Happy busy Tuesday to you!

It's been a full 2 days of studio production work for me. A lot of the stuff I was making today was the same... over and over again the same colors, style, EVERYTHING. So, while I sat and grooved on dots and pixie dust, I dreamed of new stuff.

That's the cool thing about production work. The monotony allows me to not think about what I'm doing... I'm on auto-pilot at some point, and I can use that time to create. I can't follow up on those ideas until I'm out of this production phase, but I had some great ideas that I really look forward to exploring in a couple of weeks.

But first, I must finish all my Flora Flora beads! only a week to go!!!!!


have a great day everyone!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - nope. It was a Dr. Pepper morning

music - oh yeah! It was Groove Tunes day in the studio. Lots of Prince, add a little 80s funky stuff, a dose of the Black Eyed Peas... totally danceable!

Happy Happy Friday to you!!!!!

The weekend is here. Which doesn't always mean the work week is through, but it DOES mean that I'm taking a break for the evening to go out and have fun!!!!!

I've been hard at work in the studio this week making flowers and stamens for the Flora Flora project. I still have a lot of work to do getting kits ready for my California class, but it's coming together slowly but surely.

I'll be back in the studio melting glass tomorrow.... but for tonight, I'm signing off!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - much needed Cinnamon Dolce Latte (getting up at 6 is not my forte, but we've rocked the schedule for 5 days now!)

music - my mondo eclectic playlist

Happy Tuesday!

Writing pattern... diagram-palooza. This pattern is sooooo pretty (which sounds crazy...that the actual pattern would be pretty. The project is pretty, but the diagrams are pretty too!)

On a completely different note... my youngest son has commented that my facebook (and probably my blog too, but he doesn't read it) postings look like an elementary school girl wrote them. He's disturbed by the liberties I take with punctuation.

Oh well. I told him that I'm an adult and I KNOW how to write correctly. I just CHOOSE to be creative with my punctuation marks and sentence structure. I've earned that right! :D

back to work! Have a wonderful day everyone!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - yes!!!!!!!!!!
music - Otis Redding Pandora Station. It rocks! I love that they include Van Morrison in the mix along with Aretha and Al Green (luuuuuuv me some Al)

It's finally here!!!!!!!

The first day of school!!!!!

Back to "normal" work days for me!!

Long to-do list includes finishing my pattern, cleaning the studio, ordering beads for kits.....

ok. I'm already intimidated by my to-do list and that's only a tiny part of it! This will cause a short blog entry, so I can get back to work!!!!!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - yes!!!!! treated myself to Starbucks this morning
music - nope. Gilmore Girls on TV... almost as good as background music! Love them!

Happy Friday everyone!

I told you yesterday that I was taking a day off. I am, BUT I thought I'd run this ad in my absence.

I've been using the site Swagbucks.com since February as my search engine. When you do, it randomly awards you with "bucks" that you can trade in for gift cards/merchandise. Since February, I have earned over $120 in Amazon gift cards as well as about $60 in merchandise from other retailers.

There are no strings... it's a google search engine that just puts some extra ads in the search results. Have questions? Feel free to message me. I'm hooked.

Here's a link!



SO... go search and win! (and help me win... when you sign up and search, I get extra bucks too!)

Just a quickie post...

I just saw that I have over 500 people who "like" me on Facebook. I feel like Sally Field, but that's pretty darn cool...that people take the time to click "like" about my work. I don't recognize most of the names, which is even cooler...knowing that there are people out there who like my work that I don't even know.

Kind of mind-blowing actually. (and just about the coolest thing of being an artist...knowing that something I create resonates with people I don't even know. How many other jobs get to say that???!!!! Very cool, indeed.

There are days, however that the "like" number goes down and I wonder... what made someone UNlike me??? I don't take it personally, but it's a bit odd.

ANYHOO...

Monday is back to normal day. I laughingly call it Margarita Monday, the day mothers everywhere celebrate....THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!! In reality, my day will not be spent as a "lady who lunches," but rather a hard-working single mom who is busting her butt to have things ready for all the fall classes and shows....while at the same time juggling regular life with teenage boys. I feel like I'm "one monkey short of a circus" a lot of the time, so I'm not sure how effective my juggling act really is. BUT, I'm having fun and really enjoying the show! :D

(and I realize that the last 2 sentences...and this one too have horrible punctuation and grammar, but I am beyond caring about those things... sorry mom and uptight grammar-police who happen to read this blog. I'm a creative person and I can write well when I want to, but I like extra punctuation marks and I like starting and stopping sentences whenever I please. My apology above is simply to acknowledge that you probably are bothered by my grammatical liberties.)

Have a wonderful rest of your week everyone! I'll be enjoying our last day of summer vacation tomorrow and won't be checking in.



tiny blah blah blah...

FREE Starbucks today! HOORAY for coupons!!!
music - not so much... well, there IS music, but it was chosen by Thing 1 and Thing 2 and today their taste and mine don't go together as well as they do other times!

I've been singing the Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" all day. Probably because a friend on FB posted some of the Monday lyrics yesterday. Now it's stuck in my head and I can't get it out.

SO... I'm channeling the Tuesday lyric apparently...

"I don't care if monday's black
tuesday wednesday heart attack
thursday never looking back
it's friday I'm in love"

I'm a little at heart-attack stage here. I have SO much to do and not enough time to get it all done. SO we'll skip over the Friday lyric... no time for that this week! Maybe next. :)

So, what am I so busy with??? Writing my pattern, updating my website (which has had a big overhaul in the store if you haven't visited lately) and making beads and kits. Not to mention all the regular every-day life stuff of week-before school starts. School supply runs, last-minute haircuts (Thing 1 finally relented!), registrations and open houses... that kind of stuff. Just run-around busy-ness.

SO, I'll try to keep from having the Tuesday Wednesday heart attack, as I don't have time for a trip to the Dr.! :D

back to work!!!!!!!

tiny blah blah blah...

no coffee - don't need it today, but it sure would be yummy!
no music - it's awfully quiet!

Happy Monday everyone!!!

It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood (said in my best Mr. Rogers voice)... hope it's the same in yours. After a few days of grey, we're back to sunshine. If it's going to be hot and muggy, I'd rather it be hot and muggy with sunshine than grey!

I'm busy in the studio and out of the studio getting ready for all the many things I have coming up.

If you are a fan on Facebook, you've seen the announcement about my classes in California next month. If you would like more info, you can click below (see the big blue F) to go to my facebook page where there is an item under "events" about the class OR you can click here and go straight to the Creative Castle website. That's where I will be.... Newbury Park, CA, just to the North of L.A.

I'm looking forward to my trip out west. It's been a LONG time since I was there and I loooove the girls who work or take classes at her shop (right now I'm waving to Carole, Jane, Lisa and Corrine) so I know it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm HOPING that the great BBQ restaurant that Carole took me to last time is still there! I still crave a salad they had on their menu!

ANYHOO....
I'm using social media like Facebook and Twitter a lot more lately to keep my customers notified of things. In the past, I'd send out newsletters more frequently, but lately, if I have something quick to let people know about (a sale, or new merchandise), I will just put up a quick message. So far, it's working great. Now there are 4 ways to keep up with me... one of them you already know, my blog. Here are links to the others...

Time to get back to non-bloggy work. I'm updating my website today. I've been listing beads/kits all weekend. Hopefully you'll take a moment and see what's new!

www.sylviebeads.com

tiny blah blah blah....

Coffee - nope and my new-ish coffee maker isn't working today!
Music - again, nope. Watching (listening) to shows on the computer while I work. After you've seen all the Gilmore Girls episodes 4 times, listening works just fine. I love that show! As soon as my kids are grown, I'm finding a Stars Hollow to move to!

Writing patterns, writing patterns, writing patterns.

Not much exciting stuff to write about. The above seems to be the focus of everything studio this week. Here's a peek at my pattern. This diagram is soooo very pretty.... had to share! (and who would think a diagram could ever be PRETTY??!!)

See what I mean???? :)




tiny blah blah blah
no coffee no music.... but I probably need some of both!

Summertime..... and the livin' is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!

(that's supposed to be accompanied by music, but you'll just have to put in an imaginary soundtrack)

Just wanted to let my readers know I'm still alive....just not as bloggy as usual. Our one computer household has left me without computer a lot of the time, so I'm picking and choosing how to best use my "ration" of computer time and most often other business things are higher in priority order than blogging.

In a few weeks, we'll be back to normal schedule and I'll have a bit more time to keep in touch. In the meantime, imagine me beading, making beads, writing patterns and signing up for shows (while at the same time managing 2 teenage boys schedules).

Countdown to margarita Monday begins this week! (check back through prior years blog entries during other back-to-school times if you need a definition for that one!!)


Happy Friday everyone!!!


tiny blah blah blah...

FINALLY got some Starbucks today! YAY!!!

music - Cake

2 days in a row???? Could it be?????

This is accountability blogging. If I say I'm going to the studio to make stuff, then maybe it will get done! I have a long list of "to do" that needs to be written on the blackboard of bossiness. The reaction to some of the new things I took to Bead and Button and then to Best Bead Show in Baltimore told me what I need to make more of (and less of) before the Gathering in NY late this month.

SO... off I go to the studio to make tiny faces.


Have a wonderful day everyone!!

coffee - SOON!

music - we'll see what's on the playlist for today when I get there!

So very far behind in blogging.

Very busy creating.

Here's what's been brewing in my studio the past few months...

Flora Flora Bloom Boom!

This project will be launched at Creative Castle in Newbury Park, CA in September, so if you're in that area... come see me!!!


ok... back to work!

no coffee, but I really need some

no music - it's summer and I seem to be competing with kid's choices.

Home again, Home again, Jiggity jig!

I'm back from Bead and Button!!!!! I was actually back a day ago, but I let myself "turn-off" for a full day to re-energize. It was a LONG trip, but it was great!

Quick notes, then I've got to get back to work....

1. As usual, whatever you have is NOT what people clamor for. lol I had PLENTY of Head Over Heels kits.... the ones people always complain that I don't have anymore, but what did they want???? Splish Splash and Clothesline!!!!!!

2. People love a sale. I am clearing out colors of my Halo kits because I'm re-designing the project. I've never sold so many of those kits! They had been overlooked for a while and suddenly, they're the belle of the ball! I'm not going to get the big-head and think it's because it's the best project known to mankind. I know it's just the sale.

3. I have to decide how much I want to travel and how far. Being invited to international venues is very flattering, but the logistics are difficult to figure out.

4. My customers are SO fun! Every year we spend a lot of time laughing at my booth!

5. I was brave enough to make a bead at the flame-off!!! That was a huge step for me, and was a bit trying (since I didn't bring tools or my glasses with magnifiers), BUT I successfully made a cute mermaid baby for the auction that benefits breast cancer research. (I have no clue what she sold for... hopefully she sold!)

6. I came home with more work to do than when I left! My blackboard of bossiness is about to fill up again with "to-do" lists!



that's it for now...

tiny blah blah blah
no coffee or music so far today. Sorry to disappoint. :)

Fairy Godmothers instead of Fairies and Mermaid Babies instead of Mermaids...

I just realized that I'm not making any of my "traditional" Sylviebead focal beads for Bead and Button (see the redhead in the title heading...that's what I'm talking about). I think I've just moved on from those and don't need to make them anymore. Not sure, but I'm thinking that's where my head must be at or I would have spent time making them for the show.

I got the Glass Bead magazine today from the Society of Glass Beadmakers and there was a whole article about various glass mermaids that are out there. Mine weren't in the article, but there were several that were similar to my "old school" mermaids... the ones I was making in 1996-2000ish and then again here and there after that. BUT my heart wasn't in it after 2000 and I guess I finally acted on that realization for this show. I don't WANT to make those mermaids anymore and I'm not going to! (unless I change my mind LOL)

SO... the mermaid babies, which I love, will be at the show and the Fairy Godmothers. I was looking at them today trying to figure out where they came from in my head (I know the mermaid babies came from an old book my mom had that had the story of the water babies. I loved the illustrations and my tiny girls sort of took on that look.)


But where did the fairy godmothers come from???

As I was making them today I had an OH MY GOSH moment and realized that they were inspired by none other than Holly Hobby... truly. Truly sad, I might add, that this bit of pop culture from my 70s childhood has rooted itself in my subconscious.

(I had a home-made version of this one... not sure who made it for me or where she is today)

But why Holly as a Fairy Godmother??? I then had to figure that out and was pleasantly surprised by the answer... it's not Disney's Cinderella's fairy godmother that I was thinking of.... it's Sleeping Beauty's!

I love love love that Disney movie, for 2 reasons... I love Aurora dancing with the prince in the forest and I love the 3 fairy godmothers who took care of her. They were so quirky funny... their battle over the cake and dress is my absolute favorite scene from the movie.

Fauna, Flora and Merryweather

So, my little fairy godmother is an homage to Flora, Fauna and Merryweather (but mostly Merryweather...she's my favorite!)

And thus concludes... why I'm making what I'm making part 1 (because I needed a break from beadmaking/bead-cleaning/kit-making/jewelry-making and thought I'd share my thoughts)

Have a wonderful weekend!!!!! Back to work for me!!!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - a FREE Frappucino! (cinnamon dolce of course!)

music - my long mellow mix which seems to be on repeat a lot lately AND a crazy old-school dance music playlist that makes me laugh whenever I play it!

Happy Wednesday!!!

Looks like I'm blogging weekly instead of daily now.

I have been cleaning and sorting beads tonight and WOW! There are a LOT of beads!!!

Right now I have...

64 sets of heads and feet for Head over Heels kits (26 sets to go!)
75 tiny faces for the You are My Sunshine ring
24 alternate centers for the ring (no face, just colorful and fun)
and enough miscellaneous beads to make several bead totems and pendants

I'm not sure how many mermaids and fairies I have. I need to check with my old stock and add the new ones to that number.

ANYHOO.... I've got LOTS of beads.... and soon a good number of them will be packaged with their kits (thanks to Marie, the bead fairy!)


Hope to see some of you in 2 weeks!!!

Happy Wednesday world!!!

I know I'm way behind in blogging still...and I'm not going to promise to catch up anytime soon. I'm just WAY busy getting ready for the Bead and Button show in June. It seemed SO far away a couple of weeks ago, but now it seems SO close and I'm a tiny bit freaking out.

I have about 1/2 the inventory that I plan to have for the show, so I have a long way to go, but I think I'm on track.

I can't make the quantity of beads that I used to in a day. I'm not sure why, but I don't have that kind of stamina for bead-making that I did in the past. It's a bit frustrating, but "it is what it is" and I just have to accommodate for the difference.

(ok... I just read this posting and it's really boring, so I'm going to save you the blah blah blah and say "see ya!")

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - OH YEAH!

music - all over the board. Ended with a country playlist FULL of guilty pleasure kind of songs like "Boot Scootin' Boogie" (yes... you read that right)

The studio has a blackboard.

The blackboard is boss.

Sometimes I rebel and make things that aren't on the blackboard's to-do list, but then I migrate back to the list again.... I'm working my way through the list slowly but surely.

I have 3 weeks (and one weekend) left till I leave for Bead and Button in Milwaukee. I have expectations of having a very full booth with lots of new and wonderful things... but I have to obey the blackboard to get them all done in time.

This is one of the reasons I've been visibly absent from the blog... I'm just SO focused on this list... getting all the things in order to Rock OUT at this show. I'm feeling good about it all coming together the way it should. I started prepping for this WAY earlier than I ever have and I love the pieces I'm making. YAY RAH, me!!

ok... time to head back to the studio. I just had to check in with my badly neglected blog first!


tiny blah blah blah...

no coffee - tea instead
music - Sara Bareilles (good for a sing-along sort of day)

SOOOOOOOO... far behind in my blogging.

The quick update...

I've been making beads like a mad woman!
I've been making samples like a mad woman!

I was glad to check a few things off my "to make" list yesterday. I have all the ring samples complete! YAY!!! I also now have all the beads for the Head Over Heels kits in the "Sylvie" color. (purple, lime, aqua and white) I'm working my way through the colors... tomorrow is Florida. I'm on schedule to be ready in time, but it's still a bit daunting, looking at the blackboard to-do list full of beads to make. I just don't have the same beadmaking stamina I used to have. Too much other stuff that i have to balance in my life. Single parenthood plus single-girl life plus volunteer stuff plus plus plus........ I'm just working on juggling skills this month!


ok... off to do non-beadmaking show stuff... ordering supplies, filling out forms... stuff like that.

I've got a full day scheduled for the studio tomorrow.

Ciao!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - yes! it's goood stuff!

music - Dixie Chicks... all 3 albums on repeat!

Honey... I'm home!!!!

OK, I realize I haven't been very diligent about blogging lately. I guess I'm just so focused on getting my studio work done that I haven't been checking in here to report on what I'm doing.

SO, here's what you missed...

The chalkboard in the studio is boss. It has the "to-do" list for Bead and Button and I'm working my way through the list. The only exception is Splish Splash beads. They're on "the list" but I've only attempted one so far and it wasn't good. SO we'll see if they stay on the list or not! I didn't take any to B&B last year and had lots of requests for them, so I really WANT to have them... it's just a matter of whether my hands want to make them or not.

You also missed my May classes being canceled. I'm not going to go into the details here, but I'm not a happy camper.

BUT I believe there is a reason for everything and sometimes we don't see that reason till much later, if at all. I'm not going to get bogged down and worry about it... I'm just focusing on the next big thing which is Bead and Button. I'm working hard to be ready as early as possible. I will have 1 new project, 1 re-vamped project, and 1 out-of-retirement for one week only project! That's going to be a LOT of kits when it comes down to it and I will be really happy when it all comes together!

ok... lots to do, no more blogging!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - YES!

music - 80s playlist (I was going to blog about the playlist... maybe I'll do that another time. It has lots of funny stories that go along with it. I smiled and "danced" through the whole thing!)

A few of my favorite things.... (not raindrops on roses....)

Because I know you care. :D (and I do know that I'm not the center of the universe and that probably no one will read this anyways... well, maybe my mom and a few "regulars")

SO...because I need a quickie blog post while I take a break from the studio)


in no particular order ...

A Few of My Favorite Things...

(I was thinking of this at the beadstore the other day when helping someone find a color and then the list grew to non-beady things as i drove home)

399J seed beads - YUMMY grape color
431 - my go-to green! (both of these colors are available at www.saybeads.com if you are in bead-need!)

CIM glass colors - I'm just discovering these and how much I love them

Starbucks (duh)

Pure Taqueria's Margaritas

The Mansion's Lady Sapphire (neither of these places are visited often, but they are good enough to make my favorite list and I'm thinking I need to visit the Mansion again soon!)

Chick-fil-a's Sweet Tea

Chick-fil-a Sandwiches

Corner Bakery's Swiss Oatmeal (who'da thunk that cold oatmeal could be so good??!! Thanks CCB band guys!!!)

James Taylor's Greatest Hits Volume 1

Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled album

Adele - Chasing Pavement

Glee - Somebody to Love re-make

Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces

(these are all the g0-to songs that I sing along with while making beads when I'm in production)

Ikea

Cinnamon Rolls

MAC cosmetics

Mac computers and ipods

Firemen (that was for you, Regan)

Jennifer Crusie novels

Sarah Addison Allen novels

Regan Leigh

Westin Hotels (I'm all about the Heavenly Bed!)

Publix

Vancouver, WA

The South of France (inside joke... I've never been there)

Maine... pretty much all of it that I've seen

Port Townsend, Washington (shout out to my friends there!!!)

My wonderful friends that I see all the time... and the ones that I rarely see, but enjoy every minute when I do AND the ones that I never see, but enjoy our "conversations" online!

Chaco flip flops

UGG boots

Everybody's Pizza Salad (I think I must be hungry... I keep coming back to food... better go eat lunch!!)

ok... that's it for now!

tiny blah blah blah

coffee time is past...time for lunch and then back to singing along with Corinne!