Omaha Bead Bazaar this Saturday!!!!

Print out this coupon to get a discount on admission! 

Here is more info and the list of vendors!

Location:

Westside Community Center

3534 S. 108th St

Omaha, NE

http://www.mapquest.com/embed?hk=1gJsEdm

When:

Saturday April 12, 2014

9am to 4pm 

2014 Vendors:
 
Papio Creek Gems, Omaha – awesome assortment of gemstone beads, crystals and pendants

http://papiobeads.com/

Beads etc, Omaha – Unicorne beads and wonderful odds & ends

http://beadsetcomaha.com/

Rick Saathoof, Iowa – beads & jewelry

Carole Rodgers, Iowa, – Cabochons, beads, jewelry and books

Aylas, Illinois – Furnace glass, pearls, gemstones & sterling findings

http://store.aylasoriginals.com/

Artistic Beads, Rose Rutherford, Omaha – Beads, pearks, gemstones, slass, crystals, cabs, sterling silver 
& high-quality pewter

Jeri Wiskus, Omaha – Lampwork beads

Fishlips, Iowa – Wide assortment of glass beads, books & tools

Rock N Wrap Betty Selby-Syslo, Omaha

Orahood, Iowa – Beads of all sorts

Pixybug Designs, NE   – Lampwork beads and jewelry

http://pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com/

5Z's Star City Beads, Lincoln – full selection of Japanese seed beads and full line of findings

Jodie Marshall, Firth – Lampwork beads & jewelry
Http://www.marshalljodie.blogspot.com

Lipstick Ranch NEW!!!! Colorado – Rusted iron pendants, leather, chain, charms and findings –

http://stores.thelipstickranch.com/

Mad About Beads

Jade Dog, Iowa – Vintage beads & components, sequins, polymer cabs, Czech glass and seed beads –

http://www.thejadedog.com/default.asp

 

 

We hope to see you there!  Be sure to stop by and say hi!

The Wait is Over! Here it is!

It began here, with a post from October 19th:
On the new front, I am one of ten participants taking part in The Hole Bead Shoppe's Day of the Dead Bead kit challenge.  Here is a picture of my kit supplies:

My kit fee was $50 and I got a $120+ value!  Crazy the amount of items that were in the kit, and WOW do I feel the pressure to create an over the top, fabulous piece!  The kit has a wide variety of Lucite flowers and leaves, Vintaj keys and blanks, fresh water pearls, Czech daggers and fire polish, Swarovski crystals, a variety of seed beads and Tila beads, gunmetal plate spacers, Tierracast beads and spacers, and a Palmtree Queen Day of the Dead lampwork focal.  Here is a picture of the skull beads the Hole Bead Shoppe added to our kits:

Mine is in the second row, second from the left!  They are AWESOME!


It continued in this update from October 25th:
Last week I told you about my newest Challenge project.  As I am sure you have noticed, posts have been a bit thin the past couple weeks.  All of my time is being spent at work at my two jobs or at work at my beading table.  To date I have worked about 13 hours on my project piece.  I have done a right angle weave using Tila beads, fringed with Lucite, pearls, crystal, and LOTS of seed beads, and now I am working a spiral herringbone tube that will at this point wrap around the fringe section.  Next (once the tube is done) I plan to finish the rope hanging the piece using some 8mm Chinese crystal rondelles accented with a netting stitch.  I am amazing myself!  I haven't seeded beaded this much all year, but it is looking amazing!  Stay tuned for further updates!

At this point I sounded very optimistic until... this post on Halloween.

Day of the Dead Bead Challenge update:
After adding an additional 6 hours of time to my project Monday and Tuesday evening last week, I had a thread break on the herringbone spiral I was stitching, and it ALL FELL APART!!  I must say, that put me off the project for a few days, and I believe I muttered a few "bad" words.  Consequently, on Friday night I spent time with those beads doing wire crochet instead.  I think I have that portion done now except for attaching it together.  Stay tuned!

This was the sneak peak I gave you at Thanksgiving:
Now I promised you all a sneak peak, and here it comes.  In a couple weeks, my Day of the Dead Challenge project is due for submission to The Hole Bead Shop for judging.  I finished it at the end of last week, so that I could get it to a professional photographer to do it justice in a single photo.  Amy Sandeen helped us out and did a terrific job.  I would love to show you how great the photos are, but that would give away the design before it is time!  So here is a morsel to tide you over!

And now without further adieu...My piece for The Hole Bead Shoppe Day of the Dead Challenge Kit:

 I am so pleased with the end result!  

• Lampwork focal by Palm Tree Queen,
• Loads of Lucite flowers and leaves 
• Crystals (Swarovski & Chinese)
• Seed Beads (size 11, 15, and Tilas)
• Tierracast charms and pendants from the Viva Mexicana! line
• pewter and sterling spacer beads
• Czech glass dagger beads and Fire Polish beads
• sterling silver skull toggle
• my beading wire, crimps, crimp covers, and Parawire for the stringing, wire crochet, and wire wrapping.
• 20 to 25+ hours (I honestly lost track) of my hard work and a few bad words (the herringbone incident)  

So now what?  Let the judging begin!  I am going to ask you to stop over on Facebook and vote (for me PLEASE) as there is an additional prize to be awarded for the vote of the public.  I will get that link posted here shortly!  


Thank you for following my journey through the largest design I have ever undertaken!  Thanks especially to Kelli, Michael, and Tarlee at The Hole Bead Shoppe for coming up with this wonderful challenge and to Debi Cogwell for the beautiful and fun focal bead to design with!

Day of the Dead Challenge Update...

Last week I told you about my newest Challenge project.  As I am sure you have noticed, posts have been a bit thin the past couple weeks.  All of my time is being spent at work at my two jobs or at work at my beading table.  To date I have worked about 13 hours on my project piece.  I have done a right angle weave using Tila beads, fringed with Lucite, pearls, crystal, and LOTS of seed beads, and now I am working a spiral herringbone tube that will at this point wrap around the fringe section.  Next (once the tube is done) I plan to finish the rope hanging the piece using some 8mm Chinese crystal rondelles accented with a netting stitch.  I am amazing myself!  I haven't seeded beaded this much all year, but it is looking amazing!  Stay tuned for further updates!

New Challenges...

Sorry for the silence, beading has been consuming all of my time!  Friday and Saturday we were in Lincoln for the Lincoln Bead Show which took place on Saturday.  Here are some highlights:

• The meeting room where the show was held was large and fairly well lit (anyway our area was, people in the back section struggled though)
• The room we spent the night in at same hotel, not so great.  Think 70's disco movie, with the pool area rented out for birthday parties and there were 4 going on Friday night until Midnight.
• The "non" smoking room, may have been now, but wasn't for about the previous twenty years.  Yuck, old stale cigarette smell.
• Bathroom, postage stamp size, but had good water pressure and hot water.  Wasn't too scary if you kept the lights off or your eyes shut.
• The arm rails on the chairs looked like werewolves had previously stayed there.  
• The bed was comfortable and clean, though my side sloped to the floor.
• Mina hung out in the room after we headed down to work in the bead show, until it was check out time.  Check out time came sooner than she thought when she saw the mouse running around in the room.

On the plus side, we had a terrific show and spent time visiting with our other bead vendor friends and had fun visiting with new and returning customers.  The dragons were a huge hit!

On the new front, I am one of ten participants taking part in The Hole Bead Shoppe's Day of the Dead Bead kit challenge.  Here is a picture of my kit supplies:

My kit fee was $50 and I got a $120+ value!  Crazy the amount of items that were in the kit, and WOW do I feel the pressure to create an over the top, fabulous piece!  The kit has a wide variety of Lucite flowers and leaves, Vintaj keys and blanks, fresh water pearls, Czech daggers and fire polish, Swarovski crystals, a variety of seed beads and Tila beads, gunmetal plate spacers, Tierracast beads and spacers, and a Palmtree Queen Day of the Dead lampwork focal.  Here is a picture of the skull beads the Hole Bead Shoppe added to our kits:

Mine is in the second row, second from the left!  They are AWESOME!

I received my kit on Monday, and I have worked on my piece about 5 hours so far.  I have a long ways to go, I will keep you in the loop!

Autumn Designs

Asymmetrical Autumn - Fall Challenge project

Chris's Shy Witch pendant (the necklace is so CUTE)

Fall Flourish fringe bracelet (Lucite from The Hole Bead Shoppe)

Mish Mash Necklace

New post earrings on display at Exeter

necklaces/bracelets/beads/earrings

above and below: chalcedony hearts made by Chris and wired by me

another photo of the Mish Mash necklace and my favorite earrings, coffee and toffee

burst of bubbles necklace

autumn mish mash bracelet (polymer beads by Fanceethat)

time well spent with a new brass and grape necklace

Heirloom Rose Garden Pendant made to match my bracelet

Heirloom Rose Garden Bracelet (kit, design, and photo from Beads by C on Etsy)

Chris and I have been busy beaders!  These are all very recent designs.  Love the Mish Mash designs.  I took a bunch of neglected beads and dumped them in a BIG pile and started stringing.  On the necklace I used copper colored Soft Flex wire and at varying intervals, added crimps and left room for a few beads in the crimped space to have free movement.  Love the way that it turned out and the bracelet is the same way, but I used the pile of beads to make charms instead.  Gals have been asking for post earrings at shows, so I am trying my hand at them.  Design kinks need to be worked out yet, like what type of epoxy to use and ideas for things to put on the posts, and what size posts to get.  Most of what is on the rack for posts that are non-dangle style will be reworked in the near future.  Chris's chalcedony hearts are GORGEOUS and we had lots of compliments on them, but still have both.  The fall flourish bracelets turned out so well, and thought they would have sold during our two weekend shows, but they didn't.  I can never guess at what customers will buy!  I really love the coffee cup earrings, they are hanging with Czech glass coffee beads, toffee colored crystals and tiny miniature coffee cups from the doll house furniture department!  Fun!  The burst of bubbles necklace is made from double ended Christmas ornaments from Hobby Lobby!  The strands had two bubbles with a wire connecting them, so I cut them in half and used them like fancy head pins.  I believe I used the whole package on the necklace!  Carla's Heirloom Rose bracelet was so fun to put together, I made a pendant and earrings to match!  I love kits because with all the beading I do, it is like a bead vacation when I get to make something pretty, quick, and designed for me!  I did adapt it a bit, adding a few extra dangles.  The pendant also has a brass hummingbird tucked into it!

LONG Weekend, need REST and a Preview...

Chris found this on Facebook, and it was appropriate.  Our cat, Luna, looks like this cute baby and is often right in the middle of whatever you are doing.

We had a very long weekend, having two shows in two different places this weekend.  We were in Exeter on Saturday and in Hastings on Sunday.  Mina marched in the Harvest of Harmony parade with Blue Hill's band in Grand Island Saturday.   Chris went to visit with his classmates at his 25th get together in Doniphan, while I ran into Hastings because my Mom had gone to the ER at the hospital.  She has shingles (on top of Parkinson's Disease and osteo arthritis and heart issues) and is miserable from the pain.  I arrived at the hospital as they were getting in their car to head home.  I drove back to Doniphan to join Chris and stayed for a few minutes to meet his classmates.  We left to go to a gallery opening in Hastings, which ended about the time we thought it was supposed to start. Consequently, we didn't make the show, so we ate and headed home instead. 

We covered about 250 miles on Saturday and about 60 on Sunday.  Can we spell TIRED?  I don't know about spelling it, but we sure do feel it!

I am participating in Michelle Mach's Fall Beading Challenge, with the reveal happening tomorrow.  Here is a preview!

See what I mean about interrupting?  As I type, she is determined to cause problems!  Chris says "the only thing saving her is that she is SO cute!". 

This is a tiny part of my challenge design.  Stop by tomorrow for the reveal!

Several Posts in One!

I have been lagging behind.  I do actually have a very good reason.  My allergies are attacking me, making it difficult to sleep and difficult to focus on anything past my itching, burning eyes which sets off my sneezing, runny nose.  So I am combining the post I have been trying to put together for several days, showing you a BUNCH of things I have been working on.

A Fall of Scarlet.

This was from last weeks BTW (Bead Table Wednesday) post.  I finished the piece on Thursday or Friday, and it SOLD on Saturday at the Farmers Market.  The customer wanted matching earrings and I needed a picture, so she let me hang on to it until she picks it up next week at the Farmers Market.  So here is the finished piece:

My model (Mina, who was being difficult and wouldn't let me put her "face" in the picture) has a lovely décolletage (I think that is the word I am looking for), and USUALLY makes an excellent model.  However, during this photo shoot she was surly and uncooperative!  Anyway, the necklace is spectacular (unlike my photography abilities) and the earrings I made match the crystal dangles but have extra tiny crystals dangling from the bottom of each earring.  I wish all of my pieces sold that fast!

Also last week I showed you the mess on my beading table, and I worked the WHOLE day on it Sunday and here is a picture now:

Trust me.  I DID work all day at cleaning it.  I am in the process of organizing (moving beads from one container to another, thinking I am making progress) and purging.  As you can see, my "assistant" makes working on things difficult.  Luna either wants to sit RIGHT in front of you so you won't miss the opportunity to pet her, or she is trying to eat or carry off anything that will fit in her tiny, frustrating little jaws!

But you have to love a cat that loves beads as much as I do!  Now if ONLY I could get to my supplies without waking the cutie!

Bead Soup Party Update:
I have had my Bead Soup mix from my partner, Valerie Norton, out and worked on my designs.  Sure we were in the car on the way to Grand Island to go to the State Fair to the Cheap Trick concert, but I did get them out and figure what I want to do with them.  Mina is learning to drive, so I sit in the BACK seat, while Chris sits up front.  My nerves need all of the distraction they can get!  (She is doing well.  It is just the fact that I am still suffering occasional panic attacks from our car accident a year ago, when our car was totaled.  Any situation that takes the control out of my hands tends to set them off, especially when the driver is hugging the white line at the ditch, or getting too near the yellow line down the center!)
Here are the groups I have divided my soup into:

Autumn Vintage

80s Retro
I am waiting for a couple items to use with the Retro piece to be delivered, and this is also the piece I will use my lovely sterling silver clasp on.  Valerie made both of the gorgeous pendants for my soup mix!  I can't wait to get them put together, our Bead Soup Reveal Day/Blog Hop is September 17th!

Other Beading Fun 
I have also come across a couple other internet beading challenges that I am attempting.  This one is a Beading Daily Bead Along, which is more of a "we all have our beads out and are working on the same project" kind of project.  Here is what I am using:

A mix of metallic beads and metallic and translucent coffee brown Delicas to do the netting project.  The group project is Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems which you can download for free by clicking the link.  We are supposed to be finished with it by the 12th, but I don't know that I will be done by then.  I do know that I love the color combo, and the way that the different size of beads gives it a free-form look.

Michelle Mach's Very Vintage Fall Bead Challenge
I recently began following Michelle's blog through Creating the Hive's community.  She does a beading challenge featuring the limited number of beading kits she puts together and sells on her website.  I just happened to read the post at the right time and was lucky enough to purchase one of the 24 kits.  Here is what I received:

So our reveal day/blog hop for this is on October 4.  Stay tuned!
It is time to shake Luna from my hand that is trying to type and go get ready for work! 

Gone Batty - My Etsy Treasury

The other night while surfing Etsy, I put together a fun "Gone Batty" treasury.  I love all things Halloween, and it was fun to search out unique "Batty" items.

A Little Batty Mixed Metal Pendant by LittleGreenRoom

Gone Batty Scrabble Tile Pendant by wickedlymodpendants

Bertie The Bat Wall Art by RedMarionette

3d Nail Art by blingup

Green Batty Onesie Outfit by amwoo254

Secret of Notre Dame Jasmine Becket-Griffith artwork by HauteTotes

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bats Brooch by CABfayre

Gothic Bat Necklace by pinkabsinthe

The whole treasury can be viewed here.