Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to promises kept, dreams realized, creativity abounding, intuition shining through, and more naps!

Moses update

Moses is more and more comfortable around the house. I am so happy! Scotty really likes him, they nap together. Moses likes the pillow A LOT.

It was nice enough the other day that we could have the windows open, so I left open the sliding door and he ventured as far as the doggie door on the back patio. He's very curious. I am very proud of him and very happy that he has come so far in such a short time.

Happy Holidays

I just love the look of Christmas lights. Especially at night, when it's dark, and they look just a bit out of focus. Without my glasses, this is how things look all the time. Thank God for contacts!
I hope you have a safe and enjoyable, stress free holiday! I will be sleeping in, staying in my pajamas late, watching movies, and taking naps.

Moses ~ the special needs cat

This is Moses. He has 3 legs. You really can't tell from here, but it's true.

We are fostering him for Nate's sister and brother-in-law while they are stationed in Germany for a year. He was obviously tormented and abused by someone, and he was terrified of people. I think whomever tormented him also ruined his back right leg so that it had to be amputated. He didn't much like people, particularly men, but he is getting better. He gets around really well on 3 legs, even though his balance is off a bit from time to time.

When he first arrived, he would hide anywhere he could, and he took to hiding under our bed near the headboard/wall. Since we knew where to find him, and he needed to be adjusted to living here, we would take him out from under the bed once a day to get him adjusted to being held and being around people. I tied together 2 ends of a sarong, (I have many), and made it into a sling, so that he could be carried around, and feel a bit safe in a confined space. For the first couple weeks, he would tremble terribly and not want to look around. Any kind of noise would freak him out. Noise in the kitchen were particularly frightening. So we made our way through the house and the different rooms to check out the sights, sounds, and smells. It's almost 3 months later and look at him now! He comes out from under the bed all on his own, he'll eat with the other cats in the kitchen, and he'll sit with me on the bed! I'll be damned, all this psychology I'm taking has paid off. Maybe that's my calling, to counsel abused animals so they can have a normal life. As normal as possible. Moses may never be 100% 'normal', but he deserves to live as a cat, not a terrified animal. All people need to be able to live that way too.

change in rooms/cleaned out closet

So you know that when Nate moved in, we changed a couple rooms around, right? Remember? I'm sure I told you about that. He wanted to use the larger of the 2 guest rooms as his "man" room, to house all the computer crap he had as well as my jewelry making stuff. Well, the larger of the 2 rooms is also the hottest one in the house. The side wall is full west and gets all the afternoon sun and heat. So now that the weather is cooler, we are changing rooms back.

I know I told you, well, bragged really, about the great organizational shelving I put in the closets to house all the stuff we/I had. It is so easy to find stuff, and since I have been cleaning out all the extra stuff I don't need, and everything else that doesn't serve me, I have more room in the closets! YAY! Nate has room for all his crap, er, I mean stuff, and so do I! We both have ample shelving and can easily see what we are looking for. Plus, the view out the other window is so much more appealing.

Bead Style magazine giveaway!

Bead Style Magazine is having a Fall 2009 Sweepstakes! You could win a prize pack from SoftFlex consisting of 27 packages of colored wire including standard, Econoflex and the new trio wires. What a deal! Hurry as all entries have to be received by December 31, 2009. Wouldn't that be great to win? What a way to start the new year!

new to me/old in reality bead containers

UPDATE: cleaning out the closets today, I found a large round Tupperware container that has 6 compartments! WOO HOO! and I didn't even have to go shopping to find it! YAY! nothing like shopping in your own closets.

new to me/old in reality bead containers

I hope Tupperware doesn't mind, (this is free advertising for them), but I am using their 3-part containers for my beads. I came across these at a thrift store some time ago, and I found out that these are most excellent for holding lots of beads. I buy a lot of beads in large quantities to use for large projects, and standard bead containers just aren't big enough for all the beads. I end up using several compartments for one package of beads, and my little fingers can't get into the compartments to grab hold of the dern things.

I remember my mom and grandma having these containers when I was growing up. I need to find some more. The lid holds very tightly and they are large and deep enough to hold all the beads, and shallow enough for me to get my hands in there to dig around for what I want. Lots of room to move, I like that.

A very bright picture, (sorry about that), but VOILA! the insides. I tried looking the Tupperware site, but couldn't find these things, and I'm not exactly sure what they would be called. If anyone has an idea, or knows if they are sold anymore, let me know. I'd love to get a few more.

thought for the day

Isn't that the hardest part sometimes? Just beginning? Just taking that first step, just stepping off into the unknown, can be so terrifying, yet exhilarating, and safe and peaceful and exactly what we should have done in the first place. You can get this button @ StickerGiant. Very fun site.

and another one...

This one has a pretty blue anchor bead

A fancy barrel magnetic clasp

some of the pretty beads I've included in this one. I put some silver beads in the id chains as well. I like silver, and it's kind of like jeans, it goes with everything.

December already?!

can you believe it?! do you have all your shopping done? any big plans for the holidays? have you thought about any new projects for next year? some new idea that's been taking up space in your notebook that's just ready to sprint off the page? whether it's personal or professional, now's the time to get started. Actually, any time is a good time to get started, but the end of the year marks a milestone, and easy remembrance point, for most.

Ready, Set, GO!

yellow id chain

Here's another magnetic barrel clasp I use on the id chains.

I bought a bag of some small glass beads from Fire Mountain recently. I like the size of the beads for id chains, and the shapes and colors are pretty. See the blue heart in the above photo? That's just one of the type of beads in the bag I bought.

This one has a yellow end anchor bead with a light blue accent color.

more id chains

I call this one the orange flower id chain. I usually name these after the color theme or anchor bead (toward the end of the chain). This one looks like an orange flower to me, hence, orange flower id chain. I use a heavy duty magnetic clasp at the end to keep it all together. This way, if the chain gets caught in something, it will release, keeping you from choking, and at the same time, keeps all the beads together so you don't do the bead crawl on the carpet looking for lost beads.

restlessness

yeah, I know, I'm probably making you all crazy with all the background changes lately, but I'm feeling a little restless with the blog, plus I like a little variety. I may stick with this format for a little bit, and see how I like it. I like the pretty backgrounds, but I hate to waste space, so I've decided to use more of the viewing page.

I've been enjoying these 4 days off. Most people find lots of things to do on these days, but I have been relaxing, and at the same time, productive. I've made some more id chains. I've had a few people at work request them, and I'll be selling them at The Artistic Hand as well. I'll post some pics soon. I've been cleaning out some stuff, my beloved has as well, and I have 2 weeks left of this term @ school, and I am looking forward to 4 weeks off school! yeehaw! That leaves more time for jewelry stuff, kittens, yard work and napping!

enjoy the rest of your long weekend...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Don't eat too much or drink too much, watch some football and take a nap. Enjoy your time with friends and family. Be grateful that you have friends and family. Be glad you have food to eat. Be glad you can read. Be thankful that you have a home where you can do these things. Show unconditional love for one day. Give the cats some turkey, and the dog a bone. If you don't have these things, be grateful for what you do have. There is someone out there who has it worse than you. Pray for them.

messy desk, studio cat, & short work week

Wofie doesn't usually help me at my desk, but on this day, she decided to. She has been very attentive lately as we are fostering 3 cats for a year for Nate's sister. She's being a little too clingy if you ask me. Since this is a short work week, I am going to take advantage of the time off and clean off my desk, and bench, and work on a few projects. It's nice having an extended weekend to catch up on stuff. Good for the psyche and the soul. I hope you have a great week and enjoy your time off, whatever you do.

quote o' the day

Remember this today...

kitten in a bag

your kitten in a bag photo of the day. enjoy.

every man jack

You know, I'm in love with soap, soaps, and more soap. I don't know what it is, but it's just the neatest thing to me. (no pun intended.) So my beloved and I are @ Target and I have to go down the bar soap aisle and what do I see? But some new lovely of soap that I have never seen before! This is the citrus scrub body bar by Every Man Jack. It has a great smell, is vegetable based, has no tallow, no parabens, no sodium lauryl sulfate, and is never tested on animals. I am liking this A LOT right now. Check out the back of the box where it gives HOW TO directions. Funny people this lot.

earth inspired living

HELLOOOO! A fabulous new store I have discovered in lovely Winter Park on the very tony Park Avenue, earth inspired living. Well, they've been there since early this year, but I have just discovered them, so it is all the more exciting and new to me! They got all the good stuff: organic, sustainable, earth friendly, recycled, reclaimed, and just gorgeous! Check them out!

working with your hands

Being artists, we like to work with our hands, to make things from scratch and we are in awe when things come to life. It's so exhilarating to see something form before your eyes. For me, it gives a real sense of accomplishment, that I actually made this, that it came from me. I feel productive and part of the life cycle. Manual/physical labor, and making things with your hands, has almost become a lost art, obsolete, and inconsequential. It's not exciting for most people, nor is it revered anymore. It's kind of sad to tell you the truth. The only reason that it has come to the forefront of our psyches, as of late, is due to our poor economic climate. More and more people are making dinners, instead of eating out, and fixing their cars, instead of buying new ones. This case for working with your hands has been discussed in a recent article in the New York Times. It makes me sad and sentimental that we, in our current society, have lost appreciation for the manual arts and physical laborers. I hope that all is not lost. There seems to be a little excitement and interest in these jobs still, and I hope it continues.

eyeglass chains

Yeah, I don't know why these photos came up sideways in this post. Sorry to make you turn your head sideways, but you needed a neck stretch, right?
I made these the other day. These are eyeglass chains, for those that don't need to wear their eyeglasses all the time, like I do. I like the multicolor and the sunlight really brings out the bright colors. These are approx. 32 in/81.5 cm long. I like to make these long, so whether you're big busted or not, your glasse won't hang right under your chin.

iron gate

another fabulous old iron gate from an old hotel downtown. It's not a hotel anymore, but it was very popular in the early part of this century. The Empire Hotel now houses many businesses, and still has this gate entry way to the elevators. Very cool. I just love these old gates!

new green ring

This is my fabulous new ring! I bought it yesterday at the Fiesta in the Park @ Lake Eola downtown. This lady makes some amazing jewelry from aluminum and gorgeous glass! Her name is Yanira Ramirez out of Auburndale, Florida. She makes some really beautiful stuff. I especially like her pieces using glass. So simple and elegant. Check out her website for some more amazing things. I wear my ring all the time. Even to bed.

oh my...

I had been so good lately about posting and I go a whole week without saying anything to you! I am very sorry to be so neglectful! I was a relaxing weekend, and I am off tomorrow. I am going to finish a few things, take some pics, and post some new stuff, among taking Scotty to the park, playing with the kittens and maybe napping. I think this weather, and the time change, is throwing a bunch of people's schedules off, and my beloved is one of them. All this fresh air, cooler weather, such a nice breeze! Has made for some nice few days lately! I went to the fiesta in the park @ lake eola today and found a nice designer who works with aluminum and some cool beads for a stunningly simple and gorgeous looking jewelry. Of course, I had to buy one of her rings. I like it so much, I'm not even taking it off to go to bed, and I don't wear jewelry to bed. I'll post a good pic of it tomorrow, and tell you where you can get your own. For now, I am off to rest. I am up way past my bedtime. Until then....

beach wedding

We went to Clearwater yesterday for my beloved's sister's wedding. There are so many pictures to go through! I found a nice one of her flowers. Very simple, elegant, and very beautiful. The weather was nice, lots of breeze, some on lookers (of course) and Nate and I had a good time taking lots of photos. She put this all together in about 2 weeks! you go girl! and congratulations to the happy couple!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! Have a good time!

studio cat

Here is your studio cat picture of the day. Does anyone else have one of these?

easywire give away!

I found out about this great giveaway through my friend Lisa over @ Lucid Moon Studio. Cindy @ Sweet Bead studio is celebrating the publication of Easy Wire 2009, with a giveaway! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, and if you’d like your name in the “hat” twice, she asks you share this give away on your blog. Give away ends at midnight EST on Oct. 27th. So hurry!

The lucky grand prize winner will win this bounty:

Grand prize:

- A copy of Easy Wire 2009

- 36 piece 1/8″ Letter and Number stamp set

-Eurotool metal punch

-110 piece copper washer set

-Sheet metal: copper and nickel silver

-18 gauge pure copper wire, 10 yard spool

This is great stuff! I love tools! and metal! and the chance to make lots of noise putting the two together is excitement in itself! Just in case you don't win the grand prize, there will be a lucky 2nd place winner that will win a copy of Easy Wire 2009

more guy stuff

Nate got this pendant in Peru and the original cord broke/wore off, so he asked me to make another one. He likes the hemp cord, and this color complemented it well. So I made a bail with some silver wire, used some leftover beads from a broken necklace and some very large coiled ends and clasp to bring it all together. See how the cording kind of formed a heart? This was made with love...awwww! (ok, moaning and groaning can stop now. silly humor is over.)

I used some very large coiled ends to keep it all together, which lends itself to more of a masculine effect.

Here's an up close view of the pendant. He said he got it in Peru on a mountain climbing expedition. He says it's rock of some kind, I tend to think it's glass, as it chips easily. You can kind of see it on the corners. It all came together quite nicely.

guy stuff

Nate likes hemp cord. I do too, for many reasons. He's been asking me to make him something, so I came up with this. These are acrylic beads to resemble bone, strung on a multi colored, twisted hemp cord. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Nate likes it, and yes, he does wear it. Even without my pleading or asking him to do so. I like to make guy stuff. It's very simple, and since I like to work with metals of all kinds, it's a good venue for me to try out ideas.

rectangular pendant

Our local Michaels was having a clearance sale on some stuff, so I bought several large pendants. I like to work with larger objects; the small ones seem to get lost in my hands, or on the floor, or roll away somewhere in the vast abyss behind my desk. They also had these metal frames for some of the pendants. Of course, I used some rubber cord, and some leftover bone type beads. (I say that because I'm not quite certain that they are made of bone, but have the qualities of bone.) I made the cord about a 16"/40cm length, which keeps the pendant from disappearing into another vast abyss (if you're female.)

Artistree Co-op

Remember the Cottage Industry Co-op I've been bragging about? Well, they are now the Artistree Co-op (cute name!) and they are having a grand reopening tonight! I'm going not just for the 10% discount, but the mimosas and desserts! Ah, they know me so well!

jibberish parts

I ran out of particular charms for my jibberish key chains, so I made up some of my own. The ones on the left are asian coin replicas attached to some kind of resistor/electrical part. These parts are pretty cool, and the wire is very easy to work with. I get these at SkyCraft when I go with my beloved, as he loves that store. It's more of a guy store than a girl store. They get new stuff all the time, and sometimes I come across some neat stuff, like this. The one on the right is made from some junk parts my beloved brought home for me, along with one of those electrical parts. If anyone knows exactly what those things are called, exactly, please let me know.

The local Michael's craft store had these charms on sale. Lots of earthy, green ones, and some other etched ones I thought were nice.