Etsy Shopping News.

For your shopping convience today noeasybeads will offer free shipping all day. It's not to late to shop online for those last minute Holiday Gifts. The Texas Etsy Crafters are hosting a treasure hunt today in their etsy shops. Check out my shop annoucement for details! Here are a few other things that are free today. Gift Tags from Humblebeads. Don't forget to check out her etsy shop Printable Earring Boxes from BellaOnline. Bead Pattern Christmas Card from Ann Phillips. December Bead Calendar from Bead-Pattern Free Ornament pattern.

Queen Wantsalot

She never knows what she wants but she wants. Queen Wantsalot is the name I chose for the treasury I put together tonight on Etsy. There is still time to pick up some of those last minute hand-made gifts for those special people on your list. New this weekend in my Etsy Shop. Berry Merry Christmas Marcasite and Platinum Bracelet December 9th through December 14th Shipping will be upgraded to Priority Mail free of charge. All items will be packaged in a gift box ready for gift giving. Thank you for stopping by and visiting my shop.

Snowflakes in New Orleans

From the East Coast to the West Coast winter weather is hitting hard. Strong winds, flooding on the west coast and snow on the east coast. Yesterday it was t-shirt and flip-flop weather in New Orleans. This morning we woke up to a change. Some of that cold air found it's way to the Crescent City. So I made snowflakes!! And More Snowflakes Let it snow, let it snow....beaded snowflakes

Pumpkin Spice Latte

A blend of dark roast with a dash of nutmeg spice combined with espresso and steamed milk, and topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices. This is my entry for the November Art Bead Scene Coffee Haus challenge. The Art bead is by Heather Powers of humblebeads.com. I finished just hours before the deadline to submit an entry. Completing the design is a matching pearl toggle and flower clasp.

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November 2007 Etsy BeadWeavers Challenge - Caught in a Net

November 2007 Etsy BeadWeavers Challenge - Caught in a Net Originally uploaded by time2cre8

Please stop by and place your vote at

http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com

Pledge to Buy Handmade This Holiday Season

I did it! I was the 6670th person who took the pledge to buy handmade for the holiday season. You can do the same. With gas prices on the rise, I won't be one of those people rushing to the store at 6:00 am the day after Thanksgiving to start my Christmas shopping. I have to admit I have never participated in Black Friday (this website lists all the sales online and in the stores). I avoid stores as much as possible. I am not a shopper! The only exception to that is a bead store. I could and have spent right down to my last nickel. What's New and on Sale in my etsy store. I can't stay away from the sparkle of these crystals. I wanted to make a series that would be affordable to my etsy customers looking for a handmade gift this holiday season. The Fiesta Flamingo color combination is one of my favorite. Fiesta Flamingo Earrings Fiesta Flamingo Pendant Below is a list of items on Sale. These sale items include Free Shipping to Anywhere in the USA. They will be packaged in gift box ready for gift giving. Watch for new items to be added in the next week with holiday sale prices. Happy Holiday. Thanks for stopping by.

EBWC Challenge Complete

Tonight I finished my entry for the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge. The cabochon is an agate. For the netting I used opaque one cut seed beads with pearl accents. A vintage button brings closure to the square stitched clasp. In many traditions agate is believed to cure the stings of scorpions and the bites of snakes, soothe the mind, prevent contagion, still thunder and lightning, promote eloquence, secure the favour of the powerful, and bring victory over enemies. Persian magi are also known to have prized agate rings in their work and beliefs. Information obtained from wikipedia. This stone was purchased from my local hardware store. It makes me chuckle to say that. The store is Baldwin Taylor Hardware. They carry an assortment of supplies for Lapidary, along with findings and other supplies for jewelry making. Today we had our bead society meeting. We have a great group of womem attending the meetings regularly now. Aleta taught how to make a bracelet with a ladder and brick stitch. What a great job she did with the presentation and instructions. This was her first time for teaching and she was a natural! The colors I chose to work with are really colorful. Light Bronze, Matte metallic purple, matte metallic yellow-green and matte opaque old rose. It reminds me of Carnival and cotton candy. I always spend to much time visiting with everyone to get much done.

Time For A Change

I have been restless and in need of a change. It must be my gypsy spirit in need of a road trip. That isn't possible until I get new tires on my vehicle. With the price of gas I won't be going to far to soon. I have been looking at my website feeling it is also in need of a change. The black background just isn't working anymore. I want a fresh clean look. A couple of years ago Art bought me a program called Web Studio 4.0 by Back To The Beach Software. Today I spent time designing a new look for No Easy Beads. Once I got started there was no stopping me. The blog has a new look. My Etsy shop has a new banner and I managed not to get any beading done today! I like the changes. What do you think? Go with the new look or keep the old?

Beadwork by Iris Guidry

I really enjoy when someone who has taken a class send a picture of their finished project. Capturing The Stone by Iris Guidry. Thank you for sharing your beadwork Iris. It is beautiful!

Do You Get Your Bead Daily?

Bead Daily is a blog hosted Interweave Press. It features projects, book reviews and a range of beading techniques. One of the my favorite post is an interview with Diane Fitzgerald and her new book ZULU Inspired Beadwork. Mink Beads From another country carved from a nut, this is one of my favorite beads. I found them at the first bead store that started my bead addiction. Being one of my favorite beads I used them all. My sister recently gave me the ones she had in her collection. In all my travels I have yet to find this bead again. The bead is hard like wood. It looks like mink and shimmers in the light. Platinum and Mink Bracelet Zulu Flowerettes accented with platinum seed bead. Nestled between each flowerette is a mink bead. A marcasite button elegantly brings closure to the design.

Capturing the Stone

This weekend I taught a class called "Capturing the Stone". I believe a successful class is due to the detail and preparation of the instructions. As I bead a design I am visualizing how I will reconstruct it in the software program I use. This is an example of a graph I used in my instructions. Each bead in the diagram is drawn one at a time and the design is reconstructed. I brought along an example of a netted bracelet with a cabochon center. Once completed the Captured Stone can be used as a focal point on a necklace or on a bracelet design or as brooch. The pattern for the netted bracelet can be found at Bead-Patterns.com Netted Bracelet Pattern #8383 Dress up a netted bracelet with a picot edging. Finish off with a square stitch closure and a fancy button. I was in a beading frenzy this afernoon. The cabochon was captured and the netted started for the bracelet. I see gray pearls as accent embellishments completing this design. My daughter humblebeads has me singing Christmas songs as she prepares for her Holiday open house on etsy starting Monday. Other patterns on sale this week at Bead-Patterns.com Angel Pin Item #3320 Regular price $8.00 on sale price $6.00 Christmas Tree Pin Item #3217 Regular pricee $5.00 on sale price for $4.00 That is it for tonight. I am not trying to start mass panic but Christmas is only 7 or so weeks away!

Are Those Mooses or Meese?

Last week I was asked if I still had my Dancing Moose Amulet bag I made with a pattern created by Liz Thompson who at the time had a website called Dancing Moose Designs. I remember how much fun I had making this amulet bag. Those silly mooses kept me laughing as I stitched along. Liz has since moved on to create beautiful bead embroidery pictures. I received this postcard along with an invitation to Downriver Council of the Arts show where Liz's pieces were on display. Stop by Liz's blog to see more of incredible work as she makes her name in the beadworld with Art. The Flamingo was a gift from Liz. I love being able to see this piece in its special place displayed as Art. Thanks, Liz I love this piece!

October Etsy Beadweaver Challenge

Voting starts tomorrow. Help pick a winner for the Etsy Beadweavers challenge. A study in Monochromatic 1. Dusty Lavender Fringe - Beadwoven Necklace by time2cre8.etsy.com 2. Many Shades of Royalty -- Purple Freeform Bead Bracelet by ForbesFarm.etsy.com 3. Bronze lights Bracelet by clairecreations.etsy.com 4. Blue by DantesSpirit.etsy.com 5. Pink Princess Bracelet and Ring Set by Patchers7.etsy.com 6. Who Got The Blues Cuff Bracelet by Sooz by BoodlersBeads.etsy.com 7. Dutch Spiral Bracelet by noeasybeads.etsy.com 8. Anyone can whistle necklace by enso.etsy.com 9. World on a String Necklace by ambrosianbeads.etsy.com 10. For the love of Pink by LauriDesigns.etsy.com 11. Study in Iolite by thebeadedlily.etsy.com 12. Pearl Waterfall Necklace by nardiesarttowear.etsy.com 13. Seismic Wave Peyote Cuff by Tresijas.etsy.com 14. Fractured Orchid - Ruffly Beadwoven Necklace by time2cre8.etsy.com 15. Delica Triangles Bracelet by BeadJewelryShopGirl.etsy.com 16. Beadwoven Leaves and Vintage Brass Button Bracelet and Earring Set by beadbug.etsy.com 17. beaded picture - Green Lady Green Mother Gaia by LauriDesigns.etsy.com 18. Green Ruffles by DantesSpirit.etsy.com 19. October - Freeform Bead Bracelet by totallytwisted.etsy.com 20. Gold Rush Log Cabin Braid Peyote Cuff by SandFibers.etsy.com 21. Shades of Silver by maneklady.etsy.com

It Only Takes A Second

It only takes a second to become a victim of a crime. Today I became of those statistic. This afternoon my wallet was stolen out of my purse as I used the self check out line at the grocery store. I took my debit card out of my wallet and stuck my wallet back in my purse. I was in a hurry and not paying attention. As I swiped my debit card someone was helping themselves to my wallet. After paying for my groceries I went to put my card back in my wallet. It was gone. I was in shock and disbelief. I had only turned my head for a second. I am mad that all my pictures of my grandbabies are gone. I am mad that someone took the money I saved for bead shopping this weekend. We were going to Turquoise Coyote Saturday and I had visions of rivolis, crystals and rose montees floating around in my head. Tonight customer service from Visa called about charges being made on the credit card. They filled their car up with gas and ordered $26.00 of food from McDonalds. Thank goodness they were not the last of the big spenders while starting their shopping spree. I am thankful I wasn't wacked over the head and my purse stolen in the parking lot. I am thankful I was not shot in a drive by shooting. I am thankful I dodged the crazy drivers on the way home. I am thankful we didn't flood with the 8 inches of rain we got yesterday. I am thankful for friends and family. I am just going to have to start saving again for another time to go bead shopping and fight the line at the DMV office getting my drivers license replaced. Today knocked the wind out of my sails and made me a part of the crime statistics in the Big Easy. Do not become a victim. 1. pay attention to your surroundings. 2. Keep your purse close and don't let it out of your site. I hope this post will help keep someone else safe as crimes go up during the holiday season.

Traveling to Phoenix

Where did the time go? My bags are packed and I am heading out the door early in the morning. Desitnation Phoenix AZ to meet up with my Mom and sisters. There is so much excitement involved with this trip. My brother is getting married! I made this beauty to accent the outfit I am wearing to the wedding. See you next week!

A Study In Color

This is an example of a monchromatic color scheme. From Wikipedia: Example of Monochromatic colorMonochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base color, and extended using its shades and tints (that is, a color modified by the addition of black and white). As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of color contrast. Monochromatic colors offer very little contrast and may be considered boring unless there is diversity within the design. This color scheme worked very well for the Dutch Spiral bracelet below. Using different size beads in the spiral created the diversity within the design. While revisiting this technique, I experimented and discovered a little trick to make the spiral pop.

Nov/Dec Step by Step Magazine

Hot off the press the Nov/Dec issue of Step by Step magazine arrived in my mail box yesterday. On page 22 you find instructions "Bumps in the Road" The Green and Blue bracelets were used as examples for the article. Playing with copper colors produced this monochromatic scheme. If you can't find the magazine you can also find this pattern at Bead-Patterns.com Don't have time bead but want one of the bracelets? Check out my etsy shop. A special thanks to my friends for all your support!!!

Etsy Bead Weavers September Challenge

The entries are in for the Etsy Beadweavers September Challenge. "Show Me Your Colors" Please stop by pick your favorite and place your vote.

In Loving Memory of John M. Mayer

John M. Maher Nov 17, 1917 - Sept 20, 2007 Your smile is gone forever Your hands we cannot touch thank God for precious memories of one we loved so much It breaks our hearts to lose you But you did not go alone For part of us went with you The day God called you home. Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home Brenda thank you so much for sharing your Daddy with me. By knowing John my life was enriched with his gentleness and kindness. His love for life and the stories he told took me to an erra, a place and time of the city which no longer exist. Our travels around town were always such an adventure. I mispronounced the street names and he was always trying to figure out what street I was trying to say. Life was an adventure and we alway found our way to and from the old neighborhoods. Thank goodness for Tammye and Brenda who could guide me via the phone through some of the places we would end up. I saw and learned a lot about New Orleans from John. I learned to love this City of New Orleans through John's stories. I learned never to get my hair cut at the same time he did from the ladies on the other side of the Barborshop. I have had a hard time living down that Cajun haircut!! The angels watched out for the us when the car broken down and a tire went flat. I know with them being here on earth for us they are with him now in Heaven. I mourn the loss of a friend who I loved to spend time with. I have peace in my heart knowing he is with the loved ones and friends who went before him. Peace be with you John.

Fiesta Flamingo Bracelet

The Flamingo Hotel-Las Vegas was the inspiration for the color choices I used in creating the Fiesta Flamingo Bracelet. The vitral rivolis sparkle like the neon lights on the strip. This piece was created for the estybeadweavers September challenge. "Show your Colors". Voting starts tomorrow. It is going to be hard choosing a winner as all the entries are gorgeous. You can see more pictures of Las Vegas here.

September Bead Journal Page

My bags are packed, my beads are in my carry-on (large purse) and we are ready for flight in the morning. Las Vegas here we come. We are staying at the Flamingo Hotel. A perfect theme for my September Bead Journal page. Flamingo Carved Tagua Nut This bead holds so many memories for me of great trips with my friend Marcie. One of our many following Judith across country on her trek from Tombstone, AZ to Atrium, New Hamphsire. Beading together trying out new bead projects. Good friends, good food and time spent with friends. I finshed a few other bead projects this month. I realized when I put them all together there was a lot of purple. This sent me on a quest to find out what I could about the color purple. Not to mention a trip to the store to find something to wear with all this purple! Purple is the color trend for fall this year. To read about the color purple go here It's time to call it a night "Gracie" You got a plane to catch in the morning!

What are you going to do with all those Rivolis?

Has the sparkle and colors of all those wonderful rivolis caught your eye? Now that you have them, what are going to make with them? I promptly got on the internet and ran over to Bead-Pattern Centeral. I had my eye on the Laura McCabe Crown Jewels Crystal Ball. I used topaz rivolis with copper iris metallic delicas. I have been wearing it on a bronze chain. I am keeping my eyes open for a antique copper chain. I have a purple one in the works. I hope to get it done before Monday. That should be easy right? It has been a week of medical procedures, doctor appointments, more medical procedures and fighting with insurance. A new job for my husband meant a business trip to Houston and a hurricane that formed so fast in the gulf it hit before he had a chance to make it home. There we go living on the edge again!! Thanks goodness all is well and he is home safe and so are we. Now if you would like to pick up some of those rivolis for youself check out Cindy's Crafts.

A Bead Book To Inspire You

The Art of Beaded Beads will take you on an adventure exploring design, color & techniques. The wonderful thing about experimenting with beads is you can make one for a pendant. If you really enjoyed the pattern you can create two more for a set of earrings. I found this book to be very informative. I am ready to begin my adventure in creating beaded beads. Are you ready? The Tetrahedron Bead by Diane Fitzgerald. I am coloring outside of my normal range with raspberry lined and olive matte delicas. My plans are to make two smaller Tetrahedron beads for earrings. I bought antique brass chain and assembled a necklace with a brass clasp. 8mm raspberry puffy crystals with 4mm olivine A/B crystals complete the design.

That Special Bracelet

Do you have a favorite piece of beaded jewelry? Something you put on just before you walk out the door? A piece that makes you feel like the person who created it is with you in spirit? I have just that bracelet. I am always telling Heather, I brought you with me today. I am wearing the bracelet you gave me. Her response "hmm which bracelet is that"? (I have a few of them. All of which are my favorites) My other favorite bracelet is the bead embroidery cuff my sister Rosanne made. I am waiting for cooler weather to arrive so I can start wearing it again.

August 2007 Bead Journal Project

I decided I could not start or finish a bead journal page for August. It weighed so heavy on my mind I had nightmares about it. My son once told me cry a river, build a bridge and get over it. Well, I cried that river, I built a bridge but I can not get over it. What is IT? Living in New Orleans Post Katrina. Sharing my birthday August 29th with a devastating event that changed so many lives including mine. The center of my page is an procelian button of an eye. Representing the eye of the storm. In my mind I beaded eye lashes on the top and bottom. Storm are still brewing in the south and a dark cloud hangs over those of us living on the edge. On the edge of trying to rebuild. Living on the edge watching the next storms forming in the Gulf. So for now just like this city of New Orleans my page will be waiting....waiting for a rebuilding.

Hot August Night Etsy Beadweaver Challenge

Hot August Night Treasury on Etsy Midnight on the Bayou Raku Necklace The night brought relief from the hot summer sun on the bayou. The burning sun lay to rest on the water's edge with hues of copper and blue. A raku bead is the focal of this necklace. The beaded crocheted rope meausres 20 inches in length with square raku beads and a copper toggle clasp. The raku bead measures 1 1/4 inches in length. This is my entry for the Etsy Beadweavers Street Team Challenge "Hot August Night" Visit the Etsy Beadweavers blog And place your vote for your favorite entry!