Rock Creek Creations

Virtual Craft Show

2011-11-26T11:42:00.001-06:00

This week is the Virtual Craft show hosted by Lori Anderson of PrettyThings and Bead Soup Blog Hop fame.

In the next few days I will have a spot in the Craft Show and am very excited. My crafting creating experience has been a long and varied path. It started early on at the kitchen table making paper crafts like canoes and teepees, to crocheting, embroidery, cross stitch, dyeing fabric, quilting, weaving, and now finally onto bead embroidery and jewelry making. After typing all of that I think I definately have crafting ADHD.

I appreciate anyone stopping by. Hopefully you will check out my Artfire Studio. Right now I have a coupon for 15% off everything in my shop. Enter the code GIVEAWAY to take advantage of 15% off.

I also have a necklace that will be given away from PrettyThings after the Virtual Craft Show if finished. Head over to her site and comment for a chance to enter.

Thank you for stopping by. Head over to my Studio to check out my offerings in bead embroidery and ceramic pendants and have a good holiday season!!

Beads of Clay Giveaway and NOW WHAT!?!

2011-09-23T15:33:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for my Bead Soup Blog Party Post click HERE.If you are looking for an awesome giveaway go over to the Beads of Clay blog for a chance to win $150 worth of Goodies. Here is a picture!!

Sooo, if you're here for the Bead Soup Blog Hop see below. Are you like me? I've spent the last month or so, working on my Bead Soup project. I haven't worked on much else since then. Now I have a PROBLEM!! What do I work on now!?!I"ve been looking at my beads, looking at magazines, and I'm really not sure what to work on. I'm hoping to find inspiration soon, because my hands are getting jumpy to get something to work on!!

BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY 2011

2011-09-17T10:01:00.001-05:00

Today is the day!! I was very excited to be paired with Maggie Towne who is a lampwork artist. It really sent me out of my comfort zone because I haven't worked with things with vertical holes....and I've never worked with lampwork. I HOPE that I have done the beautiful nest and blue birds justice!!

I love the clasp so I decided to offset it on the lecklace and it hangs to the side.

If you want to see what Maggie did with the pieces I sent her go HERE. If you want to see the rest of the list of jewelry makers, go HERE. Have fun!!

I Heart Macro Sunday ~ Bead Soup Blog Hop Preview

2011-09-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

I was taking pics of my Bead Soup Blog Hop piece, which I surprisingly got finished a week ahead of time....AMAZING!! And I decided that I had a good "I Heart Macro" shot in there. Which is Macro enough to not reveal too much of the piece. Yes, I know! Mean!! I hope you enjoy my Macro Shot!!

Aren't these pretty!?!

2011-09-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

At my day job, I work with individuals from different originating countries who are all working hard to make it in the United States. For their selves, their children, and our community. One family has started to make these beautiful vases. They are looking into the legalities and logistics of starting their own business selling these vases. It was interesting to help them with some questions, and reminded me that even if you don't fully know the language, questions about legal issues cross all languages. Both parents work adn are raising a wonderful family so this adventure may not turn into anything, but it's interesting to watch their journey!

And aren't the vases beautiful!!

Wish List Monday

2011-08-15T11:07:00.005-05:00

It is wish list monday again! Just some goodies i would like but can't get just yet...My lottery numbers haven't matched yet!!

Spawn of Flame

Beads And Botanicals

Silver River Glass Works

For more Wish Lists Go to:

I Heart Macro

2011-08-14T13:18:00.001-05:00

On Sunday's Waterstone Jewelry has an I Heart Macro Feature. I was looking through my photos today and found this Macro that I absolutely LOVE! Not only does it have a close up of beads but also an agate. Both favorites!!

Head over to

to view more Macro Shots!

WOW! That's all I can say!

2011-08-12T19:04:00.001-05:00

It is unbelievable the amount of work Lori Anderson has gone through to arrange the Bead Soup Blog Party!! There is an incredible 363 participants in the exchange this year!! And somehow she manages to create perfect pairs.

This is my second year of the Blog Party. I really enjoyed my partner, Deci at Gem Trails and my creation last year.

This year I am very very lucky to be matched with Maggie from BeadTowne and her Etsy Shop. She is a wonderful Lampwork artist.

I'm not sure that I even told her that I have never owned an actual hand crafted lampwork bead! So when I opened my package yesterday I was absolutely in AWE of the beautiful work she does! Just look at the little birdies and the nest with the cute eggs and the little tree and hearts!

BUT! and this is a big BUT, part of the objective of the Bead Soup Blog Party is to push us out of our comfort zone. Well, this has sort of given me a huge shove out of my little box that is my bead embroidery, bead weaving happy, happy self. Now you might think that I am upset by this but I'm not!! It is good, very good make a person's creativity work a little bit.

So thank you Maggie for sending me what you did and I hope I do it justice!!

Monday I Wish List

2011-08-08T09:30:00.003-05:00

I just had to join in on the fun that Amy from Copper Diem is having on Mondays!! She creates a “Wish List” and links to the listings. I always have a wish list going, so here are some of mine!!

Just look at the colors in this California Plasma Agate Designer Cabochon.

And this Turquoise Cabochon Freeform 34x15mm American Mined.

And this Natural Large Spiderweb Agate Cabochon.

And one last one!!!

This one is a Bumblebee Jasper Cabochon from IndonesiaWouldn’t these be wonderful to work with!!

This wishlist brought to you by me and

Check out some more wish lists there.

Craft Show Today

2011-08-06T19:11:00.006-05:00

Today was a good day. I shared a booth with my Mom & Dad at a local Blues Festival Craft Show. It was a rocky start with the show organizers not showing up until 15 minutes before the show was going to start. Half of us didn't know the booth number we were assigned to. One older gentleman had to move 3 times before he found a booth that no one else claimed. He was NOT a happy camper.

It is much nicer to share the booth fee with someone! It makes it much easier to get in the clear that way! It's sort of confusing though. I have lots of jewelry but the stuff I sould the most was 3 for 1$ random rocks and slabs of rocks at $2 each. Go figure!! I know some of my things are higher priced but gosh I really shouldn't have to give it away! It's not as if each bead sewed itself down by itself! Of course Mr. imported lampwork pendants at $3 each seemed to sell alot!

But I have decided that I will not let it bother me! If I wanted to sell imported items I could....I just choose not to!

I'm really looking forward to the Bead Soup Blog Hop Party. I can't wait to get my exchange name!

Here are some things I took to the show with me AND things that came back home with me!

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It's almost Time!

2011-07-31T17:53:00.002-05:00

It's almost time for the next Bead Soup Blog Party!! Click here for registration Information!

My Latest Creations

2011-07-09T11:04:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling a little bad; but I'm having a lot of fun! I have 2 unfinished wallhangings and haven't touched a "real" bead in quite awhile.

I'm having such fun with the clay. Over the years I've decided that it's a good thing I've never tried any drugs. Because I have such an addictive personality. Once I try something, I tend to go all out and fully engrossed in it. It's bad enough that I now try to do as much research as I can before I try something new.

Does anyone want any quilting fabric, muslin, fabric dye, yarn, polymer clay, etc....just a few things I've over bought in the last 10 years. ;-)

So here are some pics of my latest creations with clay. You can find them HERE. I really like the dragonflies and seahorses. They are my favorite thing to make right now.

Thanks for stopping by!

Macro Sunday

2011-06-19T13:21:00.001-05:00

This week I decided to participate in "I Heart Macro" entirely by accident! I was cutting into a watermelon and saw the design in the center and just had to take a pic of it. So here is my I heart Macro photo!!

And here is the link to some more Photos!!

Yeap, I may be addicted!!

2011-06-12T14:12:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago I had my first cycle on the kiln and now I think that I am addicted. I don't feel the need for an intervention yet, but it might be getting close! Most nights I have a pile of clay next to me and I can be seen making little tidbits, faces, domes and more. Here is a sample of some of my faces and dones. I'm really liking how beautiful they turn out after the glaze cycle! If you are interested in any of these, they can be found at my Artfire Studio!

Set of Stuff from the Kiln

2011-06-05T13:43:00.001-05:00

I've finally had a chance to take some photos of the pieces out of the kiln. I've got some listed on Artfire and hope to start beading around some soon! Oh and I'm on my way to making more to get in the kiln! Busy Busy!! (Click on the photo to see a close up.)

The kiln load and unload

2011-06-04T11:59:00.001-05:00

My new/used kiln was finally started last week. I did a bisque load and a glaze load and I'm really happy with how they turned out. I have already learned a lot and am making and drying some more of the successes for my next load. ;-)

Here is a photo of the first bisque load. It is actually has two layers.

Here is a photo of the glazed load. It has less than the bisque load because I was in a hurry to get them finished before the craft show. One of the things I learned is that bumpy clay cannot be glazed over. You will still see the bumps. I also learned that the underglaze doesn't really look all that good without a clear glaze over it. So I'm glad I got a big bottle of the clear glaze.

But the last thing I learned is I can't wait to make even more stuff!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T20:30:00.003-05:00

This past weekend my 4yo and I were able to go to a Flea Market/Craft Show at a campground about 1.5 hours away. My dad does wood turning, my mom makes twined rugs and sells bulk spices and of course I with my jewelry.

There were ~160 vendors with everything from true junk, imported goods, nice junk, and hand crafted jewelry. I didn't expect too much after I saw the range of things, but did ok. Especially since my parents let me share their site so I didn't have any fees for that.

While there I have come up with a new name for my jewelry sales and I even got the artfire,gmail and blogspot name for it. And the reveal is...........

"One Bead Atta Time"

My reasoning for this name is because most of the jewelry there was mass produced and I found myself repeating, "Everything on the table was made "One Bead At A Time". But I did not follow that with "unlike the rest of the sh*t here", but I really wanted too.

The artfire studio at http://www.artfire.com/users/onebead-atta-time as of 5/30/11 I don't have anything listed, but hopefully will soon. I will probably keep my RockCreekCreations studio because I hope to keep with the ceramic kiln and making cabs and focals to bead around. So I'm hoping it is catchy and helps with tons and tons of sales...LOL!

This week's project...

2011-04-29T21:18:00.002-05:00

This week I was able to work on a project totally out of my comfort zone. Now most of you will say that stringing beads shouldn't be considered hard. It's not the stringing part that's hard, it's making sure the beads stay on the wire when working with it, making sure the crimp beads are tight, both ends, without "dropping the gosh-darn beads off the wire for the third time!"

But it was a labor of love. M, a woman I work with, grand daughter is getting confirmed this weekend. M had a little cloissine cross that M's mother had and the granddaughter is the only grandchild who remembers much of the great-grandmom. Sooo, M wanted to give the cross to her granddaughter, but it was very small. So we decided to use the cross in a bracelet. I've seen rosary bracelets before and thought that might be a good way to go, since it's for confirmation.

So I tolerated that wire, crimp beads, covers, safety chains, and all other things, because it was fun and worth the effort to see how much M like the finished bracelet. If you walked into my office today, M showed the bracelet. Whether you wanted to see it or not. I can't wait to hear how the granddauther likes it!

Last Weekend's Rock & Mineral Show

2011-04-23T20:26:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went to the 43rd Eau Claire Rock & Mineral Show. I was very interesting to see all the vendors and their rocks. There was even a "cave" lite with black light and full of Flourescent rocks. They were sooo very interesting. My almost 4yo daughter was with me. The first time in the cave she was surprised by the darkness so wanted out. By the time I wanted to leave, she wanted to only be in the "glowing rock cave".

I was able to purchase a lot of slabs of different sizes. I'm not sure not sure what I will do with them all, but I'm sure they will be made into a variety of wall hangings or pendants. I'm considering stopping at Savers or Goodwill, to see if I can find some purses that would work a beaded attachment.

I hope you enjoy looking at the "rocks". If you have any questions, or would be interested in purchasing any of them, I would be interested in any offers. ;-)

I really wanted to be better at blogging, BUT..

2011-04-17T21:15:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm really not. So I will not freak out about this, and just blog when I want and not stress about it, because then I don't blog anyway....so....Here is my first post of my anytime blogging...LOL.

Part of the reason is that my 13yo has decided that he NEEDS to use my camera all the time. He has started to do Stop-Motion film making. Not really film making, but as close as he will get right now. He takes his wwe action figures, poses them, takes the pic, moves them, take the pic, etc. You know, 80 photos equal 2 minutes of footage. Soooo, he's been using the camera ALOT.

So today I've finally, confiscated the camera and taken some photos and posted some new things on my artfire studio. I hope you enjoy them.

BEAD SOUP BLOG HOP-HOP-HOPPING AWAY!! and giveaway....

2011-02-25T15:20:00.018-06:00

I’m not going to clog this post with a lot of chitter-chatter. I'm sure everyone is trying to get to as many blogs as they can. I hope you enjoy my pieces!! This is what I started with...

After some trial and error, here are my final pieces!!

This is a multi-use piece.The bead embroidery piece can be hung as a wallhanging. The necklace can be worn alone or when a show piece is wanted, the necklace can be attached to the bead enbroidery and worn. This places the star fish at the back of your neck for an interesting look. My piece also includes a matching necklace.

Don't forget to go checkout my partner Deci's piece at Gem Trails.

As a thank you for stopping by I am going to give away this pendant to someone who comments on this post. I will draw a name from the comments on Monday evening. Thanks for stopping by and scrolling down to make a comment.

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in this swap.

1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

2. Kitty Durmaj, Perles and Life

3. Michelle Heim, Life In the Bead Lane

4. Lisa Petrillo, Lucid Moon Studio

5. Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

6. Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

7. Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

8. Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

9. Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto

10. Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

11. Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas

12. Rachel Walsh, Balanced Crafts

13. Marian Hertzog, M's Place

14. Mary McGraw, MK's Musings

15. Sarabeth Burke, Chronicles of Sarita

16. Deci Worland, Gem TrailsMy partner!!

17. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

18. Laura Zeiner, Stick Lizard Designs

19. Kristin Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

20. Cathryn Brooks-Williams, Chile Cats

21. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs

22. Janna Harttgen, Palima-Lim

23. Libby Leuchtman, Libby Leu

24. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads

25. Deb Hunter, Living On Air

26. Diana Ptaszynski, Suburban Girl Studio

27. Jennifer VanBenschoten, VanBeads

28. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter

29. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts

30. Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

31. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

32. Patricia Gasparino, My Life Under the Bus

33. Tari Khars, Pearl and Pebble

34. Kristi Bowman-Gruel, Kristi Bowman Design

35. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

36. Becky Fairclough, Chameleons Designs

37. Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead & Metal Works

38. Lynne Bowland, Islandgirl's Insights

39. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire

40. Lorelei Eurto, Inside the Studio

41. Stacy Hartis, Sissy & Jack's

42. Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

43. Marcie Abney, La Bella Joya

44. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations

45. Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles

46. Melissa Mesara, One Eared Pig

47. Amanda Davie, Articulations

48. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady

49. Virginia Joste, ViviBijoux

50. Andrew Thornton, The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
51. Lori Dorrington, Lori's Glassworks

52. Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles

53. Kate Gardenghi, Tropical Blonde

54. Serena Trent, PinkIce Jewel's Blog

55. Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin de Koning

56. Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

57. Francy Inman, 8 Second Studio

58. Amy Freeland, Copper Diem

59. Lisa Liddy, Joolz By Lisa

60. Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do

61. Mary Harding, Mary Harding Bead Blog

62. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon

63. Leslie Gidden, Mad Maggie Designs

64. Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

65. Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

66. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.

67. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash

68. Laurel Steven, Rue's Daftique

69. Ingrid McCue, Wrapped In Silver

70. Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

71. Diana Hawkey, Diana Hawkey

72. Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

73. Jeanette Ryan, Jeanette Blix

74. Jackie Ryan, Silver Lodge Gems

75. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Be Done!

76. Debbie Goering, Prairie Emporium

77. Valerie Norton, Hot Art

78. Jana Trupovniece, Stories of the Secret Garden

79. Amy Severino, Amy Beads

80. Emma Thomas, Fred Beans Nook

81. Karen Zanco, Everyday Gypsy

82. Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria

83. Janet McDonald, Singing Woods

84. Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

85. Kristina Johansson, Wild Roses and Blackberries

86. CJ Bauschka, CJ Bauschka

87. Angela Barribea, Re: Angela Rae

88. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy

89. Tanya Floyd, Glass Migrations

90. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss

91. Sue Hodgkinson, Hello Gorgeous

92. Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Bead

93. Nally Parfyonova, Nally's Creations

94. Karyn White, Releases By Rufydoof

95. Emanda Johnson, Artemisia Studio

96. Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box

97. Cindy Dolezal, Cindy Dolezal Designs

98. Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

99. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

100. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings

101. Nicole Valentine-Rimmer, N. Valentine Studio

102. Jacinta Meyers, Jamberrysong's Creations

103. Charlene Gary, Gray Girl Studios

104. Rubiee Hayes, Glitter and Keys Galore

105. Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations You are here!!!

106. Elizabeth Freeman, Turquoise Sky

107. Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

108. Lynda Moseley, Diva Designs

109. Grace Danel, Grace Beading

110. Lois Moon, Que Onda Quitman

111. Agnes Shapiro, Beader Bubbe

112. Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo

113. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs

114. Mary Ellen Parker, Bee Tree By Me

115. Barbara Bechtel, Second Surf

116. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer

117. Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

118. Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

119. Ronda Adams, The Ravished Heart

120. Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe Designs

121. Anna Lear, The Laughing Raven

122. Susie Hibdon, Vintagesusie & Wings

123. Amanda Austin, Sea Shore Glass

124. Jennifer Velasquez, Jen Judd Rocks

125. Hazel Ward, All Those Things

126. Brenda Salzano, Salzanos

127. Dee Gordon, Runako Designs by Dee

128. Anna Denisova, Anita-M

129. Margaret Saari, Mags-Jewelry

130. Genea Crivello-Knable, Genea Beads

131. Penny Neville, Copper Penny

132. Angela Blasingame, Hopemore

133. Helena Fritz, Beadwork by H's Blog

134. Stephanie LaRose, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

135. Stephanie Haussler, PixyBug Designs

136. Diane Cook, Rosa & Josies

137. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art

138. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by J.P.

139. Shannon Chomanczuk, For My Sweet Daughter

140. Lisa Godfrey, Bead Happy

141. Heather Pyle, Welcome to My Muse

142. Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

143. Liz DeLuca, Creative Arty Facts

144. Sig Wynne-Evans, Beaded Bear's Nonsense

145. Loretta Carstensen, Loretta's Boutique

146. Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

147. Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul

148. Shelly Graves, Stars Dance With Me

149. Jess Italia Lincoln, Vintaj Blog

150. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

151. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T

152. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals

153. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Quiet Area

154. Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

155. Magdalena Sikora, Poranna Gazeta

156. Nicole Keller, Nicki's Reef

157. Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

158. Noemi Baena, Fire, Metal, and Color

159. Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman

160. Barbara Blaszczyk, Labotorium Flory

161. Collette Collins, Firefly Myst

162. Carola Greiser, Polymer Clay Shed

163. Joanna Kopijczuk, Bizuteria z Filcu

164. LeAnn Weih, Summers Studio

165. Cassandra Watsham, Design by Cassandra

166. Anna Motz, Stunning

167. Shea Zukowski, Gr8findings

168. Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads

169. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings

170. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

171. Alison Crenshaw, Beads by Earth Tones

172. Dorcas Midkiff, Wondrous Strange Designs

173. Melissa Rediger, Sea of Glass

174. Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre

175. Julie Nordine, Julie Nordine | Credit River Art Glass

176. Menka Gupta, Menka's Blog

177. Patsy Evins, Patsy Evins Studio

178. Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're

179. Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

180. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

181. Lyn Foley, Lyn Foley Wearable Art

182. Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog

183. Natalie Schuetz, Natalie S Perlen

184. Kim Hutchinson, Running on Ink

185. Haley Frank, Wide Eyed Smilin

186. Grace Caputo, Suddenly Last Summer

187. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Skye Jewels

188. Erin Siegel, Erin Siegel Jewelry

189. Janea McDonald, Organized Chaos

190. Kristi Evenson, Colie Bug & Co.

191. Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry

192. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

193. Whitney Lassini, Whitney Lassini

194. Nancy Schindler, The Rabbit Muse

195. Pam Brisse, The Blue Between

196. Beth Bricker, Vintage Sweets

197. Ruthie Stickney, Rose Works Jewelry and Gifts

198. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Designs

199. Karen Williams, Baublicious

200. Claire Maunsell, The Next Bend

201. Christine Damm, Stories They Tell

202. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts

203. Wendy Blum, Sand & Sea Designs

204. Juli Cannon, Julsbeads

205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique

206. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry

207. Pam Krinski, Ewa Beads

208. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love

209. Dana Jones, Dana's Jewelry

210. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

The next party's sign ups begin August 1-3, 2011. Don't miss it!

It’s Almost Reveal Time!!

2011-02-24T14:45:00.005-06:00

It's getting exciting…More and more blogs are teasing about the big reveal on Saturday for the Bead Soup Blog Party. I can't wait!! My pieces have been completed for a week already. I decided to reveal a puzzle I created of the photo. You can't actually do the puzzle, but it will give you little tidbits of my pieces. I can't wait to see what Deci over at Gem Trails creates with the goodies I sent her. Plan on spending the day blog hopping through the entrants in the amazing Blog Hop.

Thanks for visiting!!

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in this swap. I'm testing to make sure everything looks ok.

1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

2. Kitty Durmaj, Perles and Life

3. Michelle Heim, Life In the Bead Lane

4. Lisa Petrillo, Lucid Moon Studio

5. Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

6. Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

7. Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

8. Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

9. Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto

10. Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

11. Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas

12. Rachel Walsh, Balanced Crafts

13. Marian Hertzog, M's Place

14. Mary McGraw, MK's Musings

15. Sarabeth Burke, Chronicles of Sarita

16. Deci Worland, Gem Trails

17. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

18. Laura Zeiner, Stick Lizard Designs

19. Kristin Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

20. Cathryn Brooks-Williams, Chile Cats

21. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs

22. Janna Harttgen, Palima-Lim

23. Libby Leuchtman, Libby Leu

24. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads

25. Deb Hunter, Living On Air

26. Diana Ptaszynski, Suburban Girl Studio

27. Jennifer VanBenschoten, VanBeads

28. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter

29. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts

30. Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

31. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

32. Patricia Gasparino, My Life Under the Bus

33. Tari Khars, Pearl and Pebble

34. Kristi Bowman-Gruel, Kristi Bowman Design

35. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

36. Becky Fairclough, Chameleons Designs

37. Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead & Metal Works

38. Lynne Bowland, Islandgirl's Insights

39. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire

40. Lorelei Eurto, Inside the Studio

41. Stacy Hartis, Sissy & Jack's

42. Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

43. Marcie Abney, La Bella Joya

44. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations

45. Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles

46. Melissa Mesara, One Eared Pig

47. Amanda Davie, Articulations

48. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady

49. Virginia Joste, ViviBijoux

50. Andrew Thornton, The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
51. Lori Dorrington, Lori's Glassworks

52. Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles

53. Kate Gardenghi, Tropical Blonde

54. Serena Trent, PinkIce Jewel's Blog

55. Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin de Koning

56. Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

57. Francy Inman, 8 Second Studio

58. Amy Freeland, Copper Diem

59. Lisa Liddy, Joolz By Lisa

60. Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do

61. Mary Harding, Mary Harding Bead Blog

62. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon

63. Leslie Gidden, Mad Maggie Designs

64. Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

65. Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

66. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.

67. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash

68. Laurel Steven, Rue's Daftique

69. Ingrid McCue, Wrapped In Silver

70. Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

71. Diana Hawkey, Diana Hawkey

72. Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

73. Jeanette Ryan, Jeanette Blix

74. Jackie Ryan, Silver Lodge Gems

75. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Be Done!

76. Debbie Goering, Prairie Emporium

77. Valerie Norton, Hot Art

78. Jana Trupovniece, Stories of the Secret Garden

79. Amy Severino, Amy Beads

80. Emma Thomas, Fred Beans Nook

81. Karen Zanco, Everyday Gypsy

82. Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria

83. Janet McDonald, Singing Woods

84. Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

85. Kristina Johansson, Wild Roses and Blackberries

86. CJ Bauschka, CJ Bauschka

87. Angela Barribea, Re: Angela Rae

88. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy

89. Tanya Floyd, Glass Migrations

90. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss

91. Sue Hodgkinson, Hello Gorgeous

92. Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Bead

93. Nally Parfyonova, Nally's Creations

94. Karyn White, Releases By Rufydoof

95. Emanda Johnson, Artemisia Studio

96. Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box

97. Cindy Dolezal, Cindy Dolezal Designs

98. Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

99. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

100. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings

101. Nicole Valentine-Rimmer, N. Valentine Studio

102. Jacinta Meyers, Jamberrysong's Creations

103. Charlene Gary, Gray Girl Studios

104. Rubiee Hayes, Glitter and Keys Galore

105. Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

106. Elizabeth Freeman, Turquoise Sky

107. Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

108. Lynda Moseley, Diva Designs

109. Grace Danel, Grace Beading

110. Lois Moon, Que Onda Quitman

111. Agnes Shapiro, Beader Bubbe

112. Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo

113. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs

114. Mary Ellen Parker, Bee Tree By Me

115. Barbara Bechtel, Second Surf

116. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer

117. Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

118. Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

119. Ronda Adams, The Ravished Heart

120. Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe Designs

121. Anna Lear, The Laughing Raven

122. Susie Hibdon, Vintagesusie & Wings

123. Amanda Austin, Sea Shore Glass

124. Jennifer Velasquez, Jen Judd Rocks

125. Hazel Ward, All Those Things

126. Brenda Salzano, Salzanos

127. Dee Gordon, Runako Designs by Dee

128. Anna Denisova, Anita-M

129. Margaret Saari, Mags-Jewelry

130. Genea Crivello-Knable, Genea Beads

131. Penny Neville, Copper Penny

132. Angela Blasingame, Hopemore

133. Helena Fritz, Beadwork by H's Blog

134. Stephanie LaRose, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

135. Stephanie Haussler, PixyBug Designs

136. Diane Cook, Rosa & Josies

137. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art

138. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by J.P.

139. Shannon Chomanczuk, For My Sweet Daughter

140. Lisa Godfrey, Bead Happy

141. Heather Pyle, Welcome to My Muse

142. Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

143. Liz DeLuca, Creative Arty Facts

144. Sig Wynne-Evans, Beaded Bear's Nonsense

145. Loretta Carstensen, Loretta's Boutique

146. Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

147. Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul

148. Shelly Graves, Stars Dance With Me

149. Jess Italia Lincoln, Vintaj Blog

150. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

151. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T

152. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals

153. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Quiet Area

154. Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

155. Magdalena Sikora, Poranna Gazeta

156. Nicole Keller, Nicki's Reef

157. Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

158. Noemi Baena, Fire, Metal, and Color

159. Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman

160. Barbara Blaszczyk, Labotorium Flory

161. Collette Collins, Firefly Myst

162. Carola Greiser, Polymer Clay Shed

163. Joanna Kopijczuk, Bizuteria z Filcu

164. LeAnn Weih, Summers Studio

165. Cassandra Watsham, Design by Cassandra

166. Anna Motz, Stunning

167. Shea Zukowski, Gr8findings

168. Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads

169. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings

170. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

171. Alison Crenshaw, Beads by Earth Tones

172. Dorcas Midkiff, Wondrous Strange Designs

173. Melissa Rediger, Sea of Glass

174. Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre

175. Julie Nordine, Julie Nordine | Credit River Art Glass

176. Menka Gupta, Menka's Blog

177. Patsy Evins, Patsy Evins Studio

178. Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're

179. Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

180. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

181. Lyn Foley, Lyn Foley Wearable Art

182. Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog

183. Natalie Schuetz, Natalie S Perlen

184. Kim Hutchinson, Running on Ink

185. Haley Frank, Wide Eyed Smilin

186. Grace Caputo, Suddenly Last Summer

187. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Skye Jewels

188. Erin Siegel, Erin Siegel Jewelry

189. Janea McDonald, Organized Chaos

190. Kristi Evenson, Colie Bug & Co.

191. Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry

192. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

193. Whitney Lassini, Whitney Lassini

194. Nancy Schindler, The Rabbit Muse

195. Pam Brisse, The Blue Between

196. Beth Bricker, Vintage Sweets

197. Ruthie Stickney, Rose Works Jewelry and Gifts

198. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Designs

199. Karen Williams, Baublicious

200. Claire Maunsell, The Next Bend

201. Christine Damm, Stories They Tell

202. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts

203. Wendy Blum, Sand & Sea Designs

204. Juli Cannon, Julsbeads

205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique

206. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry

207. Pam Krinski, Ewa Beads

208. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love

209. Dana Jones, Dana's Jewelry

210. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

The next party's sign ups begin August 1-3, 2011. Don't miss it!

Another Blog Soup Sneak Peek

2011-02-19T21:54:00.000-06:00

All my life I've been a procrastinator! Everything, homework, housework, presents, projects, etc. NOW I know why Iv'e procrastinated. I CAN'T keep a secret. I have jsut finished my Bead Soup Blog Party Project and I can't believe I have to wait to show everyone! I am so excited about this! It sent me out of my box, but I sort of curved the box to fit around what I like to do.

So here are a few more tidbits from my piece/pieces/project....

Thanks for stopping by!!

The Continuing Blog Soup Party Saga

2011-02-06T11:51:00.004-06:00

I've been diligently working on my Bead Soup Party Goodies from Gem Trails and I have been having fun. Here's a friend to the Little Angel Fish Focal.

Here are the initial segments. I'm trying to not show tooo much so that the final reveal is a surprise!! but see the little starfish. I think they are friends with the sea horse.

Honestly, I'm not sure how this will end up!! I hope you stay along for the ride!

Next Few Steps~Blog Soup Blog Party

2011-02-02T20:07:00.002-06:00

So If you noticed my post from Saturday, you will notice that my first attempt at making something with my goodies didn't turn out too well....

This time I think I'm on a better track! Here is what I've done so far. A few tidbits to go with the Raku Angel Fish. We will see where it goes from here!

"I'm Staying In Bed Today" Day

2011-02-01T20:12:00.003-06:00

I think that everyone should be able to call into their work one day a year as an "I'm staying in bed today" day off.

Today would have been that day for me. It's cold outside, it was snowy and dark most of the weekend and gosh-darnit, the alarm went off really early this morning. Fortunately, my son woke up and made the bus. He wasn't happy, but he walked out of the house just as the bus pulled up.

I get to work and realize that my cord for my laptop is sitting at home. Not the place I needed it to be! I got an assignment from my boss, and then had interruptions all day long, so now I should be doing some data searching, but yeah, I'm writing this post...I need to get it finished by 10:30 tomorrow morning and unless something else goes wrong, I should be able to get it finished.

So overall it doesn't sound like that bad of a day, it's just a cumulation of little things the makes a person want to say, "I wish I would have stayed in Bed today!!"

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And one photo because each post should have some eye candy...or rice roni....or pancake mix. This is what happens when my 3.5yo daughter and 1.5yo grand-daughter go "shopping" for my 13yo son. He's so patient with them!!

I LOVE Google Reader

2011-01-31T11:31:00.012-06:00

Do you have Gmail? Do you read a lot of Blogs? Do you use Google Reader? If you answered yes to question 1 & 2, why not question 3. I recently started to use Google Reader to keep track of the different blogs I read. I would randomly read from blog to blog but not keep track. Then if I wanted to read more of a certain blog I could never find it.

Along comes Google Reader. I know it's not new, but it was new to me. It is simple to use, and keeps track of all the blogs I want to read.

Now I will show you how to get started using Google Reader. There may be a different/easier way to do this, but this is how I do it and it will atleast get you started.

1. Do you use Gmail for your email? For my demonstration, you will need to.
2. When you find a blog you like to read, do you see this button? Click on the pictures to see it better.

3. Click on the button that says Subscribe to: Posts. This will open up.

4. Click on Add to Google. This will open up.

You can add to your Google homepage or to Reader. I prefer Reader.

5. Then when you are signed into your gmail account. On the top left, you will see your list of Google items.

You may have to click on more to see Reader. Once you click on it, your blog reader will show up and you will see the posts from the blogs you have entered.

6. If you know the address of the blog you can click Add Subscription and type in the url.

As bloggers post, it will be included on your reader. I hope you found this helpful.

The Wandering, Meandering of a Drunk Beader

2011-01-29T07:50:00.005-06:00

Yeap, you read that right. It's been a while since I've drank wine and boy did it hit me hard. Unfortunately it wasn't really even good wine. That's what I get for buying from the clearance bin, ok, it's actually a water trough, at my local grocery store. So while in my bad, wine, altered state, I decided to work on my Bead Soup Goodies.. Not really a good idea. This picture is the result of my attempt. Sorry Deci, it doesn't do your contribution justice at all! So this morning I pulled the plug on this attempt. I've been looking and playing with the beads today between taking care of MY 3yo daughter and the 1.5yo & 6mo grand-daughters.

Some history....I'm not a stringer. I started making pendants and really tend to stick with that. if I do string, it's on ribbon (like this)or musky woven fishing line(like this). So Even though I want to use the Bead Soup as a chance to expand my comfort zone, I think that stringing is out of my comfort continent...Sooooo back to the drawing board. And Deci, I still love what you sent, and I'm enjoying this journey!!

A Chance to Win a Magazine

2011-01-26T20:58:00.003-06:00

My Blog Soup Partner over at Gem Trails, unfortunately for her, fortunately for us, bought 1 issue of Bead and Button Magazine and got one in the mail. So she is having a giveaway for her extra copy!

Head over to her blog and leave a comment for a chance to win the issue.

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I didn't need a photo for this post, but really felt the need to have atleast one photo. Here is a picture of a fly I caught on film. It showed up in the corner of a shot of my jewelry. I thought it was cool!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I'm totally obsessed with how I want to make my Blog Soup jewelry. I have several papers at work, not tooooo important ones, with doodles of possible layouts for the necklace or bracelet.

So far no one has asked what I'm doing, fortunately!

Thanks for reading!!

Latest Bead Embroidered Cuff

2011-01-23T18:28:00.005-06:00

I am finally, finally finished with my latest bead embroidered cuff. This one seemed to take FOREVER!! I'm not sure that I was inspired by the details I included around the focal stone. I really like the focal. It's a crazy lace agate with grey, white, brown and reds. I like how it turned out, but man it was like watching a pot boil. I also have it listing on artfire.com, if you are interested.

So here it is!! The center focal...

The whole cuff...

My beaded button, because I didn't have any good buttons to use.

The clasp end to go around the button.

All dressed up and ready to go to a new home.

My Bead Soup Blog Challenge Goodies from Gem Trails

2011-01-22T12:01:00.001-06:00

I am soooo excited. I walked out into the 5 degree weather with a -9 windchill to get the mail this morning. I was excited because I had a feeling my Bead Soup Blog Challenge package would be there. AND IT WAS!!! What a wonderful package from Deci of Gem Trails.

Here is the whole package in it's glory. I would have gotten photos of the unwrapping, but Delana my 3 yo was WAY too excited to wait. I think I have a budding jewelry artist on my hands. She really, really wants one of the dolphin charms.

These will probably be the pieces I use for my main necklace or bracelet. I'm not sure yet, which it will be.

These will be added to my bead embroidery stash to be used in the near future. I thinking the aventurine cab and chips would make an interesting pendant or cuff.

Sneak Peak

2011-01-21T20:32:00.004-06:00

Earlier I hinted that I was working on a new cuff. I'm really not sure if this one is going to be "ok" when finished or not. It's been a bit slow going on the bead embroidery around the focal, which starts to make me question whether It is looking ok or not. Oh the woes of a person who refuses to follow a pattern.

Here is a sneak peak at the kind of crazy lace agate I am using for the focal piece of the bracelet. This isn't the actual stone, but fairly similiar to this one. This piece is listed on artfire if you want to see some more photos of it.

I'm eagerly awaiting my Bead Soup Blog package. Deci of Gem Trails said she sent her to me the other day so they are probably passing each other around Colorado.

Thanks for stopping by!!

I got my Bead Soup Blog Party Partner

2011-01-17T21:18:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited, I got my Bead Soup Blog Party Partner's name the other day. I've been pretty busy working my way through my containers of beads trying to put together a good package to send to her. She is Deci at Gemtrails.blogspot. Here is a small conversation that we have had already....

From Me:
Hi Deci, I have a question....

Would the thought of a 2" X 2.5" irregular shaped flat rock scare you OR excite you OR make you curious?

Deci replied:

It would stretch my imagination. Let's just go for it. How Fun!

Soooo, do I send her an unidentified irregular shaped flat rock OR do I send a more conventional focal bead??? It's a really tough decision. I'd like to tell you now what I've sent, but the package has not gone out in the mail yet, so I can't share what I decided.

Thanks for reading!!

Chance at a Giveaway!

2011-01-16T21:53:00.002-06:00

So, I love seed beads...I love surfing the net...and I love a good giveaway! While doing the surfing, I found a giveaway for seed beads!! There is nothing better. Take a look at these goodies!!

Head over to Julsbeads for your chance to win the bounty. Good Luck...More luck for me, but some luck to you....;-)

There's still time....

2011-01-10T21:13:00.004-06:00

to register for the Pretty Things Bead Soup Blog Party. So far Lori Anderson has 145 people signed up. If you go to her blog, she already has the list of participants up and you can go around to their blogs. I've been looking at a few blogs and there are some neat names on the list.

Lori will pair you with another person and each person will send the other a set of focal, findings and beads. On February 26th, everyone will reveal their creations at the blog party on your own blog. I'm really looking forward to this challenge.

Right now I'm really into agates. I can't wait until the Rock and Gem show to pick up some more! I'm almost running out...Here's some with a wire braided bezels. I might write up a tutorial for making the braided bezel. It's not hard, just a little tricky trying to hold the wires and cabochons.

A Fibery Giveaway!

2011-01-08T22:46:00.004-06:00

While cruising the internet highway I will sometimes come across interesting giveaways. Here is one that I've found that the prize to be especially interesting! My Muse is giving away an assortment of fabric and beads. Head over there if you would like to sign up for the giveaway and win these goodies!!

My Blog Statement

2011-01-08T10:08:00.003-06:00

Sooo, I feel the need to put into writing what I plan on accomplishing this year with my blog. You may have noticed a sabbatical from the blog. I have just recently started blogging again. My goal for the blog is not necessarily readership. Yes, I'm glad when people read my blog and comment, but my primary goal is to "document" my year. When people ask, "How long did that take you?" or "When did you make that?" many times I have trouble answering the question. So this blog will help my put a timeline to my creations.

Of course that will help ensure that I take photos and download the photos in a timely manner. Hopefully no more several months on the camera at a time. So I'm off to search for my camera cord and camera to document the project I'm working on right now.

Warning, It's a a bead embroidered cuff with a center piece of grey and red crazy lace agate!! Yes, the agate is very pretty!!

Have a great day!

Pretty Things "Bead Soup Blog Party"

2011-01-03T13:18:00.002-06:00

While cruising the blogosphere I came across a blog that had an interesting picture on the side. It said "Bead Soup Blog Party". Well I love bead soup and hey a blog is fun, and who doesn't like a party. So I checked it out. And it looks interesting. If you go over to Pretty Things website you can sign up for the blog party between January 7 - 14, with a showing date of February 26th. She well send a name and address to mail out a focal, beads and findings. Then on the 26th everyone will revewal what was made with their bead soup. It sounds like fun and I'm going to do it this year. Go over if you are interested also!

My latest obsession

2010-12-31T15:10:00.005-06:00

So my latest addiction/obsession is making these simpler bead embroidery cuff bracelets. My local fabric shop has this awesome range of suede upholstery fabric which is wonderful for beading on. I actually got my cutting mat, ruler and fabric cutter and cut a bunch of blanks. So I'm all ready to go when I get inspiration. I hope you enjoy looking!

My Color Throwdown Cuff

This one is on purple suede and features a resin ring from artbeads.com.

This one features greens and yellow. When I was quilting, the worst part of any project was the binding, so I can't believe that I actually bound this cuff. I know remember why I hated doing the binding, but it seemed to fit for this cuff.

If you are interested in any of these cuffs they are listed at my artfire shop.

My Margie and Me

2010-12-30T13:31:00.002-06:00

I was soooo on the ball this week. I finished my Margie and Me post on Xmas day. But I waited to post it until today. So what happens, it shows in the timeline for when I wrote it. So if you are looking for My Margie and Me click here

Crazy Lace Agate Beaded Wall Hanging

2010-12-27T16:44:00.007-06:00

This past fall, I was able to scrounge around a lapidary artists rocks and slabs. I found this amazing piece of Crazy Lace Agate the just screamed about being made into something big, beautiful and breathtaking! Here is the process of making this piece.

Part of the initial design phase. Do you see the marks that I was going to bead, but decided not to?

The final piece measures 6" around and has 3 layers of a sparkly cardstock. I then framed it with a keepsake frame so that the glass isn't pressed against the beads. I turned out quite nicely I'd say. I entered it into the What inspires you contest and even though I didn't place, I'm still very proud of it!!

I have listed this Wall art on Artfire. It's one of those items that I love so if it doesn't sell, I will still keep and love, but if someone else sees it, and loves it I am more than willing to sell it. You can find it here.

LaBella Joya Color Throwdown

2010-12-25T14:42:00.007-06:00

Marcie at www.labellajoya.blogspot.com for awhile has been writing about Margie Deeb's book, the Beader's Color Palette and challenging us to use certain color palette's in our jewelry. She has issued an end of year challenge and gave a number of color samples to choose from. I chose The Lady and the Unicorn.

This color palette spoke to me because I lean towards some of these colors, but never really together. I'm calling this one "The Unicorn's Gift".

More Choices for Bookmarks & Pendants

2009-07-09T13:18:00.000-05:00

In preparing for my online party tonight. I ran out of time to list more items. So here is a Collage of additional bookmark choices. Let me know if you are interested in any of them.

Here are some additional pendant choices. Let me know.

Online Party Event

2009-07-02T17:55:00.002-05:00

I have just signed up to host an online party event on July 9th from 5pm Eastern - 9pm Eastern. Last weekend I clinked on a link that took me to one of their events and I was so intrigued that I decided to try their next event. It is free to select a half hour segment. All that Sassy Sisters in Sales ask is that you donate 1 item to give away and that you help promote the events.

The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, July 9th 5:00pm - 9:00pm est

5:00 - 5:15 Meet & Greet

5:15 - 5:45 Tastefully Simple (Independent Consultant) Melanie Ellyson

Special: July Chillin Special (TBA)

5:45 - 6:15 Open

6:15 - 6:45 Open

6:45 - 7:15 Beaded Jewels with (Designer/Jewelry Maker) Lexi Butler

Special: Foot Jewelry Sale Promotion

7:15 - 7:45 Discovery Toys with (Independent Consultant) Lenore Wossidlo

Special: Free shipping on orders of $55 or more; All orders will receive a free Discovery Toys red eco tote bag; one order will be picked to receive free shipping and tax-free

7:45 - 8:15 Once Lost Jewelry with (Business Owner/Creator) Michelle Harris

Special: Buy two items get 3rd free (Free item must be $35 value or less). Please indicate in note to seller which item you would like for free.

8:15 - 8:45 Rock Creek Creations with (Owner/Designer) Marge Beebe

Special: Receive 15% off all items in my shop until midnight. Pre-register at
this form for an additional 10% off.

8:45 - 9:00 Closing & Prizes

Please plan on attending. If you want an additional 10% off pre-register at
this form.

Thanks for stopping by!! Marge

Cool Blog Bead Giveaway

2009-06-12T09:28:00.002-05:00

While reading Twitter this morning I read a tweet about a blog that is having a bead giveaway. Hey I love a good giveaway like anyone else, so I checked it out.

It's at SilverParrot's Blog. You've gotta check out this pile of beads that she is sending to the winner. It really is awesome.

There is one small problem. The contest ends TODAY, Friday, June 12th!! You've gotta run over there, post to your blog a link to her blog to be entered in the contest. And a follow for her blog wouldn't be bad either.

I read some of her blog, and she shows some photos of some really nice work and some gorgeous beads also!

Good luck in the contest!

9 Days and Counting!!

2009-04-17T21:49:00.002-05:00

A couple years ago I was able to go to a Rings-Things.com Bead Show in Minneapolis, MN. Then things got, you know, BUSY. I got "unexpectedly" pregnant at the age of 38. My little girl joined the rest of us including her brother who is 9 years older than her, and her half sisters who are 19 & 21 years older than her.

So in that time, I have always missed the shows appearance in Minneapolis. So this time, I've been counting down for approximately 70 days. Ask Dave, the Rings-Things Twitter Rep. I've been reminding him about the upcoming show for a long time. ;-)

Not only have I been reminding the Rep about the show but I've made sure to continue reminding my hubby that he will have the kids that day. This isn't a problem for him, I just need to keep reminding him.

So next Sunday, I will be in bead heaven, trying not to drool. Check out the listing at Rings-Things to make sure you don't miss one that is coming to your area. I'll update you after the show with my goodies!!

What I've been Up To....

2009-04-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

Work has been busy, Family has been busy, Kids have been busy...it seems like everything in life has been busy. And in all of that, I decided to write up a tutorial. I now have a tutorial for my beaded Fiber Bookmarks and hopefully soon some kits will be available too. You can purchase the tutorial here. Thank you for visiting!

How can you REALLY use your computer!!

2009-03-01T20:26:00.002-06:00

Here I sit on a Sunday night, using my laptop. To its fullest extent!

I'm writing this blog post, dear daughter is watching Surf's Up, I'm following my tweets with TwitKit, occasionally looking at another Window Shop on www.ByHand.Me and clicking on an occasional interesting link in twitter.

It's amazing how far the computer has come and our ability to multitask. What does your monitor look like right now??

A Really Neat Website for Handcrafters & Buyers

2009-02-23T21:04:00.003-06:00

If you are part of the Handmade Community, if there is such a thing, you are probably familiar with the different venues you can sell your products on. Like www.etsy.com, www.artfire.com, www.1000markets.com, www.dawanda.com, www.silkfair.com and more. Like others, I am registered with atleast 2 of these venues and sometimes find it hard to know when and how much to advertise each of them.

Now, we are lucky. There is a website out there, www.byhand.me, that is able to help with this problem. Byhand.me was developed by a husband & wife team of Infivision & Soapdeli. For a site that was imagined only 3-4 short weeks ago, it sure has exploded in size and traffic. According to Project Wonderful's traffic chart, they have had over 8,000 hits today alone. That's a lot of traffic!

Byhand.me has a lot of nice features like Spotlights(like etsy treasuries), window shopping(randomly selects things from different spotlights), Community & personal blogs, forums, chat & much more!

So if you want to check out an interesting community and a fun place, check out byhand.me. Oh and I forgot to mention, once you create a spotlight, you can copy the code for your blog. Like this...

It's a sale!

2009-02-13T23:58:00.002-06:00

It's time to treat yourself to something this weekend. You know, something that your hubby or significant other wouldn't get you. So in honor of that, I am offering a sale.

Check out my shop, find what you would like. Take 20% off the first item; 25% off the second item, 30% off the third item, 35% off the forth item, etc.

Sort your items from most expensive to least, then take your percentages off. Contact me for a revised invoice.

Have fun shopping!! My shop

A neat way to showcase yourself & others!

2009-02-12T21:29:00.003-06:00

I've been spending some time on a new website called Made by Hand.by Me. The site describes itself as: Handmade items, handmade artisans, handmade code, handmade friendships. This is the revolution of the handmade playground. It starts with a simple guy, Adam, also known on etsy and artfire as infivision. He decided he wanted a better social community to promote handmade...he developed http://byhand.me... Here's a run down of what you can expect from the site:

* Artisan Directory* Spotlights* Forums* Member Blogs* Social Networking* Chat* Private Messaging* RSS Feeds* And more..

One of the fun places on this site is the Spotlights. It is like a treasury on etsy, but you don't have to wait for it to open up. And by copying some code, you can directly add the spotlight to your blog or other places.

Here is my first Spotlight called: Little Brown Birds for My Little Brown Nest The center ring is from my studio and the rest look like they belong to my little nest. :-) Have fun looking!!

Inspirational Video

2009-02-11T14:15:00.001-06:00

I found this link originally Tinker and Po's Blog.

At 3 min 39 seconds. This is very inspirational and a little overwhelming...It gave me the goosebumps! For when you need just that little break...

"free hugs" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4&feature=channel

The Neat & Interesting Thing About Twitter

2009-02-10T20:47:00.004-06:00

So I've been on Twitter since about December. So far I am following 1,111. I have 909 followers, and I've updated 974 times. Among all these people, there are of course favorites. I won't name names...lol, but you can meet some very interesting people there.

Several years ago I went to a bead show that was held by Rings - Things. I was able to get some wonderful beads at this show and while I don't order very much online, have always gone to their site to check things out. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that Rings - Things has a presence on Twitter. So of course I followed! And since I still dream about the Bead show from several years ago, have interacted occasionally with Dave from Rings-things. Mainly to update him on when the bead show is coming to Minneapolis, Mn. Click here for the schedule!

So today Dave posted a link to someone who had used their products from a "goodie bag". I asked the simple question of how someone gets a goodie bag. Dave took this question and "ran" with it and is now offering a Goodie Pack Lottery. Click here for the Lottery signup on their blog.

So head over there and sign up for the drawing. I'm betting the goodie bag will be wonderful!! And yes, Dave, I would vlog if I got a goodie bag.

The chance to vlog...

2009-02-07T20:17:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been spending a lot of time on and reading www.twitter.com/rockcreekcreate. There are some really interesting people that you can learn a lot about in 140 characters or less. AND twitter offers a chance to learn about and enter a lot of different contests and giveaways.

I still plan on eventually doing one for my blog and shop, so I usually check them out. I found a giveaway for a Flip Video Camera at The Crafty Mama of 4 blog. She received a Flip Video Camera from Newbaby.com and is also able to use one in a giveaway from her blog. The winner has to agree to start a vlog. I think that I could do that. Not daily, because I have a hard time writing a normal blog atleast once a week. But I think I could commit to a weekly or bi-weekly vlog. As a former teacher, I usually like to show and tell others how to do things. With a Flip Video Camera, that would be possible.

If you are also interested in trying to win a Flip Video Camera take a look at The Crafty Mama of 4 blog.

Using Picasa 3 to make an Avatar…A Tutorial

2009-01-30T15:02:00.002-06:00

In my last post, you can see some of the different Avatar's I've made using Picasa 3 Free photo editing software. Now I am going to detail HOW to make these. Here is the layout of the software.

When you first install the software, it searches your computer and finds all your photos. This makes them accessible to edit from the software quickly and easily. On the left side of the screen you will see all of my folders with photos in them. The main window shows which photos are in the selected folder. At the bottom is the menu of what can be done with your selected photos.

You will see that I have 8 photos in the selected folder. When making a collage, the photos you want to use must all be in the same folder. When you have your photos ready, click on the button that says "Collage". This screen will come up. On the left side is your choices of collage types, the center has your collage, and the bottom has the shuffle button to change your photos around.

First pick which kind of collage you would like. Your choices are: Mosaic, Picture Pile, Frame Mosaic, Grid, contact Sheet and Multiple Exposure.

Once you choose a Collage type, you can modify how the collage looks including Grid spacing ( amount of space between each photo), background color, page format, draw shadows, etc. Play with these different options. I use the square: CD cover option when making my avatar for twitter, artfire, entrecard, etc.

Once you have your collage looking how you want it to look, click on create collage. It will create the collage and place it in your folder. Now you can add text to your avatar.

Choose the Font, size, color, outline color, amount of transparency, etc. Click on your photo to type what you would like.

Good luck with your photos and have fun with Picasa 3!! I hope that this helps!!

My online Avatars

2009-01-17T13:06:00.000-06:00

As my web presence has increased, I've begun to experiment with different avatars. I'm not entirely comfortable putting my "face" out there. I would much rather have my products represent who I am.

The above are a few of the avatars I've created with Picasa that represent RockCreekCreations and myself.

If you like the looks of these, they are easy to make using Picasa 3 free software. Select the photos you want to collage, click on collage, then choose the layout you would like. Create the collage, then add your text. If you need a specific sized avatar I use another free photo editing software program called Photo Plus 6.0.

It's amazing the resources and different looks you can use to represent yourself online!

ADVERTISEMENT: This weekend I am having a sale in my Artfire Studio. 40% off everything in the studio!! Make your purchase and wait for a revised invoice before paying.

Thanks for visiting!!

Busy, Busy, Busy on Funky Fiber Rings

2009-01-11T14:56:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been very busy on these "Funky Fiber Rings". These are a creative way to use just a little bit of all the different yarns I seem to have accumulated since starting to make the fiber bookmarks.

This weekend I did the finishing touches on these rings, have taken and edited the photos, and am now going to spend some time listing them to my Artfire.com studio. Here is just a sneak preview. I am listing these for $12. They are made with real pearls, swarovski crystals or vintage beads.

Later, Marge

Baby It's Cold Outside!!

2009-01-08T19:12:00.004-06:00

Here is Western Wisconsin it has gotten to be cold. Now I know that winter time in Wisconsin is usually cold, but every year it seems a bit colder. No it has nothing to do with my advancing age....40 is not that old!

In honor of this cold spell, I found some interesting listings on artfire.com. These are for those cold times while typing on your computer.

Artfire Listing

Artfire Listing

Artfire Listing

And one really neat looking felted scarf!

Artfire Listing

Thanks for Visiting!!! Marge

Baby It's Cold Outside!!

2009-01-08T19:12:00.000-06:00

Artfire Category Numbers Updated Again…

2009-01-03T22:51:00.001-06:00

I'm still finding the category numbers on artfire.com interesting. Here is an update based upon today's numbers. I will probably continue to do this update, but only once a month unless someone asks for it sooner! ;-)

12/2/2008	12/13/2008	12/25/2008	1/3/2009
438	871	1536	2155	Accessories
5	68	82	97	Accessories
1	1	2	3	Animation
8	15	32	51	Antiques
15	37	97	130	Art
53	83	134	141	Art Supplies
249	448	813	1126	Bags & Purses
3	9	10	11	Bags & Purses
11	19	34	37	Baskets
338	878	1422	1857	Bath & Beauty
1	1	1	2	Beauty & Bath
37	62	81	93	Books & Magazines
2	22	61	67	Business
231	556	770	905	Candles
1	1	7	7	CD
43	103	168	231	Ceramics & Pottery
210	510	897	1351	Childrens
3	4	5	17	Childrens
55	147	251	349	Clothing
13	9	10	17	Clothing
791	1448	2024	2134	Craft Supplies
111	214	350	481	Crochet
20	39	73	73	Digital Art
41	123	236	299	Dolls & Miniatures
15	15	15	15	DVD
1	4	25	295	E books
37	115	161	31	Earth Friendly
	2	55	92	Fiber Arts
521	982	1516	1893	Fine Art
6	14	20	30	Floral
1	6	18	20	Found Objects
0	0	0	48	Furnishings
3	4	11	23	Furniture
256	478	716	858	Glass
0	1	2	8	Glass
33	48	73	98	Graphics
	4	7	8	Handwoven
286	518	762	1138	Housewares
6	10	16	24	How to
4957	7588	10690	13293	Jewelry
42	81	136	188	Jewelry
104	236	335	451	Knitting
0	0	2	1	Knitting
2	1	1	1	Limited Run
20	40	65	73	Metal Craft
24	47	110	141	Mixed Media
21	26	33	80	Mosaics
2	2	2	2	Music & Media
3	6	8	8	Music/Instruments
134	188	212	300	Needlecraft
46	71	105	149	Novelty
1	1	3	5	Novelty
39	50	78	94	Paper
411	727	1220	1621	Paper/Books
16	46	122	190	Patterns
22	37	60	76	Patterns/Plans
64	142	205	306	Pets
0	0	0	2	Pets
200	368	604	818	Photography
13	72	127	175	Plants & Edibles
0	0	0	0	Plants & Edibles
0	0	0	0	Pottery & Ceramics
16	33	64	149	Quilts
0	0	0	0	Quilts
23	46	71	87	Sculpture
144	252	286	316	Seasonal
1	4	5	5	Seasonal
3	6	11	19	Services
0	0	2	3	Software
143	567	1204	1753	Supplies & Materials
0	1	1	1	Techcraft
0	0	0	0	Techcraft
2	27	42	47	Tools
56	107	133	177	Toys
20	28	47	53	Unique/Novelty
2	3	3	3	Video
138	228	350	457	Vintage
9	15	17	19	Weaving/Textiles
6	6	10	10	Web Elements
77	108	145	194	Wedding
35	68	157	188	Woodworking

Well that didn't work!!

2008-12-28T22:47:00.003-06:00

Note to self!!! If trying something that you don't know will work, don't spend too long. Test it first!

You cannot use Microsoft Word Newsletter template, transfer it to a blog post, and then publish it to your blog...Nothing will show up in your post! (Note: See my last post!)

Back to the drawing board. In case you were wondering what my last post was going to be...It was a neat newsletter post featuring my latest listing on my artfire studio. So here they are...not as neatly, but still neat!!

100 yards of Fibers, Yarns and Ribbons...

Tiger Eyes In the Night Ring Size 5.5...

Testing out a new format…

2008-12-28T22:45:00.001-06:00