Printer Tray Tuesday: Red Dragonflies

I have a printer's tray at home full of beads from my stash waiting to be turned into wonderful pieces. And thus, I have dubbed Tuesday to be "Printer Tray Tuesday."

Here is the first compartment:
-lucite flowers
-wooden dragonfly beads
-green crystals
-amber crystals

I knew I wanted to make a tassel-like piece. So I pulled out some waxed linen cord. Add in some lucite flowers and a touch of green on top aaaand...

Happy Tuesday, all!

Monday Muses: Amber

Burnt Orange Amber Earrings by by TatianaG

Amber-Filigree Cuff by badkarmacreations

Antique Owl and Leaf Necklace by HandmadebyTinaB

I have been doing a lot... A LOT of purple and pink pieces. Right now, probably because it's fall, I'm loving amber. It's such a deep and beautiful color. And pairing it with copper or antiqued gold or brass is just lovely.

My Recent Bead Store Trip

I think the bead store is the only place where you can fit $84 worth of merchandise... (LEGAL merchandise :P) into a small brown paper bag.

But really, how could I pass up strands of pearls for $5 and crystal drops for $2.50. ... I hadn't been to the bead store in MONTHS so that's what I kept telling myself when I pulled strand after strand off of the hooks and put them into my little tray.

The boyfriend- I like showing him what I buy even though he always says, "You know I know nothing about this sort of thing." He always has something to say though and I like that. He has his favorites and comments on the colors I pick out. I love him <3

My Printer's Tray

I have a problem. I admit it.

I have tons and tons and TONS of little plastic baggies filled with beads. Well, not exactly filled. Some have one bead... some three... some full strands! And I carry them around in three, or four, or six plastic boxes (one of which was in the trunk of my boyfriend's car until I realized TODAY it was missing... and it must have been "missing" for MONTHS but I just suddenly remembered it existed today!... I'm rambling...). Not to mention the boxes of buttons I have acquired... and seed beads... eeek...

SO. OBVIOUSLY I need a solution.

Enter the printer's tray.

I am going to go through my bead baggies and fill each little tray compartment with goodies. AAAND, I'm going to turn those goodies into pieces! YAY!

Obviously, I'm not THAT brilliant. This was not my idea. I borrowed it from one of my bloggy heroes, Shannon Levart.

Shannon filled her printer's drawer (I'm calling mine a tray because it is small and knob-less) and blogged about each compartment and the projects that came from them. SHE got the idea from another bloggy hero of mine, Lorelei Eurto. Shannon had 103 compartments! My tray is small compared to her drawer... and I'm embarrassed to say I did not count how many compartments. Ha. But, I will make pieces and reuse the tray until my bead stash has been brought down to something that won't break my backpack. 

Come back tomorrow and check out the first compartment!

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Getting Back Into It

Slowly but surely, I'm developing a routine.

Well... not today. I forgot to set my alarm and slept far too long to be appropriate to mention on my blog :P

I'm a bit depressed. The boyfriend says I am grieving the loss of my Borders. He's probably right. He usually is. Yesterday, we spent the morning at Starbucks, drinking yummy coffee and making things.

To be honest I only made one pair of earrings. I spent most of the morning browsing the interwebs for some inspiration.

I'm not sure what made me pair those green crystals with the yummy orange lucite flowers. It seems my muse isvloving summery colors. Someone needs to tell her it's almost fall.

Distracted by "The King and I." I love musicals like this. Lol. Happy, Wednesday!

Monday Muses: Threading

... and by "threading," I don't mean the very painful looking eyebrow treatment. :P

Thread Wrapped Bangles by soursalt

Brass Pendant with Colorful Thread Pattern by thepigandpear

Tiger Lily Threaded Earrings by PairOfDragons

Thread comes in so many lovely colors. SO. MANY. COLORS. I swear, I was walking through JoAnn's Sunday and about flipped when I saw all the colors. AND I had to touch all the bobbins! I must have looked silly, touching all those bobbins and spools. Silly, I know, but sometimes I just have to touch.

I picked up some thread to play with, too. Woohoo!

Happy Monday!!!

Nom noms: Zucchini Pasta

Thursday night was a farewell party for my Borders store. It was held at a wonderful barbeque restaurant and I ordered quite a hunk of meat. So Friday, when lunch time rolled around, I decided to go with something a little bit healthy.

1 shallot, chopped up, sweating in some butter.

Shred 1 small zucchini and toss it into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook it until the zucchini is nice and soft.

Toss with half a box of cooked whole wheat angel hair pasta and a little more butter. Top with your fave cheese- I chose cheddar.

Eat up!

Bead Soup REVEAL!!!

Here's the necklace I made with the bead soup mix Regina sent me. I don't do too many asymmetrical designs but I was pushing the beads around my table, waiting for the muse to speak to me, and she just up and smacked me on the head when these were pushed in this order. Even got the clasp on the front- something I've seen others do but not something I've done myself.

I absolutely ADORE this owl.

I also made a bracelet with the beads left over. Waxed linen cord, freshwater pearls, Czech glass beads, an oval green jasper, and one rainforest jasper round beads. Braided together. I've never thought of using a STONE as a clasp for these bracelets I make. I love the way it looks and feels on my wrist.

Much as I wanted to use the wonderful Katiedid component Regina sent me, I could not find the time... or the rest of my beads and tools in the mountain of boxes at my new place. Hopefully, I can make something with it soon.

I feel so blessed to have been a part of this wonderful party. It gave me something to look forward to in all the sadness and stress that consumed my life the past few weeks.

Be sure to check out Regina's blog and the rest of the Bead Soup Party participants' blogs as well.

A full list can be found here!

Beady Soup

Here are the goodies I got from my wonderful Bead Soup partner, Regina Santerre. LOVE the owl she sent me from Firefly Design Studio. Regina also sent me some beautiful stone beads, freshwater pearls, and Czech glass rounds. I don't work in green too often and I don't know why. I love the color. And I'm so glad Regina sent me such wonderful greens.

AND check out that clasp. LOVE IT!

Regina also included these goodies. I've never played with Katiedids but have always loved what I've seen done with them.

This is my first Bead Soup Party. I'm so glad I finally have the time to post the beauties I was sent and so glad I had time to put something together for tomorrow's reveal.

Come back tomorrow and check out what I've made. And be sure to check out Regina's blog and the rest of the Bead Soup Party participants. A full list can be found here.

And so it's over

So the last day at Borders for me was Saturday.

I'm wrapping up my move tonight.

A new chapter in my life starts this week.

Pretty things will be made soon. I'm looking forward to posting my bead soup creation. I cannot wait to take bubble baths at my new place. I'm even looking forward to organizing my things- mostly books... ha. 4+ years as a bookseller and I've accumulated a TON of books.

I'm looking forward to more blog posts.

I can hardly wait.

<3 Happy Monday.

Hooo...

I'm not dead. I swear.

My Borders closes this Friday and my last day of employment is Saturday.

Been so busy I haven't been able to completely move out of my current room into my new room at a new house. I'm currently paying rent to two different places. YAY!... not.

My days have been full of moving things and cleaning, both at work and at home. Lots of dust. I developed some kind of cold last week and still have a terrible cough and bouts of weakness.

Today is my day off. I want to do NOTHING. I'm feeling unmotivated, depressed, and tired.

I can't wait for this week to be over. I miss my wire. I miss my beads. I miss my sketchbook and planner.

Must keep going. Just a few more days. I can do this.