Treasury Hunting

I enjoy creating and being in Etsy treasuries. Putting them together is not only enjoyable, but also gives me a chance to feature my fellow street team members, friends, items I admire, or even to show other viewers a point of view.

I love having my lampwork glass beads featured in treasuries too. Not only is it free advertising and might bring more "eyes" to my shop, but I like seeing the theme of the ones I've been chosen to be in. It gives me a snapshot of what that person is thinking about my work.

Keeping track of when the treasuries will open to snag one, is a bit more difficult. I forget to look, or I lose track of time and then miss them.

Craftopolis has just made treasury hunting a lot easier. The website has pages which show you how many are currently in use and approximately how much longer until they open again.

It also has a search engine for you to submit seller names to see if you're in any of the treasuries or gift guides.

If you are curious, you can check on other sellers too.

With treasuries changing out every two to three days, this can make the process speedier. When I'm in a treasury, I try to click on every photo and make a comment. That helps bring the treasury ranking up to a higher number.

So here's the cool thing. Even if you aren't an Etsy seller, but are signed up with an Etsy name, you can make treasuries too. Kind of a fun way to express yourself and create a window of what you like. Try it sometime. It's a lot of fun. And now you can easily find out approximately when they'll be available again.

See you tomorrow.

Playing With Paint

I received some new software as part of my birthday present a few weeks back. It's Corel Painter Essentials 4.

I've never used it before, but decided I'd just jump in and start playing.

I learned a long time ago that if I mess with bead photos, it looks far better than if I choose a photo of a family member. The change in colors and varied brush strokes can make someone look like an alien pretty quickly if you've got my expertise.

So I picked a little pup that I recently listed. She's a lampwork bead who needs a home.

Here's my modern art twist. I like the soft effect of the pastel colors blended together. I guess they're colors I would use in glass beads. Now my question is whether I want to try a bead that blends colors and looks like this?

Flew The Nest

Final baby cardinal update: they've flown the nest.

Darn, I'm going to miss watching the two little birds and their very nurturing parents right outside my desk window. 

But the upside is, I won't spend hours each day acting like an over protective nanny when the parents are out gathering food. 

For some reason, I would spend extra time watching over them, when I'd see the parents leave.  Perhaps it was their ever present loud little chirps, or just the "Mom" gene in me.

I had named them Squeaky Wheel and Elroy.  Squeaky was the loudest and more persistent in pushing away the other one to get to the food.

But seeing that I seem to go for the underdog, Elroy was the one I watched the most.  Concerned that he wasn't getting as much food, I'd look to see that the parents were being relatively fair.

Then one day, both hopped up on the side of the nest and out onto nearby branches.  This is Elroy.  He stood there for awhile and made a lot of noise.  Not quite ready to fly, he hopped around until he got down to the ground and just kept awkwardl hopping, into our undergrowth.  I watched as the parents flew overhead protecting  him.  I wish more human parents did as good a job as these cardinals.

So now the two kids are gone and the nest is abandoned.  I miss them.  They were much better than the nature channel on television and observing them up close was a treat. I guess I'd better get back to focusing on making beads.  Tomorrow it will be about glass again, I promise.

Haven't Lost My Marbles, But I Found Some...

Holy Guacamole! These are some rippin' marbles. And these are just three of the ones entered in the 5th Annual Glass Addiction Alphabet Marble Contest.

Top: Brad Pearson
Middle: Richard Hollingshead II
Bottom: Margaret Zinser

All of the contestants would appreciate it if you go vote for your favorites. The system is a little convoluted, but Brad swears that it works. You can find it here.

For the rest of the marbles, and there are some real yummy ones...visit here.

Of course everyone has their personal taste as
to which one is their favorite. Each of these three draws me in and make me want to think about how they were made and the person's thought process behind them.

As a kid, we used to play marbles. We had a pecking order for which ones were the best and of course favorites. I loved the "clearies" that were transparent colored glass- the blues and greens especially. Once in a while, my mom let us heat some in a frying pan with some water, and then pop them into ice to crackle them. Who knew that would be the forerunner to my glass career when I learned how to make crackle beads so many years later.

So pop over and vote, please. Give these glass artists some love. And if you have a moment,
come back and let all of us know which were your preferences. These were just three very different ones, but I had a lot of favorites that you still haven't seen.

Catch you tomorrow.

Dream Land - Just Fantasy?

I think I'm in love.  I've found a bedroom that suits me to a "T".

I'm trying to dissect what it is that makes me swoon.  It's playful and whimsical, but perhaps the strong nature focus with such peaceful colors brings the tranquility I'd like when going to sleep.  I imagine wonderful dreams derived from this atmosphere.

The tree posts are laser cut ash wood, which is a hardwood.  It's made with dovetail joints and brass fittings.  

So now here's the scoop...I found it on etsy.com.  Can you believe it?  And needless to say,  the price is not in my budget, $9600, which doesn't include shipping across the ocean.

A multi-talented artist in Finland made it, and she mentioned that she can also design additional ones in other materials, sizes and colors.

So I guess for now I'll just *sigh* and enjoy this beautiful room.  I guess I can dream, can't I?

To visit this bed and AttilaDesign's Etsy shop, click here.

Robert Simmons' Wearable Butterfly Bead Tutorial

At our last meeting of Southern Flames in Atlanta, GA, Robert Simmons, cool guy and the National Director of Bead Donations for Beads of Courage, demonstrated one of his versions of a butterfly bead.

These beads are given to Beads of Courage parents, who have lost their child from illness.

And, because Robert is so kind and generous, he has written up a tutorial for making them. You can find it HERE. If you start making them, would you please donate a few to Beads of Courage? You know how near and dear that group is to my heart.

And to see photos of Robert making the bead during our fabulous meeting, check out this page from our Southern Flames scrapbook. (You can also see our two new co-presidents at the same time- two for one!

Enjoy the tutorial. And pay attention to some of the little hints he gives. For example, I love that he says to start with a clear base and to put the opaque over it. The clear makes the soft glass a little stiffer and less floppy. Good thinking Robert. (well, he is a Ph.D too.) Have fun.

Bed & Breakfasts in Asheville NC

I grew up in an old, rambling home in a neighborhood that was full of others of a similar age.

I still seem drawn to neighborhoods with them. When my husband and I visited Asheville, N.C. a few weeks ago, we stayed in a neighborhood that reminded me of my youth. (eons ago!) Each of these three homes were Bed & Breakfast Inns and were among so many more.

The one we chose is named Asheville Seasons and you can see the back side of it in the bottom right photo. We really liked it. My personal taste is old, but not fussy. This one was perfect. The inn keepers were a delight. Great energy, delicious breakfasts, lovely amenities and something near and dear to both my husband's and my heart...wifi throughout the house. (so much for getaways)

I'll tell you more about what we found in Asheville in another post or two. But for now, if you visit Asheville, consider the Monfort neighborhood