I managed to snag something new this evening on etsy. These little pinwheels are from Jade Scott:
They're so adorable and perfect for spring and summer jewelry! I can't wait to get them!
I'm so glad the week is nearly over. It's been a long, busy one, but I hope to be able to relax a little this weekend--maybe! I do plan to update my etsy shop. I've also got some work to do to get ready for the fair to benefit juvenile diabetes on April 14. At least jewelry making is fun "work"!
Shortly after taking my first beading class, I had the opportunity to take a class in bead weaving. At the time, being new to beading, I had no idea you could actually make jewelry with a needle, thread and some seed beads. Having always enjoyed sewing, I thought it sounded like fun. And, I was right! I immediately fell in love with bead weaving, and since that first spiral rope bracelet I have taught myself the basics in several other stitches--peyote, herringbone, square stitch... There are several things I like about bead weaving. First, I find it very relaxing to get lost in the rhythm of stitching. Second, it's portable. I've stitched many a piece of jewelry while riding in the car on long trips or waiting for my daughter at softball practice. Bead weaving is also very easy to do while watching tv with the family.
If you haven't given bead weaving a try, I encourage you to do so. Despite its intimidating look, most stitches are actually quite simple. Besides, who couldn't use a new way to relax?
Tonight I decided to try something new and create a photo collage for the blog. I googled some programs and found one that was very user-friendly and within minutes I had a college created with some of my favorite pieces. I created the post, added the collage, and noticed it had a "play" button on it. I clicked play, and could not get past the ads that popped up. Bummer! This wasn't really what I had in mind--I just wanted the pics arranged in a collage. Oh, well. Back to the drawing board. In the meantime, these are the pictures I planned to post:
We had a snow day from work today! Yep--tornado day Friday, snow day today. I had visions of spending the entire day beading, but a nap called this afternoon. I did get this necklace and earrings set made. For some reason, I thought of clowns the entire time I made it. Maybe because of the colors? Clowns or no clowns, it's a fun set!
So much for Spring! Tornado warnings Friday, a beautiful sunny day yesterday, and today? Winter storm warning! We're expecting 3-6 inches of snow tonight. This crazy weather is certainly keeping us on our toes!
I used to buy hanging baskets every spring to decorate my front porch. I've given up on it the past few years, though, after seeing my baskets die every year because birds built their nests there. That's my excuse anyway--I have a black thumb, so they probably would have died anyway. These little earrings remind me of those nests.
We spent the biggest part of the day yesterday under tornado warnings. This is something new to our area. Living nestled in the mountains, we do not get the large tornadoes that pop up in Tornado Alley, but we started to see a lot of warnings issued last year, and it looks as if this year will be no different. Many of the local schools closed early, and we were sent home from work early as well. I wish I could say I had a very productive jewelry making session yesterday afternoon, but instead I spent most of the time glued to the local news station waiting for updates.
This morning we awoke to a beautiful spring-like day, which inspired me to pack up all my snowmen decorations and get out the spring ones. Here are some of my favorite spring designs. You can find these in my etsy shop.
I made these earrings tonight. They're a little different than the pieces I usually make, but for some reason they really appeal to me. I think they have a retro feel to them.
These may make it to the etsy shop or to the fair I'm doing next month.
