MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND....THREE DAYS, YIPPEEEEEEE!

Did get quite a few loose ends tied up so I can just BEAD this weekend and enjoy the three days.  I completed the " Four Leaf Clover " pattern by Helena Lang-Tim for Beading Babes and made earrings to go with the piece while I wait for the reveal on June 24th, then plan to work on Raven's Call and the Brick Stitch Ella for Lorraine.  While I had a moment I did go ahead and order the " Echo's of Nefertiti" by Helena and found some great 14mm disk beads.  Then silver echo Tilas and Turquoise, etc.  Yep, went back to Turquoise and Silver.  Imagine that.  I will be spending my time taking photographs.  Looking for that perfect spot to set up a photo base.  I have a lot of photo's and editing to do.  Friday Night.......and were off.

Beading Daily Journal " Why We Do Not Bead.

Fascinating Article in Beading Daily that I want to share.  What are your thoughts on this?

No More Excuses: Let's Bead Something!

I have a confession to make: even though I get paid to be creative, write about beads, and come up with new beaded jewelry designs, I'm pretty good at sabotaging my own creative work. There are days when I can find a whole list of excuses to send me away from the beads, even though my fingers are itching to make some new beaded jewelry designs. And I'm sure that I'm not alone! Take a look at some of my favorite reasons not to bead, and see if they look familiar to you:

Sound's Familiar...........

Addicted to Perfection. I strive for perfection in many areas of my life, but none so much as in my beaded jewelry. That can be both a blessing and a curse. Don't let your desire for perfection give you a reason to not to make your own beaded jewelry designs. Embrace your mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I've made a mistake that actually ended up as a beautiful piece of beaded jewelry!

Fear of Success. This might sound like a stretch, but for some people, it's very real. Some people actually fear success, particularly artistic success, because it means that they might actually be good at something they love. But really, what's the worst that could happen here?  Abandon your fears and feed your dreams when it comes to your beaded jewelry designs.

There's Nothing New to Make! This is another one of my favorite excuses for not beading my own jewelry designs! Just when I think I have a great new idea for a beaded jewelry design, it's way too easy for me to talk myself out of actually making the design if I tell myself, "Well, someone else has probably already done this before." Not so. Beaded jewelry designs are only limited by the human imagination (much like the Buddhist sand mandalas I wrote about a few weeks ago!), so let your beads tell you what to do.

My Beadwork Isn't As Good As... One way to set yourself up for failure with your beaded jewelry designs is to compare your work to that of another bead artist, particularly one that you admire. There are plenty of amazing beaded jewelry designs that are being made by artists in obscurity all around the world, including your own! Your original beaded jewelry designs are an expression of your personal experiences, and that has a value all its own!

Beaddreamz Earring Swap

Well, I mailed my Earrings to Judi in Beadreamz for our Earring Swap.  It turned out to be the Brick-Stitch Treasure Earrings in Bright Red.  When she got them on Saturday they were perfect for her....she wears Red every Friday as her son is deployed in Afganistan with the Army.  My sixth sense must have been working.

This is Glenda's pattern from Beads Gone Wild in West Palm Beach and quite charming if you love dangly earrings and that is exactly what she requested.

Visions of Heather Collin's Hindia

Since I had a break and ordered the testing delica's for Lorraines Elly, I decided to work on the Heather Collins' pattern, " Hindia " and came up with an unusual colorway with mat pearls.  Heather's patterns are alway's easy to follow and the intermediate pattern just required a little " thought process".  But otherwise, I think it will be a beautiful first Hindia.

I have changed her original layout and wanted a striking one layer necklace with drops.  I've always found this layout beautiful.  And I have enough left over for a few pairs of earrings.  To make a complete set will require one heck of a 6mm pearl order, but I am like this green and capri blue color combination.

I was fretting that I would have to head to the bead store for Helena Tang-Lims " Four Leaf Clover" for Beading Babes, but the Bead Goddesses were with me.  Found a perfect color combination to work with and I should have that done this week.

Current projects:  Raven's call Loom Amulet Bag, Hindia, Four Leaf Clover, Bead Embroidery necklace and Full Celini Spiral in Silver.

Yeah!  I'm not bored.

The Confessions of a Beadaholic...

I wonder if there is a 12-Step program for Beadaholics......I have come to the conclusion that there should be.
After spending my Saturday morning fretting that I would need to visit the bead shop to find the appropriate
pearls for a project, then going through boxes and boxes of beads, I had to take a moments break and come to the conclusion.......I need to organize my work space, and how do other Bead Artists manage the magazines, books, and all the other paraphaniala of beading and Polymer Clay collecting and Metal Clay Arts.......jeeeshhh!

First week of June....... organizing all beads by color and specialty....finding that just right storage system too...

Beading for a Cure Auction

Only 2 days left --- don't let this treasure slip away !
Once this auction is complete, our auctions will be finished for this year.
Please help support our cause!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160791180705

Beading For A Cure: Brother Bear and Sister Turtle

www.ebay.com

Beading For A Cure: Brother Bear and Sister Turtle in Jewelry & Watches, Handcrafted, Artisan Jewelry, Necklaces & Pendants | eBay

Well yesterday as I sat watching Ebay for the piece above, the countdown went to two minutes.....

tick....tick....YIPPEE!  I won the piece.  I've always wanted a Hiedi

Kummili piece and now it is mine.

Lorraine with Trinity DJ

I had inquired about a new pattern of Lorraines called " ELLY" that I had seen on Facebook and she
responded back that it needed testing.  At the time I was still prepping " RAVENS CALL" and I have a new bird in the Round Robin " Cameron " Diann's Bird.....so time was tight.  Just got a email from her last
night and she wanted me to Consider testing it in Peyote  ( Guord ).  Why not.  Beading is my Mental Yoga.......and with JR now moving to California, I'll have my studio back.  I'll let you all know how the
testing goes.

My New Mantra.....

MY NEW MANTRA.......

" It's Time for Mental Yoga.......BEAD ON!"

The Beading Babe Challenge by Helena Tang-Lim.

                            BEADING BABES- Bring Beaders Together.................

For Project No: Five ( 5 ) of the Beading Babes..... Here are the details: Purchase Helena's Four Leaf Clover Cuff pattern at the full price of US $12.00 via her online store. Done...... On the reveal date please share your pictures of your completed pieces (or if you didn't get to finish the piece show that you have made a start). Then simply email Helena a link to your blog or Facebook page to receive 50% of the value of the tutorial back. MANEK LADY Four Leaf Clover Cuff.pdf (1.19 MB) ~ Download link will expire in 2 days

I hope you will enjoy making one of my designs and look forward to your continued support.

If you have any questions, do let me know.
 

Happy Beading!
Helena Tang-Lim | The Manek Lady
email : helena@manek-manek.com

And then of course...today working on a Bead Babe Challenge by Helena Tang-Lim.  The reveal is June 24th  Sunday and most of the ladies are working on Helena's Echo's of Nefertiti that was in Bead and Button.....I love this pattern, looking forward to the reveal.

Beadreamz Yahoo Group Loom Challenge

Began my Beadreamz Yahoo Group Loom Challenge Piece.  I set up my Don Pearce Loom and decided I would make an Amulet Bag called " Ravens Call ".  I had come across a wonderful Raven Piece by Mary Hipple aka Kodiak on ETSY and I love Raven's and feel it's time for Raven's Call.  I am short on time with the pieces to be uploaded by May 15th....But you know its the Challenge that I love.

First photo's of the loom set.  And I ordered two Black Bone Feathers for the side drops.  Let see how Raven's Call develop's.

Ladies of the Evening Bead Gathering

This past week I started a wonderful event for the Ladies around Port St. Lucie.  Every other Wednesday we meet at my Condo's Clubhouse and just bead and enjoy each others company.  Genny Smith post's it on the Florida Bead Retreat Yahoo Group and at Beads and Baubles.  Out first meeting was this Wednesday the 2nd of May and I was so surprised at how many ladies came.  We had a full house with ten to begin  Since most of us are teachers it is nice to just sit and catch up and enjoy our fabulous talent.