My First Blog Award

I am very honored to be chosen by Dhea of Javabead... Fire and Glass Designs for this award. Thank you Dhea!

Here's the story behind this award: The authors say that blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming. This blog invests in the PROXIMITY in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that even more friendships are propagated. So, now it's time for me to pass on this award and 'propagate' some friendships!

I'd like to pass this award on to...

Roganomics
Brilliant Beads
Llanywynn
Mama Devine
JC Herrell

Etsy Front Page 12/4/08 littlebirdesigns

Etsy Front Page 12/4/08 littlebirdesigns
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers
Yippee! My first Etsy front page! (That I know of - lol). Found a wonderful group on Flickr called Etsy Front Pagers, thanks to my teammates at Idaho Indie Works, that shows all the front pages, who curated them and who was featured. What a wonderful resource!

JC Herrell: Other folk's finished work with my beads

JC Herrell: Other folk's finished work with my beads

October Brings Changes

Some of my newest creations and a bit different from my usual fair.


This necklace was inspired by the photo of the spiral staircase which is inside of a lighthouse. Lighthouses always make me thing of solitude and waiting for someone special to return home. Hence the name, "Waiting".


My first crafting love was sewing and embellishing garments. With the days getting colder, I've been seeing artistic cuffs as so cozy and fascinating. I made this one to imitate Sally's dress from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

With my recent experimentation in needle felting and combining my other crafts of beading and sewing I plan to make more cuffs and textile jewelry. Bringing all my crafts together full circle.

Heritage Challenge

This month The BeadHive offered a challenge within the group to create something honoring our individual heritage. As I thought of the different roads and reasons that took my ancestors to America and how their posterity has grown, my thoughts kept returning to my Scottish ancestors through my maternal line.

While taking a walk along the river here in Idaho Falls last week, I took a picture of a thistle and that really got the beads rolling. The first piece I made is a beaded thistle pendant. I used seed and bugle beads and stitched each one to a felted wool bead base.





As I worked on this pendant, I was considering what I would hang it from. It could be a ceiling fan pull, a rear view mirror dangle, a long necklace or a choker. I finally settled on a choker. But, as happens when creating as I go, the choker I started with became an entire creation all it's own. I decided the pendant will have to wait for another choker. This choker is fabric and fibers, lace, beads and a vintage button. All in tribute to the long line of wonderful, strong, tenacious, classy ladies that I can look back to and admire and learn from.

Heritage Inspiration Choker


Heritage Inspiration Choker - Inside


Heritage Inspiration Choker - Side

Breezeway Beads

I'm so happy to have some of my creations included on Breezeway Beads website. I found her beads a few years ago while looking for a focal bead to match one of my skirts. At the time I was just making a few pieces to go with my new office wardrobe for a new job. But what ended up happening was a love and an addiction for lampwork, beads, and creating little wearable works or art! Jane (Breezeway Beads) was helpful in explaining some of the terminology and I purchase my first lampwork bead from her. I've been a huge fan of her work ever since. Her focal beads are perfect to frame with semi-precious stones, Czech glass and Bali silver. I've created many pieces featuring her beads and there are more to come. You can see a few pieces at her website...
Breezeway Beads - Customer Creations

She sells her focal beads at her website and on ebay and Etsy under the same name, Breezewaybeads. You can see more of my creations highlighting her beads at my Etsy shop!

It's hard for me to pick an absolute favorite when it comes to her beads. I probably have a top 10. This bracelet was created from one the top ten. I named it "Shimmering Shores". I love how her bead looks so perfect with the labradorite and freshwater pearls.

In Full Bloom

My newest bracelet. It started out with the intention of being more pink than it turned out to be. This is a very vibrant bracelet! The roses and lampwork focal bead are handworked by talented artisans.