They're Here!

Wow -- I was taken by surprise this morning.  Holy smokes!  The Best Little Bead Box(es) showed up on my doorstep while I was indulging in my morning coffee.  And my day is full - I've had too much work to do on my tech job to dive into those boxes.  But this evening... oh, this evening is going to be glorious!  Stay tuned for a first-hand account of what's making its way around the country...

In other news, I've listed two new beads in my Etsy shop.  I'm hung up on flowers these days - maybe because my back yard desperately needs a face lift.  :-O

Well, I'm heading back to tech land - YOU go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Hiatus is Over!

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.  I took a much-needed break from the blogosphere, but I'm back - happy and, hopefully healthy!

What a busy summer I had, making stuff for my Etsy shops, selling at shows, teaching classes, working and travelling for my high-tech job, and taking care of my declining mom who has Alzheimer's.  Phew!

I signed up for the Bead Journal Project, and only made it through April.  I signed up for a creative drawing class and didn't get through that either.  I think I'm going to have to stop signing up for things until my life calms down a bit (hmmm... maybe that will be in my NEXT life.).  However, I DID sign up for a project that has me really excited.  See that new logo on the right side of my blog page?  It's the Best Little Bead Box project to benefit the Beads of Courage program.  You can read the inaugural post HERE to find out exactly what this project is.  Then follow along on the Best Little Bead Box Blog  -or-  follow along on Facebook - to see what leaves the box and what's being added.  Then stay tuned to find out how you can win win win!  It's going to be a dream stash, for sure!

Here's a preview of what I'm going to put in the box.

This doesn't include any of my lampwork - that will be a  surprise until I actually make it this weekend.  And I haven't finished raiding my own stash yet.  When it's my turn to fill the box, the Best Little Bead Box Blog will have much better pix of my additions to the treasure chest!

And now I'm heading back to tech land.  It's nice to be back here chatting with you folks!  And a big THANK YOU to all of you who came to see me at the ISGB Bead Bazaar in Rochester, NY as well as those of you who cheered me up at B.A.B.E.!  Soon I'll be adding more fiber to my diet... ah, I mean, my Etsy shop.  Stick with me, people!

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Getting Ready for Rochester

Wow, I can't believe that I'm leaving for Rochester, NY in 3 days. I also can't believe that time has slipped by so quickly... AGAIN ... You'd think that after all this experience with that time thing, I'd be used to it by now.

The International Society of Glass Beadmakers is having their annual conference, called "The Gathering", in Rochester this year, which is why I'll be on a plane at 6 a.m. Monday morning heading east.  We have a 1-day bead bazaar at the Gathering that's open to the public.  If you're in the Rochester area on July 31, please come by the Rochester Riverside Convention Center on Main St. and stop by my booth to say hi!

Here are a few items I'll have with me for sale.  A few beads in my "Mudcloth" series...

And a brooch that I made on a piece of my handmade felt - with a lovely bird by Heather Powers of Humblebeads.  I'm hoping to have a few more of these finished before I head to the airport.

I've been a member of the ISGB since 2000, and I've been to every Gathering since then except one.  I wasn't going to miss this one - but getting to Rochester from the San Francisco area isn't easy.  Not much choice when it comes to flights, and the cost was horrendous.  Ah well... next year it will be in Louisville, KY - a much easier destination!

So today I have to do my high tech work, tonight I'm teaching a class, but tomorrow I'm dedicating the entire day and evening to making as many items as I can before I pack up on Sunday.

That's the Friday scoop.  If all goes well, I'll have a few more pieces to show you before I take to the skies.  Now I'm off to high-tech land - and you folks go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Oh... and PLEASE don't forget to vote for Beads of Courage at the Pepsi Refresh site - we need your help to get into the top 10, and we're almost out of time.  Thank you so much!

Home Again, Home Again...

Well, I'm back from Milwaukee - still a bit worn out from my trip.  Wow, I had such a lovely time at the Bead & Button Show!  It was absolutely wonderful to meet some of my fellow artists whose work I include in my own work, as well as connect with friends I only see once a year in Milwaukee.

I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers, whose work I admire greatly - and also own!  Carol and I have many things in common, and when we met, it seemed as if we've known each other for years.  I also had the pleasure of meeting Marianne Kasparian, a.k.a Mak, of MAKUstudio.  Mak's work is truly drool-worthy.  I've used some of her raku pieces in several of my felted vessels, and I scored more of her fabulous work while I was at the show.  I've already picked out the fiber for 2 vessels that I'll be making for some of her raku beads.  Here are Mak's pieces that I now own.

These are all destined to become part of my felt work.

It was great to see Lisa Peters again!  I spent a lot of time hovering over her table, trying to discipline myself to not buy half of her inventory.  Here are some pieces that I acquired - I'll show you more of Lisa's work next time.  These, too, will be incorporated into my felt work.

And what's a trip to the Bead & Button Show without replenishing some of my seed bead stash?!  Here's the latest installment in my size 11 rainbow.

I'm ready to take on just about any felting project I can dream up!  And I did dream up a few while I was on the road.  I took a few pages of notes during the show's "down time", and I'm just itching to get out to the wet lab.  Four of my vessels found new homes at the show, so it's definitely time to make more.  I'm teaching a bead making class this weekend, but I'm hoping that I can mess around with fiber before then.  If not, then definitely on Sunday!

Until next time, go have yourself a happy and creative day!

Packing, Packing... Heading For Booth 1221

Well, this is it.  I'm leaving in the morning for Milwaukee - another year at the Bead & Button Show.  I am really looking forward to getting away for awhile, looking forward to seeing old friends, meeting new folks, putting faces and voices with many of my cyber-friends - this show is always such a pleasure for me!

If you are planning on being at the show, please stop by and see me!  I'll be in booth 1221 - same bat time, same bat channel.  If you are not planning on being at the show... well, why the heck not?!  LOL!

I'm off to run some last-minute errands and get back to my packing.  See you at the show - and if not, I'll be back out here when I return.  I fly home on June 14, so you should get an update shortly after that.

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

A Few New Florals

This has been a very trying week for me.  My 86-year-old mom, who lives with us and has Alzheimer's, is really sliding downhill.  It breaks my heart to see this.  She was always a very spunky lady, but she's just not with the program anymore.  She can still understand some of the things that we say to her, and she still recognizes us, but she's in a rather confused state most of the time. She hasn't been able to speak in quite awhile, so it's very difficult for us to know what's bothering her when she needs something or is in pain or distress.  My heart goes out to all of the folks having to contend with this dreadful disease.

We did have a bright note earlier in the week.  I finally got to spend some time over the weekend making a few beads.  That sure was a good thing, because I'm leaving on Tuesday for the Bead & Button Show.  On Monday, I put a bunch of the beads that I had just cleaned out on the kitchen table for mom to look at.  She immediately went for one of the floral beads that I made.  Then she looked at another bead, and went back to that floral and picked it up.  She did this with every bead she looked at - as soon as she finished looking at the bead, she put it down and picked the floral back up again.  When she was finished looking at all of the beads, she picked up the floral bead, got up, and took it into her bedroom.  I guess she decided that since she liked it so much, it was hers.  I found that rather touching.

I'm actually quite fond of two of the florals that I made over the weekend.  I like the color pop of the flowers against the "directly across the color wheel" background.  I hope I get a chance to make a few more that are similar.  This one is mom's favorite - the one that found its way to the top of her dresser.

And this one is my favorite.

And now I'm going to go pack up my tubs that will be going to Bead & Button.  I have to deliver them tomorrow to a friend who is driving to Milwaukee and offered to take them with her.  Now, you folks go have a happy and creative day!

Where's My Alter Ego?

As the Bead & Button Show approaches, and my deadlines in the high-tech world keep right up with it, I'm trying to figure out how I can split myself in two.  It would be marvelous if I could send my alter ego out to the glass lab, armed with my list of beads that I MUST make, those that I SHOULD make, and those that would be nice to have.  Then when I do get a chance to spend some creative time on the torch, I can let whim take over and see what happens.

This past weekend, I left my list of must- and should-makes in the house and let the wicked-expensive silver-laden glass guide my head and hands.  I had a rather tough time of it - the bead release (the stuff that coats the mandrels to keep the glass from permanently sticking) kept breaking every time I tried to make a normal-sized bead.  So I resigned myself to making long or larger beads, and I was pleased with what came from the kiln.  I'll put them into my Etsy shop soon - here's a look now to see what will be coming.

Yes, there's definitely a theme going on here.  When I look at my Etsy shop, I see mostly neutrals, blues, and greens - very earthy stuff.  One of these days I'm going to shock everyone and create some bright primary Crayola-colored beads!

On the fiber front, I've finished my March BJP vessel as well as another small vessel that will be for sale.  They're out getting photographed "as we speak".  More vessels will be coming, as well as some new brooches.  But for now, it's back to my high-tech job.  And YOU folks have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Where Has Shirley Been?

Wow - way too long since I've blogged!  But I've been really tied up with my tech job lately, so much work to be done in such a short period of time.

So this weekend I've taken a few breaths and a few breaks.  I actually spent a good amount of time on the torch yesterday.  I'll show you the fruits of my labor a little later in this post.  But first, I want to show you my finished February BJP "page".  I finished beading the other side, and now I'm going to wet and reshape it a bit.  Here are both sides of the vessel.

The influence for this February vessel was all the pink trees and bushes that start blooming around here in February.  But that's not the only month in which the 'hood turns pink.  The pink bushes right outside my front door get really full around the end of March, and every time I walk down my hallway I can see what looks like a big pink wall through the window in my front door.

On the weekend, we usually have breakfast at the local bagel shop.  On the way home from breakfast yesterday morning, I saw a rather shocking front yard.  So today I drove by it with my camera - talk about pink, yowza!!

Now back to beading projects - I've also been working diligently on my tall blue vessel.  I beaded the other side of it, and as soon as I'm done here, I'll start working on some kind of collar for it.  Then I will attach the Lisa Peters piece that was the inspiration for the beading that I did and it will be finished!  Here's the other side sitting in front of my big pink "wall".

And here's what came out of my kiln this morning.  These are supposed to accompany me to the Bead & Button Show - but I think I'll put them out into my Etsy shop tomorrow.

So this is where I've been for the last few weeks.  Despite all my tech work, I've been having a bit of creative time.  Now you go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Some Unexpected Color

Just a quickie update today - not only have I been beading the reverse side of my February BJP vessel, I've also been working on the tall vessel that I originally made for my Lisa Peters star button.  Since the star color doesn't work with these vessel colors, I will be using a different Lisa Peters button on it.  And that calls for a completely different beading treatment on the vessel.  So here's my progress...

Typical lighting problem, but after it's finished I'll have it professionally photographed.  I am really loving this piece!  I never had any intention of using green beads on this vessel - but I love surprises, particularly when it comes in the form of unexpected color.

Now I'm off to tech land for the rest of the day - and you folks go be happy and creative!

Finally - a Torch Day!

I'm back from another biz trip down to Los Angeles, and wow - I sure was tired when I got home Friday night!  We spent 3 days doing "think tank" sessions on software requirements and design.  I'm starting to think that I'm getting too old for that stuff!

I hadn't been able to spend much time making stuff prior to my trip, and yesterday I decided that I desperately needed a torch day.  While I was in LA, my "boss" commissioned a bead from me to hang on her gorgeous new purse.  It was the perfect bead to make yesterday after 3 days of structure - this was a totally free-form, organic, let-your-mind-wander kind of bead.  I was enjoying myself so much that I made 3 of them.  And since I was in a free-form frame of mind (say THAT 6 times real fast...), I made another organic bead just for the fun of it.

Here's what came out of the kiln this morning...

I was hoping to come back to some nice mild spring weather.  What I got instead was another incoming storm.  Yesterday, Peanut was following the scarce sunshine around the house, and she almost put herself into the bookcase.

Today I was so cold today that I had to put on my fleece pullover.  This is just wrong!!  But all the stuff that's growing around my yard seems to like it - I have a few color explosions here and there.  Here are my Oste-ohmygosh-spermums, a.k.a. African Daisies, causing a riot.  I read somewhere that they have a "nice branching habit".  I'm not so sure about the "nice" part of that - these things take over everything!

On the back side of the yard, the trumpet vine is starting to call out to the humming birds.  Love those little creatures!  It looks like something's been chomping on the leaves - I'll have to get after that.

I really wanted to get out the clippers and trim back the overgrown front yard, but it's cold, windy, and raining today.  Too bad - these things are getting out of control!

Since it's a stormy day, I'm going to head out to the wet lab and listen to the rain on the roof while I create another vessel to embellish.  Time to make the proper home for that Lisa Peters star button of mine.  While it's  drying tonight I'll continue embellishing the tall vessel that was to be the original home for that star.  That vessel is coming along very nicely.

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

February BJP - Side 1 is Done!

Wow, I put so much beading onto this vessel that now it won't stand up!  So rather than call it finished, all I can say is that side 1 is complete.

I didn't want to bead the other side, but it looks as though I will have to.  I didn't realize how heavy these little seedy beads could be - I guess there's quite a mass of them on my vessel.  But that's OK - it's been a very enjoyable process for me to put needle, thread, and beads to work during the late evenings while mom and I are in front of the TV.

Mom sits in her chair with her crochet project, sharing space with Niki.  I sit in my chair with my BJP project, sharing space with Peanut.  Mom's very tiny, so that's not an issue.  I, on the other hand, have a hard time fitting both Peanut and my bottom into a single seat.  Peanut doesn't seem to mind, though - I guess body heat is a good thing.

So tonight, as I watch Project Runway, I will be beading once again.  My dilemma... should I continue on with side 2?  Should I do some beading on the March vessel?  Or should I tackle my tall "galaxy" vessel?  I guess I'll have to wait until then to see which one is calling to me.  I have a feeling it's going to be the tall one.

But for now, I'm heading back into my tech world - business requirements have to get finished pronto!  I hope all of you have a happy and creative day!

Building A Tree, Planning New Projects

More progress on the February vessel - the tree is starting to fill out.  I'll spend more time on it tonight for sure, I'm really ready to see this one complete!

I've also got a few more projects in my head and hopefully I can get to at least one of them before next week.  First up will be a vessel in which I will incorporate a button by Lisa Peters Art.  Here's the button...

And here's my fiber palette...

This will be a fun project!  Somewhere in my extensive stash I know I have some galaxy-related beads and charms, and I'm sure some crystals will show up on the piece as well.

The next project that I want to do will be based on a raku tube bead that I recently purchased from MAKU Studio.

I am totally in love with this bead!  I recently found out that the manufacturer of the Merino roving that I use most frequently has come out with some new solid colors - a bunch of them!  Here are two of them, which I will try to incorporate into the vessel for this tube bead.

There are hints of these two colors in the bead, but they don't show up in this picture.  I've also picked out the base color, as well as a few other accents, but I'm going to leave that as a surprise.  This vessel will be very organic.

That's about it for immediate new projects in the wet lab.  I have several projects that I have to complete in the glass lab.  One is for a pair of earrings that my tech-world boss wants me to make for her.  Another is a commission that I've received from a repeat customer for 3 beads.  And I absolutely must make 2 leaf beads for 2 folks who have been waiting for a little while.  Yikes - I'd better fire up that torch this weekend!

Now I'm heading back to the tech world.  And you folks go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

More Journal Progress

I've been doing a bit more beading on my BJP February and March vessels.  Here's a quick look at how I've started beading the tree on February.  These trees have a gray-brownish sort of bark, so I've chosen to have this side look a bit sunny.  As I move toward the right, the branches will get darker.  I'll also be putting more "blossoms" in the tree as I progress.  I'm going to have to make another trip to my local bead store to looks for seed beads in just the right colors.

As far as March goes, I've managed to place some leaves on the vessel - that's about it.  It looks really funky right now but after I do some bead embroidery it will start to fall into place.  That leaf that's hanging down on the right won't be hanging once I finish with it.  It's a pleasure working on this vessel - after learning my lesson on the February piece, I made the opening large enough to fit my whole hand in there.

I have to say, I am really in love with this vessel (the "virgin" part, i.e., just the felted vessel without any adornments).  I think I'm going to make another one similar to put into my Etsy shop.  Then again, I've got ideas for at least 5 different vessels floating around in my brain that I want to get out before I lose track of what I want to do.  I know, I need to write this stuff down.  Well... I think I'll go do that now, then head over to the bead store.  And you, my friends, go have a happy and creative day!