DON'T LET THE ?@$%t^&^&**() GET YOU DOWN

I know that is a peculiar title but that's what a friend said to me today after an incredible experience. 

Last Saturday our city had it's spring craft fair.  I did really well and I was all excited.  I received some notes from the people that were working the fair and one is that a lady had bought my golf stroke counters and wanted more, would I please call her.  I got the message Wednesday morning and called in the afternoon.  She said they were going back to their summer home and wanted some of my golf stroke counters to take back with her as gifts.  I told her I had a few and that I would make some more and bring them over to her on Friday (today).  I make my own beads out of polymer clay for my golf stroke counters so it's not like I just put a bunch of beads together.  I worked fuiously Wednesday night, all day Thursday and even got up at 5 this morning to finish more so she would have something to pick from.  She made it sound like she wanted quite a few for her friends in the golf league.  I had 6 available and made 8 more.  Went to her house and she looked at my counters and showed me one she bought her friend.  She asked if she could exchange it because she liked one that I had in the tray better so I said sure.  Her husband walked in and she introduced us and the first thing he said was "you don't need to buy another one of those".  She told him what she was planning on doing and why I was there but she asked him to go out in the garage and find the one she bought for herself to show me.  She went out with him and they were gone 5 minutes or more.  When she came back in there was no mention of buying any counters but she wanted my card so her friends could contact me if they wanted one when they saw the one she had.  I believe they had some words while out in the garage.  I packed up my stuff and left.  I've never had that happen before.  I was pretty upset.  My husband wanted to go over and punch them and I had another friend who said she wished she would have been  with.  She would have wresteled them to the floor till they bought both trays.  What would you have done?

These are some of the counters I made in the last two days.  Guess I'll put them on Artfire or Etsy and see if I can find them a good home.

 


I did have an order for another frame that I also finished this week.  It's for a lady that has 2 golden labs "Charlie and Louie".  She wanted everything in purple.  They wear purple collars and I guess it means they are special and in their hearts forever.  Not sure if I have that right.

You can click on the picture to see the frame close up.  It has dog bones and feet and dogs on it.

SOMETHING SPECIAL

Today I got an email from Penni Jo Couch who is the owner of Best Flexible Molds.  I have purchased many of her molds and I love them.  I use them constantly to make beads for The Beads of Courage.  So far this year I've handed in 100 little bears and dogs and they were made with Penni's molds.  Anyway, she sent me an email saying she was making me a special bear mold.  I'm so excited.  See, there are nice people in the world.  If you do clay, you have to have her molds.  She is an absolute peach to deal with.  http://www.bestflexiblemolds.com/ her cabochon molds are great too.

These are some of the latest ones that I did.  The little heart with the cat in it is one of Penni's molds also.
Thanks Penni, you are a dear and the kids love these beads.


OK, back to the pens for the guild swap and sister's wedding shower table presents and putting the counters on Artfire and oh I better play with the cat, he hasn't had much attention in the last two days.

NEW BAG - BEADS OF COURAGE - CUTE DOGS

About 30 years ago I bought my first Coach bag.  It was the brown leather with the long strap and it weighed about 20 pounds with nothing in it.  I carried it all the time.  Finally one day my shoulder started hurting and the doctor told me I might as well carry a bowling ball on my shoulder.  He couldn't believe how heavy that purse was.  I put it in the closet and looked at it for 5 years and finally gave it away.

Well, my friend Judy's husband travels a lot and is gone for 5 or 6 weeks at a time.  Every time he goes away he sends her a Coach bag.  It's just something he does which I think is awesome.  My husband buys me Good and Plenty for special occasions.  Anyway, I was teasing Gary that I thought he should get me a Coach bag since I "BABYSIT" for Judy while he's gone.  Easiest babysitting job I've ever had.  Yesterday Judy came over to pick me up and gave me a bag from Gary.  I was speechless (that doesn't happen often).

This is my new Coach bag.  I usually go to Ross and buy a knockoff so this is going to be my "GOING OUT SPECIAL BAG".  Thank you Gary.

BEADS OF COURAGE

 As you know our clay guild is working with The Beads of Courage people down in Tucson.  We collect beads every month and send them to Tucson to be used for the kids and their families.  These are kids going through major illinesses.   They get a chain or necklace and every time they go through a procedure such as chemo, radiation, giving blood, surgery or what ever, they get to choose a bead to put on their necklace.  There are many glass bead makers and polymer clay artists who have been donating to this cause.  In January I did 50 beads which were bears and dogs and animals.  This month I am working on more animals and some special hearts.    I just finished these.

If you are interested in donating, please contact me and I will let you know where to send them.  They like large, bright items and must have at least a 3mm hole.

BIRTHDAY FRAME

A friend asked me to make a frame for her friend for her birthday.  She has three really cute dogs so I made the frame and put all the dog's names on it.  She just sent me a picture with the dogs in the frame.  They are so cute.

SUNSET IN ARIZONA

Last night we had a gorgeous sunset.  It's been in the 80's here this week which is great golf weather.  I went out and took a picture of the sunset and the colors make me want to do clay.  But, everything makes me want to do clay.  I'm obsessed.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY



BOOBOO UPDATE

Booboo spent 30 minutes at the vets screaming at the top of his lungs.  If you have never heard a cat scream, you don't know what you are missing.  It makes the hair on your arms stand up and a lot of people look at you like you were sitting there in the nude.  There was a French Bulldog in the vets waiting room when Boo started screaming and I thought it was going to have a heart attack.  Not pretty.  It ran under a chair and all I could see was it's butt and it was shaking.  Picture that.

Anyway, my dear Boo has an abscess and it's infected.  They gave him a shot of antibiotics and when he looked at me I knew, I was in trouble.  Nothing like the wrath of an angry cat.  The doctor put me through the routine about how Boo is getting older and his kidney's are weakening and yadda, yadda, yadda.  He's not ready and neither am I.

SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE TODAY

Every day I like to learn something new especially about polymer clay or jewelry making or techniques.  About a year ago I bought a knotting tool:

and I bought some silk thread that has the needle already attached:

so I got them out today and taught myself how to hand knot a necklace.  Took it apart after the first 8 beads because I had nasty knot so I started over.  Then I realized the bead holes were really too big for this thread but I finished it anyway.  Going to have to research the hole sizes for the thread.  I also used French wire for the first time.  That's kind of interesting:

It's very fine and has a hole through it.  You cut a small piece, put it on your thread and then your toggle and it protects the thread from wear and tear from the toggle and it really gives it a nice finished look.  I might try this with some of my beading stuff or my wire stuff.  Anyway, it was really fun, didn't take long and I think I'm hooked.

This is the necklace on a black background.

This is the necklace on a white background so you can see the beads a little better.  Now it just needs a polymer clay pendant.

Now I have to finish my pens for the clay guild swap, the 30 guest gifts for the wedding shower, the donations I promised for the Orlando Clay Guilds Fandango and the animals for Beads of Courage. 

I know, I know I should be working instead of blogging but this is like having a BFF sitting on my desk.  The cat is deaf and the husband has seletive hearing so here I am again.

Say Goodnight Gracie

HERE FISHIE, FISHIE

My friend Lynn Reno of Desert Rubble http://www.artfire.com/users/DesertRubble has been making the cutest polymer fishes.  I had to have one and was so happy when it came in the mail.  She does such neat STUFF and she's a very sharing person.  I hope you go check out her Artfire store.

I feed him every day and now he's a happy guy and has a good home.

MORE BLUE BEADS

I still have some cane left from the Hawaiian Snow Tire beads that I made so I made some beads and put them in the tumbler.  They had a little green and yellow coloring when they came out.  I usually do everything pretty symetrical and I decided to change my ways.

It reminds me of my sister.  Maybe I'll send it to her.

Finished two more golf stroke counters for our village store.

Taking Booboo to the vet this morning.  He's not doing very good.  Keep your fingers crossed.  He has a tumor on his side and I'm hoping this is what's causing him to not eat.

He's my best buddy.

HAWAIIAN SNOW TIRES????????????

Remember that big Pandora bead I made?  Well, I wasn't sure what to do with it but since I'm into chains now (nothing kinky :0) I wanted to incorporate more metal because the center of the bead has the two metal eyelets.  I played with different textures of chains and ended up with what I call "A Hawaiian Snow Tire". 

I put these in my Artfire shop.  I love making these beads but I can't wear all the things I want to.