It's a Wonderful Life

Having been motivated by a customer/friend at the Downtown City Market for the past two weekends, I am here "blogging" at long last.  Thank you Valerie!

What a fabulous "RIDE" the past year has been for me and my family.

The photo up top is my new "footprint" at the City Market at the Museum in downtown Fayetteville, NC.

www.facebook.com/CityMarketAtTheMuseum

  It is my permanent vending location. I have been set up there since the onset of the venue last April 2012....over a year now.  On those rare occasions when I can't make it out there on a Saturday I feel like something is "missing" in my life.  I have made so many friends out there.  The vendors are awesome folks who are like family to me.  Alot of my consistent customers are now my friends.  I have so many wonderful experiences at the Transportation and Local History Museum every week.  Albeit has been rather warm some of these Summer days and rainy on a few others.  It still amazes me how loyal our customers are to all the vendors.

http://www.visitfayettevillenc.com/things-to-do/family-fun/6221/fayetteville-area-transportation-museum-and-local-history-museum

Here is my Latest and Greatest News so far on my journey here in NC.  As of  August 30, 2013 I have been accepted as a juried exhibiting ARTIST at Cape Fear Studios
 http://www.capefearstudios.com/
It is the primo source of Fine Art in the region with working Artist's studios right in the building.  My biggest joy is that there is a large classroom area where I can get back to teaching Beadwork at finally.  My sabbatical is over hopefully.

Also, even though the application fee is placing me in a grave financial bind and I am flying on blind FAITH the next couple months, I will possibly be returning to Ft Bragg for the Yule Mart again this year.  IF THEY JURY me in.  Application went out in today"s mail.  It will be at a NEW LOCATION with a new association running the show.  The new promoters is the newly created Association of Bragg Spouses...no longer Officer's Spouses.  New location will be :
Ritz-Epps Physical Fitness Center, Bldg C7215 Ft Bragg, NC
Dates of the venue this year are November 22, 23, and 24 2013
I so enjoyed doing the two day show last November I know this year will be even greater and more fulfilling!

The grandchildren are growing and maturing way too quickly for my taste, but I am still BLESSED to be able to spend time with them after school during the week.  Also, my wonderful grandson, Mylz still accompanies me downtown and helps me with my little shop on Saturdays.  His news is that he is on the soccer team for New Century International Middle School.  Ella is so intelligent for a second grader it is scary.  After First grade, she can read almost as well as I can....AMAZING!  She just turned 7 years old on August 2nd and Mylz will be 14 on January 6th, 2014.  He is in 8th grade.

My daughter has a new position and location for her employment.  She is now local, at Ray Price of Fayetteville and is the Finance and Insurance Manager.  They are the exclusive dealers for new Triumph and Ducati motorcycles in the area.  She is prospering and thriving in her new career.

I still struggle daily with my poor crops.  My mini garden is under siege as before by the pesky squirrels.  I have 19 tomato plants and have yet to get a mature tomato from any of them.  They even ate an eggplant but I managed to salvage a small one for myself (pictured above) before they demolished it.  they also confiscated all my pears and figs.  I purchased a sonar box that was supposed to remedy my plight....not so, MY squirrels are wise to everything meant to thwart them....I believe they must have master's degrees in veggie thievery.  I am keeping up with lawn mowing...saints be praised.  We have had a  very mild Summer with a whole lot of rain so we are truly blessed.

There is a reunion of my eighth grade graduating class coming up in October that I will unfortunately not be able to attend.  It has reunited me with several "old" friends who were absent but never forgotten from my life.  Sure wish I could be there "kids" but finances just won't permit.  I never got to the "Rich and Famous" status I had always dreamed of.  I will be there in spirit though, you can count on that!

Once again, I promise to try to BLOG more often....I know I know.  Happy Trails to all of you.  Autumn and the cooler COLORFUL weather is nearly here along with all the fun holidays and joys of the season.

June Challenge...EBW

It's that time folks...Ya Gotta Vote for your favorite piece on the Etsy Beadweaver's Blog at

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/


I do NOT have an entry of my own this time...sure are some gorgeous items listed though...please take a moment to VOTE!!! It really means alot to us members of this fabulous Etsy Team...thanks!

EBW April 2011 Challenge...Spring Around the Corner

It is finally here! The big day for me...my first entry is actually posted on the Etsy Beadweavers Blog for VOTING tomorrow April 9 thru April 15th > Will I win...not a possibility...but I am IN IT!!!!

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/2011/04/voting-for-april-challenge-spring.html

To share the same space with such AMAZING Bead Artists is my DREAM!! The competition is OUTSTANDING!!

Please be sure to cast your vote for one of these STUNNING pieces but be sure to look at the offerings of ALL of the ARTISTS on their Etsy pages...you will not regret it!!!

Thanks so much

My Latest Collection with my Newest Listing

Gifts for the Qua...

Curated By: beadacious122...

ArtFire.com

Craft Supplies

This is a spectacular selection of really QUALITY BEADWORK!!

Artfire Crazy Train Rider for Oct 6 - 7, 2009

Today I am spotlighting one of my favorite sellers on ARTFIRE

CAT IN A LIFE
catinalife.artfire.com

Her work is eclectic and stunning.

The first piece is a copper wire wrapped necklace with brilliant faceted glass beads worked in such an original design on the pendant. I know I MUST have her pendants soon as I can just visualize them blending perfectly with my seed beads on a rope chain suspending them.

This next piece is done in intricate chain, wire and Czech glass beads in the most splendid color green.

It is a bracelet with lots of life and sparkle!


I chose another copper wire wrapped pendant this time using faceted cat's eye fiber optic beads. The combination of turquoise and copper is always so elegant, but especially in this particular piece.



You must check out her studio. Her prices are amazingly affordable for the quality and breathtaking beauty of her designs.




I am finishing with this egyptian collar all of coiled wire in an exquisite color combination once again.

This lady is truly an ARTIST

http://catinalife.artfire.com

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.

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

This is a Titanium enhanced DRUZY.
It has 2 white freshwater pearls wirewrapped expertly into a brilliant pendant that I have placed onto one of my crocheted ropes.

These are the sterling silver findings I knew I must use showcase such a fine piece of art.
My rope is composed of silver lined 11/0 seed beads from Czech.

This photo shows the splendor of the sterling silver wirewrapping done by Gay Nace whose website is:
http://www.designsbygay.etsy.com/

The sterling silver findings, clasp and end cones are of a leafy theme and beautifully constructed.
You can see more detail in the photos that follow.

I met this gal at the Pima County Fair while I was demonstrating beadwork....when I discovered she was on Etsy with me I was so thrilled. I knew I HAD to have some of her pendants for my pieces. This is the first of many.

Come and see my listing for this and many other wonderful items at my Etsy Shop:

http://www.beadacious1221.etsy.com/

Picture Perfect/Desert Bloom

This is the FIRST finished piece of what I hope will be a long and fruitful relationship between my shop and
www.sarahsetsy.etsy.com
whose artwork is showcased in the sumptuous cactus flower pendant on my intricately crocheted rope in the photos here. Please be sure to visit Sarah's shop to see her magnificent photography!
And now....THE REST OF THE STORY:

Early into my Etsy experience I discovered that we can check out who is local on etsy. In other words, shops who are in the same city or state as we are. This I thought was very KEWL!
I spotted this shop with really spectacular photography AND the artist made some of her prints into art pendants.....WELL

I sent a convo (message) to this gal, Sarah Whitney, that I loved her photography, but especially her handmade pendants with cactus blossoms, jack rabbits, southwestern skies, etc. My only problem was if the bails would slide on my crochet ropes. I expessed my desire to showcase her work in this manner. Sarah started brainstorming where to find larger bails. She is just the sweetest gal.

Shortly thereafter I was a beadwork demonstrator at the Pima County Fair just outside of Tucson. While chatting with different people, I learned of a shop not too far from my home that carried the larger bails we were looking for in sterling silver.
Sarah was more than anxious to acquire the right sized bails to start custom pendants for me to buy and use in my work. She lives miles and miles from the glass shoppe location, but she put her youngest son in her vehicle and met me at the shop.
It was so special for me to actually meet another artist on Etsy and sorta collaborate on some pieces together IN PERSON. And her son and daughter,who I met when she was kind enough to deliver her finished pieces directly to my door, are just precious.
The personal touch of meeting and associating with local artisans would normally have me all jazzed to form some sort of local Etsy group cooperative for support and networking.
That was the old me...jump in with both feet and mingle with the masses.

My situation is now changed and I am lucky to leave the house once a week to buy groceries or pick up prescriptions. Occasionally, terrific encounters such as mine with Sarah, remind me of long long ago. Seven years have taken their toll on my psyche but I guess somewhere my true personality lurks deep in my soul.