2009? Already?

It's 2009? How did that happen? I wasn't done with 2008! I didn't finish all the things I was going to finish, and in a few cases I didn't even start the things I wanted to finish. I think there should be a recount. I don't believe I received my full 366 days in 2008, and I would like a refund.

Okay, okay. I know it's 2009. I even managed to stay awake on New Year's Eve long enough to watch the fireworks on TV. I made no New Year's resolutions, though. That's just asking for trouble. They're hovering there in the back of my head (do more beadweaving, finish the projects I have started, clean up my Etsy shop, work on my website, clean up the house, pack and get ready to move (!), plan more vacations, exercise, yadda yadda yadda). But you can't listen to the voices in your head or you'll just go crazy, right? So, no resolutions. I resolve to make no resolutions. There.

For those of you who read my previous post, I'm a fast healer. My thumb is still sore, but I've stopped wearing a bandage on it (it's too difficult to do stuff with a bandage on there). And I'm being vewy vewy careful with the utility knife now.

Since I've pretty much caught up on custom orders, I had a chance to make some stuff I'd had in my mind for awhile. This bracelet was inspired just by the color of the beads. The official color name is "champagne," and I thought that was just perfect for a New Year creation. I like asymmetry, so I decided just to run a row of polka dots down one side of the cuff. I wasn't sure how the closure would work if it wasn't centered, but it works great.

The piece I listed today is one of my favorites. It's really simple... just an ndebele rope with some fringes at the ends. But I made the rope to go with one of Lisa Peters' gorgeous raku buttons. She makes so many fabulous beads, buttons, and pendants that it's tough to resist the urge to just keep piling them into my cart (and it's probably a good thing Etsy doesn't have an "add entire store contents to cart" function).

Anyway. I love this heart. I wanted it to be the focal piece for a necklace, and initially I couldn't figure out how to do it since the heart is a button (there's a shank on the back). I finally came up with the idea of making peyote tubes and attaching them to the back of the heart, so now the heart is like a little bolo. It makes the necklace adjustable, and I think it makes it fun. In fact, it's so much fun that I think I'm going to make another one for myself. It's a good thing there were THREE buttons in the listing I bought from Lisa. :-)


Now the second day of the new year is gone. Poof. 363 to go. Time sure flies.

The Etsy BeadWeavers Challenge is underway, and this month's theme is RED. There are 42 entries, and mine was the last one posted! I sneaked in under the wire, and I had to post a photo of my newly-designed Red Between the Lines cuff before it was even finished. I only had about ten minutes to spare when I listed it in my Etsy shop, but I completed the beading and added the button closure this morning. Whew!

Pat (my husband) said I should only have done two hearts, but I liked it with three. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I think this might be the fastest I've ever created both a pattern and a completed piece of jewelry. The pattern came to mind when I heard someone on TV say something about "reading between the lines," and it occurred to me that I wanted to have the hearts looking like they were peeking between blinds or something.

I didn't think I had that much Valentine's Day related stuff in my Etsy shop, but I just created a new section called Will.U.B.My.Valentine and loaded it up with everything I have listed that involves love and hearts. Well, not actually everything, as there are a few other romance-related items scattered around in other sections.

I was so happy with my little Santa-Hatted Raven at Christmastime that I decided to dress him up again for Valentine's Day. And so was born Quoth the Raven... Be My Valentine and The Raven Speaks His Heart. I've grown quite fond of these ravens.


Don't forget to check out the Etsy BeadWeavers Blog tomorrow and vote for your favorite amongst the 42 entries! You're going to have a tough time choosing.

Heart-shaped glass magnets. I've been having fun making magnets, and I was so excited when I found these little hearts. They're about 1" tall and wide and almost 1/2" thick. My first bunch was made with flowers as the images, and they're way neater than any of the photos look. They're listed on Etsy, 3 of them for $3.50!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5221312

Valentine ACEOs. You knew it had to happen. Valentine's Day approaches, and I just had to create some artwork to celebrate the day. Even if it's not celebrated very much in our household, there's usually at least some recognition. :-)

The first drawing was truly inspired. Cupid Snares a Heart is another drawing of my silly long-nosed fairy creature. Cupid has never looked like this before!

The second drawing began as a surly cat, but after I had him sketched out I just couldn't leave him looking surly and mad. So I had to give him a smile. He's much happier now.

The last one is called An Unlikely Valentine, depicting the romance between a bird and a worm.