Trying something new

I purchased another beading book at Borders (they're going out of business here in Fort Wayne so stuff is discounted) and it's been one of the easiest books I've found to follow. Beaded Allure by Kelly Wiese has 25 patterns for beadweaving projects. The book includes many necklaces which is something I wanted to try. I tried one of the easiest projects, the lariat (bottom) and it turned out pretty cute. I still need a ring to attach to the other end but didn't have one at midnight last night while I was finishing this. I also tried the netted collar but instead turned it into a bracelet since I started this one after the other and it was getting really late. I used up some old beads so it isn't of the best quality and I had some trouble getting the tension right but I think it may have been because the beads were not very uniform in size. THAT is why it's important to get quality beads. Those that you find in the multi-pack just won't cut it but they're good for practice.

Geordie insisted on being on my lap the entire time I was beading so it was quite the balancing act. The netted bracelet looked nice as a collar on him... I thought it was cute and he looked up at me like "Mom, you are out of your mind." I knew I needed a female dog so I could make cute stuff for them! SO I think I might make one and have one of the I.G. foster moms see if one would be nice on one of their girls.

Geordie's first portrait

It's about time I did one of these:

Geordie's first portrait! He is such a character. Today I was working on this in my office and he wasn't finding a good spot on the air mattress in here so he started climbing into the closet where I have some blankets and pillows piled up. He can zero in on those blankets like nothing else! I had to scold him and tell him to get out of the closet since I have some artwork in there and I didn't want claw marks on them. He is crazy. Italian greyhounds truly are velcro dogs. They need to be next to a human at ALL times. My Iggy belives he IS a human:
Enough said.

Geordie/Geordo/Jorge "hor-hay"/Twinkle Toes/Bubby

New addition to the family

Introducing... Geordie!

Well it was QUITE a process but he's finally ours. Geordie is a 6 year old Italian Greyhound (aka Iggy) we adopted from the Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation. He was abused in his previous home. His owner surrendered him after she decided she couldn't take his "behavior problems" anymore which of course, she was at fault for. Now that he's being properly cared for he is such a sweetie.

I made my first official sale on Etsy which was exciting. I've been trying to work on beadwork. I made an Iggy Mom bracelet for Geordie's foster mom as a thank you. I may be making more of those to donate to the annual IGRF Iggy 500 gathering. I finished my first bead embroidery project. It turned out alright, I'm just trying to figure out how to finish the edges:

Back to work...

This past week I have enjoyed my first week-long vacation of the year. I used this time to complete my Etsy store Laurengstudio.etsy.com and work on some artwork for an amazing musician (and my Auntie and roommate) Sarah Alicia. You can find her at www.sarahaliciamusic.com and listen to her music for free at http://soundcloud.com/sarah-alicia/. Her EP is available on iTunes and her full length album comes out very soon.

Take a listen to her single "16":

01 Sixteen by Sarah Alicia

The gorgeous scenery you see in the background is the Cayman Islands where she was born and raised. She is actually there now to do a concert. As I said her full length album comes out very soon. I did a multi-medium piece for the inside leaflet of her album. I'll post pictures of it after her album is released. I don't want to spoil it for everyone! I am honored to have been a part of it and I had a lot of fun working on it.

LaurenGStudio on Etsy!

Yea! Yea! We are finally up and running. Check out:

http://laurengstudio.etsy.com/

Go there now! Thank you mother for being such an excellent wrist model. As always, I welcome custom orders. Ok, now I'm off to make more!

Mariah, you are the Christmas music queen

Christmas music in my home is in full swing. I feel as though this season has crept up quite quickly so I need to make up for that by playing Christmas music 24/7. I downloaded Mariah Carey's new album and oh my... let's just say keep those kleenex handy! Once you get to O Come All Ye Faithful... (I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.) It's like you try to keep it in as the choir chimes in but by the time they get to the "glory to God" part your eyes just give out and tears start streaming! I've listened to it 5 times now today just to see if I can get through it without crying and I can't! I'm sure I'm just crazy but Christmas just means so much to me. It really is my favorite time of year.

ANYWAY, I've got my Paypal business account up and running and I've secured my LaurenGStudio name on etsy.com. The store policies are being drafted and logos being created. Exciting!

Coming soon to Etsy

I've decided Etsy would be the best place to post these bracelets for sale. I will direct you to my shop as soon as it's up and running. It's quite a process, but that's expected. As always, if you have any questions just e-mail me! Have a lovely day.

What make the best gifts? Handmade gifts of course!

Reasons to buy handmade:
1. Handmade gifts say, "I really put in the time to find you something unique."
2. It supports artists doing what they love.
3. You can be green by buying local.
4. Avoid a crowded mall.... (what other reason do you need?)
5. It makes you feel good!

Stay tuned for Lauren G. Studio's collection of handmade bead-woven bracelets!

Friday morning coffee and muffins from scratch!

I really don't like my 1pm - 9pm shift but today I love it because it allowed me to wake up early and make chocolate chip muffins and a cup of coffee, catch up on my podcasts, and post some pictures here. By the way, if you're a creative person, the CraftyPod podcasts http://www.craftypod.com are a GREAT source of inspiration and encouragement.

My latest set of projects have been beadweaving projects. I am certainly a beginner and I have only conquered one type of stitch but I've found this to be a very fun and portable craft. I purchased the book 200 Beading Tips, Techniques, & Trade Secrets by Jean Power that has the best illustrated instructions I've found. I have also used the assistance of videos on YouTube. The combination of these two have been most helpful to learn stitches.

This is a peyote stitch bracelet. This is the second one I made. Good materials are essential. Fireline is a must for the thread you use and invest in quality seed beads. I've quickly found out how cheaper beads are not always uniform size and it makes your bracelet uneven and you waste time trying to pick out bigger or smaller beads to use in a particular area. Also JoAnn Fabrics is not a good place to buy seed beads. I bought some shiny blue ones and it turns out the beads were really clear but had just been coated with the blue and it ended up coming off all over my fingers and now it just looks clear anyways! Hobby Lobby has a better selection. I'm sure a bead store would have the best but if you don't have access to one or don't want to wait and pay shipping by purchasing online, Hobby Lobby has a much better selection.