2 If By Sea

Play and Grow

2012-01-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

a journal spread that i finished last week.

just using my journal

to play with new techniques

in order to grow as an artist.

Star Light, Star Bright

2012-01-25T15:47:00.001-05:00

One night, while wasting valuable time perusing Pinterest, I came across this quilt on the right. It's called Star light, Star bright and was featured on the Moda Bake Shop website. I fell head over heels with the fabrics that were used in it and promptly ordered myself a few of these little jewels. They just came out this month and are called A Stitch in Color by Malka Dubrowsky.

They are graphic and bright and just fabulous! I'm waiting on my local quilt shop to order the special 45 degree angle ruler that is required to cut those diamonds you see.

Until then, I'll just sit and admire my new fabrics!

Block of the Month Update - January

2012-01-13T11:59:00.003-05:00

Here are my 2 blocks for the month of January.

The top block is called an Asterick Block and the bottom one is a Wonky Pound Sign

These are the first 2 blocks demonstrated in the Block of the Month quilt-a-long that I am participating in over at Craftsy and Stichery Dickory Dock.

You can read more about it in my previous post.

Stay tuned for my February blocks!

New Horizons

2012-01-05T18:46:00.002-05:00

I've been quilting for 12 years and sewing since I was a young child. Having two Grandmothers and a Mom who not only sewed but crocheted and embroidered, pretty much set me up for loving all things fabric! In the time that I've been quilting I've never participated in any swap, exchange or block of the month...until now.

A few months ago I came across a quilters' blog called Stichery Dickory Dock. I enjoyed the quilts she had been sharing and put her in my blog list to read on a regular basis. Yesterday I was reading her blog and saw that she was starting a new Block of the Month for 2012. It's being featured over at a new.to.me craft site called Craftsy. The BOM is free to join! Not only do you get all the videos for the year, but you also get PDF instructions for each block and a materials list. By the time December arrives we will have completed 20 blocks which will make a lap sized quilt.

There is so little in life that is free. I love it when crafters like Amy of SDD are willing to share their time and knowledge with the rest of us at no cost. It's a major blessing and heaven knows I am a huge online class fanatic!

So, if you quilt and are looking for something fun to do this year, here's a great, free opportunity.

Let me know if you decide to join us. I'd love to see what you make!
BTW - I joined up and the pic above shows my fabrics that I'll be using for my blocks. I'm a big fan of dots!

A Little Free Time

2011-12-23T14:17:00.002-05:00

I was fortunate enough to have a few hours to myself yesterday. Both my boys went to Grandmas and while they were gone I played! On the left is a 12 x 12 painting that I started and on the right is a journal page that I did in an effort to use up the leftover paints from my painting.

I hope to finish my painting over the holiday weekend and show it to you when I am done.

Our shopping is done, the gifts have been bought and both our boys are stoked for Christmas morning to get here. They just can't wait! It's going to be a great Christmas for them. We have been blessed this holiday season. Tonight I will wrap gifts and get them under the tree as well as fill their stockings.

I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Upcycles

2011-12-12T09:08:00.001-05:00

Last week I hit our local Goodwill for a few picture frames and anything angel or Christmas related that would look great with a coat of glossy white spray paint. The frames were plentiful so I grabbed a few, brought them home and got to painting. I have been pinning a few Christmas printables on Pinterest so I printed them out and placed them in my frames to place on our mantle and the table in our front entry.

The 2 angels in the above pics are from Dollar General. They were originally red, white and blue. I picked them up at the end of the summer for a mere 25 cents a piece. Now they have a lovely coat of glossy white spray paint.

I decided to change up our Christmas trees' color theme this year. We've had lime green and red for the past 3 years, so this year our colors are my favorites, teal and red. While pulling out all the ornaments and stockings I realized that our stockings were dated and old and didn't fit the color theme I had in mind. So, off to Pinterest I went for a stocking tutorial. I found one that was super quick and easy and produced great results. The 2 stockings in the middle are the ones that I whipped up this weekend. I love how they turned out! This was my first attempt at making stockings and this tutorial made it easy.

The last Christmas vignette in our house is on our entry table. I'm not much of a decorator, so I once again I used a Christmas printable from Pinterest, a dollar store frame, Goodwill milk glass vase and angel. That sweet little angel was an awful gold color when I got her at Goodwill. She too got a coat of glossy white paint. I made the little house ornament a few weeks ago and have a few others to place on our tree once we get it decorated.

So that's a little of my Christmas crafting thus far. I've got a few more things in the works. I will photograph them as I finish and update you soon. If you've done any Christmas crafting or upcycling I'd love to see it! Leave me a link to your post and I'll come check it out. Happy Crafting!

"Art Bead Love Tour"

2011-12-06T20:09:00.002-05:00

The Art Bead Love Tour sponsored by all the talented artists over at Love My Art Jewelry is now in full swing. Head over and sign up for your chance to win this lovely set of art beads.

My Favorite "Elf" Moment

2011-12-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-28T09:52:00.004-05:00

CYBER MONDAY SALE!

25% off ALL items in my Etsy shop (including clearance).

Hurry up and shop, this sale is good now through midnight E.S.T. only.

Use coupon code CYBER25 at checkout.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:47:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Have a blessed day!

A little ink here, a little paint there

2011-11-11T13:08:00.005-05:00

After watching Christy Tomlinson and Danielle Donaldsons' video last week on My Craft Channel I have been wanting to play around with some paint, inks and coffee filters. Coffee filters, you ask? Yep, that's right. Creative play with coffee filters. I had a ton of them stashed in the back of my pantry just waiting for a good pot of coffee to be made. Instead I decided to repurpose them by covering them in all kinds of inky goodness using Adirondack inks, Liquitex acrylics and Liquitex acrylic inks.

Oh what fun I had getting my hands all inky and messy! Grab some stencils, some paints or inks and a few filters and get busy. If you do, send me the link because I'd love to see what you make.
The other cool thing about using filters, as opposed to papers, is that if you don't like the side your working on you can flip them over and see if you like the other side. Their transparency lends itself well to bleeding and allows you to create 2 sides at once.
They are tons of fun and are a great size. I may use some of mine as is, but will most likely cut them up and use them as backgrounds on canvas or on my art journal pages.

Let me know if YOU decide to try your hand at some!

Extra, Extra! Wreath All About It!

2011-11-08T11:44:00.006-05:00

It's done! I actually finished a project. That's something new for me as I tend to like to start things, get bored, then not finish them. Here is my first completed wreath that I wrote about here. This is on our front door now and will stay until it's time for our Christmas decorations to go up.

I've got a similar wreath in the works for Christmas. Our tree this year will be decorated in teal, red and cream. I have lots of handmade ornaments in the works and will be able to show you some soon. My Christmas wreath will also be in teal, red and cream. I've got the felt and need to start making my flowers soon. On this next wreath I want to mix some different styles of felt flowers. I've been scanning Pinterest for DIY flower projects and have found plenty to try.
These wreaths are easy and fun to make. All you need is a hot glue gun and some inexpensive felt. A couple of weeks ago I tried my hand a making resin papers and decided to make the leaves for this wreath out of that. I like the look of old and new.

I'm starting on some handmade ornaments today and have had my boys making some things as well. I'll share more soon!

Sale Anyone?

2011-10-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

SALE!

20% off today through Wednesday November 2nd!

Use coupon code PUMPKIN20 at checkout for your discount.

http://www.2ifbysea.etsy.com

Happy Halloween!

What I Am Doing Right Now

2011-10-26T09:24:00.005-04:00

I saw the wreath shown above on Pinterest a few weeks ago. My friend Angie decided to make one, so I thought I'd give it a try too. The colors for my wreath will be red, teal and cream. I decided to go the minimalist route and not cover my entire wreath. I think I will focus the flowers down at the bottom of the wreath, then place either a bow or something cool at the top of it. These flowers are super easy to make. I'm excited to show you the final product. It should be a fairly quick project, so I'll be back in a day or so to show you how it turned out.

New Etsy Listings

2011-10-17T08:59:00.001-04:00

Here are 4 new items that are now listed in my Etsy shop.

I've got more to list this week.

Stay tuned!

Let the Christmas Crafting Commence!

2011-10-09T13:31:00.006-04:00

I just pulled out all these Christmas prints that I bought last year. There's about 28 yards of fabric all together. Not sure what I was thinking in buying SO much? Oh wait, I remember now, the year before I didn't buy enough and it was all sold out by early October.

What will I make with all this fabric you ask? Well, I've have 2 of those fabric topiaries (shown above) planned as well as some bunting/garland for our fireplace, table runners and maybe even some stockings. I will share with you as I get things in the works and completed. Wish me luck!

Quick Altered Tag

2011-10-02T09:56:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick altered tag I made last week after watching Roben-Marie's inspiring tutorials.

Pottery Barn D.I.Y Project

2011-09-30T21:00:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week while perusing Pinterest (again!) I came across this DIY project for a piece of Pottery Barn art that they no longer produce. Since I love typography and any art that incorporates letters and numbers, I knew I would have to try this for myself. I put my spin on it colorwise and had to go with the teal (Apple Barrel - 2613 Caribbean) background. I threw in the red heart for accent and to take up space.

I bought the 18x24 canvas for $8 at Big Lots yesterday, brought it home and got to work. In Adobe Illustrator I layed out all the numbers where I wanted them, printed them and cut them out. I placed them on the canvas and traced each one with a white chalk pencil. I used Golden's Titan Buff fluid acrylic and filled in the numbers. For the heart you can use any color red. Mine happens to be Golden's Napthol Red Light. Once everything was dry I took a fine sanding block and went over the surface of the canvas as well as the edges to rought them up a bit.

The next step was to mix up a glaze using Golden's acrylic glazing medium and a few drops of Burnt Umber fluid acrylic. Paint this over the entire canvas to age and antique. Let it dry, hang it up and enjoy!

I've got a ton more Pinterest DIY's to try. As time and funds become available I'll tackle them one at a time and share them with you.

If you decide to try this for yourself I'd love to see how it turns out. Come back and leave me a comment and link if you will. Thanks!

Bead Soup Update

2011-09-24T12:53:00.003-04:00

To the person who chose to leave me a SNARKY comment regarding the fact that I did not complete a Bead Soup project, think twice please.

Until you know the circumstances as to why I did not do a reveal then you SHOULD NOT judge. Both my partner and Lori Anderson are aware of my intentions.

Due to family issues I was unable to complete a project and have returned my bead soup to my partner. Both she and Lori were very understanding.

Thank you to those who have stopped by and asked NICELY about where my contribution is.

Have a blessed day!

Altered Tags

2011-09-21T15:56:00.004-04:00

These are shipping tags I've been playing around with this week while my youngest naps. I love the size because they take just a few minutes to make. I've got more to do on them. I'll add some type of 3-d embellishment and fibers for the top. I'll post when they are complete.

Soup's On...

2011-08-30T13:29:00.006-04:00

Above are some of Kathleens' other creations!

My soup from my talented Bead Soup partner, Kathleen of Ugly Duckling Beads have arrived. Kathleen sent me a gorgeous lampwork focal that she made as well as 2 wonderful lampwork floral headpins (I already have an idea for them), some raspberry seed beads (love the color), Swarovski crystals, olive green pearls and some olive green semi-precious stone chips. The ideas are already swirling in my head! Now to get busy and make something.

See you September 17th for the BIG reveal!

CLEARANCE Update!

2011-08-23T13:43:00.003-04:00

I just got done marking down many new items for my CLEARANCE section in the shop.

All items have been marked down at least $10-$15 dollars.

Many include Jade Scott components!

300th Post and an Update

2011-07-22T09:49:00.006-04:00

If I still have any readers out there, welcome to my 300th Post! I've been absent and neglectful of my blog over the past few months. All for good reason though. Family, art shows, daily doings and rest. The two collages above sum up my existence over the past few months. That's my show booth set-up at our local Riverside Arts Market. I have my last show coming up there on August 13th.

The other collage shows where the rest of my time has gone. My 2 boys take up quite a bit of Mom's time during our days. Summer vacation has gone smoothly and I have been able to keep them busy with crafts, movies and trips to Barnes and Noble so that they can enjoy the Thomas the Train play table in the Kids section. I've also been keeping busy each week making new jewelry for my shows and have thrown in some sewing time on those new Wonky Log Cabin blocks. Not sure what I'm going to do with them just yet, pillows or a wall-hanging maybe?

I'm glad to be back to blogging and hope that I haven't sacrificed TOO many readers in my absence? I hope to share more in the coming days and weeks before my oldest starts Kindergarten in August.

I've been keeping my camera and iPhone and close to capture quick moments of our lives to share. I'll keep crafting and creating and I hope that I can post about things of interest to you all. If there's anything you'd like to see or read about here, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment. I'd love some ideas for ways to make my blog more interesting to my readers!

ETSY SALE!

2011-07-20T14:25:00.004-04:00

LOTS OF NEW GOODIES IN MY ETSY SHOP THIS WEEK!

HURRY OVER NOW AND USE COUPON CODE "SKINNY20" TO SAVE 20%.

New Magazine Feature

2011-07-19T11:45:00.003-04:00

An older Stringing magazine project of mine is being featured once again in the new issue of 101 Bracelets, Necklaces and Earrings. My project is called "Falling Leaf" and was originally shown in and on the cover of the Fall 2009 issue of Stringing.

I've got more new listings for my Etsy shop coming up later this afternoon. In addition I'll be running a quick sale for you. More on that later today!

Thanks!

New Etsy Listings

2011-07-18T13:29:00.003-04:00

Here are a few new pieces that I listed in my Etsy shop yesterday.

There are more to come today!

Jewelry Making Classes Online at Beaducation: The Blog: Happy Birthday Stamped Metal Jewelry!!!

2011-07-08T13:06:00.000-04:00

Jewelry Making Classes Online at Beaducation: The Blog: Happy Birthday Stamped Metal Jewelry!!!: "Can it really be a year? My, my how time flies! Do you remember this? And this? And this? It was all because of THIS! That's right..."

Come See Me Saturday at RAM

2011-06-22T23:05:00.001-04:00

Come see me this Saturday, June 25th from 10-4 at the Riverside Arts Market.
You can also find me at the market July 16th and August 13th with more dates to follow.

Easy Wire 2011

2011-06-14T09:11:00.004-04:00

Easy Wire 2011 is on newsstands now. Not only was my "Funhouse" necklace chosen for the cover, but I also have 3 other designs featured inside. This issue is packed with talent and features some of my favorite designers like Andrew Thornton, Heather Powers of Humblebeads, and Cindy Wimmer. Pick up a copy today. You will not be dissappointed!

Mixed Media Original For Sale

2011-06-08T11:17:00.002-04:00

This is one of my recent original art pieces.

It's acrylics and paper on a 10 x 10 deep-edge canvas. It is $65.

If you are interested in purchasing it,

please email me at 2ifbysea1067@bellsouth.net

Thank you!

Gifted...Again!

2011-06-07T09:40:00.002-04:00

Once again I have been blessed with a fellow artists' original piece. A couple of weeks ago my friend Shelley Howard of Single Stone Studios and I decided to do a trade. She had her eye on a pair of my earrings and I told her to send me whatever she chose. She remembered that I had really liked her mixed media canvas shown above and was gracious enough to give it to me in trade for the earrings. How cool is that? Again, I am thrilled that someone would share their original art with me in trade for something so simple as a pair of earrings.
Thank you, Shelley!

Head over to Shelleys Etsy shop to check out the artsy wall decals she and her husband create. They are fantastic!

Art Show Highlights!

2011-06-05T14:56:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I participated in the Every Women's Art Festival at the St. Augustine Pier Pavillion. What a great day it was! Firstly I had my best sales day ever and surpassed sales from all my other shows. Secondly I met a ton of super nice ladies who seemed to adore my jewelry. I can honestly say I don't think I have ever heard so many positive comments about my designs! It was amazing and I felt so grateful to all who chose to spend their hard earned money on my jewelry. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported 2 If By Sea!

The third highlight of my day was that I got to meet a fabulous, self-taught (like me) mixed media artist by the name of Patty Ballard. Patty is the talent behind Pbs Art Studio on Etsy. She creates the most wonderful mixed media paintings. I previewed a few of Pattys' pieces via the festivals' website prior to the show, but since I did the show alone I was not able to go over to her table to see more of the goodness. Later in the day, Patty and her cousin stopped by my table and after a few minutes of conversation she asked if I would be interested in a trade. I said, "Of course I would!". As we were all packing up our wares Patty showed up at my table with a stack of her ORIGINALS for me to pick 2 (shown above) that I wanted. How cool is that? I was truly excited and honored that she would share her original art with me in exchange for a few pieces of my jewelry. Thank you so much Patty! You rock!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well? This festival will be presented again the first week of November and I am looking forward to participating in it. At least it will be cooler then! The temps yesterday were in the 90's. Thank heavens for the seabreeze or else we all would have melted to the pavement, lol.

Head over to Patty's Etsy shop or her blog to view more of her designs!

Every Women's Art Festival June 4th 10-5

2011-06-03T09:53:00.002-04:00

This is where I will be tomorrow, June 4th, from 10-5.

So jump in the car and head down to St. Augustine for a day of sun, and alot of great art.

Here's the link to the festival website if you need directions.

Hope to see you there!

Happy 6th Anniversary To Us!

2011-05-27T16:39:00.008-04:00

This picture is old and not good quality, but this is my husband Todd and I when we first met 12 years ago. He had long hair and if memory serves me correctly I had just had hand surgery and was feeling quite relaxed thanks to some little white pills, lol. So, here we are 6 married years later with 2 gorgeous little boys, a nice home and a happy life.

I got lucky with this one! He's a super involved Dad, a really good husband and has the best work ethic of anyone I've ever known. We met through his mother who was my boss at the time. She knew I was single and so was he. Our first date was blind. We had only talked on the phone a couple of times. We went out for a few weeks then went our separate ways. He dated others and so did I. His sister knew how much I cared about him and told me in private one day to not give up on him...so I didn't! I chased him for 3 years before he decided he'd date me.

We got engaged on Christmas Day 2004, much to my surprise. I had no idea what he was planning. In February of 2005 we found out we were pregnant with our first son. Yes, I know we put the cart before the horse. God forgive us! Things happen, lol. We decided to get married in May of 2005 and had Noah in October. In February of 2008 along came our second son Seth. What a joy my 2 boys are! We love them both to pieces!

So, here's to the love of my life. I love you and appreciate you more ever day! I pray daily for another blessed and happy 6 years along with many more after that.

A Very Generous Giveaway!

2011-05-27T10:43:00.003-04:00

Andrew Thornton is having a most generous giveaway of all these very creative pendants!

Check it out!

It's Almost Here!

2011-05-25T10:08:00.007-04:00

It's almost time for the new issue of Easy Wire magazine! It is scheduled to hit newsstands on June 14th. I'm so thrilled to have my "Funhouse" necklace featured on the cover of this issue. A huge thank you to Denise Peck and Jane Dickerson for choosing my piece.

I've peeked at the Table of Contents and can say that there are a ton of talented designers in this issue. Well worth a trip to Barnes & Noble!

A Most Wonderful Painting With Fire Giveaway!

2011-05-24T19:27:00.002-04:00

Barbara Lewis of Painting with Fire is having a most wonderful giveaway in celebration of her upcoming book release, Torch Fired Enamel. The book looks fabulous and fascinating and I can't wait to get my copy! Head over to her blog and sign yourself up for a chance to win a set of her torch fired beads.

A Beady Giveaway!

2011-05-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

Bead designer Anne Lichtenstein of Gardanne Beads is having a giveaway on her blog.

Head over and check it out!

25% OFF Sale

2011-05-13T13:07:00.002-04:00

All items in my Etsy shop (including clearance) are 25% off now through May 20th. Please use coupon code FRIDAY25 at checkout.
Thanks for shopping at 2 if By Sea!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T19:20:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's day to all my blog readers!

I do apologize for this being posted SO late.

The day just got away from me.

I hope you all have had a fantastic day!

The photo was taken Friday at the Mother's Day brunch at my oldest sons' school.

Frolicking

2011-05-02T07:44:00.001-04:00

Now for sale in my Etsy shop. Thanks for stopping by!

Etsy Shop Update!

2011-05-01T14:13:00.004-04:00

Just listed 3 new items in my Etsy shop!

Head on over and pick up something special for Mother's Day!

Experiment: Oxidizing Raw Brass

2011-04-30T11:10:00.004-04:00

A few months back I saw some fellow designers using a vintage brass bar chain that I fell in love with. After some research I was able to find an online vendor for something very similar, Earthly Adornments. I purchased 15' of chain because it was super inexpensive. When it arrived in the mail last week I was a bit shocked to see that it was in the raw brass state and was not aged as I had hoped. Guess I missed that little caveat in the item description, lol. So, I got online and did some more research as to how to oxidize brass chain with things you can find in your kitchen cabinet. I didn't want to go out and buy any chemicals for the process. I quickly found this blog that outlined an at home method for aging brass chain. It's as simple as clear ammonia, a glass bowl, and knee high panty hose.

Off to the store I headed to pick up a bottle of ammonia and some panty hose. Quite a combination huh? Sounds like I'm planning some sort of science experiment or worse! When I got home I grabbed a glass bowl with a tight lid, filled it about 1/3 full of ammonia, stretched the knee high over the top and placed my chain, in 12" lengths on the top, then secured the lid. I checked the first batch after 15 minutes and it wasn't as dark as I would have liked. I decided to check it in 5 minute increments after that. 21 minutes seemed to be the perfect amount of time for the color I was looking for. Before placing the chain in the bowl to fume, don't forget to wash it thoroughly with warm water and soap because the chain comes with an oily coating from the factory. This will most definitely deter the ammonia from oxidizing the brass. Once all the chain was aged I rubbed it with some Renaissance Wax to seal the patina. You can readily purchase this wax on Etsy.

I have now added another successful technique to my jewelry making arsenal. It was very fulfilling to see my chain turn out as well as it did. When it first arrived and I saw it was raw brass, I thought to myself, "What have you done?". I was certain that I had just wasted $30 on chain I wouldn't be able to use.

Try this out for yourself if you have any raw brass items such as chain, charms or connectors. It's super simple, inexpensive and gives great aged results.

DIY Dry Erase Board

2011-04-22T13:19:00.005-04:00

A few months back I was over at Candie Coopers' blog and saw a DIY Dry Erase project she had posted about. I knew I had it try it. So, a few weeks ago I headed over to the thrift shop and picked up a $2 11x14 picture frame.

All you do is take out the chipboard backing and collage anything you want on it. I used old book pages from a 1950's trigonometry book I have. I put them down with Mod Podge, then did a wash of Goldens' Titan Buff fluid acrylic to mute the background. Next, I pulled out some scrapbook papers in the colors of my kitchen and did a banner type border. I added a few of my favorite brown Bo Bunny rub-ons as accents, cleaned the glass and put everything back in the frame.

Voila! A DIY Dry Erase board for grocery lists and appointments, etc. All for the low, low, discount price of $2.00. It was a quick project you can personalize with color or photos and it only took about an hour to do.

If you decide to try this project, leave me comment with a link.

I'd love to see how yours turns out!

My Mini Quilts on Ebay

2011-04-11T12:40:00.002-04:00

I just listed these 2 mini quilts in my Ebay shop!

These are paper-pieced and feature high quality 100% cotton batik and traditional fabrics.

They are 7 day listings, so you've got plenty of time to bid.

Here's the link to the house quilt and the link to the pinwheel quilt.

20% OFF in my Etsy shop!

2011-04-08T09:20:00.001-04:00

SALE

20% off everything in my Etsy shop until April 10th.

Use coupon code "SPRINGBREAK20" at checkout.

Thank you!

Gifts and Trades

2011-04-07T10:49:00.009-04:00

The 5 pics above are some goodies that I have received in the mail over the last month.

Recently my friend Lori Ramotar contacted me to see if I would be interested in having some of her metalworking supplies that she no longer would be using. I told her I would love to have them, so she sent me a bunch of copper and bronze sheets, some copper cut-outs and a grouping of metal stamps. I was so thrilled to see all the goodies that she had sent me. She is a talented artist and jewelry maker. Thank you again, Lori!

The second pic is of an original painting by Aimee Wheaton of Mazer Design. Aimee had contacted me about trading for a piece of my jewelry. This painting entitled "LoveAbull" was my pick. He's just so cute and the colors are great! Thanks again, Aimee!

The third pic is an original collage by Julie Nutting. I contacted Julie to see if she'd be interested in trading for some of my jewelry as well. She was thrilled to do it. This piece that I chose had a caribbean theme and great colors. Julies' work has been featured in various Somerset Studio magazines and she also has a new book coming out soon. Thank you, Julie!

The last two pics were surprise gifts from my friend Jen Swift over at Bird From A Wire. I had mentioned to Jen earlier that I really liked her photo holder that she makes from old books. The scribble heart was a welcome surprise also. Jen also has a new book already on store shelves called Creative Bloom. Thank you, Jen!

Thanks again to all these creative ladies who were willing to share their talents and art with me! Please head over to their websites and Etsy shop.

What R U up to?

2011-03-30T12:18:00.002-04:00

Since I have been working in my art journal this week I thought I'd play along with Jen Osborns' Wednesday edition of What R U up to?. Here's a video of my work table and the journal I've been creating in...Enjoy!

And the Winner is....

2011-03-05T09:54:00.005-05:00

The winner of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Bead Box is...

Tracey N. said...
I have been stalking this box of beads for some time now. I would love for it to come visit me in Wisconsin!

Random Generator picked number 22. Tracey was #22 out of our 25 entries. Congrats to Tracey!

Please email me (2ifbysea1067@bellsouth.net) with your mailing address and I'll give you directions as to how to pay the shipping once I hear from you.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Bead Box Giveaway!

2011-02-26T17:23:00.007-05:00

UPDATE: ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED, I'LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER AT 10 am E.S.T. TODAY!

If you're tracking the Sisterhood around the country, here's the path she's taken so far: 1. Heather Powers of Humble Beads- San Antonio, TX. 2. Mikki Ferrugiaro of MFD Beadwork Originals- UT. 3. Nancy Dale of NED Bead -Vermont. 4. Hannah Rosner of Good River Gallery- NM 5. Chris Neit of Good Quill Hunting-Maine 6. Sandy Spivey of Sandy’s Treasure- California 7. Katie Nelson of Katie’s Creations- TX 8. Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay- PA 9. Lorelei Eurto of Lorelei Eurto Jewelry- New York State 10. Becky Caldwell of The Gritty Bird- North Carolina 11.Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio – Virginia
12. Cindy Gimbrone of Lampwork Diva- New York State
13. Paige Maxim of Paige Maxim Designs- Maine

The giveaway: The entire box of goodies, WELL over $400 worth of beads.
The stipulations: Must have an online forum to host the next giveaway. Must be living within the United States to enter and be willing to pay for shipping: $15.00 for flat rate priority mail billed via Paypal.

The rules: You’ll take what you want from the box, add in items of equal value from your own bead stash to replace the items you took and then do the same giveaway on your blog. We’ll keep the beads traveling for as long as we can.

A Book Review and Quick Update

2011-02-24T13:45:00.003-05:00

I am stopping in for a book review and a quick update on the happenings here at the 2 If By Sea household. During the last 3 weeks the following events have transpired, they are in no particular order:

My 3 yr old fractured his foot in 3 places
I contracted viral laryngitis and have been silent for a week in hopes of getting my voice back
My 5 yr old had a cold
My husband had the same cold, only worse. We all know how men get when they are sick right?
You know what I'm talking about! You'd think the world had ended, lol.
I've been preparing for a small neighborhood craft show I commited to last month.

We are all coming through these trials just fine and everyone is on the mend, I am happy to report.

So, on to the book review. Today, I received my pre-ordered copy of Denise Pecks' Wire Style 2 - 45 new jewelry designs. I was excited when I found out that it was releasing sooner than I thought. Now that it's here...I LOVE it! I just browsed through each page quickly and haven't completey studied each project yet, but what I see, I LIKE. For my readers who are beaders and designers please grab a copy of this book. It will be a staple in my library as is Denises' first book Wire Style - 50 unique jewelry designs.

- I was not paid or compensated in any way for this review -

Dream Flower

2011-02-13T10:45:00.003-05:00

These new items are now for sale in my Etsy shop!

Stop by and see if there's something

you just can't live without!

Sharing the Love

2011-02-11T16:46:00.011-05:00

My friend Shelley over at Single Stone Studios showed what a kind heart and good friend she is today by doing a post about my art and the art of 3 other very talented ladies. The 4 of us have become fast friends via blogging and Facebook and admire one another's work immensely.

Above are pictures of their art. The first picture is a painting by my friend and fellow Jacksonville neighbor Catina Jane Gray, the second photo is a wonderful wire heart sculpture by Jennifer Swift. The third picture is one of Shelleys' vinyl wall decals that she designs.

All 3 of these ladies have many talents other than the ones shown above, but more importantly they have big, open hearts and generous spirits of creativity.

I'm The Featured Designer!

2011-01-31T15:22:00.004-05:00

Do you see those beautiful bead sets up there? Aren't they gorgeous? They are 2 sets of many that I must say I OWN! These little beauties were made by Ellen Dooley. I've been buying (okay, hoarding) beads from Ellen for about 2 years now. She makes the most beautiful, glowing etched beads that I've ever seen and I've seen LOTS of beads in my 15 years of designing.

A couple of weeks ago while conversing about my recent purchase Ellen asked me if I would like to be the Featured Designer for February on her website. I said YES of course! I was so thrilled that she had asked me, I gathered up some pics of my favorite pieces, a couple that include her beads and some that don't.
She sent me a great list of interview questions that I answered and my interview is now posted on her website.
Check out my interview then stop by her Etsy shop
and show her some BEAD LOVE!

Thank you Ellen, I'm so honored!

Elephant Ear Cheesecake...Huh?

2011-01-28T15:31:00.006-05:00

Yes, I said Elephant Ear Cheesecake. You know, those messy delicacies served at most fairs and carnivals. Well, pair that with cream cheese and crescent roll dough and you'll be in dessert heaven! I found this recipe while catching up on some blog posts over at Candie Coopers' blog. That's our second 13 x 9 pan in a week just out of the oven. Yum, Yum!

Try it out and let me know what you think! It's magically delicious!

The Prodigal Designer Returns!

2011-01-24T15:16:00.005-05:00

I'm back! I think? Seriously...I am! I know I've been absent for a while. Sorry! I've been busy with life, nothing more. I've made a few new pieces of jewelry and have some exciting news regarding my jewelry that I will share soon! Stay tuned for that!

For now here are a couple new things that are in my Etsy shop . I had a third piece that featured a Jade Scott pendant, but it sold almost immediately (Thanks Debby!).

I'll be back later this week with some new posts and things to share! Thanks for hanging around and waiting for my return!

Inventory Blowout Sale! 30% OFF

2011-01-04T16:19:00.004-05:00

All regularly priced items in my Etsy shop are now 30% off until January 18th!

Use coupon code BLOWOUT30 at checkout to receive your discount.

Merry Christmas To You All!

2010-12-20T11:28:00.001-05:00

This is what I awoke to first thing this morning. Mind you, we have 13 more days of Christmas vacation before school starts again. Looks like it's going to be a noisy time!

I wanted to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year!

I've closed my Etsy shop for the holidays and will reopen after Christmas. If anyone needs anything please email me at 2ifbysea1067@bellsouth.net with any questions.

Have a blessed and safe holiday!

An Impromptu Studio Tour

2010-12-04T14:58:00.003-05:00

Got a wild hair today and thought I'd give you a quick little studio tour.
The lighting isn't that great because I took this with my iPhone.
If you will change the view setting to 480p it will look better. Enjoy!

"Keepsake" Now For Sale

2010-12-04T09:50:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog yesterday and commented on my challenge necklace. I appreciate everyone taking the time to do that! Thanks again to Erin Prais-Hintz for "challenging" us. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Now for sale in my Etsy shop

Have a fabulous weekend!

Treasures Found: Challenge of Color Reveal!

2010-12-03T09:23:00.006-05:00

"Keepsake"

My fellow blogger and jewelry designer extraordinaire Erin Prais-Hintz issued a color challenge a few weeks ago. For the challenge Erin would be sending each of the participants a paint swatch that featured either a color scheme we were comfortable with or one that would challenge our normal palette. I chose to be challenged!

The middle photo right shows my palette. I was able to use all three colors, Evening Shade, Pale Pansy and Keepsake. There is a medium and light violet as well as raspberry. Even though I don't normally work in these colors I was able to pull everything from my stash without having to make a trip to the bead shop. The ceramic focal bead was handmade by my friend and fellow designer Lori-Hilsmier Ramotar. The wing pendant is from Zoa Art . My necklace features some other artisan beads from Humblebeads, Kelleys Beads and HMB Studios. It's all wire wrapped in copper.

Unfortunately, Blogger will not let me paste the links to the other participants blogs. PLEASE head over to Erin's blog for the links and make sure to check out each and ever one to see all the beautiful creations!

So there it is! I was able to achieve my goal of using all three colors as well as making something I think is beautiful. This piece will be for sale in my Etsy shop tomorrow morning!

I'm headed off to enjoy the Hop! Please do the same and show everyone some love!

Challenge of Color Teaser!

2010-12-02T10:28:00.008-05:00

My sweet blogger friend Erin Prais-Hintz over at Treasures Found: Inspiration is Everywhere is sponsoring a very creative color challenge. A few weeks ago Erin gave us the opportunity to either be challenged with a color palette new to us or to use something familiar. She is using paint chips/swatches from the hardware store to send to each of the participants. I decided to be challenged with colors I don't normally work with.

Tomorrow, December 3rd is the BIG REVEAL and Blog Hop! Head over to Erin's blog for a list of all the participants and make sure to visit each blog to see what everyone came up with.

Above is a sneak peek of my palette and the necklace I created.

Come back tomorrow for the reveal!

I'm alive and well

2010-11-30T16:50:00.002-05:00

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...at least not yet! Life has been full. I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving? Our's was peaceful. We decided to go out to eat this year...something I've never done. It was SO nice to be waited on and to be able to enjoy family without all the work. I missed having leftovers though, lol. I was able to sneek a plate of my sister in laws' sweet potato casserole the next day. She knows it's my favorite!

I've been in the studio making some new pieces. I'm working towards stocking up my Etsy shop for the Christmas holiday. There will be new items posted regularly for the next 3 weeks. Check back often! I may run a sale soon or do free shipping, not sure yet. I'll post when I decide what I may do to make the holiday spending a little lighter for my buyers.

How was your holiday?

Have you started/finished your Christmas shopping?

How much of your purchases are going to be HANDMADE? (after all, it is the only way to shop, you know!)

Swap Anyone?

2010-11-16T10:39:00.005-05:00

You see this lovely painting? Well, I first saw this little beauty 2 years ago at one of our local beads shops. It immediately caught my eye. At the time I could not afford to buy it, so I paid for my beads and went on my merry way.

Fast forward 2 years. I was blog surfing a couple of months ago and saw a blog button on a blog I was checking out (can't remember which one). I saw the name Catina Jane Arts on the button and vaguely recognized the art on it. So, I hit the button and headed over to the website. Lo and behold, Catina was the artist who painted that little beauty I had seen in the bead shop 2 years prior. I commented on one of her blog posts, she checked out my blog and we are now Facebook buds. Catina and I both live here in Jacksonville. She is a talented painter as well as beader and jewelry designer.

A couple of weeks ago we got to chatting about doing a trade. She mentioned a couple of my things she wanted and I told her that I adored that original painting. That little beauty is now hanging in my studio and Catina is sporting some original 2 If By Sea jewelry. Thanks Catina!

Goodies from Jen!

2010-11-01T15:17:00.004-04:00

A couple of months ago I sent my friend Jen Swift, of Art as Usual, a little gift. In turn she gifted me her lovely creations above. She knew of my affinity for anything "pear" and couldn't have sent me a better gift. She made the brooch from an empty thread spool, ribbon and flannel and the pears are made with wire, fabric and embroidery floss. The brooch will be adorning my new grey wool winter coat this year.

Jen is a talented artisan who just happens to have a new book out this month called Creative Bloom. Hop on over to Amazon and check it out.

Thank you, Jen!

Paisley Kind of Day

2010-10-27T17:44:00.002-04:00

Here's a new trinket featuring my favorite pendant designer Jade Scott.

Now for sale in my Etsy shop.

I promise to post about something other than new listings later this week.

It seems as though I've FINALLY gotten my beading mojo back.

It's about time you showed up Ms. Muse!

Bird's Eye View

2010-10-26T09:31:00.007-04:00

Just listed in my Etsy shop!

This 20" necklace features a wonderful polymer clay pendant by Menagerie Studio (Etsy).

BOGO sale is still going on too!

Homeward Bound

2010-10-24T10:14:00.001-04:00

New in my Etsy shop this morning!

Solitude

2010-10-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

Now for sale in my Etsy shop.

BOGO sale has been extended!

Christmas is just around the corner so

stock up on some pretties for your Mom,

sister or your favorite Aunt!

Buy one item, get the second 20% off

My Next Quilting Endeavor

2010-10-14T22:55:00.004-04:00

I put together this collage to show you my next quilting project. I first saw the finished quilt on the left in one of our local quilt shops. I had inquired about the pattern and was told that the book it was in was no longer in print. Well, me being the researcher personality that I am, I refused to take "no longer in print" for an answer! I HAD to have that pattern. Not only was it sunflowers, but it consisted of all batiks. We all know that I LOVE batiks! So, I set out on a journey to find the book. I headed to Amazon to see if they had a used copy, to no avail. Next, I headed to Ebay and sure enough there was a copy. I was ecstatic!

At Quiltfest a few weeks ago I decided to stock up on some FABULOUS dot/circle themed batiks from Batiks Etcetera to use in my new quilt. I would love to start on it sometime soon. Hopefully life will provide me some down time because this quilt requires alot of tedious cutting.

Art Journal Round Robin - Round 4

2010-10-10T14:28:00.003-04:00

My round robin update is finally here. Time seems to come at a premium these days.

Anyhoo, I finished this spread in Erin Kenepps' journal 2 weeks ago and it's already with the next recipient. Erin started this wonderful round robin for us. I've been pressed for time these days to work in each journal but have somehow, at the last minute, pulled off some art for each one. I've enjoyed this collaboration and I'm looking forward to finishing my next journal that now awaits me in the studio. More to come soon...

Quiltfest 2010 Favorites

2010-10-01T15:50:00.004-04:00

I attended Quiltfest this past weekend. This is an annual quilt show put on each year here in Jacksonville by our local quilt guilds. These are some of my favorite quilts that I snapped some quick pics of. There were alot of art quilts entries this year. The pink, green and yellow quilt is my creation. It was entered into a silent auction and the proceeds went to charity. I bought some great polka dotted batiks for an upcoming project. I'll share pics of those later on this weekend. Enjoy the pics!

New Etsy Listing

2010-09-23T10:40:00.005-04:00

Here's a new necklace that I made last weekend.

The colors are great for Fall.

It's in my Etsy shop and ready to go home with someone.

It felt good to be back at my bead table for the first time in months!

I will have more new items later this week! Stay tuned...

Art Journal Round Robin Update: Round 3

2010-09-15T09:39:00.005-04:00

I'm finally back and able to post something new. The last 3 1/2 weeks have been difficult to say the least. My kids have been sick for weeks now and are now on high doses of antibiotics to try and get them well. Week before last I lost my job and I'm now looking for a day job. Anyhoo, it's been rough, but I know that God is on our sides and we will make it through these tough days.

So, on to some good news. Here is Carin's journal that I received 2 weeks ago as a part of our art journal round robin. Carin made a wonderful handmade journal covered with beautiful batik fabrics (my favorite!). She chose the theme of "Spring" for her journal. I'm not so good with themes, but I decided to push through and make something colorful and pretty. The top photo is my contribution. The last 2 photos are of the cover and Carin's pages.

I hope everyone has a fabulous rest of the week! I'm going to do some job hunting while the kids are in school this morning and hopefully sneak in a little creative time as well. I'm also still working on my pear quilt and hope to finish it soon as well as making some new jewelry for my Etsy shop. I haven't made jewelry in months and have been itching to get back to my beads. Be blessed!

U.F.P. Update: The Pear Quilt

2010-09-03T17:47:00.007-04:00

My pear quilt is almost finished. I neglected to show you the state it was in in the first post. I had cut out everything but had not pieced any of it yet. This technique is called Stitch & Split applique. I layered the pears of each block/color, sewed them on, then rotary cut the blocks in half and reassembled them with their companion block. I'm headed to Joann's Fabric tomorrow, 40% off in hand of course, to get some fabric for the backing so that I can quilt and bind it. I'll have it done soon and show you the finished product.

U.F.P. Update! Coming Soon!

2010-09-02T11:27:00.003-04:00

I've been very sick and so have the kids for the past week or so. I have been able to sneek in some time to sew and have started working on 3 UFP's. I will get some pics later today and will share them tonight or tomorrow!

U.F.P's: The Series

2010-08-22T11:49:00.005-04:00

What's a U.F.P. you ask? Well, that's short for Unfinished Projects, of which I have MANY! I'm on a mission for the rest of 2010 to finish all my UFP's. I've got quilts, mixed media works, jewelry, you name it, I've got an unfinished version of it.

The quilt above is the pattern for my first UFP that I am currently trying to finish. I am a sucker for ANY art that is pear themed. I think it comes from the fact that I love to eat pears. Growing up in the South, my Grandma fried everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING! One of her specialties was pear turnovers. She would take a can of refrigerator biscuits, roll them out in flour, and fill them with stewed pears from her own trees. O.M.Goodness, these were the best thing you could ever put in your mouth. I think of them often and hope to replicate them one day. I'm not a fried food eater generally, but for those turnovers I would.

So, I titled this a "series" because of the numerous projects, mostly quilts, that I have to finish. As I start and finish them, I'll post as I have today. It will be an opportunity for me to work on my ability to "FOCUS" on one thing. This is something that I've had difficulties with as I've grown older. Who am I kidding? I've always been this way, LOL. I have report cards all the way back to Kindergarten with comments from teachers like, "Cristi needs to learn to apply herself more" or "Cristi needs to make wise use of her time" (I got that one ALOT). This is exactly what it will take to complete all these projects, that ability to commit to the task until it's completed.

Wish me luck! I'll be posting a finished quilt soon!

Graffiti of My Life Journal

2010-08-16T14:37:00.004-04:00

Here is my finished journal. It's not as cohesive as I would have liked. At the time I started it I only had 2 colors of Adirondack Color Spray. Now, thanks to Misterart.com, I have all of the colors and I'm looking forward to making another journal soon. I highly recommend any of Dina Wakely's classes.

Altered Tags

2010-08-16T14:05:00.003-04:00

Here are a couple of quick altered shipping tags I made last night. I used this method of Distress Inks over Gesso then added some rub-ons, punchanella and rubber stamping. Enjoy!

Juxtapose

2010-08-02T09:52:00.002-04:00

New necklace in my Etsy shop this morning!

Have a blessed day!

"Graffiti of My Life" Teaser

2010-07-29T12:38:00.007-04:00

I signed up last week to take Dina Wakelys' Graffiti of Your Life class. I've been admiring Dina's work for over a year now. Her style looks very complicated, but since taking my first class I've found that it is not at all difficult. This is my first foray into stenciling and I'm having a MESSY blast! I've had some Adirondack inks for a while but hadn't taken the time experiment with them. They're SUPER messy and fun at the same time.

I still need to stencil my color field backgrounds then I can assemble my journal this weekend. I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at all the components. Enjoy!

Art Journal Round Robin Update

2010-07-22T09:35:00.004-04:00

I finally finished my spread in Paula Phillips journal. I've had the journal for about a month, which is a week longer than I should have. We try and hold each journal no more than 3 weeks, but life just seemed to keep getting in the way this time. Anyway, I did my pages last minute. They are a bit hurried, but I still like them. I'm commiting myself to be more timely and creative with the next journal that arrives.

Enjoy!

Golden Girl

2010-07-20T11:10:00.011-04:00

We went to Tallahassee to visit my parents this past weekend. Anytime I go to another city I make it a point to seek out art stores, bead stores and quilt shops. Saturday I headed out to the bead shop and on my way back to Mom's I noticed an art store. The art store is called Utrecht and until recently I had never heard of them. I am a big fan of the new reality show called Work of Art: The Next Great Artist on Bravo. On the show the Utrecht store in New York City is where the contestants shop for their supplies. So, upon seeing the store in

town, I was excited to check it out! Sunday morning I woke bright eyed and ready to go visit a new art store. I begged my husband to ride up there with me. He obliged! I walked in and saw that the Golden line of paints (my favorites) were 40% off! Holy Moly! No one in my town ever puts Golden products on sale. So, I swooped up a few of my favorite fluid acrylics and headed off to check out the rest of the store. While at the checkout counter the girl that worked there noticed I had Golden products and told the guy that was helping me to give me the bag of freebies that was behind the counter. I LOVE freebies. When I got in the truck I was shocked at all the goodies in my bag. There were all sorts of different mediums, crackle paste and all kinds of fun stuff. Along with this were 2 oz. jars of medium acrylics and 3 bottles of fluid acrylics too. I was thrilled! I am officially a HUGE fan of Utrecht Art Supplies.

Jewelers in Training

2010-07-11T09:48:00.003-04:00

These photos above are evidence as to why I get so little jewelry made when I go into my studio. My boys are wherever I am, even when they're Dad is home and available, lol.

These pics are from last weekend. I wanted to make some jewelry and Noah, my oldest, decided he wanted to use my dapping block to make some domed metal. Then Seth decided he wanted to use my rawhide mallet and bench block to pound Noahs' domed metal flat. Needless to say some bickering ensued, the refereeing began and the tools were quickly taken away as I shooed them in the living room to their Dad.

It's quite an honor to know that my boys love their Mommy so much that they follow me around like little ducklings. And look at those faces, who could deny them anything! I mean really! LOL

New Trinkets!

2010-07-10T16:41:00.002-04:00

Here are 2 new items in my Etsy shop today.

I've got the house to myself all weekend and I'm beading till my fingers fall off.

I'll have some more goodies tomorrow!

Head over to my shop and pick yourself up a little something pretty today!

Art Journal Round Robin - Round 2

2010-07-08T11:35:00.002-04:00

Here is the new journal that I received a couple of weeks ago in our Art Journal Round Robin. This one was created by Paula Phillips. I've had it for a couple of weeks now and haven't had the chance to work in it yet. I hope to do that this weekend and send it along to it's next recipient, Kelley Brown. I'll post an update once I create my spread in this little beauty.

I'm Back!

2010-07-01T12:45:00.005-04:00

Whew! It's seems like forever since I posted last. I've got some new things to share but will have to post those later this week. For now, here's 2 new necklaces that I made earlier in the week. I love them both and had a hard time deciding to part with them! They're in my Etsy shop now if you'd like to go take a closer look.

I'll be back in a day or so with some more to share with you.

Be blessed!

Basha Beads

2010-06-23T08:36:00.005-04:00

The gorgeous beads pictured above are none other than Basha Beads. In my 15+ years of beading they truly are the most unique and beautiful beads that I've ever seen. Until recent months they've been hard to come by. In recent months my friend Andrew Thornton of Green Girl Studios has become an outlet for purchasing Basha Beads. Andrew carries quite a variety of Basha's in his Big Cartel shop.

Here's a snippet from Andrew on Barbara's process in creating these beads:

"Going by her family name, Barbara "Basha" creates lampwork glass beads of astounding quality, craftsmanship, and character. She is a Northwestern-based glass artisan, who specializes in pieces inspired by ancient Greco-Roman glass and gemstones. It took over two years to develop this unique technique that captures and reflects light, while maintaining an organic matte finish. The matte finish gives the beads an antique and exotic look. Like snowflakes, each handmade bead is one of a kind and no two beads are exactly alike (even ones hailing from the same series). Each bead is a little piece of abstract art!"

Head over to Andrew's Big Cartel shop and scoop yourself up one of these treasures. They'll make a wonderful and in some way archival addition to your bead stash. You can't have just one either. Once you see these in person you'll want more! Trust me!

A Beady Giveaway!

2010-06-22T10:01:00.003-04:00

See that pile of beads?

That's 7 1/2 lbs of beads and Denise Yezbak Moore is giving it all away on her blog.

Elvie Studio and a trade

2010-06-22T08:28:00.006-04:00

For months now I've been wanting one of my fellow blogger, friend and book maker extraordinares blank watercolor journals. Whose this you I speak of you say? It's none other than Lori Vliegen of Elvie Studio. I've had this journal in my etsy fav's for months now and they disappear from her shop quickly.

I convo'd Lori a few weeks back to see if she'd be interested in trading a journal for some jewelry. She was happy to oblige and I was thrilled! So, the photo at the top is the necklace Lori chose and the other pic is the lovely journal, card and gift wrap that I received in return. Lori puts so much effort into her packaging. I was just as thrilled at the adorable tissue she used and the card she included as I was with my new journal.

Thank you so much Lori! You truly are a generous spirit and a wonderful creative friend.

GO...A Giveaway!

2010-06-16T10:11:00.006-04:00

THE DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER! - REBECCA

Rebecca please email me at 2ifbysea1067@bellsouth.net with your mailing address.

I WON And A GIVEAWAY!

2010-06-16T08:41:00.007-04:00

See those gorgeous beads? I WON THEM! Thanks so much to Andrew Thornton for his continued generosity. I was literally jumping up and down with joy when I found out that I had won this morning. For you beads lovers who read my blog go check out Andrews' Big Cartel shop! He's got some fabulous art beads and components for sale. Go show Andrew some bead love.

P.S. Andrew's generosity has prompted me to give back .

I'll be posting a giveaway myself sometime today! Stay tuned!

Art Journal Round Robin - Rd. 1 Completed

2010-06-12T09:44:00.005-04:00

I finally finished the spread in Ophelia's journal.

I wish I had found time to do more, but I didn't. These are my first finished art journal pages. I'm pretty pleased with what I did, but I'm excited for the chance to try out some new techniques on the upcoming journals.

Have a great weekend!

Giveaway of Giveaways!

2010-06-10T09:34:00.002-04:00

Oh my goodness! This is the giveaway to beat them all. If you're a bead addict like me you'll covet these Basha Beads that my blogger friend and fellow jewelry designer Andrew Thornton is giving away. These beads are so gorgeous and are quite pricey as well. Andrews' generosity is off the charts this week! Head over to Andrew's blog to sign up for a chance to win...

wishes, thank you's and hope

2010-06-08T11:07:00.007-04:00

i wish i could pay attention to something for more than 10 minutes...i wish i could be creative EVERY day...i wish i could make better use of my time...i wish i didn't have to work a night job...i wish i could go back to doing graphics, i miss it TERRIBLY!...i wish days were longer...i wish santa would bring me a new mac and updated photoshop and illustrator...i wish my parents would hurry up and move back to our town...i wish i could find the strength to mend some of my broken friendships and relationships...i wish that our rental house would sell soon...i wish i had some creative friends in town to get together with and have play dates...i wish i didn't have to cook the same things every week...i wish my blog could be more than just a tool to advertise my jewlery...i wish my blog posts were more insightful, creative, meaningful and inspiring...i wish i could learn to lean on God more and not my own strength...

i hope and pray that my children will grow up to be spectacular, well-adjusted, loving human beings...

i'm thankful that the sun rises each day...i'm thankful for my gorgeous little boys...i'm thankful for my supportive, PATIENT and handsome husband...i'm thankful for a roof over my head, a nice car to drive, food in our mouths everyday and my family's love...i'm ever so thankful that God has helped us survive and thrive at times during these last five years of me being a stay-at-home-mom...thank you God!

New Etsy Listings Today

2010-06-05T15:59:00.004-04:00

I hope everyone is having a great Saturday?

I'm getting some new jewelry made and have listed some new items in

both of my Etsy shops,

2 If By Sea and Beads To The Knees.

BOGO SALE! @ 2 If By Sea

2010-06-04T11:38:00.003-04:00

BOGO SALE at 2 If By Sea! Buy one piece and get the second 30% off! Purchase as normal and I'll refund the difference on your second piece. Hurry, go shop now!

My New Etsy "Destash" Shop

2010-06-03T12:51:00.004-04:00

I just opened a new Etsy shop in order to destash some of my ever-growing bead stash. The shop will feature everything bead related including beading magazines. I'll be listing daily because I have a TON of stuff to get in the shop.

Stop by and check it out! I'm sure there's something in there you can't live without!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2010-05-27T14:12:00.005-04:00

Okay, this is my 3rd post today and I can't believe I almost forgot to do this one!

Today is our 5th wedding anniversary.

Whew, 5 years! I'm proud to have made it this far and look forward to many more wonderful, fulfilling years together.

We're headed down to St. Augustine for the weekend to a quaint little B & B called the Cedar House Inn Victorian Bed & Breakfast. We didn't have a honeymoon so we are going to enjoy a lovely weekend without the kiddies and do some sightseeing.

A Quick Post

2010-05-27T13:01:00.003-04:00

Here is the left page of my spread in Ophelia's journal. I'm finishing the right side today when my little guys go down for their naps and will have a pic soon.