Remember!

Memorial Day 2010

Let us...

Remember, honor and pray for those who died so that we could live free!
Remember, honor and pray for those who served so that we could live free!
Remember, honor and pray for those who serve so that we can live free!
Remember, honor and pray for their families who sacrifice so much so that we can live free!

Remember to say Thank you!

Calling all Etsy Sellers and other Online Shop Owners!

That caught your attention, did it not? Good. This posting is for all beaders and bead makers who sell on Etsy and who have their own websites. Did you know that Ruby Lane, where I have my shop, has launched Ruby Plaza an exciting new home to individually-owned shops offering home decor, jewelry, fashion & accessories and handcrafted items? 





Check it out, they have opened it up to pretty much anything you want to sell online and you can be sure to reach a market that maybe different to those you reach through Etsy.


To all my friends that create beads and findings, they even have a section to sell components and other handcrafted items.


Ruby Lane says that there are still some Flagship shop slots available, so hurry. What are flagship shops, you ask? Follow this link and check it out. The fees and costs associated with a Flagship Shop are reasonable and well worth it for the marketing that Ruby Lane provides you. Ruby Lane was rated the highest by the 2010 ratings of auctionbyte.com, an independent trade publication for online merchants.
I have been selling my jewelry since 2004 on Ruby Lane and love the site. I would be glad to answer any questions that you might have.


For the sake of full disclosure I am not being paid by Ruby Lane or Ruby Plaza for this posting. I just want to share what I think is a great site with all my beading and blogging friends. I only ask that should you decide to open a shop on Ruby Plaza, please let them know that Sundancegems referred you.

A Delightful Summer Giveaway

Time is soon running out... so fly over to Andrew Thornton's blog for a chance to win this happy, sunny, cheerful, and lip-smacking collection of Lucite beads that Andrew is offering as this week's Thursday Giveaway from The Hole Bead Shop. The dead line to get your comment in is Monday 24th 2010.

Also do not forget to vote for your favorite designs at the 2010 Bead Star design contest. Many of our blogging buddies have been selected as finalists (Andrew Thornton, Lorelei Eurto, Melissa J. Lee, Mary Harding, and Shannon LeVart) and are counting on your votes. I have voted, have you?
Congratulation to the finalists!
Did I mention that Shannon LeVart better known to the beading world as Missficklemedia is my Bead Soup Swap Partner? and I received the most gorgeous stash of beads from her yesterday, but more about that in future posts. I hope she likes the beads I sent her.
Enjoy the weekend!

Happy Mother's Day

All you very special ladies, have a very special day!

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Happy Fifth of May everyone!
Enjoy the Fiesta!
Watch the Margeritas!

To set the mood for the celebration, I chose my Fiesta Bracelet from my SOLD collection. Would you believe it? This bracelet was bought by a beautiful Brazilian lady at one of my jewelry shows. She was in Tampa on business and loved the bracelet and the colors. No surprise there. I also made her a pair of matching earrings.

Enjoy the night!

It is time to Party again, Bead Soup Party, that is!

Lori Anderson of Pretty Things just announced another Bead Soup Party! This is the second one and she is inviting fellow beaders to join.  The deadline to join is May 7th. If you are interested you better hurry over to her blog and sign in.

The first Bead Soup Party was so much fun, that I have signed up for the second one too. For the first time around I partnered with Mary McGraw of MK's Creative Musings and received a wonderful package of beads that resulted in this pretty necklace. 

Well, my Bead Soup Party story has a very happy ending. I donated the necklace to some of my co-workers who were taking part in the Tampa Bay's Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) walk that took place on April 3rd 2010. This was a cause very close to their hearts and they told me they raised an additional $150.00 with my necklace. Thank you Lori and thank you Mary, your gift to me made many people very happy. What a great way to meet people, make new friends, share creative ideas and have a lot of fun in the process.  See you at the party!

It is Warm Again in Florida

We floridians are still remembering how cold it was this past winter. I do not think we will complain about the hot weather again! Today in Tampa, FL it is 81 deg F, sunny, few clouds, and all in all a beautiful day. The kind of day that makes you want to find reasons to get outdoors. So what am I doing at the computer? Well, I wanted to share my latest Spring Beauty with all of you.

As a Design Partner for Artbeads.com I have used this opportunity to work with materials and beads that I am not too familiar with and incorporate them into my designs. Artbeads.com has introduced me to the wonderful world of Venetian Glass Beads, love them!  Can't get enough of them!

Today I post about their Stoneware Beads and Pendants. Such vivid colors and I loved working with them. These beads are made with stoneware clay, fired at different temperatures depending on their color, making for a durable and beautiful bead. Here is what I made with my selection of stoneware beads...

The centerpiece is the Blue Daisy and Ladybugs Pendant joined by a single bead of the same design, add in strands of green freshwater pearls and then an array of round Stoneware beads in all available  colors and the result was this eye-catching celebration of Spring! These beautiful and durable stoneware pendants are handmade by skilled Bulgarian artisans and Artbeads.com has such a wide selection, you can spend hours trying to make up your mind. Honest, it was hard to choose just one.

The stoneware beads have large holes, and I found that bead caps are necessary to keep the bead in place. But for the same reason, they would work well with leather or ribbon or any other wider stringing material. I used Copper bead caps, and Artbeads.com carries a similar design of bead caps in Copper-plated Pewter. The necklace is closed with a Trigger clasp and extension chain. 

Check out Artbeads.com's recent additions to their stoneware pendants, a must for every beader's stash and Spring wardrobe!

Disclosure: Some of the beads described above I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com.

I have been asked to review these beads/supplies and give my honest opinion of them.  I am not being paid by Artbeads.com for my endorsement of any of the products received and reviewed in my blog postings.

The Beauty of Spring continues to unfold...

I continue the celebration of Spring (and the end of the tax season!) with my bouquet of Swarovski Elements Flowers that I received from Artbeads.com as part of their 'Beauty of Spring' design campaign. I have noticed that many beaders have used and written about these beautiful delicate flowers.

I received a pair each of Jonquil (yellow), Aquamarine (blue), Light Rose (pink) and Violet (purple) flowers. These five petaled crystals have their hole drilled slightly off center and so perfectly dangle when threaded or wire-wrapped.
What better way to use this perfect posy, than a pair of spring hoop earrings.

To the flowers I added leafy green Peridot Swarovski Crystallized Elements Roundelles and a brightly colored Fuchsia butterfly also from the Swarovski Crystallized Elements collection.  Oh so pretty! The crystal flowers are lightweight and come in a variety of colors, perfect for earrings and other delicate designs. Think of the sparkle the clear or AB Crystal flowers would add to any bridal design... I see endless possibilities.

Talking of this being the end of the tax season and everyone breathing a collective sigh of relief, check out the Tax Relief Sale now on at Artbeads.com. Hurry to make your pick from the storewide selection. Sale ends April 22, 2010.

Check out my previous 'Beauty of Spring' design and watch for more Spring delights. Also take a look at the more than 200 jewelry designs by fellow beaders all celebrating the joy of Spring.

Disclosure: Some of the beads described above I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com.

I have been asked to review these beads/supplies and give my honest opinion of them.  I am not being paid by Artbeads.com for my endorsement of any of the products received and reviewed in my blog postings.

A New Shop on Etsy

Back in October 2009 at a bead show in Tampa, I met Alex. We were both shopping for beads, and I heard her inquiring about some gemstone beads and we got talking. I learnt that she enjoyed designing and crafting bead jewelry and was looking to launch a home-based business and searching for avenues to spread the word and market her jewelry. Since I have been selling my hand-crafted jewelry online for some years now, we had much to talk about.

Alex, once a landscape architect in NYC, now lives with her husband and two young sons in Tampa, FL, skillfully managing her time between her family and her jewelry business. It is not uncommon to receive an email from her timed 2.00 am! Many emails have been exchanged between us since October and she has now opened her new shop on Etsy!

Congratulations Alex! I love the name of the shop. Crystal Mango! it creates visions of luscious gemstones in rich tropical colors ready for the picking. Beautiful jewelry, love the contrast in colors and shapes in your pieces, very feminine, very desirable. Great photographs too, you are off to a very good start.

Here are some fruits of Alex's creative juices - for evening wear check out her Magical Moments Collection.

Crescendo of Freshwater Pearls and Crystal Quartz 

Jazz It Up - Crystal Quartz and Swarovski Crystal

Magical Crystal Quartz and Opalite earrings.

And for the women on the go, she has created the very modern and sophisticated - Urban chic collection for daytime wear...

Serenity with Agate and Onyx 

Black Onyx and sterling silver earrings

I invite you to visit her store and check out the rest of her beautiful jewelry! 

You can also fan her on FaceBook.

If you would like to leave comments and suggestions for Alex to encourage and help her in her new venture, please do not hesitate. She would love to hear what fellow beaders and shop-owners have to say.

Good luck with your new store, Alex!

Celebrating The Beauty of Spring!

Today, March 20, 2010 we celebrate the arrival of spring. We Floridians are all breathing a collective sigh of relief, no more cold fronts, no more freeze warnings, no more warm jackets, .. it's Spring! but wait, there is a cold front headed our way, and we are in for some rain and cooler temperatures. But that is tomorrow, today was a gorgeous day, a chamber of commerce kind of day, the kind of day that makes me glad I live in Florida!

Being an Artbeads.com design partner, I received some beads of my choice from Artbeads.com as part of their 'The Beauty of Spring' design campaign. So what better to celebrate the end of the coldest winter in 100 years in Florida, than to unveil my spring design collection. One look at these lime green handmade Venetian Glass beads and Spring comes to mind...

I love these Peridot colored glass beads with a center of gold foil and I have used them in many of my designs. I then added a large Cloisonné disc with an eye-catching pink flower on a blue background. The center of the pink flower is the same lime green as the glass bead, just perfect!  


Enameled Cloisonné beads are handcrafted in China, where artisans begin with a copper base, create patterns by soldering brass wire in cells. Enamel paint is filled in the patterns and fired to permanently fix the colors. The painting and firing process can be repeated as many as four times. The bead is then smoothed and polished, and the exposed brass wire edges are gold or silver plated. Since it is hand made, each bead is slightly different, not always uniform, but this just adds to their beauty. Unfortunately, Artbeads.com has sold out their stock of Cloisonné beads, but promise that more are expected soon, so check in often so you will not miss them when they arrive. 


The two beads have between them a tiny Swarovski crystal. Of course, this pretty flower would attract a butterfly! The design is meant to put a spring in one's steps! 

To celebrate the arrival of spring in your very own style, hurry to Artbeads.com, they have a store-wide Spring Fever Sale on right now, but only for a limited time, the sale ends at 9.00am (PT) March 23, 2010.
Artbeads.com carries an extensive collection of colorful Venetian glass beads. Make sure you watch the Handy Tip Video that explains how to smooth out the rough edges on the handmade Venetian beauties. Also check out my 'Under the Sea Earrings' made with Aquamarine Venetian glass bead.


Disclosure: I received the beads described above above free of charge from Artbeads.com. I have been asked to review these beads/supplies and give my honest opinion of them.  I am not being paid by Artbeads.com for my endorsement of any of the products received and reviewed in my blog postings.

Great minds think alike or What?

Stringing Magazine has posted the entries to it's newest challenge 'Night and Day' for viewing and for voting. As I clicked through the snapshots of the jewelry submitted for this challenge one common theme seemed to emerge... most all of the jewelry designers have used an asymmetrical design of opposites, mostly in color and often in the choice of beads, to depict night and day...I guess it really is a no brainer, now that I think of it, night is opposite of day, dark and light, nothing complex about it....
(Note to self - got to think outside the box!)

Check it out and cast your votes for the one you like the best.
Hurry voting ends April 5th.

Night and Day

Also get your entries ready for the next challenge 'Rock and Roll', the closing date for this one is April 5th as well.
Have a great week everyone!

Sweet Sweepstakes and Great Giveaways!

Today I am putting together some chances to win, what else? Beads! Beads! and more Beads!

You have less than 48 hours to enter the Artbeads.com 10th Anniversary Sweepstakes for a chance to win $1,000 worth of beads! Can you imagine my husband's face when I tell him I am bringing home $1,000 worth of beads? and my dream come true... You can enter the Sweepstakes by following this link to FaceBook, or clicking on the Artbeads Sweepstakes logo on the top left-hand corner of my blog.

Congratulations to Artbeads.com on 10 years of great service to the beading community worldwide!

Doreen of Backyard Beads is celebrating the opening of her new shop on Etsy by giving away to one lucky beader a set of her groovy Wild Things beads. Congratulations, Doreen I wish you much success with your new shop.

Julie of Prairie Thistle has a wonderful giveaway, a great gift to any mom on Mother's Day. She is celebrating her 400th blog by giving away a mixed media Madonna and Child Reliquary made with such loving care and attention to detail. Check it out at her blog.

Good Luck to you all!

March Monthly Find at Sundancegems

Green jewelry of a different kind for St. Patrick's day.

Every month Ruby Lane lets its shop owners feature one item as a 'Monthly Find', and a randomly selected list of such items is sent out in an email to all its registered shoppers.


This is my monthly find for March ...

The lush rain forest green and earthy brown African Green Opal flat squares and coin, are all connected with corrugated Copper beads to create this bracelet. At the toggle hangs a green Rutilated Quartz bead and a Copper bead charm. The matching earrings are made with the African Opal squares.

This set is currently for sale in Sundancegems, ask me about it. 

Check out the monthly finds from all other Ruby Lane shop owners as well, you never know what you might see, and like and want!

Metallite Beads - check it out!

I used a gift certificate I received for Christmas to Artbeads.com to buy nothing but Metallite beads. What is Metallite you ask? It is a new product made in Korea by ZambaPro and offered for sale by Artbeads.com. With silver prices climbing higher every day, I thought this could be worth checking out.

As I shopped for these beads, what struck me most was the wide selection that was available. There were animal beads, floral beads, alphabet beads, spacer beads and beads in a variety of geometric shapes. Each bead was intricately marked and looked very nice. I made my selection and waited patiently for my white bubble envelope with its little purple packet.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received my beads. The beads were well designed and eye-catching. Very lightweight, after all they are made of plastic. Each bead is created by pouring acrylic plastic into a mold, then electroplating the plastic bead with a metal finish. These Metallite beads sold at Artbeads.com are subject to an extra plating process to produce a high quality product with increased durability. Light weight and light on the pocketbook too, you got to love that.

Because of their light weight, they were great for earrings. If you like large chunky earrings, you could use the metallized beads and still feel no weight on your ears. Look at the two pairs I made. I think they turned out beautiful. They are currently for sale in my Ruby Lane shop, Sundancegems.

Kyanite Raindrop Earrings

                                                                      

Lapis Lazuli and Lemon Quartz Sunshine Earrings

The findings used for these earrings are not of Metallite, only the beads. You can read more about the earrings at Sundancegems.

I think they are also great for long necklaces. We all know how metal beads can add tremendous weight to long necklaces. So I tried one, take a look! The gemstones added some weight to the pieces of jewelry made from Metallite to give it a nice substantial feel. Without the gemstones the pieces would have been too light and feel too much like costume jewelry.

Long Sponge Coral Necklace and Earrings

Metallite provided a nice change from the expensive metal bead and Artbeads.com has now introduced a new line of Metallite beads in gold. (Note to self: get some).

If you are looking for inexpensive gold and silver colored metal substitutes for your jewelry designs, also try out their line of gold plated pewter beads and silver/rhodium plated pewter beads. Besides their beauty and variety, these beads are made in the USA and lead-free!

Disclosure: I am not being paid by Artbeads.com for my endorsement of any of the products reviewed in my blog postings.

I have arrived! It is official!

Back in November I submitted an entry to the 'Inspired by Art' challenge conducted by Stringing Magazine. The necklace was originally made in response to the September challenge by Art Bead Scene based on a painting by Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky was a Russian-born artist, one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting and is regarded as one of the originators of abstract painting.

Collection of Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Museum of Art, Utica, NY 56.42

http://www.mwpai.org/museum-of-art/

But as I could not figure out 'Flickr' in time to meet the deadline it was not officially entered. Then came along the Stringing Magazine challenge and since I had a piece that was 'Inspired by Art' I decided to enter my necklace.

In January I received an email from Stringing Magazine telling me that my entry was selected as the Editors' Choice winner! Wow! How about that! I was honored, thrilled and excited to say the least and then I waited patiently for the issue to be published.  Yesterday, I received my Spring 2010 issue of the Stringing Magazine and there was my necklace on page 9!

The focal piece of my necklace is a lampwork bead made by Mona at Monaslampwork. I chose Mona's bead because it contained pretty much the same colors used in the artwork by Kandinsky. To capture the splashes of color on the canvas, I used Mandarin Jasper rondelles, red Jasper rounds, black Onyx rings, Lapis Lazuli coins, faceted drops of Imperial Jasper, branches of black Coral and tiny Mookaite Jasper rounds. The clasp is a round black Onyx toggle.

Congratulations go out to Joy Masters (1st Place), and also to Angela Glascock and Alyce Shepardson, who tied for 2nd place.

If you would like to take part in similar challenges, the next one by Stringing Magazine is titled 'Night and Day' and the deadline for entries is March 1, 2010. So get your entries to them, I have already sent in mine.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone, Enjoy your day!