Sue Beads

Random.org gave me the number 16, so Desiree is the winner of the bead giveaway! I will send you an email so you can send me your address! Congratulations!

This is a photo I took when I was in Japan, in Yokohama. It seems every big city has their big Ferris Wheel - London, Paris, Yokohama! It wasn't a very nice day when I took the picture - but you can see how big the Ferris Wheel is. The engineer and I went on it - and as soon as we got 1/4 of the way up, I closed my eyes and held his hands, until we got almost back to the bottom again. Seems I am even more afraid of heights than I ever knew! But at least I can say I went on this one - I did NOT go on the London Eye (learned my lesson in Yokohama!). Don't forget about my blog giveaway. Also, I added some more beads to the etsy store. And there's still a voucher available for my web site made-to-order beads - 15% off any order until the first day of Spring! Have a great Friday!

I have been thinking about this for a while now - I usually make my beads on a 1/16" mandrel. The holes are pretty small, but they don't move around when you string on beading wire. However, if you want to use leather, rat tail, or silk cord, I think you need the 3/32" mandrel hole size. So, my question for this week is, would you rather have beads made on 1/16" mandrels or 3/32" mandrels? Please take a second to take my poll! Thanks! In the meantime, I leave you with a photo I took when I was in Hakone, Japan. I got a picture of the Torii Gate on Lake Ashi, and the elusive and shy Mt. Fuji in the background. The engineer, who is a fantastic photographer, didn't even get a photo this good!

Three more days to enter my giveaway that I blogged about here . All you have to do is leave a comment and what you do to combat the February BLAHs! I've already gotten some really great comments, but you have to play to win! Anyone in the world can play, but only one comment per person, please! Giveaway ends February 28th, probably around 7:30 pm EST. These beads and more are the prize! In case you didn't notice from my little weather gizmo to the right, the weather here in the 'Burgh is fantastic today! I filled up my kiln with pretties and hope to get some listed tomorrow!

I really like seeing what my customers do with the beads they buy from me - I hope you do too! Here's a peek at what another customer made - Nancy, from bythebead on etsy, made these earrings, called Vanilla Rock , from my silvered aqua terra beads. I originally made the beads after I saw a design by a jewelry maker, who used aqua terra jasper beads. I tried to replicate the look of the stone. They came out pretty darn close! I should have more of these beads in my store soon!

Cristi, from 2ifbysea on etsy, just sent me this photo of a bracelet she made with one of my beads. Isn't it cute? It's available in her etsy store right now. You can click on the photo to see it better, and click on her link to buy it!

Tonight I met my friend Beth at Dunning McNair's, a favorite East End restaurant, and actually had some girl time. The reason I am blogging this is because I want to remind everyone how important it is to get out of your basement and have fun with your friends! I made some great beads today, but the highlight of my day was being able to talk and complain to a friend that I knew when our 13 year olds were mere fetuses!!!!! That's a friendship! Love you Beth!

Lorelei created these earrings with beads from my etsy store - Forest Green Ivory Sparkles. Aren't they great! I love the components she used to make them dangle. Unfortunately, they are already reserved for someone to purchase. However, you can buy the beads in my etsy store for a mere $8.00 and make yourself some earrings, too.

I have a long-time customer, Candy, who has a bracelet made with my beads listed in her etsy shop! She just left a really nice comment on my giveaway blog post. She mentioned that a good cure for the February Blah's is to buy beads, from ME! I think that' s a great idea! Here's a photo of the bracelet made with the Elegance beads, and a link to her store!

I have two ebay auctions going right now, and the prices are great! I started them at 99 cents and there are only 2 bids on each one! Check them out! Don't forget to enter a comment for the giveaway ! It will be announced on Feb. 28th in the evening, probably around 7:30 pm EST.

My friend Lorelei has these earrings up for sale in her etsy shop - they are made with beads that I made for her! Check them out - she added some really cool wood tiles to make a totally funky pair of earrings!

Everyone has some really great ideas about how to beat the February blues - I love them! Thanks for all the comments! Remember, you just have to make a comment and you'll be entered in my giveaway for some beads! I listed some really cute earth-toned tab shaped beads in my SueBeads etsy store this morning - they are kind of shaped like tic tacs. I like them because they lay flat - I think they'd be a great addition to a bracelet, or earrings would be a good idea too! I'm sure you jewelry designers can come up with some really good ideas for them! I'd be happy to make them in other colors, as well! Have a great Friday!

Ok, I said it. I'm feeling blah. Sales are (WAY) down, I can't get warm again today, ideas are not flowing, and I'm sick of being in this house! February, be gone! I tried torching for a bit this morning, and even though I made some funky tab tic-tac shaped beads (new for me) I just wasn't feeling it, so the engineer and I went to Applebee's for lunch. And it's COLD outside! And blustery, and snowy, and just not nice! I need to get back in the zone... Speaking of which, since the blahs are really creeping in, I think a giveaway is in order! Tell me in a comment what you do to combat the February Blahs, and on February 28th (thankfully the last day of February and only 1 1/2 weeks away!) I will choose via random number dot org (a really cool fun little random number generator) a winner. This winner will receive a random assortment of beads which will include the beads in the picture plus a couple more just for fun! So go ahead, leave your comment (any...

If you check the Delightful Divas in Business blog today, you will see they picked the winner of the Peruvian Violet Sparkle beads I had as a giveaway with them! Congratulations!

Are you submitting for the February Art Bead Scene Challenge? As I mentioned before, the theme this month is "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt. I made some focals in the same colors as the painting - they are available in my SueBeads etsy store shortly!

Yep, I did get flowers on Valentine's Day! Aren't they gorgeous! Twelve roses in my favorite rose color, Hot Pink! The engineer even ordered them a week ago, to make sure he got what he wanted. How nice! However, it's not always all about the flowers! The engineer spent part of his day yesterday fixing my (his) light box, which he built to take my bead pictures. Seems the bead pairs I have been making have been rolling from side to side because the folding table and the basement floor aren't level (quelle surprise!). So, he very engineer-like went to the hardware store to look around to come up with some kind of way to level the light box without spending a ton of money! Engineers are smart like that! He bought some "c" clamps, and cut off the "c" part, and used the other part to make levels! This is a picture of the base of the light box; can you see the little levels by the light fixtures (click on the picture to make it bigger)? He glued...

A flower for you, for Valentine's Day. And guess what? You can buy it at BellaHannahJane !

I just listed 4 sets of pairs in the SueBeads etsy store, with more on the way later today (actually, whenever my engineer can get me the rest of the photos!). I know times are tough, but you still want to create, right? No better way than to buy some reasonably priced pairs of lampworked beads and make earrings. It satisfies your need to create, you get a new pair of earrings, and maybe you can sell them, too! This is how I look at it - it's always easy to make earrings! And fun, too!

I just listed the Raku Barrels in the SueBeads etsy store. They are made with ASK silver cinnamon, raku frit and black stringer. When I made them, I had in mind the jewelry designers who may be entering the Art Bead Scene February Challenge . The theme this month, as I have blogged about before, is Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss". If you look at the picture above (a scrabble tile pendant I have in my BellaHannahJane etsy store), and then at the beads, you'll see that they match quite well!

Everyone, check out Delightful Divas in Business today! I am offering a giveaway on their blog - a set of Peruvian Violet Sparkle beads, just for leaving a comment about what your favorite beads are on my SueBeads web site! Make sure you check it out - you could win a set of my beads!

Cristi, from 2ifbysea on etsy, made a really cool bracelet with one of my lampwork beads - just wanted to show you all since I think it's really pretty! You can click on the pic to go to the bracelet, if you want to buy it. Thanks for sharing the photo Cristi, and good luck!

I didn't mention it yet, because I wanted to have permission from Melissa Lee, but I won one of the giveaways on her blog Strands of Beads - it was her son's birthday, and he picked me to win the Geek Love pendant you see above! Melissa makes all kinds of fantastic jewelry and she also makes silver pendants. I had even showed my geek boyfriend this pendant, because it spells LOVE in ASCII and well, that's something geeks are into. You can visit her etsy store here . She has some other fantastic pendants - my favorites (besides Geek Love!) are Dragon Heart and Evergreen. And thanks so much Melissa, and her son! I happen to have a giveaway coming up on the Delightful Divas in Business blog, which I will post when they publish it - probably tomorrow.

It's too cold to work in my basement today - when I woke up to get the kids off to school, it was 1 degree. I'll make beads tomorrow. In the meantime, I am cutting fabric for my son's travel fair at school - he picked and got Scotland as his country. We have to make a poster, food, a souvenir and he has to dress up and give a presentation about a famous person from Scotland! The souvenir is a laminated bookmark with a plaid fabric to resemble tartan. Hopefully when they are done, I will post a photo of it! Here's a look at a new item I put in my BellaHannahJane etsy store - an oval wood tab pendant with a beautiful Chinese stamp of two birds - they look like love birds!

I posted some encased beads in the SueBeads etsy store t0day - I love love love the color combinations. Also, I posted a couple new bracelets in the BellaHannahJane etsy store. I really like the wood and chrysoprase, and I just love the shape of the coffee bean jasper pillows. Check them out!

Have you seen the Art Bead Scene blog? Heather announced the monthly challenge today, and the theme is Klimt's "The Kiss". In case you didn't notice, I happen to be a prize provider this month! YAY! Check it out here . I have a scrabble tile pendant of "The Kiss" in my BellaHannahJane etsy store, which you can purchase if you want! Oh, and I can make more!

I pulled these beads off etsy and put them on ebay - the auction starts at 99 cents. I just listed them now, so our international friends have a chance to win them! You may get a great bargain! Check them out!

I just listed these beautiful "Tuscan Sun" earrings in the BellaHannahJane etsy store. The hearts were made by Lynn Davis (of whom I blogged previously) and the ear wires were made by Rocki (blogged about her, as well!). Check them out! I really love them! The accent beads are rondellese of owyhee jasper I got from Lima Beads - I think they are my new favorite stone!

Booyah - who won the superbowl????? Only the best football team ever!!!!!!!!!!! What a thrill - what a game! World record 6 time Superbowl winning team Pittsburgh Steelers!

I don't know if you'll read this, but if you do Engineer, Happy 4th Anniversary! I love you!

I know, I know, not great timing - ending an auction in what is probably going to be the third quarter of the superbowl!!! Oh well! The above picture is what I have up for auction this week. Two more bargain priced sets will be listed tonight during the superbowl, as well! By bargain I mean I started the beginning bid at 99 cents! Great price! Check back later tonight!