Here is the BEAD SOUP that I received!

Look at the BEAUTIFUL goodies I received from my Bead Soup partners, Stefanie and Kathy of PartnersInCharms.  They are working as a team in this Bead Soup Blog Parthy.

I have SO many ideas on how I would like to create with these wonderful components.  They made the toggle and the silver leaf, both are PURE PMC Silver.  The Bead Caps are also silver!  Then I have those large, lovely fresh water pearls, SWA crystals, and raspberry quartz beads.  The focal piece is a beautiful obsidian semi precious stone. 

What a wonderful Bead Soup ladies!

Now, off to create with these lovelies!

Here is a picture of what I sent to Stefanie and Kathy. I hope they enjoy their "soup".

BEAD SOUP is on it's Way!

Here it is!  The Bead Soup that I have sent to my partner for the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Well....not really.  The goodies are in "disguise" until my Bead Soup partner receives them.

My partner is Kathleen Gallant.  She and her mom are a team of jewelry designers.  They call themselves "Partners in Charms".  Like myself, this is their first Bead Soup Party.    I can't wait to see what they send to me!  They have been cooking their "soup" and it is on the way.  Anticipation!

"Partners in Charms" can be found on Facebook, and they have a blog:
http://partnersincharms.blogspot.com.  Check them out!

I will post pics of my "soup" when I get it!  Next step?  I need to create one or more pieces of jewelry using the "Bead Soup" my partner sends to me.

Want to know more about the 2013 Bead Soup Blog Party?   Check out Lori Anderson's site.  She is the host of this international event, an artist, and an author.  And a wonderful gal for doing all of this for all of us!

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/

My jewelry will be at the Riverside Art Gallery

I am so excited!  The Riverside Art Gallery in Marietta has accepted me as a new member.  My jewelry will be in the glass showcase beginning in March!  I can hardly believe that this is happening.

Last month, one of the Gallery members saw me wearing my jewelry.  (like Brenda Sue always says...don't go anywhere without wearing your jewelry!)  She complimented my necklace, bracelet and ring.  Yep, I was decked out.  I told her about how I enjoy making jewelry, and have a booth at the local Farmers Market.  She told me that the Gallery was looking for a jewelry artist, and would I consider applying.  I thought she was kidding.  Besides, I told her I was no artist.  (ok, so that was the wrong thing to say...).  She told me some general information about the Gallery, and asked me to think about it.

Well, I thought about it, and thought no way.  Besides, I did not feel I would make it through the jury process.  And I did not really want to deal with the rejection.

The following Saturday, she and another Gallery member went to the Farmers Market to see my jewelry.  I did not know they were going there, and I did not see them because I was home sick that day.  My daughter in law said "Oh my gosh!  They shopped you!"  She manages a retail store, so I guess that is pretty cool thing to do.

Several days later, Cathy called me.  Asked me to consider bringing in some pieces for the Board to Jury.  I said I would think about it.  Mike and I talked about it, and decided to try it.

I was just jumping around with anxiety and excitement....trying to decide what pieces to take for them to review.  I was checking all my jump rings to make sure they were perfectly closed....stuff like that....putting everything under a "microscope".

Mike and I went, filled out the initial paperwork and left the jewelry.  She said they would call me later that week to let me know the results.  Thank goodness for Mike and his support!

That week, every time the phone rang, I didn't know if I wanted to answer it or not.  Then the call came.  I had been accepted.


I will be the only person there with jewelry.  They have multiple, but not duplicate, hand made local art.

The Riverside Artists Gallery in Marietta, Ohio is on Facebook and they have a website http://www.riversideartistsgallery.com.

I still can hardly believe this is happening!

Bead Soup Blog Party 2013 - I'm participating!!

I am SO excited!  I will be participating in the annual online Bead Soup Blog Party this year.  My first time!  It is held by Lori Anderson.  She is an Artisan Jewelry Designer, and the Author of the Book "Bead Soup - 32 Projects Show What Happens When 26 Beaders Swap Their Stash". 

People from all over the world sign up, and this year there are over 500 people participating.  And I am one of them!   Whooo Hoooo!

It goes like this:

I will be paired by Lori with another person who is participating.  We will send each other a "Bead Soup" of beads and components from our own stash.  Neither one of us will know what the other is sending.  Then, according to some basic guidelines, I will create a piece of jewelry from the stash that I receive.  Every one else will do the same.

I can't wait to get my goodies!

I will share a picture of them when they get here.  And continue to post about the fun, the challenges I have with this, and the reveal dates for the finished pieces of jewelry.

I am so excited! (and nervous!)
 

We are BACK!

Well.....just could not stay away from Facebook.  I missed all of my creative friends!  So, I came back.  SOOOO glad I did!  I really, really missed all of you!

Look for me on Facebook as Kate Mulligan.  

B'Sue Boutiques now has a Creative Group on Facebook.  Full of creative people doing creative things!  Love it!

I have been busy trying this and that technique.  Pounding and embossing metal.   I like the feel and creative possibilities of metal.  Mike is teaching me how to spot solder.  I have been practicing more with using a solder gun and copper tape.

Take care everyone!
Mike and Kate

Goodbye to Facebook

I have been reading a blog where the person does not use capitals, punctuation, etc.  I like that.  I am going to mimic that approach.....

i have decided to leave facebook.....it just takes too much time.... time i would rather spend doing other things...... my friends and family connect with me via phone, email, and even snail mail ..... the rest live locally, so we spend time together 

i like this idea of just typing as i think without the caps, punctuation, etc....it is more like talking than writing

i started facebook in 2010 in order to join a few others who were creating jewelry ....  the group grew.....   i have enjoyed sharing and learning from them all  .....in our jewelry group, we all have a common leader, mentor, friend in brenda sue landsdowne ...... she owns and runs my fave online supply site, b'sue boutiques ....i think she is a true artisan and a terrific person

i plan to keep posting some of my jewelry to the b'sue boutiques flickr album
you can find it here
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bsueboutiques/

i also plan to blog every once in a while

that said....i want to share a personal experience

many of you know that my son married in may ...... a beautiful woman in every way.....my new and only daughter

i caught a moment of them together.....a random oh my goodness moment

they were helping us at our place to do some outside work that requires a strong back and limber knees.....something my husband and i no longer have

they were walking towards our pole building...their backs to me....i watched as they walked, each one put an arm around the other....then slide them down into hand holding

they continued to walk together.....the two as one

it was one of those experiences for me where time slows..... all my other senses seem to be on hold while my eyes feast upon what is before them.... and my heart obtains a new precious memory

i thought about the past.... how i wonder if anyone had noticed my young son and i walking while we held hands....

i realized that i held his hand when he was young to show him that i loved him, to keep him safe and close to me

i thought about the present.....their holding hands because they love each other, to keep close to one another

i imagined the future.....one on each side of me, holding my hands, keeping me safe and close to them

It is early morning here.  My youngest son refers to our home as "The Hidden Valley Ranch".  We don't have a ranch, or even a farm.  Just a few acres tucked into the country.  I like the peaceful, remoteness of it.  I am the only one up right now.  Hot coffee steaming in a cup next to me.  Birdsong serenading me.

My youngest son gets married this coming Saturday.  He flew from the nest many, many years ago.  I am glad that he has found this kind of happiness.

So jewelry making...creating....has gone by the wayside these past few weeks.

I am an anxious woman.  I will let the littlest of things cause me stress.  There have been a lot of little things lately.

I've been sorting buttons over the last two days.  Boxes and boxes of buttons.  Buttons I started tucking away over 40 years ago.  They have never been sorted, organized, whatever.  Just accumulated.  Like random memories.

I felt the overwhelming urge to sort them now.  I saw a lot of spare buttons.  Buttons that I had used to sew my childrens clothes, my own clothes.  Back in ancient times when I used to sew.  I saw a button that has three horizontal holes in it.  It is white.  I pondered over that button.  Set it aside while I continued to sort the other buttons.  I wondered about the history of that button.  Why it is so unlike any of the other thousands (yep, thousands) of buttons I have.

I feel like that button.  Different from all the rest, yet a button just the same.

The day my son is getting married is the same day my father died.  Thirty two years ago.  This date will soon have a smile memory.  I am looking forward to that.

And yes, the buttons are all sorted now.

Snippets of Inspiration

Sometimes a song, usually from years ago, will pop into my head and just stay there for days.  Dog and Butterfly by the group Heart.  I remembered the tune, but had forgotten the words.  So, I went searching on the internet.  The lyrics really did not hold any special meaning for me.  It was the chorus line, "Dog and Butterfly" that resonated.  The visual of the dog playfully chasing a butterfly on the cover of the album.

I read a brief bio on the song, written by one of the band members.  She stated that the point of the song was "...we are always trying to grab at something higher."   I can identify with that.

Then, I forgot about the song. 

I like to create jewelry.  It is a hobby .... a way to relax.  An outlet for stress.  A way to balance my right brain with my left brain.  If that is possible.....

While pushing around piles of stuff on my work space where I like to create jewelry, I spied a ceramic dog cabochon that I had purchased.  I rummaged around in my stuff for a few other pieces to put together with the dog. 

I want to create a tangible piece that speaks of "always trying to grab at something higher."  

Necklace, brooch, bracelet....don't know yet.  I create as I go, not always starting with a design in mind.  Not always ending with the pieces I started with.  Just an idea.  I have a drawer full of ideas!  lol!

Here is a picture of some the pieces that I plan to work with:

Not the CD of course!  

The tune is now playing in my head again............