Seeing the Forest through the Trees

Well...Holiday earrings are now completely restocked at the Boutique !!

I ordered plenty of materials several weeks ago to complete the Holiday Earring task. These earrings are usually our most requested item.

Between work, teaching, and the Boutique being just busy in general, there sat the supply materials to make the earrings. As Thanksgiving came along, I started to get nervous that I still had not had time to make up the earrings.

Yesterday was my day and I called in reinforcements. Four of us sat at one of our classroom tables in the Boutique. Two to assemble the Swarovski Crystal beads onto the headpins, I did all the wire wrapping, and last but not least, one to put the earring on the earwire. Once assembly was done, those assembling were then put in charge of placing the earrings on the earring stands, preparing them for sale. It was a great little assembly line!

150 pair of Swarovski Holiday earrings are now on sparkling display - yes, that's 300 perfect little wire wraps. A variety of color options are available as well as style.

We have Christmas trees in 5 color choices, Pearl Snowmen, and Snowflake earrings.

So....with that many Christmas tree earrings produced yesterday, my vision was spent. I could hardly see the forest through the trees! But in the end - the BIG picture is Sparkling Gorgeous!

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My neglected blog......

Ah - my neglected blog

Here you sit, waiting for me, patiently.

As I always beg of my good friends - thank you for your patience, my life is a whirlwind - hence the name "Fast and Furious."

And like a good friend, here you are, waiting for my return. Thank you dear blog.

So - before the giveaway and winning announcement, I had a moment of frustration from AC Moore. That was an obvious soap box moment, and rightfully so, but also the fury in which I presented it was clearly during a time where other things going on escalated my frustration. I am not a typical public soap box ranter. Verbally, I might spout here & there, but never in BIG public - like a blog and FB - for everyone to see.

Happy to report that although life has not stopped throwing me curve balls, at least the curve balls being thrown my way are pretty good, and all opportunistic.

Several unfavorable items have been cleared up, so that's always good!

In a short reflection - I've discovered the following (and I beg you all to comment on this, I want to know if I'm just goofy - or if this is common):

When life is hitting you hard, do you feel that all of your creative energy disappears?

I've had a lot of things going on in my personal and business lives. I'd venture to say its been happening since October of last year.

Not one to spill laundry, clean or dirty, in public - let's just say, its been rather stressful & certainly busy busy.

During this period of time, I have not felt like making much of anything.

There isn't much time in my life for creativity, and when I actually feel like being creative, my furious schedule doesn't allow me to indulge as I'd like to.

Today it hit me...

I often have to go "shopping" for new material for the Boutique. Beaders (my customers) like to see NEW stuff all the time. This is what keeps them coming back. So in my recent week of restocking & searching for the newest materials, something sparked in me!

This morning, as I emerged from a sleepy state of mind, I was immediately hit with the creative bug!

Visions of big gemstone pendants, cabs, and of all things - bead embroidery filled my morning.

So, since this blog was originally designed to jot down ideas as they happen - here goes:

• Next in store beader's challenge will likely begin in January with a Valentine's Day theme.
• I have a vision of another bead embroidered cuff using a Lisa Peters button, already selected, and a variety of neutrals in: dark brown, bronze, light topaz, sage green, and a coppery green.
• Embellishing a simple right angle weave bangle with more heavy metal seed beads (thank you for the inspiration, Shelley Nybakke!)
• and perhaps next time I have a day off, instead of worrying about how clean my floor is, I will venture back to the worktable and cut up some of that copper, aluminum, and nickel silver sheet I ordered 2 months ago.
• last but not least - my torch is calling !!!! It misses me. I need to return to my glass.

So there you have it - the reason the blog started, and now a REAL post for creativeness.

Of course, my business life just called and it wants its 20 minutes back....

But too bad. These were for ME

:)

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