Friday Feature-Bead Soup Blog Party!

It's Time! It's Time!!!!! For what? For the Biggest Party of the Year!!!!
That's right....Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party!
If you never heard of it, you're in for a treat. If you have heard of it, make sure you get signed up on her blog...Pretty Things. This special event has taken on a life of it's own, and has morphed into a once yearly event, since it is so very popular.
I have absolutely no idea how Lori pairs up partners, but I have to tell you, I have been so blessed with the partners I have had in the previous BSBP's. And I have grown as a designer each time. And yes, I've been scared each time that my partner will not like what I send her, that it won't be as much as what she sends me, that I won't be able to come up with a design...etc, etc. And I'm still waiting with anticipation for the next one to start!
Because it is one of the best bead challenges I've ever been privileged to be a part of, and you will never know what you can do if you don't try.
Here are some pics of my past Bead Soup pieces...

The links if you want to look at all the stuff. 6th BSBP





Bead Soup Party





Hope to see you on Reveal Day!!!
Blessings, Shirley

Friday Feature-Do You YouTube?

Hi all!
Hope your 2013 is going along swimmingly! Since I live on the coast of SC, I have enjoyed quite a mild winter, for which I'm very thankful. Especially when I see all those snowy pics ya'll have been posting.
I do love snow, but not all the yucky stuff that goes along with it.
I actually had a different post in mind for today, but yesterday I spent most of the day enjoying some wonderful beading videos on YouTube.
Now, I know lots of you create your own patterns, so that got me to thinking....Do you YouTube?
I've found so many helpful tuturials, and I'm slowly learning how to work my way around it.
I know, everyone uses it, but learning how to use it well.....that's a different story.
I now have subscriptions with some great YouTubers....Posters....Resources...??? What the heck do you call them?  Anyway, I wanted to see some ideas on beaded rings, cause I've joined my OTTBS group challenge to create one a week...I know, probably not gonna happen, but at least I'll have more than I have now, and I'll have tried some great patterns.
I also wanted to see if there was anything for twin beads.
I had a lot of fun, and definitely got off track several times, but that's nothing new with me...:)
Here's the links for the ones I visited yesterday, just in case you were curious. Oh, and I did make the heart, and of course I messed up, but I still like mine. I really loved hearing her beautiful accent and voice.


Leaf Earrings

Heart

Ring

Hope you have fun watching them, and have a blessed weekend! Shirley

Friday Feature-The Word....

So, 2013.

What do you feel? Excited? Nervous? Exhausted? Hopeful?
Most people you talk to have an excitement about the New Year. Why? I think we all want to hope that there is a 'Do Over' button. That the things we failed at last year, we get a chance to 'do over' this year.



Last year, quite a few people were talking about having a 'word' for the year, rather than a goal. I really liked that idea.
My word last year was 'intentional'. I wanted to take a bit more time to reflect before I jumped in with both feet. In a lot of situations, I succeeded. In some, I failed. In some, I didn't even try, to be quite honest.
So, I prayed about my word for the year, and this is what came from that....TRUST.

Trust how? Well, the first for me is to place my Trust in my God. That He has the perfect plan for me. The second is to Trust in my mistakes.  Eerrkkk! What? Yes, you heard me right. To trust in my mistakes.
I'm going to make them. I know that. I also know that I've learned more in life from the things I've done wrong, than from my successes. And that my God always carries me through my brokenness.
I'm not nearly the jewelry designer I can be, and I'm not nearly as good as a lot of people. But I'm going to trust that I'm doing this for a reason, and that someone needs me to make something...whether it's a component that is the perfect touch to finish a design, or a finished piece that will have special meaning to the wearer and the giver.
I'm going to trust that the people I interact with are good people.
I'm going to trust that if I do something wrong, there will be someone who will show me with kindness where I went wrong, and how to fix it.
I'm going to trust that my focus stays on the important parts of my life, not the unimportant.
I'm going to trust that I'm where I'm at, and doing what I'm doing, because people need me to do it.
So, do you have a Word of the Year?

Blessings, Shirley