Bead Fest Pity Party - Bust Your Stash

Okay. So I clearly have a hoarding problem. My addiction comes in small-ish packages. And I have a lot of them.

On my teetering-tottering table there is barely any room for me to create. I have these black trays with the flocked inserts and my theory was that if I left the beads in them, especially if grouped by color, or a possible project, that I would actually use them. Bah! That hasn't happened. Some of this is from the past two years at Bead & Button as well as the Best Bead Show in Madison and some are just things that I have ordered. Shameful! This is just three of at least 8 trays, not to mention the plastic bins on the floor and the 21 drawer printer's cabinet {4 of them with art beads only}with goodies galore. {And no, I am not showing you that hot mess!} I think I could open a bead shop in my basement!

This little bowl is a pretty teal footed glass dish that houses about 1/2 of my Humblebeads stash. It was not fitting in the 1/4 of a printer's drawer that I had allocated to her beads, so I bought this pretty dish to keep them within arm's reach at all times. How is that working out for me? Obviously, not that well, since I don't make anything with no time. But a girl can dream!

I have always said that if I had to limit myself to one art bead artist, it would be Heather. It is a wonderful thing that her beads and my pendants look so good together. We have similar taste in colors and themes. I am doubly blessed that Heather and I share a birthday (August 11th) and have become the very best of friends. I have been in Heather's Bead of the Month Club, Disk Bead Set of the Month and I just cannot resist her beads! Now that I work in polymer clay of my own, and I even had the good fortune of learning some of her secrets, I appreciate so much more of the process that she uses. I could never do anything like what she does. Her beads are so very valuable to me but also very hard workers in my designs!

I am working on some donation jewelry for the Pacelli Panacea silent auction. This event is a huge three day fundraiser for our Catholic School system with a carnival, food vendors, beer tent, bingo, farmer's market, cherry tree, mini raffles and large cash raffles plus a chance to win a new car. This year it is a Jeep Wrangler. And it is always red for our school colors. {Anyone need some raffle tickets? I have a ton to sell and about 2 weeks to do it!. The event is the first weekend in September each year and it is a huge undertaking, and our whole family will be volunteering and enjoying the last bit of summer all weekend. I will be sharing more about this on Pop-a-Dot Jewelry as I just found out that I am approved to sell my new magnetic jewelry line there as a special part of the fundraising efforts! Yippee!

So since our mascot is the Cardinal, I wanted to create some cardinal themed jewelry. I bought these little winter cardinal charms as well as a large cardinal head from Heather at Bead & Button. I made this long necklace I call 'Cardinal Nation' with a matching pair of earrings from the cardinal head. I will be making a few more with the tiny cardinal in the birch tree charms today to use up some more of my Humblebeads (and others) stash for more donations!

The challenge to you is to find a bead treasure you have been hoarding and make something with it, or hold a giveaway so someone else can make something special. 

Remember that I am doing a special Bead Fest Pity Party discount in my Etsy shop {and Heather is doing on in hers - and our beads go together like peas and carrots!}. Use code PITYPARTY13 in any store hosting a sale for the discount. My offer to you is 15% off an order of $20 or more.

Now for the giveaway... to win a $20 credit in my Etsy shop, just answer the following question {and be sure to have an email so I can get in touch if you win!} Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, August 26th.

What is your most coveted art bead?

OR

Who is your can't-live-without-them favorite bead artist?

Bead Fest Pity Party

Lots of my beady buddies are off to Philadelphia for the annual Bead Fest this weekend. It sounds like such a rollicking good time with fabulous opportunities to add to your bead stash and meet online friends. I wish I weren't like 10 states away!

My friend Heather Powers of Humblebeads organizes a Bead Fest Pity Party each year to help those of us who are watching from afar cope. Here is a line up of the self-directed weekend events:

All weekend - Sale & Giveaways.  I've joined up with some of my beadmaking friends to offer discounts for the weekend and I will be hosting a giveaway each day for gift certificates to my website.

Friday - Bust your Stash.   On Friday we are going to go into our bead stashes and pull out something that hasn't seen the light of day for a while. If you'd been to a big bead show, I challenge you to find something from a past bead show purchase.  You can share a photo and story about it.  Create something with it or give it away on your blog or Facebook page.

Saturday - Inspiration Adventure.   Get out of the house and find something to inspire you.  You can go to a farmer's market, craft show, festival, museum, gallery, bead store, antique store, walk in the park - whatever you can fit into your weekend that will inspire you. I have to sing at a wedding, but later I plan to go for a walk on the Green Circle Trail in Stevens Point as part of my 'staycation' exploration for the Challenge of Travel coming up - yikes! - on August 31st!  Share photos from your adventure... or make something! {And it is not too late to join the Challenge of Travel!}

Sunday - Class of One.   Pull out a jewelry book and try one of the projects in the book. Go through a few books and pick a project.  How often do we really do that?  For me the answer is hardly ever!  I need to go through my book stash and found a new project!  Share your results with us.  We'll also share links of our favorite online tutorials. 
 

You can play along on your blog or on the Creative Bead Chat facebook group. Get busy gathering materials and make plans for the weekend. 

That should keep us busy and our minds off Philly!  Who is going to join us?  I'm looking forward to having some fun and being inspired together.

Start now...Get the discount! I don't run sales that often, but this is an exception. Use the code PITYPARTY13 for 15% off your order of $20 or more in my Etsy shop through Monday, August 26th. 

All weekend - Sale & Giveaways.  I've joined up with some of my beadmaking friends to offer discounts for the weekend and I will be hosting a giveaway each day for gift certificates to my website.

Friday - Bust your Stash.  On Friday we going to go into our bead stashes and pull out something that hasn't seen the light of day for a while. If you'd been to a big bead show, I challenge you to find something from a past bead show purchase.  You can share a photo and story about it.  Create something with it or give it away on your blog or Facebook page.

Saturday - Inspiration Adventure.  Get out of the house and find something to inspire you.  You can go to a farmer's market, craft show, festival, museum, gallery, bead store, antique store, walk in the park - whatever you can fit into your weekend that will inspire you.  I'm planning to attend an antique market that is not too far away.  Share photos from your adventure.

Sunday - Class of One.  Pull out a jewelry book and try one of the projects in the book. Go through a few books and pick a project.  How often do we really do that?  For me the answer is hardly ever!  I need to go through my book stash and found a new project!  Share your results with us.  We'll also share links of our favorite online tutorials.

That should keep us busy and our minds off Philly!  Who is going to join me?  I'm looking forward to having some fun and being inspired together. - See more at: http://www.humblebeads.com/blog#sthash.BJtY5a1B.dpuf

All weekend - Sale & Giveaways.  I've joined up with some of my beadmaking friends to offer discounts for the weekend and I will be hosting a giveaway each day for gift certificates to my website.

Friday - Bust your Stash.  On Friday we going to go into our bead stashes and pull out something that hasn't seen the light of day for a while. If you'd been to a big bead show, I challenge you to find something from a past bead show purchase.  You can share a photo and story about it.  Create something with it or give it away on your blog or Facebook page.

Saturday - Inspiration Adventure.  Get out of the house and find something to inspire you.  You can go to a farmer's market, craft show, festival, museum, gallery, bead store, antique store, walk in the park - whatever you can fit into your weekend that will inspire you.  I'm planning to attend an antique market that is not too far away.  Share photos from your adventure.

Sunday - Class of One.  Pull out a jewelry book and try one of the projects in the book. Go through a few books and pick a project.  How often do we really do that?  For me the answer is hardly ever!  I need to go through my book stash and found a new project!  Share your results with us.  We'll also share links of our favorite online tutorials.

That should keep us busy and our minds off Philly!  Who is going to join me?  I'm looking forward to having some fun and being inspired together. - See more at: http://www.humblebeads.com/blog#sthash.BJtY5a1B.dpuf

Bead Style Magazine 10th Anniversary Review

I was honored to be asked to review the 10th Anniversary issue of BeadStyle by new editor Naomi Fujimoto. Of course, I sent a LOT more review that got cut, but that is what you get when you are wordy! You can go to that link above to see the pretty pictures they added to the review and read about some of my favorite parts of the issue, but below I added the redacted bits so that you could get a bit more of my thoughts on some of the other features in the magazine that they didn't use.

When I first began my journey playing with beads in 2005 it was just a diversion, something to keep my hands occupied. Little did I know that it would transform into a way of life for me!

Even at this earliest stage, when I bought my first beads and wire and some of the cheapest tools imaginable, I knew that I needed some instructions to achieve the looks I wanted. Being short on cash, but long on can-do spirit, I decided that the next best thing to taking a class would be to teach myself. So off to the local bookstore I went.

I discovered BeadStyle and after buying one or two issues, I ordered my first subscription. I found BeadStyle to be just what I needed. The images were clear, the instructions were easy to follow, the tips were what every beginning beader needs to know and the vendors of the products in all the ads opened my eyes to the wide and wonderful world of beads. I think I devoured each advertiser just as much as I did the projects!

I recall very vividly that I marveled at those who were represented in the pages of BeadStyle. It was someone’s job to play with beads and write about them? That must be the best job in the world! (And how do I get a job like that? ;-) Little did I know at the time that many of the contributors were people just like me. And eventually, I got the nerve to submit some designs and have been blessed that a few have actually been published in those pages, an honor that I treasure.

Now with this 10^th anniversary issue, I can see that while much has changed in terms of style, materials and techniques, some things remain a constant. BeadStyle still shared bright and highly detailed photos, close up step-by-step instructions, great tips and techniques, and a huge assortment of the best and most varied bead suppliers you can find anywhere.

The header at the top of each project telling you clearly ‘What You’ll Learn’ is a great feature, for beginners or seasoned veterans. Sometimes I find that it isn’t always clear what skills you will need when you look at the picture of a piece. This allows the beginner to feel confident that they can master the skill, and tells the veteran what techniques will be used.

The one thing that has always set BeadStyle apart is the close up pictures of each step along the way. The fact that the instructions are right next to the full image of the piece is helpful if you are a visual learner like me.

Favorite Projects

Birthstone Projects

One feature that I have always read is the Birthstone Projects. I celebrate an August birthday, so I was thrilled to see a project using Peridot. It took me many years to appreciate the lovely crisp green tone of this stone. The design that BeadStyle shares with the cup chain wrapped with brightly hued ribbons on stacked bracelets is a fresh take on the layered bangle craze. I also found that the variation on expensive supplies for the September birthstone a great option. I think that it would be fun to come up with the birthstone projects each issue. Naomi does a great job.

Style Celebration

I love jewelry that works overtime, and the trio of colorful necklace that Kelsey Lawler made do just that. This idea could be created in so many different color options and beads, always looking fresh and exciting. You could make one to go with every outfit in your closet! I have always loved the pictures in BeadStyle that show a whole necklace (page 51) which diagram the different parts. For me as a visual learner, this is sometimes all the instruction that I need because it allows you to see exactly how it all comes together and points out interesting pieces along the way.

5 Fabulous Finishes

Leather in designs always intrigues me. I can’t tell you how much leather and fiber I have purchased over the years that sits unused because I just don’t have the slightest idea of what to do with it. More often than not, it is the finishing that stumps me. This article is filled with some great design tips that I will need to try. Hopefully, that pretty leather in my stash will start seeing the light of day with these techniques!

Happy 10^th Anniversary to BeadStyle! You continue to be a wealth of information for the new and established beader and I am excited to see where the next ten years will take you!

You are a WINNER!

Congratulations to the two random winners of my brand new Story Beads
'YOU are a child of GOD and with credentials like that you can DO ANYTHING'

Beth of EB Bead and Metal Works who said she would like to do this noble dream:

"I would love to do something more for our military veterans. I especially want to do something at my university for them - I would love to have a Veterans Culture Center as a place to gather for events or have the ROTC students to come over and meet with veterans and hear their stories. A place to collect all the stories of our veterans who are alums and share them with the next generation."

I think you absolutely should pursue that! I think that there needs to be more of connecting our youth to the sacrifices and selflessness that our military veterans embody. 

Dana of Wind Dancer Studios who has a beautiful vision involving children:

"Once upon a time I taught fourth grade art through the arts council. I taught all three of my children and all of their friends. My daughters dream is to open a store where she can also share her love of art with the local children. If I could do anything it would be to help her realize her dream, to share her passion with the kids."

We absolutely need to connect with kids and make it clear that they are creators and problem solvers and art does that wonderfully! I hope you can find a way to make that a reality.

Please email me ASAP with your color choice and metal (silver or copper) and shipping address and I will send this right out to you. I am ready to paint it just for you!

If you didn't win you have a second chance. I am also giving away one more on the Art Bead Scene blog and you can add your comment there. One winner will be chosen at random by the next editor and revealed on the Studio Saturday post on August 24th.

Remember... the three winners of the Story Bead and I will be having a little blog hop on Friday, September 20th to reveal how this message and bead inspires us! Hope you will come back to see what we do! Watch for this bead to pop up in the Etsy store this week.

You Are a Child of God

The day was Friday, August 11, 1988. My 20th birthday.

My dad, then the Vice President of Sales for a local book manufacturer, needed to get a sheaf of important documents to one of his sales representatives in Milwaukee. He offered to pay me to drive his cherry red Fiero halfway, about an hour and a half to just outside Fond du Lac to make the drop. What could be better than to get paid to drive a sportscar, blaring the radio on a hot summer day and getting paid to do it?

I pulled into the Hardee's parking lot a few minutes early. I had never really met this sales rep before, but I knew that not only did he work with my dad as the best sales man they had, but he also was a partner in a business they had taken over earlier that year. SPAN Publishing was formed from three friends who saw an opportunity.

A few minutes later a little red Miata roared into the gravel parking lot erupting in a cloud of dust. The door opened and out came Erv, cigarette dangling precariously from the big smile on his lips. He bounded up to me and greeted me like I was an old friend.

Erv was carrying a small box with an explosion of curly ribbon on top. Looking out over the top of his glasses, he handed it to me saying that he heard it was a special day for me. Inside was a mug from Hallmark.

This mug had the following quote on it

"Don't listen to those
who would give you reasons
why you can't succeed.
You're a child of God,
and with credentials like that,
you can do anything." 

~Linda Lee Elrod

Then with a wink, he a shared a bit of advice.

"Never let anyone make you work on your birthday!"

And as quickly as he roared into my life, Erv was gone in a flash of red tail lights, driving back the way he came.

Our first encounter was brief, but Erv came to be a wonderful part of my life over time.

I have spent the last 25 years taking to heart both of these pearls of wisdom.


Eventually, I came to work for SPAN Publishing, even though for years I worked here off and on since it was in my house (a whole different story!), a place I still work going on 17 years next month. I have tried to remain steadfast in not working on my birthday since receiving that gift 25 years ago. It hasn't always worked out that way, but when it does, it is a marvelous gift and it always brings Erv to my mind with a smile for this gift of wisdom.

As an owner of the company I work for, Erv was larger than life. His presence, while few and far between, was always met with enthusiasm. You just couldn't help but be charmed by Erv and his wacky stories and boundless energy. He had an ability to see potential in any situation. And he had undying love for his granddaughter Elise and his daughter April. They were clearly his greatest joy.

Every story that involves Erv was hysterical. Like the time when he set an upholstered chair on fire in a swanky Toronto restaurant while on a trade show trip with our staff. You should have seen his reaction when we had them add it as a line item to the bill...'One chair....$268'! There was the time when he nearly fell into a ravine while looking for his golf ball, cigarette hanging from his lips as he drove zig-zags over the course. Luckily, one our my colleagues jumped out and propped up the golf cart before he even realized how close he was to falling into the ditch. Or all the times when he would get stopped for speeding and he would pull out a copy of the public safety directory we publish as a 'gift' for the arresting officer. These stories are legend around our office and always make me smile.

The last few years brought fewer and fewer visits from Erv. He battled some health conditions that come with age and some that were not so expected. That new reality brought the inevitable permanent parking of his beloved car. Of course, Erv found ways to sneak laps around the parking lot, much to his daughter's chagrine.

I found out last week that Erv had suffered a stroke and a nasty fall. It was pretty bad and it didn't look like he would make it more than a few days. There was no time to go and say our goodbyes before, but several of my colleagues traveled down to Milwaukee to share stories and wishes with the family at the visitation on Friday. I am very glad that I went. I got to tell the story of the birthday mug to his daughter and granddaughter almost exactly 25 years to the day that it happened. I think it brought them some comfort and they were not surprised by the gesture in the least.

A few things I learned from Erv...
...go after what you want in life and trust that all will fall into place.
...surround yourself by those that love you and love them back the best you can.
...see opportunities and potential in everything and seek to make meaningful connections.
...always leave a place better than you found it.
...be generous with your time, talent and treasures.
...laugh a little every day.

And while I only took a half day off on Monday for my birthday, it was to oversee the cleaning of all the carpets and mattresses in my house - a gift to me - so I hope that Erv would approve!

Happy Birthday from me to you!

As I have been thinking about Erv, his message for my life, and my beloved birthday mug (so surprised that I still had it after all these years!), I was inspired by the last line:

 'You are a child of God & with credentials like that you can do anything!'

I knew that I needed to make art with that sentiment. So I created a Story Bead tube with this message. Soon I will be offering these in my Etsy Shop, but as a belated birthday gift from me to you, I would like to give away two of them. 

[NOT the new beads, but you get the idea ;-)]

I am ready to put the finishing touches on them, right now they are 'naked' without any color [the beads above will just give you an idea of what they will look like]. I haven't painted them yet, so YOU get to choose the colors. [I think they look best in a wash of 2-3 tones. Your choice.] You can choose silver or copper for the metal.

But here is the twist... if you win, you have to agree to do a little blog reveal with me in a few weeks, I propose, Friday, September 20th. I want to see how this message and this bead inspire you!

So, who is with me?

Just leave a comment on this post answering the following: 

If you are a Child of God and you can do anything,
what is that anything that you would want to do?

Be sure that you have an email so that I can contact you if you win! 

I will reveal the two random winners on Monday, August 19th.

2nd Annual Challenge of Travel :: You Are Here

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel
until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.
~ Lin Yutang

Last year, the inaugural Challenge of Travel took us all around this beautiful globe of ours, to little-known countries and well-loved ones, too. I learned so many fascinating things from all of those that chose to participate. I hope you enjoyed it, too. It was a marvelous journey!

This year, I decided that we should shake things up a bit. I thought that we should experience that which is in our own backyards, down the street, around the corner or across the way. For the 2nd Annual Challenge of Travel, we are going to have ourselves a staycation. 

stay·ca·tion

[stey-key-shuhn] 

noun

a vacation spent at home or near home, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions.

When I was in a college writing course, I remember that one of the first assignments the professor had us do was to write an essay about something that makes our own hometown unique. I will admit that it was a hard exercise for a girl who was longing to bust free of the old hometown and experience the whole wide world. And while the professor thought that my writing style was too conversational and saccharine for his tastes, it did teach me something about appreciating what you've got. 

People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination,
the kind of people they ignore at home.

~ Dagobert D. Runes

Traveling to a different part of the world allows you to open up to learning about that area. Generally those who travel want to eat where the locals eat, experience the local culture, marvel at the local architecture and soak up all there is to learn about that place. But have you ever done that for your own area? It is easy to take for granted that we don't need to do that. We start living with blinders on and don't notice all that makes our hometown special.

The Challenge this year is to keep it close to home: your hometown that you live in now, or the one you grew up in; your home state or country; even the neighborhood you live in or the land you claim as your own. 

Your own neighborhood, city, county, state or country is a locale that is worthy of exploring. This exercise might even change the way you view where you call home to enhance your quality of living there. Time to celebrate where you come from, or where you are now. Join me, won't you?

Spend some time in your hometown as a tourist would. Where would they go? Are the museums or quirky tourist attractions nearby? What restaurants would the locals suggest to them? Go on a nature tour to find out about the local flora and fauna. Or learn about the historical figures who called your area home.

Take a closer look at your surroundings. Go on a photo safari and snap pictures of interesting vistas, cool architectural details, and natural land formations that might set your area apart. Take wide shots and macro. Perhaps there is a color palette that will jump out at you or a detail that will be important to include.

Notice the people. Today I noted that the fountain in our downtown square was filled with the joyous peels of laughter from the little children that came to play in it. This is something I walk by each day, but I saw it through fresh eyes as if for the first time.

True, going on a vacation to an exotic locale can be quite exciting. But it can also be expensive, exhausting, and stressful. And it makes me appreciate even more the home that I have when I return. I think we often overlook those things that are right under our noses. I am just asking you to spend some time getting to know the treasures you have right in front of you, sharing some history and local flavor with us, and celebrating all that makes your hometown a great place to live. 

It's not necessary to go far and wide.
I mean, you can really find exciting and inspiring things
within your hometown.
~ Daryl Hannah

Ready to take the Challenge?

Hopefully, this will be a chance to get up out of your studio, or living room, and encourage you to explore what makes where you call home special. In this challenge you will be tasked with creating an accessory that captures the spirit of wherever you call home.

Whatever your inspiration... the climate, the landscape, the festivals and celebrations, the local traditions and institutions, the architecture of buildings or the natural landmarks... I challenge you to be inspired by the place you call home this month!

Who knows? Maybe you will discover a place that someone else will write about that will encourage you to visit there one day!

1::Go to the tab above that says 'take the challenge' and sign up. Participation is limited to the first 80 who sign up between August 1st-4th.

2::Plan a staycation. Be a tourist in your own town. Ask friends and family for recommendations on what makes your hometown unique. Investigate something that you have never done in your town before. Google your hometown. What did you find out?

2::Share the tourist attractions. Act like the convention and visitor's bureau for your location and get us excited about the area you live in. If you do a great job, we just might be on the next plane there, so get the guest room ready! ;-)

3::Mark your calendar: Blog Hop on Saturday, August 31st. Yes, you must have a blog to participate in a blog hop. ;-) You are encouraged to blog about your hometown, your inspiration, your creative process. Be sure to share with us what makes travel to your area unique. Think of this as an exercise in localism or nationalism. Please find a way to share something about this place on your blog. We would love to lean about where you live!

The most important thing, the only rule really, is to HAVE FUN!