Pity Party Extended...and Opportunity Knocking

It sounds like those who did make it to Bead Fest have some fun tales to tell...and some awesome beady deals to show for it! 


Thanks to all your pity this weekend I now have a boatload of orders to get busy creating. Since I will be adding a host of custom made orders to my growing to-do list this week, and have decided that the party can continue until Tuesday. Feel free to use the code PITYPARTY in my Etsy shop for that 15% off.

{sea themes now made to order!}

I had a run on some beach theme pendants that I resuscitated from last year as well as the ever popular dragonfly. Some were disappointed that they missed out. I hate it when people are disappointed, so I fixed that problem by making these popular pendants a MADE TO ORDER item. Huzzah! So go ahead and order them if you like, you can even have your very own saying on them. But since the sea sometimes whispers my name, don't be surprised if yours looks a little different than the ones pictured. After all the waves move things like shells and seahorses and starfish around and dragonflies are very flitty creatures!

{new 'sari snapshots'}

Some of my new simple truths were so popular that they sold out within minutes of listing them! Like the new 'Sari Snapshots' with these ethnically inspired and brightly hued floral and paisley shapes. I will be making more 'Sari Snapshots' this week in different shapes as well. I guess have ethnic inspired jewelry on the brain since I am working on creating my Nepali-inspired necklace for the Challenge of Travel reveal on Saturday, September 1st, and also because I had an assignment to complete for Halcraft that consists of jewel tones.

I guess that is something that I haven't shared with you yet. But I am oh so excited about it!

It really does come down to making connections and seeing opportunities.

A few years ago at the Bead & Button show, I was sitting in a class taught by Sherri Haab and as we went around the room to introduce ourselves, I recognized the name of the lovely lady on the other side of the room: Molly Schaller. I had been a long admirer of her work in the pages of Stringing Magazine and I vowed that I would go and introduce myself. Miss Molly had the same thought and approached me first. We hit it off from the start. We ended up having lunch together and it was marvelous to share with someone so talented. We stayed in touch by email occasionally and through Facebook.

Flash forward to spring of this year....

It turns out that Miss Molly had been working for Halcraft USA along with another friend of mine - Denise Yezbak Moore - in creating looks using the Halcraft line of beads. You might be more familiar with Halcraft under the Bead Gallery line of beads that is present in every Michaels store nationwide. I know that it is a favorite haunt of mine nearly every week!

Sure, I have some very extraordinary beads (and precious) from all around the world, but what it comes down to for me is that I am always looking for color or shape or style that suits my mood or plan or whim. My Michaels has a better selection than almost anywhere else that I have access to around here. I do believe that given the same materials we would all approach them differently (as has been shown in countless hops) and you seriously don't have to spend a lot to make something fabulous. It is not what you have but what you do with what you have that makes your designs special.

Molly was tasked with putting together a team of designers to act as brand ambassadors for the Halcraft line and she asked me if I would be interested. Miss Molly knocked and I answered that door of opportunity! Since I am a power user of my Michaels store I jumped at the chance to design for them. Miss Molly really used her connections well... this group she rounded up is filled with a dream team of designers that I have long admired: Denise Yezbak Moore, Michelle Mach, Barb Switzer, Katie Hacker and of course, Molly Schaller. And now me...pinch!

As a team we have been given the task of creating virtually anything we want as long as we make the Halcraft Bead Gallery beads and components the star of our design. I have been making earrings and bracelets and necklaces for Halcraft since May. It is incredibly to see what this group has been creating. And now the fruits of our labors has started to show up in the Halcraft Facebook page as well as on the Michaels website.

{'Moon Over Albuquerque' designed exclusively for Halcraft and Michaels}

I was at my local Michaels buying some products to use for my August projects and I went to the Michaels site to see if there were any coupons (did you know that you can just show them the coupon to scan on your smartphone? How cool is that?) and I clicked on a link to a gallery of suggested jewelry inspirations. And lo and behold my "Moon Over Albuquerque" bracelet (above) popped up! Of course, I had to share that with anyone within an arm's length of me at the store! ;-) You, too, can make that using the instructions on the Michaels site. I love the visual impact of this bracelet with just a few simple beads.

{What would you wear to a party hosted by Willy Wonka and Dr. Seuss? Why, this 'Bubble Gum Ball necklace'! Created exclusively for Halcraft and Michaels}

I just finished my three projects for Halcraft this month and I am preparing to send them on their way. You can check out more awesomeness on the Halcraft Pinterest board. I can't show you what they are yet, but you can watch for them to show up in October. And speaking of October, there will be something very special showing up on the Michaels.com website featuring yours truly... but you will have to wait to see!

Miss Molly will be introducing each of us soon with a special project that we are each completing this week... so stay tuned for more about that!

I am off to work on my Challenge of Travel piece and to get started on a special project with my friend Miss Marcie Carroll as well starting to get some things cranked out for that one and only show I do each year. And the first football game is on Saturday and I am one of 8 moms this week cooking for the entire team supper (80 hungry young men!). Oh yeah, and making up those orders from the PITYPARTY sale. Still time to get your order in!

What is keeping you busy this week?