Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Aquatic Leaf Lampwork Glass

http://derondadesigns.etsy.com
http://derondadesigns.artfire.com
http://derondadesigns.com
These are all the places to find stupendous lampwork beads like the ones in my latest necklace that will be posted to my etsy shop and our artfire studio within the next few days. Not only is her lampwork outstanding, it is affordable....two combinations I find irresistable!
This self-taught glass artist certainly deserves accolades for her artistic accomplishments as these photos surely prove.

Deronda O'Neill is one of My Favorite Glass Artists, she lives in beautiful North Dakota.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

My Watch Cat

I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't experienced it for myself......it goes like this: We had rain yesterday and again last night. Well, that IS UNUSUAL, yes...BUT the real strange part happened real early this morning.......
My sweet little kitty, Squeakers, was really off on her rousting timing. She is never off on the time she has chosen to wake me, 3 am. I still am not 100% sure why that is the chosen time but it's like she has a built in alarm that sets her off and she starts to torture me.
This morning it wasn't even 1:30 am yet and there she was...meowing, scratching me through the sheet, biting me... so I did what I usually do when unnecessarily disturbed by the rambunctious night rambler. I groggily reached for the trusty spray bottle on my headboard and gave her a squirt while barking "NO". That is usually all it takes, one squirt and she relocates to the hallway and pouts herself back to slumber until 3 am (wake-up time).
Not this morning, oh no she just kept coming back and repeating the scene over and over and over. I finally decided after a good half an hour, by then I was awake enough to think, maybe I should just get up and walk around. I rose from the bed and watched her as she headed toward the door out of my room. She was acting really "spooked" peering out into the hallway. HMMMM? (I have always thought cats can see ghosts but I was really hopeful that's all that this might be)
I staggered half awake out into the hallway and now she has her hackles up outside my mother's bedroom doorway. Mom has an oxygenator pumping away in her room while she sleeps and the dog is out cold on the bed beside her as always. I poked my head in the room, nothing odd, though I did hear a slightly different sound emanating from somewhere. So I started the trek through the rest of the rooms to see if I could find the sound.
Nothing unusual, just a slight pitter- patter of raindrops on the flat roof as a gentle rain was falling. But Squeakers is not content that I am doing all this. She is still aggitated and meowing at me like I am some ignorant schmuck. She is back to standing in mother's doorway and looking spooky again. " Okay Okay I will go inside", I tell her as I tip toe into the room so as not to arouse any of the heavy sleepers. I get to the master bath area and I hear the sound again only louder now. I look up at the skylight directly overhead and lo and behold...droplets of water are drip drip dripping onto the sink countertop and the floor. AHA,
now I know what she was telling me..."a leak! we have a leak!!" she's been saying in her own purr-fect way. ( I swore she sneered at me when I made the discovery.)
I got an empty wastebasket and lined it with a plastic bag and then placed a towel over it to catch the water. Squeakers surveyed the operation with approval and she was content....and I was ......WIDE AWAKE!
Her adventure and duty was finished, she fell sound asleep.
I worked on stringing beads for a choker I promised a trader. Had a cup of hot cocoa. Then got on the computer and networked my head off until 7:30 am when I finally crashed and burned until 10 am when it was rise and shine because Mom was awake and I needed to start chores.
I thank GOD for my little Alarm Cat who is so conscious of what could be potentially hazardous to us mere humans. By the way, did I say that the DOG SLEPT SOUNDLY THROUGH THE WHOLE EVENT?

Friday, August 21, 2009

I am In an Etsy Treasury!!

This MUST be my LUCKY day...now I'm in a treasury with this piece
The Treasuries only last a couple days so you only have until Monday morning to view the whole thing at:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=77631
The super KEWL news about this is that Sarah is the gal right here in Tucson that I did the necklace "picture perfect" with her fine art photo pendant. Even more super is that this is the first treasury that she created herself!!! I am so totally honored to be in her very first endeavor! Thank you Sarah!! You can find her shop at:
Be sure to check her fantastic photography out!!

I WON A PRIZE!! ... and Lots More Goodies, too.....

WOWSERS!! LOOKEE LOOKEE WHAT I WON on a BLOG...


and the entire listing from her Etsy shop is here:
I "met" muffintop when I was accepted as an Etsy Trade-A-Holics Team member. She is one of a few very busy people giving of their time to see that team progress. It is gaining new members amazingly fast. It is a real joy to TRADE with the people on Etsy.
Just yesterday they had their very first "TRADING FRENZY" that only lasted 18 hours. In less than four hours here's what I got:
from:
Dawn has traded with me before and I just love her dichroic pendants.
Then I got 2 sets of these:
which I had been wanting for a long while. They came from here:
Paula just happens to be in Spain! Isn't the internet amazing?
Then from my favorite art jewelry designer on Etsy, who I always try to trade with I got this:
Jessi's outstanding work in quality cut gem stones and precious metals can be found here:
I have alot of her gemstone art and highly recommend her work!
Then I got something else I BADLY NEEDED...a set of banners for my new ARTFIRE studio from this shop:
and Stephanie is operating her business from the UK. So stay tuned to see my NEW BANNER.
My final trade was with a darling gal, Jimell, who is sending all the following to my granddaughter in NC.
Her adorable shop of exceptionally cute little girlie items is:
Please check out all the links above...then join Etsy to partake of even more spectacular handmade treasures by thousands of international artisans!
Most especially, visit Cy's shop, my benevolent gift giver, at:
Thank you all for visiting my Blog and please follow me.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

What's Happening NOW


I Highly Suggest that if you are an internet seller you visit this blog that I just discovered today and read her story about "feeling it in her bones". Something we should ALL know about.........

I have been having a "blast" gaining twitter followers since I realized that was where the majority of the traffic was coming from on my ARTFIRE site...I still think it is kinda weird though.
Been trying to keep up with all the demands of life lived in the confines of a house...thank heavens for this internet or I WOULD go bananas for sure...Just like most, I shirk the REAL responsibilities, like vacuuming and God forbid DUSTING! At least I think that's just like most, isn't it?

Check out the photo of one storage shed...yea, we have three. The other two are fairly tidy...but I believe a family of squirrels is living in the big one pictured above since I have seen them enter and peer out at me through the window over my Dad's former workbench. In 105+ degree heat I have NO INTENTIONS of dealing with that mayhem and misery. Now off to post another item on Etsy and Artfire.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

SQEAKER asks that WE ALL join in today's PURRS FOR PEACE at 3 pm EST!
To find ou more about this event please go to:http://www.confuciuscat.blogspot.com/

NEW ITEMS ON ARTFIRE

Thank You for coming to my blog to see whassup! As you can probably tell, I spend way too much time at home...but I do keep my hands busy. I especially enjoyed putting this turquoise choker together. It is one of my most unique creations in that the sterling silver "cage" bead not only slides free on the rope, but it also doesn't HIDE the rope beneath it.
I was so thrilled when I found this bead because it has the colors of the Lithuanian flag in it. My heritage through all four grandparents is Lithuanian. They came over from there in the early 1900's to escape the Czar. Wouldn't they they be appalled that today the USA has several "czars" of their own.
I became equally excited to find the red and yellow striped seed beads to compliment the focal slider bead perfectly!
The artists who created this lovely dichroic lampwork are at:
Pam Dansie wins again! This is the second of many crocodile rock slider beads I will be using on my bead crochet ropes. The camera just doesn't do them justice. Her beads are available at
The red red red and gold piece below uses a generic lampwork glass pendant from Asia...but I jazzed it up a bit with golden filigree additions that vintage Chanel. The sparklee box clasp is also pretty snazzy.
I really like the Rapid Cart idea that Artfire has for promotion as well as several of their other innovations. I now have seven items listed in OUR studio there. I have added my daughter to the studio in anticipation that she will contribute her marvelous hand strung art jewellry from 2200 miles away.
Peace Love and Contentment be yours today and always.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

One Lovely Blog Award


I Can't believe that I was tagged with this award by Theresa's Treasures way back on July 11th and I just now figured out how to carry out the mission....can we say DENSE?
She is an awesome ARTIST!! I have two of her pieces and I CRAVE more!!
So here are the rules when I tag you:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who gave it to you and a link to their blog.
2.Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered.
3.Contact the bloggers you award to let them know they were chosen.
Now here's the fun part, my 15 choices:
1. An eclectic glass artist and her inspirations
2. Beadology, My Life & Times
3. Beads & Birds
4. Cindy's Beads and Dolls
5. Deronda Designs
6. Fire-n-Sand
7. inside the muffintop shop
8. Janel Dudley Beads
9. Wild Sage Lampwork
10. Zen BreezArt Gallery-Fine Art to Refresh the Soul
11. The Soap Barn
12. Beads Fantasy
13. Bare Moose
14. nomad crafts etc
15. Love Clay
Some are not completely NEW to me as far as me discovering them, but I had to include them since they are some of my favorites.
Now go to tag everyone!
(Oh, & don't worry if you don't want to play along as I will not be offended.)
This is the most Fun I have had since becoming a blogger, Thanks Theresa!

Saturday, August 8, 2009


I have been so busy trying to upload my new work now to TWO locations. I finally got bold enough to be a verified member on ARTFIRE...the Tucson operation.

These three photos are some of the items listed on artfire:
http://www.beadacious1221aces520.artfire.com/
which is to be a cooperative venture with my daughter, April who is clear across the country in NC...wow, I am getting brazen with this internet thing, huh?

Artfire is supposed to provide a shopping cart on my blog here too...when I figure that one out, you will be the FIRST to know...after me, that is...LOL. Please take a look at OUR new studio on Artfire.
Thanks