New Work - Spring is Around the Corner

 Just a few new things I've added to the ol' Etsy shop in case you are in need of a boost of spring like I am!  Spring in Paris - that's a nice daydream...

Peacock Feathers - I have them in cuff connectors and pendants.  Love them!!! Did you know peacock feathers were used as a symbol of protection?  They were often used as ornaments on thrones to protect royalty and in depicted in the wings of angels to symbolize God's all seeing presence.  Interesting - I just thought they were a symbol of beauty, vanity and pride - who knew! 

And the a peacock in a flourishing garden.  I have one of these on my bead table. I need to whip something up with it tomorrow for the Art Bead Scene challenge.

Growing Pains

I took a much needed break from blogging and my Etsy shop while I took care of some of the business of living.  And while I took a break, I found myself as busy as ever working on things behind the scenes.  It's not easy running an empire, so many details to attend to and manage.  I'm hoping to find ways to delegate more, outsource some tasks and eliminate others all together.  In all my busyness to make a living I so often forget to make a life.  I don't take time to connect, it's all work, work, work.  And while it's fun and the best work possible, I don't feel I'm always doing it right. 

So what is the right way to run a business?  I think I need to look at the end first, I have to ask myself, "What do I want this business to look like in 5 years from now, in a year from now?" And work backwards to make that happen.  I do know I don't want to be running things the same way I am now, that's for sure.  While I'm so very thankful for my success, if does come at too high a cost sometimes.  And more importantly I need to find ways to make more income without driving myself into an early grave.  Hence the quiet and the making of plans, thinking things through and taking stock.  It's not easy to stop and say, "Hey this isn't working for me, I need to find a better way to do this!"

The photos are from the snow storm that has reintroduced me to the term lake effect snow and I'm afraid I've turned into a hermit this week.  Winter is always lovelier from inside of your toasty home looking out!  But the thing about winter - it means spring is just around the corner...And I'm going to take that lesson for my business too, even through there are changes and growing pains right now, good things are going to start sprouting up and blooming soon. 

This is from my new line of jewelry that will be launching soon.  I can't wait to share it with you! 

A Year of Beads (Almost!)

I thought it would be fun to share the year of disk beads from the 2012 Bead of the Month Club.  Each month I would sit down with the color palette Brandi Hussey had created for the Art Bead Scene and mix up my colors.  From there I would make my disk beads.  We had 20 in the club this year and that's 200 beads a month and a whopping 2400 disk beads over the year! 

Well, it's almost a year in review - there were three months I haven't taken photos of and darn if they aren't packed away in those notorious five boxes I have left of beads to unpack.  I swear I will finish unpacking my studio before the New Year!

I had such a great time with each month's challenge but wasn't sure I was going to do a disk edition of the BOM Club again.  It was so much work.  But since several have asked about it I thought I would open it up to 10 subscriptions for 2013.  For the next year I have a list of my favorite paintings that I have hoped to interpret into beads for a while now.

You can find the BOM Club listing in my Etsy shop.

Holiday Memories

Our first Christmas here couldn't have been more magical.  We were all little elves as we worked on gifts, decorated and wrapped presents.  We enjoyed time with our family, including a crazy cookie making party where I swear we made over 200 cookies.  We had Christmas here at the house in the country.  We shared a meal, gifts and many laughs.  This is where my bliss lives.  Surrounded by those I love, in a quite, nature-filled space.  I wake up every day so thankful. 

The house was decorated with simple decorations inspired by nature - pine cones, acorns, birds, trees, lots of evergreen that I snipped from my twin pines outside.

Sweet treats where everywhere - on the kitchen counter I lined mason jars with ribbon candy, candy canes and more. 

This tiny tree sits in my kitchen. I decorated it with sari ribbon, paper and felt roses and tiny Humblebeads pendants that were tucked away in my stash.

We keep our decorations up until after the New Year.  We like to extend the celebration.  We like to spend the week after Christmas watching movies, crafting, doing a little diy, working on puzzles and just snuggled in the house together.  I don't think my teens are digging as much as I am, they are starting to get a little stir crazy.  So some ice-skating and cocoa drinking are probably in order for this weekend, along with a movie downtown - I hope!  

Thank you to all who stop by and read the blog.  Thank you for your support over this year.  Thank you for your kindness, friendship and encouragement.  I'm wishing you the best and brightest for 2013!

www.humblebeads.etsy.com

Winter Whites

I was inspired this month to work up some Art Deco inspired gingkos and a necklace fit for a roaring 20's flapper.  Boy did they have amazing style back in the day.  We are having a 1920's costume party on the Bead Cruise in a few months, so I'm sure you'll see several designs influenced by this time period as I work up something to wear.  I pulled in some muted colors to accent my shabby chic white gingko leaf.  The Czech glass in teal and bronze are accented by a ceramic bead from Gaea.  I love the little touches of sparkle the faceted brass beads add to the beaded links.  I'm so glad I bought several strands of those at the last show!  Although now I wish I had bought them in bulk.  You can never buy too many of favorite beads. 

Here is a close up of the gingko leaf.  I've wanted to make one forever, I don't know what it took so long.  These were first created for the December Bead of the Month Club. 

These beaded links are so fun and easy to make.  Cut 10" of 22 gauge brass wire, fold it in half and create a wrapped loop in the center of the wire.  String on the peanut seed beads on both sides and them create a wrapped loop with one wire and then wrap the other wire around the bottom of the loop.  Trim of the excess wire and tuck in the edges.  

I created these earrings to match the necklace but they are flying off to a good home now!  I used tiny pewter beads from Green Girl Studio with my Birch disk beads.