REVEAL! Lori Anderson's Blog Bead Soup Party!

This challenge all began with a blog post from Lori Anderson

asking if there were those who would like to participate in a variation
of her Bead Soup Blog Party.
As a follower of An Artist's Year Off and Pretty Things,
both of which are Lori's blogs,
and
I love them both,
I decided,
How fun!
I was partnered with
Stacey M. Curry.
Here is what I received from Stacey.

There was a bracelet
and
there was a necklace.
Nummy and fun.
I was tempted to leave things the same, but
the goal was to try to make something new
from the old.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo,
Here's what I made!
I made a necklace and bracelet.

I reluctantly took the necklace apart. I decided to keep the chain and many of the charms on the chain.
I added a felted wool cord that I made.
I also made 3 lampwork flowers.
I used the smaller charms as centers for the flowers.
I love it!
Thank you, Stacey!

For the bracelet, I used a Vintage bracelet wire, and I wrapped that bangle in a silk cord that I had dyed.
I added a focal from the bracelet and more charms.
How fun is that?
Stacey, thank you for the inspiration.
Lori, Thank you for the challenge!

I hope you'll visit the rest of the Bead Soup Jewelry Exchange participants -- their names and blogs are below! Just click their name to travel to their blog.

Erin Prais-Hintz

Jen Velasquez

Johanna Rhodes

Laurel Steven

Loretta Carstensen

Mallory Hoffman

Marianna Boylan

Norma Turvey

Sharon Misuraco

Stacey Curry

Tyne Bodenburg

This Little Rock

At the end of summer, I found this little rock in the yard. I don't know where it came from, but, one day, it was just there. I brought it into the house immediately and laid it aside for future inspiration.

While I waited for the inspiration, I kept looking at this little rock. The rock itself looks as if someone, somewhere, chipped out the shape. Was it a tool for a small child at one time? Did a mother or a father make it for their child so that this child could learn to grind corn, make other tools? Was it a toy for young hands to hold and admire?

I moved the rock around to view it from different sides. I stood it on its side. I tilted and turned it, then I saw it!

I had purchased Jennifer Geldard's tutorial on making The Bird. You can still find this wonderful tutorial here. Next step in the inspiration, autumn flying into winter. Snow Birds! (More to follow with the snowbirds on Etsy.) As Erin Prais-Hintz says, "Treasures Found: Inspiration is Everywhere!" This little rock has quickly become a treasure found, not only for inspiration, but for wondering.

Shopping Etsy: Key Word: Buttons

I'm shopping Etsy, again!

This time,
the keyword I used was,
Buttons!
What a cornucopia of buttons, I found!

Would you believe that these wonderful buttons are soap?
I found these in Love Lee Soap on Etsy.
I would never have imagined buttons could be soap!

Look at this beautiful button used as a focal!
Wow!
The Go2Girl took this ceramic button
and made it a focal for a beautiful
necklace!
Love it!

How about these fun and funky buttons!
Wow!
I found these in Ally Beans Shop on Etsy.
She takes the old and turns it into new.
The stones are over drilled and they are fun!

Look at these gorgeous wooden buttons on Etsy.
They are made from Juniper.
I found them in the store
Wooden Buttons.

Now, how fun is that!
Just keep shopping.
More will come later!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.


1) I certainly can't complain about the weather this week. New heat records were set for November! Yesterday, our high was 66 degrees. The last high for November was set back in 1984 when the record high was 62!
Don't I sound like a weather person?

2) This morning had one of the most beautiful skies I have seen in a long time. Isn't the photo beautiful? The photo does not do the sky justice. I was just lucky to have my camera with me when I saw the sky. Amazing!!!!!

3) I thought it would take a long time to get into the orthopedic doctor, but a wonderful woman at the clinic managed to get me in to see the Ortho doc a week from today. I am so grateful for that! There are some very kind people in this world, aren't there?

What a Rare Creature We Have in Our Midst

Here in Minnesota, we have a rare creature in our midst.

The technical name for this creature is
snowbirdis autumninus springus.
These birds, native to Minnesota and other cold states,
begin their annual migrations
just as the spring winds begin to blow
and when the warmth of summer ends.
They fly quickly across the country to warmer climates.
We, who live here through the cold winters, simply call them
SNOWBIRDS.
I just thought that you might like to meet a few of them.
One is already listed in my Etsy store.
I hope to get the others listed very soon.
This is our orangellis snowbirdellis springus and fallus.
We just call him Jake.
You can find Jake in my Etsy store if he doesn't decide to head south for the winter very soon.
I think he's found a bit of snow cover for now,
but I know he wants to be warm!

Now, this is Lulu. She's blue because she hasn't left yet, and she wants to get warm again.
I hope to get Lulu listed very soon in my Etsy store.
Keep your eyes open because she might fly away very quickly!
She's a blueellis snowbirdis autumnus springus.
She won't be back until the snow melts.

Homer wants to stick around until after Thanksgiving.
He's a bit warmer because he's encased.
However, the snow will make him long for the warmth of Florida, Arizona, New Mexico.
Well, you get the picture.
Homer will be in my store soon.
He's an
Amberellis snowbirdis autumnus springus.
Look for him soon in my Etsy store.
Now, I'm off to dream about the upcoming winter, and I'm imagining
tall coconut trees, a warm beach, white sands.

If you could fly like these snowbirds,
where would you fly to?
I'm seriously thinking
the ocean.
That would be nice!