Catching up - part 2!

Trashy Treasures

Saturdays around my house are often reserved for yard sales and Farmer's Market runs. Since the fridge was a bit full of last week's fruits and veggies, we skipped the Farmer's Market and headed straight for our list of yard sales. Jim usually writes up a list of the most likely looking ones from the local paper, maybe a few from Craig's List (not too fruitful in our area) and off we go. Didn't find much at first and then, Jackpot!! Here's the bag I found at an estate sale among collectible knives and dental kilns.

This is one fine find, and at $5.00, the sale manager may not have been kidding when he said the tag should have said $50.00. The clasp is Catalin, more commonly identified as Bakelite (chemically they are the same plastic.) It has a warm, amber-like quality to it, and I am very pleased. The brown leather has seen better days, but hey, it's older than I am. I think I am going store some of my vintage jewelry in it.

A while later, this popped up.

The color spoke to me. I am more of a green freak these days than I have ever been. And then, there's the lining!

Made up for not going to the farmer's market. I've got my watermelon right here! I'm not much for brand names, but this is an Anne Klein leather bag. Now the question is will I actually use it?


Hope everyone had a "fruitful" weekend!

Catching up!

Things Bloggy

Ooops! Did I forget something? I am participating in the Blog Hop For Art Jewelry Elements July Component of the Month. I already own another Jennifer Cameron piece, but I really wanted to get up close and personal with one of the Insomnia Nightmare series, And here it is. I won this gorgeous bead! 

I am already working on the necklace that this bead will star in. Stay tuned!

What else? Well, the Bead Soup first reveal is right around the corner, on July 28. I am seeing blue beads in my sleep. Here's a picture of Carolyn's lovely selection.


I hope I have done it justice!

What else? 

On August 4, the reveal for the Thrift Store Blog Hop  should be lots of fun. Some of us are finding out, however, that the $1.50 price limit is a bigger challenge then we thought! In the U.S. at least, thrift shop owners want to wring every penny out of old stuff!

Here's what I chose to work with:

It's a pair of funky '80s (?) earrings from the designer Edgar Berebi. I try to avoid messing with vintage jewelry that may have some intrinsic value in its present state but look:

If you look closely, you can see that the original posts are smushed down and probably would not last long if straightened and used as earrings. And I thought they would look good as a necklace. More later!

Cool Give-away

Oh my, another cool give-away, by Fusion Muse!

And to make sure we keep our skills up, we need to blog about what we do with our winnings. So it's a challenge, too!

I have been alternating between productivity (I made some new jewelry) and lethargy (I did not take any pictures.) So I hope my next posts will feature photos!

Lori's doing it again!

In addition to the fabulous Bead Soup event, Lori Anderson is hosting a giveaway on her blog, Pretty Things

There are five prizes. One prize  is a collection of things that Lori bought and was given at the Bead and Button Show. Another is her Bead Soup book. You might also win her e-book on Blogging Inspirations, or a Bead Soup tote (how cool is that!) or a mystery bead soup mixed by Lori herself.

Hop on over and sign up!

Summer of Soup!

It got there!

Carolyn has her bead soup, and I have mine! Here is what Carloyn sent to me:

And this is the selection I sent to her:

(As you can see I was playing with the writing function on PicMonkey that day!)

I see some definite themes here. Donuts. Blue. Shiny!

Can't wait to get started. I have a few ideas in mind....

A little sneak peek

So This is a sneak peak at the Soup Mix I sent out to Carolyn Lawson. Maybe I have too much time on my hands!

Jennifer's Blog Party bead is here!

Update! Down below this post somewhere, I mentioned the awesome Blog Party at Glass Addictions, when I bid on and won the flash auction for a lovely lampwork bead made by Jennifer Cameron. Just when I thought that I would have no surprises in my mailbox, out popped my new bead. Sorry I do not have a picture of it in its new home yet, but here is Jen's picture!

Now, the challenge is to actually do something with it! (I have a few other special beads hanging around that I just look at from time to time, don't you?)