crystal | Bead Happily Ever After

Evening in Paris – Giveaway

Posted on February 1, 2013 by crystal

When I was an unsophisticated little girl, I believed that the most glamorous, luxurious, perfume a lady could ever own was “Evening in Paris“.

It was sold at Woolworth’s, a 5 and 10 Cent store, so it was definitely affordable for adults, but I remember hoping, during a Christmas season long ago, that I’d be able to scrape together enough of my weekly allowance to buy a small bottle for my Mom . . . (I did!)

Who knows if it actually smelled all that great but there was something enchanting about that cobalt blue bottle with it’s ultra sleek shape. Oh la la! (At least it was to a kid whose age was still a single digit.)

I know. You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this walk down memory lane….

Well, after I finished making these earrings, I was suddenly reminded of the perfume, so naming them was a given. And speaking of “given” – how about a GIVEAWAY! 😀

Evening in Paris Earrings

February Giveaway

Description

Glamorous, yet artsy, handcrafted dangle earrings!
Perfect for any outfit. I’ve used Swarovski Jet ABx2 Crystals – which are Black with flashes of Teal and Violet Purple! You’ll also find Czech glass faceted rounds in Turquoise Teal, and tiny glass seed beads in Cobalt Blue Aurora Borealis. They measure 2-5/8 inches long (including *14K Gold-filled* Artisan Crafted Earwires).

To enter for your chance to win:

Leave a comment explaining the kinds of posts you enjoy and want to see more of! I would really like to hear your ideas but will give some examples to help get things started . . .

Would you like to see more – – –

Random topics?
Works in Progress?
Travel Reports?
Recipes?
Feature stories on artists?
Do-it-yourself Crafts? What kinds?
Other ideas?

Contest ends Feb. 7th. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Feb. 8th.

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If the winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed via USPS First Class Mail

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 02/7/13, and the winner will be selected on or about 02/8/13.

Good Luck to all!

Comments are now closed! A winner has been chosen. Click here for the details! 🙂

A Soft Spot for the Clever Crafts

Posted on January 25, 2013 by crystal

Honestly Kids,
If I live to be a hundred – I’ll never get through the list of things I’d like to make. 😀

Maybe I’d have a chance if my list weren’t constantly growing, but there’s inspiration everywhere, and with the rise of internet – the possibilities seem endless!

In my heart, I’ve always had a soft spot for the clever, quirky, type of crafts. You know – stuff that’s made with unexpected materials or with an unusual process. I’ll never forget the “fried marbles” project when I was a young Girl Scout! We all stared in amazement when our troop leader actually tossed marbles into a frying pan! Back then; it was oh-so-popular to turn them into pendants!

~Scarf Necklace~

Last week, I finally had a chance to make an ingenious item that I’d first seen over a year ago – a “scarf-necklace” made from a T-shirt! Talk about easy and so much fun! No sewing or special skills involved – just grab a pair of scissors and an over-sized cotton t-shirt from your closet.

Here’s the one I used – originally bought to wear as a beach cover-up, but the neckline is so high that it’s uncomfortable on a hot day, so I’ve hardly ever worn it.

I’ll include a link (below) to a youtube video tutorial but basically you lay the shirt flat and cut the area just under the arms, through both thicknesses.

You’ll end up with a fairly wide tube of fabric, which you’ll then cut into 1” wide strips. The strips have raw edges but no worries! After you vigorously stretch each strip – those raw edges will fold into themselves and be hidden.

Here’s a 1″ strip after it’s been fully stretched. It looks like a smooth continuous piece of cord.

Once you’ve cut and stretched all the strips – you’ll have a handful of “cords”. Tie the whole bunch together with a short length of T-shirt fabric (cut from a sleeve). Then, the sky’s the limit on how to wear this chic little number! Try it long… like this!

Or you could double it – the way you do with a long strand of beads.

Or even tripled for a choker effect!

Add a brooch, silk flowers, or handmade embellishments to spice up your new accessory.

Fun! And just think – you’re recycling, too!

Want to make one? Take a peek on youtube for dozens of variations and styles. Here are a couple to get you started.

Hugs,

The Snow Angel

Posted on January 16, 2013 by crystal

Here in New England, we have some winters when we are buried in snow, and then there are others when we escape with very little. The kid in me prefers the snowy winters. I still love to wake up and be greeted by a landscape of frosted trees and drifts of sparkling white.

Of course, snow means shoveling – sometimes lots of shoveling.

When I was a kid, we shoveled our own snow and then were delighted to roam the neighborhood in search of other walks to shovel. We knew there would probably be a few dollars to be earned – and that was all the encouragement we needed! Kids don’t seem to do that anymore, at least not in our neck of the woods. Over the years, Sir Beads has done the lion’s share of shoveling here. He still does – even though I have tried in vain to convince him to sign up for a plowing service.

We had a sizable storm a couple of weeks ago.

After breakfast, Sir Beads was getting ready to go out and shovel when the doorbell rang. We could see the pompom of a knit hat through the window but had no idea who it could be. We opened the door to find a girl of 14 yrs., or so, with a snow shovel over her shoulder. She smiled brightly and asked enthusiastically if she might shovel our driveway. I winked at Sir Beads and he immediately understood that I was “saying” – how can we refuse this very industrious young lady?

She was a hard worker. The snow was heavy but she was undaunted. Every so often, she wisely took little breaks to rest and assess her progress. Midway through, she asked for a snowbrush to do the car! It was a treat to see a kid with such a wonderful work ethic.

When the job was finished, we rewarded her handsomely. After thanking us graciously, she turned and skipped down the walk, suddenly raising both arms – shovel and all – high into the air in a motion that meant: YESSSSS!

At that point, I’m not sure who was more excited – our “Snow Angel” or us! 🙂

Hugs,

Playing with Dough

Posted on January 9, 2013 by crystal

Comedians sometimes confess they use the antics of their families for joke fodder. This practice isn’t always applauded by the family members, however.

As someone who has a blog, I can identify with a comedian’s plight. When you write – you always need new material! Bless my own family for tolerating my gleefully raised eyebrow whenever I spot one of them involved in something with “blog-topic” potential. 😉

Today, the thanks and kudos go to Sir Beads for allowing me to unexpectedly accost him – paparazzi-style – as he attempted to recreate a baked treat he had watched his grandmother make when he was a kid.

Although I never met her, I’ve heard much about this wonderful cook, who was “Grandma” to Sir Beads and his brothers. She was born in old Czechoslovakia but came to the U. S. as a young girl. She eventually married, raised a large family, and was dearly loved by all of them. Sir Beads says he can still see her fingers nimbly handling the dough while she deftly braided a large loaf of bread called “hoska”. And he can still taste the delicious wheel-shaped pastries she made by the dozens called “kolache”.

From Wikipedia: “Kolache (also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky) from the Czech and Slovak is a type of pastry that holds a dollop of fruit rimmed by a puffy pillow of supple dough. Originating as a semisweet wedding dessert from Central Europe . . .”

Luckily, I had the camera handy and the batteries charged last week when Sir Beads made “kolache” . . .

I was impressed with how he handled the dough. (It must be genetic!)

Cutting them out . . .

Adding the fruit filling . . .

Brushing them with butter after baking.

A generous sprinkle of powdered sugar once they are cool.

I think: They came out great – absolutely delicious!

He says: “They’re ok . . . but not Grandma’s.” (He adds that he’ll try again.)

I fibbed when I wrote “3-dozen” in the photo just above.

Kindly subtract 4 from that. 😉

(We did have to immediately “check” them . . . just to see if they were ok, don’t ya know.)

Hugs,

I don’t know everything . . .

Posted on January 3, 2013 by crystal

But I’ve learned that life’s too short for New Year’s resolutions!

So, with that in mind . . .

I wish you a 2013 that’s overflowing with happy possibilities and not one moment of stress.

May your fears melt away and your fondest dreams come true.

May good health, increased wealth, and much love surround you.

Hugs,

P.S. This year I will be posting mid-week instead of on Mondays. I’m planning to mix things up a bit with a new feature or two, and maybe we’ll even get back to having a “weekly question”. Have I told you lately how much I appreciate that you take the time to stop by and visit? Well, I do! 😀