Silver Threads …..

no Golden Needles here, but instead one huge web! I finally found my other digital camera and decided to take a few pics of the roses and garden and much to my delight I found a couple of spidey pics on the disc that was still inside the camera. These photos are of Banana Spiders which are abundant here in Florida in the winter. This lady decided to live on our back porch and her web took up about 4 + feet of it! If you look closely you will see a couple of meals for her…and those would be the male of her species. Gotta love it.

SPRING AT LAST!

I am so happy to finally be working out in the garden and thought that I would share some of what is making me joyous!

Mock Orange blooms

Banana Bush Bloom

Amaryllis Bloom

Then of course there are the veggies. This season we planted red bell pepper, sweet peppers, green bell peppers, cucumbers, tomato, lettuce, bush beans and radishes, butternut squash, pattypan squash and straight neck squash.  We will be adding eggplant too.  I have lemon basil, sweet basil, and rosemary waiting to sprout.

The first tomato of the season, yum!

And as if this isn’t enough, we have pullet biddies coming on June 1.  A whopping 40 of them in mixed breeds, but all of them excellent layers.  If you haven’t had farm fresh eggs from free range chickens you just don’t know what you are missing!  Let me just say that they are the best.  The yolks are deep yellow and taste so rich and wonderful. 

I know I will have to get my hands out of the dirt and back on rods of glass soon but this has been sort of a vacation for me….and I so needed it.  Have a wonderful day and I will post some recipes and more pics of House & Garden.

Peace and well being,

Ellen

Chicken Little Makes a Treasury on Etsy

Check it out, Chicken Little has made it to a treasury! I would like to thank Barbara at Hooray For Crochet who has some of the coolest (actually warmest looking) hats and scarflettes, shawls, and other fabulous items.  Check out her shop…remember Mother’s Day is fast approaching.  Thanks Barbara for choosing my bead for the treasury.

Global Talent “Jewelry Sampler Team”

There is a new and dynamic Etsy team that rivals all others in the talent department, and it is the “Jewelry Sampler Team”.   The link is for their blog and the photos above are representative of  some of their work in a variety of  mediums and techniques used in the creation of  jewelry.  Please drop by and take a look at the work that these fabulous artisans have produced!   Peace! Ellen

Economic Stimulus at Grassroots Level

With everyone talking about the state of the economy, reading about the loss of jobs, and knowing that it will most likely get worse before it gets better, I have decided to do something to assist my customers. Everyone knows that I have the “Best Customers in the world” so I decided to FREE SHIP for the month of February in the Continental U.S. with a flat $2.50 to everywhere elseand also to lower my prices on my handmade lampwork beads. The only reason that I am having to charge a flat fee to “everywhere else” is that it necessitates a trip to the post office. Hopefully, this will work out for everyone, and I will try to continue with this type of shipping for as long as I can.

Making the world a prettier place, one bead at a time, peace,
Ellen

WOOO HOOO I made it to a treasury on Etsy!

Wow my bracelet “Circle of Love” made it to a treasury today on etsy thanks to Julie of the Beaded Heart, thanks so much Julie for thinking of me!

The Fish Tank!!

My First Fish

Oh boy have I been having a blast. I purchased a tutorial from Cathy Lybarger on sculptural fish and let me tell you that I haven’t had this much fun since I started lampworking 27months ago. I won’t bore you with the details but I think I have found a new outlet for my creative side. Here are “Propellor Girl”, “Platypus Fred” and “Missing my Dorsal”. Enjoy them and I will post more critters as I go along.

Peace and happy beading

NEW TECHNIQUES

Last night I purchased the “Moth Wing” tutorial from its designer and Master Lampworker, Andrea Guarino-Slemmons. She is one talented lady who keeps finding her voice as evidenced by her diverse styles, hopefully, one day I will be able to travel to the opposite coast to take a Masters Class ….hey, a gal can dream!

Well, I have three beads that I have made since last night and here they are. I am not sure if I will be listing them at the shop. I will have to think about that.

Ripe for the Picking

I am always delighted to be able to find a site and immediately fall in love with the wares. It usually takes a combination of things to really get my attention, shape, color, subject matter and medium and when that is glass, well…what can I say, it’s my fave! I came across this site on Etsy called Revo and just thought the work was wonderful enough to want to mention it here. Anthony also has a website called WeAreRevo where he has other styles of glass for sale and is most definitely worth visiting.

Have a fabulous evening and as always, happy beading!

Ellen

AWOL

So sorry that I have been AWOL but with the upcoming show in November it is all I can do but to work day and into the early night to make sure that I have enough inventory to do this show. I also have to start to put together a class for making earwires, and beginning wrapping, which I will be teaching two days after the show.

The weather here is still hot and humid and I am not holding out for fall weather for at least another month or so. Okay, I know, I know, you say Florida….what fall weather????? Well, I will let you in on a secret…not all of Florida is like Miami. In the Northern part we get temp in the 20′s in the winter, and have four distinct seasons with summer being the longest, fall, winter and spring are short but here nonetheless.

It is almost 8:00 am and I need to get my day going. Have a wonderful one yourselves, later, Ellen