The frustration is killing me!

I either need to have a good cry, or a stiff drink!

This is just too much, and in my current state of emotions, I'm not sure I can prevent an episode of going totally POSTAL!

My package is being held by CUSTOMS. I don't know why, and I don't care. All I know is that I've done everything they've asked me except jump through a flaming hoop, I've applied for every necessary number available to allow me to import/export goods from different countries; I've submitted everything that was asked of me. I was told Wednesday that after giving them my information, I would receive my parcel by the end of the business day Thursday. More frustration ensued, when it was discovered that I needed the I/E #, which delayed my package until today. Now, this morning, I look into the parcel progress, and find that CUSTOMS is STILL holding it! I call, and the lady tells me she's not sure WHY they're holding it, but that this could delay it until Monday! She offered to "ask for customs to put a rush on it, and hope that it won't ruffle their feathers", or "arrange to pick up the package at the plant myself" (I live a good hour away, and I don't have a car of my own, so THAT'S not gonna happen!)
I've put 3 days on friggin' hold for this now, and I'm starting to get mighty CRANKY!

To top it all off, I've been working like a mad woman on my website since last week. I had (yes, HAD) 80 items loaded, everything was beautifully organized, I just needed to make a few changes to the disclaimer, and was this close to publishing the site. Then, last night, after I finished resizing 24 photos of new bracelets and uploading them, the program fizzled; wouldn't show the items that had just been uploaded, and then systematically started hiccuping, and one at a time, all of my categories went missing. I lost ALL OF MY ITEMS! All gone! Complete do-over. The design of the site and templates are working just fine, I just can't upload items.
I mean, what's the point of having this stupid site if I can't upload my items to it? I'm so frustrated right now, I just want to cry. Prickly hot, streaming tears, to wash it all away.

I need a cigarette!

EWD: BEAD STYLE!

My friends and I have a little pact about taking over the world any way we can: EWD!

Evil World Domination!!!! Yeah! ('xept I'm not evil! I just like to pretend, 'cause I like the laugh... LOL!) Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!! ;) My intent is to take over the world, one pearl at a time O.o

Anyway, as per my previous post, I'm im-patiently waiting for a parcel full of pearls. Was slotted for today, but alas, there's this little thing called customs that needed to be dealt with. Which makes me think: Why is it that my package, coming all the way form China, had to go State side before coming here? Is it a Free Trade Agreement thingie? No really, I want to know, 'cause I positively intend on ordering more from these folks, and I'm wondering if I need to get myself a special importers license to facilitate the process...

Well, after a few phone calls today, things were cleared up, and I was told my parcel should be here tomorrow. Sure glad I put my whole day on hold for this... Ah well, that's the way the cookie crumbles, eh? Something good DID come out of this: I learned myself how to forward all my home calls to my cellie, so as I wouldn't miss my important call. That way, I was able to take Mimi for the first swim of the summer! Yay! The pool's open!

K. I'm getting these pearls tomorrow, I swear! So, in the meantime, I'm going to show you what I'm going to do with these pearls:

Roll-on Freshwater Pearl Bangles!
Aren't they just TO DIE FOR?!?
*I believe I'm getting the hang of this lightbox thingie*

I've been wearing them four on one arm! They don't take too long to make up, but I still have a difficult time with connecting the ends. A tad challenging, but nothing I can't accomplish. Now, I challenge YOU to tell me where the ends are! ;)

P.S.: Keep your eyes peeled! I've been doing a LOT of work on my site - sort of a 'behind closed doors' deal. I intend on publishing the new site within days. I got my very own paypal account yesterday, everything seems to be in order, all I've been doing is adding more, and more, and more inventory. I just need to tweak the legal lingo some more (my faithful Legal Eagle Maria will help me decipher it all!), and hopefully, it will be up and running by Friday!

Woot!

New Lariat

Just finished this piece a few days ago. Well, the rope was done about 3 weeks ago, but I didn't know how to finish the ends. Then I found these cute little hearts in my existing bead stash.

It's dawned on me that I keep buying more, and more, and more beads (yeah, that's right, I'm a hoarder!), and I've got all these beads already. So many in fact, that I'll go on these little wild goose chases for one particular bead, and wind up finding a whole slew of beads I'd forgotten I already had....
So, I think that for the next little while, I'll stick to buying findings and finishing materials, and try to use whatever beads I've already got. Well, right after I go to John Bead next weekend for that HUGE warehouse inventory clearance sale, 'cause I can't pass THAT up...

Starry Hearts.
Cute!

Love how my photos are turning out in the light box. But now I'm getting picky as far as the backdrop goes. Not sure I like this fabric (that came with the box). I like that it's bare, and doesn't take attention away from the pieces, but I'm not sure I like the 'weaving' of the fabric. I'm thinking of getting a large slab of granite or marble or something. That might look nice.

CRA-ZAY!!!

Remember that Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" song that played all last summer? Yeah, it's been playing in my head, over, and over, and over again! LOL!





One might think that this French Girl HAS gone way over to the Crazy side, but no, she hasn't. She's just stocking up her inventory for her website. Now, none of the changes will be seen for a few weeks yet, but I'm telling you right now, when it IS ready to publish, y'all better be ready for some SHOPPING! ;) LMBO!!!

28 pairs you see here? Produced this weekend alone.



I've been redoing all of my photos, updating the site to an E-commerce, and will be setting myself up with Paypal, A.S.A.P.

I can't WAIT to see the finished result. It's a lot of work for one person, but, I'm taking it all in stride. I want this up and running in two weeks.

New Head Gear...

What a funny title, eh? LOL!
Well, I thought I'd share a few photos of my newest acquisitions with you. These are the satellite dish size earrings I was telling you about. I know, Phos, I know: These should help me get a few extra channels! LOL!!!

I love them! But, found out I shouldn't wear them out on a super windy day: OUCH! One slapped me right in the face, the other twisted my earlobe back in a way an earlobe should not be twisted... Yeah, I'm laughing at myself too. Tea, sure hope you weren't having a drink when you read that! ;)

Ze Earrings, Dahlin-gs!

And here I am with the necklace I was telling you about. 'Cept I won't be wearing it as a necklace. Of course not! LOL! I'm converting it to a headdress. I think it looks really neat like this. Now I want to design myself a nice little outfit, but I think I'll need some sewing lessons first. I've had my beloved Nana's old Singer machine sitting in a closet since she passed. It's in dire need of a tuneup, but I think it would be fantastic to learn to work it, and feel her energy. She used to make clothes for me with that machine. Then my own mother used it. I'd love to operate it myself.

I think I'd start with something real simple. Like some Harem pants. And some nice little hip scarves. Any suggestions?

Finger Woven Pearl Necklace

I'm sure there are as many finger weaving as there are beading techniques. I'd done knotwork in high school, you know, those cute little friendship bracelets made with embroidery floss? I still have one kicking around somewhere, and it's still in good condition. Even then, I wasn't one for finishing my pieces to my wrist, like some did. ("Legend" has it, that you would keep wearing it until it fell apart, and that signified the durability of your friendship, LOL!) I preferred to finish mine with a nice loop on one end, and braids on the other, so that I could remove it for safekeeping.

I've seen some fantastic finger weaving examples on the net, but some of my favorites can be found at Robin's blog. I've always loved knotwork, and macramé, and so I wanted to try my hand at finger weaving. I've done a few already, but didn't photograph them before gifting them. However, I think I might keep this one for myself. Well, unless someone near and dear to me claims it. LOL! It's a simple piece. I wanted to use my freshwater pearls, and see if I couldn't design a "Hippie" pearl necklace.

See, I have some friends that are more into the Hippie Chique Clique, and wouldn't wear a conventional pearl necklace, and I tried to design something for that crowd. You get the softness of the thread, and the glimmer of the pearls, best of both worlds!


I didn't use conventional finger weaving thread for this piece. Wait, is there a 'conventional' thread for finger weaving? Well, in any case, the holes of the pearls being as small as they are, I couldn't get the Clon through, and I didn't have the right color Conso kicking around either, so I went for my favorite crocheting thread: Coats Button thread! LOL! It ate up the thread rather quickly, and it felt like I was weaving FOREVER! But I think it was worth it in the end.A simple button loop closure, with a large coin pearl as the clasp bead. I'm quite new to this technique, so was a bit at a loss with all the extra threads that wouldn't go through the very small hole in the coin pearl, even after reaming it for about 45 minutes! (I think I might cave and invest in a Dremel tool) So, being the queen of improvisation, well, I improvised... ;)

I think I'll use the same pearls for the next one, but with a light, sage green thread instead.

Contest: Go!

My friend Scott at Gnat of Glass is having a contest. The prizes are some of his very own fantastic blown glass art. So? What are you waiting for? Go!!!

His work is so beautiful. I had the pleasure of taking part in one of his previous contests, and won one of his super duper marbles, and a nite-lite piece of Krypto! They're awesome!

Glow in the dark Krypto.

Hafla

I went to a Hafla Sunday night. A Hafla is great way for a "bunch of women to get together to eat, dance and be merry!" I was invited to come and sell some of my wares, and share in the festivities with all the other belly dancing ladies, and it was a BLAST!
There were only 4 of us vendors in attendance, and I was the only one selling jewellery. Well, there was one other girl selling jewels, but they were of the Middle Eastern variety, and so not pieces you would readily wear on a daily basis. More pieces that you'd wear to accessorize a belly dancing outfit. I've attended these Haflas before, and didn't find them too lucrative in the past, but thought it was still a great way to get my name out there nonetheless.
Well, I did incredibly well, considering I was not expected to be there. (as in the organizer pretty much always forgets to mention that I'll be there in the flyers...). But I made sure to let her know that I'd be very interested in coming to the next one, and to let all of her guests know that I'd be there.


I made sure to bring a lot of my "B&B" pieces (bread'n butter), but also brought a lot of my higher end stuff, just to show off. Boy, were the pearl ropes a HIT! More than one girl kept coming back to check them out, fondling them, ooing, and aaahing over them. I encourage touching where my pieces are concerned. Sometimes, that's the cincher in a sale. Makes it harder for someone to put down a piece they're lusting after without purchasing it. Sly Vixen I am... ;)

Earrings and bracelets were the objects of desire this time, and luckily, I'd brought more than enough! Made a few connections, exchanged informations with quite a few folks, and realized that I really, REALLY need to get some business cards done. I usually make my own, as I am then sure I'll get exactly what I want, but what with our printer having been on the fritz for a few months now, well, I'll just have to make due with some store-bought ones... LOL!
I even got to do some bartering with the other vendors. Honestly, that's my favorite part of participating in these kinds of shows. I don't see anything wrong with trading with another vendor if we both have something the other wants.
I got myself two lovely hip scarves, a fantastic pair of disc earrings, and a beautiful necklace with a crescent moon pendant. Of course, the pendant will very soon be moved to a headdress, as will the earrings. Well, the earrings might also find permanent residence on a hip belt, I haven't decided that one yet, one thing's for sure, they're WAY too big to wear as earrings. For me anyway: When inserted, the discs actually graze past my SHOULDERS! LOL!

Well, I certainly hope you all had a wonderful weekend, I did. I ate, danced, and was Merry to my little heart's content.