ON THE PATH OF RED

The http://www.etsy-beadweavers/ has their monthly beading challenge fast approaching.

I didn't participate in the last 2 challenges due to family matters, but I'm working on this one and thought you might like to see the process. They might kick my entry out because its not totally bead woven but also includes some bead embroidery and other textures. I'm all about using other findings and making them work. This is what i have so far, check it out and I'll post the progress as I make it.Happy last day of 2007!

PAY IT FORWARD

. . .with a not completely random act of kindness.It seems that's what some bloggers have started doing. I found this on Carol Dean Sharpes blog, or some may know her as Sandfibers. Carol Dean signed up and won a PIF and posted to give away one from her blog. I was one of the really LUCKY recipients . So this is the concept (verbatim from Carol Deans blog, from Linda's blog who took it from Carla):

Pay it forward rules: I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a Comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange, and who make the same pledge on their own blogs . I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward.I love this idea! It supports the random act of kindness philosophy and gives a boost to handmade, all in one.It'll be fun to see who comments . Life is good and sweet and a whole lot cuter with beads so leave your comments.

Merry CHRISTmas from the Chastains

Well the wonderful season is upon us!

The birth of our Savior.

Such a sweet time of year...

So special the memories...

From our Family to yours..Merry CHRISTmas!

16th Birthday

Well, my sweetheart daughter turned 16 this week!

wow, do they grow up fast.

Taylor is an amazing kid.She is kind, sensitive and protective. She loves the Lord and His Church.

She has a great sense of humor and is so fun to be around.

She definitely has a unique sense of style and knows just exactly what she likes.

Taylor is a joy!

I'm so glad that she's mine.

Love you, Girl!! mom

November Challenge

I belong to an incredibly talented group of beaders known as the Etsy-Beadweavers.

We have started a monthly challenge and invite everyone to vote on their favorite piece. I was unable to participate this month because of family commitments but went and voted for another wonderful piece( I won't tell which one!!)

Go visit our blog and vote at http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Thank You!

The world of Beaders is such a fine place to be. I have found such wonderful friends among the Etsy beadweavers. It is a compassionate, friendly, giving and supportive team. Guess what? If we were to pass each other on the street, we wouldn't even know each other, except of course Wolf. She has purple hair! Carol Dean Sharpe has been one of my favorite cheerleaders as she unknowing lit my fire when I first entered the waters of Etsy and Internet sales. Sweet Regina didn't blast me in the forums when I asked what beading thread she used. Mary Lou graciously gave up the directions to her favorite stitch when I asked.It is amazing to be online talking and chating with the people that are in my favorite bead magazines. It is so fun to be at Barnes and Noble flipping through bead magazines and be able to say "thats by Beverly" I know her then to flip the page and know another name.This is a huge THANK YOU to a wonderful group of women known as the Etsy Beadweavers!! Check out the Beadweavers blog at http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Bliss! - Not Going to Work

Don't get me wrong, I love my job working with my kindergarteners, but to be able to get things acomplished at home, Success.

We got The 10 ft. Christmas tree up and decorated yesterday, the 5 ft. topariary is decorated, the door is decorated, Taylor got her small tree started, so today will just be finishing touches.

Maybe by tonight I can pull a few beads out.

Have you ever heard a song that you can't here enough of?

Brookes and Dunn have a song call " I Believe" That song is a kicker for me!! I could listen to it over and over. It is so real and gut kicking. If the holidays are getting the best of you listen to it for renewed strength!!Happy Tuesday!

Thanksgiving Break - Thankgoodness!!

I thought It would never get here, but alas, Thanksgiving Break. I've started putting up the Christmas decorations, I'm decorating the Church for the Holidays and a Women's CHRISTmas event that we are having, my daughter turns 16 on the 5th of December and the house is still up for sell!!

With all of this going on my mind is still whirling with beading ideas!!

As I walk by the cabinet that houses all of those little creatures, I have to stop and pull beads out and draw sketches so that one day when I HAVE NOTHING to do I can start beading again.

For those that Read the blog My dad is doing fine and has no plans of missing out on Christmas gifts. Thanks for the prayers and thoughts.

Not Forgotten

Needless to say, I haven't given much attention to my blog or beading.
My dad has some severe health problems and has been told that he probably doesn't have very long to live. So... we have been taking care of legal issues and just getting ready.
We know that he is a believer and we'll see him again in heaven so the whole thing is not as overwhelming as some might think.
My dad Actually had a twin brother who died 10 years ago while my dad was in the hospital having heart surgery.
We know that he has been given 10 great years that we have totally enjoyed!

Beads just don't have the same urgency these last few weeks that they often have. Very soon though I'll get back to those tiny little things!!

Humpday!!

Of course you know its Wendsday if you hear Humpday... Can't wait till the weekend.

October Challenge - Etsy Beadweavers

As Many of you know the Etsy street team of Beadweavers http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ has started a creative challenge. It is all in fun and a try to get more exposure for our shops and our art form.

As the September pieces were displayed for voting I realized that we are truly an international team. I knew then that the seasonal changes that we are going through here in the south of US, is not a world wide occurrence and would not, more than likely, be a factor as the challenge for this month was issued.

In my creative head I had this wonderful , fall colored cuff designed( I Just knew the theme would have something to do with fall splendor!!)

The Incredible Helena http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5285336 from Singapore won!!!

I don't think the leaves are changing color in Singapore and the Pumpkins are not being carved because the theme she gave was MONOCHROMATIC!

After a brief second of - oh the beautiful changing colors leaf cuff - I thought I did a lot in monochromatic colors.BUT, After a closer look at finished pieces and Bead mixes that I had lovingly created, I realized that I add either silver or gold to EVERYTHING I make just so I could wear my gold or silver hoops with it.( most of the time I create a piece thinking that if I don't sell it in a reasonable amount of time I will keep it and wear it myself, hence the gold or silver thread)

I now have started over 3 times, but am well on my way to finishing my piece.

It is monochromatic, it does not have gold or silver added!

I think that it will be lovely, these are some pictures of the progress.....

Thank you Helena for making me stretch and grow!

Harvest Moon

This is my latest creation. I named it for the recent moon we had. It is called a Harvest moon and looks like something from a Sifi picture.
This is a freeform Knot suspended on a silvertone cable.

September Etsy Beadweavers Challenge

Well the waiting is over. All 20 pieces for the September Challenge have been posted and compiled. Please go to http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ to vote on your favorite piece.The entries are absolutely incredable and wonderful. The voting will be hard. I am honored to a part of such a talented group of Artists.

Finished the September BeadWeaver Challenge

The challenge Topic for September was:
"Show Your Colors"
We had been discussing how some of beadweavers Have a hard time using bright colors or certain colors so the theme was born.

I knew I wanted to try the bead embrodiery, I'm still learning it and captured by what can be done with it.

I knew that I loved the glass bubbles in all the bright colors...so the piece sort of created itself.

The poll should be up soon so that you can vote on your favorite piece. Click on the the link to the Etsy-beadweavers blog to see the other pieces.

September 11th remembered

Well, life is a little different since the the 9-11 attacks. I think it has made my family a little bit more alert, definitely more aware of surroundings and more careful to say "I love you, have a good day". Make sure that you let all those around you that you love and care for, know how you feel.

I've mentioned my friend Natalie several times, she is such a free spirit. She loves yard sales, flee markets and anything funky and at a good bargain. She bought these great wood hearts. one for me and one for her. This is the necklace that I created for her! I think I'll do one just like it with my heart. You never know we may show up at school wearing them on the same day. Thanks, Natalie!

Blessed

I think that Fall is finally here! The air feels different, along with the temperature being lower. I enjoy gradual change. It is good and not to painful! Its the fast stuff that scares me.

I recently read a book, actually in one day! "90 minutes in Heaven" It was incredible. I am a Christian and believe in heaven and that I'm going there but this was a wonderful book to describe it. The part that was also interesting was the fact that God sent this man back to earth to live in pain and to suffer after he had been whole in heaven. The guy's revelation that he had purpose even in pain was remarkable. It puts the bad things of life in a better category for me. Not so much answered but in the categories or files in my mind - it goes to a safer place not the its not fair folder.

Now for lighter brighter, Newest from my fingers of creativity is the brilliant butterfly.
This was in my head before the August nights challenge came out and I couldn't make it fit the theme!!
The September beadweavers theme is "show your colors" I am already having tons of ideas pop into my head!!!
If you're a beadweaver and want to join us on Etsy for the challenge we'd love to have you.
Happy Labor day!!

Etsy Beadweavers August Challenge

Etsy Beadweavers decided to start a monthly challenge. We would be given a topic for the month and we were to start creating with all those little beads. This was fun but sort of hard for me because I felt it needed to be done in dark colors and that isn't what I normally choose.The results were incredible as this is a very talented group of gals!! here is what I came up with - Hot August Nights - was the theme. Check all of the entries out on our blog at htt://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com.

What will Septembers challenge be?

three is the magic number

Three is the magic number in this necklace.
Highlighted are three vintage mother of pearl buttons.
These came from the collection of Natalie Archer, the queen of collectors!
I beaded a curving bezel around the three buttons and let them cascade
in an elegant curve. It was beaded with light blue green delica beads with a sprinkling of gold delicas. The resulting pendant is cool and elegant with a touch of vintage appeal. The Pendant is backed in soft faux leather. The pendant is suspended on a single strand of delica beads enhanced with swavorski crystals and fresh water pearls.

Something cool..

Just finished a Sweet little knot necklace.
This one was stitched in a free form Peyote stitch which I let ruffle a lot before attaching the focal beds. The colors are a great matte earth tone mix.One of the Focal beads is a soft blue green ceramic bead, the other is a vintage Lucite bead. it has "cracks" on the inside which really catch the light and sparkle.

The bad thing about these one of a kind pieces is that I really don't have more beads just like it to do one for myself.

The Etsy beadweavers group is starting a month challenge. We will get a theme, and them create a piece that goes along. This months theme is "Hot August Nights". I am struggling to come up with an idea! It is so hot here at night we don't want to do anything!!!
Stay tuned in to see what I decided to do.

New Creation

Earlier, I mentioned that I made a trade with a friend of mine, Natalie.
I got this great box of vintage beads and things that were already started.
In the box was a bag of metal beads!
Then there was a piece that had been beaded together with wire. My first "Natalie" project Will be with this unfinished metal bead piece and the remaining beads. Thought you minght like to see how the process goes.
Here are the starting pictures of what I'll be working with.

A Little bit old....A Little bit new

One of my goals for the summer break was to learn to do beaded cabochons well.
I had learned to do them using the peyote stitch and making the cabochon real tight, but I still wanted to learn to do them with the "rings" around them.More like beaded embroidery.

I think that I've got it down!

This is one of the results.
I glued the definition of "faith" from a 1950's dictionary to the bottom of the glass bubble and started beading.
I love the results.
Old words, new beads!!
Check out other beaded creations at my Etsy store


Off to find some more words!!!

Still At it...But Not Much Time

WELL, just as I thought, once school has begun I am way busy and have a limited amount of creative time.
I made an awesome trade with a friend of mine, Natalie. She is the pack rat, queen of thrift stores and yard sale junkie number ONE.
I am making her a couple of pieces of jewelry in exchange for a box of vintage beads and buttons. As I decide what I'm going to do I'll post the projects so that you can see them.
This piece was part of an Etsy challenge to make something with the rainbow colors and leave them in the right order. I was very pleased with the way it turned out. You can see it and other items at my Etsy store.

IT'S OVER! summer break that is....

We officially start back to school in 12 hours!
Needless to say it has been a crazy week getting the room ready, meeting the kids, getting my teenagers ready, keeping the house clean so that real estate agents can show it!!
I am ready to get started though. I love the new beginning, a fresh set of kids, I even bought me some new pens and folders!
Hopefully we'll feel fall in the air soon, it is stifling HOT.
The thing that I'll miss most is the time that I won't get to bead, blog, list and promote!! I'll just have to fit everything into the little available slots I guess.

This is one of my newest necklaces. It is one of the Knots that I love to do in Free form Peyote. This one is more horizontal than vertical. The colors are a yummy pink,light olive, taupe and burgandy!

Here is to a great school Year.

Challenge # 60

Well, I bit the bullet and participated in one of the Etsy creative challenges. This one was to create something inspired by Paris, France. I did visit Paris on a band trip while in high school!
The architecture was what totally overwhelmed me and the fact that everything was old. Here, once its 20 yrs old, its old and you tear it down and build something new.
The next thing that stood out was the language barrier.
That's where the inspiration started.
I created a cabochon out of one of those glass bubbles with a reproduction print underneath. Next I beaded a bezel out of seed beads and voila, My take on Paris. Hope you enjoy!

1 1/2 weeks untill school starts!

If you're a teacher, or an assistant like I am..Every thing moves in a time reference to school: when it starts, when we're out, when the holidays are, ect.
It has just hit me how soon we go back.
Way to busy working on the house, and putting it up for sell, I did get to do a good bit of beading, sleeping late, learning new beading stitches, and chilling out.I guess it is a good thing to get back in a routine.

Here is my latest creation.
When I saw the center stone at the bead store I knew instinctively what it needed. It was screaming to be on a beaded band as a choker.
Does that ever happen to you? You see something and it knows what it needs to be? Enjoy.

Work Space -Happy Birthday Jordan!

I'm am member of the Etsy Bloggers Street team. We are just a bunch of creative artists that have gotten into blogging about our art and our lives. We are going to be given challenges to write about,sort of like school but without the grading process!
Challenge 1 - My Workspace

The really neat thing about beading is that it is so portable!
In our dining room we serve up beads at our buffet! This is an antique buffet that a friend gave me, and I have it stocked full of beads! The book shelf beside it houses all of my books and magazines that I continually refer to. To the left is a great corner closet, more beads, miscellaneous crafts and the Shipping supplies.

Favorite place to bead, Big comfy chair in the family Room.

Computer in the Foyer, Seems like I spend as much time there as beading.
Last Picture is Wilson, constant friend and companion who offers snores instead of criticism!
When school is in, I keep a container of the latest beading project with meso that I can do work during lunch break,in the car line,during tennis practice and waiting at art lessons.

I really compacted this down ..in all actuallity..I take up the whole house with my junk!

HAPPY 14th Birthday to my son, Jordan!!

The Battle Within

I often battle with what to wear, cloths wise that is.I have 2 very distinct sides. One is very laid back jeans and tank and the other side very Bohemian, layered, frilly.
I get mixed up all the time as to what to where when.
When I go out to the post office or "buying" I like to wear my jewelry.
Exposure is the best sales tactic.
I love what I make but sometimes it a little much to wear to Target or office max. Another dilemma right now is the closures for my jewelry.
I really hate to spend as much on a sterling hook as I do on the entire piece! It is really irritating to me. A lot of people really don't care that it is not sterling since they aren't pieces that will be worn every day.
BUT< to list something as base metal seems cheep or amateurish.
I'm still working on the closure thing.
I did come up with this cute little knot on leather to satisfy my craving for jewelry with jeans(read no heels) or shorts. I think that I will start a collection of Baby knots for others in the same boat.

CRAZY

Whew...who knew it would be so crazy and hard to get a house ready for sale.There are millions of houses up for sale and I just can't imagine that every one of those people are working this hard!!

The house is looking fantastic. they came out and took pictures the other day and most of them were incredible. They were definitely enticing enough to make you want to see the house in person!

I've been fitting a little beading in ...just for sanity sake...and to be able to list new things. I really hate to just re list an item to be seen.

This is the latest necklace that I finished/
I called the piece " Tutti Fruiti"
I'm in love with the pink, Orange, yellow combo.
I guess i need to move to another color combo soon.
Happy Sunday, dawn

Happy 4th of July!!

I am very proud to be an American. God has truly bless our country.Our family will be celebrating with a little yard work and a lot of swimming in the pool! The city fireworks have been canceled because its so dry ... don't want to start any of those terrible fires!Enjoy the day and remember to pray for our country, our leaders and those in the military that make our freedoms possible.