Give Away Alert!

Cindy Wimmer is not only doing a blog tour for her new book, she's giving away STUFF! Yes, that's right - STUFF. Visit her blog for more details on this generous give away opportunity. Even someone like me who focuses on tiny little beads woven with needle and thread needs fabulous wire work to show them off once in a while. Besides, it never hurts to add to your repertoire. Bead on, beadlings!

What More Could A Beader Want?

How about another chance to win Marcia's book? Hop on over to Lorelei's Blog and leave a comment. Maybe you'll win. Maybe I'll win. Someone is going to win!

AND if you pre-order Beverly's new book (also signed), you receive free beads and a chance to win beads and fibers worth over $400!

Don't forget about Art Bead Scene with their weekly giveaways and the monthly challenge. The newest challenge started this week. Take yourself on over and see the inspirational painting.

Everything I did bead-wise over the weekend must be redone. SIGH And I must go back to my orthopedic surgeon in two weeks to have a little something fixed. SIGH BUT the grandsons are growing like weeds and doing just fine, so something in my world is still okay!

Giveaway Wednesday And Other News!

So I changed the day of the week. Look, I'm lucky if I know what year it is right now! First, Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio has a little giveaway that is right up my alley. I've really been wanting to delve into more wire work and this is perfect for a beginner when it comes to just that.

Lorelei has the final Green Girl Studios giveaway -- hearts! Yum. Go leave your comment and good luck.

Can you name these beads? If you can, you might just win some. Go help Kelley out.

And one of my favorite places, Art Bead Scene, is having a book giveaway. We all know we need more beading books, and this one is from my pal Marcia DeCoster!

Babies: Natalie was supposed to be able to hold Marshall for the first time last night. I'm waiting for an update and new pictures. Max is in the intermediate care nursery now. His next step will be to actually nurse. He's rooting and trying to tell everyone he's ready.

Knee: I'm just waiting on my therapist for today's torture session.

Beady stuff: Little feelings of creativity are surfacing. I just need to be able to sit up without becoming utterly exhausted. Here's a hint, kids, when your doctor says to take it easy he really means it. When you end up overdoing, you kind of slide bassackwards. Know what I mean? (but I would do it again in a heartbeat!)

More Giveaways!

Did you think I'd forgotten? Nah, I was just waiting. And yes, I need to put together my own giveaway -- I have not forgotten that, either. I just need to be able to get to some of the stash (Jennifer asked about a destash giveaway, and since I won the earrings from her I thought that might appropriate).

Beverly Herman is giving away a lovely bracelet created by none other than herself. If you've never seen Bevvie's work in person, you are missing out on some great eye candy.

Lorelei is having the fourth Green Girl Studios giveaway. There is still time to enter and win beautiful beads and charms.

And this chart from Fire Mountain Gems is just too handy. Download it as a .PDF to keep on your computer. It's FREE! (that makes it a giveaway!)

I'm working on a kit I bought a couple of years ago from Beads East a couple of years ago. I felt like learning a little something different and honing old skills. I've got four new pair of earrings to take photos of and put in the Etsy shop, but *gasp* it is cloudy and RAINING today! And while this is a welcome change (it MIGHT get to 90° today), it makes for poor photo ops. Oh well! Rain, rain, rain! If my knee were healed a little more, I might go do a dance in it! Bead on, beadlings!!

Monday Giveaway Alert

Lorelei has another nifty giveaway today. I love owls. In fact, I recently received a little owl shipment of my own albeit they were nothing like these being given away by Lorelei.

Carol Dean Sharpe has a cute giveaway on her blog and all you have to do is name your beading hero(ine).

Don't forget that every Saturday Art Bead Scene has a giveaway in conjunction with their artists' Studio Saturday.

Objects and Elements has a reader's challenge. Enter and you could win some goodies from their store!

Two days left. Ugh. Wednesday is just two days away. Nervous? Yes. Stressed? Yes. Rethinking decisions to do this? Possibly, but I'm pretty sure this is the best thing to do. Ugh. Keep on beading on, beadlings.

Quickness!

Short blog for you today. Pam sent me an email reminding me that I had not updated! I do apologize. All is well with the clan. Natalie is home on bed rest after a short hospital stay. Both babies are fine with good strong heart beats and they have started kicking. Her due date is still Christmas day, but Thanksgiving babies may be more of a reality.

I'm still trying to come up with a giveaway to celebrate my own win. I cannot wait to see my new earrings in person.

Today means more doctor's visits. Surgery is just five days away. I've got lots of strengthening do to between now and then. Ugh -- I hate that part of all of this, but I'm burning those calories! Have a great weekend.

I Won! You Know What That Means . . .

Do you remember the fabulous earrings and pendant bead that Jennifer at Glass Addictions was giving away? Well, yours truly won those fab earrings! So, in the spirit of paying it forward, I'll have to come up with a giveaway of my own. Destash? Earrings crafted by me? Peyote pattern? Scissors fob? Give me some ideas please.

I've got Ariel and the neighbor girls hooked on making earrings now. It's great. I took them all bead shopping yesterday (exhausting!). They made GREAT choices in beads. Then I taught their mom how to make the wraps on the eye pins and head pins. We made four pair here, then she went home to finish them up. I'll get her to bring them over, and this time I promise the pictures will be better.

I have my visit with the bone wizard today. If (IF) my blood pressure is down, the surgery is still schedule for the 12^th. If not, then we look at the 19^th. In the meantime, Natalie has been put on bed rest until the babies come.
(Mom)"Do you want me to teach you how to knit or crochet or cross stitch?"
(Daughter)"No, I don't want to do those things. I don't want to be in bed
(Mom)"You'll need to do something so you don't get too bored."
(Daughter)'heaves great big sigh'

Later that same day:
(Daughter)Maybe I should learn how to do those things. Then I could make things for my babies later.
(Mom)'secret, happy smile'

Wish me luck, beadlings! I'll come up with a giveaway for you in the next couple of days. YOU! Yes, you -- keep beading on.

Let's Start The Week With A Giveaway

Go check out Treasures Found and you might receive your own treasure!

I'll find some more later and post again. Today is Erday, after all.

Keep Checking Those Giveaway Links

Here's another one for you, but you better act quick. This one ends at midnight Tuesday. Or would that be Wednesday? Either way, you have just a little over 24 hours. La Bella Joya is giving away a gorgeous beaded bracelet and all you have to do is comment and offer advice. Hop on over and check it out! Me? I've commented and I'm going to bed soon! ¡Hasta mañana en la mañana, beadlings!

Are You Checking For Giveaways?

Giveaway alert! Go visit Lorelei to see what's happening today. Note that in the title of her post she says "No. 1". Hmmm. What could that mean? I think we should keep checking back! Oh, look! There on the right. She has a SCHEDULE!

Today is chock full of stuff to do HOWEVER it is all being done inside the house! Yep, no Erday here today. It's just plain old Monday. Too bad I can't say the same for the rest of the week. 17 days and counting. (I've decided to bead my cane!) Keep on beading on, beadlings!

New Link And Giveaway

You know I love giveaways! Check out Sweet Bead Studio. Cindy has redesigned her blog and it rocks, her jewelry is drop-dead gorgeous, and she's giving away fabulous prizes. I love it. Everything on her page is just gorgeous.

I've been drug kicking and screaming into the techno toy age. Next week you can start following me on Twitter as well as Facebook (or click on the Facebook badge at the lower right-hand side of this page). Details to follow. I must run. I need to clean up soem bead mess since Kay and her B-man are coming for dinner and cards tonight, and it's been way too long since we've done that. Have a great weekend, beadlings!

Giveaways And The Prize

WARNING: BIG-ASS LONG POST!
Everyone loves free stuff, right? Well I thought I would put together some beady, artsy, desirable items for you that are free or next to free. Some have little caveats, like posting them on your blog, web site, Twitter or Facebook pages but that's still a pretty darn good deal. I've won several beady things and am never disappointed by what I receive. Beaders and bead makers are very generous people. Some of these are beads, some are jewelry, some are books but all are covetable. Ready? Fasten your seat belts, because here we go:

Art Bead Scene Studio Saturdays offers a weekly giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment and hope yours is the one randomly drawn. I have won beads from these ladies and let me tell you, they are giving away some beauties! Give it a whirl.

Craft Gossip also has regular giveaways of all sorts. You have to check on a regular basis to see what's up for grabs.

Beaded Zen Designs has Free Jewelry Wednesdays! There are rules, but they're pretty easy to follow. And Nicolette Tallmadge has monthly giveaways.

Sorta Flowering Designs has a monthly give-away. Simply sign up for their newsletter to be entered (click on "About"). Kristi at Coliebug Beads also has a monthly giveaway. She's a sweetheart!

Lorelei is having another giveaway. All you have to do is comment, then commit and follow through if you win. And Bead Happily Ever After has regular giveaways. Be sure to follow the rules!

My beady friend Carol Dean Sharpe is giving away a bracelet simply for coming up with a good name for her new series of work.

Oh wait, I'm having a giveaway, too! You still have time to win!! What will you win? Well, a whole bunch of beads! These are in no way a hint at what bead soup I chose:

You will receive two 30g tubes of size 11° seed bead mixes (some of the last of the Bumble Beads stash), some teeny rose quartz stars, some green pyramids, vintage pearlized glass, a pair of vintage Venitian glass swirly beads in a fab rosy pink, Czech iris beads and a pressed glass mix called Spring Fling. You also receive a little post-it note book, made by yours truly, for jotting down ideas and inspirations. All you have to do is correctly guess which bead soup I chose as my prize from Beverly.

Well, that should get you started on your new giveaway addition. Just call me your enabler, after all I am experienced in that sort of thing. Happy hunting!

You've Got To Love Freebies!

Great blog, great jewelry, great give-away! Go take a peek at Lorelei's blog!

I'm beading. Pictures later. See ya!