Cats!

This time of year has me thinking about cats. Not that I don't think about cats at other times of the year, but just before the holidays I think about cats even more. We adopted our two cats, Ernie and Bert, three years ago at this time of year. I was the kitten scout. I was at the shelter nearly every day, petting cats and kittens. Once I'd chosen an orange kitten (after several interviews and cuddle sessions), I brought my husband to the shelter to meet him. Bob and the kitten took to each other right away, so while they were bonding I opened another kitten cage and took out a little black kitty. When we put both kitties on the floor, they started running around together and I think they might have fallen in love. Or maybe that was me. That's when Bob said "We could get two . . ." Um, ok! So we signed the papers and paid the adoption fee, but we weren't allowed to take the kitties home just yet. The orange kitten had an eye infection and that needed to clear up before they would release him. They put the two kitties together in the same cage and we went home and waited. And waited. I went to the shelter with our cat carrier, ready to take them home, but they still would not release them and I left with my empty cat carrier. I understood. But boy did I want to bring those kitties home! Finally, on Christmas Eve, the kittens were cleared to come home. We picked them up and put them in a wrapped box (you know, the kind they have on soap operas where the box top is wrapped separately so all you have to do is pull off the top) and presented the box to our kids. They were stunned. It was one of those awesome moments - we had kittens! Our kids had never had kittens before. The three cats we had had during their life were all grown, so they had never known the wonder of little kittens. It was so much fun! Ernie and Bert are now "cats," but we still call them "the kittens." They became best friends right away and they play and sleep together. They are wonderful. :)

So it's no wonder that I want to shop for cats this time of year. But we're at our limit now with these two fur balls, and that's ok. We love them. But in my cat-obsessed state I've been favoriting a lot of cat items on Etsy and I even made a holiday cat treasury. I can't seem to get cats off my mind. 

Then my glassy friend Lori of loribeads posted this glorious picture of the cat beads she's been making. Aren't they wonderful??? I love group shots of critter beads - and these kitties all get along so nicely, no hissing. :) I didn't see any cat beads in her shop yet, but that's what she's been up to, so hopefully they'll be sneaking in there soon. 

My glassy friend Nikki has a whole litter of kitty cats in her shop, nlcbeads. I own a couple of her cat beads and they are even better in person. Their itty bitty paw pads are my favorite little adorable detail. 

These little tipsy cats by Min of minfidler are a new obsession of mine. I just love the design and all the little details on each kitty cat. I own one of her upright cat beads that I just adore. She has both designs in her shop now, but I've noticed that the tipsy cats go fast! Find her cat beads here.

Another shop that's under the influence of cats is RCTees. Shop owner Toni just had her 8,000 sale! So you know there are happy customers all over the globe sporting her fabulous shirts. I'm one of them - I have two RC t-shirts and I love them. The fit is just right, and the graphics are outstanding. Not all the shirts and bags at RCTees are cat-related - there's something for everyone there. 

So if you're like me and are a little cat-obsessed at this time of year (or any time of year), check out  all the wonderful cat items from the shops I featured. Then head to your local shelter and pet some cats. Or if you can, try volunteering at a shelter. Two of my kids have been helping out as Junior Volunteers at Save-A-Pet. They were there last weekend and two kittens were adopted during their shift. So I'm guessing the new owner of those kittens might feel like me at this time of year in years to come - thinking about cats. :)

Critter Visit from NLC Beads

Looky what came in the mail yesterday! An adorable kitty cat (with beautiful scrollwork that's hard to see in the picture), a 3-eyed alien with murrini, AND a screaming alien, cyclops-style. They are all from Nikki at NLC Beads. 

It's ok to be jealous. It's a perfectly natural emotion to feel when you see someone else with a handful of Nikki's beads. I'm lucky enough to own several of Nikki's awesome critters. My other screaming alien serves as the best fan-pull ever, right over our kitchen table, screaming his little head off. This new screaming alien has been a little, shall we say, nervous, since he's hopped out of the mailing envelope.  And it doesn't help that his travel companions aren't very compassionate to his anxiety. After all, he screamed the entire way here from Ohio.

The critters were checking out their new surroundings and they talked the screaming alien into trying out the playpen. He didn't like it.

Then they put him in the baby buggy. He was not amused.

They had to pry him away from the mirror. He kept scaring himself.

He finally relaxed a little when they sang Happy Birthday to him. And it's not even his birthday.

Some of my other NLC critters agreed to a group picture with the the newbie beads. I think they're all going to get along very well. :)

Thank you, Nikki!!!

Turtle Tuesday

It's been so long since I've blogged regularly, and I do miss it. I think of things to blog about all the time, and then I just don't follow through. So here I go again, trying to start being consistent. :)

Since today is Tuesday, I thought I'd bring back Turtle Tuesday - woohoo! I haven't made a whole lot of turtles lately, but when I do I always wonder why. I love making turtles! Unlike dogs, they're all the same breed - at least when I make them they are. So I don't have to worry about whether to put on a nubby tail or a long skinny one, cropped ears or floppy ones - I just make a turtle. And I can decorate them however I want!

I recently got some awesome murrini from Lori and Kim called Electric Jellyfish, and it was perfect for turtle shell decorating.

Turtles in my shop aren't just a pretty shell. Nope. This one has chosen to decorate his shell in a rainbow of colored spots, as well as wear a symbol for Marriage Equality on his backside. I like to give turtles a nice backside because when they're moseying away, it can take a while. So you might as well have something appealing to look at back there. I even have an album on Facebook featuring my favorite Turtle Butts. 

Right now the Turtle section in my Etsy shop has seven turtles in it - that's pretty sparse. I do hope to add more soon! But if you purchase a turtle bead today,  put "tiny turtle" in the notes to seller and your turtle will travel with a leetle friend. 

Happy Turtle Tuesday!!!

Therapy Thursday ~ do something for you!

Yes, you! It's much easier said than done, I know. My day today was scheduled with appointments - physical therapy for me and a trip to the orthodontist for my daughter, whose brace bracket came off yesterday. But in between these appointments I managed to carve out time for a quick walk with the dog and enough torch time to make a dent in a custom order and also have a little fun.

Later when I got home, my murrini order from Lori and Kim  was waiting in my mailbox. I ordered in on Monday afternoon! And now it's here, in my hands. So that was an upper for me - can't wait to use it.

Did you do anything for you today? The day is not over - take a few minutes and indulge in something you like. You'll thank yourself later.

Happy Thursday!

Gifts from Across the Pond

This post has been a very long time coming. I've been wanting to share what two very special lampwork artists and one amazing bag designer did for my daughter. When Sue from FlamingEck and Laney of Izzybeads learned that my daughter, Annie, had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, they hatched a plan to bring some cheer to her - all the way from the UK! Both Laney and Sue have been my online glassy friends for a while now, and they both live in the UK. Little did I know that they knew each other (small lampwork world), but I eventually figured that out and it made perfect sense that these two smart and funny ladies would be friends. They commissioned Lesley, a bag designer from Scotland (Hand Maiden Scotland - clever name!), to make Annie a special bag for her diabetes supplies. The three of them put together the most wonderful package for Annie, and when she came home from school one day it was waiting for her.

The purse/bag is done in a gorgeous red-white-and-blue paisley pattern, and the lining has little British flags on it - the perfect touch.

Ernie had to check out the packaging, while Annie found more treasures inside the bag.

Here she discovers one of Laney's famous Chook (chicken) beads that's turned into a purse charm. Laney also sent one of her gorgeous flower beads (I don't have a picture because Annie socked it away where I can't find it and she's not home to tell me where it is - but believe me, it's so pretty!).

And here she's admiring Sue's patriotic flower purse charm (she doesn't see pretty flower beads like that around here!). Sue even sent some of her awesome murrini for me!

This is the inside of the bag with Annie's supplies inside. In addition to a zippered pocket on the outside of the purse, Lesley designed it to have a pocket on the inside, which is perfect for her pen. There's even a little matching wallet that holds her pen needles. 

I can't even begin to express how wonderful it was to know that these women, who we have never met, thought of Annie and made these special, thoughtful gifts for her. It means so much. 

Thank you Laney, Sue and Lesley!!!

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

I realized a few days late that I'd passed my 2-year Etsyversary. So I mentioned it on Facebook, and someone commented that it would be neat to see the first beads I'd made. So I just went into my "wonky bead drawer" and found them. They were easy to pick out. They're big and lopsided, and full of so much potential. Well, not potential exactly - but I could tell they were paving the way for better beads. I made them in my beginner lampworking class, which I took two years ago with Julie Rose at TLD Design Center in Westmont, IL. It's about 40 minutes from my house. I was crazy excited about this day-long class. I'd read up on lampworking - checking out Cindy Jenkins' book Making Glass Beads from the library and renewing it over and over again. I watched lampworkers on Youtube spin their magic with glass. Over and over again. I was ready. Or so I thought. It wasn't nearly as easy as it looked on those videos, but it sure was fun.

These are the beads from my beginner class.

Here are some beads I made in the weeks following. I put the red polka-dotted blue bead in to show how much smaller I made my beads after the class. I was even trying encasing. I drove my beads 40 minutes to TLD Design Center to be annealed every couple of weeks.

And here are my first critter beads that made it through annealing without popping off a wing. I had to steal them out of my daughter's collection to take a picture. The green blob was my first attempt at a frog. Now it's probably obvious why frogs aren't my forte, but I'm working on it.

It's fun to look back to see how far you've come. My beads are always changing and evolving. My advice to lampworkers and anyone with a craft they want to improve upon ~ practice, and challenge yourself. Some days are good days and some, well, I think why did I even light the torch. But in the end they all seem to balance out. If you're having one of those rotten days, try looking back on where you started. You'll probably realize you've come a long way. Baby.

It's been a rather gloomy weekend here, so I'm brightening things up with some of my favorite Fire Divas' cheery beads today.

Whoever gets to wear this Bumpy Rainbow Focal by Janel is sure to have a happy day.

I Scream for this Ice Cream bead by Holly. Mmmmmm.

These Big Hole Beads in Lara's shop are super fun!

If you've ever been to Tera's shop, you know that it's always bright and cheery. This Rainbow Bullseye set is is no exception.

Bumps + Color = ♥

These Rainbow Brights by Amy rock!

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Take Care of the Girls

As you probably know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's a chance to promote awareness of the disease and remind women to go get their mammograms and do their own self exams. It's also a chance to contribute to the cause. The following shops will all donate a portion of the proceeds of the sales of specially-marked items to breast cancer charities.

One-half of the proceeds from the sale of this adorable Hooters For Hooters Bead by StudioMarcy will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Now is your chance to own one of Marcy's sweet critter beads, and know that 50% of the proceeds is going to fight breast cancer. Check out Marcy's shop for more of her whimsical Hooters for Hooters.

DavesHomemade will donate 20% of each Breast Cancer Awareness Serenity Candle sale to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. These pretty pink candles are Pink Sugar scented, a playfully soft women's fragrance with the sweetness of sugar, cotton candy, vanilla, musk and light florals. I happen to own candles from this shop, and they are absolutely wonderful!

bellsandunicorns will donate 20% of the sales of these Pink Ribbon Sandwich Baggies to the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, which provides monetary and other support to families struck by breast cancer in the Southwest Missouri area. These baggies are perfect for the eco-minded person who wants to help the earth - and also set a good example for the kiddos.

You can find this Boobie Bookmark is in my Etsy shop ~ Maybeads. I'll donate 50% of the proceeds from the sale of the bookmark to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Friday is on FIRE ~ in the Fall

This week, in honor of Autumn, I wanted to showcase the rich colors of the season. So I visited several of my fellow Fire Divas' shops and picked out beads in shades of orange and brown. Each one of these glass artists is a frequent contributor to our Fire Divas thread in the Etsy forums - check it daily for new glass goodies. And for more on the Fire Divas, please visit our Fire Divas blog.

The Four Elements by emakaye

Lampwork Raku Millefiori Focal by JanelDudleyBeads

Frosty Rootbeer by DorsetHillBeads

Fall Colored Lampwork Beads by Lutrick

Lampwork Glass Pendant Long Bead by glassbead

Halloween Chocolates Truffles by HollysFollyGlass

Starry Autumn Night by GlassAddictions

Reiki Charged Lampwork Heart by teasebeads

Friday is on FIRE!

This week I have the honor of featuring Fire Diva Janel, from JanelDudleyBeads on Etsy. Her shop is filled with gorgeous focal beads and stunning sets, and her encasing is impeccable. Janel also incorporates her beads into eye-catching jewelry and makes wonderful hemp bracelets and necklaces. So let's get to know some more about Janel . . .

How did you find your craft, or did it find you? I literally found it, a bead, while helping a friend clean up after a party. It was that one bead that got the whole thing going!

Favorite color glass? That's a tough one so I'll go with my favorite color blue.

Do you have a nickname? Nelly Belly

Do you have another job besides melting glass? I'm a part time waitress at a wine bar/bistro.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla! Dipped in chocolate!

Laundry hamper: full or empty? LOL! What laundry hamper? If we had one it would be full right now!

What did you have for dinner last night? Leftover chicken helper, some of my homemade potato salad and Kashi cereal!

Favorite song? "No Quarter" originally done by Led Zeppelin but the Tool version is my favorite!

Bed: made or unmade? Made

If you could eat only one thing for a week, what would it be? Quiche made using Phillo dough

Last book you read: The Family by Jeff Sharlet, I still haven't finished it kinda lost interest in the middle of the book, but I do intend on finishing it! It's intense but politically boring, sorry Jeff!

Salad dressing: on the side or mixed in? S.O.S Sauce on side baby!

Ever eat Playdoh? YES! LOL! Way back when, it's just so salty and the paste always smelt more appealing!

Three favorite condiments: Terriyaki sauce, BBQ and wasabi! Is wasabi considered a condiment?

What's on your living room wall? An awesome picture done by Robert Marx, he's a talented artist I had met before a Phil and Friends show at Red Rocks. Check out his work, it's awesome!

Last vacation you took? We went to Salt Lake City for a Tool show a couple months ago!

Are you a morning person or night owl? Definitely morning, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open after 9 PM

How do you like your eggs? Any way except for runny!

Ever have a perm? Yes! I wish I had never done that! LOL

Deep dish or thin crust? Deep dish

Favorite smell/scent: Hhmmm that's a toughie, I'm going to say the ocean!

Can you play an instrument? Not any more, I used to be able to play the piano.

Pets' names: Booger and Maynard

Ever try their (your pets') food? No, but I've thought about it!

What's on your nightstand? My personal jewelry collection, a lamp and a bra

Ever broken a bone? Last year I broke a pinky toe 2 times in a row, OUCH!!

Do you like guacamole? I love it! I love it! I love it!

Top picture: Lampwork Focal - coral base, silver glass squiggles, encased in clear

Lampwork Beads Set of 7 made with River Rock and silver leaf

Lampwork Focal - funky and bumpy

Dichroic Bead Set of 5

Natural Beauty Lampwork Necklace

Hemp Bracelet with a Lampwork Bead

For more about the Fire Divas, visit the Fire Divas Blog