Entrecard and Me

So I've been doing the Entrecard thing for a while now and I have a couple of lists I'd like to share.

Blogs I Only Go To Once

• Blogs with music - I have my own music happening thank you very much
• Blogs with lots of animated "stuff" - It just takes too darn long to load
• Blogs that are heavily weighted with advertising - Goes without saying; I want content
• Blogs that hide their Entrecard drop spot near the bottom of the page - Time spent searching for it is time I could be reading your blog.

Working the Entrecard System

• Cultivate loyal traffic by returning all drops to your card
• Comment when you read something that interests you and to which you have a real response 
• Place your Entrecard drop spot "above the fold"- near the top of the page so that your droppers are reading, not searching
• Don't decide it's not working too soon

I can't really judge how effective Entrecard is at marketing my blog unless I work the system to it's limit.  That's what I'm doing and so far so good!  

EBW Challenge Voting Open

It's that time again! And I've entered a piece in the challenge again! So please head over to the Etsy BeadWeavers' Blog and check out the entries and choose your favourite and VOTE!

Earrings and Bracelet To Match

Ever since I made this necklace for the Etsy BeadWeavers' Challenge, I've felt it needed matching bracelet and earrings. I finally got them done and here they are for you to see. I'm happy with how they turned out and now I feel like I'm 'finished' with the design. Now, on to another freeform bracelet. I've got the beads all picked out and ready to go!

The Big Bear In My Front Yard

Life is never dull, living in the boonies!

This guy dropped in for a visit. My neighbour threw him some apples. You can see that he's eating one.



He hung around for about 10 minutes and at one point he was on my deck, looking in my patio glass doors. I was upstairs in the window above him.



After some of the comments left, I thought I'd clarify a couple of things. Yes it's interesting to see these guys up close, but it's also very dangerous to feed them. Lots of bears get lazy and go after the "easy pickins" rather that forage in the bush as they are meant to. They'll keep coming back to where they found food easily and they have been known to break into homes to go after food, once they know it's there. The town I live in is very small (about 2500 people) and it's about 100 miles from the closest large center so we are really in the bear's territory. I have a lot of respect for them and a healthy dose of fear!

Freeform Peyote Bracelet in Black, Grey and Silver

First thing on my agenda today is to wish my daughter Rainey a very happy 41st birthday! Here is a recent photo of her just hanging around!



I'm very happy to say that I've finished the bracelet that I have been working on! I'm pleased with how it looks finished though I have to say that the photos do not do it justice! Of course, it's for sale and I'll be listing it in my Etsy store very soon. It's made of a combination of beads, including seed beads, triangle beads, bugle beads and even a couple of gorgeous Swarovski rondelles.

Work in Progress

Today I'm working on this freeform peyote bracelet. It's been a while since I've done freeform so I'm really enjoying it. As I bead away, I'm being inspired to create some other pieces and I've been taking breaks and surfing the net looking for a few different kinds of focals. Something that I haven't had much success finding is raku beads. If anyone out there knows of a raku bead maker, please let me know. Anyway, I have a lot more to add to the piece.



This pair of bracelets were completed yesterday. I'm not yet sure whether there will or won't be a third bracelet in the set. It's my intention to sell them together. They can be worn individually, together or linked to create a princess length necklace. I'm also considering making a pendant to go with them to make them even more versatile.

Book Review - Exquisite Beaded Jewelry

This book has been in my library for a while; about six months. I read it cover to cover when I first got it to help to teach myself freeform peyote. I hadn't picked it up in at least a couple of months, but there is a whole lot more than freeform in it as I rediscovered today.




In the Introduction, the author, Lynda Musante says: "I hope to help you build and expand your skills; find your own voice in your beadwork -- to discover your "look" and, perhaps, challenge you to look at your beadwork differently." The book will certainly challenge you on more than one level.

For the beginner, it covers basics on beads, tools, materials and findings. There is a fairly comprehensive section on the basics of wire work. It also explains stringing with six projects and then moves on to beadweaving.

Chapter six, Stitched Bead Basics, includes detailed instructions with excellent photos for peyote stitch, tubular peyote and brick stitch. The instructions are very thorough and the accompanying gallery provides wonderful inspiration.

The final chapter is titled Sculptural Beading and explains and teaches the techniques of freeform. There are five projects and a gorgeous gallery. Throughout the book there are plenty of detailed close-up photos on almost every page, so there is plenty of eye candy.

Rainbow Time...

Though I don't have anything finished to share, I'm beading. Working on a necklace right now that features a couple of pretty glass beads.

What I do have to share is a photo taken this afternoon. I live on the ocean and the weather here often changes very quickly. That means we see a lot of rainbows. This is the first one that I'm seeing in about 6 weeks.

Silver & Gold Necklace

This necklace was actually started a while ago but I hadn't come up with a pendant for it. I finally managed to find this gorgeous piece of glass and made a spiral rope loop to hang it from the spiral rope neck piece. It was back here that I first posted it, with the earring.





Right now I'm working on a bracelet to match this necklace which is just a couple of posts down. It sold and the bracelet was requested by the purchaser. Of course, I'm more than happy to make it!

EBW Challenge Winner

Etsy BeadWeavers August Challenge has a winner! Search Light Art Deco Bracelet - GemsbyJules received the most votes and took first place.

My necklace entry which was my first time in the challenge, came in 6th. That's a pretty respectable position, I think! A big thank you to everyone who voted for me! Now if I could just find a happy home for it!



I realized today that I haven't done any beading for four days. I was away from home and came home completely exhausted. Hopefully, I'll be better rested and ready to pick up the beads again tomorrow.