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!

Lana

I don't know why I started naming my jewelry. I guess to get "the story" started. This is what I made for Art Bead Scene's June challenge. It's based on a painting by Lautrec, Marcelle Lender Dancing the Bolero in "Chilpiric." There is a little printout of it in picture number two. Picture number one shows Yellow Dog in the background lying on the guest bed in my most untidy work space/guest room. The art bead I used is a beautiful teal ceramic connector bead by Lisa Peters. Did you know she has two Etsy shops? Lisa Peters Art and Lisa Peters Destash. I made all the colorful wool beads, needle felted them I did. There is also some tiny swarovski crystals and pyrite beads.

Sweet And Sour

First for the sweet. A new pair of earrings demonstrating yet again how my kids get along. Earwires from Miss Fickle Media. Lampwork glass rondelles from Mermaid Glass. Enameled headpins from Sue Beads. Earrings at Pearl And Pebble.

The sour. I had one of my favorite plates hanging on the guest room door. It was my grandmother's. Loved the color on black and white. Pattern on pattern. It was a Royal Winton. I love Royal Winton. Here in Michigan lately, there is either no air circulation or tornado warnings. Yesterday the wind blue the door shut and my plate flew off the nail, which actually has quite a large head on it, so ???? You are now observing my precious plate. Now I'm going to have to do a mosaic. Sigh.

A Bit Of Tea Perhaps?

It truly truly is a marvelous day for The Summer Tea.

As we all gather together in Wibittoo. With the ever gracious Wibittoo Folk.

Sheep and Hedgehog arrive and approach slowly. Hedgehog forgot the invitation! Oh dear....

What should they do? We must have our invitation! But it is not a problem.

Big Hector forgot his too. He just gets sooooo flustered when he's excited!

Penwali and Elizabethe arrive. Love it- they dressed in matching outfits!

The Mossies arrived next. And soon the party is well underway.

Me? I was running a bit late because I could not find my best hat.

We have music.

And the menu! Oh my my! So divine. Toffee Sandwiches,

And liquorice kabobs!

And honey.

We enjoy a special tea. Although it is not really tea at all,

But a sweet elixir from the Lavender Tree.

Every house in Wibittoo has it's own Lavender Tree.

It is such a lovely day for such whimsy! I do think I will attend next year! And I do have my eye on a little honey in the corner....

Maybe he'll come with me.

Until next year dear folk.

Adieu.

A party would not be a party, now, if there were not any favors!! I would love to send along a little gift of my own. Leave me a note of your visit today and I will randomly choose a name for this little pair of earrings that I have made up myself.

Getting Ready For The Tea

I think this is what I will wear...... Will you stop by for tea? It's a very special tea. Click the tea party button on the right side bar to find out more. I will have a special something to giveaway too. See you then.

Original Art Giveaway Alert (Insert Sirens)

My friend Di has a new blog and is having a giveaway! She is a watercolorist, shows her work often and has been painting a card a day. (I had attempted this small feat myself and fell short!) This is one of her cards. Go leave a comment and you'll be entered to win it!!! Hand painted cards are like sooooo perfect. They aren't to big if you want to mat and frame them. They are also a really great as a card! Original art as opposed to mass produced.

The REAL Reveal

Sorry again for any confusion the other day, and if you are returning this morning for the REAL reveal- thank you!! For any of you who are not familiar with the Bead Soup Swap, it is a fabulous exchange hosted by Lori Anderson from Pretty Things. Lori pairs beaders together and each participant sends their partner a focal, a clasp and a few beads to start "the soup". Each artist then adds their own ingredients to the pot and voila! My partner was the fabulous Whitney Lassini. She makes beautiful beautiful glass beads. And the proof is in the soup! Here are my finished pieces. The focal bead really spoke to me and I saw earth and water. Canyon rock and river. A window giving me a peek into the formation of life. So the components I chose to add to the mix were wood, Salwag saucer beads, a little glass and some brassy bits! Whitney sent me a lovely Sterling Silver clasp, and after pulling my ingredients together, I decided to "season" it, adding a little heat. I did this by hard boiling two eggs and while they were still hot, plopped them into a bag, crushed it up shell and all, and dropped the silver in. Rub. Rinse. Instant patina!

Whitney also sent along beautiful glass rondelles. I used the teal to make earrings. The enameled head pins are from Sue Beads.

Thanks for looking everyone! Click here to see what Whitney created with the stash I sent her. Click here to go to Lori's blog and follow the links for the rest of today's soupers. Make sure to leave me a comment if you want to be entered in a suprise giveaway. I will announce the winner after the festivities next Monday. Have a great day!