Excuses, Excuses and More Excuses!

I know, I know, anyone who still reads this must think I'm a total flake...and, well, I wouldn't blame you!  I think about my blog, but just rarely get over here.  I could say I'll be around more often, but let's just say--I'll try!  These two guys take a lot of my time and interest these days--

who can blame me for wanting to hang out with my sweetheart and our precious grandson instead of digging in like a hermit with my beads and baubles?  With two precious grandsons to melt my heart and make me smile, and play 'til I'm exhausted--don't blame me for forgetting about beads, and blogs and everything else most of the time.  It won't last long enough, so I'm going to savor it while I can!

 

I have managed to find a little time lately to work on a few simple designs, just to try and get back in the swing of things.  I've gone back to my lampwork roots for now, and put the gemstones on the back burner, but who knows what will strike my fancy next week.      

 

I enjoy so many things that settling down is difficult, especially when I have the luxury of choice these days.  But a recently returned art glass artist tempted me back to my beads and now I'm getting excited about all the new ideas and beautiful art glass that seems to be having a revival--at least for me.

 So, tell me how you've been?  I have my excuses, what are yours?  Maybe I'll try a contest, or tutorial or something to draw you out of your shell, so you'll talk to me again?  Or maybe I'll go back onto hiding....

    Whatever you're doing, I hope you are happy, and healthy and enjoying every day! 

Drag Me into the 21st Century

Ah, yes, I'm on vacation this week and my niece is trying to bring me into the social media age by helping me set up a facebook page AND getting me to put together some pinterest boards.  I barely maintain my blog and my etsy store, but she assures me it will be fun to add these two components to my play book...so  here's my pinterest link if you're into pinterest....




When I get back home in September, I'll be putting together a little contest using my new facebook page and pinterest for a giveaway of a new piece of jewelry I'll be designing just for this promotion...so check back if you're interested! 

Yes, and where do you go on vacation when you live at the beach--why to the midwest and 112 degrees summer days, of course!  Visiting family trumps the weather....

Sizzling Summer Sale

What's summertime without a sale?!?  Check out my etsy storefront for a coupon code to save 25% on everything in the store.  It's time to make your favorite designs part of your wardrobe before they're gone.  Sale ends Thursday, July 12th so don't delay!!!

The Great Experiment

While not exactly a patriotic color theme, this pendant with it's beautiful detailed colors and harmony brings to my mind the great experiment that is the United States of America with it's melting pot of cultures, all brought together---maintaining our individually, but woven together in unity.  Our founding fathers, with inspiration from our Heavenly Father, crafted a constitution giving us the opportunity to stretch ourselves as we take responsibility for our own lives--giving us liberty to do so and the opportunity for our own pursuit of happiness.

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Now a little about the beads in these two pieces.  These were torched by one of my all time favorite lampwork artists--Julie Wong of uglibeads.  As far as I know, she's retired from the torch now for several years.  She was making one of a kind, highly detailed, and precision perfect beads with fabulous stringer detail long before anyone else, I was aware of.  Such a perfectionist she is, and it shows in her beads.  I've held these for a long time knowing there would probably never be anymore Julie beads for me, but finally I've put them into a couple of designs that make me happy.  I value them highly,reflecting the art I consider them to be, and it won't hurt my feelings if they stay in my inventory for a long while; since to me, they are timeless works of art that gladden my soul.  Love you Julie--nobody does it better. 

And on one final notel--happy 4th of July---Independence Day---my beloved country!!!  Long may our Star Spangled Banner wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Up On My Roof

Here's proof positive that the best room in the house isn't a conventional room at all, but my rooftop deck!  I have a great 360 degree view---the beach, ocean and Channel Islands to the west and the harbour with the mountains in the background to the east.  If I want to chase away the blues, breathe some fresh air, seek inspiration or just mellow out--this is the place to be.  It's the perfect perch to watch the sunset, the sailboats, the seagulls and pelicans in flight or just sit quietly and enjoy my lunch. It's the perfect perch to listen to the sealions, the roar of the surf, and the wail of the fog horn. I can be alone or invite 50 of my closest  friends to join me (it's also the largest 'room' in the house).  Winter, Summer, Spring or Fall, no matter the time of year there is always something beautiful to enjoy up on my roof. 

Something Old....Something New

Back from the dead?  No, just awakening from a loooooong sleep.  Life is always full of twists and turns, and it's been awhile since I've been in a place where I could do much but just take care of life.  No guarantees I'll be around alot, just sayin' I'm here today and maybe tomorrow too!  I'm still enjoying the relaxing pace of knotting gemstones on silk cord, but I've also gone back to my early love of artisan lampwork, dug thru my stash and added that back to the mix. 

Hence, something old--a gorgeous focal pendant by artist Catherine Ondrey that I've held on to for several years, knowing that she doesn't intend to do anymore work in this style and something new---a double strand necklace with faceted turquoise stones to feature her beautiful focal.

There's a few more tricks in my bag...maybe...

Black Friday

Are you out and about chasing the sales or home recovering from all the fun and family yesterday? Here's a little something I just added to my etsy store...a pendant from Manuela Wutschke with a beautiful Peruvian Opal nugget as the finishing touch. Today is the final day of my websale in my etsy store if you're looking to snag a bargain! http://www.rickitic.etsy.com/

I'm definitely NOT out chasing the sales...this is not my favorite shopping day...I like to search out my bargains throughout the year and I'm not good at getting up a o'dark thirty for a chance at a deal. Hat's off to those dedicated souls out there who do, I'm just not motivated enough!!!

I love this pendant and the gold rolo chain it is hung from...I might have to keep it if someone doesn't snag it soon!

Oh, for you bargain hunters out there, check out the destash lampwork beads in my vintage/ destash store--- http://www.allweneedislove.etsy.com/ I'm downsizing a few of my treasures--someone else needs to enjoy them and make them sing!

Happy Black Friday, have a wonderful weekend, will you have any cash left for Cyber Monday? Now, go have some leftovers while they're still tasty and fresh! Everyone to the kitchen for a slice of pumpkin pie, smothered in whipped cream of course!

Snow Angels and other winter dreams...

It's only a tiny bit early to be thinking of snow angels. I clicked into my ebay account today and to the top it said 47 days to Christmas--tell me it ain't so!!!

Time to dig into my winter wardrobe, time to think about gifts and decorating and baking and all the fun things that kick start the winter holidays...and I'm caught totally off balance this year. Ah well, I went into my stash box and found some holiday beads just begging to be played with. This is the first--my little Snow Angel with some precious artisan lampwork beads by the fabulous ( and m.i.a. for sometime now) Barbara Gorko. She does the most whimsical, sweeeeet figural beads and flowers around. These have been sitting in my stash for awhile--the pink rosebuds one place and the precious snow angel another. They finally found one another and all it took was a chain and some icy moonstone marquise gemstones for a little winter whimsey to set me on the path.

I love the garland of roses around her head and feet, the pale pink buttons and her transparent blue wings...my little snow angel is definitely a girly girl--no doubt about it!

***don't forget to enter the drawing for an amazonite bracelet--every comment counts***

Sooo...Are you Curious????

Here are the fruits of my labor yesterday--after playing and playing and playing again with the limited stash I had, this is the neckace I made from the beads in the picture I posted yesterday. I was going for something quite long--36" long in fact that was playful and modern. I wanted more artisan lampwork, but I just had to make do with little accents I had. So cinnabar, Bali sterling silver and onyx had to fill in the gaps. Wouldn't it be fun someday to give a half dozen designers the exact same supplies and see what we all come up with. I'm sure there wouldn't be a similar piece in the bunch. That is the really fun thing about jewelry design to me. There is no right or wrong and you can let your own muse sing, as much or as little as you like. Life is like that really, we all have the right to choose our path and wouldn't it be boring if we were all exactly the same??? I certainly think so!

Who said "The world is so full of a number of things, I think we should all be as happy as kings!" Find something to be grateful for today! My list is overflowing.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Well, let's see--I've had this hammered sterling heart I purchased from artist Alicia Abla for the longest time and just never knew how to use it, but this year, I think I've got it! I wraped it with goldfilled wire and gemstones for a beautiful pendant on a sterling chain, also with goldfilled wirewrapped gemstones. I'm really happy with the way it turned out--not too formal, but definitely beautiful. How can you go wrong when a necklace is loaded with rich amethyst, fanta spessertite, carnelian, spinel, garnets, champaign citrine and beautiful natural rubies!!!! The colors are outstanding and you're going to love it around your neck. The chain part of the necklace is a little over 18" with the pendant adding an additional 1 1/2". Let Me Call You Sweetheart sold, thank you. What's not to love!