I revised my essay before turning it in. Then I revised according to the teacher's instructions, and I will probably revise it again. I think it's very cool that this teacher allows us to continually revise and improve our grade.

Now on to beading-------- I haven't had as much time to work :(
 I still get things done if I have an order but it's been hard to find time to just make whatever I want to make. (I have about 120 items already made and on display in my home office).  On the plus side some people in my classes have shown an interest in my items. And Sheri Shouse (my biggest supporter) always has something to keep me busy :)

I have some super-cool ideas that I can't wait to try out. Here are some hints: One has to do with keys (an inspiration I got from my Keys for Writers book in English 101), and several have to do with mirrors (an inspiration from doodles I made in English class). So keep an eye on my blog. I will post pictures when I get the time to actually make the items.

I'm so excited! I just finished my second day of school. I am taking classes at Pierce College to get my prerequisits so I can apply for the nursing program. Because I'm so excited I wanted to share my first essay with you. The topic was any issue that is important to me personally so of course I chose a topic that has to do with beading. Let me know what you think.

Unique is Better

Beaded jewelry is very fashionable right now. Most people don't think before they buy a piece of beaded jewelry. You can pick up a beaded bracelet or necklace at almost any department store. However, if you take a little time to consider before you buy I think you will realize that buying from a local artisan has many benefits.

If you choose to buy from someone who is local not only is it supporting your local economy, you may even be supporting people you know. Many people who make hand-crafted jewelry do it as a part-time job to earn money while raising a family, going to school, or working a full-time job. Some of them are mothers or even grandmothers, and for a lot of people it is a family tradition.

The artisans who do beadwork take pride in their work. They take the time to inspect every piece, which cannot be said for the pieces you buy in a department store. Most of the time the individual pieces that make up the whole are of a higher quality. Artisans take the time to scrutinize each piece before buying. They make sure that every piece is as perfect as they can get it.

What do you do when you want a bracelet, necklace, earrings, or even a keychain to match a specific outfit or for a special occasion? You can go to the local department store or nearest jewelry store and look for hours just to find a piece you 'kind of like'. Another option is to buy from a local artisan who can make a special piece to fit your needs. You can choose everything: the hardware, the size, even the individual beads and focal pieces. By doing this you get exactly what you need and you will have a piece of hand-crafted, locally made jewelry.

Many artisans have been learning and creating since childhood. It really is a passion for them and it shows in the work. They each have a unique style and unique personalities to match. So get to know your local artisans, support your local economy, and in return you will recieve a unique, high-quality piece of wearable art. You may even make a new friend in the process.



　

I just had another surgery on Wed. It was just a small one though. I am sore but should heal quickly. On top of that we are packing in preparation for moving to a new apartment. I'm still beading though! Here is a pic of my current project.

Selling jewelry at Freighthouse Square today and tomorrow. They just started a new Indoor Swap Meet on the bottom level. Come check it out!

Superbowl Jewelry was a bust! I just think these two teams aren't that important in our area. However it did give some people ideas for jewelry they would like made with their favorite teams. I think I will take the pendants off of most of the jewelry and sell them as 4th of July themed jewelry since all the colors are Red, White, and Blue.

I am hoping to get some orders for Valentine's Gifts soon. I have plenty of supplies to make necklaces, bracelets, and earrings with hearts or whatever the customer requests.

Just finished the Necklaces and Charm Bracelets for the Superbowl Teams. I have spent every spare minute working on them for the last 4 days or so.  I ordered the pendants as soon as it was decided which teams would be going to Superbowl. Then I had to wait for them to ship to me. I never realized how little time there is between play-offs and Superbowl. Now that they are finished I hope to find buyers for most of them before the game - only 6 days away.

Check out the Pics on my Facebook page by clicking on the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.244528985623147.58512.100001981437292&type=3&l=6d739e2c0f

NY Giants and New England Patriots are going to Superbowl. I have both team pendants ordered and I went to The Bead Factory and bought some red, white, and blue beads. Both teams have the same team-colors!

My surgery went pretty well. Some unexpected complications but nothing too serious. Mostly recovered now. I'm excited to get back to beading. I have ordered some new pieces for Valentine's Day and I am going to order some new NFL pendants for the Superbowl. As soon as I know who is going to Superbowl.

            It looks like I will be going in for surgery in the middle of November. I am going to keep making jewelry until then and I hope to have a bead party soon.
            Recently I made my first beaded ring. I think it turned out awesome.

            I also made a charm bracelet that hooks up to a beaded string to use as a rear-view mirror decoration. I made it for my Mother-in-Law because she doesn't wear jewelry very often but I found the cutest dog charm that I wanted to make something with for her.
         I have tons of ideas but only so much time.  Let's see what I make next.....................................

I am looking for someone to host a bead party next Saturday or Sunday. I posted on my personal Facebook and I will post on the Facebook for Unique's Custom Beadwork tomorrow. Hopefully I get a response from some of my friends. I also have a few friends and family who aren't on Facebook who may be interested in hosting a bead party.

The bead party yesterday was a bust! My sister-in-law hosted it but it seems like her friends are unreliable. She had invited 6 or 7 people and only her neighbor showed up. And no one bought anything. Oh well, I will try again with someone else hosting.

It's been a while since I posted on here. That doesn't mean I have'nt been working. I just forget to post sometimes. I am having a lot of medical issues lately and that takes up a lot of my thoughts sometimes.
I am currently working on some bracelets that have been ordered. They were ordered at my launch party in March  but I just recently got the measurements I need to be able to finish them.

I just finished making a few Halloween pieces. I love doing holiday themed pieces. Unfortunatly if they don't sell it usually means they won't sell for at least another year so I try not to make too many holiday pieces unless they are ordered.

I am having a Bead Party at my sister-in-law's house on Saturday. She will be inviting some of her friends so I can hopefully get a few new clients. I have invited all my supporters/clients and family as well. Hopefully it goes well.


I have posted all of my recently finished pieces on my Facebook page. Including a really complicated veil that was a custom order.  Check it out: www.facebook.com/uniquescustombeadwork.

I'm selling jewelry today in South Hill. The safeway here is doing a charity yard sale and I rented a spot.

I got home from the hospital. I'm still not feeling that great but the good thing about beadwork is it isn't physically strenuous. So I can still do my work. Here are pictures of the projects I have been working on since I've been home. As you can see; I've been busy.

I have been working on a woven bracelet for my nephew with a monster truck design. However I am in the hospital again right now so I haven't been able to work on anything for the last 5 days. I hope to get to go home soon and get back to work.

The bead party for the 25th got postponed. I am still going to do the bead parties but I have to find time in my schedule. I am posting the pictures of the projects I did for the girls youth group.

A princess bracelet ordered as a gift for a child.

A key necklace with light colored (pink) beads.

These are similar to a pair found in my bead book. She wanted them the same except for in green.

One person ordered four Friendship-style bracelets with the word "prayer" for her friends/family.

Sorry, this picture is sideways. This is the bookmark one of the ladies ordered. My first time ever doing a bookmark.

I am almost finished with the orders I got from the girl's youth group. I only have one project left which may have to be mailed because they are going home tomorrow. I will post pictures of the projects I did for them tomorrow evening.

Since the gathering was such a success I have decided to put on  " Bead Parties ". My next one is on Monday the 25th at my sister-in-law's home. Hopefully it will be a success also.

We have a youth group staying in our area . So yesterday I went to the apartment they are staying at and we had a little bead show. I brought all my already made jewelry and my photo book. I sold several pieces and and took orders for several more. We talked and joked and had fun. It was a nice, girly, evening. And of course I made money wich is always a good thing.

Here are pictures of my recent projects:

A necklace with gold and silver colored feathers for a Native American friend. I also included gold and silver colored beads and hardware to match.

Curvy wires with stars. Nice and simple.

I love these beads! They are black with gold and copper swirls.

Green skulls with flowered beads.

These earrings have 3 charms. One is two keys with a heart,   one says I (heart) U,   and one is an envelope with heart that says 'with love' on the back.

These are matching bracelets that can be used like friendship bracelets. They have a triangle shaped charm that says 'I" on one side, 'Love' on another side, and 'You' on the last side.

My sister-in-law commissioned this bracelet for her young friend who just had a birthday. I like the way the cursive style writing turned out.

Now I am working on a bracelet for my nephew. It gets it's theme from the Atari game Space Invaders. I think it is going to look really cool.

I haven't been very good about blogging lately. But I have been working! I am finishing up a project now so I will try to post pictures of all my recent work tomorrow or the next day. It's so nice outside that I would rather be outdoors than indoors working so most of my work gets done in the evening when it is cool enough to be inside.