beading | Bead Happily Ever After

“Garden Fairy” Pendant Set

Posted on April 15, 2009 by crystal

Yesterday, as I was making room for lots of pretty new beads (Look for them in my store very soon!), I came across this gorgeous pendant!

I bought it from one of my favorite polymer clay artisans several months ago, and then tucked it away for a future designing session. I hadn’t planned on making jewelry yesterday but the pendant looked so lovely – the way the sunlight illuminated the colors – that I immediately began to search for coordinating beads to showcase it, in all its glory.

Double click the photo for the best view.

For the color scheme, I chose light rose pink, pale lilac, and a burnished gold. I wanted the colors to be soft and the beads to be a delicate size so the pendant itself would be the focal point. I’m happy with how it turned out and because I like it so much, I’ll have a hard time putting in my shop. I probably will though . . . but I might need a few days to look at it first. 😉

Giveaway – Beaded Veggie Bookmark

Posted on April 13, 2009 by crystal

Welcome to the weekly giveaway! Before I announce the details, I just want to say that there were some amazing answers to last week’s question! I’d sure love to be invited to those dinner parties that many of you planned! Thanks everyone for playing along and for sending in such interesting guest lists!

This week’s giveaway is an adorable beaded bookmark called “Veggie Garden”. Use it to mark your place in that book you’re reading! Whether it’s a novel at your bedside table or an art book in the living room, this pretty bookmark will add a whimsical touch to your home.

It’s made with wonderful artisan-crafted lampwork glass beads that are shaped like little vegetables! There’s a tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, and a yellow pepper! The part that you place inside your book is made with tiny glass seed beads in light emerald green aurora borealis. Swarovski crystals in red siam, and light and medium shades of emerald green serve as sparkling accents! All findings are sterling silver.
Measurements: The overall length (including the veggie beads) is 17″, but the part that is meant to be placed inside a book is about 13″. It should fit many of your books – except for those that are the very large coffee table size.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

1. For your first chance to win leave a comment answering this question: If you were to look up the word “kindness” in the dictionary, and right beside the definition of the word, there was a picture of a person – which person in your life would it be and why?

2. For a second chance to win, leave a second comment that answers the question: Do you like it when people make a big deal out of your birthday or do you prefer a quiet celebration?

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment on any other post on this blog except this one. You can do it today by looking for a post in the archives to comment on, or you can come back during the week and add a comment on any post – old or new. You will receive an extra entry each time you do so.

You can choose any one or all of the above chances to enter.

A valid email address must be given at time of entry. You must be 18 yrs. old. The name of the winner will be listed here after the completion of the contest. The winner will be notified by email. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if 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.
All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 04/19/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 04/20/09.

Never met a bookstore I didn’t love…

Posted on March 31, 2009 by crystal

Our oldest daughter is a journalist and while we can’t keep up with everything she has published, we try to read as much of her work as possible. She recently wrote an article for a Canadian travel magazine and although we live in the U.S., we had heard that it might be available at one of our local bookstores. Finding the magazine was the goal for our Saturday morning.

We began by going out for breakfast! 🙂

OK, I hear you saying: “Huh? What does going out for breakfast have to do with it?”

Well nothing really 😉 except we enjoy a leisurely meal at a restaurant and we’ve discovered that breakfast is not only an economical choice (usually less expensive than lunch or dinner) but it’s also fun to have a great big menu of choices for breakfast now and then!

Besides that, we know that making a plan to go out for breakfast on a Saturday helps us to jump out of bed with a little more enthusiasm. Otherwise, we’re tempted to sleep late just because it’s the weekend.

So after breakfast, we visited a few bookstores and a magazine shop. There was only one copy of the magazine to be found anywhere, and that was in the magazine shop. The owner told us that he only gets a single copy in an assortment of foreign magazines, so we felt pretty lucky it was still there!

With our goal accomplished, you’d probably figure that we’d be heading home next. . .

Well, not exactly. I must confess that bookstores and magazine shops are to me what chocolate or shoes or lottery tickets might be to others – I can’t just look briefly and then leave.

Exhibit A:

I found this really cool bead magazine that’s published in England. It has some great projects and helpful tips and I know I’ll find it valuable!

Exhibit B:

Then, in one of the bookstores, I just had to peruse the “bargain books”. I came across this for $5.95! I’ve always loved to read anything and everything that takes place during the time of the Tudor Dynasty in England, including fiction and nonfiction about Henry VIII, any of his wives, his daughter Elizabeth I, her cousin Mary Queen of Scots – well you get the idea. Although I haven’t started it yet, this book looks quite good! I’ll let you know for sure once I’ve read it.

Do you have a weakness for books, too? 😉

If not, what is it that you can’t seem to resist?

Giveaway – Plum Blossoms Earrings

Posted on March 16, 2009 by crystal

Today I’ve reached a bit of a milestone. This is my 100th post! 🙂

It’s fun that it just happened to fall on a Monday – the day I post my new weekly giveaway. Seems a good way to celebrate!

Speaking of fun, a very bright young lady named Aik recently asked if she could “interview” me for her blog. I was delighted to accept and I really enjoyed answering her thoughtful questions. If you’d like to see the interview, drop by Aik’s blog!

Now on to this week’s giveaway:

Plum Blossoms Earrings in Purple and Rose

These earrings are so sweet. The photo doesn’t capture how pretty they are in person!

I’ve used beautiful and intricate polymer clay floral beads, which were created by the very talented Cheryl Harris.

The polymer clay beads are embellished with gorgeous 3-dimensional flowers and leaves in fabulous shades of plum purple, rose pink, and lavender!

For accents, I’ve added sparkling Swarovski amethyst aurora borealis crystal beads; and all metal components and findings are sterling silver!

Measurements: 1-5/8″ long (including the sterling silver earwires).

Contest Rules and How To Enter

You have up to 3 chances to win. . .

1. Leave a comment that answers the question: What makes you laugh? That will give you one chance to win.

2. For a second chance to win, leave a comment that answers the question: How do you think being a ten-year-old today is different from when you were ten years old.

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment on another post on this blog.

You can choose any one, or all, of the above chances to enter.

A valid email address must be given at time of entry. You must be 18 yrs. old.

The name of the winner will be listed here after the completion of the contest.

The winner will be notified by email, and the prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if 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. All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 03/22/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 03/23/09.

Thanks for participating and Good Luck to all! 🙂

Studio on Wheels

Posted on February 26, 2009 by crystal

As a beader, I love to design near the sunniest window, but that means working at our kitchen table – not the best place to leave mounds of beads, especially if we’re hoping to have a relaxing dinner!

Sometimes just the thought of dragging everything out for a project and then having to clean up afterwards is enough to stifle even the most creative impulse. But we can’t let that happen. Creating nourishes our spirits!

Whether you sew, knit, crochet, scrapbook, or bead – it’s nice to be able to work on a project wherever you want to!

Even if you have a separate room for your art, there are times when you might want to “play” elsewhere. Maybe you’d like to be able to chat with the family as you craft, or there’s a good movie on TV and you want to be making something while you watch.

I‘ve found that a sturdy plastic rolling cart with four or five drawers is ideal for this purpose! Pull it right up beside you, and have access to everything you need. You can store tools in one drawer; and supplies, patterns, and current projects can be neatly arranged in the other drawers. When you’re finished crafting for the day, you can just wheel your “mini studio” out of the way in no time.

The rolling cart is truly a win/win! You’ll have flexibility of location and your projects will need less preparation and clean-up. 🙂

After all, finding time to craft is hard enough; we don’t need to waste precious minutes gathering and then putting away the supplies!

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