Sue Beads

I know, I don't get out enough. I really don't! I have some people working on my yard, and was kind of tired of the noise, so after I made beads this morning, my mom and I went to lunch and then BB&B. I got this cool jewelry hanger thingy - I thought it might be good for those photos of jewelry that you have to submit to magazines that just don't come out quite right when you lay them flat! Well, that's my excitement for today!

So, we went to Niagara Falls (American side) last weekend because the engineer had an invited speaker engagement at a conference on Sunday. We decided to take the kids. We got there on Friday and immediately headed for the Maid of the Mist; it was a very nice day and the rest of the weekend wasn't supposed to be so nice. We had fun. We then went to dinner at a restaurant in Little Italy - I can't say I totally recommend the restaurant, so I won't say the name! View of the American Falls taken from the observation deck. It was getting dark already at 5:30 pm! On Saturday, we headed to Canada using the footbridge. Getting into Canada was quite easy and quick. Getting back into the US was a different story. There was a line (not quite as long as customs at Philadelphia, but a line nonetheless). I wish I wouldn't have been so irritated so I could have taken a photo of the sign that says you have to pay 50 cents each to get back through the turnstyle into the US. ...

WooHoo! Check out this beautiful bracelet from Cindy Pack on etsy . She used one of my beach beads to make a really great bracelet!

Happy Birthday to my grandpa, today! Also, we are leaving shortly to go to Niagara Falls - the engineer has an invited speaker engagement at a conference there this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to share with you - I have my camera right here in front of me!!!!

If you believe in something, show your face and own it. Don't be a chickenshit and wear a mask. Don't come to my town and throw rocks and cost the many local businesses more money. The G-20 Summit isn't an excuse to be a common vandal - no point can be made and you won't be taken seriously if you vandalize. You don't have to believe me - if you think you're trying to make the world a better place, take an example from the Dalai Lama. His voice is louder than your rocks.

Finally, I got around to listing some new beads in the etsy store ! Take a look - there are some Halloweenie type beads for you to enjoy!

The circus we affectionately call the G-20 Summit has officially begun. Rapellers unveiling a protest sign hanging off a major bridge, making life here more difficult already....

In the past two weeks I have done a little retail therapy, or what I like to consider my contribution to ending the recession. What? I can think that if I want! Here are some photos of some wonderful things I bought, in no particular order! They are all great! First is a silver sugar skull charm from Beth at Hint . Don't you just love it? I'm really happy I was able to snag one of these! This Old World Santa ornament is from Lynda at SCdiva - you may recall the gingko pendant I bought from her. I had to have this one too! A floral porcelain pendant from LeAnn at SummersStudio - she does awesome work. I did have to buy the matching charms - I think these will be earrings for me! From Melanie at Earthenwood Studios , I purchased this mix of charms and a connector. I don't buy much red, but I just love the detail and the flowers on these. One pair will need to be earrings, and the others I will covet until I can decide what to do with them! At the same time, I purchase...

If you follow the Art Bead Scene, then you know that this month's challenge is a piece by Kandinsky. I made these beads keeping the painting in mind. They should be in my etsy store tonight or tomorrow - I have to go to visiting night at my son's school tonight, and don't know if I'll get to list the beads before I go!

"Pittsburgh Welcomes the World" The Engineer! Mural under a bridge Grafitti under the mural :( River tributary Pittsburgh seen from overlook at Washington's Landing Since we didn't have the kids, we went for a bike ride today; we started at Washington's Landing and went down to the two stadiums (stadia?). It was about a 4 mile bike ride altogether - flat, partly shady, very pleasant. For the first time in a long time, not bad! We wanted to check it out before we took the kids - it's a great ride I'm sure they'll enjoy! These are some photos I took - YES, I remembered my camera today! I'll post the rest tomorrow - don't want to overload your computers or anything! I hope you had a good weekend too!

FREE SHIPPING until Sunday (September 20th) at midnight in my etsy store! No matter how big or how small, I will refund the shipping charges to you on any purchase in my SueBeads etsy store! Yay! Go shopping - have you heard the news? The recession is almost over!!!!!

This is my first glass headpin! I made it with stainless steel picture hanger wire, because it holds up in the kiln, and coral glass. Pretty cool, huh? Pam Ferrari, of Wait Just One More Bead , showed hers off the other day! She made a bunch! Aren't they pretty?

These very strange mushrooms are growing in my yard right now! They are growing in a spot where there used to be a pin oak - I am assuming these are some sort of wood mushrooms growing out of the roots. Weird!

FREE SHIPPING from today until Sunday (September 20th) at midnight in my etsy store! No matter how big or how small, I will refund the shipping charges to you on any purchase in my SueBeads etsy store! Yay! Go shopping - have you heard the news? The recession is almost over!!!!!

Can you guess what I mean?!?!?!?!? Well, one of the things, anyways!

I wanted to ask all you lampworkers out there who read this blog - what do you do with all your shorts? For those who don't know, shorts are pieces of glass, usually ranging between 1 and 3 inches long, that you have leftover from a rod of glass. The length is determined by how hot you are willing to let your fingers get - kind of like torch chicken! My kiln is a fuser, but I don't have any molds or anything that I can think of to use the shorts for. Does anyone have any ideas or resources? I'd be glad to sell them on ebay, but I don't know that there's a big market for them. I guess my other idea is to donate them to the glass center?

This one's mine! Lynda, from SCDiva on etsy, makes polymer clay goodies! She recently had a gingko leaf pendant on her blog and I wanted one!!!! She made this one for me! I love it. I can honestly say that as of right now, I don't have an ideas for it, although as I type this, some are starting to flow! But I can't wait to get it and make something for myself for the fall! Thanks Lynda!

Wilsome, the fire eater. This guy was great and SO funny! Sir Roderick! Sirs William and Ian Random Pirate show...pirates in the renaissance? Unicorn...just have to say that, right? We went to the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival yesterday. As usual, I forgot my camera. Of course, I was also planning, organizing and making sure everyone was getting ready, but luckily the engineer remembered his. So here are some images from the fun!

I listed these and more in the etsy store today - go have a look! We're headed out to the Renaissance Festival today, so maybe I'll have some interesting photos later!

Never forget.

These beads are called Desert Canyon and they are in my etsy store right now. I think they'd make a great bracelet, but they would be good for earrings (smaller size) and additions to a necklace. I really love them! They are made by that swirly technique that Val Cox popularized in her book. She makes the most awesome beads and frit blends. This frit, however, is from Candace at Bead Goodies . It just so happens that Candace was also a target of the whacko u-boat. So I'm giving you a link to her web site so you can go give her some love, too!

Thanks to everyone who answered my poll about my business cards. I got some great comments and ideas from people, too, so thanks again! 90% said put bead photos on the cards, so that's what I'm going to do again! I'd like them to be a little bit more arty, but of course I am bound by my lack of photographic ability. Maybe someday I'll get around to take a course! I'll have a rant about photography in Pittsburgh tomorrow or later today! I'm off to take some mediocre photos of beads!

I made these buttons a long time ago, you may remember a post about them. They aren't real buttons in that they aren't big enough to actually use on a knitting project, or even for clasps for bracelets, but you can use them for decorations. I can see a cute knitted hat, or a bracelet bead, or something like that. They are for sale in my etsy store . I'll be making more soon! Both kids are off to school and I am going to take a walk (I think!!!) and make some beads. Then it will be time for a very busy afternoon and evening - soccer game, saxophone lesson and special black belt class.

Hi! I added some more beads to the etsy store and will be adding some more later tonight! Take a look!

Since we didn't have kids this weekend, we decided to go somewhere - quick and easy. Grantsville Maryland fit the bill - 2 hours away, easy drive, nice weekend. We stayed at the Stonebow Inn - it was very nice! A little pricey for an overnight, but the little cottage we got was very nice, with a deck. We sat outside for a bit and the engineer did some computer work and I made a beaded bead - very peaceful. There was a wedding there yesterday, too. There was a creek in the back, and they built a bonfire at night. We went to a nice restaurant in Frostburg (home of Frostburg State University ) called Giuseppi's and the food was great. This is an arch bridge just down the street from the Inn, called the Casselman River Bridge . It was built in 1813 and, at the time, was the largest stone arch bridge in the world. It was part of the Cumberland Road, or the National Road. While driving to Grantsville, we went through this little town called Accident. Just HAD to take a p...