Tropical Holiday Challenge

WHEW! I completed my entry into the Etsy Beadweavers (EBW) Team Challenge entitled "Tropical Holiday." I keep wanting to call it Tropical "Vacation" - I must need one!

I called my piece "Paradise" as it certainly would be paradise to be lying on a warm white sand beach listening to the ocean waves lapping against the shore and enjoying all the colorful flowers.

Please visit the Group blog here to see all the entries once the mosaic is posted. Members have until Feb 2 to post their entries. Be sure to come back between Feb 9 - 15 to vote for your favorite.

All My Time is Spent on the Computer!!

It seems like my designing and creating time has taken a backseat to working on the computer these past few weeks. But I did accomplish a lot!

I opened a second Etsy Shop for all my non-beaded creations called "Dangles By Linda." You can look at it by clicking here. I have lots of work to do yet taking pictures and uploading all the info to the site.

I also opened a website on eCRATER (it's free!) and you can look at my pages by clicking here. Again, lots of work yet to be done, but it's a start.

I also signed up for Google Checkout. I've always (and still do) use PayPal, but didn't think adding another option would be a bad thing.

I spent time yesterday in one of the Virtual Labs on Etsy. Chatted with lots of fellow Etsians, got questions answered by an Esty person, and learned how to fling hearts and paper airplanes across the virtual room. I also learned how to do "show and tell" in the virtual lab.

I learned how to do an Etsy-mini and posted it here on my blog. I also learned more about widgets and how to add them to my sites. I also learned how to add a picture of one of my products to Google Base (don't ask).

I did get one more bracelet finished (I know, I said I needed to stop making bracelets and work on my challenge piece). You can find a picture of it here.

I have made a promise to myself that tomorrow is going to be spent on creating - no more computer work! My husband is off on a fishing trip to Mexico, so I can really make a mess!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Stay Safe.

My Journey to Beads

All my life I have enjoyed creating. As a young girl I learned to sew with needle and thread and to crochet with my grandmother. I enjoyed artwork and crafts. But I never realized how much it meant to me until a few years ago. I worked several years as an elementary grade school teacher and then got into computers and accounting. I spent my whole life working at jobs I didn't really enjoy. I discovered beads in my 50's.

It all started with my love of discovering pretty rocks. Whenever I would visit a new place, my head would be looking down at the ground hoping to spot something pretty. My growing rock collection soon led me to joining a rock and gem club. I learned how to identify my rocks, but I also learned much more. I learned that rocks I had collected could be cut, polished and formed into shapes that could be used in jewelry. Well that opened up a whole new world! Making cabachons, wirewrapping and silver work were soon new skills I was learning.

Then came the Gem and Mineral shows. While attending all the shows, I made a new discovery - beads. I began stringing beads to make my own jewelry. I learned how to crimp and about all the different findings that could be used in making jewelry. I became hooked.

I think I came full circle when I discovered that I could use a needle and thread with beads and with my pretty rocks. I learned that there were many different beadweaving stitches that could be used to combine all the things I love into jewelry. The creative possibilities were endless!

But I'm not done. I also discovered Polymer Clay and Precious Metal Clay. These two mediums allow for even more creativity in combining them with beadweaving. And what about making my own beads out of them? And what about learning lampworking? Those handmade glass beads are gorgeous!

So that's my journey to beads in a nutshell. I'm pretty sure the journey will not be over for a long, long time, God willing. I thank Him for giving me this desire to create.