachne staring at him through the glass. My Sweety went out and put some peanuts in the tree feeder for the squirrel, so hopefully he'll leave this feeder alone.

Mini Skulls and Snuggly Parking Meters

Decided to make some Sugar Skulls in tiny size 15 seed beads. I really like them more than the big ones and they seem to be popular. Here's a couple of them. They are only 1.5 iches.

You can get them (and bigger ones in size 11 beads) at my Etsy shop here.

I also saw something that I thought was very creative - not a stretch for a crazy great town like Eugene - Sweaters for the Parking Meters!

In other issues - my mom is on a steroid now and is breathing much better and has lots of energy. My sister is on her way back to South Africa after a 3 week visit here. The sun is shining and I'm on my way outside to plant some violets that I brought back from my parent's house. Hope you are all enjoying spring.

Day of the Dead in April

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "Christmas in July".
I made some beaded Sugar Skulls* last year around Day of the Dead and they sold quite well. But I didn't think anyone would want them at other times. So I didn't make any more. However, since they sold so well last year, I thought I'd get a head start on making them this year so I would have more of an inventory come November. But when people see them, they want to buy them NOW. So I keep selling them almost as fast as I can make them.

No two are alike.

This week-end I was in Los Angeles to see family and I brought one for my sister-in-law. She wore it all week-end and kept getting comments on it. My 9 year old niece shyly approached me and asked if I would make one for her. She decided she wanted a little one in greens and purples. This is what I made her.

* For those who don't know what a Sugar Skull is; it is a colorful confection made of sugar to be consumed by children, young and old, on Day of the Dead, also called Dia de los Muertos. This is the day that the Mexican culture celebrates and remembers their loved ones who have passed on. It is a rich and beautiful celebration.