Creating sooths my nerves

I actually got to take a class from a pro, Sheilah Cleary!  She taught at our studio a couple of weekends ago and this watch is what I came up with.  It was a fun class and I learned so many hidden secrets from her.

We had a marvelous time and I ended up with this pretty flower necklace.

Well, that got me in "the mood" and I finished my drewsie necklace.  I found the drewsie in a tourist shop in Myrtle Beach this summer.  (It was a refrigerator magnet that I took apart then beaded around.)

What do you think? 

I made a "bale" out of two open triangle designs and added the pearl in the open space.  I then finished it off with a Russian Spiral design. 

Next, because my brain is not working so well I thought I needed a picture of my Grand kids to hang around my neck.  The rope was a trick of the overworked beader.  It took me a couple of hours to even figure out the pattern.  It is red, black and silver which matches the sweet frame.

I made ear rings to match.

I have four other projects finished but was feeling guilty about breaking my promise to get back into the swing again of blogging more often.  I miss you all so much but there are just so many hours in the day and night combined.

I must check on each one of you so this will be a short post, (again).

I pray all is well with you all.

Sharon

ps...thank you for not giving up on me

Sun anyone?

In the fall I think of

Sunflowers!

I made this one and wore it last week.

What do you think?

It was a "made from scratch" idea that I just built

upon until I was satisfied....

But today I saw one that was even prettier.

Gretchen of  http://libeado.blogspot.com/ 

created this beautiful piece.

Now this is a sunflower of all sunflowers. 

Plus she already sold it! 

Look at all that work! 

Go over to her site and see the other beautiful pieces she creates....it will be worth your time!

Blessings to all,

Sharon

Alice in Beadland Introduction

I met a new beading buddy on Wednesday! 

Her name is Alice and she originally hails from

The Czech Republic. 

She emailed these photos. 

(I enjoy seeing what others create as they are so inspirational)

I asked her permission to show you this lovely jewelry. 

Each one is so very beautiful, filled with such love and

wonderful details. 

You know I adore bead embroidery

so I had to share these with you.

 She has a little girl but sneaks in beading whenever she can. 

(Like me, she usually looks up at the clock and it's 3:00AM...lol)

I love meeting every person who comes into the shop! 

Some people leave a lasting impression upon me.

  Alice is one of those. 

We both are struggling with the same problems....

how do we market our products?....

where does one go to advertise?.....

(Etsy has over one million jewelry ads listed.....)

I have things on ArtFire but have only had two viewers...

now what is that all about?.....

I believe it is an over abundance of talented artists that NEED/MUST get their beautiful pieces sold. 

(We have to sell our pieces so we can buy more beads so we can continue to create our passion.)  When I make a piece I put my heart and soul into making it the very best quality that I can.  When a piece finds a new home I have such mixed emotions.  I miss the piece like a child away from home but then I think about the person who wears the piece and how proud I am that I am giving someone a precious part of myself and a little pleasure to brighten their day.

Does anyone out there have any ideas for us? 

We are more than willing to listen to any suggestions....?????

Look at this one! 

Beautiful colors and lovely artwork.

Who wouldn't be proud to wear this on their wrist?

How can we get our work

"out there"

so that we can continue on? 

Any ideas?

I would LOVE to hear from you,

Blessings to all,

Sharon

Christmas is just around the corner?

Can you believe it is about that time already?? 

Where did April-September go? 

I have begun the first of my annual Christmas decorations.

Doing double duty, I am working on a class project too...

I have a couple of others going but this one is the most completed one, so far.  This one took me quite a while but writing the directions will take me hours!  (Writing directions/patterns is the hardest and most tedious part of my job.) 

How are YOU doing on your projects?

Here are some pieces I did last year.

(I can't find the others that I finished and gave away for gifts last year.)  They are not much inspiration for my upcoming projects.  So I am on the hunt for some clever...quick...easy and inexpensive beading gifts.  Any ideas for me?

I hope you all are having a beautiful and safe Labor Day!

I'm off now and on the hunt for inspiration...

Blessings all,

Sharon

Here are some of the things I have been working on!  I thought I would share them with you and tell you I am sorry for not checking in but as you can see I have been very busy.  Plus my daughter went in for a hestorectomy on Wed and I have had to take over her hours at the shop.  I have many more works but I must go to bed to be able to get up for church. 

So good night for now and I will try to get back in the swing of things soon.  I miss you all so much.
Sharon

I am BACK!!!!

Finally home from vacation! 

 Just wanted to let you know I am alive! 

I am rested and blessed beyond measure! 

I made a few pretties while in North Carolina....

I made some new friends and taught a few WONDERFUL ladies some beading....

enjoyed having my two kids and families with me for one whole week...

(the first time we have vacationed together in 20 years???  Where has time gone? )

I am busy making directions for a bead class I have coming up next week so I can not write long.  I miss you ALL terribly.  There are just NOT enough hours in the day....

Please don't give up on me...I will be back!!!

Love you all,

Sharon

Bead Giveaway Extravaganza!

Denise Yezbak Moore is having a HUGE bead giveaway!  The colors and shapes and sizes are numerous.  I just found her blog this evening and I am dieing to read more about the Bead Challenge so I must go but I wanted to tell you about this great giveaway.  I will TRY to post more later but I have got to go to the doc then to work tomorrow.  Check out Denise's blog!

More Triangles, More Flowers

Here is my latest flower arrangement! 

What do you think?

I am having tooooo much fun with my beading and my new job. 

It hardly seems fair to get paid for something you love!

My energy level has gone up dramatically since I started the job at

On The Rocks Beadstore.

Now I am designing patterns, ordering beads, counting beads, tubing, and all of the countless tasks it takes to keep folks coming into the store.  Last week I had to make up over 500 tubes of beads, labels, stocking, inventory, and enjoy seeing our new "trunk show".

(I am trying to save all my money for our  vacation with my kids at the beach for my July birthday!!)

Life seems to be going great here in Georgia.

I hope things are good for each one of you.

I still haven't gotten back to blogging but I will soon.  It feels like so many have left me in the dust but I think of you all and pray that you are doing something/anything that makes you smile!

Blessings,

Sharon

Triangles/.Pearls into flowers

I found a wonderful book on geometrics and designs.  I read the book and then loaned it out so I can not give you the authors credit.  This particular necklace was inspired through the "Trillium Necklace".

Chelsea

http://chelseaspearls.blogspot.com/

made this color combination and I loved it!  I am now working on one in dusty rose and green which I will post when I finish it.

I love the design of the bead work then I added a pearl necklace that was cut away and I strung the bead wire up through the center of each knot. 

I don't know if I ever showed you this necklace made with a peacock size 22 Ravoli.

Bedtime now as I got up early and tubed over 500 tubes of beads for the shop!

I will try to get back to blogging more often.

Blessings to you all,

Sharon

Creating again

Just a quick note to tell you I haven't forgotten any of my bloggetts!!!  I miss  you terribly.  Not enough hours in the day or night.  It is 3:00AM  I must head for bed.  Blessings to you all,

me

I can not believe where this month has gone!

Has anyone noticed that I have not been around lately?

Guess what I have been up to???

Yep, beading, of course!

I thought I would show you a "few things" I have

whipped up this last couple of weeks.....

First is my favorite piece. 

This pattern is called Butterflies Galore by Susan Mandel.

Her pattern is a continous flow of butterfly wings but I also like the peyote base so that the Ravoli flower really stands out.

What do you think? 

I sold my other one like this so I had to make another.

Second Bracelet

May Brisebois designed this pattern! 

It is called the Celestial Sparkle!  Isn't it gorgeous?  I used three colors of Ravoli Swarvoski Crystals then used netting to end off the bracelet for comfortable wearing.  The "catch" is an antique piece I picked up and this seemed the perfect piece to use on this beauty.

May is a local Georgian in Cummings.  I have bought numerous bargains from her shop and did not make the connection that she was "our May".  I love the ravolis and the way she incorporated Swavoski crystals in between the Ravolis.

Necklace wonders!

This is a new pattern that I made up...my very first one! 

(I do not believe there are ANY new patterns, just ideas

taken from one detail and added to another.) 

This necklace was inspired by Venetia Perry's "Enchanted Necklace" from Beadwork Magazine.  Her pattern called for "bead crochet" but I don't know how to do that so I used

a herringbone design instead.  

Both of these necklaces were made from the same pattern.  

Don't they look different?

The first one is so sparkly and glitters when the sun hits it because of the Swarvoski crystals and the beautiful hex cut beads. 

The teal is such a beautiful fresh look with the pearls and the

Turquoise stone piece......and then the third bracelet.....

 

Another bracelet....to match.

What do you think? 

Fifth Bracelet

I have a sweet friend, Jimmie Boatright, that just started teaching beading a year or so ago at

Atlanta Bead Market. 

She made the patchwork squares done up with beautiful bright  blues and a vintage colbalt rectangle crystal in the centers. 

All I had were some kelly green ravoli crystals so that is what I used.  It is not a good picture but the greens are matt teals with kelly greens. 

Another Necklace Purse

Hero had this sweet purse at the Southern Bells get together so I HAD to make this  pattern!  I made the one in pinks and then decided to make it in my (presently) favorite colors.

Sixth Bracelet!

I had gotten some "helix" crystals from China.

I just "had" to do something with them. 

This was my attempt at bronze colors.

I am more of a teal/pinky/rose girl so this was a stretch for me.

I do like the way it turned out!

There are four more pieces

but I don't want to bore you so that is all for now...

(plus I don't have the photos yet...lol)

I have missed catching up on all of you but one can only do so many things in a day/night....on Friday I started beading at 3:00pm and found myself shocked when I heard the birds chirping at 8:30AM!!!  I had not even noticed that the sun was peeking out above the trees.

(now all I have to do is sell some of my pieces so I can continue to make new pieces and support my habit!!!)

Thank you for all of your concerns for my hubby.

It seems in the fall or sometime he did something to his back and he walks like a man of 90 now. 

(OF COURSE he won't go to the doctor so I have been babying him some but I don't want him to get to used to it!!! lol)

I MUST check out some of your posts but I have one more thing to tell you....

I went to work at a real honest to goodness job!

Yep!  A Paying job!

(now that will be a new experience...lol)

I now work one day a week

 (Wednesday's)

and

one Saturday a month at

On The Rocks!

(I changed the window to sunny flowers...lol)

And here is my boss!

Donna is a delight to work for

plus

I get to handle all of those lovely beads

and meet new beading friends!  

I am lovin' it!!  Stop in and bead with me anytime! 

So now you know where I have been...I have missed you ALL but will get back in the swing of things again soon.

Blessings to you all.  You are an important part of my whole being.

Sharon