Bead Table Wednesday: 4 Cool Things To Share Today

Happy Wednesday To You!  Today I've got 4 fun things to share with you!

1.  Happy Birthday to my amazing Mother!

My Mom is such an inspiration to me.  She sets the bar for character and integrity, and has taught me so much about how to be a mom, wife and woman.  This past spring she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has completely blown me away with the grace and dignity she has shown throughout diagnosis, surgery, treatment, and now as a healthy survivor.   I am so proud of her, and so proud to be her daughter, and wanted to make her something very special for her birthday this year:

I know that pink is the Breast Cancer Awareness color, but when I think of her, I always picture her in cobalt blue for some reason.  I had my friend Julianna Cannon of JulsBeads make up a gorgeous set of cobalt blue beads, including one of my favorite heart focals, and made Mom a set from my heart to hers.  She didn't get the earrings, as somehow,  in the 3 steps from the front porch where I took the pictures to the computer, I temporarily 'misplaced' one of them.  Within 5 minutes of shipping off her gift, I (of course) found the other earring, so she will be getting a surprise post-birthday gift - lol!

2. Maire Dodd is today's Grateful Living contributor!

If you aren't familiar with Maire Dodd's writing and artwork, you are in for a treat.  Her gift for sharing - both visually and in writing - is profound.  Check it out!

And while you are there, take a look at the other contributiors' posts from the past couple of weeks; I guarantee you will have a smile in your heart after reading what these remarkable women are grateful for in their lives!

3.  Deryn Mentock is having a Blog Challenge!

Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime is having a really cool blog challenge that incorporates the beautiful colors and feel from this photograph:

The reveal day is October 19th - you can read more about the challenge details here.

4.  Oh right - it's Bead Table Wednesday!

Here's what is on my bead table today:

Yep - a little cryptic, but I don't want to spoil the surprise of  what I'm making for Deryn's challenge!

You can see what all the other BTW participants are working on this week at the BTW Flickr site.

As always, thank you to our lovely hostess, Heather Powers of Humblebeads for hosting this weekly event.

Have a fantastic rest of your week!

Julsbeads Rocks!

Over the past few months I have been collecting a lot of Julianna Cannon’s (aka Julsbeads) gorgeous beads.  You know the kind of beads you buy that sit for a while on your workbench because you know that the piece you use them in needs to be extra-special to do them justice? 

That’s the kind of beads Juls creates.

So…I’ve had these beads for a while, and have finally used them in a few designs that I wanted to share with you.  This bangle/earring set features a gorgeous tangerine heart with companion beads that I’ve shared with you before:

I liked the tangerine set so much that I bought a second heart set in a deep red that I used in another bangle/earring set: 

A couple of weeks ago, my Bead Table Wednesday post featured a stunning red/orange/cream/silver bead set that I have turned into this necklace/earring/bracelet set:

And finally, I pulled out my new Crafted Findings riveting tool from FDJ tools to rivet a cool chain featuring a Julsbeads focal:

 If you are as obsessed with these beads as I am (and why wouldn’t you be – they are gorgeous!), hop on over to Juls’ Etsy shop to pick some up.  And while you are hopping, you must check out her funny, inspiring blog!

** All of these pieces will be listed in my Etsy shop soon – happy shopping!

Bead Table Wednesday: What's On Your Table Today?

Heather Powers of Humblebeads hosts "Bead Table Wednesday", allowing us to show off what we have going on in our workshops.  Here's what is laid out on my work table today:

I've had these gorgeous beads from Juls Beads (who, incidentally, is having a 20% off sale in her etsy shop right now!), and am finally incorporating them into a couple of jewelry pieces.

So...what are you working on?