ok, so a week or two ago, I had decided that I was never going to let jewelry for sale slide across this front page again. In fact, I was planning to move everything not yarn related over to etsy, and just talk about the craft of beading in general. However, things change. Sometimes, they change pretty drastically, and so, tada– beaded things right on the front page. I’m needing to raise some funds, and by need to raise some funds, I mean now, today, yesterday would have been ever so much better, k thanks. So, I have made these stitch markers, and I would really appreciate it if you’d take a look. At least they are fiber related, right? I’m trying to keep the prices low, because I know times are tight all over, and I haven’t even checked to see what the going rate is on other sites. Christmas is coming, and maybe you have a knitter on your list. Or maybe you are involved in a holiday swap. Or, whatever. Maybe you want them for you. I’m ok with that.

You can click these pictures to embiggen. I’ll ship the markers first class in a padded envelope, and shipping is included in the price. If you try to buy something that is sold out, I have told paypal to send you back to the jewelry page. I’m just letting you know, because I hate getting redirected myself without knowing why. I’ll be editing the page myself as often as I can.

These markers are made with wire wrapped beads. They will fit up to a size 11 needles. They are $2 each, and I have 28 of them. Just type how many you’d like in the cart, and it will do the math for you.

These markers are made for crocheters. I believe in spreading the fun! The lobster claw closure on these allows you to attach them right to the yarn. A great option for keeping track of your rows! This set is $10 for the five markers.

More crochet markers, this time in purple. There are six in this set, and the price is $12.

This set of six stitch markers will fit up to a size 9 needle. I think these are so cute, but then again, you know I have that pink fetish thing going on, right? The set is $12.

I have eight of these wrapped bead makers that will fit up to a size 9 needle. They are $2 each.

These four markers will fit up to a size 13 needle. The flowers remind me of spring, and so I chose bright colored ebeads to accent the main bead. The set is $10.

This set of five markers will fit up to a 10.5 needle. The set is $12.50.

I just love the words on these markers: Dream, Hope, Peace, Believe and Love. Oh, I guess you can read that. But I did want to type it, so I did They will fit up to a size 9 needle, and the set is $12.

So, what if you don’t see just what you want? Well, I do plan to make more stitch markers, but I can also do a custom order for you. You can reserve your slot for $10. It may take me a day to get back to you, so please be patient. You can also email me your specifics by clicking the button under my picture in the sidebar OR, using the notes at paypal.

When I had my meetup this past weekend, TripletMom showed me her stitch markers. have you ever just looked at something and said, “oh, duh!”? I know you have, and that is exactly what I did. Because, folks, it never occurred to me to make stitch markers. No, not even as I sat knitting at the craft fair.

So, I have the tools, I have the findings, I have the beads. And soon, I will have stitch markers, too! I’ll show you when I get back online. Of course, my house also needs cleaning, and I do have that reading pile to tackle, but…. you know any time I can think of an excuse to sit and create, that’s what I am going to do. I can’t help it. Whether the medium is words or yarn or beads or musics, it is all creating to me. You know that point in labor when you just have to push, you can’t make yourself not do it anymore? That’s where I am creatively right now.

I can’t decide if that’s a good place or a bad place to be.

Ok, this really is my last post before my unwanted break. Other people may google hotels las vegas to start their off time, but I am scurrying to get the stuff that absolutely-has-to-be-done finished instead. I want to be the “Queen of the Empty Inbox” once again, and I have fallen way behind in that. And several other things as well, LOL!

I suppose that this week’s report will be about the craft show, huh? I’ve mentioned that it did not go well, and that is an understatement. I sold two pieces, and Mama sold one. It was very disappointing, especially considering the fact that I stayed up after a lock-in to do the show. In fact, I fell asleep around 2, I was just so tired. I woke up when I heard Mama say “she was at a lock-in last night”. Hmm, come to think of it, maybe people didn’t buy from us because I looked drunk. Don’t believe me?

Now, I had intended to use the show for some branding, as I believe I had shared with you. But it was too cold to wear my logo t-shirt, at least until we began to be boiled alive, and I was not mentally spry enough to engage people and give them business cards. Which, by the way, is odd for me, because typically I am very gregarious in social situations. I use that to hide my basic insecurities, HA! The point is, I wanted people to have an outgoing, laughing, chatty person in their minds when they looked at my card, and instead, they have a memory of a sleepy zombie and no business card at all. That would be a branding fail. The good news is that if they ever see me again, they probably won’t realize it’s me, LOL!

Back to the show: We were not the only booth that suffered, most people had really slow days. The lady next to us was very encouraging, and gave us a lot of tips. She also assured us that this show was very light and not to take it as a potent of things to come. We did make enough to cover the booth rental, and the materials costs of what we sold, but if the next show isn’t any better, I am thinking etsy/flickr/sidebar/something.

Of course, I have been so busy since the show, what with trying to catch up on my sleep, that I haven’t had a chance to get Mama’s opinions at all.

So, I have hinted that I have been doing more than a spot of beading, right? And that I have a craft show on Saturday? Well, here’s a wee collage I made with Picasa2.

Click to embiggen.

Of course, you can’t see it all, but there are *gulp* 110 pictures there. Not a typo. One hundred and ten pieces. I sure hope I’m not hauling it all back home Saturday evening!

Man, do I have a lot of stuff to tell you about this week! And let me begin with the most important thing: my camera is at Mama’s. Yay me, and woohoo, right? Well, actually, that’s not an entirely bad thing, because if it was here, it would take me all morning to upload the pictures. I’m estimating that I have about 50 pieces ready for the craft show on the 1st. If it all sells, I’ll do well, but until then, it’s just another expensive hobby, right?

I’ve spent a tremendous amount of time beading since my husband quit his job. If Mama is off, I am over there and we are beading. This past week, we’ve been playing with sodalite, uncanite and jasper and other such stones. There’s even some amethyst over there for me to work up today. I’m finding that just like different yarns lend themselves to different projects, so, too, do different types of beads. In fact, I have some now I wish I could show you! They are so funky looking that Mama calls them “those SpongeBob beads”, and I just cannot imagine what to do with them! I guess that shouldn’t much surprise me, given my penchant for natural fibers, huh?

Oh yeah, one more thing. I didn’t lie, my camera really is at Mama’s. Today’s picture come to you via the miracle of Zemanta

Holy Cow! I am STILL sick. When will this crud end? It feels like I have been sick forever and three days already. Nonetheless, I cannot devote any more of my life to this whatever-it-is, and it’s time to bust a move. Not that I have been sitting on my laurels. Oh, no.

I have gone to Mama’s house everyday that she has been off or even gotten off early and I have beaded my wee bitty fingers to the bone. I have accumulated quite a bit of salable product, even though I haven’t listed any of it on the jewelry page. I had actually planned to open an etsy shop soon, but have decided to hold off until after the Craft Show, and see how that goes first. I think I said most of this last Friday, but I was kinda feverish then still.

Two of the schoolers started new Ambleside years today, and Country started Year 5, Term 3. Speaking of Country, she needs some help with an algebra assignment. Guess that means I am done here, at least for now.

Sorta. My head is pounding and I talk like Sam Elliot, when I can talk at all, but I’m here. Today, I have grand plans: clear my desk and do a bit of writing, then go bead.

In fact, I have been beading for the past two days. Mama has been off work, so she has come and picked me up and I have rested and beaded at her house. And!

Yesterday, we had to go get some supplies (don’t even snicker, I am NEVER too sick to shop) and we found out about a craft show on November 1st. And we signed up. I am sooo excited. I just wish I could think enough to string the words together to convey my excitement. Anyway, now we are seriously beading in earnest to get ready, whereas before we were merely beading in earnest to get ready for a show on December 13. Yeah, BAM, kick it up notch.

So, I am not going to try to catch up the Tuesday book Review, the Wednesday Beading Report, Cass in the Kitchen or even the Online Craft Club. Right now, I am just going to plow as far through this pile on my desk as I can before I need a nap.

Mine was mighty fine! Dh got up and got some of the children ready to go to the ball field on Saturday morning. They were still in the driveway at 7:30 when the phone rang, and it was one of the board members letting me know all the games were canceled. I do enjoy football season, don’t get me wrong. It’s busy, and exciting and frenetic and all that stuff, and it’s a very big deal for the whole family. But I do love the sound of “canceled”. It just feels good in my brain at this time of year, because it is literally found time, and in this case, it was about 12 hours of found time.

The fact that dh was still in the driveway was an extra bonus, and meant that no gas was wasted with him driving across town. Since he’s currently NOT employed (yeah, I know, I neglected to mention that), any savings is a good thing.

And it get’s even better! Mama saw my tweet about no games, and hopped on IM to ask me if I wanted her to come get me to go to her house and bead. I giggled, because I was already setting up to bead at my desk. Needless to say, I packed it back up and Country and I spent the day over at Mama’s beading and yapping. It was great! I made 7 pieces, plus there was shopping. Does anyone else run out of findings, go after more, and end up with new beads, too? Yeah? Thought so.

I totally need to update the bead stash pictures. Also, the jewelry store page and maybe the finished object page, too. Muhahahahahahahah