What does your hair color say about you?

I've been pondering this today, after a dream I had last night involving a female with a certain hair color. I realized, that most of my friendships with women with this certain hair color have NOT worked out. So I decided to do a little research on what hair color says about a person, and maybe I can uncover my distress with these certain hair-colored-people. :)

Here's what I've learned so far:

Women with BLACK hair are perceived to be mysterious and artistic, as well as powerful, intelligent and serious. The negative perception is that these dark-haired beauties are dishonest and sneaky.

BRUNETTE’s convey intelligence, glamour and sophistication. However, these earth mothers may also be perceived as lacking imagination.

Just as the color RED has the power to increase heart rate, redheads are perceived as sassy extroverts who demand – and often command – the center of attention. On the other hand, redheads can appear to be brassy, hot tempered and unreasonable.

It’s true – BLONDES are perceived to have more fun. They also communicate allure, passion and youthfulness. However, they can also be perceived as frivolous and incapable.

"Lacking imagination" huh? (I'm brunette) I guess that's why I've gone black sometimes with my color - I want my artisticness and mysteriousness to shine through.

I still haven't figured out the answer to my situation, but maybe some further research will uncover something interesting and informative.

I'm Ready! Come to the IJDG Online Trunk Show!

Doin' the happy dance.....I'm ready for the show this weekend! Got a new entry page up at http://www.michelejanine.com and tons more new pieces up. And hey, for anyone reading this,

You are all invited to attend this incredible show this weekend...it will be held at this link: http://www.jewelrydesignersguild.com/vts/ Simply bookmark that link and come back on Saturday, April 30, for the unveiling of the 2 day jewelry showing, featuring the work of over 60 of the International Jewelry Designer's Guild's most talented artists! I've seen most of the entries in the show, and boy, am I certainly proud to be a part of this wonderful group of such talented people!
P.S. There will also be a live chat on the site throughout the weekend and several of the artists will be available to chat with visitors. So please bookmark the link and come by for the party! :)

Sensible Chic!

There's this show I just adore on HGTV...Sensible Chic. On that show, they have a very expensive "designer inspiration room" which then recreate for much less, but with a great look, just the same.

I am finding to challenge myself in jewelry design, I am creating some pieces which are based on a designer "inspiration" piece. My recent Bonte Butterfly pendant is one such creation.

Today, I challenged myself again. My inspiration piece is a genuine Australian Opal pendant in 14K gold by designer Mark Hileman. I saw this piece and wondered if I could recreate this masterpiece using my materials, and for much less. Of course the recreation looks different, but it's based on the "feel" of his pendant/necklace. So here we go...here is the inspiration piece:

(luciously GORGEOUS!)

And my recreation in polymer clay with 14K gold filled wire bezels and hanging from a 12/20K gold filled figaro chain:

So delicious.....I've named the piece "Opal Sugar". Of course his piece is in the $1,000's, I'm sure, and mine is a mere $65. A nice look for less, don't you think? It's probably the daintiest piece of jewelry I've ever created. I like the sleek look of it. I'm tempted to do a few more, perhaps some different shapes. It's very geometric in nature, yet colorful enough for me to have been artistically attracted to it.

T'was a fun way to spend my day! :)

HazelNut Creamer & Rain

What makes a rainy, dreary, cloudy day better? A cup of coffee with Hazelnut creamer in it. You know, I've never been one to have sugar or cream in my coffee. Somehow, I ended up having Hazelnut coffee several months ago. What a delicious treat!

When I went to buy more, I discovered my Kroger had stopped carrying it! The quest for Hazelnut coffee began. It was nowhere to be found and I was devastated! I went back to Kroger for weeks on end, thinking they were just "out". When the tag disappeared from the shelf, I knew I was out of luck. I forced back a scream. And as I turned around, grasping my head in dismay, I saw this shelf with creamers...and lo and behold, there was HAZELNUT. Elated, I picked up a jar and brought it home to try. The rest is history...now I can't live without it.

And as I was outside just now listening to the birds singing with a chorus of gentle rainfall in the background, I sipped on my concoction, and realized as I tasted the sweetness, how grand life really is. I smiled to myself, as the warmth of this wonderful feeling washed over me.

For an instant, I thought it couldn't get any better. And then I remembered the feel, the taste, the aroma, of sweet chocolate. Okay, so it can get a little better...as chocolate borders on orgasmic...but for this morning, I'll settle for the sweetness of Hazelnut. :)

Who Am I?

I was just looking over our trunk show website...the online show runs this weekend and I was checking out how the site is shaping up. One of the artists...Patricia Norman opens her artist statement with the following:

"Who Am I? After 73 years on this planet one would suppose that I would know who I am.I am a lover of beauty, a quester of unusual items, but do I know who I am? I doubt that any one knows who they are or she is. We are constantly evolving into something different."

As I think about her statement, I realize how true that is. We are constantly evolving into something different. I know *I* have been. If you look at the jewelry I make, my evolution is evident. And as I think back on the types of jewelry I used to make, I can see how much I have changed and changed and changed.

I've also changed what I do in life, the people I choose to be around, and environments. One thing I've always loved to do anything with is jewelry. And I've always been a creator. Those things are constant in my evolution. There are very few people (other than family) who remain a fixture in my life. Paula is one of my "longest" friendships...and I think part of that is because most of our communication is online - she doesn't have to be around me personally! LOL

I've worked in offices, doing secretarial work, accounting, and other what I considered "boring" things. I've been a waitress, worked at an entertainment facility (one of my FAVE jobs ever!), I'm a published author, owned a publishing company...I'm a certified past life therapist...I've studied the legal field intensely, studied herbs, metaphysics, and all forms of healing. But I've evolved from all of those into becoming somewhat of a recluse from the world and staying in a warm, comfortable home, making my creations and putting them out there.

I'm a believer...I have faith...I'm a dreamer...I'm a romantic. Those things are constant....they always exist in me. Yes, I still believe in true love...that one day I will have the "relationship of my dreams". Course I might be 73 when I get it, and you know what? I bet who I am will have changed again and again and again by then. No wonder relationships are difficult...I keep changing. Change is invetible...I just wonder, can it be slowed down at all?

Opals & Concepts

I've spent the past day working on OPALS....yes I am fascinated with opal. Apparently many others are/have been as well. Here are some interesting facts I learned in my research about this beautiful stone:

•Opals are set in the crown jewels of France.
•During ancient times, opal symbolized faithfulness and confidence.
•To Romans, opal symbolized hope and purity.
•To Greeks, opal symbolized foresight and prophecy.
•The Arabs believed opal fell from heaven in flashes of lightning.
•Shakespeare referred to opal as the "Queen of Gems" in Twelfth Night.
•In Sir Walter Scott's novel Ann of Geierstein, the novel's heroine owned an opal that had her life force caught inside. It burned fiery red when she was angry. The opal's fire extinguished and turned ashen gray upon her death.
•Napoleon gave Josephine an opal named "The Burning of Troy" as a symbol of his love.

I've created a new "concept design". Like the One Powerful Chick Beads, the Joy of Life Bead/Pendant™ design was developed based on a concept. All concept pieces I create are "recreatable" in different colors or shades, while using the same basic design, which is built around a meaning of something in life which I find useful or helpful at this time in my life. I believe if I'm going through something, others out there are too.

In addition to the Joy of Life beads, I've also been working on creating faux opal stones and cabs which will go into settings I already have here. The designers who purchase them can then incorporate those settings into their own designs. I'm still working on some stone formulations and coloring, but I'll share those when they are ready to view.

Opal has always been a favorite stone for me because of the brilliance of rainbow coloring and reflectiveness. I also love aurora borealis rhinestones because of their same effect. I learned this today - Opal was considered to be the gem of inspiration for artists and those in love. - perhaps because I am an artist, and I am in love with what I do and many aspects of life, that is why I'm attracted to this particular stone.

No, I didn't die in Hobby Lobby...LOL

Although if I must be buried somewhere, that would be a grand location for my soul to spend eternity. :) I actually acquired some new brushes and a fabulous tool called a "Colour Shaper" which is grand for fine details. I was so excited about my acquisitions, I got right down to to work here in the studio!

First we have this tree frog bead "Hanging From a Thread":

And then we have this double sided masterpiece "Behind the Red Curtain", which represents focusing on the "inner self"...the wonderful person inside, despite what what the outer view may be like:

And a fun piece to do with a stamp featuring beautiful art:

So see, I've been busy! Sorry...the Tree Frog Bead is already sold! There is only ONE WEEK left until the Jewelry Designer's Guild Trunk Show, so I'm going to be extremely busy the rest of this week, getting new pieces ready to go in the shop.

And then I will be able to breathe again! :)

Oh, and by the way, OPC, yes, you can be a Christian without attending a church regularly. That's all I'm going to say about it! :)

P.S. Click on any of the photos above to see more details!

Today is a......

Hobby Lobby day! Yesterday I was doing more experimenting. Today, after the research I did, I discovered what I need to make the fine lines in my art beads and cabs. I need to go get it. Plus I need some more clay, and some more tiny brushes, as I broke 2 recently.

So I'm off to eat breakfast, get ready, and head to my favorite place in the world! Gosh, I need a life....when a craft store becomes your favorite place to spend time...but then I'd rather be on the beach, enjoying the sounds of the ocean, the seagulls, the warm water lapping gently over my toes...ahhhhhhhh

Since I don't have anything close to a beach where I live, I guess I'll make do with Hobby Lobby. I need to buy stock in that place.

Another bead using the new technique

Whew......this new technique has been awfully hard to figure out, but I think I have it down now. This bead here was actually finished last night, but not totally dry until today:




The name of this piece is "Sweet Nectar". I think it turned out exceptionally well! And I re-made the cat bead I was working on yesterday (which I didn't like). It's firing now, so I won't be able to show it for a while (pending it survives the rest of the process!)

A glorious day!

Okay, so I'm trying to sound "positive". LOL My day started with weighing and discovering that pound and a half I lost for 2 days is back. I don't understand that, being I've spent a good part of the last 2 days in the loo. I know, it's extra air I'm taking in from all this exercise. Bahahahahaha!

I ended up getting pissed off at the weight thing, and took off for a brisk 1.30 mile walk this morning. At the end of the walk, I see my neighbor had set a 19" tv - with remote! - beside the road. So I picked the SOB up and hauled it up the hill to my house.

See my daughter's TV is on the blitz and she needs a new one. I thought I'd just got lucky! Until I got it in, plugged it up and found out the picture is on the blink. Damn! I thought for sure maybe they had just gotten a better tv and didn't want this one anymore...after all, they had set the remote on top of it (batteries not included). But no........

So I do a little research for parts on the net. After all, this TV was manufactured in May 2003 so it's not that old. Can't find parts...but find the number to a service center here. I call to inquire about price. First of all, they are just now working on TV's brought in the first of March. So that tells me I've got a pretty long wait. They want a $20 deposit. I just want a PRICE I tell her. I tell her it's the picture tube (I think) since the picture is not working. She tells me I can buy *2* new TV's for the price of a picture tube and having it installed. I tell her goodbye.

I mean, let's get real here...I can buy a working used phillips TV (bigger screen too) down here at the hotel furniture store for $60. It looks like that's what I'll be doing - as soon as I get some $$ to do so. Bead sales have been non-existant for almost 2 months and the cabinets are bare...a TV will have to wait.

So now I have this non-working TV sitting on the dining room floor. Whoopee! A grand way to start my day...the darn thing is pretty heavy - guess I could lug it around the house and call it "lifting weights". :)

Oh, speaking of "getting real", Dr. Phil appeared in my dreams again last night. And no, I'm not having this obsession with him. I don't understand it...I have watched him and Oprah for years and they have NEVER appeared in my dreams. I wonder if his "presence" is trying to tell me something. I need to quit watching him. LOL

I also need to quit eating foods like rice, corn and popcorn. I have figured out these foods that are in "little pieces" and aren't chewed up real well because they are so small, are foods my inards don't like..........

Oh gosh, I guess that's more than you wanted to know....I need to talk about beads or something. But that's something else that's frustrating me. Or "exhaus-trating" me (exahusting + frustrating).

I'm trying this new technique and learning a few things. It's been hell to figure out how to consistently do what I want to do. And unlike my other techniques, this one I'm keeping to myself. It's taken me too long and too many mistakes to figure out how to get this artistic look I'm after now and I don't plan on sharing in any way on this other than SALES.

Guess I should get moving...get a bath and try another bead in the way I THINK will work consistently (I won't know for sure until I try yet again.........)

Lator Gators,
Me

Oh God, it's monday again

Yep...another week has started. I'm dragging today - just feeling all out of sorts. Don't know if I had weird dreams or what. I emailed Paula this morning with a half a thought on an idea she has - and several minutes later, the rest of the idea decided to arrive in my little brain, so I emailed her again. It's like - HEY BRAIN, you awake in there? It's very frustrating. Perhaps it was the 3 beers I drank yesterday. Or it could have been the pork chops...maybe they weighted me down.

Speaking of weight...another pound and a half is gone. Guess that's what mowing the yard with a pushmower does! I've already done the walk today, and I don't know if I'll do floor exercises or not. I'm just wiped out for some reason. Hey, maybe it was the sunshine...I was out in the sun a lot over the past 3 days. Not a problem today - it's mostly cloudy and I'm staying in...supposed to be working, but I haven't even gotten started yet.

I turned on the radio in here - maybe it will pep me up. And Paula just shared a funny blog: http://waiterrant.blogspot.com/
Take a gander at it if you dare. LOL

I still can't believe it's Monday. My phone hasn't rang yet....usually the bill collectors and solicitors start in early in the am on Monday. Maybe a miracle happened...maybe my bills have all disappeared - vanished - and maybe the solicitors are on vacation. I never answer their calls - but I kind of miss them when they don't call...go figure. :)

Other than all of that, life is good...at least I'm still breathing, even if I'm dragging!

What can I say...

About 5 "mistake beads" later...and I *finally* came up with something I like. What a challenge....but I love it!







This version is un-named and un-glazed at this point. After the day I've had, I'm going to BED!

It's all Bobbi's fault.....

...that I am fooling around with yet another technique with the PC. She posted about these terrific art beads. Figuring out how they are made is the hard part. No, I take that back. Experimenting is the hard part! LOL But it's fun.

I figure the beads are either made one of two ways - using a transfer technique with the liquid sculpey, or colored on with color pencils after baking and then rebaked and finished.

This morning I've already tried the transger technique. It was a flop, just like the last time I tried it. And the instructions online make it look SO EASY. Ha!

So now I am trying technique #2. I made the base bead. Then made my drawing in pencil (graphite). Now I'm firing the bead. After baking and cooling, I will then tint my design with the colored pencils. Then I'll rebake for a few minutes to "set" the color. Then after cooling, I'll either apply my glaze, or apply TLS, rebake and glaze. Depends on how it looks after the color sets.

If the color pencil doesn't work, I'll probably try chalk color. I know chalk does well with PC. But I bet the color pencil will work. I'll post a photo later if this works.

Got all my errands done yesterday. Now I have a clean dog! Bills are paid! Dog beds washed, and car is vacuumed and windows clean. I also managed to get a little sun for about an hour.

Today I plan on more sun and mowing the yard later after the grass dries out from the dew.

I'm frustrated with the weight issue again. I started on the cream again yesterday, but I haven't lost any more pounds in over a week. I know this takes time, but with the way I'm eating and all this physical exercise I've added into my day, I should see better results!

I know, I know...I'm a jewelry and bead maker...which means I am "sitting" alot during my work day...not really an "active" job and I probably need to get even MORE activity in my days for this to work. So I'm pondering that. I can't eat much less than I do. (about 1,000 calories most days, with one or two slightly bigger meals out a week...avg of about 1200 per day)

Well it's time to go check on the bead to see if it's done firing yet. More later!

Fabulous Friday!

Okay, so it might not be fabulous Friday. I'm already dreading all I have to get done today. I have to get the sticker for my car tags, pay the electric and cable bills, and get the dog to the groomer, all by 11 am. Then I have to pay the phone bill, eat lunch, come home and wash the dogs beds, vacuum the car, and get back to get the dog by about 3. Whew. Wears me out just thinking about it!

I did manage to get some jewels made yesterday. Here's some photos:

The first piece above is a cranberry and plum seashell brooch. I used 14K gold filled wire and freshwater rice pearls for the blooms coming out of the shell.

The second piece is a butterfly pendant modeled after a pendant from the early 1900's by Elisabeth Bonte. I think it turned out exceptional and it looks a lot like the inspiration piece from the book Amazing Gems.

The third is a bead made in the shape of a vase, and it's floral arrangement is made from 14k gold filled wire, pearls, Swarovski crystal and a really neat glass tube bead with orange, pink, and black striping.

I shared these with my jewelry list last night. I'm surprised no one had anything to say about the Bonte Butterfly. But then many of the collectors probably don't know too much about that artist. I can barely find anything on the net about her myself. I just thought it was kind of neat to recreate a piece of antique jewelry in polymer clay. The original piece was made of etched and painted horn. I love the design I came up with for the pendant (which is actually different than the inspiration piece), and will probably make some more butterfly pendants like that in the future.

I was in the mood to incorporate the wire and genuine gems and crystals into some of my work yesterday, and I think I accomplished my goal.

I don't know if I'll have any time to get anything new started today or not.

10 AM already??????!!!!!

Hello world! Now if you think I'm just getting up at 10 am, you're WRONG. LOL I've been up since 6 and working on a brooch. It's in the oven firing now. I am keeping my fingers crossed it comes out okay.

Hey guess what - we have sunshine today! A beautiful day for a walk. But first.....it's SIT UP TIME. Got to work on this waistline, you know. This was the week to lay off the progesterone cream, so I'm not showing any pounds lost. I will start using it again tomorrow or Saturday, and then, you watch, the scale will start showing results. I've eaten good this week and exercised every day, so I feel I'm doing okay. Of course I'd LOVE faster results. But it just doesn't work that way, unfortunately.

If the brooch turns out good, I'll share it later. Now I'm off to do those sit ups.

Sometimes the Clay Just Takes Over...

...and becomes something like this:





A little bit of fun for today! :) I've never done a full face sculpture before, so this was interesting.

I also completed a faux opal bead today I'm really proud of:

If this one doesn't sell, I have a great idea of what to do with it in a necklace........:)

Later Gator!

Organization & Exercise

Yes they do go hand in hand. As I lie on my office floor, doing sit ups, while I break between sets, I gaze up at the ceiling, and at the shelves of the built in desk. What a mess......I've thought for the past week or so. Today, I couldn't stand the clutter on those shelves anymore! It was TIME TO CLEAN UP.

By the time I'd finished getting my books organized, cleaning the shelves, standing on a stool to put pictures on top and all the books back onto the shelves, not to mention cleaning out the drawers and getting all of my supplies in order and organized, I had worked up a pretty good sweat. So not only do I now have a clean, organized office (as my daughter says "It looks bigger in here..."), but I got some good exercise too. How about that? :)

A while ago, the sun peeked out, and I thought I might manage a walk today too....but alas, the clouds are back and it's damp and cold...so I think I'll stay put in the house. I can go up and down the stairs about 50 times while dinner cooks, and probably get a good result.

Fifty situps made it into my schedule today, as did 10 push ups and 25 leg lifts for each leg. Still haven't made any beads, but that's coming up next. I have a design which is frustrating me, and I'm hoping I've worked up enough pent up energy during cleaning time so I can settle down and figure this one out.

Dr. Phil's a repeat, so is Oprah (again....what's UP WITH THAT? Is Oprah on vacation? Seems like all I see of her are repeats). So I'll be working on a bead during those 2 hours.

Oh and I added a wholesale ordering page to my website, so I've worked on getting things done there today too. I feel I've accomplished a lot so far today, despite the fact none of it was what I had planned. Sometimes you just have to let go and "go with the flow" - I've gotten somewhat better about that over the years. :)

Today...An Article...Love

Good morning WORLD! Okay, so it hasn't been so good so far...I had all these plans to get the dog to the groomer today and wash her beds, lay them in the sun to dry, vacuum the car, etc. All this "outside" stuff. Well, I'll be darned if it's not *raining* again. Sigh. I changed her appointment until Friday when I have to go out anyway. So my day hasn't started as planned, but it gives me the chance to stay in and work on beads and the website today.

First of all, I must get this in my mind and put this at the top of my list today: EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE

There....I think it's rooted in my brain good now!

This morning I worked on the website. I added my free E-book Healing With Color. Wearing jewelry of certain colors can affect healing, so this booklet is a perfect add-on for my site. Check it out if you'd like....just click here.

Then I was going through some of my old articles. Betcha didn't know I am a writer, too, did you? I've published my novel ONE LOVE years ago and have been writing since I was a child. I'm proud to say I'm a multi-published author. You can find several of my works on the internet. But I came across this article this morning and thought I'd share it here. Maybe someone reading this will find it interesting:

LOVE By Michele J. Johnson

Are you dissatisfied with your life? Are you frustrated? Do you have enough LOVE in your life? If you did, you wouldn’t be dissatisfied and frustrated. Why do we become dissatisfied and frustrated when we don’t have love? Perhaps because we are looking for love in all of the wrong places…like in the instance of looking to someone else to "give" us love. No one else can do this. Sure, others can "do" loving things for us - but they cannot actually "give" us love. So then, where does love come from?
WITHIN.

Love can only come from within you. If you are dissatisfied and frustrated at the lack of love in your life, stop looking toward OTHERS to "give" it to you. Begin by loving yourself. Begin by accepting the fact that you are perfect just the way you are. Begin by acknowledging your skills and wonderful traits and talents and being grateful for them. Begin by patting yourself on the back when you do something well. Stop looking to others…because then you give your power over to them instead of keeping it inside of you where it belongs.

Only you can give yourself love. When you love yourself, you then can feel compassion and do loving things for others. You’ll be living in a loving state of mind, which will bring loving acts and experiences into your life. The dissatisfaction and frustration will be gone from your life. The confusion as to where love should be coming from will be gone…you’ll know it comes from right inside of you!

On a CD I was listening to last night, I heard something along this line - "We are all connected, we are all one. When we think a thought, that thought goes into the universal oneness and connects us with all other similar thoughts." This told me that when you are loving yourself and thinking loving thoughts about yourself, you will "tune in", so to speak, to the radio station LOVE. That’s what you’ll receive back - LOVE. When you are thinking critical and negative thoughts about yourself, you’ll turn into the NEGATIVE, CRITICAL radio station, and that’s the kind of music you’ll hear. You’re in control of this - you decide which station to tune into. Just keep in mind, whichever one you turn into will generate the type of music appropriate for that particular station. You can decide, and make a conscious effort to tune into a station which will generate loving feelings and thoughts toward yourself, or you can decide on the "other" station.

So if you are dissatisfied and frustrated with your life and the events of your days - perhaps take a look at the dial of your personal thought radio station…it might be time to change channels to one which produces more of the kind of music you wish to hear.

Now, go do something loving for yourself. It doesn’t matter what, as long as it feels good to you. Pick something you enjoy - and do it freely - knowing that you deserve it!

© 2000 Michele J. Johnson. All Rights Reserved. May not be reprinted without permission.

Trash Tuesday

Okay, I forgot it was "trash day" today. So I had to wait until that huge, loud trash truck made it's rounds and left the neighborhood before I went for my walk. First I managed 40 sit ups, 10 push ups and 25 leg lifts. Then I had a short break while I waited for the trash truck to vacate the vicinity. And *then* I managed a 1.30 mile walk. Met a nice lady at the end of the cove who has a little Sheltie dog named Beau. He's adorable, and he acts like a big tough thing....and he's 14 years old and still looks like a youngster! Wish I knew what she fed that boy....my 6 year old girl chow mix has grey hair all over (and she's supposed to be solid black!)

My cat Pistol decided to catch some rays the other day on the dining room floor. I got a good photo.....

What a life, huh? :) Okay, almost 11 am here...time to get a shower and get to work!

Tantalizing Tuesday....

Why do I call it tantalizing Tuesday? Because I have all kinds of thoughts and ideas of what to do with my day, and I can't decide on where to begin!

The Bead and Button request is still running through my mind. I entered that same piece in their Bead Dreams competition and I will know about May 2 if I am a finalist. So I'd rather wait to see about that before I send in the piece. I guess I should email the editor and tell her that. Because if it does achieve finalist status there, it won't be put in the your work gallery....it will be put in the Bead Dreams magazine at the end of the year.

Our rain is gone here, and I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and do my walk this morning....the sun has come out and it is really a nice temperature outside now. I skipped my sit ups yesterday, but today it's back down to business, so I need to do them today. Maybe I'll do the sit ups and then take the walk. That's an idea.......

Beads, beads, beads.....more are running through my mind. I'm even thinking WAY AHEAD as far as what to do for Christmas this year. I know I'm going to do some art beads with poinsetta and holly. I'm thinking of doing some christmas tree scenic beads...and I'm also thinking of doing some One Powerful Chick beads with Santa hats for the holiday.

Okay, I need to bring my focus back to TODAY. What am I going to do TODAY? I'm thinking of a faux opal stone which would make a great necklace centerpiece. I'm also thinking of a winter scene landscape bead, as I haven't done a winter scene yet and I have a really pretty photo of one here I can work from for the design.

I guess I'll go ahead and do my floor exercises and then take my walk. Then get a shower and get to work on the beads. At some point, I need to go out and pay some bills, but I'm thinking of waiting until tomorrow to do that.

C'ya!

WOW - Bead & Button Wants ME?

Wow - I'm in shock! Just heard from an editorial assistant at Bead and Button magazine...."Thank you for sharing "Queen's Garden" with Bead&Button. We really like your work. Please send the necklace to Bead&Button...for further evaluation...If accepted, we would publish it in the Your Work gallery."

How about THAT!?! I'll post more after I get over the shock.....

It's Monday...and raining AGAIN

Another Monday is here....another RAINY one. A great day to stay in and rest. Which I certainly don't mind after yesterday. I mowed the lawn....took me about 2 1/2 hours with breaks for something to drink. And I am SO SORE today.

We ate at Catfish Cabin (a wonderful restaurant if you're ever in Jackson, TN). On the way there, we saw fire trucks at Los Portales...right by the house here. Turns out that restaurant caught on fire about 3:45 pm. Since the place is closed on Sunday, no one was there and no one injured. They still don't know what caused the fire. It caused enough damage they will be closed for a while, I'm afraid. Thank goodness there are 3 other locations in town! This is my favorite Mexican restaurant. I've been eating at their north store for about 10 years now.

After our dinner, we came home and I did a 1.20 mile walk. This morning, I walked before it started raining. I'm still sore from all that push mowing....we have several hills in the yard!

I didn't get to work on any new beads yesterday. Maybe today I'll get something else ready to show!

Beautiful Day in West TN!

Wow - sunshine! No rain! AMEN! It's going to be gorgeous here today. So I believe I'll mow this yard....put on my shorts and scare all the neighbors with my too-white-legs. But hey, how else am I supposed to get sun? Gotta start somewhere!

Paula's over there talking about goals this morning. Now she has me thinking. When I think about goals, I try to break them down...goals just for today, and then future goals.

Just for today, I want to:

• Get some exercise
• Get some sun and enjoying being outside
• Work on my Desert Dreams art bead
• Laugh and play
• Fix my daughter's bike tire

Future goals:

• Lose the additional 26 pounds to get down to my goal weight by August 11
• Fit in a certain pair of shorts I have by May 25
• Have regular sales of my beads and jewelry each week
• Acquire some custom orders to work on
• Have a fence installed around part of my yard - or the entire yard, if I really start thinking big
• Get a new sofa - this other one has about had it!
• Find some kind of way to get my kids involved with me and my beads/jewelry business
• Do some shows
• Open an art jewelry store with classes and supplies, right here by my home in one of the quaint little empty shops
• get my Ford Mustang convertible back (or a new one similar to the one I had to sell)
• Do some redecorating
• Meet some people around here who like to work with clay/beads/jewelry making and get together with them
• See my work appear in magazines and other publications

I guess that's all I can think of for now. Time for a refill on the coffee! :)

More Chickens have Hatched!

After such a crappy day in the studio yesterday, I am happy I've been able to be extremely productive today! Three more chickens have hatched in the ONE POWERFUL CHICK collection:


And then we have Garden Fairy Bead "Teri" - perfect for the Red Hat Society ladies!

And then there is this beautiful, subtle blue floral bead, Blue Anthurium:

I think it's time for a break! I haven't even done my exercises yet today, so I guess I'll do some sit ups. Oh, my brother has petered out at 120 push ups.....WIMP. :)

A Chicken is Hatched!

Sometimes a good night's sleep will do wonders for an artist. That and a cold beer! It sure did for me, as I came up with my new prototype of the One Powerful Chick bead, and here she is - ROSILY ORCHID, the first in a series of One Powerful Chick beads:

What a statement! Cute, but beautiful at the same time. Whew....thank goodness I've figured this out...I was about to cluck myself into the frying pan over this!

UGH

No new beads to show. Yesterday ended up being one of those days when "nothing was working". I finally tossed up my hands about 7 last night and gave up and even left my studio/office for the rest of the evening!

I hate it when I have days when nothing works. And of course, I try to reason things out - as to "why". For some reason I got it in my mind I wanted to make a chicken bead. A pretty patterned, yet cute, chicken bead. Well, I don't do "cute" things very well...I'm more into beautiful, elegant, striking, than I am "cute". The only cute bead I've done is a portrait of Garfield, and I think the reason that worked is because I love Garfield.

But I had seen these lampwork chicken beads I really liked. Each one was different and unique. So I thought, well, this might be able to tie in with Paula's website One Powerful Chick that she's working on. I could call it the One Powerful Chick bead. And make it over and over, with different colors and patterns so each would be unique and different, like us.

But the design I tried flopped. So I tried again - another flop. So I tried a couple of different beads....flop flop flop. So I finally started working on another Garden Fairy bead...this one is not complete, but I *think* it might actually work.

The chicken, however, has me stumped. My daughter likes the one I actually went forward with and finished - I hate it. I told her no more chickens!

So I wake up this morning....thinking of what? Chickens! Geez.

Instead of thinking of chickens, I need to answer my emails - I have several which came in during "chicken creation" and they are still sitting there. Darn chickens anyway. UGH.

And as I sit here rambling on, I wonder why am I writing all this? But then I also wonder.....why are YOU reading it? :)

Back to the drawing board, which I've currently re-named The Artist's Nightmare.

Southern Pink Magnolia

Off to do errands, but I wanted to share the magnolia bead!

Picture it with some blush pink pearls and a dash of fuchsia crystals...or add purple too, for a bolder and more vibrant look!

Comments anyone?

Paula has a Blog...Paula has a Blog.....

Well it's about damn time! I told my friend Paula about this DAYS ago and she finally has a blog up....hooray!

Lemme give you a little history on Paula....she and I have been friends for about 10 years now I guess. She is my BEST online friend, my BIGGEST supporter, and just an overall GREAT person! We met online via a romance writer's forum of about 1,000 people and discovered we lived about 30 minutes from each other. How cool is THAT?

Been friends ever since...Lord, I don't know how she's put up with me. LOL

If you want to get a bright light in your day, go visit Paula's Blog. She is definitely One Powerful Chick!

Featured Artist in the Bead Bugle!

Wow! I just discovered Bead Bugle has placed me in their publication as their featured artist this week! HOORAY! Click here to read the article.

Sometimes life is SO EXCITING! :)

The cutest thing!

Our property is loaded with squirrels and they are out in full force after the rain! Earlier this morning, I noticed my cat was sitting about 3 feet from this squirrel, who was busy burying a nut by a big tree. (I was shocked the cat wasn't chasing the squirrel - he loves to try to catch them!) After this squirrel finished burying his nut, he went to sit on a nearby tree stump. Then *another* squirrel came up, promptly dug up the nut, and ran off with it, while the original squirrel watched. LOL Who needs TV?

Is it Friday Yet?

We didn't float away here in TN. I got a lot of extra exercise due to the flooding we did have. The water came in my basement door, and I spent 3/4 of the day yesterday going up and down the stairs, changing out wet towels. As a result, I kept a dry basement, and lost that 1/2 pound + another 1/2 pound! It was either due to going up and down the stairs 50 times or due to those 50 sit ups I did yesterday.

Today I managed *60* sit ups, 10 push ups and 25 leg lifts during my morning exercise session. This was all after a 1 mile walk. Yes, I could walk today - it's still soaking wet outside, but the rain has stopped and I see a hint of sunlight.

I spent most of the morning getting my calendars and newsletter ready to mail to my customers. Yes, I'm late with it. But NO MORE! I've put a reminder alarm in my cell phone to remind me *before* the end of the month to get the next month's material ready to go. And this was the first month I included the newsletter, so it took quite a while to complete it. Next month will go faster.

Tomorrow I'll be mailing all of those, plus my entry for the Bead Dreams 2005 competition. I'm entering 2 pieces - Queen's Garden and Snake Charmer. The last 2 slides I needed came in today, and the deadline for postmarks is Saturday. So I'll be taking care of that tomorrow.

As for today, after a long, hot bath, I plan on completing at least 2 more beads. One is a Magnolia...the other a landscape. I'll share when I get them finished! :)

Oh what a day!

Let's just say....this is where I'd like to have been today:

I've had a migraine all day and don't really know how in the world I managed to finish that bead, but I guess the vision was stronger than the headache. :)

I finished two others also:

Trio of Callas and Dragonfly & Cattails (that was a fun bead to make!).

I was going to try to get in more sit ups today, but I believe I'm going to call it a night...I'm exhausted! Until tomorrow......

~Today's numbers~

Okay, I went ahead and just took my sit up challenge. I did *50*! Five sets of 10 each with an approx. 2-3 break between the sets. Somehow after killing myself with those, I managed to do one set of 5 push ups....egads those things are HARD WORK! Then I did 25 leg lifts on each leg. Now it's shower time....and I hope it quits raining so I can do my walk later, otherwise I'll be riding my exercise bike for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes.

Another GRAND Day on this earth!

"Dori" says Welcome!

Dori is the first in my Garden Fairies collection of beads. In our garden of life, new blooms blossom daily, and the old falls away. Yet there remains the light of memory, sparked by the personalities we have met and treasured along the way. In the "Garden Fairies" collection, we rekindle the spirit and light of wonderful people, as we remember and recognize their joy and their beauty. Click on the photo to go and read more about Dori!

Dori was named for a very nice lady online - a lady who always takes the time to make comments to an email post, who is always polite, complimentary and positive.

I've been working on Dori since mid-day yesterday. 24 hours later, she is now complete. I am very pleased with how she turned out, and think she will make a wonderful focal piece for a necklace!

What do you think? Leave me some comments below if you'd like!

Productive Day, Full of COLOR!

Wow, a productive day today! That progesterone cream I'm using is really giving me some energy. I completed 2 beads and mowed the yard all before lunch. Went to the store, had lunch, exercised again, and of course, watch Dr. Pill...oops, I mean PHIL. LOL :)

Here's the new beads just uploaded (click a photo for more info!):

Grandma's Grapes

Summer Sunflowers

Chai Spice

I'm having such fun using the medium of polymer clay for my creations. The possibilities are simply unlimited for what a person can do!

I received my slides today for my snake necklace. This one and my Queen's Garden necklace will be entered in the Bead Dreams 2005 competition this year. Wish me luck!

I guess it's back to the studio for me. I've got a few more hours of work time before I'll be ready to crash, so I think I'll put this creative energy to work some more today. :)

Multi Tasking...

Ah, it's MONDAY! Once again, I ate a little bit too much for Sunday dinner yesterday. But this time, I *knew* I was going to do that, so I made yesterday's exercise mowing the back and side yard. That was after going and getting a ton of groceries. And after making another bead. I went from 5:30 am yesterday morning until 9 last night before I collapsed into a heap in the bed, totally exhausted!

Today I woke up refreshed, and ready to get down to work. I've already made a spectacular sunflower bead and a great abstract pendant. After the abstract comes out of the oven, it's time to put on the first coat of glaze. Then I'll mow the front yard - that ought to take care of that big dinner from yesterday! (yes, I push mow this yard...about 1/2 an acre...which is nothing to me...our previous yard was 1.5 acres and I push mowed it!)

Sometime today I need to hit the store again, as I forgot a couple of things. And since I'm on a bead making frenzy with tons of designs in my mind, I'm sure I'll be back in the studio before the day ends. I'll share some of the new beads when I get them photographed! Have a grand day. :)

A FIND! Pink Asscher Cut HUGE CZ Ring

Oh I had such FUN at the flea market yesterday! I acquired some great old strands of unique antique glass beads to use in my creations. I also acquired this HONKIN' pink Asscher cut CZ ring. The center stone is 18mm square. A 10mm square is 6.00 carat...so this one must be 8-10 carat. It's a heavy ring too! It has 2 clear trillants on the sides. Normally when I add CZ rings to my collection, I strive for 10k or 14k white or yellow gold for the settings. This ring is sterling with a gold overlay (marked 925 and another mark which is either WG or WC). Eventually I plan to have these stones reset in solid gold. I bought it specifically for the center stone. Asscher cut CZ's are very, very expensive and hard to find in this size (in fact I've never seen one this size). Here are some photos of this *beauty*!

Isn't it just STUNNING?????? :) The stone is a lighter pink than these photos show. It's sort of a powder pink. Finding this beauty made my trip to the flea market really worthwhile!

Saturday Fun!

Well it's Saturday! After a rainy, cold, and gloomy day yesterday, the sun has come out. It's nice and brisk outside, but very comfortable. Our flea market is in town this weekend so I think I'll go check out the wares. I have a few other errands to do, too...hit the craft store, the bookstore, and the post office.

I was invited to join this new website ECrafter.Com, so I signed up and set up some of my beads on there to get more exposure. Why not...it's free! :) Here's a link to my page there.

Off to get ready for my day out!

Hot Glazed Pecan & Snake CHarmer Bracelet! DONE!

Okay, here are the two pieces I promised...Hope you like them!



The inspiration for the Hot Glazed Pecan abstract art bead came from a color palette shared by an artist friend. Didn't the bead turn out COOL? I love the added sparkle of the AB beads. The bracelet worked great too, and like the snake charmer necklace, it's a design I can repeat in any colors. I did this one with amethyst beads, while the necklace has peridot beads.

Now it's back to the workbench...time for an oceanic scene on a bead, I do believe. :)

P.S. The mexican food was great! And I didn't eat too much (I don't think...LOL)

Hey Ladies!

Hey Ladies, I have a brother...who is looking for Ms. Right. He'll be 36 this year, has a good job, lives in Sunny Florida, and is great fun to be around! Check him out at his website at http://www.scottcarr.net! P.S. His birthday is on 4th of July....so you know he's a firecracker! :)

Early day!

Yoo hoo! Woke up at 5:30 am with all kinds of creative ideas, after taking a much needed break yesterday. Using materials left from the Snake Charmer necklace, I've made some links which will be made into a bracelet. It won't match exactly since I'm out of peridot beads...I believe I'll use amethyst this time around.

Yesterday an artist sent a selection of color palettes to our mailing list, and based on those palettes, I've created a large, barrel shaped abstract focal bead, which I'm called "Glazed Pecan" (name of the color combo). It's quite striking, and will be able to be worn as a single bead on a necklace cord, or it can be integrated into other designs. I added some AB crystal flatbacks to it for additional sparkle, as well as dusted it with gold dust. I'll share it later - it's firing right now, and then will need to be glazed.

I felt bad because I didn't work on any pieces yesterday. But I now feel I'm making up for it today! Since it's Friday, I'll be going out to lunch to eat Mexican. YUM! But I'll work on some more artistic creations this afternoon. Possibly a painted ocean bead...or maybe a winter scene with mountains...who knows where the muse will go. :)