Monday, January 31, 2011

Another Week Done...


...only 20 more to go. This is one pair of earrings from last week. A bunch of berries for your lobes.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Week 30 !

Wow...that's 207 pairs of earrings! Am I insane for doing this? Or just extremely addicted to the beads?

Here is a pic of today's pair. I got some new beads in the mail yesterday and I LOVE these. Handmade lampworked beads in ten different colors and two different designs. I'll have to be very creative so I can get all of the colors into the earrings.

January 23

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Oops & Roller Girl

I have completely forgotten to get my earrings up for last week. It's been a busy week this week. The puppy went in to the vet for dew claw removal and to snip his "buds". I've been playing nurse and babysitter. Also, my sweet little mother in law was not feeling very well, so HB got her to the doctor. It turns out she has shingles. She will be fine with medication. At 91, we do worry.

Life is going to be busy this year. Wy'east Artisans Guild has tapped me to be Treasurer for this year and Portland Art Collective has asked me to step into the Finance Committee chair for our annual Open Doors Show. And I thought I'd just sail through this year and work on bead competition pieces. Yeah, right, maybe next year.

I did get a chance to make one of my Roller Girl dolls for a doll show at our local library. Each doll starts out with a paint roller body, tennis ball head, sisal rope neck and light switch cover for feet. This is a fun doll to make because everything to create her is from the hardware store. I shop our local Ace Hardware and have a great time confusing the sales people. "A doll from hardware?" teeheehee

Her head is covered by cheese cloth and I also use it to make her shawl. Untwisted mason line is her hair. Wire is wrapped around her body to make her arms. Rags from t-shirt material was wrapped around her bodice and arms to fill her out and an emergency blanket was cut up to make her pleated skirt. She stands on a large electrical box cover which is on a smaller electrical box. RG's crown is a PVC drain filter wrapped with Duck Brand duct tape, on top is an acrylic night light part and small tile spacers, which are also on her shawl. Everything is held together by hot glue. Lots and lots of hot glue.

Roller Girl - Before


Roller Girl - After

I had the greatest time playing with all my hardware to create this doll. I will be making more of these Roller Girls later this year. Next time, instead of leaving parts in their original form, I will use paints and other colorants I find at the hardware store to add some color for more personality.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

New Online Auction Shop Open

I've finally gotten my shop open with just a few auctions ready, (still filling up the pages). I'm selling all those earrings that I've been making. Each auction will be a week in the challenge. That's seven pair of earrings per auction. I decided to start off with a minimum price of $3.50 and hope that the prices go up.

Actually, I'm hoping the prices will go way up because I'm taking all the proceeds of the sales and dividing them between two charities. A Place to Bark and Cat Adoption Team are no-kill shelters for cats and dogs who need loving homes. I've grown up with cats and dogs all my life and having just lost our sweet Bear in September, I wanted to help these great places.

To see what I have up for auction, click here - Z'annes Bazaar take a look around and have some fun spending some money. Valentine's Day IS coming up soon. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Please pass this along to all the animal lovers you know, after the holidays is always a hard time.

NOTE: I am not in any way affiliated with either organization.