Monday!

Hopefully this video works. I'm not too techy. In fact I just wanted to share the song, but didn't know how to do that! Today's blog post needed a soundtrack.

Anyway, it is a maniac Monday here in the studio. Thank you for everyone who has placed orders this weekend. I'm busy making your beads and getting everything shipped out today. Although, most beads are already made. But with such a large selection, some things are bound to run out sooner or later! The inbox is overflowing this morning too, they will have to wait until tonight. Jess is working later today, so I have that poor boy sanding beads.

So, new beads are still on my table awaiting their photo shoot. I hope to have them listed by tomorrow.

Off to the clay table with my beady little rear.

I'm still up for trades for art beads, scroll down 2 posts to read the details.

Enjoy a great start to the week!

beads

tiny

inconsequential

all consuming

calling to the past

talisman

magic

prayer

illuminated adornment

strands between elements
earth

in cut and polished form

a link

a bond

a gift handed

through time

universal

sacred

mine

Welcome?

Or at least to a place that is as hot as h-e-double hockey sticks. I don't even watch for the weather anymore, I know it's going to be 100 degrees. From what seems the time we get up until bedtime. My poor lawn, brown she be. We are counting down the days until our trip home to Michigan where it's green and lush and I hear in the 80s!!! (That photo is actually from Hell, Grand Cayman. A real place and guess what? They sell ice cold bottled water in Hell, who knew.)

I have new beads to show, unfortunately I also have a pile of orders to get out the door. So new work will be up on Monday. I'm off to finish beads and package orders. I'm trying to beat the clock today so we can all run off to the pool. Want to see what goes into making my William Morris beads? I blogged about the Anatomy of a Bead on my polymer clay blog.

Have a great weekend!

Vintage Charm Bracelet

I have a new bracelet project on the Art Bead Scene today, here is a variation. I'm loving the new beads. Humblebeads 2.0, that's what I've been calling them. I keep sneaking them out of my inventory and making things with them. I have my entire inspiration board filled with new designs that will either go to magazines or dum, dum, dum, a book proposal I'm putting together.
Here is a necklace using my Dandelion Wine Bead and an awesome Holly Gage Leaf clasp.

And I'm in serious trade mode. Humblebeads for art beads from my bead artist buddies. Just send me an email and we'll work out a deal. They will all be going toward one of the above mentioned projects.

Look for new beads tomorrow! And for those who are my mailing list, check your inbox.

p.s. if you are bead collector and want to trade for an art bead or two that is in your stash, I'm all up for that too. My only requirement is that you can give me the name of the artist and their website, so I can properly credit them if they get accepted into something for print.

LOST - on bead island

Has our bead-making heroine been buried alive on Bead Island? Rumors are running rampant since she disappeared earlier this week. (Yes, that's one day's worth of shipments!)

She sent this cryptic message, "Winner...#4....Jennifer Stumpf...Tiger Lily Bead...end transmission." Number 4? Could this be the secret number to escape off Bead Island?

Or just the winner of this week's Bead Star giveaway? Thanks to everyone who voted! (Jen, your bead will be arriving shortly!)

Back to Bead Island...there are Others on this island...are they friend or foe?
With a name like Bird of Paradise, I think we'll consider them friendly. They just joined the growing flock of Humblebeads Birds in the Etsy shop.

Is this the hatch to a underground bunker or one of Heather's crazy schemes to adorn the world in unique and unusual bead components?

And what about vegetation on the island, is Heather surviving off coconuts and bananas? Or are there only wild flowers growing in strange and brilliant colors on Bead Island?

Hey, is that a chocolate bar in your backpack? Are you eating chocolate while stranded on Bead Island???

Okay, this island is pretty tame. Beads may be spilling over the tables, jewelry flung from one end to the other while magazine projects are being finished, children may be running like wild natives and the kitchen may seem like it's filled with survival provisions, but it's no where near as strange as my favorite island. Seriously how long until Lost is back on the air? I have way too many questions for my beloved TV show and a whole season to wonder what the heck happened! (I'm going through seriously withdrawals!)

Bead Star - Vote for Me!

Sweet! I entered two designs in the Bead Star competition and they were both selected as finalists. There were over 1500 entries, so I'm so honored and surprised! Please go vote for me and tell your friends to do that same! The winner is the entry with the most votes. Vote here.

The first necklace is in the Designs with Heart category, entry #6. Quite literary this necklace symbolizes how art beads are the key to my heart! This necklace is filled with beads from some of my favorite artists.

The key is from the Venerable Bead, (the top of the key is heart shaped!) there are a few hearts from Gaea, a green girl studio heart that says "Some pursue happiness, others create it." I have a few Elaine Ray beads in there, a ceramic urchin from SeaUchin and some charms and a heart from Mamacita Beadworks. Mixed in with a few humblebead disks, some raku beads and glass spirals, I'd have to go look up the artists, but time is short!

The next one is a summer inspired design with one of my teal urchins, silver shells, pearls with a few wood beads that remind me of drift wood and some beautiful crystals. The clasp is a seaweed bead from Mamacita Beadworks. This entry is #3 in the pearls category.

And something for you to win: if you tell your blog readers about the contest I will enter your name into a drawing for one of my new beads. (They are debuting this weekend!) Leave the link to your post in the comments and that will qualify as your entry. I'll pick a winner next Saturday. Yes, I am completely shameless.

(Update: blog about the contest, you can mention me if you like. That was bad of me!!!)

Wisdom with Age?

I made this necklace for a challenge that Beadwork was having, entitled Channeling Cinderella. For some crazy reason I didn't send it in though. Silly me. I'd like to redesign it without the flower. I've had this flower in my bead stash for a few years and it's just so not me.

Back to the necklace, I wanted it to tell the story of Cinderella's transformation. On the right side we see wood and copper pearls. The wood represented her plain and simple start in life. The flowing ruffle bead was her dress that the sisters tore apart. The copper pearls symbolize the pumpkins. The flower was her encounter with the fairy godmother. On the other side we see beads that reminded me of the ball and royal courtyard. I added in the glass beads as a nod to her slipper. You can click on the photo to see the details. I used my Spring Branch disk beads in there too.

On the Art Bead Scene I announced the new theme for this month, Pearls of Wisdom. The prize is a signed copy of Lisa Kan's new beading book, Bead Romantic. I'll be reviewing it later this month. I love Lisa's designs and her amazing beads. This necklace would fit right in for that challenge!

Tomorrow is a bittersweet day. It's the last day of school. I love my children, they are amazing and wonderful. But having 8 hours of guilt-free time to work is so nice during the school year. My girls aren't high strung or demanding, in fact they are both little artists and can entertain themselves with their own projects for hours. But my days are not my own and it's always hard to make the transition. That is life when you are a work-at-home mom, the juggling act sometimes gets a new ball thrown in and you just keep things going.

My oldest daughter is turning 12 on Sunday. What the hey? When did I get old enough to have a 12 year old daughter? For cryin' out loud, I remember being 12. And it doesn't seem that long ago. As I watch her grow and change, I am so thankful for the peace and confidence that comes with age. To accept who you are and love that person is a lesson that takes many years. I hope I'm a good example of that attitude for my girls. I want them to grow up strong, secure in who they are, ready to take risks and make their own way in this world.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The Perfect Weekend

It started Saturday morning with our first trip to a farmer's market here in San Antonio. It was small, only about 10 farmers. But very nice and peaceful. They had their little stands under a groove of trees. We bought potatoes, green beans, blackberries, eggplant, the sweetest peaches ever and I picked up a few herb plants. Sweet basil, rosemary and spearmint, they are so fresh looking on my little porch.

After the market we went to Hobby Lobby. I picked up some more chain, wood beads and various sundries.

I spent the afternoon getting orders out the door. It's the best feeling in the world to be caught up. You etsy customers have kept me on my toes. I sold 23 items in one day last week.

I spent the evening playing with my beads and came up with a few new designs. Playing is a luxury these days, it was quite enjoyable.

Today was a family day. Time with my girls and the Jess-ter. Nephew's birthday party, lots of little ones running around.

And the perfect end to the weekend? Holding my brand new niece, who is a month old today. She is just a little whisp at 7 lbs. I ask you, is there anything more perfect than a precious little newborn?

Beads featured are from my Etsy shop.