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 #22: On Scholarships and Stir

Hi, everyone! Well, it's cooled off considerably here since last weekend. The weatherman on TV today said, "You thought we missed April? Where here it is!" :))

I spent the majority of yesterday afternoon working on my application for the MJSA Education Foundation Jewelry Scholarship, as the deadline is coming up on June 15. I completed the Financial Information Worksheet and essay, as well as two Work Sample photos I took at the Networking Charity Brunch Image Forum. While I was taking photos of my display -- which I posted to the Craft Show, Workshop & Exhibit Pictures album on Facebook this week, BTW -- I put on two of the rings from my casting class at MSU and took pictures them on my own hands. ;) Naturally, I had to crop the photos so it wasn't too obvious they were my hands, but I think I managed to focus on the rings pretty well. I still have 2-3 more Work Samples to include. I'll have to find a model this week, so I can get them done in time. :-?

As promised, I've started catching up on posting new product photos to Facebook this week...I posted more than a dozen in just the past few days! :-bd Once I get caught up with those, I will concentrate on entering my latest creations into my database. I've fallen behind of that and on entering supplies as I've purchased them. I keep thinking I should enter one entire invoice a week, regardless of how many items are on it. I should really start putting that into practice. :|

I've got a couple of deadlines coming up toward the end of the month...the BSNJ Bead Challenge project is due June 28. I've kind of slacked off on that to concentrate on more "urgent" things lately. There is also Wire-sculpture.com's 2012 Druzy Contest with a deadline of June 30. Druzy cabochons have an area of small quartz crystals within or on the surface of the stone. They are generally one of a kind, and very pretty. I purchased half a dozen of them recently in preparation for the contest. They are various shapes, sizes and colors, so I wasn't sure what I might want to use for the contest. The theme is "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue" -- it is June after all! ;) We can use one or all of the "somethings" in our piece. Since the contest is hosted by Wire-Sculpture.com, the entries must also include wire. I've been looking at the pieces I bought, but I have not been inspired yet. If I decide not to enter the contest, it's no great loss as I got a really good deal on the cabochons. B-)

Watching a movie on cable last night, I saw a commercial for something new from Match.com called Stir. It's a series of local events across the country such as cooking classes, happy hours, bowling, etc. for members to informally meet each other. I think that's a really smart idea. So many people are uncomfortable with the potential for dishonesty in internet dating -- myself included. Meeting informally at an event of mutual interest helps to (1) narrow down the field to people with similar interests to yours, and (2) minimize the potential for disillusionment. If you're meeting someone in person, it's harder for him/her to hide behind an anonymous profile. I think this is probably the next generation after Speed Dating. I never really understood the appeal of that concept. It works for you if you're talking to someone in whom you have little interest, but I think it works against you if you connect with someone with whom you'd like to spend more time. I've never tried it myself, but it kind of seems like a lot of pressure...like trying to date on a game show or reality TV. Personally, I can't imagine competing with a dozen or more other women for the attention of one man on a show like The Bachelor. That's just too bizarre for me! :P

On a semi-related note, one character in the movie I was watching had a great line: "The only way to get over someone is to meet someone else you care about more." Two years and counting for me. :x

In the immortal words of Porky Pig, "That's all folks!" ;) Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #20: Taking the Bad With The Good...

Hey, everyone! Guess what? I heard back from my professor this weekend! :-bd He said I'd found his old address, but he stops by every few weeks to pick up mail. Do I have great timing, or what? ;) He's willing to write me a recommendation letter for the MJSA scholarship, and asked me to I send him pictures of my older and newer work, as well as my bio, future goals, and why I want this scholarship. :) I just finished sending him all of that information...hopefully, I sent him enough stuff. B-)

I decided to enter the seed & bugle bead cuff bracelet I mentioned last week in Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Seed Bead Jewelry-Making Contest, and want to also enter the pendant I just finished for BSNJ. I doubt either piece is elaborate enough to place, but you never know. :-S You can't win if you don't enter, right? :P

Also, I ended up ordering a new printer directly from HP. Staples couldn't help me because the warranty I purchased for the old printer had already expired, so they referred me to HP. I spoke with someone there who offered me an upgraded printer for $100! It costs less to replace them than to fix them, it seems. Unfortunately, I didn't have the serial number from the old machine because it was still in the shop. When I called HP back the following week, the prices had changed. The person I spoke with actually admitted that the prices change at random! #-o So, I ended up with an even higher upgrade printer for $99, plus new ink cartridges and a three-year warranty. I ended up spending more than I wanted, but hopefully it will be worth the extra money. If anything goes wrong with this printer in the next three years, they will ship me a replacement for the next business day. Not a bad deal...except the printer I was planning to buy used the same ink cartridges I already have. The new printer does not, so I had to buy new ones and I will send the others back. I'm told I can send an email to someone at HP and request an even trade on the unused cartridges. I'll recycle the used and partially used ones; they sent me a prepaid envelope for them. I can also return the old printer with a prepaid label, so HP can recycle it. The new printer arrived at the end of last week, but I didn't have time to set it up over the weekend. That's on the top of my my To Do list for tomorrow. :)

As you know, I attended the Networking Charity Brunch Image Forum yesterday in Morris County, NJ. I sold one ring, and it was a cheap one at that. :( The other vendors I spoke with didn't do any better, so I don't feel as bad. Still, it was not worth the six hours of prep time I put in on Saturday and the six hours I spent there on Sunday, not to mention the time it took to schlep everything to and from the event. 8-| I actually ended up losing $28 for the gig...which is less than it could have been. Regardless, I will not be attending any more of these events in the future.

A coworker likes a pair of earrings another coworker wore last week that I had made, and she asked me if I could recreate them in other colors. I told her I would see what beads I have and get back to her. Earlier today, I found a few color combinations that may work, so I will bring them in to her tomorrow. I have no idea what colors she wants...but she may like some of the beads regardless of the color. I don't have much that are identical to the ones she liked, but hopefully I have some that will inspire her. ;)

I was supposed to have another NAET treatment this coming Saturday, but I forgot it was Memorial Day weekend when I made the appointment. #-o Since I was invited to a barbecue on Saturday afternoon, I changed the appointment to early June. :P Lately, I've been itching a lot more than I had been...I guess I still have to be more careful than I thought. I was hoping I could eat more of a variety of foods since I've cleared a number of food groups in the past few months. Apparently, I haven't cleared enough to stray too far from my usual. :(

One of my horoscopes yesterday said something about perseverance..."If you don't give up, you can never fail." Here's to not giving up! Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #18: It's Always Something!

Hey, everyone! Well, I got some bad news for my wallet today. My all-in-one printer/scanner/copier hasn't been printing in color for maybe a month or so, and I finally took it in to a local repair shop last week. Unfortunately, it's not something he can fix. He suggested sending it back to the manufacturer. Can you imagine what it would cost to ship this thing anywhere?! Looking back at my paperwork, the manufacturer's warranty was for one year and the extended warranty I purchased with it at Staples in March 2010 was for two years...which means it expired two months ago! Big shock, right? 8-| I'll have to call Staples ASAP and beg for mercy. Wish me luck with that! :P

I also learned this week that the professor I wanted to write my recommendation letter for the MJSA Education Foundation Jewelry Scholarship left Montclair State University after the Fall 2011 semester. I've reached out to a former classmate who might possibly have a way to reach him, but she hasn't gotten back to me. I think I recall him saying in which town he lives, so I may be able to look him up on whitepages.com. Thankfully, I still have a month before the deadline...but if I can't find him, I may be S.O.L. (sh#t outta luck). :(

So, by now you've noticed the latest addition to the blog page...EMOTICONS! :-bd Sadly, they don't show up on the email version, sorry! :( Those of you who know me from my message board days know how much I loved my emoticons. ;) When we set up the blog back in 2009, the web designer struggled with adding them to the blog. I forget exactly why it didn't work, but I was resigned to have an emoticon-free blog. =(( She surprised me last week with the new emoticons, which were adapted from Yahoo! Messenger. B-) So, expect me to be more "emotive" in my posts from now on! :)) She also added icons for various social media sites directly to the bottom of each post on the blog page, so feel free to share! ;)

AAANNNNDDD...Firefox just crashed while I was writing my post! #-o Luckily, Blogger automatically saves regularly. #:-S

This week, I didn't work much on my Bead Challenge project, but I did make some headway on the project we started at the April BSNJ meeting. I saw some completed projects on Tuesday at the Board meeting, and I wanted to see if I can finish it by our May general meeting. :-? I also played around with seed and bugle beads over the weekend in an attempt to come up with a potential entry for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Seed Beads Jewelry-making Contest, with a deadline of May 31. I think I came up with a bracelet that might be "showy" enough to impress the judges, but I'm not sure. :-s I may enter it anyway, since you never know. Ironically, one of the criteria they claim to judge on is wear-ability [is that a word? :-/ ] I don't consider the majority of the winning pieces comfortably wearable, but I guess I'm in the minority. 8-|

On Saturday, I had another NAET treatment...this time for the vegetable mix, nightshade vegetable mix, melon mix (which includes pumpkin for some odd reason), and nut mix #1 again, which was about 50% cleared previously. Since I mostly had to avoid melons -- which I don't like anyway, but I get a bad reaction to pumpkin -- and vegetables, this was a pretty easy weekend. It's a lot harder when you have to avoid certain kinds of protein, starches, and beverages, particularly water. I'm making slow-but-sure progress. With a little luck, I may be finished with these treatments by the end of the year. :-bd

That's all I've got for now. Take care and have a great week! :-*

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #17: From Scholarships to Softball

Hi, everyone! Can you believe April has come and gone already? Where does the time go? :O

Thanks to one of our readers who previously worked in a university financial aid office, I now know what a Student Aid Report (SAR) is and where to get it! :) Luckily, I'd already started the application for it through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website, but I was stalled because it required my 2011 income tax figures and I hadn't done my taxes yet. I completed the application this week, and have received and uploaded my SAR to my MJSA Education Foundation Jewelry Scholarship application. Two items down! ;) Now, I have to concentrate on getting photos taken of someone wearing my metalwork pieces for the 3-5 Work Samples, and the Letter of Recommendation. I will worry about the Work Sample List (obviously, it depends on the pictures I can get), Essay and filling in the Financial Information Worksheet later...hopefully the worksheet won't be too difficult.

Earlier this week, I was inspired to start my BSNJ Bead Challenge project, which will be due at the June meeting. I was taking a late afternoon nap one day -- I do that a lot because it gives me the energy to work later at night -- and an idea popped into my head. I'd had a different idea in mind, but this new idea is much more creative...and, hopefully, unique! :D Although I've started working on the focal piece, I haven't decided yet how to present it. Maybe that will come to me in another dream? LOL

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've signed up to be a vendor at a Network Charity Brunch Image Forum on Sunday, May 20 in Denville, NJ. I received a call today asking how many people I was planning to bring, as it "is expected" that vendors will bring people for the networking aspect. Considering the host is a plastic surgeon and the presentations include permanent make-up and Botox, I don't see too many people I know being interested. If she is more concerned with networking with my friends than offering shopping opportunities for attendees, this may be a one-time gig for me. These events are held two to three times a year, but I would only participate again if it is in my own best interest. Considering I am one of the LEAST likely people you will ever see getting cosmetic work done, I have a feeling these people may not be my cuppa tea. :|

For the third consecutive year, the Rumson Oceanic Library in Rumson, NJ will be featuring BSNJ members' work in their display case throughout May. I have to pull together a collection of items I think their patrons may like by Tuesday. As it's a fundraiser for the Library, the items are for sale and 20 percent of the sales go to the Library. I didn't sell anything last year, but I think I sold two or three items the year before. Now that I've had some experience, I am better equipped to select items that are more in their price range. Most of the items I choose to display are beaded, naturally, as that is the main focus of the Society. ;)

I spent the afternoon with my older niece today for her birthday outing. We went to Earth, Paint and Fire as I did with her sister in January. Of course, this activity was preceded by bagels for lunch and frozen yogurt afterward. Let me tell you, these girls are NOT cheap dates! LOL

Sadly, my younger niece is sporting (no pun intended) a black eye since Friday evening. A softball tipped off her glove and right into her face while playing catch at practice. Her eye is kind of purple now, but it seems to be much better than it was. She's taking pictures daily to keep us updated. ;)

Mom and I went to one of their softball games on Thursday evening (before the black eye incident) and saw them each pitch an inning. It was not exactly drizzling...more like misting...but everything was still wet. Luckily for the spectators, the game was called after three innings -- they usually play six -- because the game started late due to the umpire's late arrival. As there is another league that plays on the same fields at 8:00 p.m., they are not allowed to start a new inning after 7:45 p.m. We'll try to see another game in May, hopefully in more cooperative weather. :)

Well, it's almost time for Once Upon a Time, so I will sign off now. Take care and have a great week! :)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #16: This Is It...Or Is It?

Hey, everyone! :) It's been busy around here for the past couple of weeks, so I basically hibernated all day yesterday. :o My cousin lent me her "This Is It" DVD, so Mom and I watched it. We both enjoyed it a lot, even though neither of us ever had any interest in seeing Michael Jackson in concert. I really wish he'd had the chance to open the show in London. Everyone worked so hard on the costumes, dancing, special effects, etc...it's a shame the full experience will never be realized. :( I also thought about the dancers...
these poor people thought they were about to get their big break, only to have it evaporate instantly. I'm sure they are all grateful to have worked with him at all, but it must've been an enormous let-down not to be able to tour with him. :\

One day last week, I started an application for the MJSA Education Foundation Jewelry Scholarship. I have until June 15 to pull everything together, but it won't be easy. The requirements include a Financial Information Worksheet I have to fill out, a Student Aid Report (SAR) -- I have no idea what that is, but I presume it comes from the school's Financial Aid office; a Transcript (it can be unofficial, so I got that off the internet already); an Essay (I can probably wing this LOL); three to five Work Samples and a Work Sample List -- I have plenty of pictures of my pieces, but they want photos of them being worn. I have very few of those, so I will have to take them; and a Letter of Recommendation...
this one could be tough! I know which MSU professor I would like to write it for me, but he's not on campus this semester and I don't think he's accessing his school email. I've reached out to a friend at the Metalsmith Guild to see if she can locate a contact email address for me. Fingers crossed!

My friend Meg Fillmore of Bead My Love and her mother Moggie Moyer were the guest speakers at the April BSNJ meeting this past Thursday. It was fun, as I haven't seen Meg in more than a year. They did a hands-on bead embroidery demonstration, and I started a piece that I have yet to finish. I may work on it later while catching up with last week's General Hospital episodes on YouTube. ;) Meg is teaching a workshop in June for our group, so I will get to see her again before long. :) That reminds me...I have to find the check I wrote and mail it! :o

I recently went through some estate jewelry I have here to disassemble for parts to be used in new pieces, as one of my coworkers was looking for something "vintage" to replace a pair of earrings she liked. I went through the entire collection and cleaned up all of the clip/screw back earrings and offered her whatever she wanted for $5/pair. I made the same offer to another coworker for any pierced earrings I found. Neither of them liked any of the earrings...but a third person liked some, bought one pair, and asked me to set aside two more! A nice way to make a few extra bucks with minimal effort. ;) I have to look through the necklaces and see if any are viable. One of the first two ladies may like them, as she wears longer necklaces of strung beads. :)

One of my female coworkers asked me last week out of the blue if I was "going with" anyone. She said she just wondered because I'm "so nice." LOL I've known her for five years, and this is the first time it came up! She suggested Internet dating, as she knows someone who met his girlfriend that way...I can't remember if it was her son or a nephew, but I'm pretty sure it was one or the other. Anyway, I tried that more than once and it didn't work for me. I guess I'm old-fashioned. That, and I really don't trust people to be honest in their profiles. Sad, but true. :\

Well, that's all I can remember for now. :o Have a great week! ;)