Thickets & Thistles Jewelry Collection

What a deliciously chilly fall day here at the humblebeads studio. I have my window opened just a bit to make sure I don't miss any of the first cool day of the season. I can't wait to get out the sweaters and scarves! Don't you just feel so much more productive when the weather turns cooler? Maybe my brain starts to churn with thoughts of winter and the holidays and that just makes me want to get to work!

Speaking of work, I have been busy over here and would like to announce my first "line" of jewelry officially launched today on etsy!

These pendants and earrings have branches and blossoms in my favorite designs accented by sterling silver chain, semi-precious stones and pearls.

Still Here

I've been buried in my studio trying to stay on top of the heap of orders and obligations.

The special earring issue from BeadStyle comes out November 15, so I have new kits and new limited edition beads. More on those later.

I have been a whirlwind of a jewelry designer lately. I have more items than I can get up in my shop. Thickets and Thistles is my fall collection, leaves and autumn inspired flowers. But now I have my holiday line ready to be launched.

Yikes, I need a computer guru to list new items for me. That would be nice. Hmm, can I fashion a robot out of polymer clay and spare computer parts?

I've applied to one show for the season and still waiting to hear if I got in, which you never know. And after an ornament making session this weekend it will be time to call the gallery to show off my latest wares.

So this has been the business over here in the buzzing little humblebeads studio. The air is getting drier and cooler each day. I've started dreaming about the holidays and with that always comes a little turning inward as I contemplate ideas like peace, love, joy and spending more time with loved ones than working. Not always an easy task for this workaholic.

100 beads before breakfast

October marks the start of the holiday season for me. I frantically get ready for shows, fill orders and this year selling from my Etsy shop will be added to that list.

So what does that mean? Every spare moment I get is spent making beads and stocking up on inventory. I create larger canes and batches of colors to save to use throughout the season. I make 10-15 of something at a time instead of 2 or 3. I do assembly line production, doing one step of a project on a group of pieces rather than creating something one at a time. It's a fun challenge, but I'm always glad when it slows down again and I can get back to stretching creatively.

In the studio this week I'm working on:
snowmen pendants
candy cane earrings
thickets and thistle pendants
Byzantine lantern earrings
disk beads for wheel earring project/bead society meeting
microscope slide ornaments