Basics

I love working new, elaborate patterns.
I love creating new designs.
But sometimes it's just nice to go back to a familiar, favourite stitch.
We ended up spending the night and part of today at my in-laws due to a power outage, so I just grabbed a few beads in the semi-darkness at home.
Twisted herringbone is just so soothing to me!

Many on the go

I don't know about you, but I tend to have a few projects on the go at the same time. Sometimes this actually really bugs me! Right now for example I got a good way into my second go at a GoodQuillHunting (http://goodquillhunting.com/) pattern with twin beads and realized the beads that came in the mail were the wrong size...
I really love working with these beads, they are a lot of fun, not to mention I wish I had the talent Christina has in coming up with such patterns!
Later, as I'm half-way into another of her patterns (I'm also good at buying patterns and taking a while to use them!) I realize I need to order smaller needles...
I have not worked in 15s much in a while. Of course now I'm loving it again!
So I guess I'll be starting something else later!

Get Rid of Her!

EDITED she has all her money! Yay :) Thanks to those who helped!
 I'm doing another jewelry for missions deal ;)
I have a friend who is heading to Ireland to be a part of YWAM (youth with a mission) and we are helping her to raise the money that she needs for this!
I love being a part of this!
So, between now and the end of the month all the money from every sale is going to help her to meet this goal.
We are doing a night where my items will be available Tuesday after next you who are local. If you are not, anything you purchase from my shop will go straight to this need!

 Just to tempt, here are a few new piecs:

Twisted Silver

LOVE how this turned out. It's a very addictive stitch and there will be more to come!

Tangerine

Getting my shop back in order has been fabulous. Oh how I've missed it!
I also did not realize how many pieces I had not photographed and added. Oh my!
Here is the latest, Tangerine, added today. I just love this color combination!

New Season

Well, it's yet another season of our lives!
Not long after I wrote the last post, let's say I get really tired. Really, really tired. I then lived in a tired  haze for quite some time made up of work, sinus headaches, soaking my feet and collapsing onto the couch.
We are having a little baby girl in November :).
So, needless to say my focus and what energy I had during the first trimester were not about beads. And then as my energy returned it was about getting through each work day and putting my legs up and resting when I got home.
I am now starting my third week home and not working as my legs would not handle eight hour shifts on them at a go. I am spending a lot of time organizing and cleaning, getting the baby's room ready and nesting.
But it also mean I have time and energy to bead! Yay!
My poor Etsy shop has been sorely neglected. I'm debating about finding a new street team on Etsy or waiting until after little girl shows herself and seeing how her days go first.
Either way, it's also a new season for my beading.
As yes, I have maternity leave and a bit of money with that, but not as much, I'm hoping to get back to selling a little more often and putting more efforts into that online I seem to have sold more in person over the last few years, but I have the time to try to advertise and such more now.
 It will also be a new season in that, since I'm not working right now not all the profits will go to missions. I will still have times where this is true though.
I have some pieces to photograph and listings to update, but mostly I'm excited to play with my beads again :)

I'm also excited to have time to look at other beady buddies blogs and get back into the beading community online :).

See you all soon!

With love to Moldova

I have not blogged for Regal beads in over a year? OUCH!
I will admit I sell more in person than online and gave up putting out all the online effort for quite some time. I find sometimes once my job is over for the day and we've eaten dinner, gone out or whatever is going on that week that sometimes I just don't have the energy! But, it's all about priorities.

Last fall I got pretty ill and during that time I had a lot of time to think and pray as I could not do much else. God convicted me that I was becoming greedy with the money I was making from my jewelery and also that there were those in need whom I could help with the talent He had given me. So, I decided from there on out to give 100% of what I make from Regalbeads to ministries.

This is the second year that the month of December has meant sending money to Moldova: there is a church there whom my church has sent funds to each Christmas for quite a few years. They help the disabled and needy who cannot work or do not have enough to have food in the winter. In the summer they eat from their gardens, but in the winter they have great need.
I don't know about you, but I've really never had to worry about food. I can't imagine worrying that my child will have food to fill their stomach.

Pastor Andrew (the pastor of this church) came and spoke to us the summer before last and shared pictures and stories of those whom we helped. To say it was moving does not begin to sum up the impact.
A woman asked if our offering provided them with enough food to last all winter. The answer? Well, not really but sometimes it's all they have so they are encouraged to make it last.

So, all of the money I made last December and again this year will be going to Moldova.
So, anything and everything you buy in my etsy shop or in person for those of you who live here will go to feed the needy.

Won't you help to fill this basic need?

Ruffles and Fringe

Yes, these two things can really take on a life of their own. I've seen other say this in the past, but now I know that it's true.
Case in point:
I started this for The Girly Girl longer ago than I want to admit. Partly because I had custom orders and an open house-partly because it just got pushed aside and forgotten.
I had been reading in the marvelous book by Carol Huber Cyphers about adding an addition row when doing the Oglala technique and decided that The Girly would love this. It looks fabulous, but is amazingly time consuming. I also made it pretty long so she can get it on and off without help if she wants to (oh, and she will), but still used this lovely button as an easy closure as well. It's multi-coloured partially because the plane trip on the way to see The Girly and the rest of the family created some bead soup for me (ahem, never again) and partly because then she can wear it with all kinds of things (she likes to match). Can't wait for her to get this. Poor girl, I've kept her waiting far too long. Sorry darlin!




























Case in point two:
I have a friend who placed a custom order with me. She picked the beads and only wanted it to have more flowers than my normal bracelets. This one of a kind piece is what it evolved into. Yes, I got carried away! It was quite the adventure, let's just say that ;).

It's the little things

I am so grateful to have a husband who puts up with all my crazy beads. Not just everyone could do such a thing.
And not only put up with, but encourage me in what I enjoy doing, in my creative outlet. And once in a while even name a piece.
Earlier this year he was away for school, sitting at a desk, far from me and my beads and he looked down, and there, on his desk was a seed bead.

I love you and appreciate your support!

Win Some Sandfibers!!

Do you love Jewelry?
Are you a fan of Sandfibers?
I sure am!
Right now, run over to her blog and tell her what you would use $100 (yes, that's right!) in her shop for your chance to win!!
Easy!

What are you waiting for?

All Ablaze

I do so wish purple and red photoed easier!
I will probably try to get a few more pictures of this, but none will be able to correctly capture the colour scheme, as with all beadweaving, it's better in person!
Available here.

Little Vine

I'm a big fan of Time2cr8, both of the beautiful creations she puts out and the beautiful woman she is! She is always there for those of us who have not been beadweaving and/or selling our work for as long, encouraging others and just a bright spot in my days at least :).
I remember asking her a while back if she would ever write up any of her patterns. She told me that she'd like to one day. I remember feeling wistful.
WELLLLL...
She just started selling her amazing patterns (for personal use) and her is my first one!
It is my first try at two-drop peyote (come to think of it, it's only my second completed peyote bracelet and third peyote project of any kind), and being the perfectionist that I am, I can see the flaws, but know that I need more practice.
Thank you Mary Lou for sharing your beautiful work with us!!
If you would like to purchase this-or any number of other patterns-be sure to stop by her shop!!

Resolution

Yes, my resolution is to get back to this :)
I really hate even the idea of resolutions, but , oh well, there you have it.
I think the main reason I had gotten away from it was the lack of a good camera (this is also why I haven't listed anything in a while.)
The other reason being I have been having so much more success in person.

I also hate that I missed taking pictures of some sort of two custom pieces I recently did, partially due to the camera issue and partially due to time!
One was a remake of a new design that I haven't listed yet-I was wearing the first one and someone wanted one like it! The colour combination they chose was like a sunset and I regret not having the photo!
The other was a netted bracelet done all in silver lined beads. Simple and elegant. I will have to duplicate this. I've thought of doing this in the past, and never had. I had a grandmother of the groom who is wearing silver custom order it. It was far lovelier than I even imagined-I love when that happens!

I was encouraged by a friend to try a Jewelery open house, and did so, with great success!
Next year I'm going to do it farther out from Christmas. I'm also planning on doing them throughout the year. I really think there is something to being able to touch and see beadweaving in person.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!!

Custom Cuffs

I had a lot of fun making these. There is just something about making pieces that you know people are going to love and that will fit them perfectly.

Now on to my next customer order, a very unique one...based on crop circles...

MINE

Over the past year I've fallen more and more in love with Czech pressed glass beads. I have a favourite seller who I'm willing to share my source of because I LOVE sending business her way :).
Bobbi This 'N That (I've blogged about her before) is my go to gal for my Czech bead obesession.
I just got some goodies from her in the mail this week. Some of them are for a couple of custom orders I have, but you know ;).
There are two sets in particular that I saw and went "MINE" over!


I played around with these little beauties a bit last night, but the right thing didn't work out yet.

These very well may be my (current) favorite ever. I say current because I'm fickle any time I see a new set of beads. What can I say???
These beads, as per usual, were so much better in person than in her shop.
I cannot imagine if I were to shop from her in person how many I'd come home with!!
So, I will make these into something for me at some close point in time. After all, what is the point of being able to beadweave if I don't treat myself as well? I can also use the excuse that it is great advertising.
Today though, I am going to work on piece one of said custom order. All wilst sipping on a caffinated beverage and visiting with my quilter friend at a local coffee shop. I love my day off :).

Purple Blush

It is so incredibly hard to photo light purple! Add a dash of light pink and ...well, still not 100% pleased with these photos, but what can you do?

floral cuffs

Well, I DO have a slew of new pieces...
However, they need to be photographed and listed as of yet as I have been busy unpacking and with various other things in my busy life that have gotten in my way these last few weeks (how rude!)

In the mean time, I've decided to spotlight some of my floral cuffs :)
Enjoy:

Summer Bling

Now that summer has finally arrived in Northern Ontario (at least I THINK so...I've heard rumours of SNOW on JULY first, as if April first was not bad enough! I will ward it away with tank tops, shorts and sandals!!!)
here are a few summer favorites from some amazing etsy sellers to treat yourself to!!

some summer favourites!

Earrings :)

I know that I have been painfully abscent from this lately, I am going to make it a higher priority. Pity when work and life get in the way of my bead obsession!

Some earing eye candy today, to tempt you (all for sale in my shop):

Temptation!

Be sure you run over to the Etsy Beadweavers blog and vote for your favorite in this months monthly challenge, temptation!!
You don't want to miss it!