Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts

Sunday, September 2, 2012

September already...

Damn the time went fast... 

Anyhow, we're now into the start of my favorite time of the year. While autumn won't start 'officially' for a couple weeks yet,  I know now that the 5:30 am walks to work will be done in shorts and flip flops, less and less. Pretty soon I'll be forced to wear shoes outside again...*sigh*

But with that little inconvenience comes the milder temperatures, the beautiful colors, the wonderful scents ... damn... starting to crave a cup of pumpkin tea already... Is it just my talking about it? Or the fact that my toes are chilly making me think of fuzzy socks... and fuzzy socks just go perfectly with pumpkin tea and autumn leaves.... ? lol

Crap... and I just realized, I've been home from work three hours now.. and still haven't put on any coffee!! *gasp* Horrors!! I need to go make a pot... I can NOT have an apartment that is not filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee... well... unless the scent of some Autumn-inspired tea...

I'm rambling, sorry >.< Back to the point.

Yes... I had a point. Honest.

Of course now I've been distracted by thoughts of coffee and fuzzy socks, so it make take me a minute to remember it... >.<


Ah HA!!

Autumn :) 

Well, September and October, anyhow :)

Those of you who were reading my blog last year at this time, may remember that this is MY time. Which means of course I like to celebrate.

I posted a little question on BSC asking what everyone thought was a better idea; one big giveaway, or a bunch of little ones scattered through out the month.

There are aspects of both that I like. I really enjoy doing the month long progressive bundles, but then I like the quick little ones too. They didn't work well the last time I did the little weekly ones, but my readership was significantly smaller then. Back then, a week long giveaway would get maybe four or five entries... if that. I'm hoping that the bigger 'following' means more entries for the little ones.

Yes, that means I'm doing the little ones :)

Of course, I'm also going to do a big one, too :D

So here's how it'll work.

The first Friday in September  .. that would be this coming Friday ;), I'll post the big guy. Then during random blog posts through out the month I'll re-post a photo and link to the big guy ... with some new additions added in ;)

In the mean time... every now and then, I'll also be tossing up some random little giveaways.You'll have to pay attention to each one, because they'll all be different. Some will have specific tasks for you to do to enter... some will have different lengths of time to enter. If you don't follow the rules, your entry won't count ;)

I got tired of regular old boring giveaways... what's fun about clicking a button? No... the little giveaways are going to be 'special' :D

And since everyone who reads this blog knows I've been on a bead buying binge this past month... you all know I've got tons of goodies that might just find there way into bundles ;)

And we'll start things off right now.

Who would like a chance to win these?

16  8mm Dream Agate Rounds, 2 double holed carved horn beads( they could be bone. They're a little over an inch long and slightly curved ). Plus a bundle of faux suede cording in a nice chocolate brown :)

All you have to do to enter... is show me your socks.

Yes. That's what I said.

Show me your socks.

Grab your camera and take a photo of your socks... like this. 


Yes, I went and pulled on some socks. Those are some Muppet socks my brother gave me a couple Christmases ago. I have a whole set ( except for Kermit..I gave those to my mom so she'd have an extra pair of her faves...I prefer Animal ;) )

And for the record, all my skull socks either have grown holes and been tossed, are missing mates.. or are in the laundry ..>.< That's why I'm wearing the Muppets.

Anyhow... back to business.


Post a link to your photo in the comments here. Remember, if your picture is on Facebook, you have to make sure the folder it is in, is set for 'public' or we can't see it... and it won't count ;)


Oh... and the socks have to be on FEET... not just laying the bed or the top of the hamper ;)

And don't just show me boring old socks... pull out your faves... and your fun ones :)

I decided to do a second little prize for my favorite photo...


A pair of lavender and white fuzzy socks :) these are ladies size 9-11, but really... they're soft and fuzzy and warm... and its not like you'll care if they're a bit big on you ;) Plus, if I'm REALLY impressed ( or jealous)  of your socks... I may just slip some beady goodness into the package with those socks ;)

So, quick! Grab your camera and go dig out some socks to pull on!

I'll give everyone until Thursday, September 7th... hmm... we'll say 7pm EST. 

~Skye

Sunday, August 19, 2012

To-Do list catch up :)

So I decided that enough was enough..I NEEDED to stop taking on more work and FINISH OFF SOME PROJECTS!!

I actually decided that several times over a few months... >.<

.. but this time I MEAN IT!

Seriously !

I'm not doing any more gifts for my art exchange until my todo list is all crossed off, my beads are reorganized, and I can see my desk again :)

I'm making head way :D

Well... Kinda sorta  anyhow ;)

I bought two boxes of mini Rolo and Coffee Crisp ice-cream treats. Mini as in 'half of a Popsicle' kinda size.  The plan was, if I crossed things off my list that day...or at least worked towards that goal... I could  have one :)

I've had three ... and haven't crossed a single damned thing off my list yet >.< lol  BUT, in my defense...I had a really crummy day the other day and REALLY needed those two... it was ice cream or booze... seriously.


... I had the booze too, btw ;) lol

So why am I blogging instead of doing my list? 


I AM doing my list... seriously...I have a project over on my couch with one part done (yay!) and I have supper on the stove... so I figured I'd take a break to cross another item off my list... write a blog post!  WHOOHOO cross this baby off the list ;) Ice cream for dessert!!

Hmm...  this post needs more than me telling you what horrible will power I have >.<

Oh, I know! Pretty pictures :D




All taken by me.

got tons more but I need to move on and do other stuff now :)

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Quick Pre-photo spree update

Just a quick note to report that the winner of F.F.#6 has failed to contact me within the two week period. She even had a couple extra days thanks to me being on a different computer without the proper access.

On that note, I had rafflecopter chose a new winner for the beaded chain :)

Sarah G.  you've now got two weeks to contact me to claim your prize. 

If at the end of those two weeks, the prize remains unclaimed, I think I'll call that one a lost cause and the beaded chain will go towards something else.  Or, maybe I'll draw three names, one for each chain and first come first serve as to which one they get.

Not that that will happen since Sarah will note me with the next day or two. ;) There's no way she'll let this slip away.

On that note, I'll leave you with a photo, taken with my new camera of my 'bead guard'.


This is my dad's dog, Sissy. She got tired of chasing frogs and swimming and came to join me.

I got very little beading done...I was too busy taking photos :D

~Skye

Thursday, May 17, 2012

I'm BAaaaaack!! :D

So... long time no blog >.<  

... well, aside from the Freebie Friday post, which was late >.< lol

Sorry everyone. My brain just hasn't been in the 'sit and blog it' mindset lately. Too many things running through it at once, I guess. Nothing majorly bad or stressful, just... in the way, I guess
the biggest happening was that I found a lump in my breast and had to get it checked out. The last time this happened the doc felt it too and sent me in for a mammogram and ultrasound, but they couldn't find it >.< The popular consensus on it being that it was merely scar tissue form my breast reduction a few years before that. So, despite finding the lump, I wasn't overly stressed over it. The doc told me right off he felt too much movement in it for it to be cancer, since cancer lumps tend to stick in place and have no or very little movement to them.Plus I have boobs that have always felt lumpy to me, plus for the last eleven years have had the added 'texture' of the scar tissue, so self exams are difficult. This bump felt different so I decided to err on the side of caution and get it looked into. I've been up for a mammogram, got the boobs squashed all to hell and back, only to have the nurse say there didn't seem to be any difference form the last mammogram, and the technician wants an ultrasound to double check. So I headed down the hall in my little wrap top that didn't want to stay tied, REALLY thankful I got to keep my jeans on, to have that done. And I would just like to say, that it's AMAZING how that ultrasound tech can find the slightest tender spot and constantly press the hell out of it >.< lol  I haven't heard anything back yet about the results, but I expect to either here that it's just the scar tissue again, or possibly a cyst that I'll get to go have cut out .. yeah .. more abuse and scars on the poor jugs >.< lol  It's so good I'm not over vain about the parts of me that stay under wraps ... and that even with the reduction and scars, I still have some damned impressive cleavage ;)

Skye Sandra 











See? Believe it or not, those DD's  were once bigger ;) I was a D for several years but as I let the waist line grow a bit, they kept pace >.< Actually, this photo was taken last year.., like.. January maybe, and I put on some weight since then .. lost a bit again, too ;) when this was taken, I think I could still squeeze into my D cups, as long as they were a certain brand.










So, while not overly stressful ( the only real stress involved was in not letting myself get stressed over something I had no control over anyhow lol ), my heads been full of plenty... mostly in avoidance of chores.  No seriously. Since the Messy Blog Hop I've done a few starts at cleaning that have all ended in being minor tidies. My heads just too full of things. I start with one part then my mind jumps ahead to what else needs to be done that should be done first.. and so on and so on until it's too much to do and I just stop >.< Like I have this shelving unit I got from my mom for my bedroom to help organize some of my storage clutter. It's still wrapped up in plastic, joining the clutter because every time I think of getting started... my mind goes off on a 'to do' list tangent and I get overwhelmed. Example - I need to put the shelves together, but before I do that I should make room to set them up... which means I need to move stuff out of the way... which means finding places to put it all. Plus I need to sort stuff out to put in boxes that will fit on the shelves once they're together... And since I'll be back moving stuff..I want the tv and nintendo from back there, pulled out and set up, plus the large chair back there moved into the living room to replace the one couch. However, before I can move the chair out, I have to get the couch hauled out and to the dump which means arranging for someone to come help. And for the tv & nintendo, my old computer is sitting where I want them put, but if I'm going to move the computer around, I might as well  gut it for the parts to change up my current tower, but that means making room to haul them both out and set them up.. and figure out what the hell I'm doing... OR call my brother and get him to stop in to help. Either situation that calls for help arriving, requires some house cleaning done first >.< See? My brain just makes huge endless chaotic loops out of things until I feel buried under it all >.<

However, there is light at the bottom of that heap lol I was in a similar state with my jewelry making. I wanted to make stuff and needed to make stuff, but couldn't  because A) I had too many choice beside me and B) the need to choose had me allowing myself to become distracted by the computer, and C) .. becoming distracted by the mess than needs to be sorted, getting frustrated with it all and turning to other hobbies that I could access easier.

My solution? Until I find the strength to clean again, I've been grabbing a few complimentary colored bead cases, along with one of my boxes of findings, my tools, a small tray and bead mat, tossing it all into a bag, and leaving the apartment. By getting myself away from the distractions of the 'todo' list, and narrowing my choices to what I took with me, I've found a way to bypass the blockage :)  It's not a permanent solution, since I do have to tackle cleaning and reorganizing things so that I don't feel that way in my own space, however it IS becoming a very pleasant habit that I will endeavor to continue. I really like sitting down on the porch and enjoying the nice weather and devoting a couple hours to JUST my jewelry, with nothing else getting in the way.

So I am slowly finding ways through my disorganization to get things accomplished, and finding some enjoyable new ways of doing things in the process. Btw, the reason I'm not on my porch right now, is because I face the sunrise and until late morning, you're pretty much blinded if you sit out there lol  The sun's high enough now, but I decided to get busy and BLOG first ;)

While I was avoiding blogging and cleaning chores and everything else, I did get stuff done.
I went to my parents and photographed the house my dad had bought and renovated himself, then set it up online for him to sell. Then I headed back a weekend or two ago and posted it on another site for him, plus sat on the dock on their main Koi pond and caught a bunch of fish for him. That was the reason I was 'invited' to spend the weekend... dad had someone that wanted to buy some young koi and I'm a better fisher than he is ;) He can sit out there all day and catch three or four... It took me about a combined fishing time of three hours to catch twenty two lol The last one was an accident..I swear, he just jumped on my hook. Dad had come to see how many I had caught and to make sure I hadn't caught any of his butterfly koi by mistake; when he heard how many I'd caught he was shocked and said that was enough lol While I was using the baited hook to coax the little guys up to the surface so dad could point out just what the butterfly koi looked like, number twenty two leaped for the bait and got it lol 

I seriously can not tell if my dad is proud of the fact that his little girl is so good at catching fish... or pissed  that she's batter at it than he is ;) LOL

While I was there, the super moon rose...so I took some pics.
moon rise

 While I was there, the super moon rose...so I took some pics. Here it is just rising. Nothing but a ball of white light with my poor little camera lol









 telescope and camera combo shot of the super moon




Here it fully risen... how did I take such a good shot with such a crappy camera? I cheated of course :D
We set up my dad's little telescope out in the field for a clear shot, then after an agonizingly long time getting the moon in frame and in focus, I set my camera to close up, zoomed in in a bit, set it over the eyepiece of the telescope and bam... instant fabulous photo :)  so proud of this picture :)  




Here's my little set up.


Like I said, you would NOT believe how hard it is to find a SUPER MOON  through that telescope >.< And to add insult to injury, I turned it around and tried to find the north star and zoomed in on it no problem... turned back to find the moon again.. took FOREVER >.< lol






What else have I been up to? Well, I've signed up for my first non-jewelry-blog related bloghop . The Skull-a-Day blog was advertizing a blog hop that I just HAD to get in on :) That's on June 4th, so I'd better get my butt moving on deciding what to make for it! ( the button is on my sidebar for anyone who wants to find out more about it :) )

I also took part in Lori Anderson's Spring Pantone Bead Swap. I haven't received my beads yet since they're winging their way here from France, but my partner sent me pictures  that I'm not gonna share with you ;) I'll wait until they arrive and take my own pics to share:D hehehe. 

Here's what I sent her.



I sent them all sorted and labeled , of course. Plus there were a few others that were added after this picture was taken; some large pale purple glass pearls, and some metal beads as well. 

I ended up having a hard time finding the colors as shown or even described, as did my partner, so we found beads as close as we could get them for the most part. After all, despite the name of the swap, a grab bag of pretty beads is a grab bag of pretty beads, regardless of colors :D


Alright, so I think I've tormented Kashmira long enough ;) She's been waiting to see what I sent out to the participants of my first design challenge.
creative chaos design challenge blog hop
                         
   hehehe ... yeah, I'm gonna show more than just THAT ;) I'm not THAT much of a tease!

... not often at least ;)

Alright, so here's what Rochelle, Alicia, & Shay should all be finding in their mail boxes shortly.
creative chaos design challenge number one kit

An assortment of  star washers, shell bits ( that were drilled), some feathery ribbon, faux suede cording, a little bottle, a butterfly on a stick, and some buttons :) 

I had other things I wanted to add in, but I decided to stop myself and save stuff for the second design challenge ;)

The rules are simple.. they have to use some of these items to create jewelry... ( the more of it they use, the happier and more impressed I'll be ;) ) They don't have to use it 'as is'; they can alter any or all of the items in any way they want. They create, they photograph and they share on June 30th.  I'd planned on having them have to use at one least one item from each baggie.. but I think I'll change that and have them use at least a third of that pile. They all received a little gift with their kits for participating, but I think I'll have a little prize or two as well. Perhaps have you all vote for your fave piece , plus have a second award for any of them that manage to use ALL of the kit?  Yeah .. kinda like those ideas :)  I'll be sending out an email to them shortly containing the link to the button I just made, plus the official rules... I'd meant to include them with the kit but I was lazy ;)

So there you go... a fairly lengthy and extensive update on my blog avoidance lol

I'll try to get back into my blogging habits ;) I do have to do a blog post to share my Star Wars fandom side ;)

~ Skye

Friday, April 27, 2012

MESSY WORKSHOP BLOGHOP!

Wow.. a hop that was seemingly made just for me :D
 Brenda Sue Lansdowne of B'Sue Boutique has organized this little hop, to show everyone that the picture perfect, everything-in-its-place, neat-as-a-pin workshop or studio... is a RARE thing  among us creative types :) And she's gathered 50 blogs to share photographic proof of their messy work spaces :)

For the record, I don't, or at least haven't up to this point, sold any of my jewelry. I make it for gifts and for myself :) I've always 'planned' on getting around to selling it... just ... you know... darn procrastination... ;) I'd also like you to know, that I have no one living with me to help contribute to my mess ( or blame it on), aside from two cats who make enough of their own mess, and one bird who is even messier than I am ;)

I found out about this just in time since I about to rearrange and reorganize and *gasp*clean, so I quickly grabbed my camera and started snapping. 

I would also like to thank Brenda sue for not making the 'clean' workshop a part of this... because I never did actually get around to finish cleaning.. or even really putting everything away.... I had it about half way done... you could see carpet and even some desk... really.... However...I got working again >.< O.o  As a matter of fact,  the place looks pretty much the same aside from the addition of a new cabinet on one wall to store some of my non-beading supplies, my buttons, my stereo.. and my new Boba Fett talking helmet ... :) ( hehehe... I'm going to take the stereo out and put my remote control R2D2 beside the helmet... lol ).

So... here is MY messy workshop :D

So.. first off, here is the desk, with the cheep-o cardboard 'cabinet' there ( the blue and white thing lol ). Jammed in those drawers were my envelopes, tissue paper, customs forms, bubble wrap, fake flowers, material, paints.... crap I don't remember what else... lol
 There's a press board cabinet beside facing the other way tucked under the desk  that is over flowing with papers, binders... more bubble wrap... and non-beading stuff. 
studio workshop chaos mess piles  crafting

Those bright orange things are collapsible storage boxes full of ... bits of everything from nail polish, to second hand beads and found objects, to craft supplies that never got put away... to gift bags, tissue paper... and more bubble wrap. Same goes for that box sitting there... you can see my little black mini drawer units that now house.. about half my buttons, lined up along the bottom of the desk, plus one stuck in the box there.
And of course... the mountains of stuff ON TOP of the desk...note that tray that looks like it's about to slide right off... I have three of those, plus a couple wooden ones. That one, is balanced on top of the one wooden one... and I believe one other white one. For those who know me and my love of skulls, the trays have pictures of skulls on them... beneath the beading mat, anyhow ;) 
And many more assorted drawer units jammed full of stuff, trays and containers and dishes full of beads and findings that never got put away... and my drill :D


Close up on the precariously stacked desk stuff...
desk pile junk beads crafting

 Here the side with one tray full of.. everything. On that tray I have a painters palette still holding beads I received from .. the fourth BSBP...? Yeah... the one in September :) Plus there's some stuff form my Talk Like A Pirate Day Challenge littered in there, along with some reclaimed beads and second hand jewelry I plan to tear apart and remake. That black thing is a double sided carry case I picked up at the dollar store for when I wanted to take craft stuff with me on the go...it's still there. Oh, no..I'm sorry.. it's migrated to the floor now >.< And no, it's not yet a 'carry case' .. it's just random storage, still.  On top is a basket... one of my former bead storage baskets, that  was holding a.. pack of ..hmm... think that was something I was using to make a mobile for someone... don't remember now. Whatever it was...I seem to have put it away... not sure WHERE, but... it's moved somewhere else , anyhow.   you can also see  a hint of the crap I have jammed in beneath the desk in behind the two storage cabinets there >.<

And for those wondering WHY I have a box of bird gravel on my desk... my bird Jo's cage used to sit just to the right there... where my big cabinet is now standing. Jo is out in the kitchen where he can go to bed whenever he wants and not get mad at me for having the light on.... for a little tiny bird, he has a very loud, ear-shattering squawk.

trays projects mess tools beads

Close up # 2 ... my 'almost work area' ... my computer monitor is just to the left, with the ONLY .. semi.. clear spot on my entire desk. THAT is where I work. I have a huge three corner desk, with tons of space ( once I clean up) .. and I work on a tiny little area by my mouse pad :)

Anyways,  there's tray #2 balanced on top of trays #3 & 4... the wooden one, #3, is hidden completely beneath it :)

You can also see some of my bead containers .. most of which are sorted by color... but there are a few that are bits of everything because...I had an empty spot and new beads so...tada :) I'll sort 'em out later ;)  Yeah that's nail polish .. and no, those two salt and pepper shakers don;t have anything in them.. beads wise or spice wise. I got them to see about moving some of my seed beads into them but.... too much room in the jars... makes me sad to see how empty they look... and I seriously don;t need to buy more seed beads to fill them up.


heart necklace fly wings

For those wondering, the top tray is holding my , then 'still in the works' FlapYour Wings project, with various extras and ideas .. and tools.  Here's is the finished product that came out of that mess .
<------







Alright.. so... how about the big picture?
studio desk mess chaos crafting
 The full view. 



... and yeah.... it still pretty much looks like that....  see...?

desk mess chaos studio beads crafting

Difference being... the big orange box is mostly emptied .. and there's now a 'still in progress' mask perched on top of my one beading mat... on top of a blue shawl.. on top of ..something.. on the one trays :D Oh, and there's an ugly chair sitting there stacked with stuff too...I had to move it from where it was and...I have no clue where it'll end up... just... not there lol

the cardboard drawers there, now hold JUST my mailing supplies.



storage stereo crafting supplies glass mugs Boba Fett



And here's the cabinet I told you about... with Boba :D  In addition to the assorted craft crap inside, the button drawers are there.. well.. four of them, right above Boba and the stereo. That white thing is a 'skull' bag someone crocheted for me as a gift... it's holding my fancy yarns and stuff. The others shelves currently hold my Batman, Xmen, & StarWars mugs & glasses... And up on top by that white cat...are two Animal mugs.. you know.. from the Muppets.. cause Animal is too awesome to have just ONE mug :D





So there you have it... MY Messy workshop :)  It's actually half my living room ( That's my fishtank tucked in the corner there on the left... I kill fish almost as fast as I kill plants, but mom gave me some guppies... and of course, now that I'd like to take the tank down and forget about having fish.. the little buggers not only refuse to die.. they're multiplying like crazy >.< )

Oh... and for the record... my bedroom is MUCH worse ;)

Visit some of the others and see THEIR messy work areas... I bet I'm the messiest ;) I wonder if there's a prize for that ... ? lol

MESSY WORKSHOP BLOG PARTICIPANTS
Brenda Sue Lansdowne
Robin Delargy:
Kim at Cianci Blue
Jennifer Jazwick-Smith
Mary Shannon Hicks
Tracy Swartz
Jacqueline Marchant
Lynnea Perry Bennett
Terry Matusyk
Laurel Steven
Dr. Brassy Steamington
Pamela Takeshige
Kris Lanae Binsfeld
Outre Art
Linzi Alford
Deb Davis
Tamara Jones
Harry Wood
Gerry Nickerson
Elizabeth Owens-Dwy
Georgene Lockwood
Charisa Sloper
Jennifer Justman
Beanzie
Mary Deis
Cheri Reed
Sondra Kolner
Sonya Ingersoll-Stille
Lori Anderson
Sandra McGriff     <- YOU ARE HERE
Shelly Joyce
Joan Williams
Kashmira Patel
Deb Beechy
Ginger Bishop
Kelli Jacobson
Natalie McKenna
Andrew Thornton
Mary Govaars
Kate Mulligan
Lisa Lodge
Tami Luchini
Monique Lula
Lee Koopman
Jayne Capps
Susan Lloyd
Cynthia Wainscott
Stephanie Amanti
Alicia Marinache
Sam Hamp
Lennis Carrier

Friday, April 20, 2012

Last Spring Blooms Giveaway Update

It's Friday again, and we have four days left in the Spring Bloom giveaway :)
Check out my 'Flap Your Wings' Necklace  HERE. The auction runs until Tuesday April 24th

Before I get posting pictures,  I just wanted to mention that I'll be posting the signup widget for the first Creative Chaos Challenge. I'll be explaining  about it in my next post, most likely Sunday :)
 Since we hit 50 entries, I'll make one more addition to the pot.

Skye flower pendant connectors silver clay blossom petal jewelry
Newest addition to the giveaway.



One clay flower pendant ( it's pale pink and white ), and four silver toned flower connectors.










flowers Skye glass beads turquoise pendants lampwork buttons lucite seedbeads  beadsoup
Spring Bloom giveaway bundle









Which is added to this ... 




The winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 25th.

Friday, April 13, 2012

F.F.4 -update

Double postings tonight :) Make sure to check out my Flap Your Wings post as well!

Alrighty... so this will be a short post.. mostly straight to the point since I'm LATE and still have another post to write and get up >.< lol

I said every TEN entries I'd add something extra to the giveaway... well we're sitting at 37 .. but I decided to add in the extra for 'forty' now...

First up, I added in the acrylic beads from Lori's BeadSoup package... so now the entire beadsoup pack is included :)  so here's a little image to show you ;)

bead soup Lori Anderson pretty things giveaway spring blooms flowers
Lori's Bead Soup mix

Rather than show you a single picture of each addition, I'm just gonna post up the giveaway bundle 'as is' now. I've added in some more flower beads, some more flower buttons, some leaf beads, and some seedbeads.
flowers chaos skye creative leaves beadsoup
updated Spring Blooms giveaway bundle

For those who are worried I might miss something I've added... don't ;) Once I take the pictures of each addition, it all gets put into one big zip lock bag so nothing gets misplaced or forgotten :)

I just received word from last months winner that the butterflies arrived today :D Yay! I hope she enjoys them and maybe shares a link to any pics of her creations ;)

Here you go :) Anyone who hasn't entered, you've still got time :)  Next addition to the giveaway bundle hits at 50!

Friday, April 6, 2012

FF#4 Update :)

 As promised, now that we've reached 10 entries into the giveaway, I have some goodies to add into the pot for the Spring blooms giveaway :)

Plus I took a better photo of those felted ones ;) 


And arranged them in a much nicer setting....



...although I'm thinking I should've done a better pic of those lamp work pairs now too.... hmm...



So, here's the giveaway package INCLUDING the new addition of a bunch of flower buttons :)

giveaway spring flowers buttons beads  turquoise lucite felted lampwork glass
Spring Blooms giveaway bundle - 1st update!

I'm still sorting through my button collection, so more flower buttons may appear in that pile if I find any ;)

I'm still deciding on the next addition...I have a photo of 24 flower beads in 4 different colors that I was going to add this time.. then went with the buttons instead ... plus I have a bunch of leaves I could add in... And of course I have some pendants that I might add in one of them...And I did mention that I might add in the rest of the beadsoup pack I received from Lori Anderson, as well.... so plenty to choose from. Plus I could always add in some 'regular' beads in bright spring colors, too ;)  I guess we won't know what I'll choose to toss in until we reach my goal of another 10 entries ;)

Of course, I *might* be willing to take suggestions ;) If there's something you'd really like to see added in next, leave a comment and it might just sway my decision next round ;) And you can suggest stuff I haven't mentioned here as well, such as ribbons or findings with a flower or spring theme... or none beading stuff.  If I'm in a good place in my head at the time, I might just see what I can do :)  

 By the way... did any of you take part in LimaBeads Easter Egg hunt this year?  Wow.. that new site is MASSIVE! Apparently they hid 100 Easter eggs, PLUS 3 golden eggs scattered throughout the site. After two days of eyestrain, I reached the amazing number of 50 .. which gave me four prizes, one of which was a coupon code. That 50th egg took FOREVER to find >.<  I searched that entire site from the store right through to the blog and the about pages...I have no clue where the other 50 are stashed and I finally gave up even considering looking for them. I did find one golden egg, but I was too late to nab the prize for finding it (I actually found the same egg twice...I did that a lot >.< lol).

Yes I had fun playing with the Green Bead Machine watching it's sales getter better or flip over every five minutes.. and yes I did nab a few items from that at an average of about 15% off the cost. When I called it quits on the hunt and put in my order, I had about sixty bucks worth of beads ... but since half of it was prize winnings and discounted goodies, my total was just under twenty bucks! Even the stuff I gave in and bought 'full price', I got discounted with the coupon code I won  :D hehehe ! So the only thing I 'really' paid full price on was the shipping ... which was just shy of eight bucks.

So I had a lot of fun browsing the site, playing with the Green Bead Machine, adding to my 'wish list', and making Fresh Pick selections ( like 'treasuries' on etsy where you put together selections of items to your own little theme :) ) ... plus winning lots of pretties :)

The hunt is still on so go check it out! Lima Beads Easter Egg Hunt .It ends on the 8th I believe, but you only need 10 eggs to win the first prize level ( so far .. but because it was so difficult this year they've already begun adding in new prize levels, so that might change!). you DO have to pay for shipping, so depending on where you are, you might not think it's worth it. Me, paying eight bucks for three strands of free gemstones... even if I hadn't bought anything else to go with them, totally worth it :) For those in the US, it might be even cheaper... if you're overseas.... probably not worth it ;) lol

 And yeah, I'll probably share a pic of my goodies when they arrive ;)  

Oh, and if you're wondering what I caved in and bought at full price... skulls, of course :) They actually have the skulls in the size I wanted! ( I think... at least according to the size comparison chart, they are ;) lol ) would've liked a string in black but I didn't see them .. at least not after I'd decided to buy them.. and I forgot to go back and look again. Oh well, I still have one more coupon to use so I might just have to place another order later on ;)

Remember to watch that 'number of entries' digit at the top of Rafflecopter and when it reaches 20... I'll add in more goodies :)
(*NOTE*  I'm trying something new here... I'm reposting the raffle widget on THIS page so you don;t have to travel back to the older post to enter if you haven't :) See? I'm making it EASIER on you guys! :D.  )

Sunday, April 1, 2012

sharing the love

Hello :)

As I mentioned in my last post, my challenges have been busted due to illness. I did complete one pair of earrings but... not gonna bother sharing a pic of them today :)
Nope.. today I decided to share some of my favorite blogs to read.

First up we have Anvil Artifacts.
I found this blog by some random link hopping during one day of boredom. I'd got a giggle out of a comment she'd left on another blog and decided to follow her home... So glad I did :) Her blog posts are always fun, packed with photos of her own work as well as others and the last photo in line is always something ... 'interesting' .. lol
I own a pair of her earrings :) Beautiful green-patina copper pieces that are just so nice :) I won them from her ;) I couldn't find a link to a picture of them though, and I'm too lazy right now to take a pic myself to share ... so instead I'll show you a pic of my favorite pair that's still available for sale in her shop :)
The Mysterious Jewel Box by anvil artifacts - available in here




And I HAVE to share a pic of one of her diorama necklaces! I couldn't find a picture of my number one favorite...it's an underwater scene with two divers and one of them has a tentacle wrapped around his leg ;)  The bigfoot one is really cute too :)  These are sort of a two-in-one deal...you get a gorgeous necklace...then you flip it open.. and get this! Hmm..I wonder if you could wear it flipped open? Because that would be like having two necklaces... the fun 'open' one... and the beautiful 'closed' one :)
 
Day at the Beach by anvil artifacts - available here




 Anyhow, here is her blog addie & Esty shop address, so be sure to visit! 

Anvil Artifacts -Blog 
                       - Etsy


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 Next up we have Fanciful Devices ... this is actually the blog I followed Anvil's link from ;) And guess what? I found HER blog by following her link from Sparrow Salvage's blog :) ( another great blog you should visit!)
Fanci's blog is another one that's always chocked full of beautiful photos of her work and that of others. She's always left me in awe over how effortless she takes random 'things' and turns them into gorgeous jewelry! And she's now started to sell tutorials... incredibly detailed and well laid out tutorials ( one of which I'm trying to buy by paypal and etsy aren't liking each other much today... either that or neither of them are liking my card >.< )


Here is a couple of my faves from her shop. She's made so many beautiful things... and I ADORE her bangle stacks ( that's the tute I'm attempting to buy ;) ). I love the Egyptian feeling these give me...she makes no mention of an Egyptian influence or inspiration, but that's what they make me think of :)
Of Bondage by fanciful devices-available here


Oddly enough... so does this necklace...it's sort of makes me think of a simplifies Ankh... or maybe it's a combination of the piece and her 'model'? lol I love that thing... she did such a fabulous job on it and it shows off her creations wonderfully :)

Much Beyond  by fanciful devices - available here
Here are her addresses... make sure to go check her out :) you won't regret it!

Fanciful Devices - Blog
                          - Etsy
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While Fanciful Devices & Anvil Artifacts are pretty much strictly jewelry/components/ life happenings in their blogs, Shaiha's Ramblings offers more of a variety :) 


necklace & photo by Shaiha
While Shaiha does post photos of her jewelry... such as this hand-knotted pearl necklace using AA Black Pearls and Crystals that she made for the Spring Fashionista Event ... (and since I won it, I'm anxiously haunting my mailbox ;) ) ,  her blog is more open to all aspects of her life. She does tons of book reviews ( thanks to which my 'find & read' list has reached  rarely-seen-before lengths ) , and shares the 'beautiful things' that happened in her week to help her keep focused on the bright side :)

I found Shay's blog thanks to Lori McDaniel Anderson's 4th BSBP, in which we were partners :) 

Shaiha does not have a shop, but you can find her blog here .  She also has a second blog where she JUST reviews adult books ;) You can find the link in her profile...I'm making you visit her to find it :p lol


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Okay ... now this is next one is not jewelry or bead related at all.

I actually found it through a giveaway link back.. and have been hooked ever since. Boobies, Babies & a Blog  is a mother's rant and rave where she shares all the ups and downs... and embarrassments... of having children. I've sympathized with and helped reassure her through panic attack blog posts about her children's health... and laughed uproariously over her revelations concerning her teen age son and his... happenings ;)  and of course, one of my favorite features are her ' Sh#T the Boss Says' posts ... the Boss is her five year old... and some of the things that he comes up with... true genius... or hilarity lol

But she doesn't JUST chat .. no... she also does the odd product review... oh, and Boobies is seriously addicted to hosting giveaways. She's done a large variety of items, from scarves, to purses, to giftcards.... to sex toys. She tends to do the sex shop giveaways most often, I think. I keep tossing my name into the hat for about three quarters of her giveaways, but as of yet, my lucky number hasn't come up.


And you're damn right I enter her sexy ones ;) Every time it's open to international! lol

BWS tips button


Boobies,Babies & a Blog    - blog


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So there are a few of the blogs I enjoy reading :)  I hope you pop in and visit them and perhaps get hooked as well :) 

Maybe I'll share some more later on :) In the mean time, don't forget to enter the 4th Freebie Friday draw! For every TEN entries I receive I'm adding another little batch of beads and such to the pot!

~ Skye