Tangible Tidbits 2012 #47: Holiday Season Wrap Up

Hi, everyone! I’m really sorry I didn’t get here last week. I actually did write the blog post, but I never got online to post it. Other than access via my phone and a little bit on my Netbook, I wasn’t online for nearly two weeks! :-O My oldest niece even complained to my mother about how slow the Netbook is while she was trying to get some of her homework done one day last week. :-/

Things at the office have been crazy lately – I clocked in 86 or 87 hours in the past two weeks, and my regular work week is usually 25 hours! :P In addition to the regular end-of-the-year surge in activity, we got hit with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The vault of the Depositary Trust Company (DTC) in Manhattan was flooded in the storm...what do you expect with the address of 55 Water Street?...and they began processing the replacement of all of the certificates that were lost/damaged/ destroyed. It’s going to be a long time before any of us forget Sandy, I assure you. :P

I finally repaired my coworker’s Freshwater Pearl necklace on Saturday, and priced out a necklace and lanyard for two other coworkers on Sunday. With working so many hours and Christmas coming up next week – I finished shopping, but haven’t wrapped anything – I will have my hands full this week. My two older nieces are sleeping over on Friday night so we can assemble gingerbread houses and bake Christmas cookies. The baby isn’t ready for a sleepover yet...much less accomplishing anything other than eating, sleeping, and pooping! :)) She will be making her first public debut on Sunday, though, at a friend’s holiday open house. ;)

I posted a new social media poster yesterday...I only have one left, so I have to make some more. :P I’m embarrassingly behind on typing up the meeting minutes from BSNJ’s November general meeting and recent Board meeting. That’s something else I will have to get done this week. :-O

My birthday is next Monday...which also happens to be Christmas Eve...so I may not post until Tuesday. We have our big family celebration on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day is more low-key until Mom and I go to my sister’s house for dinner. So, I anticipate having some time in the morning and early afternoon. Hopefully, by putting it in writing, I will actually deliver as promised. :))

There are no words to express my feelings about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on Friday. I can only say there are 26 new angels in Heaven...all of whom had no right being called back as soon as they were. My sincerest condolences to everyone affected by that tragedy. Having a "Merry Christmas" will be inconceivable for them, and it will be a really long time before their lives can be put back together again, if that’s even possible. I may not say it a lot, but I am truly grateful for the wonderful people I have in my life, including all of you. :D

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

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #37: Having A Seriously Social Week

Hi, folks! I am happy to report that I am feeling much better this week after taking the day off work last Tuesday and a visit to the allergist on Friday. He thinks I actually had a cold, but that by the end of the week it kicked in my cough-variant asthma. He renewed a few subscriptions and gave me one for an antibiotic, but he wanted me to wait until after the weekend to see if I really needed it. I’ve pretty much decided I won’t take it. :)

Our Facebook page hit 1,200 Likes this week! :-bd

I did not yet enter the opal beaded ring I made last week in the Beadaholique contest as I said I would, but I did fix up both drawings for the Stones and Findings contest and entered them. The Angel in Flight component – I changed it into a connector link for the contest – has been accepted and was posted here. The Battered Heart drawing – now a pendant – is being reviewed, as their artist has to decide if they can do it as a wax cast, which was how I created the original. The drawing turned out really well, so I’m hoping it’s accepted. :)

This is going to be a crazy week! I am assisting with a class at the Madison, Chatham, & Florham Park Adult School on Tuesday evening. The school is celebrating its 75th anniversary with classes from when it was founded with 1937 prices, and my former wirework teacher has 24 students registered for her one-time class. She asked for assistance, and I offered to help. In exchange, I basically get to take the class and pick up one of the project kits for free. It’s a simple earring project...should be fun! Then, we have our first Bead Society meeting of the new year (we meet September through June) on Thursday. We have a guest speaker coming with a hands-on project for holiday decorations, so that should get us into the fall spirit in a hurry! O:-) Finally, on Friday evening one of my coworkers is getting married. I want to go to the ceremony, although I haven’t decided whether or not to attend the reception at her house afterward. She emailed the whole department with the Save the Date information last week...I didn’t even know she was getting married until after the email went out! :))

Somewhere in there, I want to apply for 1978 Arts Center’s B.A.N.G. (Buy Art Now Guys!) VII, which will be held December 1 & 2 and 8 & 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I've been lucky enough to sell items both years I’ve participated, so I don’t want to miss it! ;)

I'm contemplating taking five vacation/personal days from the office, one a week in October. This will leave me with two vacation days in case something comes up before the end of the year. I may take Wednesdays off, but I have to check with TPTB (The Powers That Be) first. I back up a supervisor who has 13 days left, and she's thinking about taking some Mondays and Fridays. I figured that me taking Wednesdays would create the least amount of conflict. If I do this, I am hoping I will take advantage of the time to really get my act together in the computer room/studio, but we'll have to see. Being out regularly will require me to work extra hours on Thursday and Friday to keep up with the workload, since I don’t have much help. That will mean extra money that I can put toward school next semester, so this may be the best solution all around. ;)

I almost forgot...here's the link to this week's social media poster.

That's all for today. Take care and have a great week! B-)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #24: Back-up Needed For Mission: Small Business

Hi, everybody! :) I need your help. I’ve applied for a $250,000 grant from Chase & LivingSocial and I need 250 votes by June 30, 2012 to qualify. Please visit https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com and click on the "Login and Support" button to register – you can register via Facebook if you want. Then, please search for "Something Tangible" in Maplewood, NJ and click on the “Vote” Button that will pop up next to the company name. That’s it! Easy, right? ;) I’ve gotten 14 votes since I applied on Friday night, so I have quite a way to go. Please feel free to pass along this link to anyone you think might vote for me. I’m being shameless here, but $250,000 is A LOT of money and it could really help me out! THANK YOU for your support…I REALLY appreciate it! :x

As I mentioned last week, I attended an all-day bead embroidery workshop on Saturday, which turned into an all-day-all-night outing for me! :)) Although the event "officially" ended at 5:00 pm, a bunch of us stayed longer because we wanted to finish our projects. The teacher posted my project on her Facebook page and tagged me on it, so you can see it on my profile page. I’m really happy with how it turned out! Another student in the class said it was "good enough to be published in a book!" That’s a pretty high compliment, ya know? B-) Anyway, I ended up going out to dinner with the recently-elected 2012-2013 president of BSNJ...and we didn’t leave for the restaurant until 9:30 pm. She’s a bit of a talker, so we chatted until 2:30 am! It takes me about an hour to drive home from Tinton Falls, where the class was held, and I got stopped by a cop for speeding at 3:15 am...only about five minutes from my house! :-O He let me off with a warning because I was clearly tired and not under the influence. I lucked out on that one, although I would have just taken the ticket without argument if he’d have given me one. All I wanted to do was collapse into my bed! (:| All’s well that ends well...I slept until 3:30 pm Sunday afternoon. :P

My older niece is moving up from elementary school to middle school tomorrow. Wow, does time ever fly by? :-O Anyway, I promised the younger niece I would have the beaded edge finished on the scarf she made me for Christmas...and I'm not finished yet. I was running low on one color of the beads I'd been using, but I was lucky enough to purchase more at the workshop. However, now I've run out of thread! :P So, I've gotta run!

Take care and have a great week! ;)

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 #19: Better Late Than Never!

Hey, all! Sorry I'm later than usual. I was fighting with a project that I was hoping to put on display at my chiropractor's office tomorrow. I finally abandoned it, at least temporarily. :-q I still have a few pieces to price out for tomorrow, unless I display some older pieces instead. I may look at some of my earlier work and use some of those, since I also have to get organized for the Networking Charity Brunch Image Forum on Sunday. I have to decide how much to bring, price the items, and pack them up. We also have a BSNJ meeting this week, so I'm gonna be busy! :P

Well, I never heard back from my friend at MSU about the professor's contact information, so I looked him up in on whitepages.com. I found a mailing address and phone number. I would have preferred email, but I opted to send him a note via snail mail. I felt funny calling his home out of the blue, and since I have a month before the scholarship deadline, I decided mail was best. Hopefully, he's still at the same address. :-/

Over the weekend, I finished the pendant I wanted to wear to the BSNJ meeting on Thursday, and I also made a crystal and seed bead ring. I'm still putting the final touches on the ring. I also worked on my Bead Challenge project for next month's BSNJ meeting. I'm really pleased with how it's turning out! :)

Part of the reason I've been so productive is because I made a big decision the other day. I'm shutting down the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the Virtual Mall as of tomorrow, May 15. It's been 18 months, and it's just not worth the time investment I've been putting into it. The Virtual Mall page on the website is still up for now. I can use that time more effectively doing other jewelry- and business-related activities. So, that's what I will do! ;)

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day -- as a Mom, with your Mom, or remembering your Mom. :x We went to my sister's house for dinner and ate on her patio. The weather was perfect! My sister made a three-course fondue dinner like we've had at The Melting Pot in past years. Apparently, the restaurant changed their menu and it was less appealing to my sister, so she decided to do it herself. Plus, her kids are fussy eaters, so it made more sense to feed them stuff they would eat rather than "force" them to eat something from the menu, and pay through the nose to boot! 8-| We all had a good time...we even managed to play a round of croquet between courses! :))

Mom and I started watching Lifetime's The Client List on Saturday. We saw Cybil Shepherd on The Revolution on Friday, and thought it might be something to see. Jennifer Love Hewitt stars and Cybil is her mother. It's pretty good...enough to make me tune in last night at 10:00 p.m. after catching up with the first five episodes On Demand. We'll see if I keep up with it...I think there are only three episodes left of this season. :|

I still have lots to do, so I will sign off now. Have a great week, everyone! B-)

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 #15: First Focal Piece Flashback of 2012

Hey, everyone! I looked back at previous blog posts and realized I haven't done a Focal Piece Flashback since November. Being that I am in the midst of pricing out items to bring to my chiropractor's office for display tomorrow, I still have to type up the minutes from the BSNJ Board meeting last week -- I would prefer to have them done before our general meeting this coming Thursday -- and I have to get my quarterly sales tax figures figured out by the deadline on Friday...I've decided to post another one. I don't want to rely on this "cop out" too often, but since the last one was five months ago I think it'll be okay. ;) I'll be back with regular "news" next week.

Originally posted in May 2010:

Something that started out as a whim has turned into a well-received item in our inventory. I'd purchased a couple of Capricorn cameos from Wire-Sculpture.com when I saw them, not entirely sure what I would do with them. I often buy things that appeal to me for one reason or another or are on sale when purchasing materials needed for certain projects. These were not on sale, but being that I'm a Capricorn, they appealed to me. I've always liked cameos, but usually with pictures of flowers more than of women's profiles. I also prefer blue ones to the traditional peach background. I thought the Zodiac ones were interesting and clever. When I got them, though, I wasn't that choked up with them. It's hard to tell what something will look like in real life from the internet sometimes. Maybe I just expected them to be more clear than in the photo? I'm not sure. Anyway, one fit in a filigree setting I had purchased for a special order bracelet. The settings came in a 10-pack, so I had extras on hand. I put the cameo in the setting, but the prongs took away from the look of the cameo. So, I did the only logical thing...I broke the prongs off the setting, then glued the cameo in place. Never let it be said I am not resourceful. ;)

So, I had this cameo in a filigree setting. Now, what? I had purchased some metal bookmarks on a lark from Beadaholique.com a few weeks earlier. I had copper, silver plate, gold plate and gunmetal. I decided the gunmetal complemented the "antique" look of the filigree, so I took some links from a vintage chain and attached them to the cameo and the bookmark. Voilà! I had an impressive-looking bookmark! The only problem? The cameo was not cheap, so the bookmark costs a lot more than someone would ordinarily pay for a bookmark. I may end up keeping it for myself. :| [P.S. I still have it nearly two years later! :p]

When I posted the photo on the Something Tangible Facebook Fan Page, one of my friends noticed it and asked if it was available in other signs. I checked the vendor's website and there happened to be a 40% off sale on cameos! Sometimes, luck smiles upon us, doesn't it? Needless to say, I stocked up on the ones I could find in the correct size. Unfortunately, all signs were not available, so I ended up buying a larger one for my friend after she decided she needed three bookmarks for birthday gifts for friends (I stocked up on a few of those, too, but I'm not sure I have the full Zodiac between the two sizes). It took some research to find an appropriate setting for the larger cameo -- see the Gemini bookmark in the above photo. In the end, I decided on an oval filigree piece that wasn't as ornate as the original one. It also wasn't a traditional setting, so there was no bezel (a grooved rim that holds a gem -- or in this case, a cameo -- in a setting). I didn't want the prongs of a setting anyway, so I didn't think that was a major obstacle. I just hoped I could glue the cameo to a piece of filigree and have it stay in place! You never know until you try, right? Well, I did and it worked fine. So, my friend got three bookmarks for her friends' birthdays...and at a better deal than the original bookmark costs! In addition to the size issue, the cameos do vary in color, based on availability. My personal preference is the white shell background with a peach/brownish Zodiac sign on it. My friend preferred the reverse, as you can see from the photo, so I ordered her two Taurus and one Gemini with peach backgrounds and a white Zodiac sign. To each her own! :)

Tangible Tidbits 2012 #9: My First Runway Show!

Hi, everyone! Well, I survived my participation in Montclair State University's (MSU) Metalsmith Guild's Jewelry Galleria last night! Truth be told, it was more fun than I anticipated. I half-expected it to be tedious and painful. LOL Luckily for me, the turnout wasn't overwhelming due to insufficient publicity. I think I would have been super nervous if there had been 100 people there, as they reportedly had last year. This year, it was closer to 30...and many of those were family members of the other artists or models. :p A coworker from the office was my model, and she and I walked in square around the display tables in the center of the room for SEVEN MINUTES. You have no idea how long seven minutes is until you have to do something like this! LOL We stopped and chatted with people who were interested in looking at the pieces, including some of my former classmates. There were nine artists in all, I think. After the runway portion concluded, we sat at our display tables and chatted with people about our work. I even sold a ring! I didn't really expect this to be a sales event, so that was an unexpected bonus. Many people liked my pieces, especially the Chinese Take-out set and Steampunk box. I didn't bring much with me...just some of my more "arty" pieces, and most of them made in my MSU classes. I did bring one pair of the 4" diameter aluminum disc earrings and the 5" diameter aluminum disc earrings I have. People were blown away by the size, but impressed with the craftsmanship. :) One person made a point of telling me I was very talented, which made me feel good. :) All in all, it was a pretty positive experience.

Earlier this week, I was determined to master making knit ruffle scarves with Katia Triana Lux yarn, which is almost like narrow strips of netting. At least half of the BSNJ Board members were making them at the last Board meeting, and I think they look really kewl. The yarn is back-ordered all over the place -- one person I know bought 20 skeins from a shop in Florida while she was on vacation recently -- but I found some from an eBay seller who happens to be located in Bloomfield, NJ, which is also in Essex County where I live. I went out on a limb and purchased four skeins and some circular knitting needles, even though my "disposable income" these days is already predisposed. :p Still, I was determined. It took me two tries to make my first scarf...the first one was much too wide and short to be functional. Luckily, it came apart with a little effort, and I didn't damage the yarn in the process. My second try was much better, and by the fourth one -- yes, I made all four in a 3-4 day period! -- I made very few mistakes. ;) The design is such that it easily hides imperfections, which I like A LOT! :p Below is a picture of my first completed scarf.

The skeins of yarn I've seen have all been multicolored...I don't know if they make any in one solid color. The ones I purchased were off white-beige-tan (shown above), denim blues, black-white-gray, and teal-turquoise. The last one is my favorite..I may have to keep it for myself! ;) Mom really likes them...she even offered to wear one to Church and sell it right off her neck if anyone wanted it! LOL In fact, one of my friends from the Metalsmith Guild almost bought the black-white-gray one I wore to the show last night right off me! :) Unfortunately, it's pretty warm here right now, so I won't be able to wear them without being too obvious. :o They are almost boa-like, but I wore one to the office last week and they are comfortable. :) With St. Patrick's Day coming up, I wish I found some of the yarn in green! :p

This coming weekend is the MJSA (Manufacturers | Jewelers | Suppliers | Artisans) Expo in New York City. I'm registered for two out of the three days, and will take a day trip with my former classmates at least one day. I'll report on that next week. I've taken the whole week off from the office, partially to recover from the activities and also to get some stuff done around the house. I really have to go through my tax information and get it ready for the accountant. I also have to FINALLY put away some of the stuff on my workbench. I can't even sit at the computer right now -- which has no audio except through headphones at the moment anyway (I am on my Netbook in the kitchen) -- because there's so much "junk" in the way. :o Hopefully, I will get organized next week...maybe I'll feel less claustrophobic! :\

Thanks for sticking with me and have a great week! ;)

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Tangible Tidbits 2012 #5: KG's 'Week In Review'

Hi, everyone! Like the "sporty" headline this week? ;) Some of you will notice that I'm posting this week's message in the middle of the Super Bowl. Being a life-long NY Jets fan, I'm not much interested in watching the battle between the NY Giants and the New England Patriots, as true Jets fans despise both teams. :p In fact, I watched a really good documentary on Joe Namath on HBO earlier this week! If you get a chance to catch it, it's called "Namath" and produced by HBO Sports. ;) I do have two boxes in a Super Bowl pool this year, so I am interested in the end-of-quarter scores. If any of them end with Giants X6 and Patriots X6 or Giants X0 and Patriots x7, I will win some money. :) Wish me luck...I can really use it! :p

I took my younger niece to Earth, Paint & Fire yesterday for her birthday, which is a place where you select ceramic pieces and paint them. It was a long, fun day...as is tradition, we had to start with bagels for lunch and end with ice cream. :) I came home inspired with an idea...I wanted to see if I could adapt my wire-wrapped ring technique to bracelet-size. Experimenting, I made three bangle bracelets yesterday afternoon. Upon waking up this morning, it occurred to me they might be better as cuffs, so I did that as soon as I got up. The ends are a little clumsy because I made them after-the-fact, but now I know how to proceed with future pieces. ;) Unfortunately, putting off eating breakfast gave me a major headache, so I ended up spending most of the afternoon in bed. :(

Before picking up my niece yesterday, I had to stop at Michael's to pick up some specific beads I knew they had carried. They are for a pair of earrings requested by a coworker. I had made a pair earlier in the week for a different coworker, and when she saw them she wanted a pair "exactly like" them. Easier said than done sometimes! LOL Luckily, Michael's had the beads I wanted. I also bought a package of colored craft wire in about a dozen colors -- there are 15 coils in the package, but some are duplicated. Last night, I started making coiled spiral beads to sell at the upcoming BSNJ meeting. I decided that they would most likely be the easiest for me to make in a short time, and unusual enough for the non-wire people to want to buy. :) I can make a dozen beads with each coil, so the math will pretty easy for me...once I figure out the price per coil, I can just charge the appropriate amount for each dozen beads. There are some pretty nice colors in the package, so there will be a decent variety to offer. If this works out well, I may start selling them on Yardsellr, too. ;)

No word yet on my interview last week. I have no idea what the timeframe is, so I am just doing my own thing until I hear something more. I did finally get my merit raise this week -- my review was due on December 27, but I got it a couple of weeks late. :\ The raise didn't make a noticeable difference in my paycheck, but it's still better than nothing. :p

I've been catching up on posting pictures to Facebook -- my goal has been five pictures a day. Some days I skipped getting online, so I posted 10 pics the next day. :) I'm almost caught up, and may finish them up this week. I came to an important conclusion this morning...I think I want to do my computer work at night during the week and do other things like create pieces, etc. on the weekends...or occasionally take them off entirely. The idea of getting on the computer -- I'm on my Netbook at the moment, which is much less daunting for some reason -- fills me with dread some days. I think it's partially because I feel "stuck" there for most of the day when I do it. There's just so much to do, it's just overwhelming. I still have to figure out my business expenses for 2011 to give to the accountant. That alone will probably take me a whole day. Anyway, if I devote part of my weekends to non-computer-related business activities, I think I will feel less guilty about it. Maybe setting up a mental schedule will help me get more organized and be more productive. :)

BTW, the new Focal Piece of the Month is up.

Well, I guess I will go see what the score is and make some more wire beads. Have a great week and enjoy the second half of the Super Bowl! :)


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Tangible Tidbits 2011 #47: Working, Workshops, and "One Life To Live"

Hey, everyone! :)

Okay, so let's start with last weekend. On Saturday, I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. pricing pieces for the Third Annual Jewels of New Jersey show on Sunday. Then, I got up at 7:15 a.m. to shower, dress, load up the car, and drive one hour south of me to the show. Business was not as good as last year, and that was also the general consensus of the other vendors I spoke with that day. There was a lot of work to put into it with not such a great return, but I made more money than I would have staying home and sitting on my butt. :p BTW, I have a few pictures from the event that I will post to Facebook when I get the chance. My sister brought my nieces for the last two hours, which was a nice distraction. However, I might have made a few more sales by focusing on the people browsing my table and chatting with them instead of keeping my nieces occupied. :\ Anyway, next is the BANG VI exhibit at 1978 Maplewood Arts Center. I have to decide what I want to bring and fill out the appropriate forms and labels this week. Luckily, I found pictures from last year (and also posted them to Facebook), so I know what items I had there already. :) No word yet on the events in Jersey City and South Orange. Fingers crossed! ;)

We had our December Bead Society (BSNJ) meeting this week, and I attended a workshop yesterday. At the meeting on Thursday night, Dr. Josephine Yeh gave a presentation on Chinese knotting. She's one of our members and a really sweet lady. There's a picture of the two of us in the Facebook album link I posted above. :) Her presentation was really enjoyable -- she's very funny! -- and she will follow up with a workshop in early December. The workshop I attended on Saturday was to learn how to make a Star Gazer Bracelet with internationally-renowned bead artist Laura McCabe. She's 35, but looks 10 years younger! LOL She's really very nice and patient. ;) We were there for six hours, and I think the most anyone accomplished was one flower our of the eight needed for the piece. :o I'd imagine by the time you get through making all eight flowers, you'd be pretty adept at it! Let's hope so! :)

Also, BSNJ's Autumn newsletter came out this week, and it included my Ten Life Lessons... article! I will paste it up and post it in the clips album on Facebook when I get a chance. :)

I was so wiped out from the past couple of weeks that I slept until NOON today! I guess I really needed the rest. After that, I baked cookies for our family Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. That's my assignment every year...bake Crisco cookies! They are basically butter cookies, but made with Crisco instead. The recipe goes back to World War II, when butter was scarce. ;)

Still working a lot this coming week, even with Thanksgiving on Thursday. We have early dismissals on Wednesday and Friday -- we cannot close the day after Thanksgiving, unfortunately. It has something to do with the stock market not being allowed to close for more than three days (meaning no four-day weekends) since 9-11. However, we are open a lot of days the Depository Trust Company (DTC) is closed, so that doesn't really make much sense to me. Anyway, my colleague is out again Monday and Tuesday, so I'll be working more OT this week. :p

I entered into an online discussion about Joe Paterno's firing from Penn State earlier this week. If you're interested, you can find the discussion here on The Maplewood Patch. I was in the minority, and decided to get out before things got nasty. I don't mind sharing opinions with people, but when they start to lecture me on morality I lose interest VERY quickly. :p

Well, I'm off to YouTube to catch Thursday's and Friday's episodes of One Life To Live, another ABC soap opera that's going off the air in a few weeks. I used to watch it in college, but I only really started watching it again when they announced it was being canceled. In actuality, I think it is moving to the internet sometime early next year, but it will be different than it is now, I'm sure. :\

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it! :)

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Tangible Tidbits 2011 # 20: Socializing, Social Media, and Softball

Hey, all! :)

Well, my semester is officially over as of Tuesday night. I did get my projects completed (not completely ruined, thankfully!), and the teacher seemed pleased with them. I also got a lot of compliments from my fellow students, which was flattering because many of them are more advanced than I am. As I mentioned previously, we were to have a picnic for our final critique. One ambitious student made a grill for his project, so we turned the picnic into a barbecue. Unfortunately, the guys got a little carried away with the denatured alcohol used instead of lighter fluid, and there were a couple of casualties ("Boys will be boys!"). Everyone is fine now, but it definitely put a damper on the evening's "party"...not to mention the final critique of our projects. It seemed a bit anti-climactic at the time, but "all's well that ends well." Grades should be posted by May 17, so I will have mine by next week's post. :)

I also attended my second BSNJ Board meeting this week, as well as the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) thesis show for the graduating MFA students at MSU on Friday. The MFA show was okay...the space was pretty small and a lot of people showed up -- not just jewelry students, but all graduating MFA students showed their work. Much was not my cup of tea...it seems everyone tries to make a political statement of one kind or another. Either that, or they are aiming for shock value. Regardless, I prefer work that is more authentic, IMHO. To each her own! ;) After the show, my classmate and I hooked up with one of the teachers I had not previously met, and we ended up at a Cuban restaurant for dinner. The food was good, but the music was much too loud for me. I had a headache anyway from waiting to eat until 9:30 p.m. I should have put a snack in my purse! :o My Brazilian friends will be happy to know I tried a caipirinha. Not bad, but a bit strong for me and I'm not a huge fan of lime. I'd heard so much about them on the message boards back in the day, I had to try it for myself! Mission accomplished. ;)0

Now that I have my Tuesday evenings back to myself, I plan to focus on getting the photos of my recent pieces posted. I've let that slide for far too long, and the content on the Something Tangible LLC Facebook page is pretty thin these days as a result. :o By the way, the Virtual Mall Twitter page is still racking up followers...we have 578 as of today! :D I have 1,615 on my personal Twitter page, which mainly focuses on Something Tangible LLC news. :)

Mom and I did see my older niece pitch in her softball game yesterday. We were there for the first time she ever struck out a player! We played croquet afterwards in their backyard, using the same set my brother-in-law used with his parents as a kid. His mother was also there and played with us, but she was a bit out of practice. ;) Unfortunately, the second game was called on account of rain. It had starting drizzling earlier before the softball game, but we were lucky it held off until after dinner. :D

According to numerous horoscopes, a lot of planets are converging in my house of true love this month into early June. Jupiter, the planet of gifts and luck, will be visiting there for the first time in 12 years! I can honestly say, I've felt that! LOL :o :p I'm not holding my breath, but I'll take all the help I can get. ;)

Until next week...have a great one! :D

Tangible Tidbits 2011 #16: From Japanese "Noodle Westerns" to Chinese Chopsticks...

Hi, gang! I hope everyone is doing well. :)

I've had a busy week! During class on Tuesday, we watched a Japanese "noodle western" -- a spoof of the old "spaghetti westerns" -- with subtitles called "Tampopo," the Japanese word for "dandelion" and the main character's name. Our teacher loves this film and he wanted to convey to us that we should put our all into whatever food we plan to make for our last class, when we use our "Out to Lunch" projects in our final critique. I've watched films with subtitles before, and even a very good one in Japanese ("Shall We Dance"), but this one was way too over-the-top for me. It gave me a headache! Needless to say, we didn't get much work done in that class, but I did manage to show my teacher the aluminum template for my Chinese takeout box. He seemed very pleased with it, and said "it showed" that I put a lot of time and effort into filing and sanding the edges! He gave me some suggestions regarding the hinges for the top flaps, so I will be working on those this week. I also cut up the remaining piece of aluminum sheet into two squares and one rectangle, which I will use to make a serving platter and condiment dishes...for sweet & sour sauce and hot mustard, for example. I still have a lot to do, and we're nearing the end of the semester, with two or three classes left at the most! He hasn't given us a date yet for the final critique. Wish me luck! ;)

On Thursday, we had our monthly BSNJ meeting. The program was revamped at the 11th hour to provide interactive demonstrations of various wire and metalwork tools, as well as a bead loom. I knew about a lot of them -- not all -- and waited for the crowds to die down at the stations before checking them out. I used my time wisely, though, and finished the embellishment on my chopsticks. I used half hard nickel wire (much more difficult to work with than dead soft wire, but it was what I had in the 18-gauge size I wanted to use) and coiled it around the top end of each chopstick. I added a pewter oval bead to the end of each stick...one side says "love" and the other side has Chinese characters on it; I presume they also say "love." I had them in my stash to be used as weighted charms for the clasp end on bracelets, but I liked the idea of using Chinese character charms for the chopsticks. :) So, that part of the project is finished! :D

I also added turquoise Greek leather to one of the resin pendants I made a few weeks ago. The pendant has two Turquoise chips in it, along with a couple of Cowrie Shells and Freshwater Pearls. The turquoise color of the leather picks up the color of the gemstone beads perfectly! :D

Today was spent with my older niece for her 10th birthday outing. We went to lunch at the Bagel Chateau -- both of my nieces LOVE bagels -- then to a local bead shop, and finally to Carvel for ice cream, which this niece LOVES. :) We made necklaces at the bead shop, something I had done with my younger niece last year. Jamie chose two puzzle piece "Best Friends" companion charms, and made a necklace for herself while I made one for her sister. Both girls love their necklaces, so it was a successful day overall. ;)

I'm still very behind on updating my photo files. There are only so many hours in a day, and I have to fit some downtime in there or I will go crazy. :p I should probably take a week off from the office job for a "staycation" at home to get my other stuff done. Maybe after school ends next month. :)

Have a great week! :D

Tangible Tidbits 2011 #12: "The Way We Were" and Taking Action

Hey, everyone! I just finished watching The Way We Were. I saw it once a long time ago, and all I could really remember was that I didn't like the ending. It's a good movie, but I still don't like the ending. Call me a sap, but I think if two people really love each other that much, they should be able to find a way to work things out. Sadly, that's not the case in real life, so I'll give the film points for being realistic. On the other hand, we watch movies to escape reality, so a "happily ever after" ending would have been nice. I know...I know...it would have been an entirely different film if the ending were different. Still, who wants to experience someone else's heartbreak? Someone who hasn't experienced the real thing, I guess. :p

I've been working on my final wrap-up video from San Diego. It's about 75 percent finished. I'm lacking footage that will fill in some of the gaps, so I have to check around and see if I can scrounge some up in order to finish it. :)

Also, I added links to the appropriate sections of the website store in the photo albums on Something Tangible LLC's Facebook page this week, as well as ten new product photos. I still have a dozen or so to fix, and I will update the photo gallery and store pages on the website once I have them all completed. ;)

BSNJ's St. Patrick's Day Party was fun. I got a nice pair of earrings in the Swarovski® Earring Exchange, as well as the materials for a pair of green beaded earrings as the party favor. I made mine right at the table while I was waiting for the food line to get shorter. ;) I also won some recycled paper beads in the silent auction and our table's centerpiece -- a candle decorated with leprechauns. All in all, I'd say I did pretty well! LOL

One of the blog's regular readers sent me a really nice email this week. She said one of my posts helped her decide to get a medical test she would have otherwise put off. While the results weren't serious, there was an issue to be addressed. She was grateful for my message. It's gratifying to know my words touched someone and resulted in her taking action. :D

I've been hearing a lot about "taking action" lately...it's being encouraged by many life coaches and business mentors these days. Taking action isn't always easy. Sometimes, it's pretty d@mned hard. And it doesn't always turn out the way you'd anticipated in my experience. I will admit that I've been doubting the wisdom of some of my actions over the past year. People forget that every single thing we do affects someone else in one way or another -- directly, indirectly, purposely, or incidentally. Too often, we don't realize the effect our actions have on others, good or bad, until some time has passed...if we ever learn about it at all. In the end, we just have to trust our own judgement, go with our instincts, and hope for the best. I do that more often than not, but I have been burned a few times in the process...sometimes, painfully so. Still, I suppose taking a risk that failed is better than not taking a risk that would have succeeded. The only way to learn the outcome is to make the effort. :\

Off to finish my Sunday night. Have a great week, folks! :)

Tangible Tidbits 2011 #8: A Sudden Surge in Productivity

Howdy, folks! :) I've gotten SOOO much done today, I'm really proud of myself! LOL I think I've gotten more done today than I had all week! :o

This burst of energy is coming off a couple of days without internet service. It's really kind of sad, but the amount of stuff you can actually accomplish without the internet these days is pretty small. Things you don't even realize require an internet connection -- like installing a new set of headphones with a microphone to my computer, for example -- require an internet connection! :o Anyway, the repairman showed up late yesterday, and we're rockin' and rollin' again! :)

As I just mentioned, I got a new headset for my computer. I had an older one from a few years ago when I was on Skype -- I deleted my account after a guy I didn't know kept wanting me to talk dirty to him in very graphic terms...I had no idea Skype was used for that kind of thing! :o When I tried to use the microphone the other night, it wasn't working for whatever reason. So, I went to Staples and got a new one yesterday. I also purchased a small flexible tripod for my Flip video camera, so I will eventually be able to film video tutorials at my workspace. :)

I purchased the microphone so I could finish the PowerPoint presentation I started in San Diego for my soon-to-be-revealed video sales page. I had to rerecord the audio MANY times to get it right! Then, feeling ambitious, I recorded an audio track for my Steampunk PowerPoint presentation, which is already on YouTube with a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang instrumental as the soundtrack. That was a MAJOR headache, trying to get the verbiage right and not stumbling over my words. I finally got it to the point it is "passable" -- you can't really be a perfectionist doing this sort of thing or you will NEVER publish ANYTHING, IMHO -- but YouTube is having trouble converting the file. That's probably because it is in PowerPoint 2010. I'll eventually get it posted, but I temporarily shelved that for more pressing matters...like writing this blog post! ;)

I worked on my latest video on Friday night, since I didn't need an internet connection for that, thankfully! It's my Improv exercise from the trip to San Diego a few weeks ago. If you didn't know it before, you will realize that I don't take myself too seriously -- and I have a bit of a troublemaker streak -- after watching this video. ;) Thanks to Jonathan Budd and his team for enabling me to make this one...I doubt I would have done if they did not require me to "perform" in this way! LOL :)



At the Thursday's Bead Society meeting (my first as Secretary), we were making Bottles of Hope -- adding a netting design with seed beads -- to donate to cancer patients in Central New Jersey on behalf of the organization. Mine is almost finished...I'll post a picture when it's done. I made mine purple, as that is the generic color for cancer, as well as the color for pancreatic cancer (R.I.P, Grandma :))

I've got a couple of bracelets and a pair of earrings to deliver this week, so I've been working on those today. I may have my nieces help me finish them up tomorrow, as the office and schools are closed for President's Day. My brother-in-law is working, so I'm watching the girls. Their Mom and my Mom are in Chicago to attend a taping of Oprah on Tuesday morning. I can't say I'm too envious, as Chicago is probably colder than here right now. :)

BTW, most of the snow from the last few storms has melted after a few Spring-like days here! WHOO HOO! It's supposed to get cold again, but at least any new snow won't be on top of the old snow anymore! :p

The new Focal Piece of the Month will be going up sometime this week, so keep an eye out for that. As a matter of fact, I have to write that now! ;) LOL

Have a great week, everybody! :D

Tangible Tidbits 2010 #27: Monday, Monday...

Sorry I missed you all last night. I spent all day at the Innovative Beads Expo at Raritan Center in Edison, NJ taking a workshop. I learned how to embroider around a rivoli, which is a faceted crystal focal piece. Embroidering around a rivoli is tricky because they are not flat like cabochons. I finished the focal piece last night and started the chain, but I don't have any cone findings here to finish it off, unfortunately. I'll order some this week and hopefully have it posted sometime next week. ;)

My pal Meg Fillmore from Bead My Love taught the class I took yesterday -- she also taught the class I took last fall to learn how to add a beaded fringe to a scarf. She works with her mother, Moggie Moyer, and I got a 20 percent discount on anything purchased at their booth for taking the class. I also visited renowned beader Linda Gettings' table quite a bit. I met her at a Bead Society of New Jersey (BSNJ) meeting in the spring, and she's just a wonderful person! So, I bought some jewelry kits from her and got a bunch of free ones as well! :D My beading skills will be exercised and expanded by leaps and bounds in the next few months! :)

I'm hoping to attend Bead My Love's weekend retreat during the first weekend in November. It will be in Rehoboth Beach, DE and should really be a blast! :D

I spent almost ALL DAY on Friday entering data into the Bead Manager Pro software program. It seems that allocating an hour a day isn't working out so well for me. I keep putting it off because of something that is more immediately pressing. I'm probably better off just getting in the groove when I can do it and go for as long as I can before my eyes cross! LOL

We'll be updating the website again toward the end of this week. The new Focal Piece of the Month will be a gift I made a while ago for a friend whose birthday is next week. He's the coworker who passed away a couple of months ago, so I don't think he will mind me posting it before his birthday. I ended up burying it at his grave in early June, so he technically already has it anyway. I put with it a crossword Lottery scratch card, since he used to always have me cash them in for him. Every once in a while, I wonder if I buried a card worth $20,000, which is the grand prize for those cards. Considering my luck with them, it's probably not even worth the $3 I paid for it, so I'm not too concerned about it. LOL I just hope someone who works for the cemetery doesn't find it and find out for themselves how much it is worth! :o

I almost forgot to mention that I am now the #1 jewelry expert on Factoidz! :D I posted a new article last week, but it's not about jewelry-making. It does, however, have to do with part of my motivation behind the mission for this company.

http://factoidz.com/coping-with-loss-a-personal-perspective/

We had a lot of thunder here this morning, but the sun is shining now and no rain in sight. Hope it stays that way! ;)

Have a great week! :D

Tangible Tidbits 2010 #19: Picking Up Steam...

Well, I said I would try to have "something tangible" to report this week, and I do! I have been busy, as once people at work found out that I'm leaving and why, there's been increased interest! I've had orders for two pairs of earrings, one necklace, and two bracelets this week!

I was in Morristown yesterday picking up items my niece and I made at Glass Works recently for her birthday -- check out the picture frame I made for my other niece in the GALLERY on the website or on the Something Tangible Facebook Fan Page -- and I noticed a "unique gifts" shop. I went inside and got a lot of really interesting ideas for bookmarks, jewelry, and other items. I managed to get my shopping done for a friend's birthday, too. The jewelry case included small cards highlighting the metaphysical properties of the stones in the pieces...is that perfect or what? I want to send the owner a brochure when they are finished...one has been in the planning stages with the graphic designer for a while, but it has been on the back burner for both of us. The store owner was a nice, chatty guy. He mentioned that his supplier is a long-time friend in Florida, but you never know...he may want some different items than she does one day. I didn't want to seem pushy, so I didn't tell him what I do. I figured a brochure would be a better introduction to offering my services. I heard a while ago about another similar store in Westfield, so I want to check that out, too, as well as stores in other towns in the general area that might be interested.

In addition, the Bead Society of New Jersey (BSNJ) will be featured at the Oceanic Free Library in Rumson during the month of June. Members can provide items to be put on display in the case there, and the Library will sell them as a fundraiser for 20% of the sales. I have pulled together a handful of beaded items to contribute, and I have to deliver them before next Monday. It will be an hour car trip each way, but well worth it if I sell anything. Plus, the exposure couldn't hurt, either.

On a personal note, I went to see "South Pacific" at Lincoln Center today with my mother and sister. It was my sister's Christmas present to Mom, and I was invited to tag along. A very good production, especially if you're into Rodgers & Hammerstein. I was exposed to most of their work growing up...Mom loves Broadway musicals.

Have a good week, folks!

Tangible Tidbits 2010 #13: I Used My Muse!

Hey, all! Tomorrow is the deadline for Artbeads.com's Use The Muse IV contest, so I spent most of today making my piece for it. I decided a while ago what I wanted to do, but I just never got around to it. This morning, I realized today was my last shot if I wanted to enter...and since I paid $40 for the kit, I figured I'd better get my butt in gear and do it! :p

I can't post a photo of my piece until "the big reveal" of the Muse on Artbeads.com in a few weeks, as the muse is supposed to be kept secret. It's a cuff bracelet, but a bit different than what you've seen me do before. The kit contained walnut wood components, Swarovski(R) crystals, Hybrid TOHO™ and other seed beads, brown Tiger's Eye, and blue turquoise Picasso Czech glass roundelle beads, plus I mixed gold-colored aluminum wire with bronze wire and added my own Lava Stone, some faded rose/gold square seed beads, and some large faceted round AB finish black beads. It all came together quite nicely, if I do say so myself! ;)

Aside from that, I've got one school project basically done and two others pretty close to completion. You'll be seeing a sterling silver pendant made from a cuttlebone cast very soon. I just have to decide what to hang it on and find the right bail for it. The silver that leaked out of the bottom of the cast and fused itself to some stones in the pan below will become a pin. It looks pretty kewl...I just have to figure out how to affix a back to it. And I have a brass bangle bracelet that needs some finishing touches added to it. I haven't decided just what they are yet, so that's still "in progress." Two other pendants will be done, hopefully, during next week's class. They have to be cleaned up and have stones set in them. One will have the stone set in a gear steampunk-style. The other will be set in a bezel cup made by me. As I am not such a master with the torch and solder, it's a challenge. :p The last project I am required to complete is to make a container. I've decided to make a brass box with steampunk gears, watch faces, and keys affixed to the outside with rivets. I ordered some watch faces and antique keys from eBay today. :)

Still working on earrings for a coworker and I have a couple of bracelets to do. I've ordered a few DVDs to help me advance my wire-working skills over the summer. In particular, I want to learn wire-wrapping stones, as I have a couple of stones (well, rocks, really!) here a friend sent to me months ago and I've been trying to figure out what to do with them. She said she wasn't in a hurry, but I think I should probably get them back to her before the seasons change again! LOL

BSNJ has its monthly meeting on Thursday and I'm attending an all-day workshop with Linda Gettings on Saturday. I'll be learning how to make a St. Petersburg chain as a circular medallion. I believe there's sewing and seed beads involved. :o LOL

Enjoy the spring weather! I know I am! :D

Tangible Tidbits 2010 #4: We Were Experiencing Technical Difficulties...

My apologies to anyone who visited our store earlier this week and found it in disarray. As I mentioned in last week's message, we scheduled our monthly update for this week. As promised, the Focal Piece of the Month has been changed and we made some minor tweaks here and there. I've also moved all of the NOT FOR SALE photos from the active Store area to the GALLERY link in the menu on the left-hand side of that page to minimize confusion. Unfortunately, in doing so, I accidentally tripped over some code -- I'm not quite sure how -- and messed up the Store pages for the three active Inventory Items categories. We got things straightened out relatively quickly, but anyone who happened to peek into the Store during that period of time would have found a bit of a mess in there. :o

In any case, now it's all cleaned up and everything is as it should be. :) I've also added a few new items to the "Kits from sb designs" area and one to the Non-gemstone Items" section. With my MSU class heading into full swing and the Adult School class now finished, I won't be adding too many new items to the Inventory very frequently. I'll be working on items ordered by request in whatever free time I have, so I will keep posting items to the GALLERY as I am able, though. And there are a couple of things I want to do for the Valentine's Day Party meeting of BSNJ, so I'll post those as well. :) And we have four major projects for MSU this semester, so those will be very different than anything you've seen from me so far. ;)

Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. I can't believe it's already February...where did January go? LOL

Tangible Tidbits 2010 #3: Keeping Busy!

I apologize for the delay in sending out this week's message, but I've had my hands full with taking classes, keeping up with the website, taking and fulfilling orders, plus working an unrelated full-time job to help keep this all going! Who needs sleep, right?

I attended my first meeting of the Bead Society of New Jersey (BSNJ) this past Thursday. I found out about the group at the Innovative Bead Expo last October. They meet monthly about 40-45 minutes south of here, which isn't bad as long as the Parkway isn't backed up. This meeting featured a challenge to create a piece of jewelry in 45 minutes given some chain, connectors, a focal piece and large piece of filigree. I didn't finish mine in time to be judged, but the winners received free merchandise from Kabela Design, hosts of the challenge and the guest vendor for the evening. They specialize in vintage materials -- antiqued gold, copper, etc. I bought some really nice things from them! :D BSNJ has some pretty fun and interesting things planned for the next few meetings from what I can tell, so I think it will be a good activity/organization for me to become involved with, and I met some nice people there.

I've got my final class at the Adult School coming up this Tuesday...and I'm FINALLY going to learn how to make RINGS! I'm pretty excited about that! I've really gotten a lot out of these classes and met some great people. I'm already looking forward to the one-day summer camp hosted by one of the teachers in July or August.

I also attended my first MSU Metalwork & Jewelry class on Friday night. This class is no joke! We have to do an oral presentation for the mid-term critique and submit 10 drawings a week in our sketch books. Luckily, I got a head start on those after I attended one class last fall, so I have 17 already done! :D

I've uploaded all of the sample photos to the GALLERY section of the Store, so the NOT FOR SALE section will be taken down soon. I'll wait until we update the site in the next week or so -- keep an eye out for the new Focal Piece of the Month -- so the intro to the Store will reflect the change and not confuse people. :)

Take care and thanks for your continued interest!