Got tired of making the daisy chain bracelets (I think there are now 7 of them) so I tried messing around with the beads left on my tray. I do not like the crystals in the middle of the pearls (to the right) but the left one, difficult to see, is an embellished right-hand weave that has real possibilities for me to use up a bunch of cathedral crystals I had ordered for Christmas trees but never used.

Am off to Vicki's to pick up my latest order. And all I really want to do is to stay home and bead. . .

Am still working on photos for the work for Etsy. Have decided to focus on the lizard collection at first. Finally am able to get the camera to see what I want to show. It is so hard to compose a photo in a square. It is against all my ideas and training in composition, but I see how Etsy chops the photos automatically into squares even if it means losing vital information. Now to get the rest of the information right and up on the site. Wish it was as easy and (and not etsy) and as much fun as doing these blogs!

Had to get back to beading in the evening and started doing these bracelets. In March Ling-Yen is having a "Flower Power" show at the old Point Arena Arts Gallery and (I think) all the items have to have something to do with flowers. I have lots of necklaces done in the daisy stitch so thought I would add some bracelets to the mix. Had gotten these toggle clasps at Oriental Trading Co. Other years I had ordered many of them and then recently re-ordered them. To my surprise, and against all tradition, the newer clasps are much more solidly made with far better craftsmanship but I think the price was the same. This really excites me - a person who made the design saw later where it was lacking and redid it. This feels like the way I would work.

Yesterday Ling-Yen of Ling-Yen Designs.com stopped by on her walk between showers. She was good enough to come in to look at the new things I was working on and of all the pearl people earrings, she liked this set the best. So I am putting these aside with the thought of maybe entering them into another contest. I feel, after looking over the winners in the Swarovski contest that winners are picked, not always by the innovative design, but by the number of products used in the piece. At least everything in this work came from FM.

I do not know if it was a reaction to finding out about my win in the Fire Mountain contest or the fact that I was photographing pieces for the Etsy thing, but yesterday was my day to see little examples of bad workmanship. Instead of skimming over them, or just planning to sell them for less, I sat down and redid each one. That is the good thing about beads. A snip of the scissors or wire cuter and you get a second chance at doing something right.

I spent a long time on Etsy, loved watched the newest posted items! trying to figure out the best way to photograph my stuff to make it look interesting. This was yesterday's slightly out of focus attempt. I had the big Sony set on a tripod and when I got frustrated with it, I grabbed up the new point-and-shoot Canon and got the best photo of all. If the sun comes out I now see what I can do to improve this.
I have moments when I wonder if I will every get anything posted on Etsy. Ling-Yen was very encouraging but she gives her work over to a professional photographer!

After being a finalist so many times in Fire Mountain beading contests, I have finally placed! Silver Medal Prize in the Crystallized - Swarovski Elements 2009 in the Wedding and Holiday category. Just got the notice today! and the check for $75. Now to go off shopping! It is ridiculous - how happy I am! I think I must go bead something to settle down!

Late, around midnight, I was playing around with unused beads left over from other projects and suddenly, these earrings made themselves. I was so surprised, and pleased! Somehow they felt like little people with pearl heads. In real life the hearts hang down and dangle. I loved these huge rose quartz chunks. Am eager to see what I make today with the idea. It seems open to many variations.

With my last order I had gotten some shorter barrettes and was now able to sew these on to them. It took three tries before I got the turquoise idea sewed on in the center. I just do not see 'center' until the thing is firmly in place - and wrong. The lizard is made with Delicas - so often their colors come out so dark! I see that now, again.

Am trying to get up my courage to put something on Etsy. I seem to have threshold angst! Did set up a small studio in the corner with a paper backdrop for photos and today the sun is shining. Maybe I will be so happy with the photos, that in my eagerness to show them, I will manage the process.

Yesterday it got too easy to do the tubes in blues or greens in order to combine them with the recycled African glass balls, so I did a search of all my beads and found these cloth ones I had gotten from Debbe Hull. Also my search turned up gold-plated balls like the silver ones so today I will redo the gold necklaces and put the balls on them.
Am thinking of setting up a studio corner with the backdrop so I can photograph these necklaces on stands instead of scanning them in. Somehow when they hang they look so much better; more powerful.

It is so dark today. It has rained all night and our house has a moat around it as the water pours down the mountain side on its way to the choppy and wind-blown waves of the sea.

Finally found the way I like the tubes used the best! Had made this tube of the spiral stitch that I enjoy doing so much and suddenly this came together. I had bought these recycled glass balls last year from Musa and never could find a place for them in any of the necklaces made by stringing because they are fairly heavy. But here they are perfect!
A couple of years ago I bought a whole spool of the clear rubber tubing, and the spring ends, but just never found the need for that kind of a necklace. Here I love the way the 'string' drops away in importance and all you see is the narrow element. Feel the design also looks like two eyes and a long nose and this makes people look at it trying to construct a face.


I tore apart the necklace I showed you yesterday, with the five green tubes, and took out the hooks and replaced them with the eyeglass holder connectors so I get a little silver ball with a loop and the elastic is easy to sew into the top of the tube. Had a bunch of small wooden beads Heidi had used as ties on her Christmas packages many years ago that work perfectly around the loop as it goes over the rubber tubing. Some months ago I had gotten silver plated balls from Oriental Trading Company. I thought they were too big but here they perfectly pass over the tubing and hold the balls in place. They also make a repeat of the silver ball on top of the tube. Am eager to show these off to someone and here you are!