Is it really close to 100 degrees in Tucson?

I'm heading out of town today to work The Fall Best Bead Show in Tucson. I always look at the weather report for the city I'm about to travel to and it's going to be 98, 99, and 100 degrees every day I'm in Tucson. That's insanity! Colorado has been blessed with an amazingly mellow summer - we've only had a few days of temperatures in the 90s. I hope I don't melt in the hot Tucson sun...

If you're in the area, come by the Best Bead Show. It's at the Kino Center this year - the same location as the February show - and the Soft Flex booth is in the back, along the wall, as always. I'll be doing demos in the booth and free make-it-take-its in an adjacent booth.

I look forward to seeing my bead friends and am keeping my fingers crossed that we'll make it to Cafe Poca Cosa for an amazing meal. Yum!

A package from Andrew! Also, Friday Communique.

Earlier this year, I was one of the first to sign up for Andrew's charm club. I received my charms the other day and was blown away by the wonderful variety of the charms and beads, and by just how much I adore the pieces. Thank you Andrew!


As if the charms and beads weren't cool enough, the package also included this incredible painting, which I absolutely LOVE. I can't decide where to hang it, so I keep taking it from room to room in my place. The colors in the painting are perfect for any room in my house, so now I just need to find the perfect place. Andrew is an amazing artist and friend, and if he decides to do his Charm Club again you better believe I'll sign up.


Lorelei (a very inspiring jewelry designer) signed up for the Charm Club as well. See her painting and charms here. And check out what some of my crew were up to this week too:

Sara Hardin (aka SoftFlexGirl) shared some designs from the Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest.

Kristen Fagan created new free art and computer wallpaper designs for September.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend. I'll be hanging out by the grill and the pool! xoxo

Guest blogging and a lecture...

Beginning today and continuing every Tuesday, I'm guest blogging for SoftFlexGirl. Check it out here: Victorian Lei in Beadwork Magazine. Actually, several of my co-workers are going to take turns guest blogging for Sara on occasion. Brian Clark, the Soft Flex Company Photographer talked about the BeadFest show in Philadephia yesterday, so be sure to check him out too.

Last night I had the privilege of joining my friend Katie for a lecture at Colorado State University (my alma mater and Katie's current employer). The featured speaker was Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and co-founder of Central Asia Institute. I haven't read his book yet, but after last night, you better believe I'm going to. Greg's story is amazing. He's definitely inspired me.

I am a fly fishing master...

Well, not really, but it was fun. My dad took me fly fishing for the very first time yesterday. We drove a couple hours up into the mountains and enjoyed a calm, quiet, beautiful day. We didn't catch any fish, or even get a nibble for that matter (Dad said it was just too cold for them), but we enjoyed some road sodas and had a great time. It turns out I can cause my fishing line to knot up just as easily as I can beading thread. Sigh. All the same, I'm a definite fan of fly fishing and I hope Dad and I can go again soon.

Playing with Wire

It wasn't my intention for so many weeks to go by since the last time I blogged. Really, it wasn't. I went to CHA in Orlando and things have just been crazy since then. Starting this week though, I'm going to do my best to get back on track.

One of the projects that kept me busy over the last few weeks is pictured above. I received an assignment to make twenty necklaces based on the design for the Tranquility Necklace in the Free Projects section on the Soft Flex website. This necklace is always super popular at bead shows and it's a fun design to make, so this assignment was exactly the kind of thing that I like. I used a random assortment of Czech pressed-glass beads and Trios sets in four color combinations: Mystical, Renewal, Serenity, and Tranquility. So pretty.

I encourage you to check out the free project instructions for this design and make your very own. Or, make one for a new teacher when your little one(s) head back to school. At CHA, an elementary school teacher stopped by the booth and picked this necklace up, saying her students would love it if she wore something like this. It doesn't have a clasp and can be made in any length as the wire is flexible enough to stretch over your head. It's a great design for just about anyone and can have entirely different looks based on the colors of wire and the types of beads used. Check it out and have fun beading!

Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest

Only a few more days to enter the Soft Flex Company Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest. Use any of our Trios sets to make a design and send us a picture and you're entered to win. Well, there are a few more rules than that, but it is quite simple (and fun!) to enter. Learn more here. We can't wait to see what you make!

One more month!

Friday Communique

Jane Austen wrote:

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the
most perfect refreshment.

Oh, boy, was she right. We've had so much rain this summer in Colorado that everything is gorgeous and green and lush - it's wonderful. So, I plan to spend a good portion of this weekend, as I have the past few weekends, on a deck in a gorgeous tree-filled yard with these two, Sophie and Cognac. They're as sweet as can be and don't mind at all if we supplement nature's refreshment with one that is brewed here in Fort Fun.

Check out what some of my crew were up to this week:

Sara Hardin (AKA SoftFlexGirl) is busy tweeting! Tweet-a-lot of Trios to win!

Kristen Fagan designed free gift tags for you to print and pretty up your handmade gifts with. Enjoy!

Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

Playing with Wire

Remember these beads? Well, they've been sitting on my "new bead shelf" since they arrived, patiently waiting for inspiration to strike so that I can make something grand. Well, it just so happens that I had all of my spools of colored Soft Flex wire sitting near them and I was struck. Look at how amazingly well these colors match up with the beads? Citrine, red jasper, purple amethyst, peridot, and garnet, I heart you. Now, off to create!

Playing with Wire

When I'm at a bead show demoing in the booth, I often have a few minutes here and there of free time. It's time when I can take some wire and beads and just create - I love that time. At Bead and Button I had some gorgeous bronze pearls and a spool of Soft Flex Wire in peridot, so decided to play around with them. All but a few of the pearls fit well onto the .019 diameter wire and I tried my luck with the Knitting Spool. It would have taken one more strand of pearls to knit a length of wire long enough for a complete bracelet, but I didn't know that when I started knitting, so I ended up with a knitted cord just short of bracelet length.

After playing around with it for a few weeks, I finally made a finished piece using the knitted section as a focal point. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the Lucite beads that comprise the chain are a marbled blend of the bronze of the pearls and the green of the beading wire, and I love how it turned out. I'd like to oxidize the metal a little bit and then I think I'll like this new piece even more.

Korto's Fabulous Jewelry

Remember Korto Momolu from Project Runway? Remember the amazing jewelry she created for her runway show? Well, according to Tom and Lorenzo (I love these guys!), Korto has a brand new line of jewelry available for sale. Her pieces are bright and bold and extremely inspiring. Check out TLo's post about it here and then go Korto's site to shop. Way to go Korto - you look amazing and so does your jewelry!

"Inconceivable!"

Laura and I went up to Red Rocks the other night - isn't is gorgeous?! We went to attend the Flim on the Rocks showing of The Princess Bride. Film on the Rocks is an awesome summer program put on by the Denver Film Society. It was the perfect night for Red Rocks, warm with a slight breeze and no rain.

The Princess Bride is a great movie and it's even more fun with an audience of 8000 people who cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys. Plus, there's beer, which makes it even better...

Playing with Wire

Well, to be exact, Kitting with Wire. This, my friends, is about 40 feet of Champagne Soft Flex Extreme Wire cut into 2 inch pieces. It's about one-fifth of all the wire I'll be cutting, counting, and bagging into one hundred class kits. When I make it through all six 50 foot spools, I'll have a total of 1800 two inch pieces of wire. Then I'll divide up and bag 600 jump rings and attach 200 ear wires to jump rings. Whew. So, if you're going to CHA at the end of the month and plan to attend the Champagne Dreams Earrings class, this kit is for you! Now, back to measuring and cutting...

Julie!

My lovely cousin Julie at yesterday's lunch to see her and celebrate her 24th birthday!

Julie is my only female first cousin on my mom's side of the family. She's the youngest of the six of us and the only one who doesn't live in Colorado. We only get to see each other a few times a year and I miss this girl!

Julie's here this week to be maid of honor in a wedding. She has a lot of duties while she's here and not a lot of free time. Since I won't see her again until December, you better believe I took a long break yesterday to drive down to Longmont and have lunch with her and most of the rest of the family. Grandma even brought a tasty carrot cake from Schmidt's. It was lovely to be able to spend an afternoon with my family and to catch up with Julie for awhile.

Friday Communique

Finally, pictures of the beads and goodies that I was lucky enough to bring home from Bead and Button:

These incredible earrings from Stephanie Sersich were my one major purchase at the show.
I heart them.

I've been waiting for a heart from Zoa Art for a long time and instead of one
was treated to two. They're the perfect shade of orange.

Super cool "Power J" ring from my girls at Fusion Beads
and a gorgeous new bead from Jones Art Glass.

Amazing Steampunk components from Earthenwood Studios.
It's impossible to pick a favorite among them...

"Pearls of Wisdon" from Diane Hawkey. Love and magic are my current favorites.

Even more treasures from Diane Hawkey.

A Hedgie and other treats from Heather Powers. Adorable!

A huge THANK YOU to Tony and Lisa, Katie, Lindsay, Rashan, Melanie, Diane, and Heather for coming by the booth to see me and treat me to such lovely goods! You're all as sweet as can be and I'm so glad I was able to see you for at least a little bit. And thank you to Steph's friend Denise for bringing by delicious chocolaty treats and the bird pendant.

All of these great new beads are causing my head to fill up with new ideas of what to make with them. I can hardly wait!

While I fondle these beads for the billionth time, check out what some of my crew were up to this week:

Sara Hardin (AKA SoftFlexGirl) posted a video about knitting Soft Flex beading wire on a knitting spool.

Kristen Fagan created free wallpaper, bookmarks, recipe cards and gift tags for June.

Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

Playing with Wire

The Summer issue of Stringing is out. It's bright and sunny with lots of fun projects. I'm proud to say I have two necklaces in the issue:

High Tide is a sparkly piece featuring a focal piece and clasp from my friends at Green Girl Studios. It's difficult to tell in the magazine, but I braided two strands of Soft Flex Extreme Silver wire around the center portion of the necklace. It makes me think of seaweed.

Coralline was made on request from Danielle Fox, editor of Stringing. The polka-dotted lampworked glass beads caught her eye when I used them in the Come to My Party necklace in Create Jewelry: Glass, so she asked that I used them in a necklace. I had them with me at a bead show and asked Mike Sherman to pick out gemstones to go with them. Obviously, I loved his choices!

Friday Communique

The weather in Colorado is crazy as ever, which means I still haven't managed to get decent photos of the goodies I brought home from Bead and Button. However, I did get this shot:

My dear friend Andrew Thornton posted about a set of postcards he received awhile back and I commented that I thought this was the coolest of the bunch. Sweet Andrew remembered that and gave this to me in Milwaukee. I have a few fabulous postcards in my collection now due to Andrew's generosity and they're some of my favorites. Thank you Andrew - you're the best!

Andrew is one of the people that I didn't get to spend much time with at B&B. I spoke to him and his sister Cynthia (who just tagged me - I'll post those questions and answers next week) for just a few minutes prior to the preview night of the show. Even though we were in the same building for the rest of the weekend, I only saw Andrew again once and never had the chance to chat any more with him. I'm still sad that we didn't get to spend time together. The good thing is, there is always another bead show around the corner, so I hope Andrew and I can hang out very soon!

Check out what some of my crew have going on:

Sara Hardin (AKA SoftFlexGirl) talks about choosing the correct diameter of beading wire.

Kristen Fagan has got a lot of inquiries from friends and family about her Jamaican bus ride so, here is her review.

Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

Downtime at Bead and Button

Bead and Button was a great time this year! Here are some of the fun people I had the pleasure of hanging out with in Milwaukee when I wasn't in the Soft Flex booth at the show. Pictures of the goods that came home with me will come later (if the sun finally comes out enough to get decent pictures...)!

JoAnn and Paula (fellow Soft Flexers) at the Safe House:
Lindsay (Fusion Beads) and Barb Switzer at Water Buffalo:
Katie (Fusion Beads) and I at Water Buffalo:
Lewis Wilson and his Cousin Paula at the Miller Time Pub (where we indulged in cheese curds!):
Sara and Christopher (who is now the official "new kid" on the Soft Flex team. As the previous new kid, I'm happy to hand him the title!):
Sara and I at the Miller Time Pub:
Bead and Button is a great opportunity to catch up with some of the people that I only see a couple times a year. It was great to see so many of my beady friends and I wish I had pictures of all of them. Actually, due to the huge size of the show, there were lots of friends I never even got to see, so I'm thrilled that I got to spend a little bit of time with the people I did manage to run into. Plus I was blessed to meet a lot of new beady friends too!

Summer camp!

In just a few short hours, I'll be on a plane headed to Milwaukee for the Bead & Button Show! Hooray! I'm excited to see all my friends and drool over all the beads. I'm not sure what the free wifi situation is, but I'll do my very best to keep you all updated during the week. If you're going to B & B, please come and see me at the Soft Flex Company booth. I'll be at the demo table, demoing away! I look forward to seeing you all in Wisconsin!

Jewel Box

While poking through boxes of my stuff in Mom's basement last weekend, I came across a hat box full of beaded jewelry. Ridiculous, right? This is no way to treat all these fabulous beads.

Most of these pieces are from the very first few issues of Stringing magazine and from Stringing Style. Back then, it was mostly just Jean, Dustin, Danielle and I designing for the magazine because we didn't have a budget to pay anyone else. This meant making dozens and dozens of new pieces. We would spend Fridays making jewelry, often all congregating at one of our houses and watching movies as we created. Those were fun days!

So, back to the box o'beads. There are many forgotten treasures in here, along with pieces that never made it to print for a reason. Some need to be reworked. Some are great designs that I'd like to make again with different components. There are a few ideas brewing in my head about what to do with all these beads. As usual, with beads the possibilites are endless and the inspiration is beginning to overflow...

Playing with Wire

Elegant Dangles are a new pair of earrings I made with my mom in mind. I always think of my mom when using the Elegant or Sophisticated Trios wire sets, mostly because she almost always wears some form of red or black, but also because she is elegant and sophisticated!

Find instructions for these earrings in the School of Design on the Soft Flex Company site. Or, to be more precise, right here. If red and black aren't your colors, try making these earrings using one of the other Trios sets, there are ten in all. Or, mix and match any three colors of Soft Flex wire. I'm designing a pair using citrine, red jasper, and fluorite wires and some little turquoise rondelles that I've been hoarding for awhile now.

Isn't it lovely just how much a new pair of earrings can perk things up?! These are especially quick and easy to make and I'm going to feel like a rock star when I'm sporting my new pair. Yaay!

Friday Communique

The pool is open! The pool is open! The pool is OPEN! Guess where I'll be this weekend?!

Well, considering it's supposed to rain for the next few days, I'll probably be working on Stringing tech edits instead, but the pool is where I hope to be...

Check out what some of my crew were up to this week:

Sara Hardin (AKA SoftFlexGirl) wants to spread the word about the Soft Flex "Flex your Creativity" Beading Contest!

Kristen Fagan created two adorable scrapbook pages for her sisters bridal party album.

Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

A lovely compliment.

Don't you love it when there is a special surprise in your mail box? A snail mail surprise will always be my favorite kind, but every now and again I get an email surprise that's just as sweet. Earlier this week I was treated to this:

Isn't it gorgeous? Susan Ivey made her own version of my Brass Garland necklace (one of my DOY projects) from the April/May issue of Beadwork and I just love her color choices! The earrings are pretty great too. I might have to make some of my very own...

If you want to see more of Susan's work, check out her etsy site. Thank you for sharing your work with me Susan!

Playing with Wire ... for a New Book!

At the end of 2008, my friend Jean Campbell asked me to make a project for her new book, Steampunk Style Jewelry and I was more than happy to oblige. I made a bracelet using Artistic Wire and Vintaj Natural Brass findings and it's a piece that I just love. I'm not going to show it just yet though, sorry. Jean says the book will be out around January of 2010! Check out Jean's blog for more information about the book, including a list of my awesome fellow designers, and find more information about the book here.

Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your book Jean!

I heart the Huxtables.

Those who know me exceptionally well know that I love The Cosby Show. Always have, always will. I wanted to be a part of that family so badly in the 80s! On the Today show this morning, there was something of a cast reunion as seven members of the Huxtable family met to discuss the 25th anniversary of the show. Seriously? It's been 25 years?? Wow.

As if seeing Cliff, Clair, Grandpa Huxtable, Theo, Rudy, Olivia, and Elvin wasn't treat enough, this video came along and made my day. Long live the Huxtables!

Indecision	An Indecision Exclusive!
Barack Obama Is Cliff Huxtable
indecisionforever.com
Funny Political Video Political Games Joe Biden Jokes

Friday Communique

Oh, man. I'm always happy when Friday comes along and this week is no exception. Now that I'm finally feeling better and almost walking normally again, I'm looking forward to tonight's movie night (I even get to pick the flick!), having dinner at my dad's tomorrow night, seeing Mom and Grandma to make up for my absence on Mother's Day and going to the high school graduation party for one of my cousin's on Sunday. It's going to be a great weekend!

Check out what some of my crew were up to this week:

Sara Hardin (AKA SoftFlexGirl) wants you to take a look some sparkly bridesmaids' necklaces by Jennifer Worick.

Kristen Fagan gave a plain wooden lazy Susan a punch of personality!

And finally, becasue it's always good to end the work week on a high note, I leave you with the super-hot Jonathan from Make Me A Supermodel. I don't know who was eliminated this week, as the episode is waiting patiently on my DVR, but I'm willing to bet it wasn't Jonathan. He's just too gorgeous. What is it about cowboys?! Sigh...

Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

Explosion of Hawaiian Blossoms for Grandma

The majority of my family lives only about 45 minutes from me, a fact that I'll forever be grateful for. It's pretty rare for me to miss a family gathering, so I was really disappointed when allergies-turned-cold kept me from the Mother's Day party last weekend. Luckily, I rallied enough to finish and deliver Grandma's present - yaay.

My Grandma is adorable. There's really no other word for her. She's smart and sassy and a total flirt (a trait that she successfully passed on to me, or so I've been told!). She also has an exceptionally green thumb. She has an amazing sun room full of plants and flowers and an entire windowsill full of orchids in her kitchen.

When we were in Hawaii, I tagged along with Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and Auntie Karen to a gorgeous botanical garden on Maui. As I ran around doing my best to avoid the mosquitoes, I managed to snap quite a few close-up shots of orchids and other tropical flowers. My plan was to make a photo album for Grandma for Mother's Day.

The pictures all turned out great and as I was prepping my materials for the album, I saw a blurb on the local news about an "Explosion Box." It looked fun and easy to do and after a quick Google search for instructions, I got started. The box consists of three layers of cardstock, paper and pictures. Each piece is cut to a specific size and when all four sides are folded up and the lid is placed on, it looks just like a little square box. The "explosion" occurs when the lid is removed and the sides fall open.

I'm sad that I didn't get to see Grandma's reaction, but this picture tells me that she loved it. Isn't she cute?!

Playing with Wire

These Golden Rings earrings are just one of the many free projects available on the Soft Flex Company website. One of my favorite parts of the job is making projects for our School of Design (writing the instructions, not so much...). These earrings are great because they were made of short little scraps of Extreme 24kt Gold beading wire that I had left over from another project. In the past, I've always just thrown these little scraps away, but now that I'm doing my part to help the environment AND save money, my scrap pieces are definitely coming in handy.

This earring design has proven to be so popular - at bead shows and when I've worn them around town - that I've been experimenting with other colors of wire and findings. Because there are three levels of rings on each earring, it only made sense to try making them with some of the Trios sets of wire. In addition to the gold, I've made them using Tranquility, Elegance, and Renewal. When I get some free time, I plan to make some of my very own using Vitality and Serenity (currently my favorite color combinations).

Are you going to attend the Craft & Hobby Association Summer Show in Orlando this July? If so, Sara and I are going to teach a version of these earrings using Extreme Champagne wire and sterling silver findings. If you're a member, we hope you'll sign up and join us!

Friday Communique

Mom, Dean, and I at Casino Night on the cruise.

My Mom's birthday is always within a week of Mother's Day. We usually celebrate the two together, however this year Dean and I were able to see her on her birthday and we'll be with her again Sunday. One of the things I'm most grateful for is my relationship with my mom. We've always been close and for that I'm extremely fortunate.

My mom is one of the most thoughtful people in the world. She's always putting the needs of others before her own and always does it in the most stylish way possible. She has a great laugh, a huge heart, and is never without her signature red lipstick and nail polish. Mom makes the best teriyaki chicken and rainbow jello in the world and always gives me cards that make me cry.

Mom, thank you for being you and for always encouraging me to be me. I love you! Happy Mother's Day!

Check out what some of my crew were up to this week:

Sara Hardin (AKA SoftFlexGirl) wants you to check out the Soft Flex May Spotlight on...Beading Article, Free Project Idea, Book Review, Bead Store & Designer Features.

Kristen Fagan is passing along the free Etsy success e-book featuring tips on marketing, packaging, customer service and more for all you Etsy sellers!

Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous moms out there! Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

A klutz's perfect Hawaiian day...

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.
-Leonardo da Vinci

Earth Day (April 22nd) was both my favorite day of the cruise and the worst day of my vacation. Early that morning, the ship docked at Kona on the big island. It was a beautiful sunny day and as we rode on the tender from the ship to shore, the view was just like the Hawaii of my dreams. We rented eleven scooters and rode all around the city looking for a good snorkeling spot on the beach. I love, love, loved the scooters and kind of wish I had one of my very own...

As we began snokeling I had some trouble getting my mask on and while walking into the water stepped on something really sharp and poking. I brushed it off, went back to swimming, and was treated to the sight of some amazing fish. My foot was stinging pretty badly, so when I got out of the water and noticed all the little black dots on the bottom of my right foot, my mom suggested I go show the lifeguard. She said they were sea urchin spines and that there wasn't much to do about getting them out as they fall out on their own.

Then she mention that she would like to take a look at my other foot. I looked down to see a huge bloody gash in my left heel. I have no idea how it happened, because I didn't feel a thing, but it did not look good. We got back on the boat and went to the infirmary to have it looked at. The nurse said highly recommended stitches and I started to freak out a bit. I am not good around blood or medical talk (I fainted at the hospital while visiting my brother in pre-op). The nurse gave us an hour to decide and my mom and I headed up to our room. I was afraid of the needle more than anything else, but I knew the stitches were pretty inevitable, so I took two generous shots of Jack Daniels and was a tough kid as the doctor put three gnarly stitches in my foot.

Thanks to some fabulous painkillers from a generous family member, I managed to enjoy the rest of the trip, even as I walked around on the balls of my feet to avoid hitting the spines and stitches. I was able to walk on my right foot again when we got home, but I'm still nursing the left foot - my calf is getting huge! The stitches were taken out this morning and replaced with five little strips that are squeezing the two sides of the gash together. The stitches weren't as tight or as plentiful as my doctor would have liked, but it's healing a bit and hopefully I'll be able to walk normally again soon.

I can't wait to get a pedicure!

I heart Hawaii.

NCL's Pride of America was my home last week. It was a lovely ship that carried me to some of my favorite new places. We only had a few days of sunshine, but the entire week was heaven.

Now I'm back. I'm having some difficultly adjusting. I miss the ocean. I miss my family. And, among other things, I miss the 24-hour Diner on the ship with its free jukebox and its delicious cheeseburgers and brownie sundaes...

Pictures and stories coming soon, after I get through all the email, make my next DOY piece, and finish up my Swarovski submissions for Tucson. Hope you're all doing well!

A Soft Flex Company Contest!!

One more thing before I go: Soft Flex is having a contest and there are some amazing prizes to be won! I really hope that you enter because I want to see what people are making with the Trios wire sets. For information about the contest, check out Sara's post.

Leaving on a jet plane...

Every couple of years, my very sweet grandparents take all of the family on a big vacation. The above picture was taken two years ago when we cruised from Montreal to Boston. I've taken trips with my entire family for as long as I can remember and I'm so grateful for the opportunities to spend time with them all. We all get along amazingly well - luckily. Well, guess what?! Tomorrow is day one of another family trip.

As I sit here working and listening to the rhythm of the rain and hail, I can help but think about where I'll be in twenty-four short hours: Hawaii! You have no idea how excited I am. This will be my very first trip to Hawaii and I can't wait to feel the sun on my skin! I'll be back in blogland the 27th. Until then, be well and happy beading!