Back to blogging!!

Hello Everyone, remember me? ;)
I've been MIA for quite......between family stuff like kids wedding, grandchilds birth, the massive flooding we are *still* dealing with......and how busy we have been in the shop, and there has just been NO TIME for the fun stuff like blogging, LOL!! But I just *Had* to take a minute and let everyone in on some of the great new things that are coming up at beadwork-supplies.com! 
First;  we have, at looooong last, found the manufacturer of the Steel Bracelet Bender and now carry them on the website!! I'm so dang happy I could do a little dance lol!! I have so many customers who want to order their cuff blanks flat so that they can do their artwork or stamping *before* it is bent into the bracelet shape.......but they had no way to bend them after they were done. Well now they DO! The bracelet bender is awesome, it is easy to use, works great with our aluminum cuff blanks, and is such a sturdy tool that unless you lose it or give it away, you will never ever need to buy it again. And the price? An amazing $11.95. Thats it!! Less than 12 dollars to make life easier.....who could pass that up? ;)
And thats not the only new item we've got going; we also will be adding ring blanks, stainless steel bracelet blanks, heavy-weight cuff blanks, and off-size assortments of brass and copper cuff blanks.....kind of like our aluminum grab bag assortments. Your gonna love them!! We have a few other things in the works, but I don't want to give away too much......surprises are fun, right? :)
Well, thats it for now.......stayed tuned for more updates as we get all the goodies up onto the website....and have a great weekend!!!

Closed Til Monday, March 7th......

Just a quick post to let you all know that we will be closed starting today, Friday March 4th until Monday March 7th. BIG weekend, big enough that I need all of today just to prepare for it, lol! Our eldest Daughter Samantha is getting married tomorrow, March 5th, and hubby is taking me to the theatre on Sunday March 6th because thats my Birthday!!! See.....BIG weekend, lol!! Now I'm gonna brag on my hubby a little; guess what he bought me for my Birthday? Come on, Guess!! the theatre tickets? Well, yes......but the REAL present was......are ya ready for it? A NEW CAR!! How awesome is that? Three years ago he bought me the house for my Birthday, this year he bought me a car for my Birthday.....I think that makes my husband the very definition of "A KEEPER", lol! The car is gorgeous, too......a Dodge Avenger in crystal pearl red. Heres a picture from the Dodge website, this is exactly what mine looks like:

Ain't she purty??? :) Well, thats it I guess, off to get prepared for the weekend! I hope all of you have a lovely weekend as well! :)

WICKED Behind the Emerald Curtain: A New Video Series

Hello all!!
Just a quick post to share this amazing video. Hubby and I are completely HOOKED on this play, have seen it three times and have had tickets for this coming springs performance for over 6 months already, lol! One of the best things about this particular play is the costumes; if you get the chance to see the play, DO IT.....if you get the chance to see the play from the first 5-10 rows, snatch those tickets NOW because then you will be able to see and experience just how incredible the costumes really are. They are *stunning* and worth the price of admission all by themselves!! Here is a short video that shows a bit of the beadwork that goes into the costumes, an amazing Art!!
WICKED Behind the Emerald Curtain: A New Video Series

It just keeps gettin' better.............

Yup, better by the minute, right? First was the storm warning, then the wind chill warning, now? Of course! A BLIZZARD warning! (We live in Pottawattamie county)

06:21 AM CST Wed-Feb-02

The Weather Service has issued a BLIZZARD WARNING
Iowa counties
ADAIR, ADAMS, AUDUBON, CASS, TAYLOR
FREMONT, HARRISON, MILLS, MONTGOMERY, PAGE, POTTAWATTAMIE, SHELBY
Missouri counties
ATCHISON, HOLT, NODAWAY
Nebraska counties
BUTLER, CASS, DOUGLAS, FILLMORE, GAGE, JEFFERSON, JOHNSON, LANCASTER, NEMAHA, OTOE, PAWNEE, POLK, RICHARDSON, SALINE, SARPY, SAUNDERS, SEWARD, WASHINGTON, YORK
WIND CHILL ADVISORY
Iowa counties
FREMONT, HARRISON, MILLS, MONTGOMERY, PAGE, POTTAWATTAMIE, SHELBY

I knew it was gonna be an interesting day weather wise as soon as I went downstairs this morning; a snow blower was sitting in my foyer. (On my good rug no less, grr) But when I looked outside, none of the snow had been cleared....hmm, weird, right? Apparentaly what happened is hubby was going to clear the walks and driveway this morning but he couldn't get the snow blower to start. And it is bitterly cold outside......so he brought the snow blower into the house....to work on it. ON MY GOOD RUG. It is a good brand, a Toro....and is less than 3 years old....but hubby couldn't get it to work no matter what he did, so he finally gave up. And left it sitting there. In my foyer. ON MY GOOD RUG. Did I mention it is sitting on my good rug? I KNOW I forgot to mention that is the same rug that I spent a long time just yesterday SHAMPOOING. Making it all nice and pretty. So he could park a snow blower on it. Sigh...............good thing he's cute. ;)

And now the cold sets in............

Yesterday it was a storm warning, now its a wind chill warning. WHY do I live in Iowa? Anyone?

Issued at: 4:05 AM CST 2/1/11, expires at: 12:15 PM CST 2/1/11

Winter storm warning now in effect until 10 pm cst this evening, wind chill
advisory in effect from 10 pm this evening to noon cst Wednesday,
The NWS in omaha/valley has issued a wind chill advisory, which is in effect
from 10 pm this evening to noon cst Wednesday. The winter storm warning is now
in effect until 10 pm cst this evening.
Timing: Occasional light snow, along with blowing snow, are expected through the
day. The blowing snow will continue this evening.
Snow accumulations: Additional snowfall will be 1 to 2 inches.
Winds: Northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to near 40 mph are expected
today.
Impacts: Combination of gusty winds and cold temperatures will result in blowing
and drifting snow as well as bitterly cold wind chills. The falling snow, along
with blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibilities and make travel
hazardous into the evening hours.

 Wind chill values overnight will drop to 20 to
30 below zero.

Precautionary/preparedness actions,
A winter storm warning for snow and blowing snow means severe winter weather
conditions are expected or occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast
that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must
travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an
emergency. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous
or impossible.

Winter Storm Warning = Shipping Delays

Hello to All,
Well, I wish that I had better news for you all today; we are currently under a winter snow warning which unfortunately means our shipping times will be delayed since we can't get out to mail anything and, even worse, we are completely out of sheet metal and can't get out to pick up more! EEK!! Here is the email I got this morning:
Issued at: 4:31 AM CST 1/31/11,
Winter storm warning now in effect until 6 am cst Wednesday.
The winter storm warning is now in effect until 6 am cst wednesday.
Timing: Areas of freezing drizzle along with light snow are expected this
morning. The snow is expected to increase in coverage and intensity this
afternoon through tonight. Snow is then expected to continue through the day on
Tuesday.
Snow accumulations: Total snow accumulations around 6 to 9 inches are expected.
Winds: Northeast winds of 5 to 15 mph will increase to 15 to 25 mph tonight and
becoming north at 20 to 30 mph Tuesday. The strong winds will create blowing and
drifting snow and reduced visibilities as well as bitterly cold wind chills. The
strong winds will continue through Wednesday morning.
Impacts: In addition to expected snow accumulations, significant blowing and
drifting snow is expected with this storm with near white-out conditions at
times. Driving conditions will deteriorate this afternoon and will remain
dangerous through Wednesday morning.

Precautionary/preparedness actions,
A winter storm warning for snow and blowing snow means severe winter weather
conditions are expected or occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast
that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must
travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an
emergency. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous
or impossible.

Get More Weather From KETV.com
Use The Interactive Radar
http://www.ketv.com/tu/5W95I9Kar.html
Get Your Local Forecast
http://www.ketv.com/tu/5W95I9OOW.html

Sounds like fun, right? ;) See where it says to only travel in an emergency? Now, usually we kinda disregard that and will vebture out to places close to us....but our 4-wheel drive is broken down and I am NOT gonna risk going anywhere in our truck......heck, that dang thing slides around in rain let alone SNOW lol! We are used to this kind of thing here in Iowa, but alot of our customers around the country (and the globe) are either having good weather or are lucky enough to never have weather like this......so I just want you all to be aware of whats going on here, and why your orders may be arriving a few days later than expected. :(
The only good news? The kiddo is off school......the school says they won't even try to guess if the kids will be in school at ALL this week! So naturally our 13 year old is a pretty darn happy camper right now! I predict she will be bored by this afternoon and texting her fingers to the bone. ;)
Thats it for now, I will update again if things change......for now, Have a Beady Good Day!

New Style of Fauxpals!

Hello All!
Not much to update about, I just wanted to mention some new Fauxpals that are available now on the website, you can check them out HERE. There are some that are in my usual oval style, but there are also some new round Fauxpals that I am very excited about! The optical cap on top of them is much thinner than the caps on my oval Fauxpals, and it gives a different effect.....almost like inlay or mosaic, very pretty!! I also hand picked some to make sets from some ovals.....each set includes one 30mm x 40mm and two coordinating 13mm x 18mm Fauxpals. Fun stuff, easy to make a pendant and matching earrings, or bracelet and earrings, or a large stunning collar or necklace.....just imagine how gorgeous!!! Anyhoo.....thats about it, I will leave you with some pictures of the new Fauxpals to tempt you......although the pictures don't come near doing them justice!

                                                       

Yay Yippee!!

I am feeling better finally and am sooooooo glad about it!! Being sick SUCKS! I'm not 100% yet, but feeling so much better that I am going to be cranking out as many cuffs as possible in the shop so we can keep the orders going out in the mail. Heck, I felt good enough last night that I painted my nails....China Glaze Tree Hugger.....what an awesome color! Gorgeous green, yummy! Thats really all I wanted to say, so how bout I end this post with some more Keaton Pictures?? :)

Quick, before I collapse......

Seriously. I really may.......collapse. At least that is how I am feeling! Sick.....SO sick, sick is awful and hideous and somehow EVIL, ya know? And I AM SICK. Not the sniffle sniffle, get to lay around and watch tv sick. Nope, this is the dreaded and horrifying sickness that makes you feel so terrible that to tell the truth, kinda makes you wish you just would die already and get it over with. The kind that makes you realize that everyone in your family is unusually noisy and demanding. And that maybe pets are for other people. And that I need to make more money so I can hire someone to take care of all the crap I just am not up to doing. And that....well, you get the idea. So I'll stop griping now and go lay back down. In my room. Alone. With the door firmly CLOSED. Oh! The point of all this? I wanted everyone to know that if you called me or emailed me today that NOPE, I did NOT drag my butt of the couch to answer you. I really AM sorry, and will get to everyone as soon as I can remain upright longer than 30 seconds..........ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

Grandmas Little Buddy

Be prepared! You are about to view actual photgraphic evidence that Angels exsist......

Keaton Lee Henry, Born 10/30/10 at 10:30pm

Saying "I love you Gramma"  ;)

The Angel sleeps.....

No doubt about it, he IS an Angel!!!

Snow Days!

wow, I can't believe that we have finally gotten a real snow fall here in Iowa! It seems like it has been years! Still not near as much snow as we used to get when I was a kid, but enough that tomorrow will be my daughters second snow day off from school in a row...so yay Megann, LOL! On the downside, we have literally been snowed in....can't get out to ship packages! So some of you will probably be getting your orders a few days later than planned, I am very very sorry!! I think if we are still stuck tomorrow we will arrange for the postal carrier to pick up the packages. We don't like to do that because they simply scan how many packages they picked up, instead of scanning each one individually like they do at the post office counter. But it would still be better to at least get the packages on their way! If you are wondering if your package is one that has been delayed, you can email me at hlizzieb1@aol.com and I will be happy to check!
Thats about all for now, wanna get off the computer asap because I may lose my connection again...dang snow storms!! Here is a parting pic of one of my newest Fauxpals, available now on the website!!

KEATON HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!

I am so happy and excited that I can hardly stand it.....because KEATON has arrived!!! Keaton is our first Grandchild, born to our Son David and our Daughter-in-Law Alyssa. He was born on October 30th, at 10:30pm......see those numbers? Born on 10-30-10 at 10:30......MUST be a good omen, right? :)
It goes without saying that baby Keaton is GORGEOUS, lol.....and I will prove it to you as soon as we get the masses of pictures that we took uploaded onto the computer; so be prepared for some MAJOR baby picture overload, lol! :)
That is it for now, I just wanted to check in and let everyone know our joyous news.....(which is also the reason why we have been a little out of touch lately) ;)
As always, HAVE A BEADY GOOD DAY!!

A Fragrant way to say Thank You............

Wow, it has been awhile since I posted anything! I had several weeks of chaos....I won't go into the whole story but just say that illness, injury, surgery, a car accident and the loss of a beloved pet were involved....and the crazy part is that none of those things were related to each-other, lol! But thankfully life has settled back into it's normal routine, and hopefully I can get back to posting on a more regular basis!
Like todays post; and this one is AWESOME!!! We are so truly grateful for all of our amazing customers, and have been trying to come up with a way to say Thank You....a way that is fun and different, you know? And I am VERY excited about what we have come up with!!! It is......are you ready? PERFUME! Yup, perfume! For only......wait for it, wait for it......ONE PENNY! How amazing is that?? I bet you are asking "whats the catch?", right? No catch, just a minimum purchase requirement, and it starts as low as $35.00. Here is how it works:

Spend at least $35.00 and you qualify to choose any one item from level ONE.
Spend at least $70.00 and you qualify to choose any one item from level TWO.
Spend at least $100.00 and you qualify to choose any one item from level THREE.

Easy, right? Now, here are the finer details:
Wholesale orders are not included. Only one item please.....regardless of how much you spend. Minimum purchase requirements are before shipping. Please also keep in mind that these items may be limited in number and may change at any time; we reserve the right to substitute an item of equal or greater value if the item you choose has become out of stock. These are brand new, never been used scents. Some are for the ladies, some for the guys. Some are in boxes, some are not. Orders including a perfume that do not meet the required minimum purchase will NOT be sent the perfume; you will be sent a penny for refund instead. So please do NOT order a perfume if you do not meet the minimum purchase requirement! :) INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Please note that many countries prohibit the shipment of perfumes into their country; if you choose a perfume but it is prohibited, you will NOT receive it.
Here is a link to the perfume page, check out what we have to offer....good stuff, amazing stuff!!! LINK
I do hope that everyone has fun with this......if you have any questions about it, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Feeling Better & Getting Caught Up

Good news at last, I am finally starting to feel better after my dental surjury, yaaaa-hooooo!!!! I didn't even take a nap today....wow, gosh, gasp!! (I did want to though, but I resisted the impulse lol) I was able to get caught up on all of our custom cut orders (thank goodness!!) and just have one large order to complete.....then it is back to the daily inventory upkeep. Again, I truly apologize to all of our wonderful customers for the delays in their orders being shipped, I sincerely appreciate everyones patience and understanding! :) You guys ROCK!!

Ow, Pain, Ow Ow Ow......Announcement......

Just a quick announcement, before I go lay back down and take another NAP. I love naps, don't you? Anyhoo.....I just wanted to let everyone know that I had to go to the oral surgeon yesterday for a bit of an emergency tooth situation.....hence the "OW, PAIN" heading. ;) And why am I telling you this? Because unfortunately I have gotten sadly behind in my custom cut orders......so there will be a few of of you having to wait an extra couple of days for your orders. I am VERY sorry about that, and promise to get them done as soon as I possibly can! I am already starting to feel better and trust that I will be back on track very very soon! Ok, thats really all I wanted to say, off to take a pain pill and that nap! :)

This Weeks FEATURED ARTIST is.......(insert drumroll here)

YVONNE, from Texas!!
(hmm....why do I suddenly feel like saying, "Come on down! You're the next contestant......") *wink*
Yvonne sent me some pictures of her gorgeous pieces the other day and I knew immediately that I HAD to have her as one of our Featured Artists. I feel that her work shows a great eye for color and stone placement, and a VAST degree of skill in putting it all together! (you will see what I mean in just a minute!) Yvonne taught herself how to bead on a loom about 9 years ago and was very involved with knitting and crochet as well, but when she discovered bead embroidery, she was hooked! (hee hee...."hooked"....get it? Crochet.....hooked...hee hee....I'm such a dork, lol)
 Yvonne says she finds inspiration everywhere, from travel books and art to everyday surroundings....the world is a colorful place, after all. :) She also loves the books "The art of Bead Embroidery" by Sherry Serafini & Heidi Kummli, "Beading with Cabochons" by Jamie Cloud Eakin, "Beaded Colorways" by Beverly Ash Gilbert, and Laura McCabe's "Embellished Beadweaving". I would have to agree with her, those authors are true inspirations to us all! :)
I also would have to say that, like my first Featured Artist Gerda, Yvonne is a True Artist....and I hope she knows that she is a great Inspiration as well! (and provides some darn fine eye candy!) :)
Ok folks, get your drool-bibs ready because here we go.......Artwork by YVONNE!

               Check out these colors, that wire crochet work, STUNNING, to say the least!

And how about the eclectic stone placement in this piece?! Wow!

Even smaller designs get AAA treatment!

I adore this one, the colors, shapes....and look at that clasp!!

This one is my husbands favorite; he could NOT stop staring!! :)

And last but not least; a Turquoise Stunner!!!!

Now, do you see what I mean? Yvonne has that special talent, taste and creativity that creates true artists. I am proud to have her as this weeks Featured Artist, and would like to thank her for sharing her beautiful and inspiring eye candy!!

(and don't forget;  if you would like to be considered for a "Featured Artist of The Week", send pics to: hlizzieb1@aol.com)

The First Featured Artist, as well as "An Ode To Gerda & Juergen"

I am a truly fortunate person; I get to do a job that I love (and sometimes do it in my jammies!!) and, because of that job, I get to "meet" talented artists from all over the world. I LOVE getting to know them and I ADORE getting to see pictures of their work! I am sent pictures of drool-worthy beadwork nearly every day....so often in fact that I have decided to begin doing a post each week or so where I showcase a "Featured Artist"....doesn't that sound awesome? :) I feel truly honored to begin this new feature with an amazing artist; Gerda Petersen!
Gerda is a customer from Germany; yes, a customer.....whom I am proud to now call my Friend. My relationship with Gerda and her husband Juergen began when she placed an order with us at beadwork-supplies.com. Unfortunately, that package became lost......and in emailing back and forth to each other about it, we all got to know each-other and became friends. It would be almost impossible not to like both Gerda and Juergen; they are both amazingly friendly, funny and nice in additon to being patient and understanding, LOL! (that package did finally show up in Germany....guess it took the scenic route to get there, grrrr!!) And best of all, Gerda is a fantastically talented artist! She has only been working with bead embroidery for a few months, which makes the complexity and stellar quality of her work even more amazing. She has "IT"....that true, honest to goodness, genious-talent that produces not only gorgeous pieces but celebrated bead artists. Want to see what I mean? Well, here we go....our first "Feautured  Artist":
                                                          GERDA PETERSEN!
First, a picture of Gerda. How gorgeous and cool is she??!!

Now, for her work! Here is a photo line up of a piece from start to finish:

See? How awesome is That?? Can you believe she is a Newbie?? Here are some more:

What did I tell you....Great Gorgeous Gerda!! Our first Featured Artist and my new friend! :)

If you would like to be considered for our "Featured Artist", you may send pictures and your information (such as website links!!) to:

hlizzieb1@aol.com

Bring on the eye candy.....and Have a Beady Good Day! :)

                                                          

Copper and Fauxpals™ and Video, Oh My!

Happy Sunday to you all!
I am so dig-darn-diddly excited today! (what...thats a phrase, right? Dig-darn-diddly.....pretty sure its a real phrase)
First of all......due to popular demand, we have added copper cuff bracelet blanks to the website! They are so pretty and shiny, but boy do they take fingerprints! Take a peek HERE and you will see what I mean, the copper cuff bracelet blanks are all the way at the bottom. Look at those pictures! Fingerprints galore! Sorry about that, hubby takes all the pictures so lets just blame him, shall we? :)
Also, we have added a bunch of new Fauxpals™ to the website; these are 13mm x 18mm in size and oh so pretty!! And because the pictures don't even come close to showing the true gorgeousness (also a word, right?) of the Fauxpals™, hubby and I shot a quick video of them in the sun. You can check that out HERE!  Yup, that is my hand you see there, trying to move the Fauxpals™ around a bit so you can see the color flash. They are still prettier in person, but the video does show them a bit better than the still pictures do. All my Fauxpals™ are introductory priced right now and are selling fast, so be sure to check them out and get em while you can! :)
I think that is everything for now, Have a Beady Good Sunday y'all!

My Latest Obsession......

So, what is my latest obsession? Well, it is something that I have had running around in my head for a loooong time. I have tried and tried to find a way to make this idea work and this week, SUCCESS!! I am talking about "FAUXPALS™". What are "Fauxpals™" you ask? They are what I am calling cabochons that I am making.....because they have so much firey color-play, that they look like opals! Heck, you could even mistake them for dichroic glass....they have the same type of color-shifting, shimmering quality. I have been working on getting them just right and have finally hit on a technique that gives me the results that I have been looking for; and I am SO happy!!! So....what do they look like? Here, I will show you a picture:

And here is another:

Ok, one more:

Now, aren't those pretty?? And the pictures don't come near to showing the richness of the colors, the depth of the translucency......these cabs are MUCH more vibrant in real life! I just added a dozen 30mm x 40mm ones to the website, you can check all of them out HERE!

I am offering them at an introductory price of only $5 each.....a STEAL!! So if you like them, be sure to snap them up while you can! :) And then tell me what you think of them; I would really love some feedback on these...please? :)

Thats it for now, I hope you all Have a Beady Good Day!

New Items, Yay!!

Just wanted to do a quick post and let folks know that we just added some cool new items to our hair findings page! A new, smaller barrette and some really great headbands! The smaller barrette is perfect for babies, kids or even us grown ups who just want a daintier size barrette....too cute!! The new headbands are made from white plastic and we have regular ones in three widths, foam covered ones in two widths and one size that is round....perfect for peyote!! A nice assortment sure to get the creative juices flowing! :) You can check them out HERE.

Coming soon: Copper bracelet blanks, aluminum barrette blanks for the ponytail clip and baby barrette, bracelet blank templates, a bracelet blank assortment.....the list goes on and on, so be sure to stayed tuned! :)
Thats it for now, Have a Beady Good Day!