Treasure Alert

Look what Sue sent me! I KNOW!!!! Last week she had a fun little guessing game posted on her blog. She put little snippets up of a lovely visit she had in the Cayman Islands and had her readers guess where they were from. I love little challenges like that! And I really love the prizes!! Beautiful lampwork beads in those fabulous island colors! I love the white sugar beads, don't they look just like a pina colada slushie? Yum. And the enameled beads! The mauvy tubes look just like the subtle pearling inside a sea shell. And the bead caps are such an awesome size. But look at this little lampworked button bead! How fun is this sweet baby?!?! Thank you Sue. I am going to have lots and lots of fun! You can check out her shop Sue Beads here and pick up a few treasures of your own. I highly recommend it. There is always something new and exciting. (I really don't think Sue sleeps.) She does some really wonderful enameled head pins too:)

Playtime For The Technically Challenged

Having just the hardest time trying to get an intact treasury image! This is because I am still quite computer illiterate. I know you have tried to help me in the past with this, and I thank you kindly. I'll get there. Anyhow this here is more or less a test. It's my lone treasury at the moment; full of wonderful things that I found quite lovely. As you might tell I am sort of stuck in a neutral color zone, but an elegant one nonetheless. I think I linked it just fine if you want to see things much bigger. I just can't stand how much I heart that mid-century rooster coffee pot! And the print of the lady with the bathing cap?!?! OMG grandma had the best bathing caps. All kinds of rubbery floppery hanging. She had a leopard print bathing suit. The kind with the built in bullet bra. Sexy grandma. She looked just like Doris Day.

Calder Necklace

Here is what I finally decided on for this month's ABS challenge based on Calder's sculpture "Blue Feather." A few years ago I found a strand of clay bird beads in an antique shop. I don't use them, well, ever really, because A. I am a hoarder and if I use my stash then I won't have any more. B. They are kind of funky and I find them a challenge to use. However, as I was digging around in my drawers, (I'm laughing now because sometimes I have a juvenile sense of humor) as I was digging around in my bead drawers, I came across these. I had to incorporate it somehow. I had made up a batch of polymer beads for this project but ended up only using the one. I really liked the simplicity of the black thin leather cord. As I went to grab a sterling lobster, I was also thrilled to find that I had stashed away a marvelous orange enameled toggle from Gardanne Beads! Orange and with a hole no less!

Luanne The Wooded Owl

Today's shop additition, meet Luann. She is long and comfy. I know this because I wore her while I made some polymer beads this morning. Don't you just LOVE the owl bead?!?! I found this little treasure at Loose Feathers. The glass jumps are from Hanson Stone. I seem to be diggin' the longer lengths these days. It might have something to do with the heat and no AC. :( (All pity remarks are welcome.)

Melinda At Last

I tell ya, if I priced my pieces according to the time....... here we are looking at a $300.00 necklace. Nothing went smoothly. And I could not get the blues to photograph after I had finally finished. But my final answer is here and here. Yesterday I thought I had it finished.

I had the felted beads wire -tied and linked with double brass jumps. I put it in my Etsy shop. And darned good thing I had the inclination to take it for a test drive. The rings and ties were picking and poking, slightly, but enough to make me crazy. So when I got up this morning I reworked it. Same design really, but I switched out the brass jumps to the twisted copper rings. And re-did the felted beads with turned loops instead of ties.

Don't ya just love these blues?!?!? The fabulous wavy rings and lampworked rondelles are from Mermaid Glass. I love love love working with glass rings and the colors in these are amazing. They are shades of blues and greens that I envision seeing in the Mediterranean if we ever get to Greece. The awesome patina-ted brass rings are from Miss Ficklemedia. The lovely enameled clasp is from Gardanne Beads. And of course I just had to include some felted rounds because, well, just because.

And today's test drive was a success. Much Much more wearable. And for no particular reason, I have named her Melinda. And I think I actually like my final answer much better.

Our Little Crop

Sister Trish gave Mr. Pearl and Pebble and me baby blueberry bushes for Christmas 2008. This year our bushes have begun to grow a bit and we are getting little crops of berries here and there. This is what we just picked. I love fresh blueberries. Makes all this heat worth it! What's growing in your garden?

Serving side.

Cutting side. I have been looking for the perfect anniversary gift for my inlaws. When it comes to our parents, ideas for gifts get harder and harder don't they? So when I was reading Cecilia Galluccio's blog one day, it hit me! Check out this gorgeous cutting/serving board. Cecilia finds a piece of wood that speaks to her and starts working her magic. She sketches and burns out these marvelous designs. Very folksy and all hand done. I love it and I think Mr. P and P's folks will too. Click on her name to visit her blog. Click here to go to her shop.

WHHHOOOOO-HOOOOO NEED SOME GREEN?

Check it out! Jen Judd and faithful feline assistant Brando are having a giveaway! Two lucky winners will be chosen to win a glorious stash o green!!!

Giveaway Alert

Copper Diem is having a giveaway. I love love love this pretty silver and enamel charm don't you?!? The color is just so fresh, light and dreamy like lemon-lime chiffon. Go on over and leave her a comment to be entered in the drawing.

Giveaway Winner Alert

Congratulations Jen Judd Velasquez! Thank you for coming to my tea party, you rock Jen Judd:D Please email your info and I will mail these right out to you.

Happy Happy Happy

Happy Fourth of July! I hope you all have a great weekend. Tomorrow is my birthday and I just have to share what my sweet sweet honey bought me. He surprised me with a macro lens! What a guy! So this here is one of the first pictures I've taken playing around with my new toy:) Be back on Tuesday and I'll announce the winner of the earrings from the Mad Tea Party giveaway. (So if you haven't already commented, go back and leave me a little message.)

Congratulations Marieke!

You are the winner of my "surprise giveaway" from our fabulous Bead Soup Party! I used the Random Generator to obtain number 51. (Couldn't figure out how to copy the image-so just take my word for it. ) Please contact me with your info and I will get these out to you! Thanks to all for visiting and leaving me nice comments!