Making A Dull Bead Shine

I frequent the Etsy forums and one night, a poster, DesignsByLucinda asked for six takers of 1 (each) of a plain, 1" bead. It's matte, marble. The idea is to see what six different people can do with the bead, providing it's the focal point. The whole scenario will be blogged about by http://www.silverriverjewelry.blogspot.com/

It was referred to as a "Bow Wow" bead. I had to ask what "Bow Wow" meant. Apparently, it's a bead that does not stimulate the owner in creating with it.

This is what I created with it (please note the matching earrings):


I would consider myself a novice jewelry maker, but am quickly becoming hooked!

What's got you 'hooked'?

Photography

I have not been writing as much as I should be because I've been making a lot of product. I'm just finishing off about 100 apple green snap clips and I'm not sure that's enough.

It's not so much as making Hair Flair as it is photographing it. I am a horrible picture taker. I don't deserve the title of "Photographer." I think you have to at least know your camera to get that title.

When I got my camera, I was so excited when I saw the manual, it had a lot of pages; I was sure I was going to be an expert by the time I was finished reading it. I did the usual, set up the time, the time zone, what my battery source was, etc. Then I flipped the page after I had it 'set up' and it was the same instructions over and over in about 13 other languages!

Yup, you guessed it - it wasn't a manual, it was a set-up book. I was on my own after that. I've had my camera for nearly three years and I don't know that I'm much better off now than when I started.

I have tried so many different ways to take pictures and bought a lot of light bulbs. I can't figure what background works best for my product, so I may be settling on a white background.

What is your trial and error "thing"?

You Are What You Drive

Is that really true; are you what you drive?

I got a new-to-me car last May; a 2003 Toyota Corolla. Unfortunately, my husband drives it because he commutes to work.

I have to drive his car; a 1987 Toyota Corolla. Well, the E-brake is gone, the gas is gone (thank goodness I have not run out of gas!), the shocks are gone. That's a lot gone. Somehow it still runs and gets me from A to B.

I would really like to drive my car. After all, I did get it for Mothers Day and I am a Mom; shouldn't I be able to use my own gift?

Instead, I have to drive around in a rusting, breaking, tin can. Yup, a tin can. I have to admit, though, it's great in the snow!

I sometimes wonder when people see me in my tin can, wearing my business clothes, what do they think when they see me? Do they think, "She looks like she could do better than that!" I wonder. Hmmm.

I don't think, "I am what I drive", it's all due to circumstances....

What do you drive? Are you one with it?

LolliShops!

I applied a while back to a juried website to sell my Hair Flair. I was turned down pretty quickly! I was a little down - me and my Hair Flair had never been turned down before!

I am very happy to say that I got up the nerve and applied to Lollishops. I did that probably around midnight last night. Wow, are they fast, because I woke up to an acceptance e-mail this morning!


You can check them out at :

http://lollishops.wordpress.com/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lollishops/

http://lollishops.com/

Procrastination at it's best!

During the first weekend in August, I was a vendor at a three-day show in Comox, BC called Nautical Days. I thought I went prepared. It turns out that I didn't go as prepared as I would have liked. I nearly sold out of my snap clips!

Since then, I have done the market a few times in Campbell River, BC and have not made any Hair Flair Snap Clips since preparation for Nautical Days.

I keep telling myself that today is the day that I will get to making my snap clips. I have the ribbon cut, but the ends still need to be treated to prevent fraying. I have cut about 175 pieces of each popular colour of ribbon and about 100 of the not-so-popular. It's a time-consuming process and I've treated three colours so far. If I just treat three colours a day, I'll be done in no time! I just have to keep telling myself that.

What project are you putting off?