I have so been neglecting my wonderful little blog.  I have been so busy I have hardly had time to breathe.  Fall and the start of the school year is a busy time for me.  I have been on the road visiting schools and talking to teens about life after high school.  6 career fairs in two weeks.  About 400 miles a week.

In October, my sister and I participated in a Ladies Day Out event at my friend Tracey's nursery: Tsuki Nursery here in Olympia.  We had a wonderful fall day (with rain, sunshine and more rain) in the northwest.

Len made cassoulet, crostini, pizza, black bean tapanade and a black rice salad. I made 13 bean soup.  We had crackers and cheese, coffee and wine and of course: art for sale...jewelry....handsewn items...handknit stocking caps.

The weather was cold and crisp and the maple trees were in their fall glory.  We had booths on the inside of the greenhouse and the maples were our backdrop.  It was beautiful and people couldn't believe how wonderful it all was.

My son has been home on leave from the army....my daughter has visited several times from Seattle. I have been in my studio space (a corner of a back bedroom) just creating a way.  I have created 6 really fun charm necklaces with handmade charms, found objects and glass beads.

I sit so long at school events, I have been taking my knitting and have been knitting little cuffs/wrist warmers.  All they need is some button and felt embellishments.

A large bag of mixed up, crazy colored, shiny glass India beads came home with me from the local bead shop last weekend. I poured them all in a bowl one night and sorted to my hearts content.  21 pairs of earrings came from this bead decadence plus two bracelets and a necklace.  

Leather lacing has been fashioned into several bracelets and hardware has become pendants.  The creativity in my little tiny blocks of time has just been pouring from me.  I am having so much fun and plan on sharing my creations with my sister's at Christmas time.  They love to get and to give handmade gifts....so we have fun exchanging our art.

I will be doing a Christmas show in a few weeks and hope my beautiful creations go to new homes.  Then I will have space to showcase the other ideas I want to make.

All is good, in the world of crafting/creating/art.  I'd love to see what you are creating....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jewelry Show Season

It seems to be jewelry show season....harvest time events - a good time to share your autumn themed items, orange or old gold colored pieces and pre-holiday items.

Last Saturday, I did a show for Kokua here in Olympia that supports children and adults in our community who have disabilities.  The fair booth was high and the sales were low but at least BluJeanBeads was representen'.

When sales don't go as hoped you have to decide whether it was a bust or did you do something for your community.

I followed the advice of someone on line that said you should have a statement piece on your table to draw the eye and "the crowd."  It worked....I had two wonderful charm necklaces....I wore one and displayed the other larger one.  People loved it....women came up and had to feel all the charms....

I think (with wanting draw others to my table) I created a niche item.  I am going to make more charms and more charm necklaces.

I will report how it goes.

School is Around The Corner but Summer Hasn't Left

I don't know why people always equate school with fall.  Summer ends on September 21st so we have a little time.....to be well...summery!

In the last three summers, the Northwest has been blah....not enough warm weather till late in July.  Then it gets dry with a couple of days in a row of scorchers:  above 90 degrees.

So what? We get about three really good days to dazzle in our summer dresses.  Then it is school....people start thinking about fall and boots are on sale in the major department stores before we can get our latest pair of flip flops.  Just doesn't seem fair.

But I am loving the colors of fall this year that I see in the fashion world: that deep burnt orange, magenta, deep reds, mustard and old gold yellows, teals and dark greens.

Although I am having some trouble moving away from my light summery pinks and blues, bright yellows...I will....I have too....I am being compelled.  But I choose to wait....late in September!

Weekend Fun

It was hot this weekend.  In the 90's and what made it hotter was going to the Potlach on Squaxin Island.  The Canoe Journey was held in Olympia WA this year.  Over 100 Indians paddled into Olympia and some had come as far way as Alaska, Canada and New Zealand. Yes, the Maori were representing.

My sisters and I joined the festivities. It was exciting to see the Native Pride and to celebrate with our sisters and brothers around the Pacific Northwest.

I had a great time admiring (what else) everyone's jewelry and the cedar hats.

Look for the canoe journey online.

First Bead Show

A week ago, my sister (http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ashar) and I went to the Puget Sound Bead Festival in Tacoma WA.  We had always heard that you can go crazy at these sales so we made a game plan. We decided what we wanted to purchase and took only $50.00 each.

We found free parking which was great and decided on just an hour or two then lunch.  We paid for our fee and went to the show room. It was breathtaking....about 100 vendors.  I was looking for handmade lampwork glass beads and pendants and my sister was looking for copper and bronze findings.

We looked at every shop in the first hour, then went back to the booths that captured our eyes and bought our products.  We each got what we wanted and were able to have a tiny bit of money left in our wallets. Actually I came back with $20.00 and had purchased 15 pieces!

We also ran into some old friends, made some new friends....collected business cards for shops that were of interest so we can visit them online.  We also talked to vendors and received some great tips.

A good day!

Red Jade

Until my friend Alicia had a red jade necklace that she gotta compliment on, I didn't know that Jade came in any other color than green. I didn't even know that there was a difference between Jade and something called Jadeite, and that Jadeite was a natural stone.  I thought it was something made up in a lab.

Well, I have learned that Jade is so strong it was once used for weapons and tools.  On a Mohs scale of hardness it rates a 7 which means it is harder than steel.  Jadeite is the higher quality of Jade and it comes in a variety of colors: Red, Green, Blue and Lavender.

My bracelet I call Red Jade but it is surely Red Jadeite.



This might need to have a trip out of the jewelry box today...It is so pretty.

Finally the Tile Debut

Well it is more than a tile debut....

I took the time to make this into a wonderful, crazy, busy, charm necklace.  What do you think?

The focal point Blue Heart

Day of the Dead pendant and flower pendant