Holiday Boutique and Tea

Please try to make it to my very first boutique sale -- just in time for the holidays.  Along with my cards, there will be Melanie's frames, Cookie Lee Jewelry and chocolates!  Bring your friends, there will be prizes.  RSVP to Kary for even more chances at raffle prizes.  See you on November 21 in Pasadena!

A Whale or a Mermaid?

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

¨THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE? ¨

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans).. They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia and the lovely Pacific Ocean . Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don’t have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a piece of chocolate with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good gosh, look how smart I am…¨

I am learning to love being a whale and being so smart!  Baruch Hashem.

L'Shana Tovah

May all of your new years wishes come true.  May this year be one of happiness, health and peace to all.

HAPPY 5771!

Facebook Fan Page

Do Be Do Bead Do has a Face book fan page ... go forth and "like."

Copics, Cards and Chatting with an Old Friend

I shared in my last post that I was going to a crop with Melanie, my oldest friend in the whole world (since we were five).  I just love that we have this scrappy habit in common and that we are able to sit at a table together amongst other friends to make art. 

This card is just one of the cards that I made on Saturday.  The image is from a stamp that I got in the dollar bin (!) at Michaels and is colored with my beloved copic markers.  I'm still learning the whole shading thing with these magical markers, but I think I did pretty well on this image.

This image on the right is another favorite.
The image was sent to me by an image angel from Splitcoast Stampers and is just adorable, don't you think?  I know that Valentine's Day is months away, but I just couldn't resist making this card.  I mean, look at that cute image. 
It's hard to see in the picture, but I used a little diamond glaze on the soap and bubbles and popped up the little heart and bar of soap.  I wish I had more than one of this adorable image.  It was so much fun to color. 

I had so much fun on Saturday with Melanie.  I was there from morning to night and only made eight cards. Thank you Melanie for including me in your group and for such a fun day!

Hello There, Long Time No Original Post

I am struggling with this whole blogging idea.  I just don't know if I have that much to say.  Don't get me wrong, there is a lot going on in my life.  Two weeks ago I enjoyed the company of almost 300 of my closest friends (seriously -- 300) at a reunion of the Jewish youth group that I belonged to in the 70s, B'nai Brith Youth Organization/B'nai Brith Girls.  It was amazing to see so many people that I shared my teenage years (and all of those milestones of life) with.  This is a picture of myself and three lovely women with whom I have been friends with for many, many years.  In fact, the two women on the right and left, Melanie and Glenda respectively, I have been friends with since kindergarten.  Yes, you read that right.  In fact, Glenda's Mom and my Mom were co-leaders of our brownie troop.  The lovely lady in Blue, Jody, we met when we were around thirteen.  We were all so happy that night and hopefully we will all continue to stay connected.  Facebook and email will make this easier.

Because this is a blog about my jewelry, this is one of my newer pieces.  It's jasper and bali silver and really looks lovely on.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend.  I am meeting Melanie (from the picture above) on Saturday for a crop with her scrapbooking friends.  I'm really looking forward to seeing her and making art with my old friend.

Enjoy your days and talk to you all soon.

Andrew Thornton's Thursday Giveaway

Can you imagine calling all of these beautiful beads and components your own?  It's easier than you think.  Hope on over to dear Andrew Thornton's blog and they can be yours -- it's just as simple as leaving a comment on this post.  When will I host a giveaway?  When I reach 30 followers, I will give away 30 of my polymer clay beads to one lucky reader.  Tell your friends, become a follower -- it will be fun!  Have a blessed day.

Wait til you see this candy .... SWEEET!

It's Jody's Birthday and she's giving away presents.  Go on over to her blog inkedinspirations, follow the directions and you could win some really cool stuff.  Like this:

Rings & Things Blog Partner!!!!!!!!

Rings N' Things has simplified their blog partner program and Dave Robertson's email came today saying that this simplification has made me, yes, you read that right, me a Rings & Things blog partner.  Take a lookie see to the left, right there at my little badge.  I couldn't be more thrilled.  Now, go forth to R&T and buy, buy, buy!

Bead Soup before the Party

Bead Soup Necklace
Originally uploaded by SandiLeeDesigns

Before I went to the wonderful Bead Soup Party, I made this mutli-strand necklace of my own bead soup mix. It is 6 wonderful strands of mixed up pearl, gemstone and brass goodness.

First she throws us a party, then she gives us a present...

The Bead Soup Party is over.  Lori over at Pretty Things did such a wonderful job matching us all up and posting this and that.  Now she is hosting a giveaway on her blog of the pendant that she made with part of her soup.  Go take a look and put your name into the hat for this beautiful pendant:

A Hearty Serving of Soup

Today was my bead soup partner Shea's day to serve up her soup.  Go on over to her blog post and see the magic that she made with the soup ingredients that I sent her ... amazing.

Oh, and while I have you here, to all of my 20 whole followers (believe me, I'm thrilled to have that many followers that aren't family) have a wonderful weekend doing what it is that you all do to make you happy!

Bead Soup Revealed

What fun this was ... what a fantastic way to meet new artists and share our work.  First of all let me say that my photography skills just suck and they absolutely do not do this piece justice.  That being said, here is my finished piece for the bead soup project.  I received the lovely focal piece, silver and clasp from my partner and friend Shea.  I added the purple pearls and dyed quartz.  It really is lovely. Let's try a close-up of the pendant, shall we:

It's perfect, my skills as a photographer -- not so much.  Please come back tomorrow --I'm going to have my son take more pictures.  Until then, please visit Shea and see better photos of her lovely work.

Tasting Soup

 

 Thank goodness my bead soup party partner and friend Shea had the presence of mind to take and post pictures of the raw ingredients that we sent each other, or I wouldn't be able to post this teaser of the beautiful things to come next week when our final pieces are to be revealed.  The picture above are the beautiful ingredients that Shea sent to me.  This picture does not do her lovely Silver Clay pendant any justice at all.  It's absolutely lovely.  You will have to wait until next week to see what I stirred into these beads and what came out of the pot.  I've worn it already and received many compliments.  This is so much fun!!!

This photo to the left is a close up of a sampling polymer clay beads that I sent to Shea.  I'm thrilled that she's pleased with my work. Tune in next week for our finished pieces. 

Under the Weather

I had originally made this card for my dear friend Cynthia, who was, at the time, hospitalized battling a rare form of cancer.  I was at a fun weekend crop at Pages (my LSS) and had gone to see Cynthia during the lunch break.  It was to be the last time I saw Cynthia alive.  I cannot put into words what an angel Cynthia was prior to passing and can only begin to imagine the angel she is now.  I will miss her for the rest of my days. 

Joyful, Joyful, I am Joyful

If it's one thing that I have learned in my half-century of life, it's that life is made up of trials, tribulations and snippets of joy.  It's those joyful moments in time that we remember and that we should cherish.  This is a new card that I made, and it's filled with joy.  I am thinking of opening an etsy shop and filling it with my greeting cards.  Thoughts?

Soup that's Good for the Soul

When I stepped through my front door this afternoon after having lunch with my son, I spied a small, plain brown paper wrapped package on the arm of the couch addressed to me.  With an inner-squeal I opened with delight the wonderful package from my bead-soup party partner, Shea of gr8findings.etsy.com.  Such loveliness and beauty.  With only one email between us Shea managed to get all of my favorites into that little package, all the way down to my favorite flower.  How could she have known this?  I've decided that Shea is magic.  Stay tuned for more posts on my creative path with these wonderful trinkets and the big reveal on June 18 of all of the blog party pretties.  Until then, Shea, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Bead Soup Party

Lori Anderson, over at Pretty Things is hosting another Bead Soup Party.  This time I am participating.  Click on her link to check it out.  What a great way for me to get back into blogging ...