Creative Highlights from 2012

I thought it would be fun to review some of my favorite projects from 2012. Looking over my blog posts from the last year, I'm happy to say it was fun and creative!

I was honored again to be selected for the Women In Glass issue of The Flow for one of my eye beads featuring the silvered glass eye murrini of  my friend Janel Dudley

I also won a photo contest sponsored by Archipeligo Botanicals to support breast cancer with this photo of my sister:

The bestie, her sister, a family friend and I planned our niece's wedding. I had a lot of fun making props for the photo booth and pulling off a most elegant wedding! Beading this ballerina (still in progress in this pic) for the candy table was most rewarding:

 

Which leads me to the most sentimental bead of the year:

That heart was made from the champagne bottle used to toast the nuptials. I framed it for the bride and groom with a story for them. The whole post is here.

Speaking of sentiment, I made a record number of Memorial beads... far more than shared here. For some of my customers, the memories are too fresh and painful so I don't even ask if I may share. Others...something magical just happens and I feel so blessed to have been a part of that grief process. (I have one of those to share.... but, you'll have to wait til next year!) While this work takes a lot out of me emotionally.... I'm SUCH a sensitive redhead... it is the MOST rewarding.

I found several color combinations that I simply adore this year. The Rio Party series was just plain fun and I had to make a necklace for myself:

My other favorite is from the Uptown Girl series... I just love the red and black with a little sparkle:

 

But my all time favorite bead of 2012 is this bent bead made in Kim Neely's Ether colors:

It was a challenging and creative year and I'm hoping that 2013 is  even more so and hopefully a little more profitable!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Merry Christmas

I've planned and started at least three posts since my last one! But with the holidays bearing down upon me, there's no time to finish anything...

So, I'll wish you all a very Merry Christmas instead!

Nutcracker Cookie Bouquet featuring Sweet Stampen's food Safe Rubber Stamps

Happy Hanukkah from Sweet Stampen

I haven't done a rubber stamping post in a while so I thought I would just show off our San Diego area teacher's Hanukkah Cookie Bouquet featuring Sweet Stampen's food safe rubber stamps.

Happy Hanukkah Everyone!

Fresh Glass 12/4

 

Nothing terribly exciting here in the sense that most of this is spoken for. Two prototypes for memorial beads which will be donated to Beads of Courage, a gold button for a shirt I bought and a giant BHB for an ongoing jewelry project. Last, but not least... a color test that will most likely end up in an orphan sale!  Still, it was a fun, productive torch session for me!