Monday Muses: Czech Glass Beads

Turquoise Pressed Wheel from allthingsbeaded

Paisley Coins from OldWorldBeads

Window Ovals from MayaHoney

Orange Green Rose Teardrops from BobbiThisnThat

Herbed Turquoise from BeadBead

African Violet AB 3 Petal Flowers from dreamgirlbeads

This Monday Muses is a bit of window shopping. I have such an unbelievable weakness for Czech glass beads. Their colors and finishes make me giggle with happiness.

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!!!