New work and lovin the monkey.

I’ve been on a necklace making binge.

Suddenly, without warning, I had some ideas...

so I took this old crystal  I had and painted it pale pink...

Then I wrapped that baby in wire as I have a tendency to do.

and added those little tiny czech seed beads that I had

since the 70s.

Then I added a few more beads...pretty pale girly.

a smattering of hope....

Not only do I love how this turned out...I mean want to

keep it!

Hey and look!   Another one!

Geez...feast or famine for me...

I got these fabulous Bohdi Tree beads at the bead show

down south...

They are so earthy, textured, wonderous things.

They were for a Mala... Tibetan Prayer beads...

I wear my heart on my sleeve...

I’m finally starting to be able to mix beads up...

without getting all fussy and counting and first one

and then another about it...freedom!

And these pics!

well I’m loving those too....

Thank you PicMonkey...which is the bomb...

Turns meh into beauteous...

bugs, mice, birds in bronze

Mr. Beatnheart is working on a commission

for a hand railing...He made these first out of wax.

Then sent them to a foundry to be cast in bronze.

This little mouse will sit on the railing...

along with these Rails...

early stages of this bronze bug 

made from Mr.B’s imagination...

Installation of this is next week...

Silent protest on ETSY

Oh I love me a good protest!

 I join today in closing my Etsy shop in protest of them allowing " factories" to sell on their site. Etsy is meant for people like me who make items one at a time, by hand. I have often wondered, how can this young lady be making these bracelets for so cheap... In her smoke free, pet free home... Well because... She's probably not working from "home" but" workin for the man”

 let's keep it real.... Keep Etsy HANDMADE... Thank you and see you tommorrow.  Read more if
you want to join in....  power to the people!

 More informations : http://www.protesty.com

Looks like I’m on vacation...

Naw....just went to my neighbors house.

Bill is a talented landscape designer

and his house is like something out of a magazine.

Remember how I mourned the loss of Picnik the

photo editor?   Well...welcome PicMonkey!

A lot better than picnik...I love the options

of frames and textures...also just easier to use.

This texture is called “Smudge”

well I’m smudging just about every pic I take...

I love its old fashioned quality.

Bill’s exotic living room...like hanging out Morocco.

His extraordinary Brugmansia Trees

View out of his bedroom French doors...

Frisco the Wonder Dog

couldn’t leave this out...

We have had this orchid for 5 years...

this is the first time it flowered...

Happy Sunday!

Wrapped, Stacked and Layered.

The REVEAL..
SATURDAY APRIL 21

That is the title of the challenge that the lovely Tracy over at “Make Bracelets” has put together.

 I thought well why the heck not...cause I’ve been banging out the bangles

since my girl FancifulDevices had put out her " Gypsy Bangle Stacks tutorial”.


It all started modestly enough

A few Czech seed beads...some glass beads and a swallow

charm I had from a past life.

Then I had some blue and grey ties from pajamas

and old sweat pants cause I have a hard time throwing anything away

well cause I might be able to use that someday...

and a miracle happened.

I did use em...

I threaded those old cords onto the wire, wrapped them,

fluffed em..splashed some ink on  them here and there...

added buttons and bows and bells and whistles.

Then it was...

add some fabric and wrap that and wrap that again

and then what about those filagree beads you never used and

then all those seed beads you have so many of...

And then Anvil Artifacts sent me some cool brown agate beads

those will go nice with these... and two plain bangles from my

real hippy days.

Then I thought about “White Wedding”

Nice day for a white wedding


You know that old timey song from Billy Idol...
hey I think he was wearing bangle stacks in that video of the song...
anyhow what about making something for the alternative bride...
The bride that he was singing about.
so I did these with Miriam Haskell like pearls and crystals and such.

So while I was in my “White Period"

back in...oh yeah March...

I added these to the mix..

Time to start waxing them...which is what we learned

in our tutorial by the incomparable Fancifuldevices...

so I gooed on the wax...wow!  Instant aging...

Looks as if Keith Richards wore these everyday since

the 70s while he was rollin around in the gutters and
sweatin on stage and such.

Yeah I’m kinda obsessed with these...I have tried everything

I could think of so far....I’m not done yet...So many beads out there

unbangled...needing to be ...wanting to be.

orphans left alone without a purpose in life

flailing about aimlessly...wanting to belong...

littering the hiways and byways and the bottoms of you drawerways.


The Final Forty

A cumulation of my efforts and all of my techniques

so far.....

Hey...wanna make your own bangle stacks?

Here’s Fancifuldevices TUTE

Haven’t seen enough?

Want to see the rest of the gang that entered the challenge?

As soon as I can figure out how to do the link to the other

80 people that joined this I will post it down here..

Sorry couldn’t get it to work so....

This is Tracy’s site where you will find the rest of the challengers

The list of banglers

enjoy the day and have fun looking at all these creative ladies..

A little trip to the desert

We went on a day trip to the desert to visit a friend

of Mr. Beatnheart...

The desert at this time of year is just beautiful...

perfect weather , spring wildflowers...

I haven’t been out of the city in many months...

it was wonderful to just hear the wind blow and

hear nothing but the birds.

To some people this looks like a pile of junk...

I was in rusty heaven...I mean look!  old beer cans!

The kind you use to use an opener on...how long

ago was that?  jeez, I can’t even remember.  You

know before pop tops.  Ah some of you youngsters

won’t even remember that... poor things...

The dude that invented the pop top can

I bought quite a few of these home...assemblages,

props....I see all kinds of stuff happening here.

Joshua Trees 

an old dump...paradise!

Jeez even in the middle of nowhere I’m “shopping”.
Wish I had me a shovel.

clear blue skies...fabulous rock formations

Linchens?  gorgeous colors what ever they (it) is.

Raven's nest...We watched her as we dined al fresco

on the terrace.

an old ghost town...

once a very prosperous gold mine...we heard

that now that gold is so high they are back in there mining...

We were near Lancaster/ Palmdale area...

some of you may know it from the famous David Hockney painting

PEARBLOSSOM HIGHWAY

My Signature Style

Upon learning a craft skill art whatever you

want to call it, you plug away and take apart

and put back together and try and try again

until finally you get something you actually

like...  that happened with these earrings.

They felt right, looked beautiful sexy on

and  even my evil twin liked em.

they sold immediately.

so I wasn’t the only one.

So what does one do then...?

do it again.

Repeat the formula...

and call it “my signature piece”

these too sold right away.

sweet lady who bought the first gave me rave reviews

on my feedback.. so keeps me going....and makes

me feel like I am on the right path in finding myself

and my style.

I don’t like to repeat myself but I’m still enjoying making

these...it’s a learning process and I like to think I’m improving

on each go round.  And there are so many beads...so many different

ways of looking at the same thing.

and to think two months ago I never wire wrapped a thing in my life.

And so I made this....geez what a struggle!

I got the focal down because it’s “my signature style”

but then what?   A necklace?!  They are hard for

me ....what do I do now?   So much space to fill...

Remembered I had some leather cording...maybe that

will work...

Hey where’s Ralph Lauren?  Wouldn’t this go with all

his American Indian layered denim prairie skirt thing?

Anyhow happy with it (for now)..listed it in the shop...

and on to the next project. 

 What’ya know...My Signature Style...

Next time with fabulous beads by Kim... Numinositybeads

Her handmade lampworked beads are killer cool,

sexy as hell and so inspirational...

Ah just couldn’t wait...went into the studio and

just made these...hot off the press..

Never had beads like this before...

wow the depth, intensity,

layers of colors and things going on in there.

And thinking of my girl Kim doing whatever it

is that she does to make these happen down

 North -of-the border

in Bisbee, Arizona.

"I left you in Bisbee” assemblage earrings

Here’s where you find da beads of yer dreams

NuminosityBeads on Etsy

.

Life after Picnik

As some of you may know, Picnik, the online photo editor, is going away.  When I heard this

  I panicked...I love Picnik... I’ve been using it exclusively and now what was I going to do?

I heard about another photo editor called LaLuna and I have

What do you all use?