Catching up on life

Can't believe that is has been that long since I last logged on. I guess life got busy.

Moving back home from the winter season at the market took a lot more work than I thought it would be. There are still boxes that need unpacking, photos to take, items to post on the website, advertising, etc., etc., etc.

So in the midst of putting away all these beads and supplies, the urge to make new jewelry has just become overpowering. So, I just finished posting some of the pieces to my etsy page, and will be adding them to my website as well.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tortoisetreasures

I was recently asked to co-captain my local etsy team, Palm Beach County Etsy Team. It is a great group of folks and great artists. One of the first projects I took on was to organize promo weeks. Each person got a date when each member of the team will be promoted by the team.

We seem to be having fun with this, hoping to drive sales to each other. This has been fun learning more about other's crafts.

Hopefully, I can keep up on the blog, introduce some great folks, show off some new work and have a great time.

Time to get this blog caught up

Getting ready to revamp the studio...work area is now not working for metal...fine for beads but not for hammering.

Florida Beaders had a great time hanging out at Michele's a few weeks ago...so much fun that we are now working on part 2. So many nice projects were completed and so many new skills were learned, taught and shared. Very much looking for another great time.

I have been hammering metal and made a brass bracelet. First time...will be doing more of these.

I just love cuff style bracelets.

But now, I have tried some chainmaille...bezel set for a cab. This was something that was brought up at the meeting. The trick was finding one that did not need glue. Well there it is.

I found it on the internet and it took me 4 hours just to get it to this point. I am not happy with the ends, but I will continue to work away.

Then there was the viking knit, but I will save it for another time and another blog...

Shelley

Yippee, I got my studio back

with perks...new carpet and new a/c! I should be doing the happy dance, but I can't find anything even though all the containers are marked...it is going to take a few weeks to put them in some kind of order for work again.

The kids will be missed, but this is just awesome!

The cats are excited that they have all this space to lounge out. With the new a/c there was more open window and more natural light.

How happy can a girl be!!

Goings on lately...

Well, the bead/wire room is coming along swimmingly...that seemed to be the good choice of words for today as it has been raining most of the night and the quiet tapping on the shutters is still happening. That is a signal to me that it is going to be a good day to bend wire.

My newest creation is the aluminum cuff. Aluminum is such a fun metal to work with. First you need a very light touch as it marks easy and it crushes easy. On the other hand, you can really make some LARGE pieces and not worry about the weight. I also started to work with aluminum jump rings...so many colors, so many new ideas.

Have a wonderful weekend : )

Visit by muse

I have been moving around in the house, trying to make sense out of all the things going on in life, and while in the bead room/studio the muse came. I have been packaging beads to take to the flea market once it starts to cool off, and all of a sudden I had to stop counting and start stringing. It was nothing fancy, but it cute little bracelet of obsidian, copper and some vintage/recycled gold tone coated glass beads. These gold tone beads came from a bunch of jewelry that needed a new home so we clean them up and either use them in jewelry I make, or package them and sell them as recycled.

I can hardly wait until we get all this moving around in the house finished. : (

Lions and Tigers and Bears...OH MY

Actually it should be beads, rocks and pewter, OH MY.  It is taking over the house!!!  The whole house. 

I am actually converting the old home office into a studio/office for not only my jewelry but the starting of BeadsNGems(tones) to start paying for this habit that I love.  I feel like the chicken with it's head cut off running from point to point to point trying to get it all done and accomplishing very little.  Szarka, I think I know how you feel only in a smaller scale.  The website is beadsngems.ecrater.com if you want to visit.  I am adding items daily, mostly in the evening that is when it is quiet around here.

I love the shopping part of this whole experience.  It is the counting and cataloging that actually becomes boring.

Well, that is all that is going on around here at the moment.

My Artistic Side

Welcome and thanks for visiting. I started this blog to show the world my artistic side. About this time last year, hubby and I went to the Martin County Gem and Mineral show and this is where it all began.

All those cool rocks!!! I guess I would get that from my mother, as when she would travel out west
(Colorado, Nevada) she would always bring home rocks! She had a bowling bag that she would pack with rocks and bring them back to Florida. Some were polished, some were unusual, some were rocks. But going to that show, I heard the rocks. Okay, I am not crazy, but it was this feeling that rushes over you and the creativity begins.

The show was slow for a Sunday morning and this real nice person talked and show me all about wire wrapping stones. And then it started.

The following weekend was another show, closer to home and it became a shopping event. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with these rocks and beads when I got them home, but I was sure it would be interesting.

This was it, the very first attempt. The Tortoise.

What is really funny is that when I first started to sell my jewelry, it was the first piece sold. It has become so popular that it was duplicated with the owner's permission. And that is how it all started, with some beads and an agate tortoise.

In the year that has past, reflecting, it has been a learning experience. Stones, gemstones, rough, faceting, keeps me oh so busy.
Learning about different jewelry styles, materials, wholesale licenses, taxes, sales, self promoting, it never ends. And I hope it doesn't for a long, long time. I love learning and trying. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is hard and has to be a learning experience.

This has been a year of firsts, for which if it wasn't for the gem and mineral show, who knows???

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and take the time to breathe!

Shelley