Here are my Halloween ring patterns from last year! Enjoy!
the jewelry, art, and life of me
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
CSI Miami: Heat Wave Game Review
This is a review of a game on Facebook. I am being paid for this review, but all opinions are my own.
Anyway... I had the chance this past week to play CSI Miami: Heat Wave Game on Facebook. I am actually a relative newcomer to Facebook, but not to gaming. I have played around with computer games, both online and off, for many many years (I still remember games where you had to change out the floppy disk to load a new level!).
As well as being a player of games, I am also completely addicted to police procedurals on television. The original CSI is one of my faves, and while I didn't watch CSI Miami, I am aware of the basics - Cute lead CSI guy named Horatio who wears shades and says the cool lines.
So, with a background in games, and in police procedurals I am not sure what exactly I expected from a police procedural game, but I do know I kinda like what I got. CSI Miami Heatwave has nice graphics (my niece declared all the characters look like bobble heads!), it has the ability to customize your character, and it sets clear goals for what you should be doing... no wandering around wondering what is next!
You start each case with Horatio - he will tell you about the case, make a witty comment, and don his shades! Then you start collecting evidence at the crime scene!
Once you have collected the evidence, it is back to the lab to process it! You gather supplies from the various machines to help with this.
As you process evidence, this leads to suspects. You get to pick the best question to ask them to either reveal new suspects, new places to search for evidence, or to make them confess to the crime!
During each case, there a side goals like finding certain items at a scene, or expanding your lab, or buying new equipment. So, lots to keep you moving and playing!
One thing I struggled with at first was getting to places at the edge of the screen. I eventually found that I could click and hold on the ground and drag things into view, but this wasn't intuitive like most of the controls. Kinda annoying, but not a deal breaker.
Overall, I found this game to be a nice little time killer. It was something I could play in small chunks or large chunks depending on how much time I had and I like that. In the words of my friend Matthew, I give this 3.5 out of 5 slices of meatloaf.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Pay it Forward!
Hey, wanted to let everyone know you have another chance to participate in a Pay it Forward post! One of my commenters has her post up over at Bead Soup Mix! Go visit now and be one of the first to comment to get your chance to play!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New Listing in My Etsy Shop????
Bet you forgot I had an etsy shop, much less two!
This weekend I managed to get a couple of photos of one of my polymer clay pendants that I didn't hate, and managed to get it listed. I am hoping to get several more things listed this week. I will keep you posted!
This weekend I managed to get a couple of photos of one of my polymer clay pendants that I didn't hate, and managed to get it listed. I am hoping to get several more things listed this week. I will keep you posted!
!!!WARNING!!!
Danger, Will Robinson. Danger!
So, you may be wondering why this post started out with dramatic (and/or corny) warnings. Well, there is some new stuff coming to the blog, and I felt it required a little forewarning.
In an attempt to help fund my jewelry making hobby *cough* obsession *cough*, I have decided to try doing some sponsored posts. The first one will be up a little later this week. Now, while I am selling out, I am gonna try to keep it at least somewhat true to my normal posting subjects, that is, jewelry, geekery, and whatever I feel like that day. I am also not, NOT, going to lie about a product or service. If I try it and it sucks, I will either post that, or forgo that post entirely.
So, there is the warning. I will be selling out and trying to actually make small amounts of money from this whole blogging thing... and maybe even getting some free stuff... but I will try to keep it in the minority of my posts, and I won't lie about stuff. So, yeah.
So, you may be wondering why this post started out with dramatic (and/or corny) warnings. Well, there is some new stuff coming to the blog, and I felt it required a little forewarning.
In an attempt to help fund my jewelry making hobby *cough* obsession *cough*, I have decided to try doing some sponsored posts. The first one will be up a little later this week. Now, while I am selling out, I am gonna try to keep it at least somewhat true to my normal posting subjects, that is, jewelry, geekery, and whatever I feel like that day. I am also not, NOT, going to lie about a product or service. If I try it and it sucks, I will either post that, or forgo that post entirely.
So, there is the warning. I will be selling out and trying to actually make small amounts of money from this whole blogging thing... and maybe even getting some free stuff... but I will try to keep it in the minority of my posts, and I won't lie about stuff. So, yeah.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Mismatched Art Bead Earrings Part 2
So, I wanted to talk about the earrings I made for this swap. I decided to go with a theme for my beads. We have a black polymer clay tablet (tiny tablet I will give you...) which I stamped with some words... no, I can't read it either... not the point. I used some white acrylic paint to make the words stand out. For the other earring, I made a quill out of black shrink plastic. I used a white Sharpie paint pen to draw the feather quill. I paired these with some black AB crystals I salvaged from a bracelet. Final touch was the silver plated leverback ear wires.
Between the theme and the color matching, I think these are a mismatched pair that pulls together pretty well. I love the idea of using shrink plastic for an art bead. It allows so much room for creativity without having to have any special equipment. It is completely accessible. I like that.
Between the theme and the color matching, I think these are a mismatched pair that pulls together pretty well. I love the idea of using shrink plastic for an art bead. It allows so much room for creativity without having to have any special equipment. It is completely accessible. I like that.
Mismatched Art Bead Earrings Swap
This month I am participating in the Mismatched Art Bead Earrings Swap. The rules are that you and your partner have to make a pair of mismatched earrings using art beads and swap! I had never made mismatched earrings before, so this sounded like fun.
There are two ways to go about making mismatched earrings. The first way is to pick a theme and have both earrings go with the theme if not with each other. Examples include earrings that say "In" on one ear and "Out" on the other. Or where one earring is a bird and the other earring is a nest. This is the way I went. You can see them over at my partner's blog: Carolyn's Creations. UPDATE: she posted early, so please scroll down a few posts to see the earrings I sent! I will post a picture here tomorrow as well.
The other way is to make earrings that have a similiar feel to them. This is what my partner did. By matching shapes and sizes, as well as color palette, she made two earrings that feel very similar even though they aren't exactly the same. It is kinda like rhyming. "Silver" and "bewilder" don't seem like they would rhyme when you look at them, but if you say them out loud, it's pretty close.
So, here are the lovely earrings made especially for me by Carolyn Lawson!
I have to say I do completely love them!
Please hop around and see the other wonderful mismatched earrings created for this swap!
There are two ways to go about making mismatched earrings. The first way is to pick a theme and have both earrings go with the theme if not with each other. Examples include earrings that say "In" on one ear and "Out" on the other. Or where one earring is a bird and the other earring is a nest. This is the way I went. You can see them over at my partner's blog: Carolyn's Creations. UPDATE: she posted early, so please scroll down a few posts to see the earrings I sent! I will post a picture here tomorrow as well.
The other way is to make earrings that have a similiar feel to them. This is what my partner did. By matching shapes and sizes, as well as color palette, she made two earrings that feel very similar even though they aren't exactly the same. It is kinda like rhyming. "Silver" and "bewilder" don't seem like they would rhyme when you look at them, but if you say them out loud, it's pretty close.
So, here are the lovely earrings made especially for me by Carolyn Lawson!
I have to say I do completely love them!
Please hop around and see the other wonderful mismatched earrings created for this swap!
Diana Ptaszynski http://www.
Lisa Liddy http://www.lisaliddy.
Kari Asbury http://www.hippiechickdesign.
Jayne Capps http://mamasgottodoodle.
Rebecca Anderson http://www.songbeads.
Lesley Watt http://www.
Lori Bowring Michaud http://www.
Renetha Stanziano http://www.lamplightcrafts.
Holly Westfall http://www.
Theresa Fosdick http://www.thoughtful-
Ali McCarthy http://www.
Shai Williams http://shaihasramblings.
Iveth Caruso http://www.creativeatelier.
Carolyn Collins http://www.
Elaine Ray http://www.elaineray.
Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.
Charlene Jacka http://clay-space.com/blog
Jan Onipenco http://www.MoltenMayhem.
Stephanie Woods http://www.rainydaysdesigns.
Eleanor Burian-Mohr http://www.
Shelby Foxwell http://www.
Mary Harding http://www.
Lisa Johnson http://www.Whimsyswonders.
Kashmira Patel http://www.sadafulee.
Penny Neville http://www.
Dee Elgie http://www.cherryobsidia.
Sarah Small http://www.bysalla.blogspot.
Carolyn Lawson http://www.
Karin Slaton http://www.backstorybeads.
Ashleigh Becker http://www.
Kay Hand http://www.creativetangent.
Rana L. Wilson http://ranaleadesigns.
Sandra McGriff http://www.
Dawn Pierro http://www.turtlemoondesigns.
Shelley Graham Turner http://www.
Karen Mitchell http://www.overthemoon-
Melissa Trudinger http://www.beadrecipes.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Pay it Forward Handmade Give a Way
So, a week or so ago I won the Pay it Forward handmade Give a Way over at Michelle Mach's blog. As part of winning a handmade item from her, I agreed to host a give a way for a handmade item. The winners of my give a way will need to agree to do the same, and so on down the line. An endless chain of handmade presents!
The Rules
For the first three people to comment on the blog (with an email address so I can contact you!) I will create a unique handmade item and mail it to you within 365 days. What that item is... well, you won't know. Maybe it will be one of my rings, or a pair of earrings, or a special card, a resin pendant, a fabric holiday pin... could be anything!
So, please only comment if you want to participate. That is, if you are willing to host your own give a way.
The Rules
For the first three people to comment on the blog (with an email address so I can contact you!) I will create a unique handmade item and mail it to you within 365 days. What that item is... well, you won't know. Maybe it will be one of my rings, or a pair of earrings, or a special card, a resin pendant, a fabric holiday pin... could be anything!
So, please only comment if you want to participate. That is, if you are willing to host your own give a way.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Score!
So, last weekend I was able to buy some beads and things from a friend of a friend who was getting out of the jewelry making business. She was a wonderful lady who made me the deal of a lifetime and let me take everything off her hands for a mere $100. I was shocked and thrilled!
Now that I have had a chance to go through everything, I am sharing some pictures of my haul here. First up, jewelry displays!
This is one of FIVE twirly displays she included. Great for earrings, bracelets, necklaces.. anything really.
There were FOUR of these small earring displays. Great for taking pictures with!
A very nice bracelet display.
Two small necklace displays.
Final display, one large necklace display. I have really been wanting a large one, so this is my favorie of the displays.
Next up are some (by which I mean a lot) of findings, and the storage they came in.
This collections includes silver plated, gold plated, and some mixed metals. More head pins and eye pins then I have ever seen in one place. Earring findings, bead caps, chandelier findings, lobster clasps, toggles... yeah, everything.
The gray case on the right has more misc. findings. The two white cabinets have seed beads, crystals (lots of crystals!) stringing material, some misc metal pieces, and some tools!
Ok, next we move on to beads!
These are the beads on strands... so many pretty pretty strands....
Then we have beads in bags... includes some stones, some cabs, and some metal.
A whole pile of fake pearls and shell beads!
These bags of cloisonne and enameled beads were one of my favorite finds! Do you see the chicken bead? Isn't it adorable?!
CHICKEN!
Ok, so there was a LOT of stuff! Unpictured are two giant spools of 49 strand beading wire (1000 ft each). I especially love some of the metal beads, the glass pearls, and the plethora of findings!
Wish me luck in using all of this wonderful stuff!
Now that I have had a chance to go through everything, I am sharing some pictures of my haul here. First up, jewelry displays!
This is one of FIVE twirly displays she included. Great for earrings, bracelets, necklaces.. anything really.
There were FOUR of these small earring displays. Great for taking pictures with!
A very nice bracelet display.
Two small necklace displays.
Final display, one large necklace display. I have really been wanting a large one, so this is my favorie of the displays.
Next up are some (by which I mean a lot) of findings, and the storage they came in.
This collections includes silver plated, gold plated, and some mixed metals. More head pins and eye pins then I have ever seen in one place. Earring findings, bead caps, chandelier findings, lobster clasps, toggles... yeah, everything.
The gray case on the right has more misc. findings. The two white cabinets have seed beads, crystals (lots of crystals!) stringing material, some misc metal pieces, and some tools!
Ok, next we move on to beads!
These are the beads on strands... so many pretty pretty strands....
Then we have beads in bags... includes some stones, some cabs, and some metal.
A whole pile of fake pearls and shell beads!
These bags of cloisonne and enameled beads were one of my favorite finds! Do you see the chicken bead? Isn't it adorable?!
CHICKEN!
Ok, so there was a LOT of stuff! Unpictured are two giant spools of 49 strand beading wire (1000 ft each). I especially love some of the metal beads, the glass pearls, and the plethora of findings!
Wish me luck in using all of this wonderful stuff!
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