BTW Under the influence....

I am starting to be able to see the end of this cold and that is sooo good!  I am coming out the NyQuil/DayQuil induced hallucinations and now we are at the stage of coughing up a lung or two every 20 minutes or so.  I wanted to post real quick and then finally catch up on the doings in our neighborhood.  First I want to tell you that I was lucky in March to be able to binge during a mostly bead diet year.  There was an Innovative Bead Expo in Syracuse but after calculating the cost of gas admission and lunch I did not see being able to splurge as I would have hoped sooo I convinced my sweet hubby that he would be better off if I just used that amount and did an on line shop.  He agreed but with only one stipulation that I had to get free shipping, had to get the beads I had been talking about, and more than just small bags of seed beads.  (Wait he is tricky I think that is 3 stipulations...Hummm) I should also tell you that I do not shop at a local bead store any more as they do not give me the warm fuzzies. Ok so I was ready to check out a supplier a friend had recommended and stumbled across Bello Modo.  I couldn't believe the stock of seed beady goodness.  Oh I was so excited because I have been searching for a new drop mix to play with and they had a great new supply of farfalle beads I have been so wanting.  Well hey when shopping you have to indulge a bit right?

 I loved shopping there and when I got my package I immediately called to thank them for having not only great pics on the site ( you know that sometimes it doesn't always look like what you thought when you buy online) but everything came packaged so well you almost didn't know there were seed bead goodies in it.  I do have three tubes on back order but I have no problem waiting for them.  Here's the kicker though, when I called she was so surprised that I was calling with a compliment.  I have to tell you I am much more inclined to call someone because I am happy with the product rather than complain.  I know I should let them know when I am disappointed but I never feel good after that so I just don't shop there again. 

Now not to say that I don't still absolutely love my Artbeads and so can't wait for my turn at the blogger challenge oh and they are having a bunch of sales too!  I just needed some stuff they didn't carry so I suggest you check both shops out when you can!

Okay so now here is what is on my tray at the moment but I should tell you that I have had to rip the dragon bangle apart as I said before you should not try to bead a new project when under the influence of cold medicines!  The orange one will be a pattern review as soon as I am able to convince my hubby that it is not my fault I ran out of beads.  (Still working on that one)  And the pretty purple is me doing a project that may be "OUT" there for others but I love it!  

Oh and one more note!  Go visit Lori @ Out of the Flames and congratulate her on the gorgeous grandson that just came into her family!  You gotta see this cutie!

Hugs and Blessings!

KK

F is for.......

Fantastic Blogger Friends

Thank you all so much for your comments on my anniversary.  Finding all of you while stumbling through this bloggy world is a gift I hope to treasure for many years to come!

Fabulishous phone call

I was also lucky enough to talk to Juls voice to voice and it was like having a conversation with an old friend.  How cool it that?  She (well you all know this already) is a wonderful person and someone I am blessed to call friend.  And I will say that if I didn't know how busy she is I would talk to her everyday!  Thanks soooooo much Juls!

Flowering Family

(OK this one may be stretching the "F" theme but you try to think of fun and funky f words for this one!)
If the day wasn't great enough, My aunt Lisa and her daughters Jenelle and Jessica came with her from up north for the day and Guess What?  Jenelle is going to have a BABY!!!!  I can't believe my sweet Jenelle is going to be a MOM!  Lisa and I are more like sisters because we are only 6 years apart so her girls seem more like my nieces than cousins.  I am so happy for her!  She will make a great Mom!  Then Shelby and I went shopping with them before they left to go back up north! Ya know what?  Yep I got a new t shirt!  I know how surprising that news is to all of you! ;) 

F#*%@# Failure

(Please hold your laughter until the end so that you may be clear eyed to get the picture (and one of them is blurry enough without the tears)
OK so I thought I would try my hand at beading around a cab.  Well.....first I did not choose a symmetrical piece, then I chose cheap seed beads that were not uniform at all and last I kept going thinking that it might get better as I went along.  GUESS WHAT........WRONG all the way around.  

What in the world was I thinking?????  Lots of Lessons Learned on this one!!!!!

Fishing for finds

(Yeah Yeah I am still trying to stay with the theme so sue me)  
(Oh I have nothing so suing me won't get you anything but a headache from all my laughing)
;)
So I my have a possible first sale of a piece of jewelry and I needed to go bead shopping.  (Humf.. how did that happen as I am supposed to be on a bead buying freeze.)  Well Aunt Lisa to the rescue I got a little bead money (ain't she great!) so here are the pics of what I picked up.  The first is some 8/0's I needed and bead caps I may use and farfalle beads that I had to have!  The second is the Merlot bracelet (that's the piece I am selling with those colors the buyer chose)
She wanted gold inside instead of silver grey so let me know if you think this will work.

Finally 
(You know I had to use it)
:0
Hugs and Love to all of you!!!

Kristen

Bead Therapy and a Guest Blogger

Thanks so much my sweet blogger friends for listening to my last "pity me" post!  I had one of those days and needed to get it out and you were so there for me!  Thank you can't even cover it!

OK on to better things now that I have realized that I am who I am and my cat likes me that way!  (Oh and so do you!)  I went to our local festival "Corn Fest" (betcha can't guess what it celebrates)  and saw this awesome jewelry artist with a sweet personality to boot so I told her I would give her site a shout out!  JCPDesigns!   There is so much she offers and she even forges her own metals!  If you get the opportunity please check her out!  Thanks Jamie I really needed our talk!  I was going to get pictures but I the stupid cell was low and that didn't happen!

On Sunday my sweet hubby dropped Shelby and I off to the "Innovative Bead Expo" (which is so awesome because he had told me I was banned from buying beads for 2 months!)  So with a little money in my pocket and a fun girl to shop with we basked in beady goodness.  The cell phone was charged and I took some pictures but they didn't show up very well so I will link you to my two fav's.  My first favorite was Kabela Designs!  With my love of mixing seeds and metals I was truly in heaven!  Here is what I got!

I so love these and can't wait for my next inspiration to strike!  (they stay on the bead tray until I put them in a design....I just love looking at them)  The quality of all the pieces was outstanding and the ideas from the Rep were amazing!  I am so terribly sorry for misplacing her card and forgetting her name (old age ya know)  I am so a new fan!  Check them out!

Next I went to a trusted booth Talisman Associates Inc.!  Not only do they have vintage beads and semi precious stones they have lampwork and funky stuff (which our guest blogger will tell you about later) They have the sweetest owner! Look at what I found!

I needed the vintage seeds and you know I have a love of lentils!  These are so sunshine yellow but not too bright I can't wait to see what I do with these!  Do visit there shop if you have time!

And last for me are these gorgeous fire polished rounds (which I have already used half of any you should be seeing in a few days if the inspiration works out) I was unable to get the name of this booth as there was no sign or card for me to grab (sorry anonymous booth)

OK that's it for me right now and if you don't mind Shelby would like to talk about her beady goodness so I thought it would be ok if you got to know her a little!

Introducing my Guest Blogger ........ Shelby

Helluuuuuuu All! I guess it is pretty obvious who I am (my mother likes to talk about  me a lot I guess) so I am going to skip the introduction. xD So this is my collection of beads, stones, spoons, and whatnot that I have gathered up for my various projects. The spoons that I found at the local flea market are going to be bent and tortured (muahahaha) into rings when I can get access to my teacher's studio without him looking over my shoulders and critiquing (grrrrrrr.) That little oval looking thing is actually the innards of a pocket watch, which I am going to someday find a use for eventually. The greenish and gray ball thingy is a bead made by me from polymer clay (and it glows in the dark!) and are modeled after a Japanese food called Dango (rice dumplings served on a skewer during festivals.) At the Bead Expo, I bought the brightly colored and I think adorable skull beads and flower beads, which I intend to use for some chainmail (like the actual medieval armor only in preeetttyyyyyy jewelry form incaseyoudidn'tknow) bracelets. The other stuff is mostly random and cheep purchases at many other local areas. Though, I may not actually get to any of the crafts for a while because a Fan Fiction idea has been haunting me for a a couple days AND IT WON'T LET GO!! (not that I mind...hehe)

Oh and to Juls, not only are you a great friend to my mother but you are an AMAZING ARTIST ZOMG! I love your work and your blog! Oh and you would totally give everyone at the bead expo a run for their money and then some! <3 <3 <3

Thanks mom for letting me invade your blog! I will getoffit now. <3 <3 <3

Well what do you think is she like me or what?

Hugs!

Kristen

What I planned to do and what didn't happen

Here was my plan yesterday.  I was going to take pictures of my finished class project (which is now a new pairing)

and what I bought at the bead shop ( aren't they pretty? )

and then maybe alittle about my weekend.  Here is what actually happened.  Saturday was great!  We all went shopping and out to lunch and then Michael (my sweet hubby) dropped Shelby and I off at the bead shop for the second part of my class and she really wanted to see what they had (she likes chainmail) (oh man I didn't get the picture of the bracelet she made me!) anyway, the class was good but I knew my first bracelet was going to be too small because I didn't verify measurements and just went with number of rows we talked about in class (I think I have mentioned before I have tension issues...with thread at the moment, not life ;) (that could change though :) ) It was so small that only Derek could wear it and even though that doesn't bother him because he thinks mommy's beading is cool, my husband would be mortified! Anyway (again) I brought it so I could learn how to zip it up and I had started another one so that I could at least finish something to wear. It is great taking classes and Susan was a great teacher so I do plan to take another class!  Shelby and I did some shopping and..... Ok I think I have mentioned before that ORANGE is my FAVORITE color (I will probably tell you again at another time) I have this shirt (this one I got at Tractor Supply and I love it and it is so durable and organic by the way, and is a little brighter in person (did I mention a photographer I am not))

Do you think I could find the right bead combo to make a pairing?  NO  I can't seem to make it work (I brought the shirt too)  I am looking for something fun and funky to pair it with but nothing is jumping out at me! (jumping out at me might be scary but you know what I mean)  Ok I do have a necklace plan (if Nicole will accept my nickles and dimes I am saving) Belinda did one of her kits that would match perfectly and it will be my first attempt at embroidery (I'll end up having enough by Christmas so maybe it will be a wish list item) but a bracelet not yet!
Between Saturday night and Sunday night I had baked cookies for Michael's monthly ucher tournament, chocolate banana brownies and banana bread ( obviously the banana were very ripe ) and tried to start a new bracelet and ended up starting it 3 times before I decided enough is enough ( I should have been finishing others but I blame crafting ADD again) It rained most of the day, we were all tired from the late night Michael was out til 2:30, and I stayed up to finish my 2nd class bracelet and Shelby and Derek just didn't sleep well and well...depression got the better of me (again)  You know, I really can't stand knowing that I have nothing to be depressed about and then my stupid body rebels against me without warning and I end up over thinking things, rethinking other things and getting mad over nothing!  OH I could just scream!  So..... I didn't take pictures til this morning (and it wouldn't have been good if I posted a pity party for myself yesterday) and if you have read this far you have seen them and probably think I have babbled enough.  Don't you?  :)

Always Believe (even when you can't remember why)
Kristen