Birds: Hope and Strength

You know what I love?  Looking out a window into a snowy field, dark tree branches stretched across the sky - and then, you see it!  A tiny little red bird hopping from snow covered branch to snow covered branch.

Cardinals are a symbol of strength during trying times.  A symbol of life and hope during the cold winter months.  I like a bird that reminds us that even the frailest of creatures can endure hardship.

I'm eagerly awaiting the snow.  Fall has been amazingly lovely.  Nature's refuse sweeps across the landscape in warm shades of bronze, copper and gold.  I marvel at the the flame red bushes and Japanese maple.  But I'm secretly waiting for the morning I wake up to a world transformed by ice and snow.  Or better yet, look out my window to the magic of those fluffy white flakes.  When those berry red leaves will look like sugar-coated confections.

The change is drastic from Texas. I've made fast friends with soft, warm socks after 10 years of running barefoot for most of the year.  I've relished in finally being able to wear my sweet scarf collection - and not with sandals.  I wait more for the sunlight than before, the days get darker quicker.  It's taken a while to find the perfect spot to take photos of the beads.  I enjoy each contrast from the sun-drenched and brown land we lived in before.

Michigan is all together amazing.  I'm loving every minute as I feel the seasons change.

The cardinal and blue bird have been sitting on a page in my sketchbook, patiently waiting for me to find the time to bring them to life.  They look like little paintings.  I'm glad I finally had a chance whip them up!

 
My life has been filled with trials and joy.  With challenges and blessings.  Moving across the country has been exactly as it should be - life changing!  I finally feel like I'm catching up from it all and getting a handle on the new daily rhythm.  It's a new work schedule, more of a balanced life with lots of family time.  Life isn't quite settled, but it will be soon.  And through it all I've found strength I didn't know I had and a peace that guides me through each day.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" - Matthew 6:26

Oh You! Customer Gallery

You guys - you always amaze me!  Here is a round up of some recent creations using Humblebeads.

First up is this beautiful fall inspired bracelet from SoulsFireDesigns.

Another autumnal beauty from Kristy Abner.

Love the little bit of ribbon on these earrings from Bead Muse.

And this very sweet bracelet is from Skye Jewels.

I always love seeing what you make with your Humblebeads! 

Share them with me on my Facebook page!

Bead Table Wednesday

It's been a while since I've done a Bead Table Wednesday post.  I'm finally starting to get into a regular schedule again and gearing up for the rest of the season.

I have a little stash of beads I keep nearby so I can work on nests when I have a spare moment.  I'm stocking up for holiday shows.  I try to not work once the kids are home, but I do sneak in a little nest time when they are doing homework or off goofing around.  

Eventually the nests will be used as pendants - simple and sweet and just awesome gifts.  I was invited to do an Inspired by Nature Jewelry Trunk Show at the Kingman Museum in Battle Creek next month - so most of these are heading over there.

Along with a few shows I'm hoping to get into, I have a trunk show, book signing and Birds of a Feather Nest Workshop at Bead Quest here in Grand Rapids on November 12th - just a month away.  The class will be lots of fun and a great way to get started on a few of your own holiday gifts!  Everyone will leave with at least two completed nests.

I'm also working on plans for a Humblebeads Holiday Workshop for November and will have details posted soon.

Be sure to stop by the Bead Table Wednesday Flickr Group to see what other bead obsessed folks are up to this week.

If you'd like to stock up on some beads for your projects I am having a sale in my Etsy shop until 10pm tonight.  Use discount code BEADS4FALL for a whopping 25% off!!!  

The Key to Happiness

Oh, I likey!  I took two floral skeleton keys from Vintaj and made them into curved bracelet components.  I punched holes in one end of each key to convert them into connectors.  The big leaf was from Ornamentea, it was raw brass that I antiqued with liver of sulphur - love that stuff.  I added a little pinch of navy blue ribbon to offset my branch disk bead in midnight blue.

The keys were hammered and buffed to bring out the silver under tones.

I picked up a whole new bag of tricks from the Vintaj 2-Day workshop that I attended last month.  Jess and her gang are so creative and inspiring!  I love how innovative they were with their decorivets line. They transformed them into charms and connectors.  I love being wowed and seeing something I would never have thought of - that's how you know it was a good class!  More on that later.

So let's talk about the key to happiness.  

It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

I am happy.

My happiness doesn't come from moving here to Michigan or being with my family.  Although that is awesome!

The key to my happiness is not letting outward things dictate my happiness.  

My happiness comes from a well deep within.

My happiness comes from ability to be thankful no matter the circumstance.

People can disappoint or fail me, but I still love them.

I weed out bitterness and never let that root take hold.

I accept the struggles as a chance to grow.

I find the good in each day and the more I look, the more good there is to find.

We all have struggles, but we are not alone.  Reach out when you need someone to help lighten the load.  I don't know of anything that makes my heart lighter than sharing with a friend and being able to find the humor in what seems unbearable at the moment.

Life passes by so quickly, if we only wait for those perfect moments or when things are going our way to find happiness we will miss out on all the good that is mixed in with the mess.  

And you thought I just made a pretty bracelet to share!  Jewelry is a way to share our stories.  They have different meanings for the maker and the wearer, what stories are you telling?

Sending hugs out to all those who need them today.

Falling for Color!

My memories of fall pale in comparison to the tapestry of color I get to see every day here in Michigan.  Each time I go out of the house it's a visual feast.  I need to find some time to take photos before the colors start to fade.  It's a mix of green, purple, yellow, crimson red and fiery orange.  I was surprised by how lovely all the purple wildflowers set off the autumn hues.  You know that's making it's way into a bead soon!

 Oh and don't even get my started on Queen Anne's Lace.  It's everywhere!

Here is a little bit of that purple snuck in with copper and olive.  Love it!  These are two hole spacer beads and a toggle set that can be used in with the Zen Garden Bracelet project from my book or used in a stringing project.  They are something fun and different and make really color bracelet spacers.

These are some color variations of Bittersweet beads that I made some time ago.  Inspired by those autumn colors that have my muse spinning around in my head!

So that's a little peek of beads from September.  Now that I've soaked in the colors of fall I'm itching for more free time to make new beads.  I have a trunk show in November and will need to start on the holiday goodies soon too.  

So who's figured out how to make a clone yet?  Or maybe Dr. Brown will deliver a DeLorean to me and I can squeeze in a few extra hours this week!

Visit my Etsy shop to see what else I have been up to in the bead studio!