Run Over By Life

Happens to us all at some point.  Back soon.

Do You Love a Challenge?

Check this out:
The Jade Dog's Bead Challenge!

Check the link for the 411 - this is just too cool - I'm going to do it, but I'm not eligible for the prize (being related to the judge and all), but I love a good bead challenge!

Here are the two groups of beads to choose from:

And here's a hint at the prizes!!

GO!  BUY!  CREATE!!  WOOHOO!!!!

February Finished

My journal piece for February is finished (and has been for a few days):

Healing Hearts/in the pink

Summing it up, here's the collage:

The components starting from the top left and going clockwise are: a carved and painted wooden heart, rhodonite hearts, rhodonite round cabochon, dyed freshwater pearls, Wild Horse magnesite rondelles and a pink quartz triangle, all nested in various background filling stitches of Japanese and Czech seed beads.  I mounted the badge on a zippered Ralph Lauren pink faux leather case - I think it was from a fragrance gift set - and removed the lining, replacing it with black suede, and now it's a jewelry box!

That was fun.  Now what?  I haven't got a clue what to do this month.  All I know is that it's going to be a serious crunch for time.  I'm getting ready for my first craft market/fair/show in something like 7 years.  I found my old show-prep checklist so I'm not totally lost - but I do need to make a bit of fill-in stock (some keychains, a few pendants, that kinda thing) and practice my set up routine.

I came up with some earring designs just for this show:

Carved bone skulls, pewter spacers, and KLEW leaves (polymer clay from Karen Lewis) - sort of a springtime take on the Day of the Dead - perfect for a spring themed indie craft market, I'd say.

And since I was noodling around with the skull beads, I made a treat for myself - a 56" endless strand:

Lo There Do I See

I was inspired by the Norse battle prayer quoted in the movie, "The 13th Warrior":

Lo there do I see my father. Lo there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers. Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call to me, they bid me take my place among them, in the Halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live...forever.

Cheers!