Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Blog Hop Day 7

The Blues

I've been a bit blue lately. Maybe it is the holidays, family scattered and too busy. The weather, gray and rainy. Hey, but I love the rain! Anyway, today I decided to roll with it, put on some blues music and choose dark blues for the palette. It is quite pretty! Of course prettier in person. They were a bit difficult to photograph properly. In today's bag: Blue gold stone squares and large drops, cobalt squares and faceted beads, raku finish glass beads and a blue dichroic button.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Blog Hop Day 6

Lovely Leaves!
It may be snowing where you are, but here in San Diego, CA the leaves are falling. Right into the Blog Hop gift box! These beautiful glass, Lucite and metal leaves will be a wonderful addition to your stash of components. Create something beautiful with spring in mind.


Talmadge Art Show 
"PoP Up Show" this Saturday in San Diego
I am honored to be one of 10 artists chosen to participate in this impromptu Talmadge Art Show. This very popular, high end show began at the home of Sharon and Alan 20 years ago. This Saturday, the show returns to their home in San Diego's Talmadge neighborhood. Please come support your local artists and boost your cultural experience as well as the arts!
 
                     Location & Directions
Saturday, December 17th
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
4514 Norma Drive, San Diego 92115
  www.talmadgeartshow.com

Interstate-8 to Mission Gorge / Fairmont Exit
Go South on Fairmont
Exit at Aldine and go to the Stop sign
Go left and go under Fairmont and up the hill
Make the first left at 47th street
The road splits..bear to the left on Norma Drive
5th house on left


Participating Artists
Erica Batchelder...Silk Flowers, Pins, Bracelets & Scarves
Sheri Bittner...Chara Fabric Designs
Matthew Cirello...Metalsmith Jewelry
Jeannette Cook...Sculptural Beaded Jewelry
 John Gibbons...Functional & Artistic Glass
Amy Gibbons...Artisan Jewelry
Jackson Gray...Jackpots Pottery
Valerie Hebert...Upcycled Fiber Art
Daphne Hill & Anna Stump...Vintage Cocktail Jewelry
Laura Kaslow...Found Object Jewelry
Debbie Lawrence...Hats, Gloves & Knitwear
Maria Moy...Ethnic Jewelry
Jan Stamm...Small Oil Paintings
Paul Stolte...Figurative Ceramic Sculpture
Lucia Yang...Fused Glass

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Blog Hop Day 5

Today's gift is Pearls, Pearls, Pearls!
 A beautiful selection of tiny, medium, keshi and dagger pearls for you to play with! I learned that many people prefer not to have their email address on a public blog. So, I will announce the winner's name on December 15th's blog and give you 24 ours to email me so I can get an address to send your package to. All of my contact info is on my website.

 Mastering the Curl at The Bouncing Bead in La Mesa
 "The Curl Girls" Naomi, Maggie, Maggie and Gretchen! Their colors were so beautiful. Each Curl from Mastering the Curl will be radically different from each other because of color and size differences each student chose. Mastering the Curl was added to the schedule because these students wanted to have this class.
 
Naomi, the two Maggies and Gretchen

These four women have been beading and knitting together for years. They went next door to Two Sisters and Ewe to shop for yarns before the Curl class started. I love that there is a creative center here in La Mesa with the bead shop, yarn shop and a dichroic glass store all in a row! What a fun day we had yesterday. By request of these four bead crazed women, we will add "La Femme Spirit" to the schedule in February or March. This is a two day class. Calendars have to be opened and we will announce the date as soon as we've made a choice. I will keep you posted on the date so you can attend as well.
La Femme Spirit Pendants

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Blog Hop Day 4

Dark Olivine!
I love this palette because it is a perfect neutral for so many other colors. I am off to teach workshops this morning, so I will keep it short. I learned that many people prefer not to have their email address on a public blog. So, I will announce the winner's name on December 15th's blog and give you 24 ours to email me so I can get an address to send your package to. All of my contact info is on my website.
Dark Olivine! My favorite neutral palette!

My dog Jasmine before she went to the groomers. Jasmine is a German Wire Haird Pointer. That hair can be styled without hair products due to it's wiry nature. Especially when it is dirty, LOL! She has a shorter haircut now. The long hair was falling into her eyes most of the time!

Meanwhile, out in the back yard, my pink roses are in full bloom!

Rose Bush Blooms in December!

 Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Blog Hop Day 3

Glacial Ice!
Today's gift bag has beautiful White and Ice Blue beads, two Rivolis, one Ice Blue rectangular Rhinestone and a drilled Snowy White Quartz Drusy! Very hard to photograph, but the beads are lovely and Wintery.
As you can see, I have two names in the basket for the drawing. I learned that many people prefer not to have their email address on a public blog. So, I will announce the winner's name on December 15th's blog and give you 24 ours to email me so I can get an address to send your package to. All of my contact info is on my website.

  Happy Beading!!!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Blog Hop Catching Up! & San Diego Area Classes

Day Two of the Blog Hop! 
For me it's all about color. I am inspired by color and combinations of compatible colors get me 
very excited. So, for the Blog Hop Gifts, I am putting together a little package of daily colors. It will
be whatever strikes my fancy each day. I found one of my cameras, sadly the new one was not in the same box, but I will find it hopefully. Meanwhile, I am catching up with photos of Day 1 and Day 2 
gift bag contents. YUM!!! I will draw a name from each day's comments list, throw them into a hat and at the end of the Blog Hop, a lucky winner will be drawn from that hat. I learned that many people prefer not to have their email address on a public blog. So, I will announce the winner's name on December 15th's blog and give you 24 ours to email me so I can get an address to send your package to. All of my contact info is on my website.
Blog Hop Day 1 Gifts
Blog Hop Day 2 Gifts

Weekend Workshops for San Diego Area Beaders! 
I am teaching two of my favorite classes this Saturday, December 10 at the Bouncing Bead in La Mesa. The morning class is The Wave Bracelet 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. The afternoon class is Mastering the Curl 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm.

Sunday is another half day workshop, Tempting Tassels from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm. The photo does not do them any justice at all. They are so bright and glowing with the white and silver beads and crystals that none of my photos came out like I wished. Trust me, they are fabulous in person. you can make them in Christmas colors or not! Your choice!
We still have space in both sessions, so come for the day or half the day and play with us!

Sign up for Mastering the Curl

Sign up for The Wave Bracelet

Sign up for Tempting Tassels



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The New Bead Studio is Up & Running!

 I am so happy to participate in the 
BLOG HOP!!!
Beverly Gilbert http://beverlygilbert.blogspot.com/
Val Hebert http://valsartstudio.blogspot.com/
Jeannette Cook http://beadyeyedwomen.blogspot.com/
Carol Dean Sharp http://sandfibers.blogspot.com/
Marcia DeCoster http://www.maddesignsbeads.blogspot.com
Cynthia Deis http://shinylittlethings.blogspot.com/
Lori Anderson http://www.prettythingsblog.com/
When I locate my camera, I will take a photo of the special gift that will go to a randomly chosen person leaving a comment on my blog! The perils of moving even from room to studio is that things get lost! Two cameras are missing, so I know they must be in a box together. I hope they're having fun!

I've been M.I.A. from Beady Eyed Women® for an entire month with the construction. It is finished now! However, I still have lots of moving in to do.
It feels like my house has doubled in size. That is possible, actually. My house is really small and the garage is huge! The before picture below is after removing all the stuff from the garage and the construction guys have just arrived to begin work. See the water heater in the back right corner? It is still there, but the washer & dryer are no longer to the left of it but along the wall to the right. To the left is where the shower, then commode, then sink are now.  Hard to imagine at the beginning!
It's not perfect just yet. It is so amazing to look at the newly painted walls, and all my bead racks up and loaded with beads, work tables in place, I'm ready to fill orders. I have to tell myself,



 Wow, look what I have accomplished! It began as an idea and a need for another bathroom so I could rent the master bedroom along with a bathroom. I tapped into savings, which made me nervous at first. Then realized this investment is worth it! The rented room will generate much needed income. the new bathroom is really close to my bedroom and not across the entire house.
The water heater is hidden behind a white curtain. Much prettier.
A plus at night especially. The work involved was daunting and I needed to remind myself to take one step at a time, one day at a time. Now it is finished. Looking  back it seems funny. I can't even imagine the old space. The new one is so wonderful!
I took my first shower in the new bathroom just 4 days ago. It is a very pretty bathroom. White with chartreuse rugs and towels, chrome fixtures and black & white curtains and accessories. Very hip and modern with a bit of a MacKenzie Childs feel. My new washer and dryer, which reside in the bathroom, are really pretty! Back to the studio!!!