Year in Review - A Bead A Day!

This week I am re posting some of my favorite blog posts and linking back to some of yours!

A year in review!

What is going on over at A Bead A Day? Lisa makes a beautiful bracelet of faceted glass and the Soft Flex Trios that she won!

A beautiful spring bracelet - something to look forward to with the winter I am having :)

With A Little Help From My Friends

I have been blogging here a little over a year now. Over that year I have met some wonderful people. It all started with a comment here or there, leading to an email and in some cases - texting!!!

I have met people from all over the world, with different skill sets, ideals, and points of view. Regardless of these things, we all have one thing in common, a love of what we do and we love to share it with others! These people go well beyond the term 'blogger' with me. I feel I have made some new friends, friends I will keep up with for a long time.

Each one offers a great source of inspiration to me, and their support is unmatched. They jump right in and give a hand or a suggestion - Trust me, that is a blessing in itself!

If you haven't read any of these - stop on by and give 'em a shout - you'll be glad you did!

Dawno's Beaded Badge Lanyards and Jewelry - Dawn was one of the first people to visit my blog and we soon became fast friends. I run into her everywhere online. It is like being invited to a party and wondering if you will know anyone there, and when you walk in the door, Dawn is there and you are comfortable! She is a great source of inspiration to me. I love her work and the way she presents it. We are total opposites in our styles which is prolly why I adore hers so much.

A Bead A Day - Lisa is who I want to be when I grow up. She thinks outside the box and takes me there with her. She is willing to share her knowledge and expertice and is fast with support and advice. A true mentor and friend.

Ahtee's Blog - Rose puts a smile on my face. She is whimsical, beautiful, smart, talented - the sky is the limit with this one. Her creativity is inspiring and her up beat attitude is catchy. I love how she takes you everywhere with her. Her blog is not just about being creative - it is also about being Rose. Rose is on a button kick right now, and I am loving it!!

ammjewelry - Millie is a scream. I love how excited she is about everything!!! She can work magic with re purposed jewelry that puts paid designers to shame. She isn't afraid to try anything new and takes you on that 'adventure' with her.

Be~Jeweled by jana - Jana is a kindred spirit with me. She is rip roaring and ready to go. She does beautiful wire crocheted jewelry. Each a piece of art work.

Deez News - I got some serious hero worship going on here with Davinia. I LOVE her creativity and her funky style. She is another blogger that welcomes you into her life as well as her workspace. She is easy to get to know, and you are a better person for it!

Pearl and Pebble - There isn't anything she cant' do - I am sure of it. Beading, sewing, painting, photography - i can't say she is a crafty diva - because when you see her work you will see she is an artist. She opens up her creativity to you and shares her life with you as well. She will have your mind working and your sides splitting. Good times!

If I could have one wish - it would be to have a huge round table with all of these women around it for an afternoon. Hell, it would probably drift well on into the wee hours of the morning :)

Thank you ladies!!!

March GiveAway - A Bead in Time by Lisa Crone

Celebrating craft month I couldn't think of a better give away than Lisa Crone's beautiful book - A Bead in Time. Lisa, blog author of A Bead A Day, offers to you 35 exquisite jewelry projects inspired by personal memories and expierences.



I love this book! Each project is beautifully photographed and easy to follow step by step instructions. It is hard to choose a favorite, but I will say, I do adore Summer Salad!


To enter leave a comment about what your favorite craft is, I will draw the winner on March 9, 2010. (This contest is also open to my FaceBook fans, leave a comment on my FaceBook fan page and get a second entry!)

*FTC compliance disclosure: the give away mentioned in this post credited to Lisa Crone was provided as a promotional gift with her permission thru her publisher North Light Books. This item is for review and promotional consideration.

A Bead in Time - book by Lisa Crone

I was thrilled to come home to have a box waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I saw the Amazon label and knew it was my book! I ripped open the box and there it was - the beautiful shiney cover of "A Bead in Time" looking up at me. Just the cover itself makes you want to open the book. First you see a beautiful bracelet and earrings mirroring the colors and textures of the beach/tropic setting in the image. Its winter and cold here, the cover was so inviting I couldn't wait to see what was inside. I ran to my computer, emailed Lisa – “I GOT MY BOOK!! I GOT MY BOOK!” grabbed my book and ran upstairs to look thru it at my pace and with no interruptions.

Lisa starts with a great introduction sharing ideas on how to battle 'beader's block'. It sets the tone for the book, how she uses vacation photos as her inspiration while creating beautiful jewelry. The book has 127 pages of beautiful images broke into four chapters including step by step instructions, tips and inspirations. I mean right off the bat she gets to the point with a measurement conversion chart on the very first page! Brilliant.

Lisa did not over look any detail. After the introduction she does a listing of materials and tools that are referenced in the book. She does not take for granted her readers have a prior knowledge of jewelry making. That alone makes this book a perfect addition to any library collection. It is written to accommodate any skill level. I thoroughly enjoyed and was thrilled to see the “Basic Techniques” section. Again, leaving nothing to be questioned, there are pictures and instructions for many different techniques that are needed for the beginning and the experienced beader. I remember when I first started making jewelry, so many things eluded me as far as "how in the world to you make that happen?" If only I had had this book, I would have spent less time scratching my head and more time making jewelry!!! Here is just a snippet of the Basic Technique page and the illustrations. Beautifully photographed and instructions clearly defined, you can confidently tackle any of the designs shared in this book.


Each entry shows the finished product alongside the image that inspired it. Lisa gives you a little history about each picture, and how it inspired her to create the jewelry. She adds a little inspiration quip to each project and adds tips to the instructions to help you along.
This is not just a recipe book for making jewelry. Lisa opens up and gives you a very intimate look into her thought processes and I am humbled by her talents, expertise, and willingness to bring you into her crafting world. I feel like I am sitting across the table from her, having coffee and chatting about her last vacation as she shows me the jewelry she just made. There is an excitement in the book, the way it reads, I am sure it is her very energy coming through the pages.

I have looked through the book several times and can’t wait to try some of these new techniques. I hate to pick a favorite, because I love them all, but when you get a chance to see this book, the Summer Salad is so awesome!

Stop by Lisa’s blog, get to know her as I did, you won’t be disappointed. A Bead A Day

Beaded Bauble - FINALLY

Lisa at A Bead A Day did a great blog on using a beaded bauble for a cell phone lariat for her Rings & Things blogger partner challenge. She also showed how the beaded bauble works with tear drop beads that were featured as the bead that day. Lisa, bless her, was even so kind as to send me the directions on how to make one.

I appreciate the effort from Lisa to email me the directions, but I think I am more of a hands on type of learner. I have beat my head against my worktable repeatedly trying to make heads or tails of it. Today I found this.

NOW I GET IT!!!!



Hope this sheds some light on the mystery of the beaded bauble for you too!!!