Talented Friends

Hey, how do you like the Ravens? I think they look wonderful on these earrings made by one of my customers. She certainly does a bead justice!


I am so honored to have some of the best customers in the world. Let me introduce you to one of them…Glamorosi. I have asked her in the past to send me links and photos of things she has created with my beads and she honored me once with a link. I did write something for the blog and then lost it when I was posting. A computer misfortune – remember me? – techno geek? This time I’ve managed to keep it all straight so I could show you her great blog and Etsy site.

She’s fun, she’s talented, and I think you’ll enjoy the links. Glam up!

Add a Gadget

You learn something new everyday......or what not to do. Today I clicked on a little something that explained where I can get some visual goodies to add to the blog. I thought everyone might enjoy looking at it (or acquiring some) so here is the link to the U-Tube explanation: Gadgets

Heavenly Child One

I'm about to receive a gift. All you beadmakers out there can just...

BACK AWAY FROM THE TOOL!

It's mine. It's a dream come true. An arbor press that had been retooled by the child genius to line my beads with tubes of silver. Oh, this is better than _ _ X. And you tool junkies know it, BAWAHAHAHAHA (wicked wicked laughter).

Well I admit, I haven't always referred to him that way. Let's see....when he was in grade school we had to visit the several teachers, several times. He bored easily. If we had been rich they'd of called him precocious, we weren't. In high school I thought we'd be visiting him in jail, or me in nearest sanitarium. College was PARRR-TEEEEE! He had these skills and smarts but at the time was steadfastly refusing to apply them to anything but "getting by".

Then along came Mary, (like the song - but her name is actually Emma) and his under stimulated brain came into focus. First, (following a college switch) he became a police officer, after obtaining that degree. A far cry from my panicked assessment of his high school potential. He was good at it! And, he took flying lessons, earned a pilots license, and purchased an airplane. He flew often and took his father and sister up one day together. I bet you hear my heart pounding as I watched from the ground, smiled, and nearly puked at the thought of things beyond my control which could hurt the three of them in one foul swoop. I was forever grateful when it landed and knew his brother wouldn't end up an only child.

Life was good, he married Emma. Slowly he bloomed and I got a beautiful, precious, and precocious granddaughter (he has been to her grade school) and he returned to college. Look out world. He graduated with very high honors and a lofty goal - law school. Focused ? More like "in the zone!" Published in the Law Review, clerked for a Federal Judge, and worked at a very good Detroit Law firm specializing in employment law. Left that firm this year to begin his own. Slowly, but surely, it grows too. To occupy that mind over the past several years he turned to restoring motorcycles - he's good at that too! Restored a 1979 Harley and it looks great and runs great. Another sits and is waiting in the wings. He was always mechanical and loves the hunt for the parts to add to his restorations.

Now with a Mom like me, who could by all definition be also called precocious, I like having one son for lawyer and another for a social worker. One can bail me out (figuratively/ not literally, yet) and the other counsel me for my lack of remorse about my behavior. And to boot I have this great daughter, a beautiful geek who can fix my computer when she has a mind to (that precocious gene runs amok in this family). Everyone got it but the social worker - a genetic gift to give me relief from the occasional intensity of the other two. I know I'm a lucky ducky. I didn't always hit a home run as a parent but it wasn't for a lack of good intention, if not skill.

And now I have a bead press...eat your heart out Jim Moore. Precocious is a good thing!

Friends and Artists

Hi everyone! Just a shortie note from me here. DH had some extensive back surgery so I have been out of touch but I wanted to drop this wonderful pearl in your lap. I'm introducing you to a great bead artist and designer named Janel Gradowski. She has written some great pieces (how to) for several of our favorite bead mags. I think you'll like her - and her blog. So step right in and introduce yourselves. Here you go ----- It's Janels Jumbles.

Viking Knit Endings

Every now and then someone contacts me concerning how I end my Viking Knit pieces. I try to remember to send them this photo but sometimes I forget. So for anyone wondering how to do that I'm posting it here.

I have done it several different ways. One way is that I make my own end caps out of silver tubing that fits. I measure the end of the knit with a set of calipers (we all know how I love those) and then order tubing with an inside diameter that will fit the bracelet. I then cut off lengths for the ends/ solder them to plate and hand finish them.

Sometimes you just have to do things the hard way!

More often than not though I order end caps. The caps shown in the photo are from Heather Ferman. She has these in many different types of metal and they are a fantastic fit for the ends of the knit.

You take and run a wire through some of the loops and secure it tightly. It doesn't have to be perfect or really pretty (you're going to cover it). I generally use 22 gauge half hard wire for this. Once it's secured I pull the cap over it and make my ending loop. To this I add jump rings and a clasp and it's all done. Happy Knitting.

A Funny!

This came today from my friend Lillian Rogers. I thought I'd pass it on. This way so all of you could have a laugh too. Our friend "L" has what we refer to as 'Lillianisms.' These are handy things we remember that bring us untold joy when we are traveling with husbands in the car. Like "Never feed the driver, or the car will never stop." She tells us of a tale where her and her beloved "W-A" (can you tell she's a Texan?) were on a trip and she had packed some food in a cooler in the backseat. She needed to use the bathroom and W-A kept putting off stopping. Finally he asked for a snack - she feigned being unable to reach the cooler and they finally left the road. And so she developed a Lillianism..........now be sure you say it with a great Texan accent and it will bring a smile to your face every time you're in the car. Oh, and don't pack many snacks either! So here is the 'funny' she sent............

The last line is priceless.......

Three men were hiking through a forest when they came upon a large raging, violent river.

Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed: 'God, please give me the strength to cross the river.

'Poof! ... God gave him big arms and strong legs and he was able to swim across in about 2 hours, having almost drowned twice.

After witnessing that, the second man prayed: 'God, please give me strength and the tools to cross the river

'Poof! ... God gave him a rowboat and strong arms and strong legs and he was able to row across in about an hour after almost capsizing once.

Seeing what happened to the first two men, the third man prayed: 'God, please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to cross the river

'Poof! ... He was turned in to a woman. She checked the map,Hiked one hundred yards up stream and walked across the bridge.

GO AHEAD, SEND THIS TO A WOMAN WHO NEEDS A GOOD LAUGH AND TO ANY MAN WHO CAN HANDLE IT!

'If at first you don't succeed, do it the way your wife told you!'

How Long Have I Been Here?

I was breezing around the Internet and found a new widget. I love technology when it cooperates. It often doesn't when you're a techno-weenie. This one was pretty fun so I included it in the blog. Now you can tell what time it is while you're reading this blog. If you want a clock for blog/web or desktop here's the quick link:

Clocks

Times a ticking.....tic toc.

I Was Checking Myself Out in the Mirror....

And....I still think I look great from the back! Plus, I have a few new listings on Etsy for everyone to check out!







And the Wings "SCCCOOOORRRRRRRRREEEEE". I actually look more like the guy in the Red Wings Jersey. But who's looking from the front when I have such a great rear view? Can you guess my favorite sport?

Fifteen Minutes of Fame (Again)

I'm guessing this might make it a total of a half an hour this year. Whoo, I am stoked. I hope I can add this to my blog because I'm not sure how you capture a window so maybe I haven't and I'd like to show you what happened. So here goes:

Life Buzz -- Necklace
Description
Featured in the Nov/Dec issue of Bead Trends Magazine!!

There is nothing as intoxicating as life. No chemical could ever reproduce the elixir of "moments".. Like when you laugh so hard that your face turns red and you don't think you will ever be able to stop. Or when you step off a plane and into a terminal and catch the first glimpse of a smile from someone you have been anxiously waiting to see. Or when you pass a house whose garden is so breath taking and colorful, you u-turn 3 times to get a closer look. Or when you put on an outfit that is so stunning you feel as if you could take over the world. Even if your "moments" come from different origins than mine, you know what I'm talking about..

This necklace is 100% life buzz, a soul cocktail. I made one of these "orb" shapes on a whim for a previous pair of earrings and have not been able to stop. Something about the forming of the individual circles, paying close attention to make one of them slightly smaller in diameter than the other, and after soldering them, sliding them within each other to fit perfectly gave me the hugest buzz!! Each "orb" link is very sturdy because the circles were hammered and hammered around a steel mandrel and then soldered together and to each other, they will not misshape! In between the orbs are stacks of lampwork glass disc beads made by Sharon of rightturnartwerks of etsy.. She made these beads just for me, in all of my favorite colors.. Sharon I need MorE!! It closes with a hand crafted hook clasp and 3 linked circles so you can adjust the length. Necklace can be worn between 17" and 18.75". All components are sterling silver..

Added on Oct 22, 2008

Here is a link to her total Etsy Site! You're going to love what she does with jewlery. It's fresh and different.

MERISTEM

Tagged, I'm It!

Tag is a blogger's game, which is similar to the kids' game we played so many zillion years ago. Here's how the cyber-version of tag works;

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by including links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

7 Things about me that you may or may not know.

1. I used to manage a McDonalds (uck!).

2. I used to be a pretty good shot with a gun - my Dad taught me. Good artist = Good hand

to eye coordination.

3. My feet are wide - like flippers! : - D.

4. I sing loud and badly in the car when I am alone.

5. I work with delinquents and gang kids - all substance abusers. Oh, and I like my job.

6. I'm quiet 90% of the time.

7. I love popcorn.

Here is the list of the people that I have tagged. Well, actually there is no list. Everyone I could think of tagging has been tagged before. I know, it's a bummer. But rather than just let the tag sit there being unanswered I decided to play by sharing my seven things and just saying a "Hello Everyone out there!" and I love you open-minded blogging taggers out there. So, please go ahead and share some more about yourselves. You're great/ you're wonderful/ and I love reading your blogs, seeing your beads, your artwork, your kids, your animals, and everything else you care and dare to share. (((Hugs))) Sharon