Flakes Aren't Bad People

As you can probably tell by my lack of blog update regarding the Bead Peep Swap n Hop, I didn't actually make it to participate.  I went into it with the best of intentions.  I was in a good place, things were going smoothly.  And then BAM!  Life hit us upside the head.  Again.

When we last left off in our story, my husband, my son, and I had sold our house in Ohio and moved to the coast of North Carolina.

Our New Back Yard

We signed a year lease on a beautiful home in a coastal community.  Our son started Kindergarten at the local elementary school.  

I decided to take the next step in my bead business and join a blog swap and hop!  This would motivate me to make some beads for the challenge, update my neglected blog for a change, and make some new friends.  Win!

Signups went great.  I was paired with the talented Maria Rosa Sharrow.  She sent me so many beautiful things!  I can't even begin to express how stunning these components were or how generous Rosa was.  If you are ever thinking about doing this, she is the partner you want to cross your fingers and hope for.

This was in mid-January.  The holidays were over, the kids were back in school, my husband was going to work every day.  I finally had some peace and quiet and could sit down and create.

Sun Room / Bead Studio

HA!  Not so fast.

We all know that bullying is becoming a common, everyday occurrence.  There are groups and meetings and causes and awareness ribbons that all seek to educate and prevent children from bullying each other.  But what do you do when your child is being bullied by his teacher?  Every day ended (or began) with one of us in tears because we never knew what she was going to do next.  I won't go into detail because honestly, that's a whole blog post, or maybe a novel, by itself.

This lead to my husband and I sitting down and having a long heart to heart conversation about our son's academic future and our financial stability.  Or lack of it.  It was finally decided that we would take him out of Kindergarten and I would home school him.

My bead business would, once again, take a back seat to family obligation.  I was okay with this decision because my children and family will always come before anything else.  I wasn't quitting by any means, just shifting priority.  If I had any free time, it would be devoted to my business.

This brings us to March.  The deadline for sending our care package to our partner was approaching fast.  I will admit I was not completely prepared for this,.  I read my partner's questionnaire about her tastes and dislikes.  It turns out she isn't particularly fond of the color red.  I decided to push her outside her comfort zone just a smidge by sending her red things.  Not bright red!  But still red-ish.

Ceramic focal, rounds, and lampwork headpins all made by me, bumpie lampwork bead by Lorna Johnston, lampwork bead set by Jill Cage, brass earring pair from Melinda Orr, vintage brass seed beads, antique skeleton key, and brass clasps

At this point I would dearly love to show you what Rosa sent me.  Unfortunately, I packed it as soon as I received it.  Because right in the middle of the time of upheaval with my son, his school, some other family related things, the Blog Hop obligations, and my husband starting his new job, we bought a house.

Here's the timeline so far:

September 2016 - Moved to North Carolina - Rented a House
September 2016 - Son starts Kindergarten
January 15, 2017 - Signed up for Blog Hop
February 16, 2017 - Informed school of intent to remove our son
February 20, 2017 - Saw pic of cute house for sale online.  Loved the location, hated the house.M
February 21, 2017 - Drove around the neighborhood.  Saw cuter house for sale.
February 23, 2017 - Met realtor at the cuter house.  Made offer.
March 24, 2017 - Got keys to new home
March 27, 2017 - Moved into new home
April 8, 2017 - Blog Hop reveals

I completely missed the reveal.

My beautiful components from Maria Rosa are in here somewhere.

This is what my room looks like today.  I literally got up from the computer, walked to the door, and snapped this picture.  My blog hop components are still in here.  Somewhere.  I hope.  I never actually found them when I was putting things away.  Granted, there is still a large stack of boxes over on the left hand side of the room that you can't see.  I'm praying they are in there somewhere.

I had every intention of doing a late reveal.  April melted into May.  May turned into June.  There comes a point in every procrastinator's life when they throw their hands up and declare, "well it's too late now!"  I'm there.  It's too late now.  I am a flake.  I'm not a bad person.  I have such good intentions.  But a flake, nonetheless.

P.S.  I will update the instant I find my components from Maria Rosa!  They are too beautiful to remain hidden from the world.

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

It's been awhile since I've visited my blog.  I have about 10 drafts saved that I haven't published yet. Oops.  This past year has been an adventure, to say the least.  The short version is we sold our home and moved to a different state.  The long version will perhaps come later in a blog post entitled "Home Selling Nightmares:  Everything That Could Possibly Go Wrong Did - And Then Some."

Lest you think I'm all doom and gloom, there was a very bright .925 sterling silver lining hiding in my rain cloud.  I got to quit my job and start focusing on building my empire!  That might seem like a tall order, but I believe.  I believe I can.  I believe I will.

I've taken a couple of baby steps.  Then I took the ginourmous leap.  I signed up for the 2017 edition of the Bead Peeps Swap n Hop.  Bead Peeps is a rocking little Facebook group.  You have to check it out if you haven't already!  Anywho, you get assigned a partner to exchange beads and findings with.  After everyone has made something from their goodie bags, there's a big blog reveal and everyone hops around checking out all the eye candy and talent.

One of our "assignments" is to introduce ourselves to the organizer and our future partner.  Here I go!

My name is Dana.  I am an early 40s mother of 3, grandmother of 3+, wife of one.  Now I am a SAHM.  Prior to my career shift, I was an administrative assistant.  My husband, my son, and I live on the coast of North Carolina.  My two daughters are grown and gone and have blessed me with grandchildren I get to see when we visit West Virginia and Georgia.

I have been designing jewelry for over 12 years.  After getting frustrated trying to find beads that fit my "vision" I became a lampworker in 2006.  I took a bit of a break from 2010 - 2012 in order to move and welcome my son into the world and cater to his every whim.  I finally got my studio set back up in early 2013 and resumed lampworking.  My jewelry making skills evolved from simple strung designs into more complex creations and I started making my own components and findings.  When we decided to move again in 2014, I realized I wouldn't be able to take up lampworking immediately, so I decided to take a left turn into another medium.  I experimented with polymer clay a bit and then fell in love with ceramic clay!  I have been making ceramic beads for a few years now and really enjoy the sculptural capabilities.

Now onto the good stuff!  Jewelry!  What do I like to make?

• Bohemian
• Gothic
• Victorian
• Steampunk
• Earthy
• Eclectic
• Colorful

Lampwork and Copper

What don't I like?

• Contemporary/Modern
• Minimalist
• Cold

My favorite materials to work with:

• My own handmade beads and components.  (Ego?  Maybe!)
• Wire - mainly copper, but I like sterling silver and stainless steel as well.
• Chain
• Artisan beads - ceramic, lampwork, polymer, wood, bone, beaded beads, altered art.
• Vintage beads and buttons
• Textiles and fibers
• I'm not a "seed beader" but I have incorporated seed beads into some of my designs.

Materials I don't enjoy working with:

• Beads that are plastic or acrylic.
• Tiger Tail
• Rhinestones
• Bubble Gum beads
• Wool - it itches!
• Beads that have rhinestones embedded in them.

I hope this info helps my partner and doesn't scare her away!  I'm really not as hard to please as it looks on paper (screen?).   Good luck to all my fellow Swappers and Hoppers!