Can you say ADDICTED to making Pandora Beads!

I am absolutely addicted to making these beads. So go buy them all so I can continue with my obsessive behavior please! I love coming up with the color combinations and seeing how pretty they come out. I love how they look on the silver bracelet. I love to take pictures of them...they are soooo pretty! I sold some to a co-worker last week and she came in and was showing everyone at work her bracelet. She bought three copper green beads and they were absolutely stunning with her silver spacers. I was impressed (humble aren't I). So here they are... go to my shop and BUY, BUY, BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!! please :-)

Watercolor Lampwork Bead on a Skeleton Key Dangle

Here is something I made recently for Easter presents. I sent my mom one and she just loves it. She said she put it on her new purse. That is where mine is hanging, of course I had to have one too! The bead is made directly on the skeleton key and it turns. It is just kinda cool. I plan on making some this weekend to put in my Etsy store next week, so check back! Pam

Featured Etsy Artist of the Week - AJ's Country Cottage

Recently I was searching on Etsy for soap for a co-workers birthday present. I was intriqued when I found this shop AJ's Country Cottage . The soap was so beautifully created with an intricate swirl pattern and her descriptions sold me right away. Here is what she says....

"Life's too short NOT to surround yourself with the scents and pleasures you love. Pamper your skin and indulge your senses with this lovely artisan luxury soap designed to make your shower or bath time a true pleasure. Escape to your own private paradise!"

"Experience the silky smooth texture, intoxicating scent, and visual feast for yourself. Caress your skin with nothing but the best!"

OK.. sounds good to me.

So then I get the soap and it is as lovely as pictured and the scent is absolutely wonderful. Needless to say - I will be back. :-)

So all of this made me want to share my discovery with others. I DO hope that you will check out her shop and order her artisan luxury soap. I guarantee you will love it. Oh and I think my next purchase will have to be one of her soy candles. Go check them out.

Here is a little bit about AJ.

Let's here about your shop and how you got started:

I was initially motivated to learn to make my own soap because the idea of using the most pure and natural products on my skin (and my family's) really appealed to me. I like that I can control the ingredients! Soapmaking seemed like a fun challenge to learn, and I like challenges. :)

What inspires you to create:

Now I often find myself inspired by nature. The changing seasons, the colors of a sunset, and the scents of earth and flowers, for example, lead me to try and capture various concepts in my soaps. For example, my recent "Garden Mosaic" soap was my interpretation of a fresh garden. Earthy greens, yellows, and browns swirl together harmoniously, and the soap smells like sweet and fresh growing things.

Describe myself in one word: Content. :)

Favorite book and movie: Pride and Prejudice.

Favorite song: Linus and Lucy.

New beads for you Pandora bracelet on Etsy, also more bead sets

Hi... I am loving making the slider beads for euro bracelets. They are so much fun to do and really inexpensive compared to the brand name beads. Prettier too if you ask me. :-) So I have listed a few more sets of beads in my Etsy shop. Also I have my regular bead sets today too. Two new sets listed. Tomorrow I hope to do my first Featured Etsy Artist. I hope that you will come back to see who it is. Thanks and have a great day. Pam

Lots of New Slider Beads that fit the Pandora, Biagi and Troll bracelets for sale in my Etsy shop.

Lots of New Slider Beads that fit the Pandora, Biagi, Troll and other Euro bracelets for sale in my Etsy shop.

Lampwork Necklace and Earring Set

Hi, here is a lampwork earring and necklace set that I made for someone special. I can make one for you too! :) Just send me an e-mail. Thanks and have a great day! Pam

First Day of Spring?----Hmmmmm

Here is what the first day of spring looks like in Utah. It was t-shirt weather yesterday and is going to be a beautiful weekend. But this is today...Ugh! Where is spring? Just call me impatient. I should not be so anxious for spring and summer because that can only mean one thing...WEEDS!!!!!! Which means less time making beads.. sigh. Oh well... here today, hopefully GONE tomorrow :) .

What I have been up to lately...

HI!
A lot has been happening lately. I am now a member of Lampwork Etc Street Team (LEST). It is a very creative group of individuals that are getting together to market lampwork items. It has been a lot of fun to participate in the group. You can find us on Etsy by putting LEST in the search box. Also I will put a link here when the web site is up and running etc, and keep you up to date.

I have been selling a lot of slider beads for the Pandora, Troll and Biagi bracelets in my Etsy store lately. They are a lot of fun to make and today I got 15 new mandrels so I can make more of them. I am making sets, so if you have any suggestions for color combos or anything that you would like to see send me an e-mail. You can go to my Etsy store to see what I have available. Also there are some on my web site that would be special order.

I do custom orders as well. Just send me an email and we can discuss what you are looking for.

I have been putting beads on vintage skeleton keys lately. I have two for sale in my Etsy store and I am going to be making more of them this weekend. I had my mom go antique store shopping for me a couple of weeks ago and she found quite a few pretty keys that I will be using. She lives in the midwest and it seems there is more of a supply of keys there than I can find locally. Anyway, The glass is melted right onto the shaft of the key and it can either move freely by using bead release or be stuck in place if you don't use the release. I think I am more partial to the "move freely" ones. It is kind of like the glass in the bottle. How did you do that?

Anyway, I made mine into a dangle and have it hanging on my purse. You could use it as a pendant and hang it on a chain, use it as a zipper pull, a fan pull. Anything you can dream up. As soon as Easter is over (and mom gets her present) then I can put pics up here and start to sell the ones I am making. Don't want to spoil the surprise...hopefully she is not reading this. : )

Keep and eye out on my Etsy store for sales in the near future. I will write about it here as well.

Thanks and check back soon. Pam

Spring Slider Bead Sets for Pandora Bracelets

Here are a few new sets that I have put in my Etsy store for sale today. They work really well on a pandora bracelet, or if you don't have one you can wear them on a chain or cord. They are springy and fun so go look at them and all the other beads I have for sale. Thanks Pam

Nitro Orange Blast - Skeleton Key

WOW... is all I can say. I absolutely LOVE this color combination. I have been trying it out in various forms, big hole beads, pendants, slider beads, etc. So you will probably be seeing more of this one.
I also just bought the skeleton keys, this is something I have wanted to try. The glass is melted right on to the key. You could put this on a chain and wear it. So Cool! So keep an eye on my Etsy store for more of these.

Slider Beads for Pandora and Biagi Bracelets For Sale

I am working on listing my slider beads for the Pandora and Biagi bracelets on my website. I have the listing and am working on getting the pic together. Go check them out. Here is the picture of my pandora bracelet and all the bead colors. I also am going to sell decorative slider beads there as well. If you don't happen to have a Pandora or Biagi bracelet you can use these beads on a cord, leather, silk, or chain. The other picture shows them that way. Let me know what you think.

In Memory of my Dad

I was inspired recently to do a kind of memorial to my dad who passed away 4 years ago today. He was just 65 and had a lot of life left to live, but he did not wait until retirement to enjoy the life that he had. He loved to camp and ride his motorcycle and travel and see the world, and he loved to do this with mom. I just try and remember not to put off the things that I want to do until tomorrow, because that day may never come. I think I get this from dad. He was a pretty great guy.

I wanted to make a bead that would remind me of him, I didn't think I could make a motorcycle so this is what I came up with. Dad loved John Deere tractors. He used to take my nephew around the yard for rides on his riding lawn mower. He rebuilt a few of them and gave me one which I still use. So here is my attempt, altho it looks more like a combine than a riding mower, you get the drift.

I miss you Dad.