Back from Europe!

After 17 days of traveling I'm worn out!! I spent 2 long weeks in meetings but managed to have a little fun on the weekends. Vern's trip to Denmark overlapped with mine so we were able to spend some time London, Denmark and Sweden. Believe it or not, 60% of the people in Copenhagen ride their bicycles once a day; that translates to over 300,000 bikes on the road and a city designed for cyclist! I rate Copenhagen the most bike-friendly city I've ever visited.

I looked everywhere in London for beads...but couldn't find any. Presumably selling beads doesn't pull in enough cash to support a storefront in the big city! I had more luck in Denmark and Sweden. I found a local bead artist who revealed her suppliers. Of course, that meant some fast peddling across town only to find that the bead store had closed 5 min beforehand. I snapped a picture (above) of the store front and really wasn't expecting much. However, when we went back I was amazed! It was truly the best bead store I've ever been in. Beads high and low...in ever nook and cranny, wood beads, gemstones, spacers galore....I could have spent 4 hours there. Fortunately for Vern, the exchange rate forced me to stop after a 2 hour spree. Vern ended up falling asleep in the corner while the sales clerk asked if she could throw popcorn at him!

Later, we took the ferry from Helsinger, Denmark to Helsinborg, Sweden. The town that we visited in Sweden was small and also very bike friendly. One of the locals encouraged us to visit a big garden fair. It was really pretty...and best of all, it had a bead booth. Not much of a selection, but I had to buy at least one bead for the "Going Global" collection.

Missed you all tons!

Blogging & Beading Break

I'm heading off to the UK tomorrow around 6 in the morning - what am I still doing up?! No beading or blogging for 2 whole weeks. Yikes....I already feel the withdrawl symptons. If I get a craving, I'll go hunting for bead shops again like I did in Germany. I'll be spending most of my time near London; then, joining Vern in Denmark for a long weekend. Most of the time I'll be working. However, I'm taking a few days vacation on the end of the trip. I'll need it! :-)

Here's a shot of the beads I made this weekend. I did the glossing outdoors to take advantage of the nice weather. Later all!

Flying Aphids

My husband tells me that my newest piece reminds him of flying aphids. Say what!? He promises to find me a picture that shows the resemblence. Anyhow, thought you enjoy a picture of the new design. I think it looks more like a snowflake or a flower.

Someday I'll remember to scrub my hands before taking pictures. That's clay - not dirt! :-)

Clay Prodigy

We had our friends, the McMahons, over for dinner last night. During the course of the evening I managed to turn their son, Bryan, into a clay artist. Here's a picture of the new clay prodigy making a bead in the shape of a soccer ball! They left our house with Bryan requesting a pasta maker and a trip to Michaels for more clay! If I ever manage to land an arts and crafts show, I know where I'll find my assistant. :-)

Almost done....

I'm still working on the yellow set. Thought I'd post a quick picture of the latest delights straight from the oven. Seriously, I bake more clay than food these days. Scary!

Confessions about the Pasta Maker

A few years ago my Mom gave me a pasta maker for Christmas. I've had high hopes of inviting a few friends over for a pierogi day or pasta fest....but it hasn't come to fruition. So, for the past few months, I've been debating - do I sacrifice the pasta maker for a polymer clay tool? or do I keep the pasta maker for food? If I use it for clay, it wouldn't be the gift my mom intended. On the other hand, fellow clay junkies rave about how the pasta maker will improve your art. So, I broke down last night ...bye bye spaghetti...hello smooth clay. Sorry mom. :-)

Ann Taylor Eat Your Heart Out!

Anyone who's known me for longer than a few hours has probably gleaned that I love Ann Taylor. I'd say about 90% of my closet is from AT ...it just seems to fit my style. Although I love their clothes, I've never been thrilled with the jewlery selection. All the more reason to make my own! So, a few weeks ago my sister, Mandy, and I decided this new dress would look fabulous with some large white beads and decorative yellow ones. Here's a picture of the work in progress. I'm hoping to finish the white beads tomorrow. For the record, that's yellow clay under my nails and not mold.

Hmmmm....maybe I can become a business partner to Ann Taylor. I could design jewlery for her new lines and in return she could outfit me with a lifetime supply of clothes. Ahh, it's nice to dream!

Preseason Gear

The Steelers played their first preseason game this past weekend defeating the Saints 20-7...Woohoo! I finished 3 Steeler necklace sets for my friend Lori on the same day. Attached are a few shots of the new attire. Paired with a black and gold shirt, this set screams give me a terrible towl!

New Designs

I spent the day reseaching polymer clay techniques and took a quick spin to Michaels to pick up a handy bead baking tray. Here's a quick shot of today's work in progress.

Christmas in August

Woohoo...the FedEx truck just pulled up with my new beading supplies! It feels like Christmas in August. I ordered a few standard items but also decided to experiment a bit with different stones. The bargain "bag of gems" turned up a few treasures including this fabulous pendent shaped stone!

Sexy Mom Sports New Jewelry

My sister-law-in, Emily, came through with the picture she promised; so, today's blog features a wire and crystal set. The necklace design includes Swarovski crystals and pink glass cubes separated by handmade silver links. The matching earrings feature the same wire link accented by a crystal on the bottom. I sent this set to Emily for her Birthday/Mother's day gift. Afterwards, my brother wrote me an email to tell me how beautiful she looked in her new jewlery - I agree!