Built by Love

It was cold, bitterly cold.Fen wrapped his cloak tighter around his shoulders. The sun had disappeared over the horizon, but the last glow of dusk still lay over the trees. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small toothpick and gripped it tightly in his fist. He spoke ever so gently into the hole made by his fingers and then opened his palm. A small flame jumped from his hand on to the ground and continued to burn. Fen waved his hand over the flame drawing it up until it floated above the ground on an invisible candlestick. He did this six times and carefully placed each flame to create a wide circle in the center of the field. It was time to begin.

In his mind’s eye he could see Maite and the baby. It was due any day now and time was running out. After the birth they would have only 6 months together, and then what? Would he ever see her again, ever see his child? According to the law, their union could not last. They had been joined by the Council to create and reproduce a child who would be skilled in the Wordspeech. Once this had been accomplished, the child was given permanently to the Speechmothers and Fen and Maite would join the other Wordworkers or be given a new union. But, Fen knew of another law.

This law stated that if a Wordworker were to complete the Construction Verse and build a home for his mate and their child, they would never be separated. This had been done only a few times that he knew of and the men who had accomplished it were all leaders of the Council. The verse was almost impossible to complete. It was long and complicated with verses for protection, peace and safety all woven in. It had to be done between the hours of dusk and dawn and you were not allowed to take anything with you. Everything that you used had to come from the earth, the stones, and the trees and it had to be completed before the child was born. He thought back to the day that he had first asked Maite if he could build her a home. She had simply smiled and said, “I knew you would.”

So he had begun to study, to watch, to ask, to listen. For nine months he immersed himself in learning the Construction Verse. He wanted to know how it worked, why some had been able to complete it and others not. Everything had led to this night alone on this hill and he was ready.


He worked all night with just the tiny Wordflames to guide him. It was hard work but with each part of the verse, the earth had given up its resources. The yellow sandstone for the foundation and walls had pushed up from the grassy slope, the trees had kneeled down and shed their remaining autumn leaves for the roof. He had watched as little swallows had carried tiny bits of clay and worked to fill in the gaps between the stones. Even the ants had worked all night carrying away the excess dirt.

When he was finished, he sat down on the hill and saw for the first time the house that he had worked so hard for. It was small, but it was enough, and more importantly, just as the sun was peeking up over the horizon, it was done. He breathed a sigh of relief and wiped a tear off his cheek. He spoke a word and watched as the Wordflames slowly flickered and then disappeared. He heard a rustling in the bushes behind him and turned expecting to see Maite, but it wasn’t Maite.

“Well done, Fen.” It was Anid, one of the highest leaders of the Council. “It has been a long time since anyone has completed the Construction Verse.”

“I know, you were the last, were you not?” Fen looked into the eyes of the old man.

“Yes, and to see you complete this tonight gives me great joy. I had thought that the secret had been lost and that there would be no more young men willing to do what you have done. There is something about the heart of a man that would drive him to work this hard for a woman he has known for only a short time and a child he has not yet seen. Many have failed trying to do what you have done.”

“Yes, I know why they failed.” Fen picked up his little bag and put it back on his shoulder. “They wanted to build the house to prove their worth to the Council, to become one of the high leaders. They did not work for the right reasons.”

“What is that reason, Fen?” Anid was leaning hard on his staff and staring directly into Fen’s eyes.

“Love, Anid, the right reason is love. And I finally realized as I was studying that everyone else had failed because they did not know that along with the verses for protection, safety, prosperity, and peace one had to include love.”

Anid placed his hand on Fen’s shoulder. “Never forget that my son.”

On Gardening and Motherhood...

My mom is a pretty darn good gardener. I can still see in my memories the huge hydrangea blooms that flanked the front porch at our house on Shady Grove Lane. I remember watching her lovingly choose a Dogwood tree to plant in our front yard to replace the ton of pea gravel that the previous owners had decorated with.

Pink Spring Flowers

I will always think of her as having a green thumb. Anything she plants will grow. It's been that way my whole life. I remember the first house we lived in had a small tree in the front yard that she planted. It started out as nothing but a skinny trunk and a few leaves. Fifteen years later I drove by the old house and couldn't see my old bedroom window for the tree. She knew what it would become and planted it for its potential.

Band of Leaves Bracelet

There have been over the years some plants that did not thrive like the others. And I've watched as my mother carefully dug them up, preserving the roots and planted them elsewhere. A gentle nudge in the right direction, a change of scenery, more light, more water, and they always grew.

Lavender Blossom

My mother has four daughters. I like to think of us as plants, hydrangeas or maybe roses. She's been watering some of us longer than others and some of us have not needed as much maintenance, but now I'm watching as she's taking care of one particular rose as it's going through some growing pains and I'm amazed. She's so gentle and loving and yet firm. She knows exactly what this little plant needs and she's being so patient while she tends it.

It won't be easy, the replanting, gardening, and watering, but my mom is a darn good gardener.
Anything she plants will grow. It's been that way my whole life.

Things I like and things I don't...

First up, this ring. I named it Esmeralda and I haven't taken it off since I made it. I've been wearing it around the house like I've got somewhere to go. I've also listed it in my shop and I can probably make it in just about any color you want, so....if you'd like one, you know where to find me.

Esmeralda's Ring

Also, I've had Bumpy Blue Beaded Beads in my shop forever...just chillin' and so I thought I'd make something with them just so people could see what you can do with these beaders and also because they was gettin' lonely in my beaded bead bowl. So, I've also put this cutie in my shop.

Turquoise Bubble Bracelet

Last but not least, the thing I don't like...this failed attempt at a landscape pendant representing a lighthouse. The proportions are all off. Thank goodness I haven't poured resin yet, the bezel is still salvageable!

Alright, I'm off to go finish up my entry for the local beading competition that I've gotten myself into. Have a great day all!

Oh, oh, I almost forgot...if you haven't gone to my Etsy Stalker Shadowbox and entered my giveaway, you really, really, should. I'm giving away a Midnight Medallion pendant and I'd really like y'all to get in on it. Alright, I'm out!

The Queen of Procrastination

Lives in my house. In fact, she's in charge of getting done all these things I've set myself up to do this month. Allow me to go over her to do list:
- April 30th: Entry due for local bead contest. (Haven't even started, just opened required materials a week ago.)
- May 11th: Entry due for El Concurso on Beads Perles. (Started this one and have been working happily even though it's due well over a week after the first one.)
- May 31: Stringing submissions for Winter due. (I have something in my head that I want to try to submit.)
- June 9: Project submission due for a certain beading magazine.

And somewhere in all of this, there's an order from a good friend to do four necklaces and another friend would like a pair of earrings. Ay-yay-yay.

And what is her majesty doing? Cutting out teeny tiny pieces of paper for no other reason than that she likes to. Does anyone else have this problem? Argh.

Inspired by Mom

I've talked often on here about how much my mom has inspired my creativity and also how much she has given to me and my sisters. She is truly the reason that I am who I am today and there's no way to ever thank her enough.
This is a picture of my mom, me and my three sisters havin' a little fun at the Smithsonian Museum. It's an older picture. My two younger sisters are a little more grown up, and we've all got shorter hair! :)

To celebrate Mother's Day, I've added an Inspired by Mom sale section to my shop. I chose some pieces that made me think of my mom and moms in general and marked them down for you to share with your mom. I hope you'll check it out. I've got the perfect present for my mom. (It's still in my head, I haven't made it yet!) And I'll be working on it the closer we get to Mom's Day.
Enjoy your Friday!

Secrets

I'm working on two projects that are super-top-secret. Mostly because they have to be entered in competitions, but as soon as I get the all-clear, I'll show them to you! Meanwhile, here's some cool stuff to check out:
First up, Jen Judd-Velasquez made some jewelry using some beads that she got from me!
And even though I can't read a word of what this artista is talking about, she makes the cutest handmade journals with beaded accents.
I am currently obsessed with browsing through Gretchen's shop, it leaves me so inspired.
And my sisters and I have started taking Tango at the studio where we've been taking Salsa for the past year. We're lovin' it, so I'm leavin' you with a video of some of the coolest Tango dancers I could find on YouTube.

Once upon a time...

I wanted to open a bead shop and call it Ring around the Finger, or Ring around the Bead, or Bling Rings, or something like that...which all sounded too close to ring around the tub or ring around the collar, neither of which conjure up pictures of glamorous jewelry for your fingers.

So, I stuck with my current title, but still can't get the bug to make rings out of my system. I am constantly playing around with ring designs. Half the time they aren't good enough to show off, but every once in a while a good slips through and I really, really like it.
Such as this little purty. I was very inspired by peacock colors when I designed this, and now I need a good name for it. Any suggestions?

In other news, Louisa Meece of Beaded Extravagance sent me this little beauty for our Etsy Beadweavers Team swap. It is awesome and feels like a supple fabric on my wrist. We exchanged e-mails and both agreed that it was a strange feeling to own a piece of jewelry that you hadn't made yourself!

Alright, I'm off, I've got to work on a big chunky rock ring for a customer. See ya'!

Bead Star

As I have previously mentioned...stringing, not my thing, however, I have been practicing as of late because I want to enter Bead Star. I feel that the whole point of a competition is that you stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone and go beyond your "norm" to create somethinig really fantastic.

So, I have a design in my cabeza, but it requires wrapped loops, so here's my practice loops. I'm finally at the point where I can create a wire-wrapped loop that doesn't draw blood. (YES!) I spent pretty much the first couple of days at this exercise murdering my fingers. They're okay now, and my wrappin' skills are slowly improving.

Anyway, on another note, I'd like to congratulate all the bead artists who made it into Beads 2010. I bought my copy yesterday and was so excited to see some of my bead buddies in there. So, bead buddies, if you're one of those that happen to pass by my humble abode, um...blog. Congratulations, you deserve it!

Oh, and also, thanks to all the people who commented on my earlier post about the landscape pendants... Ya' know how sometimes you think you've done something that is earth shattering and will change the face of jewelry making forever?? Well, and I'm being honest here, let's just say that my expectations for my pendants were a lot higher than the actual reception. That said, your comments really made me smile and realize that while my pendants won't shift paradigms, they are exactly what I wanted them to be.

Have a great day!

Resin, Paper, Scissors

These are the promised pendants. I call them Landscape Pendants. The idea hit me on Friday while I was outside laying on a lawn chair in my backyard reading a book. I thought what about creating mini landscapes in a pendant. So, I set out to do just that.

The Road Less Traveled Pendant

I started with group of bezels that I had left over from my previous resin experimentation.

Then, I used scrapbook paper that I had lying around to cut tiny shapes. Each individual cloud, tree, path, mountain, etc.. started out as a tiny piece of paper.

Home is Where the Heart Is

I then proceeded to paste them onto a tiny blue background that I created to fit inside the bezel.

Snow-Capped Peaks Pendant

The last step was to fill with resin and let cure. These still need a couple more days until they are completely cured, but they're finished.

Poplars Ring

Could you get any more OCD? My fiance said, "Wow. You've found something smaller than beads!"

These pendants (and the ring) measure 1" by 1". They're very small, but they contain a tiny world inside them. Since Friday my head has been spinning with landscape ideas. Grand Canyon, waterfalls, hills, fields, desert sands...the list is endless.

Oh, and finally, last but not least, Sarah's Ring. She won my giveaway and this was the ring she created. It's awesome. The colors are incredible and it'll be on its way to her tomorrow. I hope you have a great day!

Window Shopping

I've got pendants on the brain, as that's what I've been working on a lot lately. Hopefully I'll get them finished by tomorrow, and be able to show youz guyz what's up. WARNING: They have nothing to do with beads. Nope, no beads, not a single one. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy these:

Full Summer Compass Pendant by IvyWoodRose

(I love the colors and am in awe of the colors and craftsmanship.)

Pearl, Love, Tree, Filigree Locket by MStevensonDesign
(For some reason, I've really been liking the idea of a locket lately. Family...close to the heart, right where they should be.)

Olive Drop by SigalitAlcalai
(This is lampwork. Wow.)

Triple Postage Stamp by foxgloveaccessories

(I like stamps, and this is just a great idea all the way around!)

Finally, Fanciful Forest Necklace by The Intuitive Garden

(This is just soooo cute. It's a shrunk down version of a handmade illustration.)

Gorgeous pendants, even though they are a little outside my price range. (Hey, if they were in my price range, it would be called Door Shopping) But they will definitely go on my list of special occasion gifts. Each of these pendants has something in common, and if you can figure out what it is, then you'll know what I've been working on with my own pendants. Good luck!

Things I learned while cleaning out the garage...

1. Do not pick up a box unless you are prepared to deal with what is hiding behind it.

2. A shop vac is a girl's best friend.

3. If you haven't used that tennis racket in four years, chances are you will not start using it this year.
4. I have a paint gun.
5. Garages should be called Wildlife Preserves because that's where all the strange and wonderful creatures in my yard live. ("Where's your car?" "Oh, I parked it in the Wildlife Preserve")

I also stayed up 30 min. past my bedtime to do this:

Wanna see the whole thing??! Well, you're just gonna have to click on it, and leave a comment, because I think it's the coolest treasury evah!

Art Bead Scene and Beaduhs Beaduhs

First up, for those of you who've always wanted to try beadweaving but never quite had the courage, I worked up a little beadweaving tutorial on the Art Bead Scene blog today. This is a photo of the bracelet that the tutorial will teach you to make.

I call it Art Bead Spiral, and it's in my shop as of today.

This is a variation of the same technique, I call it Rusty Vines, I've also dropped it in the shop. Both of these bracelets use beads from the super talented Elaine Ray. I do hope you'll check out the tutorial and really give beadweaving a shot.

Also, I've had a request for some beaded beads, well, actually, I got a lot of requests for them after the Bead Soup party, and I finally got around to making a few. I've got two sets in the store. These are Sunshine Yellow beaded beads.

These are Pink Lemonade. They are both made with a wooden core bead and so super addictive.

Oh, and as for my blog title. My little nephew calls them "Beaduh Beaduhs" and often joins me on my trips to the Beaduh Beaduhs store. :) Hope everyone has a great day, I'll be cleaning out the garage!

Dainty is in...

Or so I read the other day, and even though I don't usually do dainty, this little bracelet is so cute. I had these little beads lying around fo-ev-uh and decided to finally do somethin' with 'em. So, here it is, I call it Honeybeads bracelet. You can click on it to see some more pics. It's in my shop as of this mornin'. The little bee is from Green Girl Studios. Hope you have a great day!

Component Beading

I've been playing around with an idea that I call component beading. Basically, you take one small beaded component, and then link it together with other components exactly like it to create different kinds of jewelry. I've discovered that the possibilities are pretty much endless. You can change the colors, the beads, the way you connect the components.



For example, each of the four little circular crosses that you see in this pendant are the pieces that I use to create my lace bracelets, like Under the Sea. But, for the pendant, I connected them at the tips. I really like the look of this, it's bright and shimmery, kinda outta my norm, but it catches the summer sun so well. I call it Lavender Lace.
Here's a second version that I'm not so crazy about. I tried to go a little more summery with bright colors, and I'm just not quite as pleased with the overall look.

I'm putting Lavender Lace in my store, I wore it last night and really liked it. I think the bubbly turquoise pendant will have to wait for another day, we'll mark it down as practice and keep it in mind for later. :)
Oh, by the way, don't forget to visit my Etsy Stalker Shadowbox and leave a comment. I'm giving away a Midnight Medallion at the end of the month, and you don't wanna miss it!

Etsy Stalker Shadowbox Giveaway

I'm a featured designer in the Etsy Stalker's April Shadowbox Gallery! Click here to see the gallery and leave a comment. If you do, your name will be thrown in the hat to win this Midnight Medallion! Exciting, no? Thanks for the support y'all!

DONE...thank goodness

I have mentioned on my blog-a-blog here that stringing is not my area of expertise. I can line up itty bitty teeny weeny seed beads all day long on a 10 1/2" headband, but I can't make anything over 1mm look good to save my life, so when I set out to create something using the fancy shmancy rosettes from this month's issue of Beadwork, I immediately ran into a brick wall...allow me to explain.
You see these little rosettes? I finished them in about 3 hours. Should've been able to do them faster, but I ran into a supply-shortage and had to substitute creatively. (welcome to the party hematite rounds! Not to mention how much those faceted czech rounds cost me! I was about 10 min. away from bartering body parts with the bead lady!)

Now, do you see the layers of chain hanging between the rosettes? Yeah...well, those took me TWO DAYS! Mostly trial and error. I must have taken this necklace apart 50 times.
I tried assymetrical. I tried smaller rosettes hanging in the layers. I tried variating the types of chain. I tried variating the beads, doing wraps, scrapping the whole thing...
In the end I settled on this, and stuck with symmetry. I like the final product and even though it's a little outside my normal asthetic it has such a glamorous feel to it.



So, Stringers, I tip my hat to you again and congratulate all of you on a job well done. And if you hear arghs of frustration coming from Southeast North Carolina...pay me no mind, and know that it probably involves chain and faceted czech rounds.

Time to Vote

Time to VOTE!!

The Etsy Beadweaver's challenge pieces for April are up and they need your vote! I entered my Butterfly on the Breeze and there are some awesome entries this time around. Go take a looksy and vote!

4 Sale

Posted a bunch of new stuffs in my shops this mornings (I'm not sure why all of that was plural), click on the pics to check it out. (P.S. there's more than this, you'll have to go and see!!)

Oh, and I can't stop listening to this song, it makes me wanna cha-cha.

I'm retiring.

Well....these four pieces at least. It's been a long run, and I've really enjoyed it, but it's over now and as much as I have enjoyed having these little beauties in my shop, their time is up. They are set to expire on Friday and when they do, I'm going to let them go. But, before they go, I've marked them down 30% as a last hurrah, which means if you'd like one of 'em, go get 'em now while there is still a chance.

Bronzed Bracelet

Blue Jay Pendant

Gems and Beads Rope Necklace

Bright Stripes Barrette

By the way, I'm gonna wait till the end of the day to pick a winner for my Ring Giveaway, so if you haven't entered, head on over to my Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment!

Giveaway!!

I'm giving away a Tidepool Ring!

The best part is that if you win, I'll make it in whatever colors you want, and whatever size fits you!

That means a personalized ring just for you!

All you have to do is go to my Facebook Fan page and leave a comment!

I'll draw a winner on Wednesday! Good luck!

New Paths

I like to follow new paths, figure out a different way to do something. Sometimes it can lead you to something completely unexpected, or sometimes it can take you right back to where you began and you realize that maybe that's the best way to do something after all.

Icy Turbulence

Most of the time you wind up somewhere new creating something original, one of a kind.

Diamantes

Sometimes I take the path myself, or sometimes I let my needle do it for me.

New paths, with or without thread, always a good thing.