Beads – They’re not just for jewelry!

Hi 🙂

I know that many of you make jewelry, but I also realize that many of you have never had the chance to learn.

Today, I’d like to show you a post where I discuss lots of creative things you can do with beautiful beads besides making jewelry! 😀

If you can sew on a button, or thread a needle, work with glue, or find a pretty little crystal dish around the house – you can have fun with beads.

As I say in the article: “Incorporating the artistry of beads into our everyday surroundings is a recipe for a smile.”

Click here to read it!

Hugs,

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Giveaway – Sugar and Spice Earrings

I’m baaaack! 😉

Whew, Kids! It was quite the week off….

Shall I tell you about it?

When you’re a kid, there are times you hear adults talking, but don’t really understand what they’re saying . . .

I can remember listening to my parents and their friends as they discussed vacations. They said that one week just isn’t enough – you need two weeks in a row. They insisted you only begin to relax during the first week, and it’s not until the second week that you are able to fully absorb the benefits of time-off.

After the week Sir Beads and I just had, I think I finally understand exactly what they were talking about!

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This year, we’ve had 2 vacations – one week each – and come to think of it, neither turned out to be very restful. I suppose the fact that they were “staycations” may have been a contributing factor, because we did incorporate household tasks into the mix. We probably should have planned to take both weeks together. Maybe, next time!

With respect to last week though, besides more days-off, we could have used fewer instances of Murphy’s Law! (You know – “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”)

“What the heck are ya talkin’ about, Crystal?” (You ask. 😉 )

Well, I guess I’m trying to say that I feel as if I need a vacation after the vacation I just had. 😉

First, there was the weather


Holy Moly! We had scorching hot days, some of which were 100 degrees plus! And the humidity – ouch! The air was so soupy that our little air conditioners groaned as they valiantly tried to keep up.

Next, there was the plumbing repair gone haywire
.

We thought it would be convenient to let a plumber replace the bathroom shower/hot water mixer, faucet, and drain plug in our bathtub. Sir Beads is very good at home repairs, but we were looking for a quick fix this time – no searching for parts or having to buy a new tool. The plumbers arrived and what should have been a 2-hour job turned into two long days! What went wrong? Everything it seems. Ay-yi-yi!

No good deed goes unpunished . . .

We promised my parents we’d spend time doing chores for them. We wanted to accomplish a lot, so we set aside an entire day. Our daughter wanted to help, too, so she took a vacation day from work to join us. Wouldn’t you know; the temperatures soared to 103 degrees that day! Since we had plumbers coming later in the week and dear daughter had arranged for the time off, we decided we had to keep with our scheduled day – even though it was going to be hot, hot, hot! Can you say nightmare? 😉 We did finish a portion of what we had intended to do, but were as wilted as dishrags by sunset.

“Gee, Crystal, can you please get back to talking like your cheerful old self? We don’t want to hear you whine!”


Yes, of course, kids – sorry! It must be the heat talking (still brutally muggy, here.)

All of you were in my thoughts and I’m happy to be back with a new question and a new giveaway! 😀

During July and August, I’ll have the weekly questions, as usual, but it will be a “monthly” giveaway until autumn.

Sugar and Spice

For July’s giveaway, I have a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. They feature Vintage Swarovski round faceted beads in a gorgeous shade of forest green aurora borealis called “Turmaline AB”. The aurora borealis flash makes them twinkle like a rainbow of stars on a clear night.

I’ve added Swarovski clear crystal rondelles and also Swarovski tear-drop shaped glass faux pearls in creamy white.

ALL metal components are STERLING SILVER, including the elegant artisan-crafted earwires! Overall measurement is just over 2 inches in length.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

You can have multiple chances to enter!
Any day you leave a comment on this blog – it is counted as a chance to enter the current giveaway.

For example, if you answer today’s question (you’ll find it below!) that will give you one chance.

But if you then come back another day and comment on a different post – you will have earned a second chance! Visit again and comment and you’ll have 3 chances, and so on.

(When you comment, you do not have to mention that it’s an entry in the giveaway. My blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them, and all will count to be entered into the drawing!) 😀

Today’s question is:

Describe the most enjoyable vacation that you’ve ever had. It can be anything from a relaxing week at home with no schedule, to a day-trip to the beach, to a sightseeing tour of another country. Please tell us about the vacation that was the most fun for you! 😀

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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 07/30/10, and the winner will be selected on or about 07/31/10.

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Giveaway Mermaid’s Treasure Earrings

Hi Kids! 😀

I hope you had a lovely weekend. We did.

It was Friday that turned out to be a little on the wild and wooly side!

We awoke to no water. Not a trickle, not a drop, nada!

The pump in our well had finally croaked after 27 years of faithful service. After all that time, we really can’t complain too much, and I guess we were actually pretty lucky that it happened on a Friday instead of over the weekend. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been to find somebody to replace it on a Saturday or a Sunday. Our plumbing contractors did a wonderful job and by nightfall things were almost back to normal – still some sputtering pipes and sand and debris to clear, but that would straighten itself out as the water continued to run over the weekend.

BUT, The fun isn’t over quite yet though . . .

The bill will be mailed to us! I didn’t really want a new camera anyway. 😉

Seriously though, as My Dad often says:

“It’s not so bad, at least everyone is ok.”

(That guy is pretty smart!) 😉

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On to the giveaway!

This week’s earrings feature faceted Czech beads in a fabulous shade of teal blue/green – like the waters of the Caribbean Sea! They have a matte metallic finish and I’ve accented them with Swarovski Jet-Metal Rondelle Spacers, which are set with Aurora Borealis Crystals. They measure approximately 1-5/8 inches long – including the 14k gold plated earwires

Contest Rules and How To Enter

Any day you leave a comment on this blog – it is counted as a chance to enter that week’s giveaway.

For example, if you answer today’s question (you’ll find it below!) that will give you one chance.

But if you then come back another day this week and comment on a different post – you will have earned another chance in this week’s giveaway! There are usually 4-5 posts per week – Monday through Friday – so you can have multiple chances to enter!

When you comment you do not have to mention that it’s an entry in the giveaway. My blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them, and all will count to be entered into the drawing! 😀

Today’s question is:

Describe something that you would like to accomplish this summer. 😀

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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 07/04/10, and the winner will be selected on or about 07/05/10.

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Giveaway – “Lemonade Stand” Pendant

I’m back after a whirlwind of a weekend!

I hope all the Dads in your world had a very special Father’s Day.

Here at Bead Happily Ever After, we celebrated the event all weekend long.

On Saturday, we accompanied my 84 year-old Dad to a baseball game with his local team, and then topped that off with a delicious dinner.

The next day, Sir Beads (and I) spent quality time with our daughters. There was chatter, laughter, and more good food!

The weekend was over in a flash, though, and by Sunday night, we were pretty exhausted – but very happy, too!

We reminded ourselves how lucky we are to have had the chance to enjoy two days of happy moments with people we love. 😀 When you stop and think about it, nothing is more wonderful than that.

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On to the Giveaway . . .

This week, I have a sweet pendant that will glisten in the summer sunshine!

My design features Vintage Swarovski crystals in a lovely, soft, shade of yellow, called “jonquil”. 🙂

All of the metal components are sterling silver. The little heart-shaped bail should fit one of the chains in your wardrobe, or maybe you’ll purchase a narrow length of satin cord and wear this pendant high on the neck for a look that is tres chic! Pendant measures 1-1/2″ from top to bottom.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

Any day you leave a comment on this blog – it is counted as a chance to enter that week’s giveaway.

For example, if you answer today’s question (you’ll find it below!) that will give you one chance.

But if you then come back another day this week and comment on a different post – you will have earned another chance in this week’s giveaway! There are usually 4-5 posts per week – Monday through Friday – so you can have multiple chances to enter!

When you comment you do not have to mention that it’s an entry in the giveaway. My blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them, and all will count to be entered into the drawing! 😀

Today’s question is:

Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

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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 06/27/10, and the winner will be selected on or about 06/28/10.

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Giveaway – Cherry Sorbet Earrings

Hello, Hello! 😀

Well, it seems that last week’s question, regarding which household task you dislike the most, had two popular answers.

“Cleaning the bathroom” was one chore mentioned frequently – which is surely understandable!

However I was surprised to see that “ironing” was also listed several times! I didn’t realize that there was much ironing going on out there, anymore. It was very interesting to learn that even though you hate it, it’s still a chore on the to-do list. Personally, I try to buy things that need little or no ironing, whenever I can, but if I must iron – I do. 😉

OK, on to the weekly giveaway!

This time it’s a sparkling pair of earrings that are as cheerful as a summer picnic!

These adorable bunches of “cherries” feature bright red faceted crystals, which are accented with peridot-green crystal leaves. The stones are set in a silvertone metal, and the graceful earwires are sterling silver.

Overall measurement: 1-3/8” in length.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

Any day you leave a comment on this blog – it is counted as a chance to enter that week’s giveaway.

For example, if you answer today’s question (you’ll find it below!) that will give you one chance.

But if you then come back another day this week and comment on a different post – you will have earned another chance in this week’s giveaway! There are usually 4-5 posts per week – Monday through Friday – so you can have multiple chances to enter!

When you comment you do not have to mention that it’s an entry in the giveaway. My blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them, and all will count to be entered into the drawing! 😀

Today’s question is:

Name something that you collect and please tell us about it. 😀

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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 06/20/10, and the winner will be selected on or about 06/21/10.

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