Holiday Matchbook Notebooks

I made some holiday themed matchbook notebooks today that would be great as a stocking stuffer, in a goodie basket for family/friends/neighbors, or just as a little holiday note.

Each have 10 blank white pages inside for little notes and are featured in holiday colors.

I think I'll be including these in our goodie bags this year for our neighbors. But in the off-chance that anyone would be interested in set of 12 for themselves, let me know and I can get them done right away and sent to you with plenty of time before Christmas!

Cheers,

Beka

Holiday Helpers

I have a very fuzzy 'holiday helper' (at least he thinks he's helping) who likes to hang out around my art desk when I'm working on cards, jewelry, boxes...pretty much whenever I'm working on something at my desk. Today, I've been working on Christmas cards for the family and he thought I needed to use stamps.

That's our Clark...our fuzzy and sweet troublemaker. *sigh* At least this time, he didn't decide to tear through the house only to land and slide on my art desk, knocking everything off like he did the other night. >.<

Do you have any holiday helpers that like to "help out" around the Holidays?

Cheers,

Beka

Getting Into the Spirit Of Things

The title says it all!

I love Christmas and all the little decorations, cards, treats, etc. and I love making Christmas cards. I got some new stamps recently. I've been trying out the clear ones and I have been loving them! Especially when you get to use a coupon at Michaels or Joann's and your significant other stands in line right behind you so you can use two in one shot! *grin*

I've been working on coming up with some new designs but it's been going slow due to work and life in general but I have been making an effort to put in some time when I can at my art desk. I finished a cute and simple 3x3 card set with a box this morning as well as a gift box for a friend's house warming party tomorrow. I don't have a picture of the git box yet but here is a picture of the card set here in my shop until I can get my photo account to behave:

Merry and Bright Card/Gift Tag Set

My shop has been sparse lately because I was gone most of the summer but now that I'm back and getting back into my routines you'll definitely see more items showing up in my shop. I will be getting five days off over the Thanksgiving holiday (thanks to working with kids) so I hope to be able to put many more hours in at my art desk.

Thank you all for taking the time to stop by my blog occasionally! Have a great rest of your weekend!

Cheers,

Beka

I Have Returned!

After a long break of dealing with family stuff, life, and work in general, I'm back to the crafting game! I will be taking it slow just because there's a lot going on but I am happy to be back crafting. With the holidays just around the corner, I'm going to be focusing on holiday inspired jewelry, boxes, cards, thank you notes, and anything else that comes to mind. Once I finish a project, I'll post it up here to the blog before posting it to my ETSY shop.

I hope you all have been enjoying the fall season! Happy crafting everyone!

Cheers,

Beka

Jittered Nerves and New Items

Ah yes, the nerves have now started to set in since we are down to 5 days before the big trip! I have never been on an airplane for 10-12 hours before and flying over water doesn't help either. I keep reminding myself that once I get on the plane, I can focus on my beading project, writing, movie watching and the occasional drink and before I know it, I will be in Edinburgh hitting the pub with my hubby and laughing it all away.

I spent a little time in my office upstairs with my taped thumb all immobilized and ready to go and I created a couple pairs of earrings I rather like.

Berry Dagger Earrings


Dark Wine Gypsy Chandelier Earrings


I have them already listed up in my ETSY shop (please see the link on the right side of the page).
I will probably try to get a couple other items done before we leave for our trip but nothing too strenuous until we get this thumb issue under control.

That's all for now!

Cheers,
Beka

Special Poll!

Hello everyone!

I have submitted a name for a contest being held by BJohnson Jewelry! The contest requests the applicants to name the item. The prize is a pair of lovely golden filigree earrings created by Bettina Johnson. I would love to own these gorgeous earrings so I am asking all who pass by here to please stop by here and vote for my submission 'Isabella' in the open poll.

Thanks to all and have a great day!

Cheers,
Beka

Reacurring Injury and Adventures in Nowhere

So my thumb is at it again. It's been burting the past couple of days and does not feel like the usual muscle soreness from overuse. I have a large hard bump in the joint area (where the thumb connects to the hand) that feels more like bone than an irritated muscle knot. There's now joint popping and massive stiffness if I don't use my thumb which is usually while I'm sleeping. Our theory is possible Osteoarthritis since I fill all the symptoms but we won't know until I get in to see a doc. Unfortunetely, I won't be able to get in and get this all examined, x-rayed, etc until after we come back from the UK so I have to wait.

I'm thinking of getting some glucosamine and chondroitin and seeing if that helps (I hear they are good for joint and cartilage assistance)...along with more first aid waterproof tape. My thumb seems to do better when I tape it up and keep most of it imobilized.

So again, my jewelry projects are delayed however, I will be working on some beaded chokers while on the plane since they do not require a lot of heavy duty hand work. I only hope that we dont' hit a pocket of turbulance while the needle is precariously pointing at one of my fingers!

In other news, I had to go pick up my husband and his buddy at the bail out point in the Mt. Hood State Park area. We were to meet up back on one of the back roads (and I DO mean BACK ROADS) off of E. Lolo Pass Rd which is out at Rhodadendron, Oregon. I managed to find the turn and drove about 30 min without finding the next turn. I couldn't get a cell phone signal out there which meant the boys couldn't either so needless to say, it was REALLY stressful! I kept driving down the road and finally found NFD 1828. I was so excited to see it that I totally missed seeing the boys sitting there at the intersection where there was a little parking pull off. A little ways down the road, I realized that I had turned right instead of left and managed to turn out CRV around in the dinky road only to find another couple coming my way. They pulled up next to me and told me about my husband and his buddy at the intersection. I was so happy to hear that they were close by! Long story short (probably too late), I picked them up, we had lunch at BK in Sandy, Oregon, took his buddy back home and hubby and I went back home to rest. It was great to be back home.

So now that the excitement is over, I must prep for our 2 week excursion to Edinburgh and London! So much to plan, so little time!

Cheers,
Beka

New Aventurine Wire Wrap Cuff

I spent some much needed time in my office today working on a few new things I hope to have completed and in my ETSY shop soon. One project that I was able to complete today was an Aventurine wire wrap cuff bracelet.





It's for smaller wrists and mainly a practice to see what I could come up with but I like the asymmetrical design and the color of the aventurine chips against the silver metal. I would like to do a few more in this style with different beads and colors for the upcoming seasons.

I will try to post more later this week with pictures of my new creations. I should have some extra time since my husband will be out on a 4 day hike with his best friend.

Cheers,
Beka

New Template

I will be working on uploading a new template. If you stop by and there are issues, weird things or alien writing on my blog, it's probably due to that.

Now that my hand is better, I will be working on more projects. Please stop by to see new pictures to be posted soon!

Thanks for all your patience!

Cheers,
Beka

Almost There!

Good news! My thumb is almost completely healed up! I have more range of motion now and little pain. I should be back to crafting in almost no time at all! (which is great because I feel like I am slowly slipping into insanity >.<) In the mean time, I have been reading some excellent beading and jewelry making books from the library. Here are a couple I highly enjoyed:

If you enjoy making wire jewelry, I highly recommend Wire Style by Denise Peck. There are some simple and refreshing tutorials in her book. The instructions are pretty clear and easy to follow.

I also recommend Elegant Wire Jewelry by Kathy Frey. The projects are simple yet complex and have step by step instructions accompanied by instructional photos which make the instructions easy to follow.

I'm afraid that is all for now. I have a large, fuzzy cat who is begging for my attention as well as a big pile of dishes.

Cheers,
~Beka

Still Out For The Count...

So a few days ago, I hurt my thumb while working on some of my projects. (And who says that crafting isn't dangerous!) Well, I brushed it off as a minor thing and went right back to work the next day. Today, I woke to find it severely sore yet not really swollen or bruised which was lucky. Because of this, however, I am not able to work on my projects and they will be delayed for a while until I heal up. Hopefully, it won't be too long but I'm afraid to say that my stubbornness made the situation worse.

It's been driving me nuts not being able to work on my projects but I managed to get some great jewelry making books from the library to help satisfy that urge. At least I can still type and write (the injury is on my non-dominant left hand) so I will be able to continue work on my novel.

The lesson here kids...take care of your injuries, even if they set you back a day or two. that way, you won't get to the point where it sets you back twice that.

Cheers,
Beka

New Thank You Matchbook Notebooks On Their Way!

I have a new design that is just about finished but due to an injured thumb, they will take me a little longer than usual to complete them. They are so cute though and very spring/summery!



These will be great to say 'thank you' to friends/family at a party or to your loyal customers! They're also just a sweet way to say 'thank you' to anyone in general. There will be 10 white pages inside each book for notes or a personalized message.

I cannot wait to get them done. They are so adorable!

In other news, I just found out that my husband and I will be going to Edinburgh for about a week and a half which means I will need to close my ETSY shop for the duration of the trip. We leave August 7th and won't get back until about the 17th. I'll be putting up a notice in a week on the shop notice board to make sure everyone is informed. Aparently, we are going during the time they have a very large festival going on so I'm excited to research that. It's going to be a great trip. Neither one of us has been to Europe so this will be a great learning experience!

Cheers,
Beka

Pendants!

I've been on a pendant kick lately I guess because it seems that all I want to do is make pendants! I figure why not indulge and see what I come up with.



The silver one isn't finished yet. I still need to hammer it and choose beads to make charms for the loops along the bottom. The black wire looks great but can be a pain to work with since it can be easily scratched to show the metal underneath. While working on the black wire pieces, I was really loving my nylon pliers. If you don't have a pair and you make jewelry, I highly recommend you get a pair.

I'm hoping to get these guys close to finished at the end of the week so I can list them up this weekend in my ETSY shop.

Cheers,
Beka

New Pendant And More To Come!

I've been fiddling with black wire the past couple of days and came up with a start of a pendant. I like the combination of the black with hues of purple. I'll be working on making the beaded necklace part over the next few days.



I plan to work with the wire some more to come up with some other designs. My husband and I will be home this weekend (thank goodness) so I'll have some extra time to experiment.

That's all for now. I'm waiting for the guys to finish getting the new batch of brewed beer set.

Cheers,
Beka

Going Out Of Town...Again...

Yes, we're going out of town again. This time, we're going to the coast...the Tillamook area to be a little more specific. I'm really excited about it because I love Tillamook cheese, yogurt and ice cream. We're also going to do a nice hike in the area. It'll be nice to be at the coast again. It's been awhile since we're been to the coast and it'll be nice to get a dose of salty coldness.

I've been working in the office upstairs and have a few peices that will be ready to go up on my ETSY shop either tomorrow or when we get back from our short trip. Here is a picture of one of the pieces:



I also have a couple wire wrapped hoop earrings and a free-form wire cuff bracelet that are just about done. I will post pics of them when they're ready to go!

That's all for now. Time to go pack up!

Cheers,
~Beka

Many Thanks!

Many Thanks Matchbook Notebooks are up on the ETSY site today! These are great items to say thank you! Each book has 10 off-white iridescent pages for notes or for a personalized message. I just love these little books and I try to include one or two with my orders.

If you find this is something you're interested in and want more or a custom order, just let me know either here or through ETSY:
Enchanted By Beka





Cheers,
Beka

The Wedding

My friend got married yesterday to his soul mate! It was a wonderful wedding full of personal touches that couldn't help but make me smile and laugh. My items were featured throughout the event and I have a some pictures to share.

Favor boxes:


One of the beaded barrettes:


My favor box on a table:


Unfortunately, I was having trouble getting clear pictures of the jewelry but if you look at my previous posts, you will find pictures of the jewelry. Just search for the Red Court Necklace. I will hopefully have more pictures at a later date.

Cheers,
Beka

Berry Bliss and More!

I've spent a lot of time in my office the past couple of days due to the creative bug and I've created some really nice pieces!

Berry Bliss Necklace


Blue Cornflower Necklace


Antique Brass Birdie Bracelet


6 Strand Memory Wire Bracelet


6 Strand Memory Wire Bracelet Back View


These items and more will be up on my Etsy shop no later than tomorrow. I'm currently working to make sure I have all the pictures ready as well as my signature gift boxes for each item!

Have a great day everyone!

Cheers,
Beka

New Items

So I'm back in the saddle again since I am taking the summer off. I spent some time yesterday finishing up some earrings and a necklace I have been wanting to make and complete before we moved. I love them. They have a great nature feel to them with the greens and the berry colors. They make me think of going berry picking in the summer with my family like I used to do many years ago.

Here are the earrings:

Believe it or not, the difference in the green color beads gives it a little something extra. I do plan on making a variant of this style with slightly different colors.

Here is the necklace with the earrings:

The necklace also has a berry motif. The picture really doesn't do the jewelry justice since it's old and having issues focusing amongst other things. I really look forward to replacing this camera soon.

I should be back in my office working on some more pieces to be putting up in my ETSY shop soon and I can't wait to share them all!

Cheers,
Beka

Settling In

We are in the process now of settling into our new home. It is going to take some time to get everything unpacked and paint a few rooms but we are very happy with the house and the neighborhood.

As soon as things get a little more settled and I have been able to unpack all of my beading/craft supplies, I will be back in the creating saddle again. I have many ideas and I can't wait to share them with you all!

Until then, here is a bit of random information:

*Did you know that the most commonly used seed bead size is 11/0. You would need about 21 beads to string an inch of 11/0 bead size.*

Moving Day!

Moving day is upon us and I just wanted to let everyone know that I will not be online until Tuesday May 26th.

Hopefully after we move and get settled, I'll have some new projects to share!

Cheers,
~Beka

Dying Pearls

Did you know you can dye your own pearls yourself? You can!

I found this article online about dying pearls today: How To Dye Pearls

Apparently, you can use either store bought dyes or household items to dye your pearls (real or fake). They say it's like dying your shoes to match your purse or dress. I never knew you could make a dye out of boiled golden delicious apple peels! I haven't tried this myself but I just may after we move and get settled.

Here is a table listed on the site linked above of the natural items you can make dyes from. It's rather interesting to see what all you can use!

Lavender	Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Violet Blue	Violet Blossoms Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Blue	Canned Blueberries Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled) Purple Grape Juice
Green	Spinach Leaves (boiled) Liquid Chlorophyll
Greenish Yellow	Golden Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)
Yellow	Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled) Carrot Tops (boiled) Celery Seed (boiled) Ground Cumin (boiled) Ground Turmeric (boiled)
Brown	Strong Coffee Instant Coffee Black Walnut Shells (boiled)
Orange	Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)
Pink	Beets Cranberries or Juice Raspberries Red Grape Juice Juice from Pickled Beets
Red	Lots of Red Onion Skins (boiled)

Check out the site for a list of instructions on how to create and administer the home made dyes.

New Necklace

I started this new necklace over the weekend and it has come together on it's own. I started with a base shape that looked like wings and wire wrapped glass black pearls along the edge. I found some black faceted teardrop beads at Michaels and used one of my leafy silver bead caps to give it a gothic/victorian feel. I'm not finished with it though and will be adding a few more touches to complete it.



Just a quick post today. There's still lots of packing left to do and I have to go to work soon!

Cheers!
~Beka

Current Projects and a State of Chaos

Well, we're down to 10 days before we move! There's still lots to pack up, including my art desk, the computer, and everything for my ETSY shop. It has been really busy trying to get everything together, sign paperwork and pack and it has left little time for artistic creation. I am hoping that after we move and settle, I can get back into the swing of things and build up my shop.

That being said, I have a current pic from my art desk (well, from a small portion of my art desk) of what I'm working on currently. I'm going to try to finish it before we move but because I have been so busy lately, I am not 100% sure that is going to be possible. But there's nothing wrong with trying now is there?



I really enjoy the mix of the deep, warm wood with green and silver metal. There's something about that combination that really speaks to me. It will be a necklace with a matching pair of earrings and I am thinking I will sell it as a set.

I have also completed a pair of nice drop earrings that I think would be lovely for the summer.



I bought the bead caps at a little bead store in Eugene, OR when we were visiting my husband's parents for Mother's day. If you ever happen to be in Eugene, OR and love to make jewelry, be sure to check out Harlequin Beads. They have a great selection and friendly sales associates! I love popping in there when we have some spare time and are in the area. If you do make it there, make sure to sign up on their mailing list. You will receive postcards with special deals almost every month and the one they send for your birthday includes a special bonus!

Happy day to you folks!

Cheers,
~Beka

First and Last Thursdays on Alberta Street

Just a quick note here...my sister suggested that I set up at Portland's Last Thursdays on Alberta Street. I did some research and it looks like it could be a lot of fun. My sister lives nearby and said she would be willing to help me out with my table. I'm giving it some serious thought and I think it would be a good idea to get me out into the artsy community.

Art on Alberta

Anyone have any other info or advice on Last Thursdays or anything like it? I'd really appreciate the inside views, suggestions, etc.

Just a short one for now...time to go work with the kiddies!

Cheers,
Beka

Latest Project On The Desk

Well, it looks like the commission is all complete! I just finished up the last item a couple days ago and decided to make some nice gift box bags to put them in so they are all ready to go. I came across a really cute idea from splitcoaststampers.com for a 2-5-7-10 box that is adorable so that's what I used for these.



I'm almost finished embellishing them. I want to add something to the stripe on the flap to match the stamp and I have a few ideas but I'm not sure what to do quite yet. I'll either do a flowing stamp in white or a seed bead design.

Etsy Promotions will be featuring many ETSYians on Myspace over the next few months and Enchanted By Beka was lucky enough to get on the list! Check it out HERE. If you are an ETSY shop owner, this would be a great way to get connected and do some promoting.

That's all for now folks. Time to clean up the house because the appraiser is coming over tomorrow morning. Almost there!

Cheers,
Beka

New Necklace

For my sister's birthday, she asked me to make her a necklace. She told me she wanted a bib style necklace and I had to remind myself what those were. I had an idea in mind and after some short research, I found out that what I had in mind was exactly what she wanted. I didn't realize that bib necklaces were the popular thing nowadays. There are so many designs out there as well. I am particularly fond of the styles using chain and leather or suede. There's something about that combination that really appeals to me.

Shopstyle.com has a nice selection that I perused to get some ideas for my sister's necklace. They have necklaces from many different stores with a variety of styles.

Here is the necklace that I made for my sister:



I think I'll make one similar for my ETSY store soon. I only have one thing left to do with the commission so as soon as that is done, I can focus on items for my store!

That's all for now. Time to get ready to go work with the kids and then a night out on the town to go see Death Note: L, Change the World!

Cheers,
~Beka

Easy Beaded Barrette Base

Hello folks!

I've really missed you all and appreciate the occasional traffic through my blog and my ETSY store. I can't wait to get back into the full swing of things after all this house buying business is over!

For now, I have a little "How to" on making a simple beaded base for standard 3" metal barrettes in case anyone was interested. The bead pattern has a gunmetal trim with a red inner stripe. I greatly apologize for the bad pictures. My camera has decided to not work as well as it used to and I'm having a harder time getting clear pictures. My husband and I do plan on buying a new camera soon though. :)


Materials:
*3" silver metal barrette-you can find these in most craft stores or even for sale on ETSY.com
*26 gauge silver metal jewelry wire-I like this because even though it is a little bigger, it holds really well
*Wire cutters
*Needle Nose Pliers
*size 6/0 glass seed beads in one or two different colors
*Your hands!



*First, you will want to cut about 3 feet of 26 gauge silver metal jewelry wire. Next, you will want to fold it in half and thread one side through one of the ends of the barrette. Make sure that the wire is resting as far back as you can go. This will help eliminate unevenness.



*Then, you will need to thread on two seed beads on each end like in the picture. This will create a solid line band of that color.



*Now, take the right wire end and thread it through the beads on the left side. Do the same with the left wire. You should end up with each end sticking out the opposite side like in the picture.



*Pull the wire through all the way to secure the beads to the barrette. Congratulations! You have just made your first line!



*Next, you will want to take each wire and thread them through the under part of the barrette so the ends come out the opposite sides.



*For the next line, you will need to add a different color to get that middle stripe. You will need to thread one seed bead of the base color on each side and then one seed bead of a different color (in my case, red) on each side.



*Like before, thread the right wire end through the beads on the left side. Do the same with the left wire.



*Now, pull to secure.



*Thread the wires underneath the barrette again like before and repeat the last 2 steps until you have 14 rows with the color center stripe. The 15th row should be another solid stripe of the base color so instead of threading on one of each color, just thread on two of the same color on each wire. When finished, thread the ends through one or two of the criss-crossed wires underneath and tuck in with a pair of needle nose pliers. Now, these barrettes are ready to be embellished with larger bead flowers, feathers, ribbon, etc.

Any questions? Let me know! I'm happy to help.

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Beka

Free Time!

Good news everyone! My husband and I sold our home and we're about to make an offer on one we really love! This means that I have some free time to get back to my art desk! (yay!) It's been so long since we started this whole process and it's left little time for fun things unfortunately but now that part is over.

Currently, I'm working on finishing up the large commission I mentioned before. I will post up process pics very soon. One item from that lot will be featured and I'll work out a series of pics to explain it's process and how you could make one too!

I also have some jewelry pieces that are ready to be put together and a series of matchbook notebooks that are almost ready to be put up in my ETSY shop: enchantedbybeka.etsy.com. I'm very excited to get them finished and listed!

Just a short post for now but more will soon come!

Cheers,
~Beka

The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

We're almost done with this whole staging process for the house and it will be up on the market this Friday. I feel like I can breathe again. *laughs* We've been going nonstop for a few weeks now, getting everything cleaned and packed. We had the Realtor come today to do a final walkthrough to make sure that everything looked good and it does. The photographer comes tomorrow to take pictures and then all we'll have to do is keep the house clean! Woo!

I was able to get back to my art desk for awhile to work on things for my ETSY shop again. It felt like ages since I was able to do any work and it was nice to work with my hands again. I took a picture of what part of my desk looks like at the moment. I have a butterfly bracelet made from antique materials up at the top that will go up on the ETSY shop soon. It's the light version and the dark version will come soon. I just started the base construction for a new necklace there which is why it's bare and doesn't have a space for a clasp yet. I wanted to get the overall style construction done first so I could start to visualize bead colors, shapes, sizes, etc. I think I'll go for some nice pastel colors with black glass pearls to offset the pastel shades and bring some edgy-ness to the necklace. Haven't decided what to name it yet. Have any ideas?

Cheers,
~Beka

Work Update

I've abandoned my art desk for awhile because of all the packing up we're having to do and also because I don't have a TV in my office. It can get a little lonely at home by myself all day long...well, I have the cat but he pretty much does his own thing. So, all factors considered, I decided to move out to the dinningroom area because from there I can see the TV, I'm next to the kitchen and still close to the bathroom. Ah, paradise. :P

There are the boxes I'm working on for a friend's wedding. The camera makes them look more pinky than they really are. They're a nice red that's not too bright. I have some matchbook notebooks that I'm working on finishing soon and will be posting those up on the ETSY store. They're so cute and would make great favors themselves for events. The butterflies have little rhinestones on the wings to give them a little sparkle.

I have a bracelet that I finished that I don't have a picture up yet. I'll get one up soon. It's a nice butterfly antique style bracelet with two strands. It's lovely and will have a "dark" partner soon enough.

Well, that's all for now. I need to go to the Realtor's to sign some paperwork. Woohoo...

Cheers,
~Beka

And So It Begins...

I picked up some supplies today to start a portion of the large commission I have. I have Spring Break off (A perk when you work with kids) so I will be getting most of it done this coming week. I will post pictures of the products when I get them started. I have about 140 favor boxes, 5 beaded hair barrettes, and I need to fine tune a necklace and matching earrings. They are all beautiful items and all for the same occasion so they all have matching themes.

Aside from the slow biz work, my husband and I have been working on the house to get it ready to stage. We're running out to get some flowers tomorrow to plant in the front yard to give it 'curb appeal'. I can't wait until all of this is over and I can sleep again!

I'll try to post as much as possible during this busy time and patience is much appreciated!

Cheers,
~Beka

Back to the Ol' Art Desk

I'm back at my art desk finally after a short absence with all the house stuff we're dealing with. I started a few projects. The bracelet at the top is the start of one of them. It's a nice antique butterfly bracelet and this is the light version. I plan to make a dark version after this one is completed.

I have another piece that I'm making that was actually inspired by this book series I'm reading: The Dresden Files. I love it, I love it, I love it! (Thanks to a friend of mine, I'm hooked bad.) I actually made the necklace already but it was snatched up by a friend for their wedding so I'm going to make another one so I can put it on my ETSY shop soon.

I also have some neat pieces that I'm going to work on in the near future that are actually inspired by the novel I'm writing. What is it about you say? You'll have to wait and see! :P But they are going to be lovely pieces that are edgy and yet have a sense of elegance about them. I can't wait to get started on them...

Cheers,
~Beka

Update

To all who are following this blog...and all that happen by:

My husband and I are getting our house ready to sell so I haven't had time to do regular postings lately but will do so again here soon. For any of you who have sold your house before and gotten it all ready for 'staging', you know what I'm talking about. :P

Cheers!
~Beka

These Things...

My little rest from...well...everything only lasted about 24 hours. Surprise, surprise! It was of my own volition though. I couldn't stay away from it all. Perhaps I need the go, go, go, more than I thought. Oh well...at least it's not like it hasn't gotten me anywhere. I've received more hearts at my ETSY shop, another sale, and a request for another large commission. Maybe all that good karma I've been trying to spread around has finally come back!

I've been doing a lot of paper creations work lately. Maybe my creativeness needed a break from all the jewelry and that's why it decided to switch. I love working with paper and it really grew when I started making gift boxes for my jewelry pieces. To me, an embellished, beautiful box makes the contents even more special and alluring so that's why I started making them. I had received lots of compliments on them and a customer suggested that I make some and sell them in my shop. I made my Sweet Birdie Boxes and those sold in less then a day I think which surprised me greatly! I didn't think they would sell so quickly! They reached their destination just the other night and I am happy to say that these little boxes are bringing a smile to a customer's face. What a warming thought!

I made another set of those Sweet Birdie Boxes but in a lavender and grey set. They are almost done; they just need the holes punched and the ribbon tied and then they are ready to go! They are very pretty and would look great for a spring garden or tea party or just because! (I have a picture up top)

Well, back to cleaning up my office. We have guests coming over Saturday and we will be talking shop. I'd rather them not see what a mess I have going on here.

Cheers!
~Beka

Spring Must Be Near...

Because I saw a hummingbird out my office window at home today. Clark started going crazy with his chattering and tail swishing. (Clark is our needy yet adorable cat) The bush-tree thing our neighbors have in their yard next to ours is starting to bud. Yes...spring is near...

For the next couple of days, I'm having to take a little break from the biz. Between writing, my job working with the kids, the biz and taking care of stuff around the house, it's wearing me out and I need to find some sort of balance between them all and create a workable schedule. Not to mention, lacking sleep is not helping either. Speaking of which...I think a nap before work is in order...I don't want to be grumpy to the kids. >.<

*yawn*
~Beka

Bye Bye Sweet Little Birds...

I listed my Sweet little bird favor/gift boxes that I had posted up recently and they sound just a few hours after I listed them! My goodness! I wasn't expecting that at all! So now I am working on making some similar boxes with butterflies, more birds and other nature inspired items that I can come up with.

This weekend I'll be talking shop and probably starting on the large commission I got from a friend who's getting married this summer. I'm very thankful that I have Spring Break off because I will be using that entire week to get the items made. Busy, busy , busy! But you know what? It's creating more business for my biz and keeping me happy...I can't complain one bit!

I will be posting up some new pics of the new items as soon as I can so stay tuned!

Cheers!
~Beka

The One Thing You Can Count On Is Change...

And change did happen today. I lost a good teacher today due to some 'rearranging' of staff with our organization. It has me very disappointed in the organization and I can feel the heavy haze of depression set in by that and the fact that my husband is leaving for a business trip tomorrow morning and won't be back till Saturday night. Its times like these that I turn to either my art desk or my writing materials...

I chose my art desk.

I've been working on some gift boxes/party favor boxes for my ETSY shop. The first set is done and feature blues and greens and the second set are fun polka dots. The polka dot ones aren't done yet but I hope to finish them tomorrow since I will have some extra time on my hands and some loneliness to fill while my husband is gone. I plan to get a bunch of work done and then post a bunch of new items. More advertising will follow soon after that.

I ordered some more antique brass supplies for some new jewelry pieces I want to do. Speaking of new pieces, I was playing Guild Wars with a friend of mine and he suggested that I should try to make a headpieces like my ranger's. I'm up for the challenge of playing with leather, wire, metal, chain, and beads. Bring it on...bring it on I say. I need more tangible therapy.

Cheers,
~Beka

Rain Rain, Go Away. Come Back....When It's Convenient For Me!

Woke up this morning to take some pics of some new boxes I want to put up in my ETSY shop and what do I find but typical Oregon weather. (Rain and dark skies) Normally, I would be completely happy but seeing as I was wanting to take my pics this morning and take advantage of natural light, I am somewhat bummed. I don't have the best lighting in my office and I don't have the best camera either. I suppose I will have to what and see what I can do...or wait until tomorrow. Grrr...

Otherwise, I wouldn't mind curling up with my book (Book 7 of the Dresden Files Series) and Clark (our overly needy yet adorably fluffy cat). Oh well...I can at least work at getting the next box set constructed and work on some short stories for submissions. (I write, surprise!)

Until next time...

Cheers,
~Beka

Red Court Necklace

I managed to get some more work done last night and a little more this morning before work to complete the Red Court Necklace. I like how it turned out with the deep red and smokey bicones against the silver chain. It lays very nicely when worn around the neck. I'm going to make a pair of matching earrings and a gift box for each and then list them up in the next day or two depending on my schedule of course.

Jeff (my husband) is going to help me build a bracelet and necklace display to store my product and use at shows down the road. It's going to have a removable rod which should make things easy, especially if I make some bangle bracelets. I'd like to have an earring stand of some sort too to store all the earrings and use at shows.

Short post tonight since I'm trying to get some extra rest tonight. I'll post more when I have some more items to show!

Cheers,
~Beka

A Day Off...

I had a day off today thanks to Presidents Day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I managed to take some pics today for a couple items for my shop. The first one is the Modern Flower Trellis Bracelet that comes with it's own gift box. It just kind of came together and I think it looks fun. The Butterfly Serenade Necklace came out nice as well. It comes with a gift box but I don't have it pictured here. It's interesting that they are two different styles yet made at the same time. I surprise myself sometimes...

That's all for now. I'm in the middle of making dinner and then I have more work to do and Heroes to watch at 9PM. Yay for multitasking abilities!

Cheers,
~Beka

Feeling Better And Back To Work!

I got over whatever I had rather quickly so that made me happy because I was able to get back to work on my projects! I made a nice simple pair of antique-style earrings for my friend and co-worker for Valentine's day. She now has a nice pair of earrings to match her petite antique necklace.

I've got a couple other projects that have either just been completed or in the process of being completed. I have a somewhat modern bracelet that I made the center part on my little wigjig contraption and then used 26 gauge wire to weave in some green and rose colored seed beads. It's rather interesting but I like how it turned out. I have a nice antique brass filigree butterfly necklace with a pair of matching earrings as well that I have just finished. I have never worked with antique brass before but it was a lot of fun. It was nice and soft to work with and I will definitely be working with it again.

I have to wait until the morning to take the pics for my ETSY site. I get perfect lighting when the sun is out in the morning and terrible lighting in the evening in my office...at least for pictures.

I'm starting another necklace which will probably take me awhile since it will involve making lots of little charms with small beads. I'm going to go for some sort of antique/medieval theme with it, I think. It's the one in the center that has just been started in that desk picture. So...we shall see how it turns out. Sometimes...the creations have a mind of their own...mwahahahahha!

Cheers,
~Beka

Flushed...and not like a toilet!

There's nothing like a good fever to get me feeling all angry...grrr. I hate feeling sick because it always gets me down and I don't want to do anything; even the things that I love. So, I stayed home from work today which was a chore in itself when it came to finding a replacement but luckily, it all worked out in the end. I guess someone up there is looking out for me today.

A friend of mine, who also happens to be my co-worker, asked me to make a pair of earrings for her to match a necklace she has. I don't care how crappy I feel...I'm getting those earrings done today! She needs to have something nice for the Valentine's Day holiday because she's been through a lot. I'm not going to let her pay for them. They are going to be my gift to her for being a good co-worker and friend. Now hopefully I can be better so I can go to work tomorrow to give them to her. :P

I'm loving working with this antique brass material. I got some chain, findings and wire and I'm starting a really nice necklace that I will post pics of when I'm feeling better. It's main star is a antique brass filigree butterfly. I can't seem to stay away from the butterflies! I have another necklace in silver material that has a butterfly as it's centerpiece too. I must need to get butterflies out of my system or something...

Well, that's all for now. I really need to try to rest...so sayeth my husband and I know he's right. I'll post another update with pics when I'm well.

Cheers,
~Beka

Not Enough Time In The Day

There really isn't! Too bad I have to sleep...there's 8 hours there that I could add to my working time here in my office at home. >.< I haven't gotten very far with my crafts and jewelry because we have been working on the banister. We basically ripped it all out and replaced every single piece of wood because the yahoos that lived in the house before us decided that it would be really awesome of them to paint over the natural wood with a yucky brown color...go figure. It looks great now but I tell you, I'll be happy when we move and don't' have these house projects to do.

That picture up there is about as far as I've gotten with this next necklace I'm working on. I think between taking that picture and making this post, I've created a couple little charms to go with that but I just haven't had the time to finish it. I can't wait for the days that I can come home and just craft or make jewelry for 2-3 hours and then for many hours on the weekend and not have to worry about fixing the house.

My co-worker and friend at my job with the kids is so great. She came up with this idea to make T-shirts to advertise my little ETSY shop. "I'll even wear one!" She said to me yesterday. We shared a good laugh but she has a good idea, I can't deny that. If I only had the money though... She asked if I would be willing to make some extra pieces that she could wear around and "advertise". I told her that yeah, I would like to do that but would need time to make some. So we shall see what transpires.

That's all for now, it's time to get to work!

Cheers,
~Beka

New Jewelry Set

I haven't had much time to get some work done for the business since we have been redoing our banister but here is a set I completed with their gift boxes. I don't know what to name it but since there is a definite icy feel with these pieces, I think I will stay in that area of words and names. They were fun to make and really sparkle. I love those smokey bicones!

The necklace is a 2-strand threaded on tiger tail wire. It has icy mini tube beads with silver flecked orbs, silver spacers and those smokey bicones with an 'S' clasp. The bracelet has the same beads but it's threaded on memory wire and the earrings have those smokey bicones and a couple silver flecked orbs on silver wire frames. The earrings have rhodium hooks which I have found to be wearable by people with nickle allergies like myself.

The gift boxes have been handmade by myself as well with a little label that has the name of my shop on it.

That's all for now. I need to catch up on sleep.

Cheers,
~Beka