Artbeads Rocks!!!!!

First I want to thank all of you for your kind words and sweet e-mails.  I have come into a wonderful world of support and friendship and you all mean so much to me.  I have been able to finally sit for a bit and bead and let me tell you it is great therapy for me.

As I have told you before I am very lucky to be a part of the Artbeads Blogger Program and I received my first challenge and review opportunity and once again I can honestly tell you that I LOVE Artbeads.  I showed you a few posts ago what I was able to choose for their Winter Theme.  Here they are again.....

I am probably repeating myself but I was in 2 very different moods when choosing these palettes.  First was inspired by the impending winter storm that was supposed to have finally come our way and how I was feeling mentally.  I had also recently purchased a pattern from Sabine Lippert called "Bundle of Bling" and so I choose very carefully and worked on this bracelet.  First I will tell you again (because it is worth it) that Sabine's pattern was AWESOME!!!! It was easy to follow and the diagrams (which I need) were perfectly shown.  It was so neat and fun to see each section take shape and at the same time it added sparkle to my mood.  I have a new love of 3mm firepolished beads and Artbeads has a great selection of them.  So let me introduce you to my Winter Bling....

And LOOK LOOK LOOK it is a Pairing too.  My first of the year!  It was such a blast to make with such a great grouping of beads.  At first for me when I started buying beads online I was worried about if the colors would actually be what I expected them to be and oh boy they are.  Artbeads has done such a good job on their site that when I received my beads they were as pretty as I thought they would be.  I was going to use this for Margie and Me but I just couldn't wait.  (I does match this months palette though)

Okay on to my second piece.  I have to tell you I fell in love with these Rose/Gold luster rounds!  I don't really care for fru fru stuff but I do love pink.  These were the perfect compliment.  I decided I wanted to use my rivolis (I can buy em, I can spell em, but I still say ravoli sometimes) with these and I also picked up the perfect metallic bronze seeds to go with it.  One thing I have to say is I love TOHO seed beads.  They are so uniform that I don't worry about sizing when I am beading and that is a huge plus for me.  Anyway this is my Vintage Valentine bracelet and it is my own version of Sparkly Wheels by Melinda Barta.  The picture does not do the blend of colors justice though (I really need to get better at that) The rivolis pick up the color of the rounds making this really pop without fru fru.

Thank you so much Duchess and Artbeads for this great opportunity and challenge.

I suppose this post is long enough for now but I have just a couple of quick things left I promise.

First this is my 98th post and I am actually thinking of giving something more than my gratitude away.  I have some beads and spacers that I have made and while I love them I can't get them to work for me.  Would anyone be interested in them is my only quandary.

Second don't forget to stop by Second Surf for Monday Militia to get this weeks assignment.  It is really gratifying to try this and the rewards can be addicting.

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Disclaimer

I am a reviewer of products for Artbeads.com. I received the beads above free of charge. I have used and reviewed this product and my statements are an honest description. I receive no compensation from Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the product above.

Winter Blues? Artbeads Rescue

Okay so it has been a while and let me tell you why (whether you want to know or not)  I have had the hardest time focusing.  I know it's sounds like I am whining ( I actually am) but I also know that there are much worse things to deal with than the inability to focus (see previous post...still sending good thoughts to all my friends) I have been flitting in and out of Blogger, Facebook and The Hive trying to keep up with all of you and I still plan on trying a driveby to all of you!  I can so prove this by showing you my bead tray as of late.  While it may seem organized (to avoid lose of beads to curious imp) it shows that I have not been able to complete but 1 project in the last month!  Here is the tray

And this is what I was able to finish

I don't know if any of you remember when I took my first beading class and I had too tight tension and made this on to fit an imp well....I finally ripped it all apart (yes I did) and completed it!  Now Shelby won't take it off (not even for me to get a good picture).  This one had me in a bunch too!  Remember EVERY row on this is reinforced and I have been wound a little tight lately so my tension was still off.

So I think I told you all last week that I got my first Artbeads Challenge assignment.  Winter.  Well since we are in the middle of it...yeah I can do that.  So I chose my beads and sent my request to Duchess (who by the way is soo sweet) but as you will see I was in 2 totally different moods when I choose.  I also have 2 really different and beautiful (if i choose colors correctly) designs.  Here is what came in the mail today and boy did I need them!

Winter Storm

Vintage Valentine

I need to tell you right now (besides Seeds of course) my new favorites are firepolished rounds.  Especially the ones in the top picture and guess what here's the link to Artbeads firepolished selection.  They have a great variety and I am so glad they do.  Right now 3mm are my personal favs.

Now in the second picture you fill find the most gorgeous 6mm rounds.  I fell in love when I saw them on the site and let me tell you when I got them I was not disappointed!  The color and glow of them is stunning!  I had these rivolis and I think my theme might work perfectly AND I have yet to use rivoli's in any of my pairings.  Thank you so much Duchess and I hope I do not disappoint.

Hey you know what?  I have to tell you about the most awesome seed bead collection you can get from my sweet friend Lori Cook at her Out of the Flames Etsy shop here's a picture but let me tell you this collection of seeds is superb for anyone just starting out in seed beads.

Heaven for me!!!!!

Go check it out if you can.  It is a great deal. Oh and when you get there you have to check out her cabs!

Okay so now you get the idea of where I have been.  I will be starting my Artbeads designs this weekend so wish me luck on the focus thing.  I also know that the Margie and Me reveal is this weekend so do not forget to stop by at LaBella Joya to hook up with all the goodness our friends have created from this month's inspiration.

Hugs and Blessings

KK

I am a reviewer of products for Artbeads.com. I received the beads above free of charge. I have used and reviewed this product and my statements are an honest description. I receive no compensation from Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the product above.

Margie and Me the Finals

First I would like to thank you all for commenting on my cheezy poem and knowing that it came from my heart especially to each of you!  I so look forward to the coming year with all of you!


Please go to LaBella Joya and check out all the gorgeous creations for this "Throwdown"  you will not believe what you see!  Don't forget to vote for your favorite.  This was my pallet choice and my creation.

I want to tell you that I love the focal part for 2 very specific reasons!  The owl is one that Shelby made for me on my birthday and the other is a Julsbead that happened to be a perfect match.  It is a simple necklace but I love the colors and the beads are so special to me.
Thank you so much Marcie for putting this all together and inspiring us to take our beading to the next level!  You are one awesome Chicka!

Hugs and Blessings
KK

Coming Soon.....I am drowning but......

You new it was going to happen

Well it has happened again.  I got nothin'!  Well not nothin' I have a couple somethins so I guess that's somthin'.  First you are not going to believe this but I am going to be the recipient of another sweet little giveaway!  I know I have no idea where this luck is coming from but as you know I like to share so I am going to share my sweet little gift with Shelby AND I am only giving you an idea of what we chose so here it is....

I am gettin Shelby's pick of any one of these cutie earrings.  Actually there are three different sets so what I want you to do is go and visit Heather @ MyMuse and check out the other two pictures as well as the gorgeous gingerbread pics she posted.  I just recently found her blog and she also has a really cute shop with a variety of stuff to buy like the cute polymer clay I have my eye on!  You know I love meeting new people.

Next once again as President, CEO, Queen and Empress of Julsbeads I need to inform you that she is having the most awesomest of stupendiliocous (yeah I made the word up but we are talking about Juls ya know!) SALE EVA!!!  You need to hop over there and snap up anything you see because what I wanted is already gone and I do not want that to happen to you!  Go there now darn it! Oh come back when you are done so you can see my next somethin.

Oh cool your back OK.  You should all know that Marcie at La Bella Joya has been hosting the "Margie and Me" color challenges and they are fun to participate in IF you can get it done in time,  Well she has gone and put out the ultimate challenge.  

"The Margie and Me Throwdown 2010"

If it worked right just click on the picture and you can read the "Official Rules"  So the reason I am telling you this is not only to make sure you visit her blog to see all the awesome creations she makes and see how she inspires all of us but I have chosen my pallet and started my piece so I am super excited!  Here is what I chose

I know it's not a huge stretch for me color wise but.....what I have come up with is a challenge for me!  I hope you tune in after Christmas to see what I have made.

Well I guess that was a little more somethin then I planned on but thanks for reading to the end!  LOL  I shipped my creations to Beth today so fingers crossed she will "Squeal" when she gets it!

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Wherin I out myself...

OUT #1

So my dear bloggy friends I need to tell you that after all the compliments on my bead tray and how organized it is I did straighten it out a bit this is what it normally looks like...

The pretty part on the left is what was supposed to be my Margie and Me entry this round but I have had to take it apart once already and now a bead has broken so we are on to yet another redo.  This will not make the deadline but I will finish it because guess what.......it has a pretty shirt waiting for it (I know you are all so surprised by that revelation)LOL

These are ceramic cabs Shelby made and I think they are cool.  They are a little thick but the patterning is so unique that I will try to find a way to bead them.  (I think a couple of them are for someone else though)

Not bad for a first try Huh?

OUT #2
OK I have said to all of you that I am a newbie to the beading world but that is a lie!  I should say I am new to the jewelry aspect of it because as I was getting my decor changed over for Halloween (which was a couple weeks ago.  Yeah I know what took me so long to mention it?)  I need to confess that I even decorate my fridge!  These are beaded cross stitch kits from Mill Hill and I have them for every season (the most is for Halloween and autumn) So I have been beading for many years.  Can you all forgive me?

OUT #3
I will be (OK Kristen breathe) 42 this month, there I said it!  So here is a picture of an early birthday gift from my sweet hubby. 

Before

After

Do you see my pretty new curtains.  I love them they just complete my living room.  It has been growing up over the last couple of years with all matching tables and entertainment center, then the beautiful leather furniture (Derek calls them robot furniture because they all have motorized recliners) and now the pretty chocolate curtains.

There I have outed myself as much as I feel I can at this point.  (I may surprise you again sometime...who knows)

I will now leave you with a couple of pretty autumn pics that I just love!

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Hershey Bars and Chocolate Shakes.....

What a week!  First thank you to everyone that commented on my tribute to my mom.  She was one hell of a woman good and bad and I miss her very much.

This also has been a scatterbrained and hectic week for me.  And here is a picture of what I mean!

You can always tell when my focus is off by my bead tray!  I was bouncing between learning new stitches trying old ones and examining my bead stash.  I volunteered a Derek's school on Tuesday and we had a field trip to the pumpkin patch on Wednesday.  Ain't he just the cutest!

So back to my bead tray and an explanation of the title of my post.  I have been wanting to learn brick stitch and a friend sent me a pattern but I wasn't sure if the elements in the pattern were to bold for me to wear so I began to change it up a bit.  I also thought I was working on a "Margie and Me" entry but now I think the colors are too dark for that.  Anyway I really seemed to just go with the flow and also use what my stash had and when I finished the first one I had to make a couple more.  When I showed the first one to my sweet hubby he said "that would be a great pendent and you could make matching earrings"  Ok not to say that is an absolutely fab idea but it doesn't fit my goal (well now it might as between Lori's gorgeous pendent Iam working on the perfect chain still, Dawn for her inspiration and the Fabulishousness of the spectacular Julsbeads I have I have now gone into necklace parings)  Now when Shelby saw them she said they look like snowflakes hence (HA to Shelby) the song "If all of the Snowflakes were Hershey Bars and Chocolate Shakes" is all I can think of when I see them!  You tell me.....

I would like to tell you that I rummaged through my sweet hubby's workshop for that brick stitched ring but.....I made him get them for me when he was at the hardware store.  I am not sure how to combing both components but...........Oh wait I wanted to try this......

It is the cutest little bead but I have no idea what to do with it......Wait I know I think I will start the chain for that gorgeousness of a bead I got from Juls...........

Hummm......I am not so sure if these are the right colors for a twisted herringbone..........OMG I just figured out how to finish my other Juls creation.....AND GUESS WHAT?????

IT"S MY FIRST FINISHED ORANGE BEADED CREATION!  And I love this.  I need to find some orange pj's for those pj fashion days!

I am trying to catch up with all my blogger buddies but when you have a few days away from blogger catching up takes time and so does my sweet family!

Coming soon....Shelby's and my beady adventure, getting to know my stash and my early birthday presents!

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Late Entry (real late) for Margie and Me, and believe it or not a pairing too!

This has to be a quick post because this day has become crazy!!  Like I need to tell you all that cuz it is constantly crazy. (mostly my own fault of course)  I didn't get the dishes done last night, I still haven't taken a shower (so don't come too close) and after I take Derek to school I need to go to Wally World (Walmart) because I have run out of breakfast food and snacks!

Last week Marcie at La Bella Joya posted her 'Margie and Me' challenge and it was Tuscany.  Well I had beads that sort of went along with the palette and I just got Beadwork so I actually had a plan to participate! I fell in love with a pattern in Beadwork called 'floral chandelier' by Teresa Meister.  And you all know I love the 'Custom Cool' section this month which was the 'Double up Buttons'.  Both of these patterns worked up wonderfully and I wanted to combine them.  The only thing I have to say is that I NEED to get better with jumprings!  I tried to get good pictures but a photographer I am not so I will give you the two best!

Now I know that there should be reds and browns associated with Tuscany theme but all that went through my mind was the grape vines in autumn so I do wish you had a closer view.  The seed beads I used were a marbled green/rose/gold and I used brass jump rings (I still need to find the ones that went flying across the room)  This is so pretty in the sunlight (if there were any here) and guess what it also has become a pairing!

It really brings out the golds in this shirt.  (I so need to get better with the camera)  

Note to my sweet blogger friends:

I know I have missed some postings and I will try to get to them as soon as possible but I have been working on some things that I need (and love) to get done.  You all mean so much to me!

Hugs and Blessings

Kristen