Getting ready to head to the studio to continue this new "bend" I'm on. Here's the history of where this is all coming from.

In 2000 (?) I began making these faces with tall hairdos (originally cakes, but they became hair), I then started computer drawings of more girls with "big hair" - example circa 2001 (below left)



Since then, in between mermaids, I keep coming back to this same motif. These beads with taller and taller hair (above right).



So, I was playing with beads earlier this week and did the progression of beads below (a few days ago). After that, I kept thinking of ways to incorporate them into my already existing work. Well, while having my oil changed yesterday, I sketched this big hairdo with embellishment and it became a vessel. I came home and made this bead and here it is...



I am so grooving on this bead. (it cracked a tiny bit because I was distracted while making the bead - long story)

Now, this said, take a look at the art below...am I so on this same page or what? How much more can one have going on in their head or hair (however you see it)???? My therapist (yes I said it here, publicly) said that I might be drawing/making/drawn to these things because they CONTAIN all the stuff that's in their heads/hair. She wonders if it's because I'm always saying that I have so many ideas flying around in my head and I want to keep them contained. Hmmmmm. Interesting....(that's my best therapist-speak) I think I just like big hair. :)

It's just a funny observation, but in looking at all these things (drawing, bead, new bead, the paintings I like below) they all have the following in common - LOTS going on above the face level AND all have serene faces. It's just such an interesting thing. I'm going to have to actually explore the concept now that it's been drawn to my attention.

coffee today - no (and probably shouldn't. I'm zooming already)
Music - not yet, but handy ipod is going to studio with me in a minute. My "music to make mermaids" might have to be changed to "music for big haired girls" and include some B-52s. :)

on a non-related to anything note...I think that I might have some google sponsored ads on this page. Mostly because I think it will be funny to see what key words they pull out of my postings to find things to sell. Will there always be a coffee link? Will Ipods be linked? Hmmmmmmm. I think it would be funny to see. It reminded me of when people found my site because they googled "the ozbornes" with it spelled incorrectly like I did! I also had a lot of hits from people looking for "poison ivy, itches". I always look to see how people get to my site other than the predictable "sylviebead" way. :)

Thursday beadmaking update.....

(I kind of imagine that tickertape/news music here)

I did have some studio time today after the teacher conference. I decided to go with the klimt thing I've been on lately, but with a twist. As I was sitting and having my oil changed today, I was drawing bead pictures. I kept being drawn back to a vessel shape. I first was thinking of a vessel with an angel or something like that on it (similar to the red headed girl from the earlier bead) but then I thought about that big hair thing again. What is it about me and big hair?!!

So she's a vessel with big hair! I can't wait to get her out of the kiln...always is interesting to see if I like things when they've come out of the kiln as much as I liked them when they went in. :)

I recently went to an art show where I bought a really cool print and t-shirt from an artist that paints BIG HAIR! I didn't really notice that it was big hair until later. What is it with me?!!! I'm going to try to find his website and post a link. I loved his work.

Here's a link to his site. At first you don't think of it as hair...I didn't, but the more I thought about it, I realized it's just that same subject matter that I do, only with more chaos and bigger "hair" (and a little less girly girl). :)

Bruce Holwerda

Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion (my favorite!)		The Elusive Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Not a beadmaking day...so far.

Personal Trainer
Oil Change
Lunch (that's right now) and computer catchup
Teacher Conference
Shipping (ick)

Music - not so far.
Coffee - no - Chik Fil A

Funny thing du jour....saw this quiz on another beadmaker's site and had to go take it.

Guess this explains my excellent ipod playlist (mix tapes in the making???)

You are LaFawnduh. Why are you so sweaty?


Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I thought I posted the update to "bad bead day" yesterday, but it looks like I didn't.

Here are some pictures of what I made on my "days off". Definitely off kilter! :)

(I'm watching Dr. Phil. I love it when he says "and how's that workin' for you?")

BIG NEWS!!!!
Ikea is opening sooner than I thought!!!!

didn't make beads today...worked at my dad's office
didn't listen to music (did listen to a book on the ipod while I worked)
Starbucks - Venti 2 pump mocha. mmmmmmm!

for the first time in a long long time I had a day of non-production beadmaking in my studio.

I had a wonderful time and it wasn't long enough. I had the ipod loaded with "chick songs" (hard to describe, but could probably be the soundtrack for a chick flick basically). Sang loud, had fun.

Getting ready to go to a small group thing from church. Babysitter is here, but I just had to take a second and say whoopee for me on my beadmaking day. I'll hopefully post pics tomorrow or later this week. if not here, then on WC.

also...there are fire trucks driving around in my neighborhood with no sirens on. It disturbs me. I am quite different about that since having a house fire. I would never have really blinked before when seeing a fire truck. Now I'm always worried that it has something to do with me. Hopefully, that will pass at some point. I really feel for my kids though. I know they have to feel a similar way, only more scared. Griffin hates the days that firemen come to school. Harrison hates when they ask him in class what kids should do in case of a fire (like he's a pro or something). His answer is "don't be home". Gotta love him!

Anyways. The fire thing put a damper on my good bead day. Hooray again for me!!!

ipods rock by the way. Maybe they're the good vibes I had been needing in the studio. It had been a long time since I had music instead of tv. Maybe I need that music thing instead.

Starbucks a.m. order - Venti Iced Hazlenut Light Ice Latte. Boys had decaf frappucinos. I spoil them. :)

Saturday of Rain.

No little league....yes Krispy Kreme (just made sense on a rainy Saturday morning)

Trying to do Clean Sweep in playroom went over like a lead balloon. Met with tears and frustration, I finally gave up and told them just to find trash and I'd ask their Dad to clean it w/them next week as a Mothers Day present for me. Doubt that it will happen, but you never know.

I'm trying to psych myself up enough to do my own room. Which is pretty scary to say the truth! I could easily be a "Clean Sweep Candidate"

So, off to do what I need to do...laundry and floor finding. :)

no coffee, but it would have been a good idea!
Music - ipod mix called "music to clean a playroom by" (I thought it was a good idea, but didn't seem to help)

It's friday!!!

Today was silent auction day for the school and my class project sold for the most (happy dance!) and in addition...it's going to be the cover of the school directory.

rob says I shouldn't be so happy about this because it just means more people will ask me to do things next year! :)

I'm proud though. I wish I had enough $ to bid as high as the bids went. I am going to go to Cafe Press, though and get myself a poster of it! I took pictures of the painting and I'm going to turn it into a poster for the other parents to buy via cafe press. tres cool n'est pas?

This weekend is "clean sweep" weekend here. We'll see how that goes. I'm not really sure I have the energy to do it, but it needs to be done! After baseball we're doing the keep toss piles!

music today - no books on ipod today. listening to the davinci code.
snapple du jour - diet peach tea...yummy!

Ok...I'm on a roll! More than 2 posts in a row!!!

So, I have nothing really beady to talk about. I'm working on the patterns and am close to presenting them for public consumption. I've done a pretty good job about keeping them secret, but have slipped info a few times, so I might not have the surprise element I hoped for. (ok, remember, i know what I'm talking about here...my journal, my thoughts, doesn't make sense to others, it's ok)

So, today I worked for Dad and didn't do beady things. Tomorrow is 1/2 and 1/2...so probably not much beadmaking, but I'm going to try!!!! I need to!

Here's one of those thoughts for the day. If you are at a restaurant that has a "roving magician" who visits tables as people eat etc. Can you ask for a "no magic" section??? I wish! We went out to dinner and had an obnoxious majician come to our table 3 times during the night. We found out mid-meal that it was "free kids" night. Was that worth the magic? I don't think so.

It's no magic seating for me from now on!

Music today (even w/ out torch, have ipod will travel) - Everything But the Girl
Coffee - Venti 2 Pump Mocha.

I'm back! :)

Ok, here we go again...

I'm in the studio being productive, but not having fun.

I'm on the computer, being productive, but not having fun.

I'm not a happy camper lately and need some sort of fun-injection. I feel work-driven not life-driven and that's a bummer.

Here's what I'm up to...
Writing Patterns
Making beads to go with patterns
Doing internet stuff - updating and restructuring website as well as trying to stay present on WC which I think is important, but is hard to keep up with.
Doing family stuff, miscellaneous dental/medical appointments in addition to working once a week for my father.

My weeks are not really what I want them to be schedule wise. I'm scared about summer because it's just me and the boys unless I find a way to fund summer camps (which are expensive!!!!!).

Ok...music and such. It's been definitely bi-polar music selections in the studio. I've loaded my i-pod and put it on a speaker system in the studio.

First - Southern Rock selections, then Sade!!!! (told you bi-polar music choices)

Today - Maroon 5, Marvin Gaye (because the M's were next to each other in the menu) then Dixie Chicks because I just arrowed up and let it stop wherever and hit play. LOL

no coffee - snapple

right now, getting ready to go to the kids school to read for 30 minutes, which honestly I know is important, but really hate to do AND it cuts up my studio day which I hate. I like having a block of time to work rather than little spurts of work time. Once the boys are home, I don't work on the torch, so it makes my "career" limited to a few hours a day IF THAT. :( Who else can do a career on those kind of hours? I'm not sure that it's "working for me" as Dr. Phil says.

When I get back, I need to change out OXY tanks. I'm ready to buy a concentrator or generator SOON!

I have things to talk about today and feel totally drawn here to do so, but at the same time...this is one of those personal-get your feelings hurt kind of thing and I don't know that I wish to hash it publicly now that I'm here.

So, I'll just write it invisibly and then get over it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

I hope that helps. I'm really wallowing a bit on this one. It's something that I think I need to discuss, but just not here. I'll call an impartial friend and then move on...hopefully.

I am avoiding work for some reason. I've been working on my written instructions and apparently need to finish them very quickly so that I'm credited for them. It's one of those strike while the iron is hot thing. So...I'm trying to work on that, but probably need to be making beads.

Art/Craft as a living is a difficult thing, but we've been over that before. No news there.

I haven't made beads in my studio in a long time. I need to devote tomorrow to doing that...even if they're not beads to sell, I need to make beads just to get myself moving again.

today there has been no music, but I have a new music player! I got a thing to plug my ipod into so that I can listen to it in the studio. Hopefully that will get my creative juices flowing again.

off to work on my book-ish thing.

no coffee today, no music. Snapple and HGTV

It's been so long since I've been here....

I missed talking to myself so I came to chat today. :)

It seems that sometimes I have time to "play" on the computer and sometimes I don't. It's when I probably shouldn't be playing on the computer that I end up doing so. It is a fine line between playing and working, though. This blog began as a work-related thing where I talked about what I did in my studio each day.

I think I need to focus and return to that. It keeps me honest about working...or not.

I taught 2 classes this past weekend and they totally drained me. I had a wonderful time and hope the students did too, but it takes a toll...teaching glass. It's such a different thing than teaching beadwork. When I'm teaching beadwork, I'm teaching a project...something in particular and everyone is on the same page...working along on that project. It's a very laid back atmosphere.

When I teach glass, students are there to learn pretty much everything I know (and that's because I'm willing to share that much) in the 2 days of the class. After spilling all of my heart/soul/knowledge of glass for the days of the class...it takes just about everything out of me. BUT...I want to be exhausted like this more often. I totally loved teaching these classes and was reminded how much I miss teaching as often. So I'm sending those messages out to the internet...I want to teach more!!!

So happy am I, but I need to take a break before going back to work. In the past, I didn't know that and tried to keep going at full speed...even after teaching a class. Now, I give myself permission to vegetate for a day. So for my resting day (today) I surfed and did computer work on my upcoming project, so I'm not sure that it was all relaxation, but it was definitely low stress, low mobility day.

I hopefully will have work related things to say in the future and maybe I will do my positive thinking things now to do some sort of self-fulfilling profecy that I will work when I should and be successful...

or not. I'm not sure I wish to do all my self-help things on the web for the world to see....sufice it to say that I am positively thinking. :)

And now for the old favorities...
No music, a couple of old movies.
No coffee, just snapple....do you think they'd hire me as the new snapple lady? Might be another career choice....drinking snapple and smiling a lot...answering people's letters, etc. Seems like a sweet job!

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays...



Well, I've been house-bound for 3 days now and am going crazy!!! AND I can't make beads!!!!! arghhhhh



Harrison has pneumonia and strep throat, so he is down for the count for the rest of the week and being Mom is my only job this week. At least he'll be better by Christmas! (I hope!!!)



Rob got a job and I'm a much happier camper.



Other than that...nothing to talk about except to say "Let me outta here!" :)

I haven't been very diligent about posting here. I also never spell check, so if I'm spelling things incorrectly in my own blog...so bee it.



I've been swamped with getting e-bay things up and going. Also with some changes to the Clothesline project, adding them to my website in a new way, adding them potentially to e-bay. Not sure why, but thought I'd get more exposure that way.



Am tired tired tired. Watching olympics late into the evenings, but really enjoying them.



have starbucks in hand today...need that jolt!

Didn't get a ton of beads made today, but kept organizing the studio. I'm actually almost at a point where I can find my beads! They are there by color, style and in clear boxes so that I see everything!!! Hooray!!!



Auctions still bite.



Me - I'm creating fun things and trying not to obsess over the above statement.



Pizza delivery on its way...beading in the meantime



should have had a starbucks today. feeling a bit draggy.

OK...

If I were not feeling so darn creative tonight I might be having a nervous breakdown due to the fact that most of my auctions right now have absolutely NO bids. I am deleting any whiny-ness just because I'm not whining...just puzzled and a bit miffed.

I have good stuff up there!!! I have low starting bids!!! Even the ones I raised to $19.99 are good prices...they're $70ish bundles!!! So, why they are receiving no bids is one big mystery to me. I really feel they are some of the best things I've had up in a while (not that I don't like my other stuff, but I was really happy with these) I was really happy (am really happy) with the photography too! Whazzup? I just don't know.

That said, I'm feeling really creative right now, so I'm pretty stable emotionally about this. Still, it would feel much better knowing I actually had some income next week! LOL

I have been beading new things today, so am happy about that. I'm ready to create..not just produce.

Off to create more.

School day 1 - complete.



Sylvie made lots of beads



Kids happy with classes



Harrison changed his name to Ethan. Apparently the teacher called roll using his first name and he said "ok" and at that moment chose not to rock the boat, but to go by his first name since the teacher used it. That's my little "pleaser". I told him to let me know which name he wants me to call him. If he wants to be Ethan...so be it.



I did get a lot of beads made. It was a crazy quirky day of color.



Received a shipment of something I had ordered through e-bay. It was something I was saying I was interested in selling on e-bay...I'm just wanting to avoid directly mentioning who and what I purchased.



I just have to say, that though the product received was just what I purchased and quite fine. The packaging was the absolute most atrocious (sp?) thing I have ever seen. It was a small jar (of what I ordered) wrapped in paper and postal tape sloppily then in some paper then into a USED business reply envelope which was then re-taped and stickered with return address and my address. I might have to photograph this just to show how absolutely unbelievably bad presentation it was.



I KNOW that I am so much better than this in my packaging and presentation. These people selling this product are just so so not artists, though I don't really know who would be interested in this product were they not artistic. Their photography stinks, the ad copy is ok, but this was just such a crazy way to ship (and the shipping charge was around $3.00 for FC) I would understand that if it was well packed, but for that???? Oh well. It was exactly why I ordered. I wanted to see what the potential competition was doing.



ok...



off needing some dinner. Griffin is asleep due to the no nap factor of 1st grade. Ugh. Won't be easy to wake him and he won't want to go to sleep tonight if I don't.



starbucks today! _ Iced almond latte (I'm on a kick of that I guess, but today was the last for a while due to the shakes I get from Starbucks) :(

twas the night before school starts... and no kids could sleep. It's going to be a challenge to wake up tomorrow! BUT I am planning to spend some quality time (after Starbucks of course) at my torch. I don't have anything specific in mind, but I think I need to make beads. Not small beads, though that might happen, but I feel like i need to MAKE something. Not sure what, but SOMETHING.



will keep you (me) posted. :)

It's Sylviebead news day. I sent out an e-mail to my customer list telling them super secret stuff and letting them know there is new stuff in my storefront. I am finally happy with my photography. And...hopefully, now that I know what I'm doing (sort of), I can photograph some of my larger focal beads this week and post them to the store as well.

Head Over Heels is winding down and I'm feeling a bit bummed about it. I know that I wanted to make room for myself to do something new, but I'm wondering if that's a big mistake!!! Am I a one hit wonder that is retiring my HIT????? It's one of those things where I was so happy with the Clothesline, but it doesn't seem to have the appeal to other people as head over heels does. I also love the angel piece, but what if it receives the same reaction?!!!!

I'm over thinking things probably, but I just had my 2nd class cancellation due to low registration. I know it's summer, and I think that had a lot to do with it, but I'm still having a lot of self doubt.

The boys start school on Monday, so I'll have a bit more time to spend on designing. Maybe there's another "hit" in there somewhere????? If Rob would get a job it would make it much easier for me. Being the beady breadwinner is not an easy thing and does make for more of a production lifestyle than a creative one. Head Over Heels has paid the bills this summer. When that stock is gone...then what?!!!

I'm sitting here with the smell of sharpened pencils in my nose. Griffin was supposed to sharpen 48 pencils for school....he did 15 I think! We'll see if he gets a few more sharpened later, but I don't think 48 is going to happen!

Bookbags are ready to be packed with fresh supplies. I think I'm having more fun with that than they are. I always loved having new school supplies. The first day when all the crayons are organized and pristine! Makes me want to buy a box for myself...just to sit around and not use! LOL

am off to pretend to work on something important while I continue to work through this blue funk.

i think i need starbucks

This is one of those "what the heck is she talking about entries" that I just need to write and then laugh and be done.

I am a dairy queen dip cone.

Smooth and somewhat stable on the outside, but still very fragile and one good thunk and I'm just a mess.

I felt thunked yesterday, but I think I'm better today.

I'd rather be Brewsters I think...maybe Ben and Jerry's....better yet, something that doesn't melt at all!

coffee - Starbucks iced Almond Latte (it was one of those days that I needed it!)
and a Krsipy Kreme donut....it was REALLY one of those days! LOL

Watching: Court TV a new LIVE trial (finally) about a guy who might have killed his wife, but if he did, he was truly stupid (though he is in real life a rocket scientist). It's one of those trials where I'm not sure if he's guilty or not. Those are my favorites...I get to decide as the trial unfolds rather than having an opinion right away.

Reading: The Edge of Reason (again) - Want to remind myself how funny it was before the movie comes out. I laughed harder at this one than Bridget Jones.

Yesterday's posting was quite whiny. I hate when I do that...and I did it publicly, so everyone (if anyone reads) knows that I am a real person who has those days.



In light of my recent e-bay failures, I am considering a new line of work...



I have been watching e-bay and the MAC cosmetics section. Some people know that I am a total MAC junky. You might not guess that if you ever saw me because I don't even wear makeup half of the time. Only a fraction of the time do I do wild MAC-like makeup. Most makeup days are fairly subdued (though I'm still using MAC)



Ok...what is all this rambling about. No, I'm not going to become a makeup artist (though that might be fun). I have found that e-bay has auctions for mac products. Most of them being pretty ordinary, like someone has purchased a lot of discontinued color from an outlet store and they're re-selling on e-bay.



BUT there is this crazy market for these things called Mac Pro Pigments. They are the color that is added to eye makeup or lipgloss (even nail polish) WHATEVER to change their color. They are what they say a "pure pigment". Well....I'm dying to try these and they don't sell them at most MAC stores (only the PRO shops).



So what is all this about you say? Well......there are people selling 1/4 teaspoons of this stuff on e-bay for $2-5 per 1/4 teaspoon!!!! So, I says to myself, I says "hey, I could do that!" There aren't very many people doing this, and there seems to be a consistent market for the items since they are scarce in most towns. PLUS the people who are selling this are NOT artistic in their presentation of the items. Their photography STINKS and they're marketing COLOR!!



The whole thing reminds me of how e-bay bead sales got to be so hot. People didn't have access to them, so e-bay became the primary place for the general public who didn't live in a big bead show town to buy them. I'm truly considering making PRO purchases either via some sort of ordering (and I do have a source to do this ) from the PRO stores OR making trips to those PRO stores (oooh!! that sounds fun!!) and then re-packaging and selling these samples the way others have.



What I need to find out is if it is really something that could be profitable, or would I just be asking for more trouble than it's worth. I would be able to own all the colors myself (which is a fun fun fun thing for me and probably why I love MAC so much, the colors are endless and using these pigments you can mix NEW colors!!)so that might be a draw, but I'm just not sure yet.



I have to find out how many 1/4 teaspoons are in one package and if when adding in the new packaging for the samples it would be at all profitable. I have to guess so since there are people doing this, but I would want to make sure.



I will keep my journal posted on this idea. So, I could quit making beads and be a cosmetics mogul OR I could just hook my bead customers on this stuff and MAYBE cross market to the makeup girls out there too and get them to buy jewelry or beads! (this is sounding more and more interesting!)



ok...must do bookkeeping work for my Dad today and just think on this more (talking MAC is more fun)



had Dunkin Donuts latte today, which really is pretty good!