Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Dakota Stones Trunk Show

Ooh La La. We just got a Trunk Show from Dakota Stones in at the Bead Shop. There are tons of Beautiful beads to dig through and I can't wait to see what people create with them!
The Trunk Show will only be at the Bead Shop for 3 weeks so if you want anything you better come now before it is all gone!
I am trying to be a good girl and let the customers buy what they want first. After a few days I am pretty sure that I will cave and have to pick some things out for myself.
The Bead Shop at WillowBridge
220 South Ashland Street
Cambridge, MN   55008
763-244-3425

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Button Swap Blog Hop REVEAL!

The day has come! Hurrah!
This is the first time I have ever participated in a blog swap hop and I could not be more excited!
Back in March I signed up to be a participant in the Button Swap Blog Hop by Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio. A few days later I was partnered with Michelle Hardy of Firefly Visions and my hunt for buttons began. Michelle and I swapped our buttons and I was so happy with the ones she sent me.
There were so many great buttons that I had a hard time choosing which ones I wanted to work with. My favorite buttons were the little glass shank buttons with the mushrooms on them but I did not get around to using those ones (yet).

This is what I made for the reveal. I used the Lansing buttons on the card.














I had to surround my new bracelet with shells because my partner kept referring to herself as "Shell" in out emails.
I love the peyote stitch and I really like simple designs. My biggest concern about using buttons was that they would flip flop all over the place. I came up with a design where I used the shank on the button instead of a bead in the pattern. It worked great, no flipping all over the place. I like this bracelet so much that I think I am going to teach this pattern in one of my fall classes. I came up with the design all on my own and I am real happy with it (I am sure that someone somewhere has thought of this before me..blah..blah..blah..).

Here is a picture of me wearing the bracelet.
I did get to play with the other buttons as well. I have a major problem with editing sometime, I always want my jewelry to be so colorful that it just ends up tacky and over done. Here is an example of what I mean.
I was thinking that I would make a rainbow bracelet and started bezeling the buttons. I spent so much time playing with colors that I did not want to pitch the idea. Finally I decided that I really did not like how this bracelet was looking and gave up. I am going to take this apart and start over. I will most likely still bezel the buttons but I am thinking that I will choose just one color instead of the rainbow idea.

I had a lot of fun working with buttons and I can't wait to see what everyone else did. As soon as my Mother's Day dinner with the boys is over I am going to come home, relax and look at everyone else's projects!
Oh and if you would like to see what Michelle "Shell" Hardy made with the buttons that I sent her just visit her blog at http://fireflyvisions.blogspot.com/


Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.
* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)
* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)
Oh and check out my cute little guy! He made a book for me this Mother's Day. He came up with "The Hill of Hearts" all by himself.
Best gift ever, I love you Jimmy!

Button Swap Blog Hop

Hey bloggers!
I am just waiting for my shift to end at work so I can go home and post my button swap project. Stay tuned, it is coming soon!