Sue Beads

I recently did a trade with Lorelei Eurto (click the link to go to her blog!). It was the first trade I ever did - it was fun! I picked out a necklace from her shop, and she had two specific bead sets in mind that she wanted of mine. The first photo is of the necklace I chose from her shop, and the next two photos are the beads that she chose! The neckalce is beautiful and incredibly well-made - I highlly recommend her! You can check her blog today, too, as she has a post about the trade! I'll be exicted to see what she makes from the beads.

Hi everyone - last night I put four new focals in the etsy SueBeads store - have a look! They are quite nice, and would make excellent centerpieces for your necklace creation! It's a beautiful day here in Pittsburgh - one of our 65 days we get sun! It's actually warm, too! Also, all bead listings in the SueBeads etsy store that were listed in September or October are on sale for 20% off before the listings expire! Get some good bargains!

Do you have it - that Christmas hangover? Where you can't seem to get anything done? You ate too much, maybe drank too much, maybe had too much fun, concentrating only on the holiday and how much more work it causes you, to the detriment of all your other chores and activities. And now, it's the day after, and you have to get back into life, start working again, mailing things, creating things, paying bills, laundry, and everything else? I have it! It makes my head fuzzy. I made some beads today, one set for a special order. She specifically asked for 3/32" mandrels to be used. You bet, I said, no problem! Guess how I made the beads? On a 1/16" mandrel. Good thing she doesn't need them tomorrow. Now, it's not like I can't sell the beads I really made for her. They turned out great, if I do say so myself, and I don't think they'll be that hard to sell. But that hangover thing made me stupid, and I have to make most of them all again to...

Hi everyone - just popping in to say Happy Holidays ! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. You can still buy beads - I will definitely be working over the holidays. Meantime, here's a photo my daughter took of one of the icicle ornaments I made, hanging on our tree (click on it to see it bigger)! Hopefully, next year I'll have some available for sale! Got to get that Cheetah (torch) out and buy some boro glass! Cheers!

I never win anything, but I won the Art Bead Scene Studio Saturday contest! I am so excited- I get a Jennifer Jangles pendant! I just bought her book , too, to see if I can start in with clay. Don't know if I will or not, but it's great eye candy and always fun to read about new techniques and crafts! By the way, the beads in my etsy store are offered right now with free shipping. I will give it back to you in the form of a refund - there are just too many listed to go through and take the shipping charges off each one. We had a nice visit with my friends last night, and the Steelers are on, and frankly I am not feeling well - I have some kind of bug that causes nausea, headache and fever. So I am just doing nothing - except telling you all that I WON!

I'll still offer free shipping in the SueBeads etsy store, so if you want some beads already made, go for it! I'll mail them out first thing, and there's a chance you'll get them by Wednesday!

I got this recipe from Epicurean.com - I make them every Christmas for the teachers and Sunday school teachers . My daughter's school has a "no bought gifts" policy which I really enjoy - if you do the Secret Pal (not Secret Santa!) or give teachers holiday gifts, they should be hand-made. So here's the recipe I use, and they are very tasty! Enjoy! Sweet Spiced Walnuts 1 egg white 1 teaspoon water 5 cups walnut halves or pieces 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice Beat together egg white and water in a large bowl with a fork. Add walnuts; toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice Sprinkle sugar mixture over walnuts and toss to coat. Spread nuts in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 oven for 20 minutes. Transfer to waxed paper to cool. Break into clumps. Makes 7 cups.

Today I will still offer free shipping in my SueBeads Etsy store, and in the BellaHannahJane store. I will refund your shipping charges for U.S. and Canadian customers (since you're most likely to get your goods before the big holiday!). So get shopping! www.suebeads.etsy.com

It's free shipping day here in the US, so today I am offering free shipping to you in the SueBeads store to US and CANADA - regular first class shipping is free today, December 18th to US and CANADA! Get your beads!

Here's a link to a YouTube video - just to let you know where I come from, born and bred and proud of it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reTl4OeYBd0

I listed some more bead sets on etsy - small sets in case you just want to make a nice bracelet for someone special, even you! I wanted to post these pictures because I just love love love these two sets of beads. They were all wound on a 3/32" mandrel, which is a little bit bigger than the ones I normally use. However, the beads are more substantial and would look lovely even on a ball chain or snake chain!

I put some beads in the etsy store and will have more later - some snowballs and the Florence White frosty beads that I love so much! All three sets are perfect for a last minute bracelet for your favorite bead lover! I'll ship same day or next day depending if the mailmail already came! You should get them in time, unless you live in Tuvalu - which would be quite interesting, I think!

Hi there - I was in Pier One Imports today - I love that store - and I found these heart ornaments. I knew they wanted to hang from my new chandellier in my dining room. I am having friends over on Saturday for dinner and wanted to get decorating (I'm a bit behind - tree tomorrow!). Since I could not find the ornament hangers, and because they wouldn't match the antique brass color of the chandellier anyways, I decided to get out my 18 gauge copper wire. I twisted it with my pliers, and wrapped the top around a bottle top to get the round shape to hang it from the chandellier rungs. Then I just put the little ornament on the bottom, and voila! I think this is a great project. The ornaments were on sale, and the copper wire wasn't that much either! Hope you like it! Click on it to see it bigger!

I forgot to mention, the Steelers clinched their AFC Division last night against Baltimore, so they'll be going on to the playoffs! We have had a really hard season this year, and haven't been winning all that gracefully, but I guess what counts is the final score! Go Steelers!

Ok, I got both of my etsy shops open! Hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday I'll have a bunch of Available Work on my suebeads.com web site for you to peruse. There is still time to order for the holidays! I'll mail every day to make sure you get your items! This slider will be on the web site - if you want it, let me know now and I'll save it for you! It's ASK Silver Cinnamon, Raku Jitterbug frit by Val Cox, and some intense black stringer lines. It's very earthy and would fit your pandora, etc., but you could also make it into a bracelet by stringing several matching colors and various sizes of seed beads through it (that's what I'm going to do with mine). You could also just put it on a simple chain!

Last week, I had the great fortune to have the time to read four books (!) and this was one of them. My friend Jill and I have read all three of his books (J. Maarten Troost) - they are quite funny! I have to say, while I laughed the entire time I was reading this book, it really reinforced my idea that I really have no interest whatsoever to travel to Planet China. My boyfriend/partner travels a lot in his line of work, and I get to go along with him if my schedule and wonderful parents allow (paying my own way of course, for you know who you are). I have been to some great places, and he knows that someday, he will have to go to China - but I think when that trip comes around, I will just say no! I feel I'm a pretty competent traveler these days, and while he is busy working or professing, I spend quite a bit of time alone sightseeing, etc. I don't think I have the inner fortitude to handle China alone for a day! This was, as I said, a great book, and you should definitely ...

I'm back from what was a very lovely time, mon, and I will hopefully be getting my web sites up and running tonight. There will be lots of beads in etsy and available work on my web site in the next few days, so make sure to check frequently! There is still time to have me mail you your goodies before Christmas! And remember, No Pressures, No Problems! That's for the Big Bamboo!

Just had to share, I added a widget - it's the French Word of the Day widget! Both my kids take French, and I did in college. I found this widget on a widget search and thought it would be fun! If anyone has a problem with it, let me know. If anyone likes it, let me know! Buy art pendants before I have to remove them from etsy tomorrow!

Well, it's 9 am and it's the last day I can make beads until after the 13th! That's fine with me, I think I need a break. Not a good time to be getting a break (right before the holidays) but things have been so crazy here for the past week that it's just as well, for my sanity. I will be selling at Ellis tomorrow night and all day Friday. If you live in Pittsburgh, stop by. I'll have beads, scrabble tile pendants, stocking stuffers, pandora bracelet beads and even some paper airplanes for the boys! In the meantime, some eye candy! I won't be making beads until after the 13th, but you can still order them!