The storybeader's journal

Carving My Own Stamp Blocks

2012-01-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

My personal challenge for the month was to make some stamps from scratch. I first wrote about my plan at the beginning of the month:
http://www.storybeader.com/2012/01/januarys-bba-challenge-try-something.html

But what happened?

I had a lot of fun! I started out with some easy shapes, to discover how it all worked. And I made a circle and heart. See all of the lines near the bottom of the heart, that I didn't carve away? Oh dear! But then, I like how the stamped image looks and decided to keep it that way.

For making stamps, you have to invest in a carving tool of some sort. I bought a hand chisel from Speedball, that came with various tips. You can use stamp pads to get different colors onto your blocks. Or color the blocks themselves, with acrylics or watercolors, like my little car below. When you use watercolors though, you have to act fast or the color will dry.

Making my own stamps have become a regular part of my AlphabeThursday.

This little car fit in nicely for my Letter J: Journey.

And last week, I carved an Ice Cream Cone!

So, I feel this challenge worked out great;

I had fun, learned a new technique, and

found something I can use in my journals.

AlphabeThursday - J is for Journey

2012-01-26T06:25:00.000-06:00

I practiced my carving skills earlier in the week, making little cars for my AlphabeThursday post (these posts will one day be put together in an alphabet book for children). Journey might be a difficult word for young children to spell, but I'm sure they understand what it means. Most have been in a car and taken a journey to see a relative. Or have gone on a vacation.

I wonder where these two cars are going...

Come on a journey with me and visit one of my favorite blogs, ...off on a tangent...

The AlphabeThursday link list will take you to many other blogs, where you can learn about different places and people, all beginning with the Letter J.

Art Journaling - Faces

2012-01-24T07:07:00.000-06:00

I must admit, I've never known how to draw a face. And that's something I'd like to learn. I spoke about this to my online art journaling teacher, in our last class together. So I was really thrilled during the second week of our current class, when Moira shown us some steps to follow, and asked us to practice drawing faces.

Here's some of my faces I drew:

They are both very scary, to tell the truth, but I think with time, I might learn how to proportion the face and get the shadows correct. A lot of people who don't draw portraits professionally have fun with people's faces. Moira said she tries to draw a face everyday, to practice. And showed us a bunch she did. This is my favorite:

Treasuries on Etsy

2012-01-22T08:35:00.001-06:00

There are two treasuries on Etsy that I am part of this past week. For people who are not familiar with Etsy and treasuries, this is their explanation:

"A treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery comprised of lists of items. Lists contain 16 items. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme or whatever they like. Any Etsy member can create a Treasury list, and there is no limit to the number of lists you can create."

Valentine Gifts by Pasin

The first treasury I'm in is called Valentine Gifts, curated by Pasin, from Istanbul. I am always honored to have something from my shop in a treasury curated by someone I don't know. Pasin is a member of the Top Treasury Team; maybe the art journal she chose for her treasury will end up on the front page!

When I went to her shop, I found this gorgeous looking shrug. Just in time to wear to a Valentine's Day party or out on the town. Pasin knitted this with acrylic yarn, then added lace and a flower. So elegant and feminine.

Got the Blues by MysticWynd

Karen (mysticwynd), a member of the BBArtisans team, put together a treasury last week with gifts that say "I LOVE YOU"; this week she chose as her theme the color blue. I'm not much of a window shopper but I love going into Etsy shops and looking around for treasuries! I got lost amid all the beautiful jewelry in Karen's shop! But finally came out with this jasper and pearl necklace. It has a great mix of natural colors and reds, something that would look great with Pasin's red shrug!

Saturday Link List - ribbon

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

art journal by Storybeader on Etsy

I've never been one to wear ribbons or lace - didn't have anything to do with them growing up. Then just last year, I started using ribbons with my art journals. You see, a journal will "grow" as you advance through the pages and the ribbons tied around the spine will keep the pages snug. I also use them to tie the book closed.

The cost of ribbon spools are very reasonable - they're a great addition to any project. I've had fun mixing and matching different spools of color together. But how should I organize my growing collection?

Here's one way: I found this nice looking storage rack at an Etsy shop called DeesNecklaceHolders. Duane (shopowner) makes all kinds of stylish organizers. He has two different sizes available for sale; the larger one (above) can hold over 70 spools!

Another wonderful item I found on Etsy were stamped ribbons, in a beautiful shop called Nancy's Lavender Farm. I like the "hand frayed and hand distressed" look the best. If you don't have neat handwriting yourself, this is the way to go!

Card Making Using a Fabric Ribbon With Rubber Stamps -- powered by ehow

After seeing Nancy's shop with dozens of hand stamped ribbons, I wondered if I could do it myself? I frequently use YouTube as my personal tutor, but found this interesting video on eHow by Fran Bricken. She shows you how to stamp both ribbon and fabric.

But what to do with all those left-over pieces of ribbon? Why not create your own fabric labels and attach them to clothing or to the products you make. Here's step by step instructions by narchi at instructables. (I believe narchi also has an Etsy shop, with digital prints).

Do you buy ribbon? What do you use it for?

AlphabeThursday - I is for Ice Cream Cone

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

I miss you as much as ice cream!

This week for our AlphabeThursday, we are writing about words that begin with the letter I. The first thing that popped in my head was ice cream. To make it more recognizable for my children's alphabet book, I thought a picture of an ice cream cone would work better.

About a month ago, I purchased some Speedy Cut rubber blocks to make stamps. And I thought it was a great opportunity to make some ice cream stamps. The first one I made was an outline of the cone and ice cream (right), with everything else cut away.

That didn't come out very realistic, so I tried again. And I added lines for the waffle cone, which worked well. It's small, about 1½ inches in size. I like the little saying too - it will work great for a greetings card. I need to improve my circles or find some other method for displaying the stamped paper - like a really LARGE hole punch!

Come and visit Ms. Jenny's blog

and see what other words people chose.

Art journaling - January calendar, week 2

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

A classmate in my art journaling course asked if I would take a photo of my entire calendar. Here it is, Satina.

Two weeks + completed.

I think I want to add more color in the coming weeks. Next month, I'll use a larger sheet of watercolor paper, tape it in the journal (like this page) and fold it, so it fits inside the boundaries of the book.

Do you have a calendar that you write on?

January BBArtisans's Giveaway

2012-01-16T09:55:00.000-06:00

Random Creative's wrap bracelet/necklace

I'm in love with jewelry. Just can't seem to get away from it. It's not that I like wearing it so much, but I think it's the playing with colors and not having to draw a particular object is what appealed to me the most.

The intricacy of seed beads is something I rather look at than make! Those little glass beads are so popular with the Native American jewelry on the Great Plains where I live. Geometric patterns and objects made from hundreds of tiny units. Beadweaving is A LOT of work - it's not so much the cost of the beads but the time and effort that the artist puts into her work.

This month we have a mix bracelet/necklace made by Rose of Random Creative for our team's giveaway. That's the Blogging Business Artisans (BBA) team of Etsy. Rose's shop is full of bracelets and other jewelry items and she is just starting to delve into the world of paper. At least, for the Etsy world to see!

Enter to win her wrap over at the BBArtisan's blog. There are three chances for each person!

CONTEST DEADLINE:
January 19, 2012 at 11am central
CONTEST ELIGIBILITY:
Contest open worldwide

Want to know more about Rose?
Random Creative (Rose): Beaded and button bracelets, earrings, pendants, and necklaces as well as PDF Patterns

Shop: randomcreative.etsy.com
Blog: www.randomcreativeart.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/randomcreative28
Twitter: twitter.com/randomcreative

BBArtisans Team Treasury - Winter and Love

2012-01-15T19:37:00.000-06:00

The themes for this week's treasuries that I was in center around winter and love. Even though Valentine's Day is a month off, that's what many craftspeople are thinking about this time of year. Including me! I've been working on rolling some red beads, like the ones above. I'll be making some earrings for my shop - just can't get away from jewelry...

There are FIVE team members from the BBArtisans who thought of winter and love when they saw items in my shop. Help me say thanks to each and every one of the curators, will you? I've picked items from their shops, that say winter and love to me.

"Skinamarinky Dinky Dink, Skinamarinky Doo" treasury.
What does that mean?

Karen (mysticwynd) picked "gifts that say I love you" from the team's shops, and my art journal must have been sweet on her. I looked in her shop's Bridal /Prom/Glam section for a piece of jewelry which felt the same way to me, and I saw her Bridal Earrings and Necklace! Isn't that the loveliest layout?

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Linda's (lindab142) treasury offers Valentine's Day Gift Ideas. Everything is all so bright and cherry. Good picking, Linda! She has a special Valentine's section in her shop; my favorite is the Heart and Key Red Swarovski Heart Necklace. Great composition! If you buy the matching earrings, you'll get a discount here!

Winter Morning Poem by SplendidLittleStars

I love the colors in Margaret's (SplendidLittleStars) treasury...so soft and peaceful, it reminds me of a snowy quiet morning. Yes, I miss the snow - it's only cold winter winds in Oklahoma. Margaret's shop is full of tied dyed silk, baby and children's clothing. All dyed by her. The snowman t-shirt is a favorite of mine. And what a cute model she has!

Love, Romance, Flowers and Hearts by SherHastingsDesigns

Sheryl (SherHastingsDesigns) has a great eye for color. She says, "From the softest shades to the vibrant reds. These things represent love and romance in my mind." She offers digital PDF patterns for crafters, and recently added a Valentine graphic and clipart set to her shop. But I like her Blue Cat Weekly Planner the best!

Lavender Winter by Pruitt Creations

Let me wrap up this week's team treasury posts with Lavender Winter, curator by Linda Pruitt (Pruitt Creations). She just put this together yesterday. It's Blow-Me-Away Gorgeous! Click through to Etsy and take a better look at it! I've never been a big color purple fan, but there's something about how she combines the lavender and white that takes my breath away. Like her beautiful lap quilt. Thanks Linda for keying me in on this color combination!

Saturday Link List

2012-01-14T09:22:00.002-06:00

Have you ever read a Link List before? This is something I've seen on a teammates' blog, rose of randomcreative. I've had so much fun reading them that I thought others would enjoy the same idea. Hopefully, I'll be able to post a list every Saturday. I love lists, so it should be something that comes natural. I decided that posting a list dealing with books would be fitting for my first Link List, the booklover that I am.

Everyone who knows me, knows I'm in love with Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way. I feel this book changed the direction of my artwork, from making journals to art journaling Julia has a new website, with a blog and list of books, my favorite tab. You can click on each book at her page, which brings up a description and various places where it's for sale.

Books by Julia Cameron

There are lots of places to buy books online. My favorite is Amazon. Every opportunity I have to purchase an Amazon gift card, I'll take it. Sometimes I'll get an offer from other businesses or I'll just buy a card if I have some extra cash. It makes it real easy to buy the next book for my book club or supplies for my artwork.

Now if you don't feel like buying books, you can always trade them online, where there's a wide audience. BookMooch is an easy and free site. After you join, just type in what you're looking for and which books you want to give away. Then wait to receive an email. The site works on a point system. The only problem I have with BookMooch is mailing overseas, which gets expensive. So I stop that; you can stipulate if you are willing to ship to all countries or just your own.

I'll end with one of my favorite places to visit online: the Library of Congress. Since I'm not in Washington, DC this is the next best way to visit the nation's library! I come here to do cataloging for the research library at work. But there are also museum exhibitions and lots of digital collections where you can browse by either topic and format. You can by photographs from these collections - handy when I'm looking for the perfect image to fill a spot in an exhibit. Here's one of their current exhibitions: Earth As Art 3: A Landsat Perspective (click on the "Exhibit items" tab to see more photos)

Siberian Ribbons

AlphabeThursday - H is for House

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

Home is where the heart is.

After I drew my house I just had to add those words to my art journaling page. I'm not real happy with the blue acrylic sky, but I had to put the paint on heavy, to cover up some things I didn't like. The great thing about art journaling is that it's all for you, the artist, so you can make mistakes, learn from them, and move on. Goodness knows, I do that all the time!

House is a perfect word for a children's alphabet book. And for my AlphabeThursday blog post. I wonder how many other bloggers used Home or House for their alphabet word this week... You can check out all the entries for the Letter H on Ms. Jenny's blog series HERE.

Art Journaling - January calendar, week one

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've been having so much fun with my new calendar. My art journaling instructor (Moira) showed us her new calendar grid and gave everyone a regular calendar with a one word prompt last week. I had mistakenly thought she wanted us to make a grid calendar and write one word that expressed our day. So I tried it out but got too wordy for myself. I guess I had this idea swimming around in my head, because it wasn't anything like Moira told us. Guess I was daydreaming in class...

Here's a photo with one week finished. Can't wait to see how the whole month will look on one page! I've been writing the date and a word or two, then mainly watercoloring the background of the box.

BBArtisans team treasuries

2012-01-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

It's the beginning of a new year, and the BBArtisans are going full steam, curating new treasuries. I was pleased to be in 5 treasuries that my team members put together. Check out the treasuries below and see which item I thought would best match from the curator's shop.

Kathy, from tapestry316, curated her treasury on January 1st, in "Celebration of a Happy New Handmade Year." I love all the bright colors in it; it reminds me of confetti! Her shop usually has more muted colors, with lots of watercolors of her horses. I was taken by one ACEO ornament she made, which expresses her fun with color. Get it before it leaves her holiday shop!

"You and me together" was curated by Janet from HoneyFromTheBee. Janet has lots of pairs of earrings in her shop. One of my favorites are the orange lampwork earrings called "Desert Symbols."

Next up is another treasury celebrating the new year, "Three Cheers to a Successful 2012 by Nancy from nfall2rt. There are a mix of different shops here, and all the items have calming colors. Nancy uses both bright and muted colors in her artwork; I love the coin purses and picked one that fits perfectly with this treasury. Even the background colors in her photograph went nicely with some of the photos she picked.

Even though it's just the beginning of January, Rose of randomcreative is reminding us "It's not to early to start your Valentine's Day shopping and craft making!" She's so right. And her "Sweet and Whimsical for Valentine's Day" treasury have some really great gifts. Rose has lots of bright bracelets for the holidays - and here's one with hearts in it.

Sharla from BeadedTail is showing the Etsy community how our BBArtistans team brightens up a winter's day, with her treasury "Hearts, Frogs and a Cat OH MY!" She has a lot of bright and cheery kitty earrings in her shop. And I found this festive pair.

January's BBA Challenge: try something new!

2012-01-07T08:37:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I'm always finding new art techniques that I see on other websites. Or in books, or classes. Many of them I save on my Pinterest page, so I won't lose the instructions! But I never seem to have enough time to try everything out! I know that if I schedule time to try them, I'm more likely to do them. And that's where the BBArtisans' January Challenge fits in perfectly with my plans.

It gives me permission... no, it requires me, to set aside time and work on a new project. For the January 2012 Challenge, there are two required steps. One will be writing a post, to show our progress and to gently nudge us along. It would also be a good time to ask questions of other members and get help if you need it. The second step will be to add our link to the Team Blog linky between the 26th and the end of the month. So remember to come and visit the team blog, and see all of our challenges.

Left: Speedy-cut for making stamps and
Right: Daisy Yellow (Tammy) sewing fabric and paper on paper.

I've been thinking of two different techniques for the January Challenge - both will take me a month to work with and get comfortable using: sewing on paper and making my own stamps. In November I bought some rubber blocks on Amazon called Speedball Speedy-cut. I just haven't made time to sit down and try them out. I don't even know how to talk about them! So in January, I will try this out. It's top priority! I was hoping that if I feel comfortable enough with them, I can sell print blocks on Etsy, for others to use in their art journals or in other paper projects. We'll see how it goes.

AlphabeThursday - G is for Giraffe

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome everyone to a new year of AlphabeThursday. You can read other posts from this series on Ms. Jenny's blog, "...off on my tangent" every Thursday. And you can find all my previous AlphabeThursday posts on the tab by its namesake at the top of this page, on the far right.

I've decided to pick words for my AlphabeThursday posts that can be used in my future children's Alphabet Book. This week we are on the letter G. It was three weeks ago that I thought of a great word: Giraffe. They are such interesting looking creatures and not easily mistaken in appearance. This giraffe with its baby is on the first spread in my art journal for 2012. Happy New Year!

Hope you come back to this site every Thursday and see my future art journal pages. Click HERE to find out what other words bloggers chose for the letter G.

New Year Resolutions, 2012

2012-01-04T06:40:00.000-06:00

I wasn't planning to write down any New Year Resolutions for 2012. Writing them down didn’t seem necessary since I already have my monthly goals. But then my art journaling instructor (Moira Richardson) mentioned her resolution and encourage us to think about "an art resolution that will work for you and your art habits." So I thought about it a little more and came up with one:

Write or draw in my art journal every day this year.

When I participated in The Artist's Way Workbook, written by Julia Cameron, part of the contract we made with ourselves was to write in our journal first thing every morning. Our “Morning Pages.” And the book changed my life. After finishing my twelve weeks, though, I got out of the habit of writing every single day. So, I’m going to try once again.

Aside from art journaling, I’ve talked about increasing the number of products in my Etsy shop. Many BBArtisans team members sell over 50 items in their shop! I never thought of selling that much, but I guess it‘s not unusual. So that’s something for me to work towards.

Increase the number of items
for sale in my shop.

Currently I have 27 products in my Etsy shop. I'm going to try to double that amount this year.

Another goal I’ve had for a long time is to sew with paper. So the last item on my Resolutions 2012 list is to try my hand at sewing.

Start to sew on paper.

Many artisans sew fabric to paper or paper to paper. I think it’s real neat. I've always had a love for textiles but have never sewn much. Yes, I talked about it some last year but never got around to it. Mainly because I couldn’t get my sewing machine to work. Hopefully DH can get the machine to work.

Month of Photographs - December

2012-01-02T06:40:00.000-06:00

December wasn't much of a month for picture taking. Between being sick and getting crowded out of my workspace by a tree, things have been very disorganized. I still got to work in my art journal, and made three journals for my Etsy shop (2,3,6). We decorated our tree with a few days to spare (1). I always try to get one special ornament each year; our first one says so (4). This year I bought an ornament from Jenny (A Bird in the Hand Art), one of her little birds (5). I put 2011 behind the wing, so I could remember when exactly I got it The last two weekends of the month, DH and I went up to Norman (OU) and visited with family. New Years Eve we got to see my nephew, who is graduating from Law School this Spring!

Short Term Goals for January

2011-12-31T07:37:00.000-06:00

Many of you know that I like giving myself these monthly goals because it helps me finish projects. And I can look back and evaluate what was done. One task I had for December was to make more art journals. I completed three! I also wanted to increase my inventory. Well, let's just say I did that with the journals, even though I actually wanted to make some Valentine's Day cards. But I’m not too interested in making cards, and I shouldn‘t force myself! I wanted to spend some more time on Pinterest last month too, but leaned more towards Twitter and Entrecard. But any social networking is good social networking.

So many things happen at the beginning of the year that I always set certain goals. Here are three goals that are important to me this year:

1) Get organize for the new year.

At the beginning of every year, I try to organize both personal and business records. That means starting new digital files on Quicken (the home and office software I got back in 2008). It still works fine and I give the information gathered from it to our CPA. I didn't sell a lot of items in 2011, so I'm hoping that I can still keep my tax status.
What To Do: Switch out hanging files for home and for office and start new Quicken files. Also print out my business expenses from last year and try to find anything (like mortgage interest and medical bills) that we can use for tax write offs.

2) Start my new art journaling class.

I signed up for a whole year of art journaling with Moira Richardson. It's called Weekly Art Date, and it was less expensive if I signed up for the whole year instead of quarterly. I've learned so much from Moira, it's worth it. She includes video tutorials, prompts, giveaways and stock photographs.

What To Do: Get a new journal to use for class, and make time to visit her class (luckily it‘s weekly, not daily - like her last class!)

3) Continue with my exercise program.

Does that sound like going to the gym? No, it's xbox! We bought one just before Christmas, and I've gotten into the habit of exercising 3-4 times a week with the "YourShape: Fitness Evolved 2012." I really like the kick boxing, and there are different levels for all the exercises. I can also take Yoga and Zen classes. For me, most of the different ethnic dance classes are still too difficult. I can try them out, but only when the doggies are watching. Our whole family is going on vacation in May, so I'd like to loose weight and get into a bathing suit again this spring and summer.

What To Do: Continue exercising at least two days during the week and 1-2 days on the weekend. Try some of the African Rhythms "classes" and some of the running.

Fun with my BBArtisans team - Secret Santa

2011-12-29T06:48:00.000-06:00

I was so excited on Tuesday afternoon when my package arrived from my Secret Santa, MysticWynd. I tried to open it carefully, since all the packages inside the overstuffed envelope were individually wrapped. How fun!

I knew this was going to be worth the wait! Karen had to have read what I like, since I love everything here! There's a book with techniques from 15 multi-media artists, clear stamps, a little package of vellum quotes (which I'll have to learn to use) and four free-standing Japanese chalk inks, which I know I'll adore.

I feel my Santa gifts were a little boring after all the excitement I had! I mailed off some handspun yarn to Nancy (nfall2rt), since it was on her list of "Likes" and something she could use. I'm so utilitarian...

This was a great experience for our BBArtisans team. Thank you Sharla, for all the time you took to followed my poor package from Arizona to California and back to Oklahoma! But I don't care that it was delivered after the holidays - it arrived early for me, since my family is not opening presents until New Years Eve!

Storybeader's year with art, 2011

2011-12-27T14:57:00.002-06:00

I went over the finances for my business (storybeader) this past weekend and was relieved to see that I didn't spend as much money on supplies as I had thought. One big reason is the difference between the price of beads (that I bought last year) compared to the price of paper (this year). The most expensive item I bought this year was a paper cutter. And getting the virus removed from my computer - that was an unforeseen expense!

I made some fabulous purchases from Etsy sellers this year. Mostly materials for bookmaking and art journaling. Washi tape is one of my favorite supplies - they are sold in a number of different shops.

If you live in Oklahoma like I do, you know all about Hobby Lobby (the business was founded by David Green in 1972 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City).

We have a Hobby Lobby store in my town and it's close to home. But I do have to plan my weekend shopping trips, since they're closed on Sundays. I enjoy their coupons, especially the "40% off one regular price item". If I'm going to buy Copic pens, I'll use this coupon, because they're so expensive and never on sale!

In July, I took my first class with Moira Richardson, called 30 Day Craft Cleanse. We all pledged to spend the month making art without buying one single thing. We learned to make new supplies with around-the-house materials and created inventories to keep track of the things we had.

Moira also gave us downloadable PDFs. It was a great exercise, to use supplies on hand - you should try this if you're feeling a little tight on money. In the fall, I took another class with Moira, Falling for You.

So what happened this year on Etsy? I sold only 11 items; one was a necklace (back in January) and the rest were mainly journals and paper beads. Currently, I have 27 items in my shop. I had so much fun with my junque journals that I decided to make more for other artists to use. It's hard to believe that the Blogging Business Artisans team has been together for less than 3 months. Most of us have known each other for 3-4 years, but we've all gotten even closer with our new team. Courtesy of Edi, we have a Weekly Chat Thread. A few of my close friends (thanks Rose for starting the conversation) have suggested I place more items in my shop. So that's the plan for this coming year - to double the amount of items in my shop and make twice as many sales!

I think the most important thing that occurred in 2011 was that I started art journaling. This all came about after reading Julia Cameron's The Artist Way, which I highly recommend to everyone. I wasn't expecting her Workbook to change my life, but it certainly did. My favorite journal that I've made has been the junque journal, which I started in the summer. I've kept all my writing and artwork in it. It's a blast to look back and see what's been spinning around in my mind over the months. And to see how my artwork has progressed.

Etsy Treasuries curated by BBArtisans

2011-12-26T16:44:00.001-06:00

This past week, two BBArtisans picked something from my shop to put in their treasuries. Erika (LittleAndalucia) must have been thinking about the new year, even though it sounds like a University of Oklahoma cheer to me! Called "Go Red for the New Year," there are darling bright items including my framed Striped Petunia, featuring pieces of a puzzle.

Erika has two shops: one with patterns and children's clothing; the other with art journals and home decor. Guess which one I'm always looking at? You got it!

The other treasury with something of mine in it actually includes (48) pieces - a set of paper beads, that is. It was curated by Rose (randomcreative) and is all about my new favorite color, orange. She calls it "Who else loves orange?" and she's right: it’s one of the most underrated colors around!

I thought I'd look around at the orange jewelry that Rose had in her shop. And found 16 pieces! WOW! Here they are:

Some Twitter advice from a novice

2011-12-20T06:50:00.000-06:00

Jenny from A Bird in the Hand Art wrote an article about using Hootsuite in your daily life for the BBArtisans team blog. I’ve been trying to learn more about Twitter myself, and have been following Handmadeology’s “Twitter Blueprint,” a series of easy lessons about Twitter. If you’re interested in following Tim’s tutorial, here’s day 1

These are a few things I didn’t know about and will start using, which may help you too:

1) The horizontal image (below) starting with Timeline is called the “mentions column"... though I'd call it a row myself! It’s situated on your Twitter page and contains various tabs you should know about:

If you click on the @username (for me it’s @storybeader), you’ll bring up @mentions and more. When you click on the little box to the right that says Shows mentions only , you’ll see when people have tweeted only to you. One of the most important things to do on Twitter is to respond to others! I have a hard time doing this because I don’t check my Twitter page regularly. But now I know where to find what my followers are sending to me! The Activity tab is where you can see "favorites, follows, retweets and more by the people you follow."

2) Remember: when you reply to someone on Twitter, ALL your followers and ALL the followers of the person you are addressing will see the tweet. If a user’s account is locked, only followers of that account can see the tweets, not your followers. If you want to send a private message (called a Direct Message) that’s possible by clicking the Messages tab on the top black twitter line, next to Profile.

3) Tim suggests you make different lists of people you want to keep up with. The List tab is also on the mentions column, all the way to the right. I recently made a list of people I knew who are taking the Weekly Art Date class with me. I clicked on Lists, then Create a List from the drop down menu, and typed in “weekly art date” and chose Private instead of Public. Then I went and looked for all the people related to my class and added them onto my new List. See the little person (below) besides the Following box for artcontests? Inside this drop down menu is “Add to List” ; just put a check mark beside the list you want that follower to be in. It’s that easy.

The major problem I have is, what should I tweet about? I’m always feeling that I’m disturbing other people, with tweets about my new shop items and new blog posts. Tim suggested that “people in the handmade world love to know about process and inspiration, so share yours.”

Great advice.

For those of us that have online shops, tweeting about how you made something, not just a link to a new item, is a good idea. Someone might be interested enough to follow you! Just finished a item? What was the hardest part in completing it? What was the most fun? Ask others how they do a certain thing. Maybe they can help! Tim talks about Pinterest as a good way to tweet about inspiration. If you have a Pinterest account, tweet about something you really like there. And don’t forget to share interesting post you find with others. We all need a little inspiration throughout our day!

4) I’ve heard that you can include photos in your tweets but never knew how it worked!

You see that little icon on the right side of christiecottage’s tweets? When you click on that, a photo will appear on the right side of your screen! Thanks Tim, I didn’t know that! Try it out on your Twitter account. Have you ever added a photo to your tweet? I haven't, but I might try twitpic.com someday soon!

5) There are lots of Twitter apps, like Hootsuite and twitpic available online. Tim recommended Tweepi.com which I tried. It will help you manage your followers. There are two versions: free and premium. I chose the free version, which has a lot of activities in my "dashboard". One thing I liked was the chance to clean up my following list. Some people haven't tweeted in over 2 years! But there's also a way to see who's following you and you're not following back. Check it out or watch this neat YouTube video about Tweepi by smobrandon , to see what it's all about!

I'm going to stop there, my mind is overloaded! Good luck with Twitter.

Kitty Treasure Necklace giveaway coming to a close

2011-12-19T07:05:00.000-06:00

It's almost time for the
Kitty Treasure Necklace
giveaway to be over. If you haven't commented on the BBArtisans team blog yet, here's your chance.

The last day of the giveaway is December 20th, that's this Tuesday. It won't be the proper timing for a holiday gift... but it's so fun, you might just want to keep it yourself!

Remember, there are matching earrings and a dozen extra kitty beads that come with the giveaway. See how you enter by visiting the BBArtisans team blog ... and enter 3 separate times in all!

BBArtisans Treasuries on Etsy

2011-12-18T08:01:00.000-06:00

Handwrapped Paper Pumpkin Beads

Last Monday, I found myself in two treasuries curated by BBArtisans teammates. Very different themes, but surprisingly with the same item, my handwrapped paper pumpkin beads! One of the treasury was called "Foodies -- BBA Style!" I didn't think I had anything that represented food. But Sarah from MagnoliaSurprise found my pumpkin beads! What a yummy treasury it is - you can find it here

Sarah has a great sense of humor, but sweet girl, she's been under the weather lately. Let's go by her shop and treasury and make her feel better! I was looking around in her shop this weekend and found some great crochet watermelons. More food! Here's a crocheted pot holder. Isn't this adorable? She also has a made-to-order 3 piece set of watermelons for the kitchen!

Karen at Mystic Wynd created a passionate treasury called "You Can Feel the Warmth..." And it's true; the items in this treasury have a warm glow to them.

Karen is a handmade designer of jewelry, fashion accessories and gifts. Just right for this season, though the holidays are getting closer and closer. Shipping deadlines are almost upon us so you have to move fast! Mystic Wynd has a vintage quality to many of her jewelry pieces, making them very unique. I think my favorite is her choker shell necklace "Curled Up by the Sea" with aqua amazonite beads, shells and mother-of-pearls chips. It's very lovely!

AlphabeThursday - F is for Fishflowers

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I didn't realize how many nice words began with the letter F, until I came upon this AlphabeThursday.

Like FLOWER.
And FISH.

Those are two words that children would identify with and would be nice to add to my Children's Alphabet Book.

But which one should I draw? That got me wondering what a fish in the shape of a flower would look like. Or better yet, a flower in the shape of a fish.

Here's what I think it would like like!

Come see what other words our class chose

to write about for AlphabeThursday.

a look into my workshop - making junque journals

2011-12-13T07:04:00.000-06:00

my junque journal

If you've been watching my Etsy shop,

you'll see that I have something new for sale.

JUNQUE JOURNALS

To me, a junk journal is like a diary,

where you use everyday ephemera along with words and illustrations.

I've enjoyed the junque journal I made for myself,

so I thought others would enjoy them too.

These are the two I finished last weekend:

What I did was take a composition notebook (it has 100 pages of lined sheets), and glued decorative paper on the covers and on some of the interior pages. I added gesso to a few pages, so people could see that you can paint in the journal without any problems. To give the journals their own flavor, I added ribbons and flowers in different ways. I punched holes in the cover of the journal on the left and attached two flowers there. With the journal on the right, I glued one flower to a long ribbon, for the owner to use as a bookmark. I didn't know how much I loved ribbon until I started working with it!

In the picture below are some supplies for the next junque journal I plan to make. I've already glued paper to the cover - my theme.

Do you have a favorite color or theme?

Let me make you a journal for your everyday life.

Writing and expressing yourself using art is a great release of pressure.

And a nice memento for the future.

Art journaling is loads of fun, and like my Ning group says, "It's all good!"

Shopping with the BBArtisans

2011-12-12T07:44:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share two Etsy treasuries that I was in this past wee,, curated by members of my BBArtisans team. There are donations and drawings going on in these shops; come by and look around. I've picked out on of my favorites from each shop!

Janet from Honey From the Bee is a jeweler from Seattle. This month she is donating 20% of her jewelry sales to ACF International, an international humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger.

Janet has an amazing number of earrings to pick from. These are my favorite - I love lampwork beads!

The second curator is Judy from JN Originals. She's a busy Etsy seller, with a total of four shops! You can read all about it in her shop announcement. Her first shop, JN Originals, opened back in 2007 and has crocheted and felted accessories.

Need a bag to put all your small gifts in? Here's a great little bag that I adore. BTW: this is the shop where you can earn a free entry in a random drawing for a scarf whenever you purchase something. So go shop and good luck!

AlphabeThursday - E is for Elephant

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

As light as air

There's something about elephants and balloons. Maybe it's because elephants weigh so much and balloons are so light. For me, elephants are a favorite art subject. I made this mixed media piece (above) a few weeks ago, for my Etsy shop.

DharmaKarmaArts is one of my favorite Etsy artists. Here's a few watercolors from her yoga art elephant painting series. I think you'll fall in love with her Indian folk art too.

Yoga Art Elephant Painting in Sun Salutation

Yoga Art Elephant Painting in Warrior I

Yoga Art Warrior I Elephant Veera bhadraana I

What did others from Ms. Jenny's class pick for the letter E? Find out, and visit AlphabeThursday!

Book Review - Louisa May Alcott

2011-12-07T07:10:00.000-06:00

Every young girl from the late 19th century through to the present time has read at least one of Louisa May Alcott's books. My book club just finished a biography about her by Harriet Reisen called Little Women: The Woman Behind Little Women. I don't remember being an avid fan of Alcott when I was young, but I know a lot of women were. I must say, I do have a better appreciation of Louisa after reading this book.

Even if you aren't a big fan, I think you'll enjoy this biography like I did. First of all, I hadn't realized that Louisa wrote Little Women in the 1870s; I thought she just used the Civil War as a backdrop for her story. She actually led a very hard and depressing life. She supported both parents and all her sisters, even before her award winning book was written. Her father, Bronson Alcott, was a member of the transcendentalist movement and he was always starting schools and going on lecture tours... for free.

portrait by George Healy.

The characters in Louisa May Alcott's books were from her everyday life. But she added more love and happiness to her stories than what she actually experienced. Loiusa was a prolific writer. She wrote about a dozen children's books and her short stories are scattered throughout the literary magazines of the time, such as the Atlantic. She also wrote books for adults - there were over 30 thrillers under the pseudonym of A.M. Barnard. This was all a bit scandalous for her time!

"One of them, a novella called "A Long Fatal Love Chase," made the NYTimes best seller's list for four weeks in the mid 1990s, over a century after the author's death."

Reisen did a good job in researching the Alcotts and the literary scene of the day. You'll find that the book reads very quickly. There are many footnotes which give the reader additional history of the family and their lives in Massachusetts. The Alcotts had close ties to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau, who helped support their household throughout Louisa's life. At the end of the book, there is an in-depth index and Notes section. I was pleased to add this volume to my bookcase of books by and about women.

Short Term Goals for December

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

This past month went by quickly, with lots of time spent away from work, visiting with doctors and being ill. I made two sets of paper holiday beads, but nothing sold from my Etsy shop in November. Renewing items didn't seem to help any, so I'm thinking I need another approach. One of my goals from last month was to start a new weekly journal. But after I tried it, I decided I didn't like the idea. Another goal was to stay away from chocolate. I did a great job until the end of the month, when DH made some fudge!

For December, I have three new goals:

Increase my shop inventory for the upcoming holidays.
It's a little late to put additional items in my shop, related to the December holidays. So I decided to create products that people usually buy for New Years and Valentine's Day.
What to do: Make a list and add new items to my Etsy shop with New Years and Valentine's Day in mind.

Make new art journals
Like I mentioned in my November Month of Photographs, I have about 20 pages left in my art journal (I began it back on July 9th). This is perfect timing to make another journal for the new year. I've enjoyed using this 9.75" x 7.5" composition book format. When I make myself another one, I'll also put together one or two for my shop! Market it as a Junque Journal for the new year!
What to do: Buy composition books, ribbon and paper for 3 new Junque Journals.

Spend time each day visiting Pinterest pages and improving my page

Pinterest is a site that my art journaling instructor, Moira Richardson, introduced to me. (Here's her new blog!) I enjoy Pinterest more than other social media sites; it's fun, useful, and can be a good marketing tool. But I should know more about how it works and how to use it.

What to do: Start reading the official Pinterest blog, find more friends and make some new boards.

BBArtisans team treasuries

2011-12-04T10:34:00.000-06:00

It's truly amazing what our BBArtisans team has accomplished! (all but one treasury was curated by a member of the team). We decided one better way to market our Etsy products was to be involved in treasuries. So please give a shout out to any and all of the curators to the TWELVE treasuries I am in this week. What can I say, but Thank You and WOW!

A Month of Photographs - November

2011-12-03T07:39:00.000-06:00

When I think about my art, three things come to mind: Etsy, my blog, and art journaling. For Etsy this month, I made some pretty paper beads (1) and something new - greeting cards (2). Our new BBArtisans team blog is moving along nicely. At this time, we have 71 members. At the beginning of the month, Ms. Jenny started another round of our AlphabeThursday (5); this time I'm drawing illustrations for a children's book. Sad to say, my two online classes just came to an end: they were my 11 week art journal course (6) "Falling For You", and my 3-week "Mandala Art" (4) class at the Willowing & Artist Friends ning site. If you want to expand your artwork, I recommend taking an online class. Many are free and the ones you pay for are usually worth it! Even though my journal (3) looks almost complete, there's about 20 pages left. I really like its size, and might just get another composition book to start all over again. Another milestone: this month completes a whole year of "month of photographs." If you're interested in looking what happened every month, there's a tab under my banner.

Don't miss the Cat Lover's Treasury!

2011-12-02T11:38:00.001-06:00

Come on over to the BBArtisans blog and enter the International

giveaway we're having this month. I'm hosting!

You can't miss it! It's a treasure necklace and earring set!

There are also 12 extra cat beads to play with.

A cat lover and beader's delight!

You can enter more than once!

Just read through the post and

Good Luck to All!

AlphabeThursday - D is for Dogs

2011-12-01T06:54:00.000-06:00

Meet Buster and MJ!

Last time we had our AlphabeThursday post(on the 17th), I picked the word CAT. So I decided that Dog would be appropriate for this week. Our two dogs, MJ and Buster are great friends with our neighbors. The two girls especially like Buster. He is a young English Pointer who I found running around in circles in the parking lot where I work, early one morning. He was so cute (and friendly) that I called my DH to come and pick him up, instead of notifying Animal Welfare. Now MJ is a labrador retriever-Irish setter mix. DH found her when she was a pup, listed in the paper by a military couple who were moving overseas. She's almost nine years old now.

To get the images on my page, I first printed photos of them. Then I covered the paper with clear packing tape so they would be easier to cut out. Next, I laid them on the page, took a make-up sponge and stamped on top of them with olive green ink. I had to do a little drawing on the white figures because with the reverse images, you couldn't tell their heads apart from their bodies. But they were easy to draw - because I'm so used to looking at them!

Come see the other words our class picked to write about for this AlphabeThursday here.

More Mandalas

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Mandala #3

Like I've said before: when I try something new, I usually like my first attempt (here's my first mandala). But that will not stop me from drawing more mandalas! You will see them scattered here and there throughout my blog.

For mandala #3, I took a small piece of watercolor paper, found the center and made my circle. Then added more circles. After drawing some straight lines, I colored the mandala with the two watercolor pencils I have (light blue and yellow), following my teacher's instruction. When it dried, I painted on top with my Koi watercolors, which I like much better. To finish up, I drew some designs with some Pigma Micron pens.

I decided to tilt the watercolor paper into my art journal, so I can add to it in the future. It's a little wild I'll agree, but I think with some more ink or markers, I can improve the look. What I really want to do now is draw another circle and start again!

photographic views - my tip on completing your artwork

2011-11-27T08:32:00.001-06:00

I noticed something very interesting with my art journaling that may help other artists too. Whether I'm planning to sell my artwork or if I'm just experimenting for myself, I've gotten into the habit of taking a photograph of the piece before I'm completely finished. I do this because it's easier for me to see if something isn't right.

With a photograph, I'll notice if things are off balance or if I've forgotten to add something. Like this cat's scarf - she looked a little cold with that blue background, so I got some ribbon to put around her neck and added Season's Greetings, after looking at it. It would be perfect for a holiday card!

I'm just suggesting that you try taking a photograph when you're close to completing a piece and view it on your computer screen before you finish it. This might help you notice things that you don't see in person.

On Wednesday, I was in such a rush to put a Wordless Wednesday onto my blog that I uploaded my spread "Autumn Leaves" without sitting down to examine it. Later on that night, I was looking at the image online and saw all the leaves falling in the same direction.

Before and

after.

But that's not how leaves fall off trees! So I went back to my art journal and stamped some more leaves in different directions. Even though it might not matter to blog visitors, it sure made me feel a lot better!

Do you have a special way of "tweeking" your artwork, or do you not look back on work finished?

Free Shipping for Online Handmade Arts and Crafts

2011-11-25T20:21:00.001-06:00

Fun Etsy Buys from the BBArtisans Team and more!

Wordless Wednesday - art journaling autumn

2011-11-23T07:12:00.001-06:00

Before you know it, leaves

Are dropping off trees, nature

Tells us it's autumn.

Etsy Treasury Love

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

I decided I need to thank all the curators who have been picking my artwork on Etsy for their treasuries. Most of you know what I'm talking about. But for those that don't: Etsy is a place where artisans can show and sell their handmade items online. And the treasuries are pages where one person (a curator) picks different items that are for sale, for people to see.

In the last 3 days I been in 3 treasuries! That's a lot for me. Maybe I need to pick up the pace and tell you all about the curators and what they selected! Enjoy!

Lucy from lucymoongrow placed my Handmade Blank Journal (with purple cover) in a BNR (Buy 'N Replace) treasury. It's closed now, maybe I'll get another chance.

Here's one of Lucy's "Designer Wearable Art" gifts, perfect for a wedding or party:

Party Favor Bag from Reusable Fabrics

Not sure how the weather is in Arizona, but Karen (MysticWynd) had her mind on seasonal diversity when creating this treasury. On Thursday, she included my Fall Art Journal in her Cuz It's Almost Summer Down Under!

Karen's a jeweler and member of the BBArtisans. Of course, her ocean jewelry is my favorite!

Tidal Pool Necklace

I've just been introduced to Sheryl (SherHastingsDesigns), another member of the BBArtisans. Her digital designs are so fantastic! In this fun treasury called "Dear Santa, Since I have been very, very good" , she included some of my paper beads:

She has PDF files for paper patterns and tutorials. This pattern is a dog and cat mat or mini quilt - something I might look into when I get my sewing machine running!

Pet mat

Come by and visit these treasuries. Hopefully, there will be more in the future.

Star Mandala - first try

2011-11-20T08:37:00.001-06:00

Do you remember I said I was taking a new class: how to draw mandalas? This is my first attempt.

I wish I had started out with my markers - I like the way they look. But I began coloring with my pencils, like our instructor Guadalupe did. Thing is, she had watercolor pencils! When you paint your mandala, she suggests starting at the center and working your way out.

This flower template that Guadalupe gave us I changed into a star! And I used regular printer paper instead of the 140 lb watercolor paper, that kept getting stuck in my printer. Maybe my printer is too old, or it could be the paper's too thick...

Week Two coming up!

AlphabeThursday - C is for Cat

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

When I knew I needed an image to express the letter C for my AlphabeThursday post, the word CAT came to mind. Cats are used in many alphabet books, and they're recognized by everyone. I found a picture of a cute cat on the internet a few days ago and decided to put my drawing skills to work and copy it. Her proportions might be a bit off, but there's no mistaking who she is: an adorable kitty!

What words did others pick to express the letter C? Come see over at Ms. Jenny's classroom!

Help in Secret Santa Shopping

2011-11-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

One of the requirements of my new Etsy team, BBArtisans, is participation in the Treasuries. So instead of picking various photographs for the walls of the Museum of the Great Plains, where I work, I'm choosing various handmade artists from the BBArtisans team.

All these items are under $20, perfect for being a Secret Santa, an event that's coming up with the team. Maybe I can help your with your shopping too!

Come on by and view these handmade items more closely!

Get Organized with a gift from the Storybeader

2011-11-13T19:47:00.001-06:00

I'm an organizer... but most of you know that. I've been working on something new, to help people sort out their busy life through the holidays.

My 6" x 8" ringed book can be used for someone who is crafting and creating, or for the person with just a lot of activities to keep straight.

I'm making the book with the holidays in mind, but it can be used after the New Year too. You can keep your family activities straight with this organizer. Or keep it on your desk instead of scraps of paper.

However it's used, I hope it saves you time.

*There are pockets to hold shopping list, fabric swatches, notes and more.
*There are plastic bags to hold smaller things you like to take to the store or for small coupons that get lost in your purse.
*There's a 2012 calendar to use for remembering appointments and important dates.

The handy book rings can hook on the wall by your desk or by the front door. Open the rings to add more sheets of your own. Or stuff the pockets full as it is. The choice is yours.

B is for Book - the storybeader

2011-11-10T06:55:00.000-06:00

"Sit down with me and
Enjoy the lilting sound of
Haiku poetry."

Even though I enjoy my Blog and spend a lot of time writing and researching for it, I think my favorite B word has to be Book. I grew up reading at night with my mother, and got a library card when I was a small girl. My favorite genre of Books are historical fiction and biography. I'd like to publish a Book someday, maybe call it the Storybeader’s Book of Haiku, my beloved form of poetry.

Check out other AlphabeThursday posts at Ms. Jenny's blog!

Wordless Wednesday - holiday cards

2011-11-09T06:28:00.000-06:00

Peaceful Holiday Cards, or maybe they're songbirds...

Sewing Machine Saga

2011-11-07T06:35:00.000-06:00

One of the items on my Sunday to-do list was:

"look at sewing machine / get fixed".

So DH and I got the machine out of the attic, plugged it in, and... it worked! I thought I had my mom's old Singer, but this is a hand-me-down from a friend. Funny thing, the foot pedal and box of extra accessories are Singer products. Maybe White is just a subsidiary of Singer... If you know, please tell me.

Now all I need is to get the manual and see how to thread it correctly. (I’ve tried before and it didn’t work). So I went online and sure enough, a search for "White sewing machine model 951" had a manual available. For the cost of $10.00. I could probably get a manual from ebay but the site I found looks reputable enough. They offer manuals by PDF Download, PDF on CD or Printed Hard Copy. I decided I'd rather have a hard copy (same price as the PDF Download), so I ordered it and paid with PayPal.

Are you not doing something you’d like to do because you don’t have a manual? If so, try the internet.

More of the sewing machine saga to come.

First Friday Art Walk - Thanksgiving family and food

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Seems of late, after Halloween everyone is skipping November holidays and are onto Christmas time. But what about Thanksgiving, family and food? Here's an Etsy treasury brought to you by the First Friday Art Walk and AWE Team.

A is for Artwork

2011-11-03T07:06:00.000-05:00

It must have been a year ago when I belonged to an online art group, who drew from different themes every week. Here's my drawing of an apple, that I tilted into my Junque Journal. I'm so proud of it. This apple gave me the confidence to continue drawing, even though I don't do as much as I'd like to.

But that's all going to change, beginning today. I'm going to start drawing for my AlphabeThursday!

A few nights ago, I copied a picture of an astronaut, that was really sweet looking. I tried to put a face to it, and messed that all up. So I gave him an opaque visor, so you couldn't see his face. When I looked at the drawing yesterday, I decided it needed some stars to be floating out there in space with him. Those little stars really made the picture! And my white pen worked, which was a wonder. It hasn't been working, at least as far as I could see! It's a White Sakura Gelly Roll.

Come and visit other A blogs here

A Month in Photographs - October

2011-11-02T07:46:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy with my art journaling and crafts this month, I don't know how I had any time to blog! Less sleep I guess... I caught up with my art journaling class; #1 was Challenge #3 ! I also made an art journal for others to enjoy (# 2 +3); it's on Etsy. The haiku really sums up what was happening in a lot of our lives this past month "You will never lose/ the ones you love if you stay/ honest and sincere." I made elephant greeting cards for the Ronald McDonald House with the help of erika from artfulrising, our new BBArtisans team captain. Thank you, erika, for doing so much. Here's my junque journal (#5) - almost finished. And MJ (#6), always close when I'm on the computer. I put two sets of paper beads (#7 +8) in my Etsy shop, and sold a bookmark (#9) to a woman across the country. #10 is my new Koi watercolors - I'm so happy with it!

Short Term Goals for November

2011-11-01T06:17:00.000-05:00

I love washi tape!

I almost forgot it was the end of the month, and time to see what happened over the past few weeks! The most important thing I did last month was to reevaluate my standing on Etsy. I looked at teams and what the Etsy venue had to offer. I left a longstanding team I belonged to because it became unorganized and stagnant. Last month I also helped create a new team, the Blogging Business Artisans. This was truly an act of synchronicity; unplanned and for the best. In October, I rolled more beads and put two "lots" up for sale in my shop. And I caught up in my art journaling course, Falling for You.

This month, my plans are:

Make holiday products
I have a few holiday ideas for cards and beads. But I need to start working on these now if people are going to send the cards and make jewelry with the beads. I've always been a little shy of making cards; see where this goes...
What to do: Buy holiday paper for beads.

Start a new weekly journal

I've been wanting to start a new look to my personal journal. As you see, I like to write. But with what I'm planning, I don't have enough space. I'm not completely through with my Junque Journal, but I'll let myself work in two journals at once. Or not! I'll let the future take it's own course.

What to do: Buy a pad of paper to journal in.

Stay away from chocolate

A personal goal for myself. I believe if I write this down, it will be easier to keep. We do have chocolate in the house, like this Century Rich Mocha Espresso Melts! (I got the box at work - someone's granddaughter was selling it for school). The chocolate in the house is usually for DH. And he likes to share! So sweet... Just Say No!

What to do: Think before I eat!

Remember the milk - a digital to-do list

2011-10-31T15:57:00.000-05:00

I love making lists and having goals. To-do lists, shopping lists, work priorities, monthly short-term goals. And I think I've found the answer to my listmaking needs. A digital to-do list, called "Remember the Milk." Great business name! I have to give a shout out to Rose (randomcreative); she's the one who got me thinking about a digital calendar, with her Saturday Link List about calendars and time.

Here's part of my main page of current things to do. You can place three priority colors in the little boxes on the left, set due dates on the right side and create your own tag (the blue writing) for different line items.

Below are the lines that I tagged as "art journaling." It only shows you the tagged items for the coming week. There might be a way to expand this, but I haven't found it yet.

In the morning, you will get reminders in your emails. You can turn off this feature, but I kinda like it.

Every time you write a new task down, you'll have the chance to put in your information, such as your due date, tags, and a URL.

I really like being able to write a URL address. For example, my art journaling teacher showed us how to use aluminum foil in our artwork, and I wanted to remember to try it out. So I put the due date Nov 5th and where the tutorial was online. If you want to update your information, all you do is click on the line item and you can change or add things.

Where's the milk is super easy to use and you'll learn more about it as you go along. You can synchronize Remember the milk to your iPad and iPhone, to Google Calendar and much, much more. And it's so smart! I find myself using it all the time, and highly recommend it.

3rd Annual Poochez Palooza - dog festival

2011-10-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the third year of an afternoon event called Poochez Palooza, put on by the Museum in cooperation with the city's Animal Control Department. It was a festival dedicated to dogs and dog lovers. The day was beautiful; afternoon temperature were in the 60s. There were lots of dog vendors, doggies and prizes. I thought it was a bit unorganized, but there were many more people who attended this year than in previous years. Here are some of my favorite doggies pics I took:

Since it was so close to Halloween, both dogs and owners had a chance to dress up.

All the booths gave candy away to the kids, and they were dressed up in their costumes too. This one woman let me take a picture of her son; he was adorable!

A grooming business got the best decorated booth.

They were all dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz: the lion, tin man, scarecrow, two witches, Dorothy, and of course Toto. And props, like Dorothy's house. They really went all out. Here are some of them posing with Mike, the tree man. Appropriate!

I found out that the tree man entertains at state fairs and festivals all over the counntry. My boss saw him in Houston, I think it was, at an art festival he was in, and thought he would be a big hit. He was!

Mike is on stilts inside his costume. He walks around and talk real slow. And he looked so authentic. Because it is so hot inside his tree outfit, he can only wear it for about half an hour at a time. Here are the pieces inside on some tables, before we went out.

And him moving around outside. He made three or four rounds throughout the afternoon. Everyone wanted their picture with him. Really neat!

Art Journaling Page - Meet You at the Station

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge #4 for my art journaling class, "Falling For You," continues the week's theme of Adventure. There were only two rules in our challenge: incorporate a map and a secret message.

Well, I love maps! Looking at them, following them. Especially in the car. But if I'm not traveling, I'll follow a road with my finger and see where it leads.

My art journaling page includes a map from an old book (Hammond's Complete World Atlas), a train ticket, some washi tape, magazine images, my watercolors and ink. Don't see the map? It's folded underneath the ticket page, with a full view of my home state, Oklahoma. Here it is:

The secret message (above the title) says:

"Travel south out of Kansas, pick up the St. Louis - San Francisco Railroad at the state capital, and get off the train before heading west."

I'll MEET YOU AT THE STATION

AlphabeThursday - Fall Break

2011-10-27T06:45:00.000-05:00

We spend our weekends in the fall pruning the trees and shrubs on our property. I've been thinking of trimming a juniper we planted in the backyard, but we've let it grow. And now it's out of control.

the baby juniper bush

For you to understand where I'm coming from, let me take you back about 10 years, when we first planted the little bush. DH built a deck onto the back of the house and we planted the juniper, never realizing it was going to get so big. We can hardly see around it now!

So last Thursday on my day off, I got out my trusty shears and handsaw.
Here are my two little helpers.

And now, this is what the juniper looks like.

The poor thing was burnt over the summer, but hopefully it will come back nicely. We'll water it, if we have to! I think everyone will enjoy the bottom branches being gone, especially the doggies. I've already seen Buster relaxing underneath in a newly dug hole.

This post was brought to you during my vacation from the AlphabeThursday class. Next week, back to school and our fourth round through the alphabet. See what everyone else was thinking about on their Fall Break, over at Ms. Jenny's blog.

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Buster

2011-10-26T06:42:00.000-05:00

Buster Brown, on the trail.

Project Embrace - storybeader's cards for children

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Project Embrace. Isn't that a wonderful name for a creative venture? Erika, over at artfulrising, is calling for artists "to follow your passion and to help others with your talent." Back in September, she asked her website readers to create a card or postcard that a family could use while staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Texas, dealing with a devastating health crisis. It's a wonderful thought and I'm up to the challenge.

I've had cute, cuddly elephants floating around in my head of late. The one who started it all was for my art journaling class. Then I made a mixed media piece for my Etsy shop. I’ve been planning these cards (and elephants) for some time now, and it was so much fun to do.

My process? I printed my elephants on 100% recycled construction paper. Then got some envelopes and cut the paper down to fit. Because I couldn’t just have pink elephants, I printed some blue elephants too. I added washi tape, ink, and watercolors.

There’s still time to send Erika cards, but she needs them by November 4th. Embrace the Project! Read all about it on her website.

wrapping beads, not packages

2011-10-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

Italian paper

I've been working this week on getting some more paper beads ready for my Etsy shop. This time around, I’m using some “wrap feather” that I bought at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The paper was made in Italy by San Lorenzo International, Inc. I fell in love when I saw it. Isn't it beautiful?

Not sure how the finished beads will look, since they are not fully glazed. But this a view of part of the process:

After rolling the paper, I stick the beads on toothpicks and rest them in Styrofoam (I’ve used the same piece of Styrofoam many times; it was packaged around something we bought). Then I spray the beads 3-4 times with Crystal Clear Glossy Enamel. You can also use fingernail polish or other non-aerosol resins if you want.

I will probably sell all these beads together, in the same lot. Most of them are 18 cm long, but they range in size from 8 cm to 20 cm. Stay tuned {:-D

Autumn Colors at AlphabeThursday

2011-10-20T14:31:00.000-05:00

When I think of Autumn colors, it reminds me of my childhood in New Jersey where I grew up and the fabulous display of leaves on the trees. Where I live now, I don't see the vibrant colors anymore. Except in artwork.

art journaling by DaisyYellow

DaisyYellow was one of the first art journalists I started to follow, about a year ago. She has loads of information on her blog and offers creative prompts for journalers to follow. Tammy helped me get "out of my skin" artistically, and I thank her for that.

Artisyville prints on Etsy

Artsyville (Aimee) is another art journaler I started to follow early on. She is a crazy doodler and it's so much fun to look at her artwork. Here's her blog and etsy shop.

I came to the decision to use bright colors in my art journaling. Yellow just wasn't cutting it, but orange! It became my new favorite color! I wanted to show you all an example so I went back to photos of my Sketchbook Project 2010 to find some pages. And I found something very interesting:

storybeader art journaling page

The left side of this page I painted with my (old) favorite color - blue. I had gathered a bunch of orange beads and put them in an envelope. Then wrote on the right side of the page: "There is a big change of address in my mind - all the beads that once moved me are in the past and a new horizon is getting clearer."

Not only was there a change of address, but a change of color! Hadn't noticed that until today! Oh, and there's orange leaves here too {:-D

This post was in response to our fall break from Ms. Jenny's AlphabeThursday class. What fall colors are others thinking about? Come and see here.

Art Journaling Page - "Everyone's the Same"

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge #3 "Everyone's the Same"

Elephants. I love them. Especially when they're all soft and cuddly. And pink!

The latest challenge in my art journaling class (Falling for You, by Moira Richardson) is called "Everyone's the Same." All the students were given the same black and white photograph that they had to use in their page.

Moira says, "The challenge is based on the idea that any group of artists given the same materials to work with will create a wide variety of different works." There were a few other stipulations for our page, such as using only two colors. But I forgot about that! Oops! Here's the original photo, on the right:

My journal page had been stirring around in my head for quite some time. I was just able to work on it this past weekend, and like usual, it grew into something larger than my original thought. I wanted to put the young girl (is that Moira?) and her brother on an elephant with the umbrella. The image actually came from a book I read by Hillary Clinton, where there is a photo of Hillary and Chelsea riding on top of an elephant in Nepal.

So my page didn't follow all the rules for the Challenge. But I love how it came out!

Etsy's community activities

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last Monday I wrote about being a good team member, part of my short term goal evaluation for the month. Now I want to look at ways sellers can stay involved with the Etsy community as a whole. This is by no means everything available, but it's a place to start.

There are a WHOLE SLEW of subscription services Etsy offers its membership (Settings/E-mails). Newsletters as well as shopping advice are sent to you either daily, weekly, bi-monthly or seasonally. If you live outside of the US, six international newsletters in four languages are available. I receive all four newsletters offered in the U.S. They include business and site announcements, news about teams, tips on selling, and crafting projects. Etsy Success is my favorite.

If you don't want to receive e-mails from Etsy, one alternative is to follow the Etsy Blog. You can find the link on EVERY page, at the top left.

Not only is there an Etsy Success newsletter; there's also an Etsy Success Team.

To join, all that's required is being a seller on Etsy and "ready to learn and participate".

Have you ever been in Boot Camp? Etsy's Holiday Boot Camp is great fun! Well, at least I had fun last year when I was involved. To get anything out of it, you have to be an active participant. Boot Camp gave me lots of things to do, including writing up a marketing plan. There were also tips, such as organizing for the holidays, pricing and promotions, and how to engage your buyers. This year's Holiday Boot Camp is already in Week 4. You have to be on the Etsy Success mailing list to participate. Sign up for it here.

A new service that's available for team members is the team digests. This gives you a wrap-up of team conversations in a daily e-mail - very helpful for the team threads you don't visit often. Just go to your team page, scroll down on the left and click where it says "Subscribe to email digest." Easy!

Etsy offers many promotional services for sellers. Look for them in "Your Account". I haven't used the coupon codes or search ads, but here are three things I can "talk" about:

*Etsy Minis! I love the little views of your shop! You can also make Minis of your favorites. Use these on your blog. If you don't have your own blog, them on Team Blogs and on your Facebook page. Or just print them out as advertising.

UPDATE

*Google Product Search Syndication If you want to make sure your products appear in Google Shopping (AKA Google Product Search), have your shop syndicated.

*Showcase The Showcases are Etsy's own advertising program. Personally, I think the improvements they made aren't worth the money. The only way a buyer will see a showcased item is if they know where the Showcase page is (http://www.etsy.com/showcase.php - not likely) or if they go to Buy/More Ways to Shop/Categories. That's a lot of effort for a buyer.

Treasuries are another way to be seen on Etsy and it doesn't cost a thing. But you usually need to make your own treasuries first to get any recognition. Etsy administration says that the "Treasury is not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool things for sale on Etsy." Here's an article about treasuries.

Have you wondered what the Etsy Labs is all about? It's live streaming video! I recommend that you check it out, and attend something you're interested in. You can get there easily by going to Community, then click Online Labs. I like using the Video Library that's available underneath the main window. If there's something in particular you're looking for, you can probably find it here.

The Etsy's Seller Handbook is a how-to guide for ALL things dealing with selling on Etsy. It's a great read for newbies, and handy for all members. Don't get too overwhelmed, though. There's a lot of information.

Finally, change your settings if you're not happy with the way you're receiving your e-mail or convos. And remember to fill in your Profile, even if you're not a seller. If you don't have a profile, people will consider you a "fly-by" and leave you in the dust!

What I did on my Work Vacation

2011-10-15T09:16:00.001-05:00

one last pic of the Blue Whale

Back in September, one of our assignment for my Falling For You course was to write about my summer vacation. I didn't have a summer vacation! But recently I went to the OMA (Oklahoma Museum Association) annual conference in Claremore. That was sorta like a work vacation. Meeting and greeting, talking to people, learning about new techniques and ideas. And visiting sites, like the Blue Whale!

I must say thank you to Jim for pointing out the Blue Whale and thank you to John for stopping so we could take a better look. It was the best activity of the whole trip! There was also a geo-caching site there. And I found the hidden "treasure".

Z is for Zipper

2011-10-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

I was wondering if the zipper was still alive and well, with all the velcro being used today. But I see that it still is. Some in the most unusual places. In my search for zippers on Etsy (a handmade marketplace that I belong to), I found a bunch of artisans using zippers in their jewelry designs.

Here are a few examples:

These are my favorite: Brass Zipper Bracelets, by thehippychicksews.

Although I don't wear pins, toniandtree just might change my mind.

Here's a lapel pin in their shop:

toniandtree have a lot of useful items for sale, like ID reels. This retractable ID badge caught my eye right away:

I'll admit it. I had a hard time, stepping away from their shop. Now this eyeglass holder is something I could definitely use, since I’m using reading glasses at work now.

So I guess zippers are not just for keeping things closed anymore...

This post was homework for my AlphabeThursday class with Ms. Jenny. Come on by and see what the class is up to!

art journaling page - singing in the rain

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I finally got my chance to get back to art journaling. I’m taking an online course with Moira Richardson called Falling For You. Every week, Moira gives us a video to watch, our Video Inspiration. This week it was the famous clip of Gene Kelly, dancing and singing in the rain.

We received a digital stamp of a man "singing in the rain" with instructions to make an image transfer by tracing the image on top of a journal page and create our art journaling around it. This felt so appropriate for me - we received the first hard rain in over a year this past weekend!

I didn’t realize how easy this was to do. If you use a hard leaded pencil, the image will appear on the page underneath! Good thing to know. My DH showed me another way to copy an image from a sheet: you trace the outline of the image, place it on top of a second piece of paper, then score, or shade, the drawing. And magically, the outline, where you drew, appears on your second piece of paper.

I traced the lines of this man into my junque journal. My double-page spread includes the digital stamp, some sheet music, old paper, stamps and ink, stencils, and journaling. My favorite part of the page is the “brick” sidewalk I made with some stencils I had around the house.

Etsy teams - are you a good member?

2011-10-10T17:15:00.000-05:00

, an online marketplace to buy and sell handmade.

One of my short term goals for October was to reevaluate the storybeader's standing in Etsy. One question I wanted to look closely at is “Am I a good team member?”

Like organizations in a town, the teams on Etsy keep this business thriving. It’s one reason I’m still involved. If you are an Etsy seller or buyer, I'm sure you can understand my concerns about team membership. Below are the six (yes count them, six!) teams I belong to. I need to reevaluate my contributions and act accordingly. Here goes:

The OKetsy team was the first team I joined. My state team’s only rule is “to have fun and respect each other and each other's work!" I’m not involved with this group, mainly because I don’t live near the activities. But because it represents my state, I plan to stay a member.

The Etsybloggers was the second team I joined, back in the spring of 2008, shortly after I started blogging. My best friends belong to this team and I "talk" to them every day. But lately, only a few members participate in the activities (many of them mandatory). And many don’t even have their shops open anymore. We have a membership count of 206, but I know that’s not accurate. Nothing is being done to update the team and people are falling by the wayside. Because of all this, I will discontinue my membership.

The BBA team (Blogging Business Artisans) is a brand new team I've joined which is exactly what I'm looking for - artisans involved in blogging who are business oriented. I hope to meet other artists with the same interests as myself in the near future. The team is currently closed to new members while they iron out all the kinks.

The Etsy Blog Team is another new blogging team, founded in Feb 2011. As they state themselves, they are there to "Shamelessly promote” their own blogs! I'm not sure how many people actually visit the links I leave on the team thread, but a few members have come by my site. I joined because there are 1614 members. WOW! Shameless! No rules, except membership is open to bloggers and people who enjoy “reading cool blogs.” That's about everyone on Etsy! I'm staying for the moment.

I joined the AWE team (Art Walk on Etsy,) better known as First Friday Art Walk (FFAW) back in July 2010. I enjoyed Art Walks and thought what a great idea, to have an art walk on Etsy. The way I participate in this team is to make a treasury every First Friday. There is a core membership who chat here regularly but I’m a mostly silent partner, which is ok with them. I’ve enjoyed the friendships made here and believe it’s good team to keep. I should be more involved and I will try harder in the future.

The only requirement of the Handmade Harbor team is to be a friend to handmade artists. And that’s me! The team is not very active - I actually thought everyone had stopped posting comments a few weeks ago. Their membership is more international than the other teams and I like that. But I’ve been a bad member, not joining in on conversations and being friendly. I haven’t even used the team tag (hahateam). So I will start to join in on more conversations and see how it goes.

So there‘s a good look at what my team participation on Etsy is. It looks like the one team I’m the most interested in has most of my attention. Which is a good thing. I will work harder at being more involved in other teams and see how it goes. Next week I’ll look at the other side of being an Etsy seller, the community activities that are available.

Pinterest - the new visual social media site

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

When my art journaling teacher (Moira Richardson) told me she was using one Board on her Pinterest page for our Artist Inspiration series, I wasn't sure what she was talking about. Of course, being the good student that I am, I followed her link.

And wow! Are you inspired? This is the Board Moira put together for Artist Inspiration Week #1, the beautiful artwork of Teesha Moore.

All that color and design and graphics and favorites, all rolled into one. But I thought, did I really want to get involved in another social media site?

Well, I'm a fan now.

Has anybody ever use Evernote before? Pinterest is something like that. But for me, this is much better. Here's a brief explanation:

You install a "Pin It" link onto your Bookmarks Bar (below your http line) and whenever you see an image that you want to save, just click that link and grab your image. You can grab videos too. A drop down menu pops up and asks you where you want to place the image in your pinterest homepage. And the image shows up on your page immediately! It also shows up on the website's main page for a short time.

Let me show you what I've done so far. I have 8 Boards, sort of like folders, on my page. There are 50 separate pins (photos) I've chosen, spread out between the Boards.

For example, when I was getting together my Etsy treasury, I created a new Board, and named it "First Friday Art Walk". I did a search for items in the FFAW team shops and pinned 12 images that I really liked. For those of you on Etsy, this is the best way I've found to pick and choose images for a treasury.

Here's my Etsybloggers team Board. I've pinned some of my favorite items from teammate's shops while looking around.

If you look real close, Edi's scrapbook "Danny" that I picked (my DH's name is Danny) already has "1 repin"! That means someone came to my page (or saw it on the front page) and repinned it to their page.

One the very bottom of each pin, it gives you a link that is clickable. I say, that's good marketing!

You can use Pinterest for anything that interests you. Another Board of mine has things I want to buy (you can even put price tags on your pins). All you need to do is to write a $ or £ sign before the number in your description.

I have one Board called "Projects for the Future". This one is real handy because it reminds me of things I want to try, lets me save the videos or tutorials, and gives me the link!

Have I convinced you that this is a great tool? I'm even more excited about it than when I started writing this post!

So I say, Have Fun With It! Collect photos of anything you want, and enjoy what your friends are collecting. If you have any questions, there are loads of tutorials online. Here are two that I checked out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BloggingBookshelf#p/a/u/2/vQP2dBMoCQ0

http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/2011/01/pinterest-tutorial.html

And you can ask me - I'll try and help, even though I'm a newbie!

First Friday Art Walk on Etsy

2011-10-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

Come join me for the First Friday Art Walk on Etsy. Here's a great collection of handmade products from the AWE team.

Y is just one question

2011-10-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know that I wanted to be a journalist, when I graduated from high school? I didn't end up as one, but I still write all of the time. When I'm dealing with factual information, I always look for the 5Ws. For example, this post:

who: I'm the storybeader
what : I'm trying to make interesting posts
where: on Stroll Through Storyland
why: because I want to entertain people
when: (or is it how?) on Thursday, of course!

Our AlphabeThursday meme is all about being a reporter, and a detective, finding fun topics to write about once a week. This post started with me looking for a tangle beginning with the letter Y. But gosh, there's only three available on TanglePatterns.com and I didn't really like the patterns. What should I do? Skip class? This got me thinking, we're almost to the end of the alphabet...

(this is our teacher, you can meet her at "off on my tangent")

Ms. Jenny, are we going to start all over again? If we do, can I change my strategy? I'll be a good girl. I'll make an alphabet book for the kids in the lower grades. For example, this week is the letter Y (did I say that already?) I wanted to use a noun that portrays me, and would be fun to include in my art journaling. And it hit me, a word that you can organized on paper: YEAR !

Let's go see what my other classmates are
writing about, using the letter Y !

Wordless Wednesday - blue whale

2011-10-05T07:05:00.000-05:00

The Blue Whale, on Route 66 in Oklahoma.

Short Term Goals for October

2011-10-03T07:05:00.000-05:00

Before looking ahead, I need to check behind me, since this is one of the reasons for "shouting out" my short term goals. Did I accomplish what I set out to do in September? I added a destash section to my Etsy shop. But there's not too much interest, and I don't want to spend a lot of money relisting them. I might just get rid of all my unwanted beads in monthly giveaways! Last month I listed rolling more paper beads and taking time for art journaling as goals. And I did those things, amid many other fun activities and chores. So what are my plans for October?

Reevaluate my standing in Etsy
Since Etsy is changing its ways, I thought I'd do the same. Am I a good team member? Do I participate in all that Etsy has to offer? I really need to read the Etsy newsletter more carefully and see what's in the works, like the introduction of search ads. Which I am definitely opposed to. I skipped putting together a treasury for the AWE team (Art Walk on Etsy - firstfridayartwalk) last month and feel horrible about that. If I'm part of a team, I should be involved!
Note to self: Open and read the Etsy newsletter, reevaluate what teams I really want to be involved with.

Roll more beads
This might sound repetitive, but I need to roll another bowlful of paper beads. Last month, my lot of 60 beads sold in 3 days on Etsy! And if I'm going to participate in any holiday craft fairs, I definitely want to bring some beads!
Note to self: Make another large lot of beads, and some smaller holiday lots.

Participate in my art journaling course, Falling for You

I feel like I've fallen off the wagon with my art journaling class. I've missed two weekends that I set aside for journaling. My excuse: getting ready to leave town and trying to get caught up again. It seems like such a long time ago that I actually sat down at my work table and did anything other than write checks! Ugh! I got my Koi watercolors in the mail before I left on my trip and tried them out (above). Expected a waterbrush with the kit but it wasn't there. So I went out last Saturday and bought one.

Note to self: Try out my new waterbrush and catch up on my homework!

A month in photographs - September

2011-10-02T07:58:00.002-05:00

I had a very busy month, like usual! I finished one art journaling class and started another. Two pages from September that I especially like: A Common Sense Breakfast (2), using food packaging is from my first class, "Craft Cleanse". And the class I’m in now ("Falling for You"), a page called Apple of My Eye (1) . I see a big difference between the two pages. I rolled a bowl of new paper beads (4) and listed them on Etsy. They sold in 3 days - what a surprise! Listed another art journal (3) too. At the end of the month, I attended the Oklahoma Museum Association annual conference in Claremore. The town was more than any of us expected. On the road we traveled between our hotel in Tulsa and Claremore we found a roadside attraction, the Blue Whale (5). We had to stop and take photos.

and the winner is...

2011-10-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

September Giveaway

I'm happy that so many people were able to participate in this month's Giveaway. There were 32 comments and almost everyone agreed they weren't offended or bothered by /turned off/had a problem with/didn't mind or see anything wrong with having destash items in an Etsy shop. Some even liked or loved looking at destashed items while perusing Etsy.

Those without an Etsy shop said it offered a simpler one-stop shopping opportunity for them.

Sounds like I'll keep the destash items in my shop... I even gave them their own section!

But what you've all been waiting for.

The lucky number Random Number Generator picked is:

Congrats. to deci!

I'm so happy to be able to send my beads to a beadweaver, who need lots and lots of material to make one item. And I love beadwoven jewelry. Here's my favorite necklace called Asymmertrical Agate, from her shop. It was created for a Bead Soup Blog party. Check out more of deci’s lovely beadwoven items in her shop, called paints.

The Letter X

2011-09-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

I regard the letter X as a universal symbol. It's understood by everyone, whatever language you speak or write. Here’s some examples:

X marks the spot!
Xs are kisses, not to be mistaken with Os (hugs)
X is a chromosome, entrusted with the task of determining sex.

And there’s many, many more. Can you think of any?

Here's a glance at some new journal pages I'm preparing. First I drew Xs in a repetitive pattern around the edges of my mixed media paper.

Step 1 - frame the page

Then I painted the edges with watercolors, on top of the Xs. This is an example of what one page looks like:

Step 2 - add color

The waterproof black ink shows through but is less pronounced. Some of the other pages will have Os and \s around the edges. Next week when I have time, I’ll bind all the sheets together using the coptic stitch. Then more photos, and off it goes to my Etsy shop.

But I’m wondering, what words did my fellow classmates choose to write about for the letter X? Hop over to Ms. Jenny’s class with me and see what everyone else is up to!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

Sitting with the swans at Rose State University

Book Review - The Help

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to buy a copy of The Help from Amazon because I was in between book club books and felt this was an opportune time to catch up on light summer reading. What was I thinking? I should have known better, when reading a book whose major theme is segregation.

The story follows three women in 1962 who get together to interview black maids working in white households. Two of the women, Alileen and Minny are African Americans, and they work for women from two completely different worlds. As the book progresses, they take turn telling about their past and present lives, along with Skeeter, a young educated white women recently back from college who's living with her parents on their "plantation". She's the instigator of the interviews and is more interested in telling this story than looking for a husband, like her mother expects.

At the end of the book, Skeeter talks to one of the white women who constantly gets pushed around by the Junior League. And she realizes that both white and black women "are just two people. Not much that separates us. Not nearly as much as I thought.'"

Kathryn Stockett, the author of The Help, tells us that the quotation above is a “prized” phrase from the book. And I've read she was unsure of taking on the voice of African American women. I think she did a wonderful job, though I didn't like the southern dialect she used for them. It was something I overlooked...

The story is both funny and sad at the same time. Stockett touched on other themes than just discrimination in the South, where she grew up. She writes about sexual tensions in America in the early 60s and social climbing among women. I would recommend The Help to both women or men, and look forward to seeing the movie in the near future.

Happy Anniversary to the Museum of the Great Plains

2011-09-25T19:13:00.001-05:00

Museum of the Great Plains 50th Anniversary cake

The Museum had its reception / anniversary party from 2-4 today, celebrating 50 years of being open to the public. Our 50th anniversary exhibition is available for viewing through November 6th. Here's the cake at 3:00. Halfway gone. I was serving and wanted to keep the center logo piece. Does it remind you of Halloween?

Etsybloggers Carnival - time management

2011-09-24T09:44:00.001-05:00

large scrapbook photo album by Memories for Life

Edi from memoriesforlife has two great topics for the current Etsyblogger Carnival:
1. How do you prioritize your time? How do you get more hours out of the day?
2. Are you a multi-tasker? Or do you prefer to finish one project before starting another?

How do I get more hours out of the day? I stay consistently busy!

storybeader coffee cup at zazzle

I wake up extra early, make coffee and visit with my Etsybloggers friends before work. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now.

I start reading before I go to bed (since I’ll fall asleep reading a book in bed!) I just instigated this practice. Since sports don't distract me when I read, I'll sit with DH when he's watching sports on TV (here’s one of my multi-tasking activities).

autumn paper beads

I'll also roll paper beads while watching television (another great multi-tasking project). This is when I catch up on the national news and watch favorite shows.

My evenings are for art journaling and the different courses I take online. It doesn’t always work out this way but surfing the net in the evening can eat a lot of hours, as most of you know!

I save the weekends for writing blog posts and working in my art journal. And making coptic journals. And doing chores.

Thankfully, DH is a great help with the housework and he’s my cook.

If I go and visit family on the weekend, I'll take an extra day off from work - I still need two full days around the house.

Buster and MJ (in back)

Since I do live close to work, I usually come home at lunchtime, visit my DH and pups, and take my photos in natural light (I also take photos on the weekend).

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, I like to walk at the end of the day. My boss initiated an exercise plan for staff, where we can leave the building during work hours and exercise in the park if we want. Since I usually need to be "presentable" to the public, I'll wait till the end of the day for my walks. When I get home, I want to unwind!

My Junque Journal

Even though the Storybeader is a business, it’s not as demanding as my day job and I proceed at my own pace. My new love, art journaling, is taking up more and more of my time. It's for me, which is something new. All you artists out there, don't forget to do some artwork just for you. An art journal is a good way to enjoy this.

art journaling page - W is for Water

2011-09-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

Water is so special to me and so is this class.

This Water Page is brought to you by AlphabeThursday. I wasn't going to come to class today, since I didn't finish my homework. But couldn't help myself.

Come and visit other W pages in Ms. Jenny's classroom.

art journaling page - apple of my eye

2011-09-21T21:29:00.000-05:00

Do you know where the phrase "the apple of my eye" comes from? This was a question posed in my "Falling For You" class; we were challenged to complete an art journal page using apples and giving an explanation for this expression.

Using the Hebrew phrase "Little Man of the Eye", I found a pretty lady and drew some little men in her eyes. I sketched a table on the right and placed a plate of apples on it. They came from Mussle Man's Natural Applesauce - I love using kitchen labels! As usual, the right side of my page was getting a little heavy, so I outlined my spread to tie everything together and stenciled a nice (apple and heart) tree for my lady to lean against. Also added some stencil flowers. And fallen apples, which I love.

Yes, I'm getting metaphorical...

I found this spread to be lighter than my previous pages, a deliberate effort on my part.

And who's the apple of your eye? {:-D

art journaling page - flavors of autumn

2011-09-18T07:46:00.000-05:00

I am definitely too impulsive when it comes to my art journaling.

I began my first prompt for the “Falling For You” art journaling course with one idea. Then switched gears and cut the page out because I wasn't happy with it. After looking at some earlier photographs I took of the page, I decided I liked it after all and taped it back in. Please tell me, someone else has done this!

Our prompt was "What flavors say autumn to you?" I started out sprinkling a bit of cinnamon on the left page and glued down the container’s label. The more I worked on the page, the more I thought about fall and spices. Cool weather and drinking cider came to mind.

And that's what flavor autumn is to me - Spiced Cider!

So I went back into the kitchen and got a package of spiced cider out of the cupboard. And preceded to pour it all over the right side of the page. Love that smell! As I was working on the pages, they seemed to be lopsided to me. That's when I got my scissors.

This is what it looked like at first:

And here's how I finished it at the end of the day, when I taped the page back in. That’s why it’s a bit shorter, on the left hand side.

This spread also has a lot of gesso on it. I worked on the spread all day and covered up things I didn’t like. Guess it was an uncertain day, all in all. We brought our 10 year old golden lab (a real sweetheart) to the vet this morning, because she was limping badly. The doc is taking x-rays on Tuesday, but thinks it’s just arthritis.

And I have to tell you all what DH said to me Friday, when I came home for lunch: “It was raining harder than a cow pissing on a rock,” after I left for work. Now that’s a new one! I was sure to write that little saying down in my journal, maybe use it some day. I think DH gets these sayings from his grandpa - he sure keeps ME laughing! Oh, and I didn't see it raining hard, but I was in the bowels of the museum, at my desk all morning.

Giveaway of the month - glass beads

2011-09-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Can't believe it's already halfway through the month! I said I was going to have a Bead Giveaway every month, so here's the next one. One of my blogging buddies mentioned glass beads, so I thought I'd get some together. There are a total of 3.8 oz of clear and white beads, perfect for Christmas.

I was going to do some beadweaving with the 50 grams of white bugle beads here, but never got around to it. Found some small white and clear beads to toss into the mix, that were left over from other projects. They weigh 1.8 oz.

Because of the shipping costs, I'm sorry to close this Giveaway to anyone outside the U.S.

One question: if you have an online shop, do you sell destash items? I'm wondering if it turns off people, to see destash items alongside handmade arts and crafts.

Please include your email and comment only once. I will be using Random.org again to pick the winner, and recommend it to others.

Spread the word to all your beading friends. The giveaway will last through Friday, Sept. 30. I will contact you on Saturday, October 1st. If you don't contact me by Wed, October 4th, I will draw a second number.

Good luck!

V is for Video

2011-09-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

DH and I never bought a camcorder. But I found that videos are so useful. And so convenient on the internet. I just love YouTube. Anytime I want to learn a new artistic technique, I'll go and do a search on YouTube.

It's been almost three years now since I first made the video below. If you're not familiar with the storybeader, I use haiku poems to elaborate my artwork. Previously they accompanied my jewelry; currently the poems compliment my journals and books. I invite you to relax and Stroll Through Storyland, look at my jewelry, and read the haiku.

For more letter V posts,
visit the AlphabeThursday classroom!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T07:21:00.001-05:00

New art journal I'm working on. Now which color thread should I use... hmm...

Etsybloggers Carnival - New Designs

2011-09-10T18:12:00.000-05:00

Rose's September Etsy BeadWeavers Street Team Challenge piece,
a cuff called Yellow Brick Road. You can read more about it here.

Our host this week for the Etsybloggers Carnival is Rose at randomcreative.
The two topics she proposes have a fall flavor:
1) Do you have a favorite fall recipe? Share it here.
2) Have you been working on any new fall designs? Post some pictures and talk about these new designs and/or post a tutorial.

Most of you know I'm no cook, so I decided to write about what's happening in the storybeader’s studio. To carry out one of my short term goals for September, I'm rolling a WHOLE BUNCH of paper beads. Here's some I'm offering on Etsy. I love these colors - perfect to wear with fall outfits. Earlier, they were drying in between their sprays of acrylic sealer.

I recently sold an art journal on Etsy and want to make at least one more to take its place before the end of the month. The first thing I do when making an art journal is to choose a color scheme. I decided to see what Design Options is forecasting for the fall color trends - an old habit from my jewelry making days. Here are four combinations I like; my favorite being the Urban Romance.

Fall 2011 clothing color treads

I use three colors in my art journals and decided on turquoise, purple and gold. Most of these colors are too dark for journal backgrounds, but with my watercolors, I can lighten up the shades. Here's what happened:

Pale Urban Romance colors

These pages are 90lb. watercolor paper. If you had your choice, what kind of paper would you prefer for your journal: watercolor, posterboard, or a all-purpose medium weight?

Tangle of the week - Unyons

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

All About Unyons

I like onions sautéed, not raw on a sandwich or piled into a salad. DH likes them every which way. I mention this because we made sandwiches yesterday for lunch. AND the tangle of the week is called Unyon.

At first, I didn't know if I could draw this pattern or not. But I succeeded with the help of Carole Ohl, Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT). She has a step by step tutorial on her blog, openseedarts. Thanks Carole!

I messed up the pattern at first, but luckily it was drawn in pencil so I was able to change it. I'll forewarn you if you want to try this zentangle: make sure you use an even number of curved lines in between the onions. This way you can fill in the background at the very top and bottom, which makes it look much better.

And I learned something else: don't pick your pen up from the paper when filling in blocks. This will cut down on streaks. Of course, practice is the best instructor.

Speaking of teachers, what did Ms. Jenny and the rest of the AlphabeThursday class write about, when asked what begins with the Letter U? Come visit our classroom and see for yourself!

I ♥ Balloons

2011-09-07T06:34:00.000-05:00

from lovesweetwilliam's etsy shop

Isn't this just the cutest!

Art Journaling Workshop in Lawton

2011-09-04T07:37:00.000-05:00

Deb's Junque Journal

I'll be giving a visual art journaling workshop at the museum next month, and my mind is spinning with what to say to my "students" as I relax with my own pages. First of all, we'll each make our own junque journal, which is a hybrid of a sketchbook and a journal or diary. These books are similar, but not the same, as a journal made of junk, which I call a junk journal.

After putting together our journals, I'll give a few pointers and show everyone how to take advantage of their new creations. They can be used as:

1) an art journal

A Common Sense Breakfast

2) a diary or datebook

August 6-8, 2011

3) a scrapbook/photo album

P is for Partay

or a combination of all the above!

Supplies will be furnished. We'll also make our own watercolor sprays and learn easy ways of "tilting- in" extra pages. There will be hand-outs with a buyer's directory and a reading list that includes both books and internet sites. The workshop is opened to adults and will be located at the Museum of the Great Plains, Saturday afternoon, October 8th. Discount for MGP members. Call 580-581-3460 for more information and to save your spot. I'm sure we'll have loads of fun!

Destashing with the storybeader

2011-09-03T15:27:00.001-05:00

Remember one of my goals was to destash?

I'm not using my beads anymore and I'd like to make more room in my studio. So here's a great price for some dogbones. Turquoise beads, that is. Lime green turquoise!

That's 16" long - they're brand new! I also have another strand if anyone is interested. Come on by my Etsy shop - I'm willing to sell the second strand for half off with the code word MORE! Just contact me and I'll add more beads to the order.

Short Term Goals for September

2011-09-02T02:16:00.000-05:00

Another month just flew by. And did I accomplish my goals from August? Yes, I did something with all of them, and that pleases me. I kept my Craft Cleanse pledge and didn't buy supplies, though I did pick up two magazines. I didn't start my bead inventory, but had my first monthly bead giveaway. Used random.org for picking the winner - congrats. Michelle! And then I lost a few pounds. Baby steps {:-D

So what's up for September?

new destash on Etsy

1) Start to destash online

I decided to add a Destash Beads section to my Etsy shop, and began with two items...two strands of copper "crystal" pearl Swarovski beads. As I destash online, I'll be creating an inventory automatically! Later this month I will put up another bead giveaway. Any suggestions?

Note to self: take more pictures and count beads!

paper scrap tray

2) Roll more paper beads

I need to roll some more paper beads, especially with holiday themes in mind. Halloween and Thanksgiving will be upon us before you know it. I'm planning to share a booth with a friend at some of the local Christmas fairs, so I need to stock up!

Note to self: Get out old wrapping paper and buy more enamel spray.

from Junque Journal

3) Take time for art journaling

Work on more intuitive journal pages. Is that an oxymoron? I just joined another art journaling course for the fall - real excited to get started. Hopefully I can learn some new techniques and go wild with color. Most of my drawings tell a story, and I like that. Maybe it's something only I can see, but that's why each junque journal is so unique.

Note to self: add haiku to pages, buy two orange pens, take some Fridays off work and set aside a few hours on the weekend for art journaling!

If you're interested in the art journal course, you can read about it here. You do have to be a member of the Art Journaling Ning; why don't you come by my page, and look the place over?

Tangles and Washi Tape

2011-09-01T06:45:00.005-05:00

Since I started my art journaling about a year ago, I've become captivated with two "techniques" that I use all the time: Tangles and Washi Tape.

Tangles are meditation drawings with a repetitive pattern, just right for the student in me, and all of Ms. Jenny's students, no doubt! I started drawing tangles (short for zentangle) to practice my doodling skills. (Almost) each week, I pick a different tangle and write about it for AlphabeThursday.

Here are a few of the tangles I've drawn:

clockwise: DeKore, XYP, Cross Stitch/Corner Box/Corn Rows/Grass Border, Sugarcane and Eyelet/Ribbon

If you feel like doodling and want some cool patterns to follow, go visit tanglepatterns.com for free instructions.

One of my new favorite mediums to use in art journaling is Washi Tape. I also use it for attaching shipping "labels" - they really brighten up my little packages. Washi tape is a decorative tape, made from rice paper in Japan. It was created first by Kakoshi & Co in 2006, and is now a staple in the art and craft movement worldwide.

Here's a page in my junque journal, when I was inventorying the Washi tape that I have.

And I JUST received nine more rolls. I'm in heaven!

You can try making your own decorative tape with this neat tutorial. I tried it with some masking tape I had in the house, but should have painted the tape first. If you try it yourself, you might want to use fabric adhesive tape, like it says. Have fun!

Want to see what the other students in Ms. Jenny's class wrote about? Come visit our classroom here