Tangible Tidbits 2013 #2: Starting Over...

Hi, everyone! I hope everyone who had a three-day weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday made the most of it. B-)

Over the weekend, Mom and I went to see Les Miserables at the movie theater. All I can say is "WOW." If you are a fan of the play, you’ll be blown away by the movie. If you aren't really into musical films, it may not be your cup o’ tea. :| The actors' performances were amazing, a few better than I'd expected. :-O

On the job front, I received a slightly overdue three percent merit increase last week. Even a small raise is better than none, right? ;) In addition -- I didn't want to say anything until it became official, which happened this morning -- I am going back to the office full-time as of next Monday. It was not an easy decision to make, but I know it is the right one...at least financially-speaking. :| Aside from the change in my hours -- I will be working from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the first time since 2007, I think! :-O -- I will be moving to a different position, although in the same department. It's more or less a lateral move, but it may be slightly more responsibility. I was a little nervous about switching out of my current role, but I chatted with my new manager today and I feel a bit more at ease with it. Obviously, TPTB (The Powers That Be) have faith in my abilities, so I guess I will have to trust them! ;)

Ironically, I received a letter a couple of weeks ago from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads informing me that the piece I submitted for their Swarovski Elements Jewelry-making Contest has made it to the second round! :)) I sent them my Bermuda Getaway bracelet (formerly known as the Into the Ocean Crystal Jams™ bracelet) last week, as it is required for the next round of judging. Wish me luck! :D

In addition, I’m still working on a beaded Kumihimo lanyard for one coworker, and I have another one to make after I finish it. So, I am still in business…just at a much slower pace for now. ;)

I posted the last social media poster I have on Facebook this evening. I may make some new ones if I become inspired, but we'll have to see. :-?

Until next time, take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #34: I GOT IT!

Hi, everyone! Well, the BIG news this week is that I was awarded a $900 partial scholarship from the MJSA Education Foundation! That's half of the cost for one class. :) While I was proud to receive the award, I kind of had mixed feelings about it because I wasn't sure I could accept it. The new semester starts next week, and I have a balance due from previous classes -- accrued fees I didn't know about until this past spring -- that has to be paid off before I can register. If I paid it immediately, I could accept the award and register to start class in time...but I don't have the money for the back fees, nor the other half of the class right now. Luckily, both MSU and the Rhode Island Foundation, which sponsors the scholarship, were willing to work with me. I'm paying the fees off monthly between now and the end of the year, and the Foundation will allow the school to hold the scholarship funds for me until next semester! Now, I have to work hard to get the money together to pay the school, in addition to paying off my credit card debt; I was hoping to do that by the end of the year, too. :-O I also found out that the scholarships are renewable annually, so I can reapply for assistance with my future classes! :)

Here's this week's social media poster. The necklaces were made for my nieces. ;) That quote seems to be popular, as another jewelry site used the same one the day after I posted mine. Coincidence? Not likely, IMHO. 8-|

I did finish the Murano glass bracelet for my friend in Florida, and she liked the photo I sent her. Unfortunately, I didn't post it to Facebook and I don't have access to my home computer photo files via my Netbook, so I can's show it to you. :-/ As I feared, the thickness of the glass beads make putting on and wearing the bracelet a bit awkward. I did warn her via email, but she says she has a bracelet from Hawaii with large beads on it that she loves. We both hope she feels the same way about this bracelet! ;)

I also created a Bit O' Bling wire knit pendant for the Soft Flex Company's 2012 Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest last week and submitted it from here on Saturday night. I took a picture of it before I left, knowing the deadline was coming up on Saturday, September 1. B-) I had tried the week before to knit Soft Flex beading wire, but it didn't work out so I had to order Soft Flex craft wire and start all over again, as a requirement for the contest is to use one or the other. I'm not thrilled with how it turned out, but I do kind of like it. I added some leftover crystal cup chain from my Pretty in Purple necklace, which is where the "bling" comes from in name of the piece. ;)

The next contest deadline I know about is on September 30 for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Swarovski Elements Jewelry-making Contest. I still haven't decided what to make for it yet. :-S

The new Focal Piece of the Month is up. I was inspired for next month's piece, so I already have half of it finished. :D

In honor of the first meeting of the new Board for the Bead Society of New Jersey (BSNJ) coming up, I recently posted a BSNJ bumper sticker as the cover photo on my Facebook Profile. The Board meeting is tomorrow night, but I will be MIA...the first meeting I have missed since becoming Board Secretary. We have a lot of kewl and interesting guests scheduled for the end of 2012, so it should be a lot of fun. The first general meeting is on Thursday, September 20. :)

That's all I've got for you today, Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #25: Lots of Challenges, Both Good and Bad

Hello, everyone! Well, I’ve been trying to get everyone I know to vote for Something Tangible on the Mission: Small Business grant website, but with only 61 votes and five days to go, it doesn’t look promising. I think a big part of the problem is the requirement to register via Facebook. I know a lot of people who would be willing to vote for me who do not have Facebook accounts. I think the site was set up to make it "easier" for people to vote because registering via Facebook is a one-step process, but in doing so they have eliminated a lot of potential voters. Even though Facebook’s users equal the size of an entire country -- there were 901 million monthly active users at the end of March 2012 -- that doesn’t mean everybody does it. I guess I will have to look for the grant program again next year, only earlier. I stumbled upon it with two weeks to go, and that is just not enough time apparently. Then again, maybe the time limit is not really the problem! :/

I created a pendant last week for the Wire-Sculpture.com's 2012 Druzy Contest, as that deadline is also coming up on June 30. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, although the rolled satin nylon cord I want to hang it from is giving me problems. It seems to be taking forever to coil to the point it won’t unravel. I guess I have to work on my patience with that. :))

There are a couple more contests that are running over the summer. I have a vague idea of what I want to create for Fire Mountain Gems’ 2012 Swarovski Elements Jewelry-making Contest and Soft Flex® Company’s 2012 Flex Your Creativity Contest. You may recall I entered a Steampunk necklace in the Soft Flex contest a couple of years ago, but I did not participate last year. For this year, they want entries incorporating knitted craft wire or beading wire in them...using their products, of course. I purchased a package of Trios – three coordinated colors of beading wire – recently to use for my piece. I will probably end up making the knit chain(s) first, and then decide what to do with it/them after or while I'm doing that. :P As I mentioned last week, I will probably enter my BSNJ Bead Challenge piece in the Beaded Impressions' Summer 2012 Beading Contest, but I will wait until after the Bead Challenge this coming Thursday night to avoid potentially compromising the anonymity of the Bead Challenge. ;)

Yesterday afternoon, I visited with a couple of "lady friends" (as my mother says!) I haven’t seen in a while. One bought a ring I was wearing right off my hand! :)) The other one, our hostess, had requested I bring a necklace her daughter saw on my website, as her daughter wanted to buy it for a friend’s birthday. Both were very interested in the pieces I was wearing. The one who bought my ring told me to "bring more jewelry" next time we get together! :)) And the hostess wants to throw an Open House kind of party for me in her condo complex in the Fall, leading up to the holidays! Hopefully, that will work out. :) Even if not, it was a real boost to my ego to have people make such a fuss over my work. The friend who bought the ring said, "This must happen to you all the time." I replied, "Not nearly as much as I would like!" ;)

My younger niece will be thrilled to know I finally finished the beaded edging on the scarf she gave me for Christmas! The girls will be with Mom tomorrow, so I will leave it out for her inspection. :P

FYI, the latest Focal Piece of the Month is up!

That’s about all I’ve got for now. Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #23: A Flurry of Activity!

Hey, everyone! Well, I’ve FINALLY finished my Bead Challenge project for BSNJ over the weekend. It’s not due until June 28, but I wanted to get it out of the way and not wait until the last minute. I changed the category from bracelet to necklace, as the cuff bracelet I was attempting to make was not coming together as well as I’d like. I still think it was a good idea, and I may revisit it at a later date. :)

I received my recommendation letter from my former professor at MSU the other day. He wrote a very nice letter, and specifically mentioned that I am “willing to take criticism,” which made me chuckle. I emailed him back and told him I thought the director of the Metalwork & Jewelry program at MSU might not agree. :)) I still have to take a couple more pictures this week before the deadline on Friday. I’m hoping my mother will either model pieces for me or be willing to take my picture. I have two necklaces I want to include as part of the application. Mom is not very technologically-inclined, so please wish both of luck! :-S

In addition to Wire-sculpture.com’s 2012 Druzy Contest -- which I had mentioned previously -- there are two more contests coming up that I may or may not enter. Beaded Impressions has a Beading Contest with a deadline of July 8. The categories include Whimsical or Romantic; Eclectic or Bohemian; and Traditional. I may enter my Bead Challenge project in the "Eclectic or Bohemian" category. Once you see a picture of it, you’ll see why. ;) I can’t post it or describe it before the June meeting because some of my BSNJ friends may read this or see my Facebook page. :-S I also received an email this morning about Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Swarovski Elements Jewelry-making Contest, with a September 30 deadline. I don’t really have anything existing that I’d like to enter, so I have to see if I am inspired over the summer to come up with something appropriate...I'm thinking maybe an elaborate pair of earrings. :-? I still haven’t decided if I am going to enter the Druzy Contest, but I will concentrate on a project for that now that I have completed the Bead Challenge piece. The deadline is June 30, which is part of why I wanted to finish the Bead Challenge project early. If I can’t figure something out in the next couple of weeks, I will just skip it. :|

I'm looking forward to attending a workshop in Tinton Falls on Saturday called "Jazz Up Your Bead Embroidery," being taught by my friend Meg Fillmore of Bead My Love. :)

On a personal note, I had another NAET treatment on Saturday...this one was to complete the areas that were only partially cleared in previous treatments -- namely corn, chocolate, and nut mix I, which includes peanuts. I had headaches off and on all day Saturday, so I didn’t accomplish much. :P Man, will I be glad when these are over! #-o

Our weather can’t quite decide what it wants to be these days. Lots of storms passing through the area lately and it seems to be humid one day; cool the next. Morris County got hit hard with a storm yesterday. A couple of towns there may be without power for 2-3 days! :-O

Two ladies at work requested earrings, which I have to work on tonight...and I have a bunch of recent projects that I have not priced out yet. I seem to put that off as long as possible. Since I am switching out pieces at the chiropractor’s office again tomorrow, the last minute is pretty much tonight! I guess it's a good thing I am more or less required to do it every two weeks. ;)

Take care and have a great week! B-)