This one's a keeper

Here is a bracelet I have been working on for a few weeks and which I recently shared a preview of in My Creative Space.

It's created using those very addictive Sparkly Wheels by Melinda Barta which you have been seeing a bit of lately.

I absolutely love the versatiliy of these wheels and the way they can look completely different depending on the colour combination you choose.

This time I have used gorgeous Tigers Eye and Picasso mix 3mm fire polished beads and size 15/0 seed beads as well as some round Tigers Eye beads.

I absolutely adore this colour combination and the Tigers Eye and Picasso mix beads have become a firm favourite of mine.

The cabochon is Tiger Iron (however it was sold to me as Tigers Eye) and has been beaded and backed with brown leather.

I normally back my pieces with Ultrasuede but lately I have been enjoying using leather. I think it gives the piece a  more professional look.

The leather I have used however is a bit thick so I had a bit of trouble getting the needle through but got there in the end!

I've just ordered a 1 pound bag of deer leather scraps which should be perfect for backing smaller sized cabochons. I've been told that this leather is super soft so I can't wait to use it.

I have to admit I have been wearing this nearly every day.

I think a necklace to match is in order.

Isn't it nice when you make yourself a piece that you adore.

♥

That perfect shot...

My little man can be a cheeky chap!

Whenever I try to take a photo of him he looks everywhere but at the camera.

His latest favourite thing to do when I am trying to get that perfect shot is to pull silly faces...

Like this...

and this...

sometimes like this...

and a little like this...

and even like this!

On this particular day.... this is as close as I got to that perfect shot.

I guess these are all perfect in their own, unique, Spencer like way!

♥

Margie and Me - The Colors of Constructivism - #102

It's that time again for the Margie and Me Challenge reveal.

This time around I chose

The Colors of Constructivism - #102

Apologies that I am a day or two late for posting my creation.

Unfortunately the weather here has been quite bad again and each afternoon when I have gone to photograph my piece... well it's been pouring with rain.


So... please excuse my dodgy photo but it was the best I could get!

I focused on the gorgeous blues, greens and teals in the colour palette and created these earrings using Marcia DeCoster's "Medici Drop" pattern.

I thought the Czech teardrops worked quite well with the colour palette.

I was intending to create a piece using the other gorgeous palette but unfortunately it just didn't happen.

Be sure to check out the other Margie and Me creations on Marcie's blog at La Bella Joya.

♥

Sweet treats ♥

Look what arrived for me yesterday!

 Gorgeous beaded hairpins, some cute little "Made with Love" charms, an adorable little crocodile and some scarab cabochons.

I was lucky enough to win the beautiful hairpins, made by Jana of Stories of the Secret Garden  via a giveaway hosted by Lelanie at To Sew with Love but Jana was so kind to surprise me with the other treats!

How cute is that crocodile.
Jana recently created a gorgeous pendant using one of these little fellas

which you can find HERE in her Etsy store.

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Also arriving today is my gorgeous loot from Artbeads for my "Winter Enchantment'' piece as part of their Design Partner Blogging Program.

You might recall that it does not snow here in Queensland during Winter so I decided to use this gorgeous Winter blooming Eucalyptus Ironbark Gum blossom as the inspiration for my piece.

I think the beads I chose below will work beautifully and I have something quite different in mind.

(please excuse the dodgy photo...I didn't want to have to take the beads out of the bags)

What do you think? 

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I am excited to announce that this year I am entering not one...not two... but three pieces in the Fire Mountain Gems Seed Beads, Glass or Acrylic category.

I have a piece in mind for their Gemstones category as well but will have to think about that one.

I am also working on a few other pieces which I am hoping to enter into some challenges so the next few months should keep me busy from a creative perspective.

Which is just how I like it!

♥

To Etsy or not to Etsy...that is MY question!

So.

I have been visiting Etsy a lot lately.

Not only because I love to $hop but also because I am trying to decide whether I want to dive into the deep end of the pool that is Esty.

Over the past few weeks I have had around 4 people ask me whether I sell my designs.

When I tell them no they look at me like I am some kind of alien and say

''you are crazy...you'd do really well".

So.

It has got me thinking....and thinking...and thinking a wee bit more...until I asked myself this question...

Am I ready to set up an Etsy store and start selling my designs?

My main concern has been that once I start selling I will feel that I have to be making pieces rather than making pieces purely for the enjoyment of beading and creating.

But then one of my crafty friends told me that you can have your pieces listed for a few months and that I could slowly add to the store rather than feeling like I have to be creating new things all the time. Of course one assumes adding new stuff to the store all the time would get customers back but you get my point.

So.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that has an Esty store.

* Did you find it easy to set up?

* Do you find it time consuming?

* Do you enjoy having a store?

* Can you make up my mind for me in regards to my question I keep asking myself above to prevent me from going over this in my head again.. and again... and again lol...

I'd love to hear from you so please add your 5 cents worth as this isn't something I just want to jump into and regret later on when I have had no sales and feel like a big silly goose!

Thanks.

♥

My Creative Space...It's a Sparkly Wheels invasion!

This week I feel like I have been going around in circles. 

Why? Because I have been making so many of Melinda Barta's "Sparkly Wheels"... 

...get it... wheels... round... round in circles [insert crazy, spinning head here].

I first made these for the last Margie and Me Challenge below.

and well what can I say... these little suckers are 

SO DAMN ADDICTIVE!

This time around I have decided to include my love of cabochons and am adding a gorgeous tigers eye cab as the centre piece.I have already stitched around the cab with some beautiful tigers eye fire polished beads and again I am using 3mm fire polished beads and size 15/0 seed beads.

I am absolutely l♥ving thes tigers eye fire polished beads as well as the Picasso mix fire polished beads.

I cannot wait to get this piece finished. I have been wearing my other bracelet to work this week and have been astounded by all the lovely comments I have received. 

A few people have even hinted they'd like to own one!

Hmmmm me thinks I am going to need to order some more fire polished beads!

♥

My soup has arrived!

My soup arrived today from my lovely Bead Soup partner, Liz from Creative Arty Facts.

Liz is a wonderful lampwork artist and she certainly spoiled me with one of her gorgeous lampwork floral beads, some gorgeous Czech beads, Swarovski crystals and rondelles and a cute sterling silver toggle.

I am not quite sure what I am going to create with these beauties yet but when you have such gorgeous beads to work with then making something special should be easy enough!

Thanks Liz!

Be sure to keep an eye out for the Bead Soup Blog Party hosted by Lori which kicks off on Saturday 26th February.

The countdown is on baby!!

♥

Ooops... I better get a mosy on!

Yesterday I posted about having a giveaway very soon to celebrate when my blog reaches 230 Followers.

At the time of that post I was sitting at 229...today I have 231 Followers!

I honestly wasn't expecting that number to rise so quickly so was thinking I'd have a good week or so to get some new cabochons made.

Sooooo I better get a mosy on and get those cabs made!

I promise the giveaway will be up and running after this weekend which is when my microwave kiln will be getting a serious workout!

Stay tuned...

♥

Margie and Me - hoping to use both palettes this time!

I am loving that we now have two colour palettes to choose from for the Margie and Me Challenge hosted by Marcie at La Bella Joya.

The first is 

The Colors of Constructivism - #102

I am excited to share that I have already created my piece for this palette. I loved the mixture of blues and greys with a splash of green! I can't wait to show you what I have made!

This time around I am really pushing myself to use both of the colour palettes so here is the second inspiration photo and colour palette that Marcie chose herself.

Image from JMDasso

I love the mustard shades in this palette and can't wait to mix them up with some dark blues and even some cornflower blue...such a contrast but as you can see by the image above they really do compliment each other quite strikingly.

Watch this space to see what I come up with!

♥

A gorgeous giveaway from a gorgeous girl

My gorgeous friend, Belinda Saville is having a giveaway to celebrate the grand opening of her Etsy store.

Belinda is a very talented artist who not only creates stunning pieces with seed beads but now works with silver! She is such a talent and has taken to the silver and metal work like a duck to water!

To celebrate the opening of her new Etsty store she is offering this gorgeous piece as a giveaway.

Such a gorgeous gesture from a gorgeously talented girl.

 Be sure to follow the links to her blog and her new Etsy store to not only check out her beautiful creations but to enter the giveaway too!

Thanks so much Belinda for the chance to win one of your pieces.

My fingers and toes are all crossed!

♥