Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Trendy Owls Treasury!

My Trendy Owl Treasury is posted on Etsy!  Stop by and check out some of the really cute owl items I found last night.



First Row Left to Right:
Hooter the Owl Pillow by bedbuggs

Guardian Owl Necklace by humblebeads

Listen To Your Heart by Rustic Goth




Second Row Left to Right:

Sleepy Owl by niftybynature

2 cutesy purple porcelain bead owls by Gems4us (I loved these so much I bought them!)

Trying my hand at an owl hat (sold) by HeatherBauers



To check out the treasury, search the Treasury feature for Trendy Owls or click the link above or here.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Our Nebraska State Fair Visit

We spent Sunday at the BRAND NEW Nebraska State Fair.  The Nebraska State fair has an interesting history and has recently been moved from Lincoln (held the last fair there last year) to Grand Island (to wonderful brand new exhibit buildings).  We enjoyed the day, arriving at 11am and we stayed until about 3 pm.  Chris and I would have liked to have gone to the Heart concert last night, but with our current lifestyle that wouldn't work.  We had a great time!  Chris and I wondered around at the exhibits, ate fair food, played the lottery so we could spin the prize wheel, and I rode some rides with Mina and her best friend, Lexi.  That was fun!  Our favorite ride was the Rock & Roll ride.  This ride went FAST!  First it went backwards and kind of a wave up and down, and then it went forwards the same way!  It also played loud modern music, and Mina and Lexi rode it about 8 times.  The exhibits were very nice, and the buildings air conditioned (thank heavens!), and the quilt exhibit was really astounding, with 750 entries!  I am really glad I didn't have to judge those! 

Rock & Roll Ride by Belle City Amusements



Friday, August 27, 2010

Autumn Drawing Near...

Autumn Tree Photo found here

Yesterday on my drive to and from my part-time Job at Julie's Xpressions, I noticed Autumn sneaking in.
I noticed...
Corn and Soybeans drying in the fields, starting to turn color, irrigation pivots now at rest.
Native grasses beginning to go dormant in the ditches, also moving into their autumn hues.
Fuzzy, dark brown caterpillars moving from one side of the road to the other (Chris and I especially love this part of Autumn, dating back to our dating).
Cooler breezes, late summer skies so blue and clear they hurt your eyes, and deep, green tree leaves showing off all the summer rain we have had.
Mornings and Evenings that cause you to sigh, just the right temperatures to be perfect.
Warm, late summer sun that makes me turn my face skyward and smile.

Happy Weekend!  We are visiting the BRAND NEW Nebraska State Fair this weekend! 




Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Horace, Horatia, and Henrietta Hoots

Owls by Keiara Wells   




A few weeks ago, I purchased Horace the owl (see previous blog post) and LOVED him so much I ordered him a couple of tiny gal pals to hang out with.  This is the wonderful set of jewelry I made with my hoots!  The pendant with Horace is actually designed using my new Swap-Its! pendant design.  The pendant is made attached to a lobster clasp so that they can be swapped to what ever length of chain works with you outfit.  You have a lot of options that way!  I have made several for myself, and hook them to 4 different styles of sterling silver chains.  I LOVE them, and have had tons of compliments on them.  So I have designed some to sell, and will have those posted here later in the week.

Monday, August 23, 2010

The T.V. interview

Check out our interview!  Just click the link and then click on the Pixybug video! 

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Today is the Day (GULP)!

Today is the day we do our T.V. interview for our artist segment on NTV in Kearney, NE.  They are coming to our house to film us in our natural habitat.  Well, hopefully a cleaner natural habitat.  Better head off to work on that!  We will update you on the situation as events warrant.  Now back to your regularly scheduled Blog reading.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A Few of My Favorite Things (spelled BEADS)

I really love that song from the Sound of Music (my favorite part~"Whiskers on Kittens").  I thought I would share some of my favorite beads/jewelry making supplies with you today! 
Vintaj Brass Butterfly from Too Cute Beads
I am really digging the Vintaj Brass line.  I love the natural look and color of the brass.  I can't wear any of it due to metal allergies, but I love to play with it.  An added bonus~every piece I have made with Vintaj has sold quickly!  I love the filligree pieces and that they can be bent and shaped to work with or around other beads.


 Fire Polish Czech Crystals are some of my favorites, too.  They are economical and come in tons of colors and finishes.  I love the opaques, metallics, and the Picasso finishes best.  The opaques come in such bright, vibrant colors that are always my favorite to work with.  Fire Polish have changed a great deal with all the new finishes in the few years since I began beading.

Lucite Sampler from The Hole Bead Shoppe
LUCITE FLOWERS & LEAVES!  I can't get enough!  I love, love, love them!  The flexibility of these lovelies is endless.  I use them in fringe, earrings, and my new Swap-It pendants.  So many colors and possibilities make them a favorite.  Also, while I have bought them from various places, I always come back to Kelli and Tarlee at The Hole Bead Shoppe.  They are awesome and their service is terrific!

Designer Glass Rondelles from By C Boutique


I have known Carla K from the By C Boutique since I started beading.  She owned the store that my first bead came from, and then it was a slippery slope.  Now she lives in Michigan and works from home selling gorgeous stone beads and FABULOUS designer glass beads.  I never thought I would love anything as much as I love Swarovski crystals, but these have moved to the top of my list.  The quality, price, and colors make them a terrific beading value and I can use larger ones at a still smaller price than the Swarovski crystals.  Carla can be found on Etsy and she has her own webshop.

This is just a small taste of my faves.  I didn't even touch seed beads yet!  What are your faves?

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Etsy

I love to spend (waste) time browsing on Etsy.  It is one of my favorite computer surfing activities.  If you read the blog regularly, you may have noticed the Favorite Things on Etsy box on the right side of the blog, changes often.  I am continually amazed that people from all around the world can come together in one place to sell and buy, become entrepreneurs, and meet other sellers from your corner of the world or with similar tastes or interests.  I love the "Add Item To Favorites" or the "Add Seller To Favorites".  It makes it easy to find what you were last looking at when you go shopping again.  As someone who sells (or mostly attempts to) on Etsy, I appreciate the amount of work that goes into a single posting, so when I see someone with hundreds or thousands of items listed ~ I am impressed.  I have my favorites I go back to regularly, and I love finding new things to add to my favorites. 
Recently, we visited Carlos O'Kelly's for supper and as we were walking in, a gal was going out with a very funny Cthulhu Tshirt on.  Not familiar with Cthulhu?  We are big SciFi fans, and though I have a vague idea about what Cthulhu is, Chris is more familiar, he has read the H.P. Lovecraft stories and even made a Cthulhu bead for a special order!  Anyway, when we got home we did some searching on the net for the Tshirt.  Then we went to Etsy to see what they had.  Who knew that crocheting Cthulhu was so popular?!  Me, I usually look at beads, jewelry, or for supplies to make jewelry.  I also love searching for items for my bead embroidery.  But once in awhile a visit to the "Geekery" category is fun!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Check out the Carnival & a Reminder!

My blog post for the Art Bead Scene Carnival was posted on their blog yesterday!  You can check it out here.

 Don't forget we will be at Kool-Aid Days on Saturday instead of the Highland Park Farmer's Market.  We will be at the Old Middle School in Hastings from 8-5 and Chris will be doing torching demos.  Find out more about the schedule for Kool-Aid Days or the Nebraska Entrepreneur show which is what we are participating in, by clicking!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Meet Horace

This is Horace.  He is my new friend!  I bought him from Keiara Wells, one of my favorite bead artists.  She does beautiful floral and tree focals, but I really love her critters!  How can you not?!  Keiara lives in Kent (in England) and I would so love to visit England someday!  I also love getting mail from other countries, I feel so global!  Horace is going to become one of my changeable pendants that clip on to whatever chain works with my outfit, connected with a lobster clasp for easy changing.  He will join a Brown Dog Studio charm that says "Hoot" and I think maybe some Lucite leaves and Swarovski crystals too.  Something else?  I got tiny matching Horaces for earrings in the mail yesterday!!!  Can't wait to play with them and make some fun, whimsical jewelry for myself for fall!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Bees











Here are the bees Chris made last weekend.  On the left, front view and on the right, the "wing" view.  The big one in the center is being propped up by a button because he wouldn't cooperate.  He is also the first bee made.  CUTE!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Buzzing In For An Update...

Gosh, time is ZOOMING by!  Mina goes back to school next week, and GULP, we will be interviewed for an artist segment to air on NTV in Kearney, also next week!!!  Crazy, this life we've made for ourselves!  Chris made some wonderful, cute bumblebee pendants last week at the Highland Park Farmer's Market.  We have pics and will get them posted soon.  This week brings us to Kool Aid Days to the Nebraska's Entrepreneur Show in Hastings at the Old Middle School on Saturday, August 14 from 8 to 5, and Chris will be doing torching demos.  We are also trying to get our entries ready for the State Fair, which we will deliver next week to Grand Island.  I have 3 entries in jewelry and Chris has 3 entries in Lampworking. So it may be quiet for a bit here, I will zip in when I can squeeze it in!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Special Order

At Cottonwood, we spoke with a Grandma that requested this necklace for her Granddaughter.  She wanted us to make it with all the animals her Granddaughter had worked with in 4H.  Chris made the animals, and I put it together, adding the four emerald Swarovski crystals to signify 4H.

We have had a great many special orders this summer, most of which we haven't photographed, or finished yet.  I will keep you posted!

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