A very girly bulldog bracelet and a funky photo shoot

 Here is the fruit of last weeks'work.

 Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?

 This bracelet is to celebrate all the fabulous lady dogs out there, who despite their long lashes, feminine underbites and petite structures (at least when compared to their male counterparts) are still referred to as "he".

Yes, it's blingy,and as pink as it can get, but isn't it fun?

 Then we have some new pictures here. I am getting pretty good at utilizing my ittsy bittsy camera, but it has it's limitations. Plus, if anything needs to be modeled, and Sammy can't do it, then I have to do it, and Paul takes the pictures, and  some pictures just don't come out right...

 Not these! 

These were taken with my best friend's awesome camera, and my friend and her baby daughter graciously decided to model for me.

I love all these pictures. Thank You M. for modeling for me!

Woodland Time!

 It is indeed time to take a walk through the woods, and there is no better way doing that then hand in hand with friends. This post features two of my favorite Etsy artists who make wonderful things that fit the theme.  First, let me introduce Janine of Foxtail Creek Studios.

 Her work is so full of life and fun! She makes needle felted sculptures that capture the essence of the forest. They are simple, yet sophisticated, realistic, but fairy tale like and so very useful.

Some of them, like the one above here double as a pin cushion. And that's exactly how I have found her, looking for a pin cushion.

 And now I am the proud owner of not only a pin cushion, but a piece of incredibly functional art that makes my beading space, (fancy way of saying the wooden trunk in front of which I perch on the floor to bead,) ever so zen.

A couple months ago I had a sudden urge to learn needle felting, only to find out that there are other needles out there, that can do more damage to my fingers then my size 12 beading needles.

 Needless to say (no pun intended), I admire Janine's art all the much more knowing how much work goes into all her enchanted creations.

If you click on the this link, it will take you to Janine's blog.And don't forget to visit her Etsy store, Foxtail Creek Studio .

 Next stop, my new bracelet.

 Wee fox, sleeping on the autumn forest floor...

 And that brings me to Rebekah of Tree Wings Studio.

I have featured her work before, when I made the Nesting Owl Cuff.

She makes the cutest sleepy woodland critters and funky nature inspired beads of all shapes and sizes.

 I already have the little deer from her shop, and another owl too, and I will just have to keep on making sleepy critter bracelets, because they melt my heart. So much adorableness.

Rebekah, if you are reading this, one of my customers would LOVE to have a sleepy Bluejay.Just in case you are contemplating what little critter to make next...

And here is my favorite guy, the sleepy little owl.

Here is a link to Rebekah's blog and another one to her Etsy store.

Summer Garden Bracelet

 This is not going to be very different from some previous bracelets...

It looks like when I am in a state of stress, I just go back to my happy colors, such as purple and orange.

 The beautiful stone here is a superb quality fossilized coral. I don't  think I've ever seen a nicer specimen.

Lots of rivolis, the little ones are vintage cathedral color, the big guy is topaz.

 I was thinking about a lush summer garden while working on this. A swing on a big tree, squirrels playing, birds singing, kittens chasing birds, Sammy chasing kittens, kind of a  long summer afternoon in the company of some ice tea while admiring the beauty around...

 I hope I am not getting too boring with these bracelets. I just really enjoy making them.

Sammy's 4th Birthday

Canine Supermodel Samantha Regina hosted a small get together last night. Her boyfriend Tankie R. and his parents came over to celebrate with us . Samantha was wearing her famous bunny hair sweater she got for Christmas. ( It was a random sale item a Marshall's and I was told no bunnies were harmed in the making. Apparently these bunnies have really thick fur, and they enjoy getting plucked . Also, don't worry, I don't dress her up all the time, although she does wear sweaters in the winter, because it gets very cold around here, and she is almost naked on her tummy, but I don't make her wear silly dresses for no good reason.)

First, there was butt sniffing.

 Then the guest tackled the birthday balloons. He enjoys popping them. Sammy is a bit scared of them, the balloons are mostly for Tank's enjoyment. He popped all 15 in a matter of about 5 minutes.

 We had dinner, and when the time came for cupcakes, it turned out that I forgot the candle. I did have the one from last year though, so Sammy got to turn 3 for the second time.

 This was the most still these two stayed for hours. 

 Birthday smiley Sammy.

 And Tankie, destroying some of the squeekies we had laying around. 

 Meanwhile Sammy was working on using this nubby blue thing that used to be part of a gummy caterpillar  as a chewing gum.

 Tankie knows how to impress his lady. This is one of his tricks.

While I really didn't get much beading done, we all had fun, especially Sammy and Tank. They have not seen each other for ever, since Tank moved away. (He used to be our neighbor). I guess we have to get them together after this, it is pretty clear that these two are just meant for each other...

Green Storm Bracelet

 Only one bracelet this week... I am getting slow.

Naah. I was just really busy.

Lucky me, I had a few more Etsy sales this week. Makes me so happy to see my Preciouses finding loving homes.

 I was able to acquire a very large and very beautiful plume agate cabochon, a real beauty really.

First, it made me think of aquatic images, maybe coral, maybe light on water. But somehow that was not what the stone wanted to be... It wanted to be a sky.

A great  stormy sky over green woodland.

 You know the kind of storms, that  take forever to get ready  on long summer afternoons, when the air is full of electricity and anticipation, and the light turns all strangely yellow, and then finally, the silence is broken by thunder?

 I had that in mind with this piece. Something like it. Creatures bellow the sky in the woods stirring, trying to find a spot to hide before the fat rain drops hit them on the head.

 And the landscape comes alive with the first drop, the wind picks up, you can hear the leaves singing with the wind, but the rain drops are warm, and it feels like nature is breathing through rain.

Not that all that could be contained in a bracelet, but those were my thoughts while I was stitching away...

And the Winner is... Naan

Thank you  All for playing! I wrote all your names on a paper, then picked one at random.

The lucky winner of the slightly misfit ring is Naan.

Naan, please shoot me an email with your exact address.

My email is kinganicholsATyahooDOTcom.