Tool Time!

I make my doll necklace beads as tiny as possible. Consistency in size is often challenging for me. In order to be more consistent I asked Darrell Tapley of Tapley Handcrafts, if he could create his lentil tongs in a custom size for me. The smallest size he offers is 10mm. I asked if he could make them as small as 6mm and thankfully, he was up for the challenge! I had my custom tongs within a week, and they work great. His tools are well made and affordable and he provides awesome customer service. I am one happy customer! You can find Darrell through his website or tapcraft on ebay.

The picture above shows the 3 sets of tongs I own. They are 16mm, 10mm and now 6mm, I made some apple beads to show you what the finished beads look like.

Punkaholic People! Check her out!

I am so excited! They released pictures of the new Blythe doll Punkaholic People. She is already inspiring new ideas for new necklaces designs, I absolutely can't wait. Her release date is August 28th so it's going to be a long month for me!

Meanwhile I am still putting the finishing touches on my other doll. I sand matted her face, gave her freckles, blush, a Licca body and changed 2 sets of her eye chips. I just received a new wild orange mohair wig for her that I ordered from Sleeping Elf. After I ordered the wig, it dawned on me that two of my favorite girls as a kid were Orphan Annie and Pippi Longstocking, I guess they have been the inspiration for my girl. It's funny how I didn't consciously realize that until the very end. I will post pictures of her in a few days once I put the finishing touches on her.

New Necklaces in the Shop!

My creation, originally uploaded by EmbellishYourself.

I have been busy creating new items for my Etsy shop. A lot of these were suggestions made from the wonderful participants of my last giveaway. I have had a lot of fun creating these designs and have more on the way.

Coming soon, Halloween themed necklaces for you and your girl!

The Reject Jar

I went on a mission to try and find those first grape cluster beads I mentioned in my last post and immediately went to my reject jar. It holds all of the beads that don't pass inspection, whether they're wonkie, ugly, cracked or broken, you name it, I saved them. For some reason I can't seem to part with them, but you know what? I had a great time looking through them, it was like a trip down memory lane. Each one has a story, memory or goal attached to it and it was a positive reminder of how my skills have progressed over the years.

We are often our own worst critics and I found while looking through my jar that there were some beads in there that shouldn't have been. It shows that you shouldn't throw out that project that didn't come out quite right, put it aside and revisit it another day. You will most likely have a different perspective!

Beadmakers are lucky, our failed attempts are small and can enhance other items, like my cute house shaped jar, others sprinkle their beads in fish tanks and gardens. Think of a creative way that you can re-use or store your attempts, who knows, it might inspire something new.

Inspired!

Grape Cluster Necklace, originally uploaded by EmbellishYourself.

I am very fortunate to live in a beautiful place. I live on the Central Coast of California surrounded by beautiful vineyards. They have always been an inspiration to me and my artwork.

I started out getting certified in Artclay Silver, and wanted to learn to make glass beads to compliment my work. One of the first beads I ever tried was a grape cluster. What a disaster that was!

The most important skill you need to master as a lampwork artist is heat control and making a base with a lot of little dots all over isn't easily done when you are just starting out, the dots would touch each other and then melt into big blobs or some would melt all the way in etc. I was very frustrated!

I am happy to say that I have come a long way since then. This grape cluster is a huge improvement from those days!

A New Girl!

I am excited to share that I will soon have a new model on board! I pre-ordered Blythe Punkaholic People and she will be here in August! I have been wanting another Blythe doll and couldn't really make a decision so I was dragging my feet. I am glad I did because as soon as I saw the sketch for her, there was no question, I HAD to have her. She is just my style too.

I mentioned her to my husband and he said he would make sure I could get her. He is so supportive, he has even been helping me with creative ideas for new necklaces. I am one lucky chick! So definitely keep an eye out in August for some fun new necklace designs.

Until then, I will be listing some new designs from the ideas generated from the participants of my giveaway. I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments and it has inspired my creativity. I am always open for ideas, if you have more, please share them with me.

Wow! Three Treasuries!

One of my favorite things to do is view Etsy treasuries. I love seeing how creative people are when they put them together, the unique themes, different color combos, and the wonderful pieces they choose. My favorites list grows each and every time I do this. Etsy is definitely the place to find something for everyone, even those that are hard to shop for.

I am always delighted to find myself in a treasury, I checked craftopolis this evening and found myself in not only one, but three wonderful treasuries!

The first treasury created by a fellow Blythe fan Suzanneb2, features my all time favorite Blythe accessories theme, must-haves for your girl!

The second treasury is a "U Pik It" theme, the curator, JazziesJunque, let people leave comments with links to something in their shop and she included it in her treasury, what a fun way to make a treasury.

The Third is this wonderful treasury titled "small BUT MIGHTY". Created by my friend Lauren of Maybeads on Etsy. She is a fellow lampworker and makes fantastic lampwork beads of adorable little critters. Her beads always make me smile. Thank you Lauren!

If you want more exposure for your shop, I encourage you to check out the Etsy treasuries often and click and comment. People take notice and will often include you in their future treasuries!

We Have a Winner!!

Congratulations Stephanie!!

I wasn't able to get everyone's email to complete the drawing over at random.org and I didn't want to keep you all waiting so with my sons help, we did it the old fashioned way.

I want to thank everyone who participated. This was a lot of fun and I will definitely do it again. For everyone who entered I am offering 20% off your next purchase from my shop through the month of July. Please convo me and I will set up a special listing for you. If you see something you like that has already sold, I will be happy to make one just for you.

Have a wonderful day!