Suburban Girl Design Team ~ Autumn Reveal!!

Suburban Girl Design Team ~ Autumn Reveal

The good news is our power is back,

We have heat, hot water and a toasty snack.

My prayers are with those still in need

I will help who I can and do a good deed.

So I owed you this blog as I promised and vowed,

The others are done and I have been wowed!

I feel my piece is simple, not very frilly,

I'm mostly down to earth yet pretty darn silly.

I received the goods from Diana P.

A pendant that reminded me of a beautiful tree.

Also along was Shel's wonderful clasp

I quickly held on with a very tight grasp.

 My wheels started turning and I began to ponder,

I kept hearing "autumn, trees and nature's wonder."

I headed upstairs for a bit of escape,

But I couldn't even find my work space!

There were packages and beads and "stuff" all around,

My dreams of sitting and working were drowned.

As you can see if you look very close,

My chair is covered with wire, my tumbler, a package and looks gross!

I looked at my table and what did I see,

Not barely a square inch to create just a wee!

I started to clean and put things away,

And before I knew it I started to play.

The tree and all that it represents,

It's leaves, bark, and woodsy scents.

I thought about nature and all that abound,

The tree is a home standing firmly in ground.

I poked and I prodded through my stash,

Pulled out some wood beads that I bought for some cash.

I had a variety of this kind of bead

Used as many as I could with a quick rate of speed.

                                    

I found round beads, square beads and oval ones too,

How they make them, I haven't a clue.

I used black beads and brown beads, many shades of each,

All made from trees within human reach.

There's more than the wood that comes from a tree,

There are flowers and fruits and even some tea.

Lots of critters make their home in a branch,

Birds and squirrels are given carte blanche.

 I started to pull beads from here and there,

While trying not to pull out my hair.

I found flowers and birds and waxed Irish thread,

This piece will be finished before heading to bed!

The pendant I knew was the main focal piece,

Adding bits here and there, used some major elbow grease.

It started to grow just as a tree will do,

An acorn and bird just to name a few.

                                

 All critters need a safe place to live,

A tree has such place to offer and give.

I added a cute little blue house,

For a squirrel, chipmunk or even a mouse.

 

Very near to the house as you can see,

Is the copper clasp that Shel gave me.

It's swirls and curves and natural flow,

Reminded me of how a tree's bark may grow.

 The components I used have something they share,

They are all made from nature with nothing to spare.

That was my goal when making this piece,

Didn't want to be reported to the "Plastic Police."

Here are some close ups for you to peruse

Whether you are happy or got the blues.

I hope you enjoyed my blog for today,

I'm glad it is done and the storm moved away.

I'm sorry if some of you don't like my rhyme,

I debated whether to do it like last time.

But when I awoke to a warm cozy house,

I said, "I feel like rhyming!" and got a nod from my spouse!

In case you are looking for something to do,

Hop on over to these others who knew,

That using these pieces could not have been done

Without Diana's and Shel's pieces of fun!

Diana Ptaszynski http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Jan Onipenco http://moltenmayhem.typepad.com/  (currently out of power from the storm)

Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp http://skyejewels.blogspot.com

Sandra Basara Miller http://www.sandra5461.blogspot.com/   <---  You are here!

Michelle Buettner  http://misheldesigns.blogspot.com/

Many many thanks to Diana for letting me be a part of your design team!!!

One of my personal goals...

Happy Saturday!  I hope everyone will have a good weekend despite this heat wave some of us are experiencing.  I think we are just going to stay inside and try to get some things on our "to do" list accomplished.  For myself, that includes spending time in my jewelry workroom.

At the beginning of every new year, I always set a goal for myself.  Something that I've been wanting to do, dreaming about, trying to accomplish ~ my own little personal goal.  I usually do not share this goal with anyone and keep it to myself.  This year, my goal was to have a piece of my handmade jewelry published.  A few friends gave me some tips and the encouragement I needed to send something in to a magazine for possible submission.  I submitted one piece to Interweave for their 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings  publication and found out a few weeks later that it was accepted!  I remember receiving the email in the middle of the day while in between classes.  I shared the good news with my next class, geometry.  They were just as excited as I was!

Here is the cover of the magazine...

You can purchase either the magazine version or the digital version here.

Here is a sneak peek of my necklace ... featured in the "Lipstick Red" category!

I feel very blessed to have accomplished my personal goal.  Actually I feel doubly blessed because another one of my creations was also accepted for another jewelry magazine due out in the fall.  Stay tuned!

Suburban Girl Design Team ~ Summertime

 

An Ode to Diana and Jan

I was asked months ago to be part of her design team,

Diana, the Suburban Girl, she really made me beam!

She sends us some beads then it's all up to us,

We must design something pretty or she will throw us under the bus!

We also receive a nice little treat

From Jan Onipenco, I can't wait for us to meet.

For the summer season you can probably guess,

It's a "beachy" type theme. I was thrilled and yelled, "Oh yes!"

                     

This is Jan's bead so neat and pristine

It reminds me of the ocean swirling with sand, blue and green.

These two beauties are from cheery Diana P.

They look so darn real as if picked from the sea.

I picked them up and held them tight,

My creative side stirred both day and night.

My mind was whirling with thoughts of the beach,

And all that it gathers when it is at reach.


There's the ocean itself never ending it's flow,
It's swirling and stirring, oh I wish I could go.

There are critters and creatures usually abound,

Turtles, seahorses and shells to be found.

             

 

There are flowers around and colors just swirl

Coral and starfish all in a whirl.

                 

You might catch a glimpse of this ribbity critter,

Don't give him to me or I will become very bitter.

One special charm I knew I should add,

Was a heart for the love of the ocean I've had.

Some days the ocean may seem like this

Things jumbled up and not much of bliss.

But once stretched out and picked apart

The ocean and beach have things close to my heart.

I love the sea and all that it brings

A tingle to my soul and my heart just sings.

Another fondness I hold close to me

Is the joy of making jewelry.

It's friends like Jan and Diana P.

That make life joyous, filled with creativity.

Thank you Diana for making me beam

For inviting me to be part of this team!

Please take a look at the other members of the design team and their creations...

Diana Ptaszynski http://www.suburbangilrstudio.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Jan Onipenco http://moltenmayhem.typepad.com

Marla James http://marlasmudmoments.blogspot.com

Sandra Basara Miller http://www.sandra5461.blogspot.com      <--- You are here!

Michelle Buettner http://misheldesigns.blogspot.com

Resources:  Trinity Brass, The Beadin' Path, Monster Slayer

Saturday in New York City

My husband and I ventured into New York City on Saturday.  There is a bus that leaves from our town right into Port Authority - quite convenient.  We were in the city by 10 a.m. ~ just in time to do some shopping in the bead and fashion district!  I love perusing the bead stores in NYC.  I usually find some goodies.  Here is what I came home with from this trip.

 I love buying chain in New York.  One store in particular usually has some pretty styles.  I managed to get four different kinds; one with fish, one with dainty flowers, another with hearts and one with some unusual links.  I also bought a good supply of jump rings, lobster clasps and ear wires.  A new clasp that caught my eye is the third photo in the bottom.  They are pretty clasps that feature a leaf.  We then found another store where they had a large assortment of wooden beads.  I fell in love with what they had especially the chain!  It is beautiful and came in four different finishes.  There was an assortment of wooden beads in all shapes and sizes and we had fun picking out a great assortment.  I can't wait to make a few designs with these!  The last treasure of the day was something brand new ~ cotton pearls.  I picked up some round cotton pearls in various colors (not photographed - sorry) and also some spring colored rings.  The colors are so luscious!  I picture them in simple earrings or as links in a bracelet.  Love all the new goodies!

After bead shopping, we hopped on a subway and headed all the way downtown.  We arrived at Washington Square and had lunch in one of our favorite cozy restaurants.  The food is excellent and the wine list goes on for what seems like infinity.

 After a hearty lunch we headed over to Washington Square, one of my favorite spots.  You never know what you are going to see here and Saturday was no exception.  It was a bright sunny day and there was plenty of action to take in.  This young man pushes his grand piano into the park every day and plays and plays and plays.  Absolutely beautiful music.  Our son later told us they are trying to get him removed from the park. 

Even though the air was nippy, people still found ways to soak up the sun.

Here are some sights from the park...

One more very special photo that I captured...just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  The musical pair of a violinist and guitarist were playing Beatles' tunes the entire time we were sitting in the park.  I love the Beatles' music and it was just fun to hear their rendition.  As we were sitting there, the couple next to the musicians in this photo got engaged.  Life is sweet!  The woman was already on her cell phone sharing the great news!

We then ventured over to NYU where our son was a part of Into the Woods.  It was a quaint theater right on campus and you were so close to the actors you could really feel their emotion.  What a great show by the cast, crew and pit orchestra.  Stephen performed well and was a very funny steward in the program.  We are so proud of him.  He also informed us that he was accepted into NYU's study abroad program and will be heading to London next year for spring semester.  It was so nice to see him even though there wasn't a lot of time.  He had another performance at 8 p.m. that night and we had a bus to catch.  What a great day!

Suburban Girl Design Team

I was so excited when I found out that I had been chosen for Diana Ptaszynski's (Suburban Girl) Design Team.   After discovering Diana's beads, pendants and charms on etsy, we became friends on facebook.  We actually met one another (along with some other amazing Bead Babes) at the Berks Bead Bazaar in Reading, PA.  I must say that Diana is a hoot!  She is one very energetic and vibrant woman but also has a soft side to her as well.  She is a sweetheart and a good friend.  Another funny thing is that Diana is married to Colin Mellars and I am married to Colin Miller.  And yes, the "Colins" met in Reading and sat in the lobby while the Bead Babes shopped...such good sports.

After I received the "spring" bead from Diana I realized I already bought this bead from her a while ago and I could just simply hook them on some ear wires, making a pair of earrings - but I wouldn't do that - not even on April Fool's Day.  Diana also included a very pretty lamp work bead made by Jan Onipenco.

The beads arrived in this sweet little bag and this is what they looked like!  Very pretty!

When I saw Diana's bead it reminded me of spring time.  The flowers are popping up all over the neighborhood and color is plentiful.  Jan's bead carries hues of purple, blue and gold which added to the flash of flowers scrolling through my head.  I remember buying some lucite flowers and thought I would make a little "garden" surrounding Diana's bead.

First, I connected Jan's bead to Diana's and that was going to be the focal pendant.  I attached it to some chain and got my fingers ready to do some serious wire wrapping.

After careful placement of each and every flower, I added a few leaves to the "garden."  I really like how the lucite flowers are in the background and your eye still gets drawn to the focal pendant.  Wrapping around the back are two strands of soft colored leather and I finished it with more lucite flowers dangling from both sides of the leather.

The garden starting to grow!

Added the leather and clasp...

Viola!!

A close up of the lucite flowers.

The final creation....

Please take a look at the other members of the design team and their creations...

 Diana Ptaszynski http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com/

Jenny Davies-Reazor http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/

Jan Onipenco http://moltenmayhem.typepad.com/

Marla James http://marlasmudmoments.blogspot.com/

Sandra Basara Miller http://www.sandra5461.blogspot.com/   <--- You are here!

Michelle Buettner http://misheldesigns.blogspot.com/

A special thanks to Diana and Jan for providing the beads...and a huge thank you to Diana for allowing me to take part in this!