It's beginning to look a lot like....it's almost over!

After the Thanksgiving holiday, my real challenges came into full swing. I had offered a full line-up of classes for December, and people were actually signing up! I had the opportunity to teach a collage pendant class to young ladies in Aurora Public Schools, so that took up several evenings and days of preparation and execution. I had Bead Society meetings, and custom orders, and my first 'real' newsletter to contend with. On top of classes, I had 2 shows to attend, and had a great time at both :) The challenges seemed never-ending, but we're winding down now.

This Monday and Tuesday were my first days off, and I spent them cleaning my bead room with my friend Shannon (after seeing the delights of my friend Dustin's collection all displayed beautifully, I was a bit shamed by my dirty and hidden treasures). On Monday, Shannon and I both made our own versions of tiny crystal and pearl crowns which I expounded upon on Tuesday to make a better looking version of mine. I have included pictures of both for your perusal. Maybe I'll make a whole line of little crowns and scepters....what do you think?





After seeing the TribalTique Denver crew in mustaches for their circus-themed event, I have had an obsession with mustaches, and want to craft with the image. I'll let you know if anything comes of this newfangled obsession.

Thank you!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took advantage of our deals for Black Friday Weekend both in our physical store, and online. We appreciate your continued support as we learn and grow, and hope to have it in the future.

Black Friday Weekend Deals!

Free shipping on Gypsybeads Finished Jewelry and Accessories Black Friday, November 27th- Cyber Monday, November 29th. Includes bindis, bindi boxes, etc. !
* Simply purchase the item through Paypal, and your refund will be given the same way :) Yay shopping in your pajamas!

http://www.Gypsybeads.Etsy.com

It's almost Newsletter time!

It's just about that time again, and I wanted to thank you all for your support in opening my little shop, so I decided to say 'Thank You' in a way that most persons can appreciate!

Sign up for my e-mail Newsletter between now and December 1st, and be entered to win one of several fabulous prizes, including a $25 gift certificate, Free Class,and a Fabulous Pair of Earrings! You can sign up for my Newsletter via my website www.PeacockBeadShop.com. There is a sign up box in the middle of the page, part way down.

Already signed up for my e-newsletter? Then you're already entered, so wait to hear the announcement in the Newsletter!

The Great Gift Swap!

Last January, me and a bunch of friends posted that we would exchange handmade gifts with one another with a few conditions:

1) We couldn't guarantee that the person receiving the item would like it; and
2) We would exchange the gifts this year.

Sounds like a simple task, but it turned out to be harder than I thought because I'm just now getting around to making the items for my friends (and Joanna Oborn got me started because she brought me the most wonderful Strawberry Rhubarb Jam made from scratch). I decided to start with Joanna's Ring.

I had these great square pillow-cut Swarovski Crystals in Fire Opal. Joanna has a dance costume that's orange and red,and yellow, so I thought this would be perfect for her. I started to make a ring for her last night, and realized that, when I added a beaded bezel, it almost entirely lost the square shape, but I guess it didn't matter much in the end because I ended up weaving a sort of daisy around it in 4mm Bicones.

So here's the result. I hope she likes it. Not as much burgundy as I would have liked, but it's a start!

A long few weeks :)

The last few weeks have been very full for me. I spent a lot of time cleaning in preparation for Chris's Mom to visit, so I really didn't get a day off last week. (Housework is for people who don't bead!) Mom's trip came and went. It was pleasant, and we tried our hands at glitter stained glass pictures, which didn't go as well as we would have liked. We canned the project in favor of chocolate covered Ritz crackers (not bad, but not as good as chocolate covered pretzels), and a marathon of Cake Boss and Project Runway.

Last week I taught my first private lesson since I opened, and it went great! Still some room in classes this week for Crystal Snowman Hats, and Brick Stitch Santa Earrings, so sign up if you're in the area. Work was very slow this week, and now I'm itching to get started on some projects that have been a long time coming. On the agenda for today? Collage boxes and pendants. I hopefully will finish early-ish so that I can start beading projects that have been 'waiting' around for a long time. Only problem? I didn't get to the Bead Room when I was on my cleaning spree, so I will have to work around the extreme mess in there.

Oh, and something else: I've been nominated as next year's Secretary for the Rocky Mountain Bead Society! Yay! It will be nice to be a part of a group again, if I get voted in that is. This week marks the Bead Society's annual holiday dinner. I have to make a pair of earrring to donate to Dress for Success, and have the chance of winning some great prizes if I donate 2 pairs, so I'll probably do that.

Beadwork Challenge Deadline Soon!

Beadwork Challenge

Submit a photo of your best beaded creation. One reader will be chosen to design a project with an upcoming Challenge kit. If chosen, you will have about three weeks to complete your project. Due to international shipping costs, this Challenge is limited to residents of the United States and Canada.

Complete Rules

Sponsor: Beadwork Magazine

Deadline: November 20, 2009

MusetteMade is in a Treasury!

My friend Shannon Conlin is in a Black and White Themed Etsy Treasury!

Halloween Weekend

Last year, I got married on Halloween. We had virtually no ceremony, and hosted a potluck cocktail party as our 'reception'. The weather was a very perfect 81 degrees with no humidity. I wore a tanktop most of the day, only to switch to a lime green shirt that says 'Witchy' on it for the evening. My groom wore a t-shirt that had a rat on it with the words 'Black Death: European Tour' on the back. A perfect marriage I'd say. Here is a picture of us receiving our wedding cake which said Happy Birthday (scratched out) and then said Congrats complete with skulls and crossbones. Thanks to Ruth for her ingenuity on the decoration:)




Tonight we are attending a costume party thrown by our friends Brad and Ruth. I'm going as a pirate, and Chris is going as.....well, I'll let you know as soon as he lets me know ;)

On the store-front, I've added several classes for the month of November, including Brick Stitch Santa Earrings, and Crystal Santa Hats as an Earring Basics Class. For those of you who were asking, yes, the Bead Netted Ornament is on the list. I hope to see you all there.

I've added a lot to the website www.PeacockBeadShop.com, as well as to the Etsy site. Lots more PDF patterns for you to browse now :)

And, other than that, Happy Halloween everyone! Have a great weekend, and be safe ;)

What a week!

The last week and a half has just flown by me! I have been either beading, or pricing beads, or packaging beads for the new shop almost non-stop for weeks! I put up the new website, and listed classes. Check it out at http://www.peacockbeadshop.com/ and let me know what you think!

And then a surprise: I got a little picture of something I made for the Bead Unique Summer Bead Swap published! See my Medallion Bracelet on page 76 with all of the other wonderful creations by fabulous beaders! This is my first time having anything published in a national magazine, and I am so psyched! And, even better, I get home last night to a package from Bead Unique giving me 2 complimentary copies of the magazine! Thanks for publishing my work for the first time guys! I appreciate it more than you could ever know :)

The Kiosk is Open!

This is my last day at the kiosk this week. I spent Thursday setting up with my friend Shannon (yes, her beautiful glass cabs will be available at the kiosk ;), and Friday trying to settle in. Every night has been spent pumping out as many earrings as possible, tagging, pricing, and carding them. I moved the kiosk around 3 times trying to find a happy medium between jewelry shop, bead shop, and still leaving myself some space for a little workspace. I made a few sales! Yay! And I hope to make more today. I will spend the next 3 days producing as much product as possible, and am considering putting out a little beaded christmas tree to start displaying my holiday line. I would ask if it was too early, but Michael's and Walmart have had theirs out since August. Needless to say, I'm pretty tired.
In case you want to stop by to see me, the address is 7777 E. Hampden Ave, Denver,CO 80202. I'll be here till 5 today, and re-open on Thursday at 10 am. I'm right outside of the movie theater :)

Sorry :(

I haven't written lately because I'm re-evaluating what I want this blog to be. Originally I started this blog with a friend of mine as an experiment to see if we could both commit to writing in a blog every day for 3 months. Needless to say, this didn't happen, but I did write in it reasonably often for the most part. I had intended it to be about things that inspired me, and it turned into a blog about things I made (which is what my other blog Gypsybeads is for). I would like to separate the two again, and appreciate your patience as I make the transition.

In other news: I'm opening my very own kiosk for the holiday season here at Tamarac Square in Denver,CO. It's called The Peacock Shop, and you can follow me on both Facebook, and Twitter if you like. :) The facebook page has all the details on both the location, days, and the sale this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Movin' on up!

As many of you know, I own two Etsy sites through which I sell my wares: Gypsybeads, which is mainly used for 'finished' work, and The Peacock Shop where I sell my surplus supplies and fun things. I have recently been given the opportunity to open a kiosk in a specialty shop mall to sell my finished work, gifty items, and beads. After much debate, I decided that Gypsybeads just didn't embody all that I wanted to sell there (including my little collage boxes and coasters and the like), so The Peacock Shop was the way to go.

I am in the middle of flipping the bulk of my inventory between the two shops. The Peacock Shop will host my finished jewelry, accessories, and boxes, gifty items and some kits; while Gypsybeads will continue to host my bindis, bindi boxes, and beads. I thank you all for your patience while I try to make this transition as smooth and painless as possible.

Where's the kiosk you ask? Why, it's in Tamarac Square located at 7777 E. Hampden Ave. Denver,CO 80012. This week I'll be open Friday 10-7, Saturday 10-6, and Sunday noon-5pm, and then will resume the normal hours Thursday and Friday 10-7, Saturday 10-6 and Sunday noon-5. I'm near the courtyard by the movie theater. I would love it if you could stop by!

In the meantime, you can follow me on Facebook, and Twitter , as I'll be updating both often. See you soon!

Possibilities

I'm so excited by all of the possibilities that lay before me right now. I don't want to spoil anything in case nothing comes of it, but I'm so excited that I could burst! I'll keep you up to date on any developments. Sorry about all the secrecy, but you understand ;).

What a relief!

When I came home from Charlotte,NC, my dishes were done, the laundry was folded and put away, there was food in the house, and my husband had dinner made for me, personally mixed me a margarita, and we spent a romantic evening together enjoying eachothers' company and catching up.
Okay, I'm done with the fiction version. Here's the real deal: My sink is full of dishes, the laundry is still in the dryer, there was hardly a pickle in the house, I cooked my own Ramen Noodles, had a half a glass of water, and passed out on the couch within a half hour of planting myself there. so much for my romantic evening.
In my husbands' defense, I think he did take out the garbage, which is a feat in and of itself :)

Where are you now?

Right now I'm in Charlotte, NC for my second (and last) tour of the year. I taught my Crystal Drop Necklace and Fancy Beaded Toggle at the Beadlush this past weekend. I met tons of new people, and saw old friends, and I'm exhausted. I fly home tonight and it will be nice to be back in my 'normal' surroundings with Chris. I have a ton of ideas I would like to put into play with Christmas coming up, and I'll keep you apprised of any developments in that area.

I've got some things in the works for the transfer of my website Gypsybeads.biz to Gypsybeads.com (yes, I finally acquired it after all of these years:), and I would like to add a favorite bead shop tag, or maybe do a series off of this blog. Of course, favorite bead shops are inspirational, so that might fit in better with my vision of Muse of the Magpie....what do you think? And speaking of Muse, I realized that I've been posting things there that would fit in better here; any suggestions as to how to either transfer those, or do I just post them regularly?

What happened?

What happened to you?:

Yes, I dropped off the face of the Earth, I know. I've been swamped with deadlines, and have had a death in the family, and I'm basically just re-connecting with the world in general.

I started another blog called 'Muse of the Magpie' in late June. It was an experiment conducted with my beady friend Michelle to see if we could both keep a daily blog about something, anything. I had some success for the first couple of months (my writing was more every other day), then I realized that a daily blog just wasn't for me, so I write in it about once a week or so. I may keep the blog to post things and people that inspire me.

What happened with THE Bag?:

I have worked on THE Bag a bit and am happy to be able to post a more recent picture than previously shown. I continue to work at a snails' pace to get it 'done'. Could be years honestly, but I'm trying :).

What happened with your Bead Room?:

I'm still in the process of cleaning and organizing my bead room. I know. I'm finally narrowing down how I want things to be situated. For starters, I removed my sewing machine and cloth, and promptly took over another bedroom for them. In case you're wondering if my husband minds; he's now taken over part of the garage to start his own micro-brewery with our friend Brad. I'll keep you up to date on how that goes.

What happened with the bellydance? :

Essentially, after much viewing of both studios and contracts, I chose a venue to start with. I printed out flyers, promoted, taught a couple demo classes, and promptly received a letter from the studio telling me that they were moving (again), and they were sorry to have to cancel. I can't say I've thought about it much since then, so it must have been a whim more than a pursuit. I continue to make and sell reuseable bindis for bellydancers and beyond, and still dance occasionally as the mood hits me.

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

I'm currently gearing up to leave Wednesday to Charlotte,NC to visit some friends and teach at the Beadlush! I have a lot to do before I fly out, such as make the deadline for the BeadFest Philadelphia, and pack up all the kits for my classes, as well as update my directions for the Wicked Witch, and many, many other things.. I have a new colorway for the Crystal Drop Necklace for these students and, although I haven't formally worked up a sample yet, I know that Black Diamond and Crystal will be a hit! The only wrench in my plans? Due to unforseen circumstances, some of the seedbeads for my classes won't arrive until the day before I leave! Geesh! Can't a girl catch a break? Apparently not :). If you're in the Charlotte area, and are looking for something new to learn, sign up; I'd be happy to have you :). See you there!

What I'm working on now...

I have a lot of projects in the wings (as usual), and I'm trying to reorganize my Beadroom in a serious way (easier said than done, but it's getting there). Having created the jewelry for several friends this summer, I'm looking at ways to incorporate a bridal line into my general repertoir. To be honest with you, I don't know how I'm going to do that. My regular line is fun and colorful, and sometimes a little naughty, and these aren't the things I think about when I consider a grand victorian wedding. My friend Shannon said garters would be nice, and she's right, but that seems like a supplementary line (not to demean the persons who are making a living creating only garters, mind you). And how deep do I want to get in? Just necklaces, earrings, bracelets, or the whole shabang? Only time will tell. I have posted a pic of a necklace idea in the making for you to see. Very Victorian. What do you think?

Other than that, I've been working on a thin herringbone lariat made with transparent light grey ab beads. It looks like liquid smoke with a sheen, and I love it. I may incorporate Swarovski Pearls in midnight blue into the mix once I have the 48+ inches of the rope done. We'll see. I have several ideas for new styles of earrings involving rivolis and peacock feathers, have many new bindis in the making, and will someday start that bubblegum machine for all to see...no pressure.

I'm getting ready to approach more bead stores in the hope of, one day, being able to travel more extensively to teach. I am also getting ready to apply to BeadFest as I did months ago with Bead&Button. Submitting some work to magazines wouldn't be a bad idea, although I have a serious fear of rejection either way. I may be writing for A Grain of Sand Bead University soon, so keep an eye out. And I may be running a contest during the holiday season, so look for that as well.

Burned Out Beader

It seems as if the last few months have been nothing but deadlines and beading for a purpose. I haven't had much chance to try many new things, or to work out the ideas that I have floating around in my head, and that needs to change. In my attempt to keep my Etsy jewelry site Gypsybeads up and running (and profitable), I have been spending all of my time creating bindis, and simple jewelry, which is lovely, but hardly any beadweaving has happened for me that wasn't set to go to a show for a deadline, or to a shop for a class. I need a break, and I don't see one in site anytime soon. I have a show this weekend, a deadline next week, and I'll be flying out to Beadlush in Charlotte the week after that, so I need to buckle down and pull myself together so that those things can happen smoothly. In the midst of all this, I managed to get a little bit done on THE Evening Bag in the last month, and here's a photo of it. I got the chance to put a few beads on it last night as well, so I hope that is a good indication of what's to come this month. More beading please! Only the work that I WANT to do ;) Never going to happen, but a girl can wish can't she?

Are you a Good Witch, or a Bad Witch?

I've been having a great time coming up with ways to make the cast of The Wizard of Oz lately, and I thought I'd share my efforts. My latest is Glenda the Good Witch. The middle one in the picture was my first attempt. I didn't like the hat, so I tried again with the one on the right. I think I got it right that time; what do you think?

I'm working on the Tin Man next, and then the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow will come along. Sorry Toto, no current plans for you, but I may develop a Fairy Princess out of the middle Glenda!

More Dichro!

After my test firing of my new-to-me kiln, I had to test out the advice so kindly given about the bubbles and pokey ends and such, so I decided to let my friend Shannon have a go at dichro. She did really, really well trying out different combinations of clear and opaque. Some turned out how she'd planned, and some turned out differently. Who knew that seemingly transparent glass would turn out nearly opaque when fired? Not me! So here is her take, wonky pieces and all. And look ma! Almost no bubbles!

I'm in a Treasury!

Coming home from my grandfather's funeral, I was cheered up a bit by having one of my Bindis included in a Treasury entitled ATaste of India by fellow Etsian YellowViolet. This is my first time in a treasury, and I'm so ecstatic to have been picked!

Without further adieu...

I present to you the first fused glass items that came out of my newly acquired kiln! The larger, dark one was the one where I was experimenting with copper foil....didn't work out so well. It just ended up with a couple of rust-colored spots and a lot of bubbles. The second, smaller one is a dichro piece. It actually turned out pretty perfect except for the bubbles. I kind of like the shape of the bubbles though, so I'll use it for something I'm sure. Eventually I would like to have bubble-free fused glass. Anybody have any suggestions?

Yay Creativity!

Today I acquired a new (to me) kiln, and I'm firing my first fused glass pieces right now! One is a black and green dichro, and the other is a black and copper foil piece. Not sure if the copper foil will hold up, but I thought I would give it a try to see. Yes, there are only 2 in there, because I'm only testing it out, but I'll make more soon once I get the bugs worked out. I'll post pics asap.
I have been blessed lately with a lot of new ideas for beadwork. Everything from peacock feather inspired earrings to cherry pies and Egyptian Broadcollars have run through my ridiculous brain. I hope to get some time soon to bring some of these ideas to life.

The madness is over....

Yesterday I sent out 7 class proposals for the Bead&Button Show next year. There was much rejoicing at having met the deadline, and I came home and crashed. This morning, I woke up (waaaaayyyyy earlier than usual, mind you), got dressed and got into my car to drive to Frisco, CO to teach an earring class. I got 35 minutes or so into my trip, hit I70, and promptly sat still for a full 30 minutes in traffic. After the next 30 minutes where I moved a scant .3 miles, and realizing that I would be 2 hours late for my class, I was forced to cancel. It's the first time I've ever done that. It felt bad to say the least, but I had little choice in the matter.

Upon arriving home, I realized that I was too tired to do anything, so I attempted to take a nap so that I could continue on with my day. It helped little, and perhaps made me feel worse. Friends called to invite me to dinner, and I went looking forward both to seeing my friends, and to the fact that I would be picking up my new (used) kiln in a couple hours. While at dinner, I received a call from the woman I was supposed to pick up the kiln from. She needed to cancel for family reasons until tomorrow. As a consolation prize, I went to HobbyLobby to purchase a few little pieces of dichroic glass in the hopes of using my kiln tomorrow. Today was almost a complete waste 'awake' time. I am now updating my Etsy site a bit, and going through some of my old photos trying to organize them, then I will pass out and, hopefully, sleep soundly. Wish me luck!

Etsy Surfing

Sometimes I like to dig through Etsy the old-fashioned way, and sometimes I like to use Pounce, and sometimes I like to put in a specific set of keywords to see how many people are blatantly thieving based on a theme. Last night's theme was Harry Potter. Obviously, it's been fresh in my mind lately, so I thought I would type in the words and see what came up. So many people are stealing the copyrighted images to use for their own work. Not altered art, mind you, but really just using the image and sticking it to something and calling their own. Every once in a while, I will come across someone who is using the images correctly, and it surprises me that more people don't try to come up with something original. One such Etsy Shop is Poppys Wicked Garden. This woman takes t-shirts (even your own), and makes these cute, flattering cuts for average-size ladies (and gentlemen I suppose). She also makes tutu skirts from themed fabric such as Hogwarts Crests or Batman, and she has a whole section dedicated to Harry Potter. And do you know what? Everything in there is cute and copyright-infringement free. Yay! So if you're in the market for a fun t-shirt with thumb-holes, check her out!

It's all finally here!

Today, I received by the grace of the UPS Gods, the last element for my Bindi Box Sets! I spent a few moments figuring out what is the best way to fill little tiny glass bottles with spirit gum. I had some success, and some failure. In the end, I was happy with the outcome, and was able to list a Fred and Ginger Bindi Box Set on my Etsy website. At least I got something done today right? I will likely offer the boxes alone, and I may eventually make bigger boxes with pasties in them. What do you think? I did list a couple bottles of the Spirit Gum Bindi Adhesive, as they are the perfect size to go into a little baggie (or a bindi box!) with your favorite Bindis in your travel show kit.

I managed to to send out both orders I had received, and am now working on the Zombie earrings! Go Zombies! Hopefully I'll be able to get some of this done before Thursday so that I can go to the Empire 3-day larp event and not feel guilty. Who am I kidding? I'm more than likely going to have to take something with me to work on either way.

Harry Potter, and other 'Important' things :)

I would like to say that I spent the whole day working on illustrations and pictures for the Bead&Button Show instructions, but I didn't. Today I got up, got dressed, and went to see Harry Potter. I even managed to dig out my Quidditch t-shirt from before the movies came out. Yay me :) I am a dork of the worst reich, not only digging out my t-shirt, but going to see the movie alone. It was good, I thought. Sort of ended abruptly, but so did the book. I can't wait to see the next one!

There was a New Moon trailer. It was the same one that I've been seeing on the internet for a few months now. I was hoping that the CGI on the 'werewolf' would look better on the big screen. It didn't. In fact, it sort of looked like a frizzy dog. Disappointing. They need to get ahold of the person, or persons who are responsible for Asland in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Yes, you can tell that he is not a 'real' lion, but I found him believeable as such.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning up some of my mess from the last 2 months (Hey look! I have a floor!), and working on the pendant pics for my Crystal Drop Necklace. With only a little over a week to work on these instructions, I have to get on the ball. Hopefully, I'll have a very productive couple of days this week, and that will be it. Wish me luck!

The light at the end of the tunnel...

For the last month and a half I have been writing instructions for several of my bead projects so that I can apply to teach at the Bead&Button Show next year. The deadline is July 31st for the postmark, so I've been dashing about like made trying to get the illustrations done for my new projects. Essentially, my time has not been my own as I have grown accustomed to, and I feel as if I'm wilting creatively. I need to break out of it, and get something done, but it's hard when the amount that I have left to do is overwhelming. I'm praying for a miracle at this point, and hope that my prayers are answered somehow.

Today, I made a new pair of earrings for my friend Jessica's birthday. She has a sort of Rockabettie vibe going on, so I made her earrings that look like cherries. I might actually make some more of them to list in Gypsybeads. I don't think that they're very original, but they're cute! Let me know what you think!

Naima's Wedding Jewelry

A friend of mine from Charlotte,NC is getting married at the beginning of August. I was honored that she chose me to create her bridal jewelry. I used 4 Sizes of Pearls and Crystal. I wrapped over 150 beads to give the necklace and bracelet volume, and went with a simple earring. I have to say that I love the way they turned out, and am having a hard time giving them away!

I've always loved pearls. From the cheap plastic ones I wore as a child, to the classy hand-knotted ones I inherited from my Great Grandmother, I've never stopped wearing them. They go with everything from jeans to THE Little Black Dress, so how can one resist?

Several years ago when Swarovski came out with their Crystal Pearls, I was a bit skeptical. Until I saw them in person that is! They are really fabulous in person. They have such a beautiful depth, and they're super strong to boot. No more 'babying' your pearls, just put these ones in with your usualy jewelry cleaner, and you're set! And the colors! Did I mention the colors? Want a tahitian look? Done! Need a white? They've got it! Want a Cream? They have more than one choice! From pinks to yellows to blues and even black, Swarovski has you covered. They come in a variety of sizes (all the way up to 14mm), and are perfectly round without the cost of a natural pearl. So how do I feel about Swarovski Crystal Pearls? I love them, and you should too :)

Zombie Attack!

I'm creating some jewelry and accessories for my friend Karl at Hair Klaudt in Charlotte,NC using his I love Zombies logo. I'll be making earrings, bobbypins, and anything else that comes to mind.

In addition to the zombies, I'll be making fairies. What fun!

This is a great opportunity for me to make more of my feather fascinators and headbands, and get them straight to the people who want them. I'll keep you updated on how it's going.

Almost Finished!

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, but the whole house has been sick, and crafting wasn't really an option.

Here are the 'almost' finished bindi boxes! I have added phrases to the back, and several coats of varnish to the front. They still need several more coats on both the front and back.

I learned the hard way that using my heat embosser as a blow dryer is a bad idea when working with varnish! It literally bubbles up and forms a clear balloon on top of the picture, which you then have to pick off and try again. I started fresh on the one featuring Nayna (bottom center), and the second one looks better I think.

After all of the coats of varnish are dry, I will add little mirrors to the top of the inside of the box, and I'm experimenting with adding a piece of pretty paper to the bottom inside. Michelle would be so proud that I was able to use some of the paper I bought so that she can talk me into buying more when I visit in September ;)

I'll keep you posted on any developments with the boxes.

It looks now as if I may be making hair ornaments for Hair Klaudt in Charlotte, so keep an eye out for Zombie jewelry and accessories!

Update on THE Evening Bag

I just wanted to share an updated picture of THE Evening Bag since many of you have been asking for it! I have been so busy lately that I haven't gotten much of anything done except bridal jewelry for a few of my friends. I'll post pictures of that as soon as possible. Thanks for hanging in there everyone!

Bindi Boxes

So, I got my little tins. Tonight, I decided to start them with some different pictures; one a vintage 'Showgirl', one a lovely Lotus Woman, and one of the frontpage of Nayna's website. I am working with them to see if I should just seal them with a varnish, or add a Diamond Glaze, or some such sealant to them. The Lotus Woman is intended to be for Nayna's half-birthday (she was born on Christmas, so she's entitled ;), so I covered it with a glaze product, and embedded some Swarovski Crystals into it. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tonight I plan on adding all of the coats of varnish necessary so that tomorrow I may begin adding the word images to the back. Wish me luck!

P.S. An update on my Facebook Page: I have 153 fans so far! Only 847 to go to secure my page! Please add me, and ask your friends to add me :)

My unexpected visitor...

Here at my studio, we get visitors from time to time. I have the fattest squirrel that sits outside in the tree and tells me when I've invaded 'his' territory. I have a robin that twitters and dive-bombs the squirrels to let them know that they have invaded 'his' territory. My latest visitor is neither haughty, nor mean, he was simply there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something out my sliding glass doors, and I look up and nothing is there. It happens 2 or 3 more times and, just when I begin to think that I've completely lost it, I see him: a Ginger and White cat who was apparently the quickest cat ever! Our eyes met, and he bolted. He visited me several times last evening, running every time I 'caught' him. I did manage to get a picture, just to prove that he was really there. And here's a picture of the fat squirrel too...might as well be thorough ;)

Feathers!

Today I went on a search for Fuschia crystal rhinestones, and managed not to find any that weren't acrylic, but I did find all of these fabulous feathers to make Feather Fascinators out of! Should I be sad that I didn't find the rinestones? Yes, but I can always order them. I was merely looking for instant gratification.

The rest of the beads for Naima's and Cassies wedding jewelry came today, along with all of my little tins! Yay! What shall I do with them? Tune in at a later date to find out ;)

Best Intentions

Today, I intended to clean my bead room, and get some Kuchi Pendants ready for copper leafing, but I got exactly none of it done. Instead, I worked on Cassie's wedding jewelry, listed some items on Etsy, watched bad movies, and listened to the rain most of the day. I have to admit, that I'm tired now, and I think I'll lay on the couch and watch more bad t.v.. So much for good intentions....

Facebook Page

I've added a new Facebook Page for my business, Gypsybeads. It would seem that I have to have 1,000 fans to secure my name, so I would really appreciate any help you can give me. Add me, ask your friends to add me...we have to all know 1,000 people together right? I'm at 67 now, so I only have 933 to go! Wish me luck!

Marketing Ideas

I'm constantly in search of ways to market myself. My jewelry, my dance; it seems never-ending. Some things work sometimes, and then they don't work as well the next. Some things seem not to work at all, and then a sale comes and makes you think twice. I've tried blogging, posting photos on flickr, and tribe, and facebook. I've tweeted, and personally handed out cards. What's my new thing? A Facebook page for my business Gypsybeads. Apparently I need 1,000 fans to secure my Gypsybeads name, so please add me, and ask your friends to add me. Altogether we've got to know 1,000 people right? I appreciate the help!

Productive half day

Today, I went to bed at dawn, and got up at the crack of 2:30pm. I spent most of the day writing instructions in preparation to apply to teach at the Bead&Button Show next year. I took some pictures of jewelry I've gotten back from one of the galleries, and listed a thing or two in my shop. Chris left around 9pm to see a friend, and I spent several hours watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What an interesting movie. It makes you think about time, and how you spend it. It's just after 1am as I write this, and I'm tired, but not ready to turn in just yet. May I spend my time wisely...

Tiny Containers

If you didn't know it, I'm a bellydancer. I also make fabulous jewelry and accessories for myself and other bellydancers and , recently, I've been making Bindis using Swarovski Crystal and metals. The big deal about this is that Bindis are usually little plastic things that you wear once and throw away. My Bindis are both beautiful, and re-useable. Recently, I've been looking at different things to decopage with fun things. This morning,I came across this website with little tins the size of small Altoids tins. When I saw them, I had this great idea to decopage them with vintage photos, and make them into Bindi containers. I've got some other ideas too, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Motivation as Inspiration

Today I spent the bulk of my day writing instructions to turn into the Bead&Button Show. I have a long way to go though, so I can't jump for joy yet. I have always wanted to teach at a bigger show like Bead&Button, or be published in a large magazine, and I'm finally getting the courage to start submitting my work. I'm terrified that I'll be turned down once and never try again, but I'm hoping for the best. Wish me luck!

Childhood Memories

I remember one Christmas when I was a child where the only thing that I wanted was a bubblegum machine. I woke up Christmas morning and rushed to the tree expecting to see a shiny red bubblegum machine. Needless to say, I was disappointed when I finally got to the little plastic gumball machine with the bright yellow bottom. I'm not saying that I didn't eat the gum, I'm just saying that it wasn't what I was expecting. Several months ago, my friend Michelle gave me some Cabochons that she made while experimenting with resin. I loved the one she gave me that looked sort of like a bubblegum machine that had a little 'flaw' in it where the resin didn't quite reach the bottom, which made it look as if the bubblegum was going to spill out. I loved it! During the Bead&Button Show, she brought me some smaller,round ones that she made me. I covet them, and look at them all the time. I want to make a double-sided 3D miniature bubblegum machine with them. I'll let you know if I figure out how to make this happen.

New Costuming

I'm back, and I'm pleasantly exhausted! There is no rest for the wicked, however, and tomorrow I have 2 girls from Nero coming over to go over one song, and to learn the beginning of another. I have a lot to get done for both our Nero 3-day event next month, and for a beading class I'm teaching August 1st, not to mention the Bead&Button Show projects that I have to get done by the end of July, and the dance class that I'm starting up August 13th. I simply pooped!

For Nero, I want to make an updated costume consisting of a Ghawazee Coat made of Purple Crushed Velvet, and a decorated bra made with blue satin and beads. We'll see how it progresses with all of the other stuff I have going on. What I sort of have in mind is like this coat and bra from Velvet Peacock Designs, but without the high price tag.

History

As I prepare to spend my weekend dressed up as a Gypsy, possibly being chased by a mummy and his minions in a medieval Roman-esque setting, I am inspired by History. It is fun to play a leader among my people, and dress in a fun way. I take great pride in playing an 'accurate' Gypsy, even for the Larp system I play in, and I sort of miss the feeling of having a 'history' in my family. Most of them could care less where we came from, or how our ancestors got there, and that saddens me.

So here's to the Romanticized Gypsy, the Saucy Harem Girl, and Women Who Wore Pants Way Before Their Time! May you always be there in our hearts.

P.S. I won't be posting tomorrow due to being in the mountains with no 'modern' amenities. I hope to be back on Sunday, later in the afternoon.

Nayna

By chance last night, I ended up online at the same time as my original Bellydance instructor Nayna. We IM'd back and forth for a while, and then eventually ended up on the phone each of us going back and forth with youtube videos and pictures of bad bellydance costumes. I haven't gotten to talk to her in a while, and it was nice to hear her voice. She's going through a transitional phase now that the studio she was teaching at has closed. She has plenty of places to teach though, so I wish her luck in her new enterprise. She was very encouraging about my new dance classes, and gave me endless amounts of good advice. I always feel better when I talk to her. So here's to Nayna who has inspired both my jewelry and my dance for 5 years now.

And exhaustion sets in....

Bead and Button is over, Shimmy for the Cure is done with, and Jonsey's Art Bazaar is a thing of the past. I'm finished now right? No more working up to the last minute, and then pouring yourself out of bed at ridiculous hours for Megan to put on your happy face and hope it goes well? The would be incorrect my friend!

Although I had today and yesterday off for the most part, I'm now preparing for two major things: 1) Applying to teach at Bead&Button next year, and 2) Preparing to teach my first 'real' Bellydance lessons in August! Yay! So what do I have to do? For B&B I have to write 3 or 4 sets of instructions for things I made more recently, have then edited, and ready to ship by the due date. When is the due date? No clue! They haven't posted it yet. Part of my says to wait until I know the deadline to panick, part of me says to panick now, and part of me says to put it off and watch television. (Damn procrastinating side!). For bellydance lessons, I have to create lesson plans, and promote (I know, I suck at promoting) myself in a dance world that doesn't know me. Hard you say? Why yes! At what point in time did Megan ever do it the 'easy' way?

What can you do to help? If you're in the Denver Metro Area, have always wanted to take bellydance lessons, and are ready to do so now, then sign up! If you're not in the Denver Area, please send any good energy you can muster my way to help me on my journey. Thanks in advance!

A strange day....

Today I woke up way too early for Magpies to be awake. I checked my email, and dawdled for a few, and went back to sleep. I was awakened several hours later to a sound akin to a pack of M80's going off in a metal trash bin. So I got up, sat down at my computer, checked my e-mail, and had 2 sales! While preparing said sales for departure, I check my mail again and have another sale! So today's inspiration is 'Hope'. Hope that I'll make it, hope that other people think I'm worth it, and hope that I can believe in myself. And the picture? Silver-plated Delicas....just shiny little rays of hope!

The Dance

Today, I'm inspired by other people's enthusiasm for Bellydance. I have been a dancer for many years now, and have recently decided to begin teaching classes for 'real' money. This afternoon I will have the opportunity to share my experience with a new dancer who is coming for a private lesson today. She is so excited, and terrified, and I remember that feeling exactly. So I will share with her some of my 'secrets' (no, picturing the people naked doesn't do it for me!), and this weekend we'll dance together to a short drum solo. So, best of luck to her (and me) as we stand upon the precipice of greatness (or at least mediocrity), and hopefully the men will clap and not just stand there with their mouths open ;)

First Muse

Delicate Glass bottles meant for perfumes. Not only were these little guys made in Egypt (an infinite source of inspiration and mystique), the two on the ends are made in one of my favorite color combinations: Blue and Gold. Right now I'm working on a bracelet called the 'Magic Carpet' bracelet. It's original incarnation was made in greys and muted blues like Labradorite, but the new one is in Egyptian Gold and Peacock Blue. A nice twist on an old favorite combination.

A prodding idea

My good friend Michelle writes to me (and several other people who shall remain nameless) a few days ago with the idea to start her own blog. The idea behind this blog is to post an idea a day to help her fine her creative voice in the hopes of cementing her ideas to eventually sell her creations. I thought, 'What a wonderful idea.' And then came 'You'll never post something every day'. Which is likely true, but I'm going to try to post as often as possible. So here it is, my very own blog that represents what inspires me. I hope you enjoy it!

Donations for Shimmy for the Cure

As many of you know, I'm vending at Shimmy for the Cure on Saturday, June 13th, and Sunday June 14th. I have donated the fabulous items shown for the raffle. Details? Swingin' from the Chandeliers are Swarovski Crystal and Sterling Silver, and are light as a feather. The Empress Bindi is Thai Silver and Swarovski Crystal, and is guaranteed to make you look fabulous! I call it the Blindi because is shines so much! So here are the pictures to drool over, and I'll see you there!