Don't Rain on my Parade

I didn't realize that it had been so long since I had posted.
In my mind of course, I blog daily!
Of course I'm working on some new things for summer. Bead embroidery has consumed my time lately. It could be reverting back to my childhood days of actual embroidery, or those days of smocking. Which ever the appeal. I find it very rewarding.

It is often hard to turn a negative into a positive. That was the goal with this little totem pole face. I loved it's snarling glare, but that doesn't sound very nice. Hence a turn around!! Don't rain on my parade was created. Enjoy!

SNOW DAY SPARKS CREATIVITY

As anyone knows if you live in the deep south - Georgia, that is. All it takes is a little snow and a snow day to get the creative juices flowing.
First a few pictures of our snow!!

Next, a few beads and a polymer face I made months ago and the progress. I'm sure I'll have it up and finished in a few hours. Stop back in to see the results.

PS... The snow is melting very quickly!

Tuesday - Hope you have Gas!

Hope the title made you giggle!
Some of the gas stations have gas here and some don't. I passed 5 yesterday before I went home and called around. I filled that tank up full.

On to Happier topics. I'm working on a couple of cool fall colored necklaces, almost finished with a colorful funky fish and have a pair of special mother of the Bride earrings to finish.

Have a blessed day.

Exhaustion!

I am exhausted!! We started back to school Wednesday, and then of course I am an official home bound cheerleader for the Olympics!! Great title, yes! I love the Olympics, the lives that these people live, to do what they do best is incredible. my throat is a little sore from yelling for my swim team last night!! The most unbelievable relay I think that I have ever seen.
Needless to say beading has take second place this last week.
Check out the team blog for great specials from the BAO team.
http://www.beadartoriginals.blogspot.com
I'll even add to it from my store...a special that you will only read here...
Free shipping and confirmation ..on any item this week!!!

July 1 - Summer time at its best

I love summer!
Could be because I was born and have lived my whole life in the south.
The sounds are different,
there is nothing like hearing those crickets and cicadas.
the smells are different,
grill out anyone?
fresh cut grass,
chlorine from the pool!
My summer has been filled with beading,
working in the yard a little,
and keeping the tennis player on his game!!

Here are pictures of Jordan at GA TECH for tennis camp.
Wilson trying to stay cool in my flower beds.
The newest beaded pendant.

Summer Vacation has officially begun

We are out of school!
I've got beads all over the counter, a little bit of sun, and "East of Eden" which will be my summer pool book.
I've actually finished 2 new pendants which I'll try to photograph this afternoon and post the pictures for you.
I also made a trade for this fantastic purse on Etsy that I am dieing to get!!!!

Time to Vote

Once again those crazy Beadweavers are competing!

The theme this month was STORMY WEATHER

Check out the team blog at http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

You can cast your vote there on the right side of the blog for

your favorite piece.

I've shown my two at the top of this post.

Enjoy!!

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.

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!!!

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!!

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

Tuesday - back to beading

House is up for sale!
going crazy trying to keep it clean!

what should I do?
Bead!

I've been wanting to make this necklace for a year.
Its been in my mind trying to be created. So I finally got to it.
I named it TROPICANA.
It is full of beaded beads and beaded loops that are embellished. I use peyote stitch in most of it. There are glass beads and vintage beads mixed in. The parts are connected with sterling wire.

I did list it today on my Etsy store, but I might just have to "buy"it for myself.
I'm working on another one in the same colors but totally different style.I hope I can finish it today.

good luck with the beading today!

Middle of the Week

Well, I totally look like I have some weird skin disease. I painted the back porch and the upstairs porch yesterday with a brick red oil base paint. Needless to say ,I was not very neat when it came to my feet. I guess I can't wear my flip flops in public for a few days! All of the painting is finished!!!YEA!!! Today is clean the house like a maniac day. Hopefully after tomorrow I can actually spend some time beading. I sure miss my daily dose.
This piece I did a while ago.. just rephotographed it. I think that it fits with the beachy summer theme I've got going on.
i did go in and rename some of my jewelry. They weren't coming up on searches and should have. I'll check today.I just think that If you put in the exact title, it should come up!

Tuesday -totally Terrific

Wow! I am so blessed and honored that people are taking notice of my beadwork. Each piece of beadwork that I do really is an extension of me. There is something in it that yells, "hey, dawn made me" on the other hand, it's just pretty jewelry. There has been jewelry since the beginning of time, I just get to be part of that chain. I was featured today on the Bloominglily blog. You can check it out by the link to the right. I haven't totally figured out how to add the link into the text. That's for another day!!

Tuesday - Where is my maid?

Cleaning today.

Hudson made his arrival on
Friday as scheduled.
Here is the picture of him with
his big brother!

I'm Thinking greens and
Earthtones for my next bead
project. We'll see.

Monday - Humid - hot - happy to be beading!

I Finally finished a piece I started a while ago.

The name is SUNBURST. This little jewel is Peyote stitch with delicas on a sterling silver frame. Talk about big things coming in small packages!

Today is touch-up painting, post office, drop off goodwill stuff.

Then of course a little beading.

Sunday - The Day of Rest

God knew what He was doing when He
told us to take a day off and rest.

Didn't do any work today.
Went to church and floated
around the pool.

Then wham!!
I got an idea for a necklace
and had to start beading.
I finished one and here it is.

TROPICAL BREEZE DOUBLE LARIAT.

I just got it listed on my Etsy
shop and I've got a similar one in
my head waiting on my fingers to get busy.