A new addition to the household... sort of... :)

After hearing from many Etsy shoppers that they would like to see my jewelry on a "person", I got a mannequin torso to photo my jewelry on. Not having a model at my disposal (I can't afford one anyway!) and finding it difficult to model it myself - I mean, geez... I'd have to get gussied up and do my hair and wear some make-up (ick!) and... so... Here is the new addition to the household. I haven't named her yet. Maybe I should let my husband decide what to call her (I think he likes having some naked boobs hanging around the house!) - tee hee :)

So, while I wait for the snow to melt a little, I will be busy re-photo-ing my beadwork and jewelry on my new co-worker.

The Big Winter Storm

I'm sure I'm about the umpteenth person to blog about the big storm that swept across the country this week but I wanted to share some pictures from yesterday morning. I was going to post these yesterday but got doing other things and it slipped my mind - I'm a little ADHD :-P We got about 11" of snow here in Dubuque and it was beautiful! Of course, I can say that because I didn't have to drive anywhere or be out in it for any length of time. Dan & I did take our traditional walk on Tuesday night while the flakes were flying - we have always gone for a walk, even if it's just around the block - during the first big snowfall of the season.

Quick Peek of the Pink Cuff!

Just a quick peek of the pink cuff bracelet - I hope to get it finished this week sometime! :)

One-of-a Kind Show in Chicago

My mom and I took a trip to Chicago this past weekend and made a stop at the "One-of-a-kind" show at the Merchandise Mart. It was pretty cool! There was so much fabulous artwork (wearable and otherwise) that it was a bit overwhelming. Our feet HUUURRRT when we got done!! Here are some shots from the show - these are actually big, beautiful pictures. Click on them to see them in all their glory - Enjoy!

Pink!

Pink is not a color I typically work in. Sometimes I will use it as an accent color with green (I really like green with purple and pink accents!) but I hardly ever make something where pink is the main color.

So here are some in-progress photos of a bead embroidered cuff bracelet I'm working on. It includes several shades of pink with touches of gray and silver. I've done almost as much tearing out as I have beading but I think I'm finally hitting my stride. I'll let you be the judge...

Beaded Bon Bons make perfect gifts!

 What are beaded bon bons?? I'm so glad you asked!

Beaded Bon Bons are affordable, high quality, handcrafted jewelry pieces made using vintage bead cluster earrings as well as bead clusters made by me using some of the same classic jewelry-making techniques of the 40's and 50's. Beaded Bon Bons have vintage charm but with a contemporary twist. Beaded Bon Bons listed as "classic" feature an authentic vintage earring - most with lovely, shabby signs of age and patina. If the piece is labeled as "original" then it was made by me using a variety vintage beads. Priced from $20 - $30, they make great stocking stuffers for the holidays!

I have a nice selection of beaded bon bons available in my caraway shop on Etsy and my 1000 Markets shop. More are being added everyday so be sure to check back!

Got a pair of Grandma's earrings - too beautiful to part with but no one wants to wear them? I can turn her vintage baubles into Beaded Bon Bons made especially for you or a loved one. Custom orders are always welcome!

Ink and Sunshine

Amanda Fuller has a great blog. She is a graphic designer from Australia and contacted me to let me know she had featured a vintage scarf from CarawayCache in her post entitled "Ink and Sunshine". She is predicting that combining navy blue and yellow will be a big trend in the coming year. I hope so - the combination is striking!!