Christmas Tree Day at Bob's Tree Farm

This is last year's picture, and that's our tree right behind us. Hopefully we can get ole' Bob (Bob's Tree Farm) to take another picture this year. Bob is the coolest guy. He restores classic cars and he always lets us into his shop so we can see his latest project. He gives me huge bouquets of Holly from his Holly tree that is as big as a house. He also has the fattest dog I've ever seen! Bob taught us about the Nordman Fir tree, which in my book is the best Christmas tree ever. You can have it in your house for a month and it will still be as fresh as the day you brought it home. It retains water like no other tree, and doesn't lose hardly any needles! Bob says the song "Oh Tannenbaum" was written about the Nordman Fir, and I like to believe it's true, just  because I think it's cool. This will be our third year getting a Nordman from Bob...I love tradition.

 

Merry Christmas, my friends!

December is here...Time for peppermint jewelry!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/116584334/handmade-jewelry-bracelet-beaded

 This is a simple bracelet made with my peppermint beads.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/114357058/handmade-jewelry-bracelet-beaded?ga_search_query=christmas%2Bjewelry 

Here's one with dangles, I think it's a fun bracelet.

I have lots of designs...bracelets, earrings and necklaces.  I'll share more throughout the month.  I would like to blog more this month, and talk more about what's meaningful to me this time of year.  Until then, happy December, my friends!

Jennifer Jangles is having an awesome giveaway on her blog!  http://www.jenniferjangles.blogspot.com/

Jennifer is a multi-talented designer with a perfect eye for whimsy and color.  Check out all of her wonderful items also in her etsy shop!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/Jangles

Thank you to Jennifer for allowing us to win such a huge array of her wonderful goodies!

The right time, the right finding...

"Fiesta" Bracelet

Sometimes I buy beads or a finding, and they sit in my bead box for what seems like forever.  I can be hard on myself for not "using up" what I've purchased in a timely manner.  When my aunt Sheila created these beautiful southwestern beads I knew I had to make myself some jewelry with them.  The clasp and earring posts used in the jewelry had been sitting in my sterling silver box for quite a ling time.    I can't imagine the jewelry with any other findings.  I was glad they had waited for the right beads to come along.  So, lesson learned...Sometimes I just need to be patient with myself!  If you would like to see more of my aunt's fabulous lampwork beads, you can visit her etsy shop at:  www.StoneDesignsBySheila.etsy.com

"Fiesta" Earrings

Pixybug Designs by Stephanie and Chris Haussler: New Jewelry Designs - Part 2 Favorite Artists

 Here is a lovely blog post by my friend and customer, Stephanie Haussler.   She loves my beads (I'm so glad!) and does a beautiful job creating with them!

Pixybug Designs by Stephanie and Chris Haussler: New Jewelry Designs - Part 2 Favorite Artists

Bead Soup Blog Party...Revealing the Soup!

 Well, it's finally here...The big reveal!  I think this has been a fun, challenging, and rewarding experience as a designer.  Many thanks to my talented partner, Lara Lutrick, for the colorful soup including her beautiful lampwork, and to Lori Anderson for being a most gracious host. 

Please check out my partner Lara's blog to see what she's up to at  

http://www.lutrick.blogspot.com/ 

And you can shop in her etsy store for beautiful lampwork beads at

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lutrick

As a reminder...Here's my original soup from Lara...

First of all, I love the lampwork that Lara sent.  It's so pretty and the colors are like a fiesta to me!  That being said, I found my challenge was using the slider ring.  It was hands~down my favorite soup ingredient, but I had never worked with one before. 

 (Kind of like someone who'd never met garlic before...whoa...this stuff is great!) 

I messed around with all kinds of things and ideas before I came up with my seed bead bail idea that incorporated the lampwork bead that went with the focal.

I experimented with different beads and found myself with less and less space to work in...

Do any of you do that?  I'll clear my spot, and an hour later I'm working in three square inches of space...Aagghhhhh!!!!!!!!!

 I adore wire, so I felt compelled to add a little wire work in, since I just happened to have the right color...

 Well, my fellow bloggers... I ended up trying a new color combo, and a  new bead shape.  I got a new perspective on the blogging world.  The best thing is connecting with fellow artists, getting to know all of you, and sharing our creativity.

Thank you again to our gracious hostess, Lori, and to my BSBP partner Lara...May the beads be with you!

For links to all of the Bead Soup Blog Party participants, please visit Lori's blog at  http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

Recently I got turned on to a really cool site called http://foodgawker.com/

It sometimes help me answer the daily question "What's for dinner?...  There are beautiful pictures of all kinds of food and beverages. Today I came across this recipe for Basil Lime Cookies that I think sound delicious.  I'm going to give them a try.  I read that they taste like a Margarita, and there's nothing wrong with that!

 

 Basil Lime Cookies recipe from Big Fat Baker 

• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 6 ounces (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Zest of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 7 ounces (1 3/4 cup) flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line the cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer (or hand-held mixer) cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the egg, vanilla, zest, and basil. Mix together until fully combined.
4. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then mix into the butter mixture until combined.
5. Roll 1 tbsp of dough to make a little sphere. Repeat with remaining dough. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.
6. Bake 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies/oven.
7. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes

What a little sun will do...

A couple weeks ago, this is what life on my street looked like.  This is before we lost power for two days (we were lucky, some people lost it for as much as two weeks).  This is also before the ice storm and before our governor declared Washington to be in a state of emergency.  Well, there's still a lot of clean up to be done, even in our own yard we have tons of branches down, and one is about 25 feet long!

Well today was a different story...It was beautiful and sunny!  I got out of the house and soaked it up.  'Went to a really good lunch with my Aunt Sheila and then did some bead shopping at Shipwreck.  We both found enough goodies to fill a little bag and went home inspired by our little treasures and the bright sunny day.  It can be so re-charging to get out and enjoy the first sunny days after a crazy winter storm.  It's supposed to be sunny again tomorrow, so my plan is to open the curtains, turn up the tunes and create!  The downed limbs can wait!!!

Bead Soup Blog Party

Today I received my bead soup from my blog party partner, Lara Lutrick, and I love them!  They are in a  happy color pallet...To me they look Springy/Southwest, and I think I will have fun creating a unique and beautiful piece with them.  Lara makes beautiful lampwork beads that anyone would be proud to work with.  You can visit her blog at http://www.lutrick.blogspot.com/, and her Etsy site at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lutrick.  Here's a photo of the pretty beads I get to work with...

Bead Soup Blog Party

I'm so excited, I get to participate in Bead Soup Blog Party! I got paired with Lara Lutrick, a lampwork artist and fellow Washingtonian. We get to exchange beads, make a piece of jewelry with the beads (plus whatever we want to add to the beads) then post the finished piece on our blogs. Fun!

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2011/09/prepare-for-5th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

Bead Star 2011

I would like to say a big congratulations to my Aunt Sheila, who placed third in the glass category in the 2011 Bead Star contest!  She is a talented lampwork artist and jewelry designer, and her bracelet, "Batik Sarong"  definitely deserved the honor!  Here is a photo of her bracelet, and if you'd like to check out her other awesome beads and jewelry, go to  http://www.etsy.com/shop/stonedesignsbysheila.  Well, what are you waiting for? Go!

 I just found out about this cool Bead Soup Blog Party...It sounds really fun!  The participants are picked at random, and I hope I get picked!  It's a bead exchange, then you post what you make on your blog for everyone to see.  I want to play!