Latest Project & Blogger Inspiration

Friday morning when I was supposed to be on the treadmill I quickly put this little necklace together. I still got a half hour in before work, but not a compromise I need to be making this close to my next vacation. :)

Oh well, spilled milk and all that! 

I love this little owl friend and cheated a little because I had this great purple chain that worked perfectly with the purple/bronze mirror beads. That made for a very quick turnaround. I am guessing it took about 15 minutes and well worth it! Looked pretty cute with a dark purple blouse. 

Coming up at the beginning of July, I'll be sharing a new line of Cousin products, Yay! AND, I would love to get some vacation jewelry done BEFORE our trip, but definitely plan to bring beads with me just in case that doesn't work out. 

We're doing a driving vacation this time around...Henry Ford Museum, a night at a casino and then family vacation at a state park lodge. Can't wait for ARTS & CRAFTS every day! Yay, you gotta love a state park that continues to offer such a cool option for kids and adults. A room full of things to paint, glitter and glue AND all the paint brushes, paint colors, hot glue, Elmers you could possibly need & MORE! :)

And now, just in case you are in need of inspiration as the weekend comes to a close, here's a quick peek into some other crafty blogger worlds. Have a great week! 

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean got some fun news about a great book ! It is all about Jewelry Making Daily and Wire + Metal this week! See her blog!

Resin Craft Blog
This week in a two part post, I took a tray that was recycled into charms for jewelry making...and upcycled it back to a tray with resin!

Knitting Circles
Looking for a way to store your circular knitting needles? Here is a different solution.

Piecing Lazertran Inkjet Decals on Wood
You can piece Lazertran Inkjet Decals to create a larger image te 8 1/2 x 11. If you've ever made long printed posters where you have to overlap and make seams match or have ever matched seams to hang wallpaper, you know the basic technique.

Beading Arts
Cyndi finished up her project that combines shibori silk ribbon and bead embroidery, and has posted the rest of the tutorial!

Mixed Media Artist
It's been a long time since Cyndi worked with image transfers...here's a new variation that she worked out!

Carmi's Art/Life World
I have given up trying to bead in a traditional manner - hence the crazy cuff.

On the Beading Table Today

Here's what I just let loose on my beading table (a.k.a. the coffee table). :) These are fabulously sparkly mirror beads in purple/bronze.


Even though the sweet owl pendant has dark blue eyes, I am really feeling drawn to incorporate the purple/bronze!

I'll take that as inspiration! Hopefully I'll be struck with more inspiration on which technique to use to make this into a necklace.

I'd LOVE to wear it tomorrow.

Stay tuned! As always, don't hesitate to share if you have ideas!! :)

What's on your beading table?

Sweet Shiny Owl Pendant

OMG, this owl is so adorable, I couldn't resist!! I stopped in a Meijer store recently and, of course, had to scan the bead aisle to see what was going on with their Cousin products. 

I love looking at beads online because of the convenience, but there's nothing like seeing things in real life!

This owl pendant is very bright silver and very fluid. All the little danglies move so elegantly, I LOVE it! In fact, I bought two!

The eyes are dark blue gems and I just happen to have some sparkly blue/purple mirror beads that will go perfectly with it. I am torn though when it comes to how to string it up. 

I'd like to be quick about it because I seem to only have limited time to work on things in the evenings. But, a more detailed technique with lots of sparkle appeals to me right now.

Guess I will wait till the weekend to play with this one. In the mean time, I took it off the package and put it in a little pocket in my purse so I can sneak little peeks at it occasionally. Yeah, I have issues! :)

Hope you're having a great week!

Starting the Week out Right...with Smiley Faces!

Yay, these little smiley faces are SO happy to be the superstars of this bracelet! 

These were plain yellow enamel charms that I mentioned in a post last month. I ordered them because I could instantly "see" the smiley faces.

After about 5 minutes with a sharpie my new friends had arrived! :)

They all seem to have their own personalities. That was not intentional, it just happened that way. 

I'm looking forward to sharing the happiness with whoever I might happen to cross paths with this week. It will be interesting to see if people smile when they see it.

Would it be possible not to? Hmm... Can't wait to find out!

I wish you all a great week with lots of smiles!