My first blog entry........ 1/25/2012
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| Secret Snowflake Challenge |
A few years ago, a friend showed me how to make a pair of simple earrings and I was hooked....french-hooked ;) I wanted to make earrings with every imaginable and unimaginable bead that I could find. I poured over bead and jewelry magazines......bought books.....viewed jewelry-making YouTube videos...spent hours looking for bargains on Ebay and Etsy.....and lurked in the jewelry aisle at Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon clutched in hand. I soon moved on from making earrings to making necklaces and bracelets. I wore my "creations" to work and soon caught the attention of a co-worker who asked me to make a necklace using her authentic ancient Egyptian cat pendant as a focal piece. Each time I presented this necklace to her.....yeah, EACH time....it would fall apart. I was MORTIFIED......I had accepted money from her!! I test-pulled that necklace....shook it....and each time the wire near the cat pendant would snap when she took it out of the packaging. She was convinced the cat was cursed......I suggested holy water. Finally, I fixed the cat pendant with a clasp to be removed at her descretion.....put the necklace in a package...put the cat in it's separate packing (with a stern talk about attitude adjustment)....and the necklace finally stayed together! Because I was mortified and this was a paying gig, I made a few free bracelets for her.....all of which have stayed together....all of which have nothing to do with anything feline in nature. I ain't stupid.....
My love of making jewelry...playing with beads....and learning new techniques has borne a sub-hobby.....collecting some-day-beads. Thus, the name of my blog.
This picture shows a smidgen of my some-day-bead collection. The large rondelles are Pink Peruvian Opals. The Opals and the 5x6mm crystal sparklies were purchased from the lovely ladies at Happy As Can Bead. They loaded me up with coupons during my last visit to their store. I must have looked overwhelmed because they said when I come back, I can hand them all my different coupons and printed special offers and they will figure out the best deal. Works for me.....
The white flowery lampwork rondelles are from a local Hobby Lobby...my second home. The lampwork iris beads were purchased from a shop on Etsy Beadparty
I have an Etsy shop, but it is neglected....or perhaps I'm being too hard on myself. I haven't posted new jewelry in a loooong time. I am motivated to create, not sell. I would rather make jewelry for friends (sans the feline factor) or help friends with jewelry repairs...I am a poor business-woman :)
This picture shows a recent purchase from A Grain of Sand
I found this vintage bead store after reading a bead magazine article about her purchase of a hoard (understatement) of vintage beads and findings. The lucite "apple juice" earrings obviously aren't beads, but they were a STEAL....I just had to have them. The bright yellow faceted triangles? to the left of the earrings are .....of course.... vintage dangles. This picture doesn't do them justice. The light pumpkin colored hex-shaped ring beads are West Germany celluloid (rare). The beads in the middle are West German ruby red crystal encrusted beads.....a gold foil bead with red crystals that are encased in a faceted acrylic......awesome and FUN! The two small cameos are Limoge and the larger cameo is Italian, turn-of-the-century, hand-carved shell. I find myself holding my breath when I hold the Italian cameo. There are new listings posted frequently, so check out A Grain of Sand
So, how was my first post? too long? I'm looking forward to gaining followers and to reading your feedback....mean people will not have their comments posted. What some-day-beads do you have? What some-day-projects do you have scattered on your bead board?
My some-day-beads will remain as such for a little while.....I have one necklace repair, one bracelet repair, one custom pink bracelet order, one custom wire-wrap bracelet order, and one birthday wire-wrap bracelet present to complete.....some day.
~pamela
