I have Been So Neglectful Here

I really have not been here much.  Life has been busy!  I have not been creating as much as I would like.  The fundraising goes well - not setting any records - but not too quickly, which is good for now.  The Team Fox (the community fundraising arm of the Michael J. Fox Foundation) person I have been in touch with has expressed interest in featuring my efforts on behalf of the Foundation (fundraising and PPMI), which is great, but a little scary.  The day job is still terribly busy and I don't want the jewelry to become a burden rather than a pleasure so I asked if we could discuss it later.  Maybe a big push for the holidays?  If you do go to the Etsy site, inventory looks a little lean.  I have more, I just need to take time to post it.  When I have more inventory posted I also plan to push a little more on Facebook and to Share on the Team Fox Facebook page.  If you haven't already, would you mind taking a moment to "Like" my page on Facebook?  I feel so needy asking.

Some of my favorites below.  (Thanks to Carrie for the neck modeling!)

 

This is the most gorgeous red.  It is deep without being tomato-y.  Here with a peacock freshwater pearl on sterling silver.  It is so hard to capture the colors.  Link to Etsy listing here.

This pale blue looks amazing on.  These are 15/0 beads - really tiny - and have lots of shimmer from the "cuts" on one side of the beads.  With a faceted amethyst pyramid on sterling silver.  I just realized this one is not listed.  Things to do today:

1. Go back to bed (it's 2:25 AM)
2. Home Depot/Lowe's run for paint sample
3. Have breakfast with grandbaby and her mama
4. Paint test splotches on new drywall?
5. List items on Etsy

A couple of pairs of earrings:  red coral with petite, faceted labradorite and faceted amethyst pyramids with freshwater pearls, both on sterling silver leverbacks.

Still So Busy

I have pictures to post and items to list over at Etsy.  And laundry to put away and cucumbers to can and a house that needs cleaning.  (Woe is me!)

Anyhow, go visit my Etsy store, etsy.com/shop/bluehousestudiowhq

To see what I am really up to these days.  It's started slowly, but is picking up.  

Tell all your friends:  50% of proceeds from the sale of my Necklace That Benefits goes to Parkinson's research

Links Tomorrow

I forgot to link here although there is one to here on my Etsy About page.

This is what I've been up to.

Soon

I'm getting closer to re-launching the Etsy site.  When it's ready I'll post all about my new venture.

New Work

We went to a BEAD SHOW! on Friday.  I was much more selective this time.  I bought less but spent almost as much as last time.

The earrings in this post were made mostly with new loot.

Ingredients:  rainbow moonstone, rose quartz, prehnite, peridot, green amethyst, Labradorite, amethyst, more green amethyst, rose quartz, garnet and Labradorite.

So Much Going On

I'm just going to post some pictures of recent creations.

Uh Oh...

...in my many (I'm talking A LOT) years of beading I have never dropped an entire string of beads.  I've dropped single beads more times than I can count, but I repeat, never have I dropped an entire string.  Until tonight.  To be precise, 3/4 of a 17" string of teeny, tiny beads.  Okay, looking closer, 2/3, but still.

I did not secure the clip and it slipped down and I watched a teeny, tiny bead avalanche.  I picked up many of them with packing tape.  It's really sticky tape so getting them off will be another adventure.

No more stringing tonight.  A few earrings maybe.

Earring of the Day June 10th

I think I'm getting a handle on the photography.  I have some stuff on order to make it easier to photograph the pretty things.  Once it's really under control I plan to load my Etsy page once again.  I took everything off because I had orders to fill, and the pictures were not very good.

Today's earring is blue sponge quartz (dyed, of course) with baroque pearls from many years ago.  On sterling silver.

The lines in the background were caused by one of my lights interacting with the phone.  The phone still takes the best pictures.

This is a test

I'm going to upload some photos so I can view them on my laptop to see if they pixilate.

Technical Difficulties

I am no pro when it comes to taking pictures of my jewelry, but I was muddling through.  I take most of the photos with my iPhone and lately, despite the file size (2+ MB) they are pixilating when I post them.  I need to figure out what is different so I can return to regularly scheduled programming.

A Horse of a Different Color

I have Wizard of Oz on the brain.  Probably because of our interior window.

It is between our master bedroom and living room.  It is very cool and opens up our view, plus adds ventilation.  I keep having visions of Wizard of Oz style door knockers on the LR side (kidding).  Anyhow, it also describes my new work.  Take a look and I will provide details in my next post.

Earring of the Day May 25/26

I'm posting late so this should really be for tomorrow.  I have been creating many new pieces.  Finding the time to take decent photographs, that is another story.

Before I get to the earrings, a progress report on the Blue House:  we have walls!  Or, the insulation is in which gives shape to the walls.  Drywalling begins next week.  Excited we are.

Now for the earrings.  These are a blue to lavender translucent cut-glass crystal with three small Labradorite coin beads dangling below.  On sterling, as usual.  The Labradorite is not faceted so the are initially unassuming, but with movement they do have flash.  I even managed to capture a little bit in the photo.  They're really quite fun.

I Know... I'm Sorry. But, look.

It's been forever.  Or it feels like it.  I've been busy.  Unfortunately not with jewelry making.  But I have to get busy.  I have an order to fill an order for Atlanta and I will be putting the displays you see here into a local Pilates studio and another to a local spa.  The frames are still a work in progress, but I'm pleased with the direction.

The light is better in the one below.

Earring of the Day May 8th

I'm sorry for not posting more. Truly

Below are my favorite PYRAMIDS. These are prehnite. They are a pale lemon-lime and they sparkle in a subtle way. I've topped them with a blue-green Swarovski crystal on sterling.

More That I Made

These are some of the Not-So-Random Grammy Tell Me a Story necklaces in different lengths.

Look What I Made

This is a strung version of my Goes With Everything Necklace with Benefits. I've made these in several lengths and I just love them. I think as a beadaholic I love having so many different beads on one piece. And though they may look random, there is a definite method to my madness and I spend a lot of time working on the balance. This one was made especially for my sister. It is called The Grammy Tell Me a Story Necklace (yes it has Benefits). The purpose of it, besides adornment, it to sit with her grandchild and look at every bead; describe them, make up stories, choose favorites. My partner-in-crime came up with the concept.

Earring of the day April 29th

I'm back. It's been a busy month and I have lots of pictures, but posting, that's another story. May will be busy also but I will try to be more present.

Today's earrings are BRIGHT for spring. The faceted stones at the top are turquoise colored magnesite. What is magnesite, you ask, I am wondering that myself. It used to be that turquoise-like beads were made out of a stone called howlite -some still are - but magnesite has taken over as the less expensive faux version. I will look it up and get back to you. Regardless, I like these affordable, faceted imitation turquoise beads (I bought them at the bead show) quite a bit. Here they are put together with a bit of chain and some beautiful red and chartreuse Czech glass beads on sterling silver. Don't they just brighten up the day?

Earring of the Day April 21st 2013

Today is my Dad's birthday. My partner-in-crime and I are hanging with him and my Mom to celebrate. Lots of eating and drinking, good food, good wine and good company.

Ingredients for today's earrings: silver plated ring, mauve cut-glass crystal, FW pearl and aqua glass bead on sterling wire and hooks.

PYRAMIDS! On Leverbacks! Two-toned!

I am in love with these pyramid gemstone beads. They are so interesting and sparkly in the light. The facets and shape make them very lively. The brown are smoky quartz and are very translucent although they look opaque in the cup picture. The are on 14K hold-filled wire with sterling spacers and sterling leverbacks. The very pretty amethysts are on sterling wire with gold vermeil spacers and sterling leverbacks.

Earring of the day April 11th

I just typed March in the title. I think that tells you I'm still catching up. Got my taxes done last night. Feeling very satisfied having done them all by myself for the first time. I used that online service, yes, that one and it was very easy but I do not want to advertise for them. As it is I think I agreed to allow them to email me for the rest of my life as part of the deal.

Today's earring is vintage Czech glad with blue chalcedony and a freshwater pearl on sterling silver wire, spacer and hooks.

We Are Back, and...

... I've created an Etsy shop.  And, golly, is it a lot of work.  Especially working on an ailing laptop with a small hard drive.

Anyhow, we spent five wonderful days out at the Washington coast.  We had beautiful weather and optimal tides for walking on the beach.  We collected rocks and one afternoon they called to me and I built many cairns.  We created a game where all rocks must become cairns using at least three stones.  Today I became mesmerized by the drain rock fill around the basement of the new house.  I saw cairns. 

These are just the small ones from Tuesday.  Here is a close up.

Aren't they cute?  I stood on a rock and told my partner in crime to put a rock on my head to make me a cairn.

I digress.  This is a jewelry blog, no?  Below see my new display.  And a few of the new creations.

Faceted blue quartz (dyed) and freshwater pearls on sterling silver.

Smoky quartz faceted pyramid with prehnite and champagne crystal on sterling.  Below, Czech glass with canary then petite gray crystal.  
GO SEE MY ETSY PAGE.  I've linked it on all the Etsy references.

Earring of the Day April 3rd, 4th & 5th

We're out of town for a few days, at the ocean, enjoying some serious quiet. No TV, Internet, cell phones. My partner-in-crime is taking a long beach hike. I dropped him off and he will walk toward me so I stopped to take advantage of cell service to post this.

My reorganization allowed me to bring many components with me and I have had some quality bead time.

Also some quality beach time collecting special stones.

The lighting in the house is lacking (understatement) so the pictures are a bit dark, but still visible.

Ingredients 1st pair: faceted quartz crystal (NOT GLASS), FW pearl, cut-glass crystal on sterling silver wire.

Ingredients 2nd pair: Czech glass and crystal on sterling.

Ingredient 3rd pair: smoky quartz facted pyramid (it is such a neat shape/LOVE IT), prehnite and crystal on sterling.