Crashing....

Quick update before I crash and burn tonight!

I decided a while back that I was going to try to make one of those braided bead bracelets in the last issue of Bead Style magazine.  Because I was going so nuts getting ready for the craft show, I didn't want to experiment with anything new, even though I went out and bought the beads I was going to use and maybe include one at my table.  Good thing I didn't. ;-)

I spent, quite literally, all day yesterday making that bracelet.  I started, oh, maybe between 11:30 and 12 noon, took a brief break for lunch, and finished the first prototype--let's call it a rough draft--around 4-ish, maybe?  I took it downstairs to try on my mom's wrist since it was too big for mine, and it was too big for hers too.

Luckily, shortening is easier than starting all over again, so I took beads off and ended up unbraiding and rebraiding--not that that's hard to do; it's just tedious.  Got it all done again and while it kind of fit my mom's wrist better, it was still a little on the too big side.  At that point, it was about 7 (we'd had dinner and I cleaned the kitchen, so it wasn't like I was beading nonstop all day), and I decided I was finished for the day before I curled up into a ball and had a meltdown.  It took two Harry Potter movies and about 30 minutes of another, if that's a better measurement of time for you. ;-)

So, I don't have any pictures yet and I don't think I will until I can get it to fit MY wrist just right.  I'm tearing up now just thinking of how long it's going to take this time. 

The amount of times I'm pressing the backspace button is usually a good indicator that it's time to get off, so happy Wednesday, only 2 days till the weekend! :-D

Trying Something New

In a truly spectacular (for me, at least) endeavor to not neglect my blog, I'm trying something new--for me.  I'm going to start putting together little design boards for Mondays, pairing jewelry I've made with outfits so you can kind of see what it would go with.  Nothing fancy, just a little something fun.  I've seen other blogs/websites that so this, and I've always wished I could.  So, today I said, "Why not?"  The featured store for the time being is Maurice's, one of my I-spend-far-too-much-money-there stores.  Here's this week's design board: 

Pretty in Pink

Earrings are made by me and are now available here on Etsy, everyhing else is from Maurice's!

Whew!

Today was an awesome day.  Went to the beach super early, found some cool shells--and maybe one or two to use in a necklace?  We got home by 11:30.  I declared today to be the day to go see Harry Potter 7 pt.2.  And so we did.  It rocked.  I'm not even going to nitpick (yet ;D) about it.  So that got me in one of my "moods."  You know, those moments where you have to make something, and you have to start on it NOW!

I've watched Harry Potter movie marathons before while making jewelry and, for some reason, it always inspires me.  Today, I am happy to say, was no different.  I put in the verrrry first movie at around 3:30, 3:45, and started on a bracelet.  Took me all the way till around 6 when dinner was ready, and then another hour and a half to two hours to make it.  But it was worth it.  I absolutely LOVE this bracelet!  I used all glass pearls to make it.  The supersized pearls are from Michael's, but all the others are from a glass pearl mix from Fire Mountain Gems.  Gotta love them!  And since I love this bracelet so much, I took pictures of it in bad lighting AND with a flash.  Somewhere, my digital photography teacher is cringing. :-)  Here they are!

I really think the single black pearl gives it character.  I mean, it's gorgeous with the cream white and the ivory white, but the black pearl adds a little bit of personality, I think. 

I'm still tossing around names for it.  Black Pearl's Bounty, Black Pearl's Curse (it was a Scott O'Dell book first, PotC fans!).  On With the Bling, Supersize Me....any ideas?

Now What?

I feel kind of lost now that I don't have a craft show to panic--I mean prepare--for!  I did, however, get the wheels turning in my mind and made a bracelet and a pair of earrings yesterday.  I'll try to start posting more pictures, I know I'm really bad about that.  The bracelet came about from this little focal I made for a necklace, but I could not for the world figure out what kind of necklace to make, so it finally came to me to make it a bracelet!  It's really kind of cute, but it's too big for my wrist.  I suppose I could always adjust it.  I'll have to start adding that disclaimer on my bracelets not strung on beading wire....that they can be lengthened or shortened to the customer's preferred length.  I've started experimenting with superembellishing chain--and yes, I am turning that into a compound word. Why?  Because it looks awesome.  Anyways, I've started experimenting with superembellishing chain with different sizes of beads and got the idea (at the craft fair Saturday--great place to connect and be inspired by some of the nicest people!) to try pearls.  Of course, the only type of pearls I have in any kind of abundance are some glass pearls left over from a rather large assortment from Fire Mountain Gems.  I tried just doing some in a little cluster at the bottom of some chain yesterday.  I kind of like it, but I might add on and embellish the whole chain and then, if I still have some left over, I'll make another pair and try a cluster at the bottom.  I might even do a bracelet and make a set with my already existing multistrand pink pearl necklace.  I should really post some pictures.

In other news, I got my ECU card for refund dispersal today.  It came super fast, too.  Must be because I'm not that far away.  I'll have to call Pirate's Place tomorrow just to double check and make sure I can pay my rent with this card before I pick which method of disbursment.  I should be able to rest easy when buying my books now, although I might go ahead and buy one or two of the more cost-efficient books.  After  I pay my first month's rent.  And in better news, my contacts did not break the bank like I thought they would.  But I left the extra money from savings in my account anyways because I was going to take it out to pay rent at the end of the week when I get paid.  I also deposited the money from the craft fair before I had a chance to spend it so that way I may use it....wisely....like, for books or something (college books).

Well, I'm exhausted, and we're getting up at 6 in the lovely a.m. to walk again tomorrow, so I'm peacing out and crashing.  Night all!

Whirlwind Week

Well, that was a busy week!  Today was the craft show down at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Havelock.  I spent this week in full panic mode, making jewelry just about every day.  Well, no, I think I put price tags on the jewelry one day, than made two bracelets another day, then made a couple pair of earrings another day, then priced some more....yeah, I pretty much panicked.  And possibly overreacted as to how much merchandise I actually needed. 

I didn't take my camera (that didn't even make the list of "stuff to bring"), so no pictures, but I think I can describe it pretty well for you:  Table, light blue spread of fabric, jewelry all arranged on it. 

That's it. 

I didn't particularly want to spend the money on pricey displays, but I think what I'll do in the future is get something for my bracelets, at least, and one or two necklace displays.  And possibly something to prop the earrings up on.  Although I did discover that on 90% of the earrings, they'd stand up on the ends of the earwires if you balanced them  just right. 

So, lessons learned?

• One:  Next time, take some stuff to make risers under the fabric for different levels; more height looks like  more stuff.
• Two:  You can never have too many pairs of earrings.  Especially the $10 ones.
• Three:  Find a lightweight table instead of absconding with one from the church barn.  Well, we didn't really abscond with it, per se, but that thing was HEAVY.
• Four:  Do not wait until the night before to get the table, only to discover that your dad's truck broke and you have to fit a 6ft table into a 4 1/2-5ft trunk.  He did have it fixed by the time the show was over. :-)
• Five:  Make the most of your 8ft x 8ft space.  Do an L-shape, or go on both sides with little tables, or do  a little corner thing.  Make it cool-looking.
• Six:  I'm actually running out of things to say, but bullets really grab your attention, don't they?

Overall, I think it went fairly well, being my first show and all.  The turnout was....decent....but the church didn't really advertise other than word of mouth.  It was their first craft show, too, so I guess they'll have their little "plus-delta" meeting and discuss what to do next year or whenever their next craft show is.

I am exhausted, but overall in a positive mood!

Here's something to laugh at: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXlCxGRjNKE

Knotting....and Procrastinating....

So I learned how to knot last night.  Without a special tool or anything!  It was kind of fun, actually.  I had these heavy-looking blue adventurine beads that I couldn't think how to string up until I remembered the article on knotting in the latest Stringing magazine.  So I knotted one strand of the beads and paired it with two kinds of copper chain with a clasp in the front.  Wasn't too sure about the copper, so I dug out some antique brass chain I forgot I had and used that instead.  Much better.  I wore it to work today, though, with the copper chain and all. 

I was bound and determind to knot something else tonight, but my only problem is not having enough beads in matching colors with holes big enough for the leather cord.  I'll probably have to learn how to knot thread now too....that sounds much less exciting.  That being said, I am starting to panic a little bit about the craft show being NEXT WEEKEND.  And I still don't have a table.  Or a chair for that matter.  Oh, well.  I'll get it together somehow; not much I can do about it right this minute so why stress about it? 

Sale still going on till tomorrow night at my Etsy Shop!

SALE!

I decided to have a "just because" sale!  Now thru Sunday, 7/10, you can get 10% off of your order with coupon code JUSCUZ10.  Have a great weekend!  ENJOY!!!!

Cracking the Whip

Took a little bit of a break over the holiday weekend.  Now I'm busy trying to get enough stuff for my table at a craft fair on the 16th.  Still haven't gotten any word about which table I'm at or anything, starting to get a little anxious about that.

Had ALL day today and only got two things made.  One was a pair of earrings for this set that I started making on Monday.  Strung the necklace Monday night, then wire-wrapped half the bracelet Tuesday and Wednesday night, and made the earrings today.  It's a combination of these pale peach-y looking stones whose name I have forgotten and some slightly smaller blue goldstone rounds.  My typing is terrible tonight.  Hitting the backspace about every other word.  I was going to try to do something with these big glass pearls after a design in a Bead Style magazine, but I just don't know if it would sell.  I suppose if it didn't, then I could always keep it....

Trying not to go crazy with all I have to do here, but look!  I updated! No, no.  No need to applaud. ;-)