My July Newsletter Is Out!

I've finally found time to publish a new newsletter! Click the image to read it and see the freebie coupon enclosed!

~Enjoy, Lori

Current Obsessions - July 2011

Now that the Casey Anthony trial is over (and DON'T get me started on that), I've found some new obsessions that are populating my life and unfortunately, my waistline.  First up, my summer crush is back, Big Brother.  I LOVE this show.  I'm a true fan, watching the live feeds and everything.  Is it the best show on TV? God, no.  But it's become a summer vacay for me because I get to get involved, invested, and infected with a bunch of money-hungry personalities with varying degrees of social skills.  It fascinates me.  (Plus, watching people snore is really under-rated.)  Also, I have a group of peeps that I chat with each summer so it's a big ole virtual reunion.

My next obsession is one I'm reticent to tell anyone about because I don't want you clearing out my store shelves!  These new cookies, Newtons Fruit Thins - Cranberry Citrus Oat, are the freaking BOMB.  If you like cranberry bread, you'll LOVE these things.  And I'm not alone in this; my mother is hooked, too, and even though they make 4 flavors (Blueberry Brown Sugar, Chocolate Raspberry, and Fig & Honey), the cranberry ones are always almost gone.  I'm starting to hoard these things, lol.

Finally, my latest summer indulgence is these Weight Watchers Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream bars.  They're 80 calories per bar and they taste AMAZING!  I'm not one to tolerate artificial sweeteners and diet-tasting foods, so when I say they taste delish, they do! The ONLY thing I'm irked about is that apparently they have a Dark Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Cheesecake flavor that isn't at my grocery store.  Arrrgh!  I think dipping just over 1/2 the bar in chocolate and not the whole thing is pretty ingenious.  You get your chocolate fix without all the calories.

Have a great weekend!
~Lori

New Beaded Double & Triple Wrap Bracelets at Risky Beads

For those of you who've followed my shop over years, I've sure you've noticed that my style has changed somewhat.  When I moved into metal stamping in April of 2010, a lot of my beaded work went by the wayside as I was so excited about working in a new medium.  Well, now I'm beginning to re-incorporate more beaded pieces into my shop in a brand new way:  trendy beaded leather wrap bracelets!  If you pay attention on popular TV shows and to current fashion trends, you'll see that these bracelets are uber-popular.  Luckily, they're also fun to make!  Here are the newest additions to the family:

the triple wraps...
Each one takes 2.5 hours to complete!

Brown Leather Triple Wrap with Personalized Button, $49.95

(Custom buttons could be your children's names or a baby's name, birth date, and weight, commemorate a great golf score or marathon time, wedding/anniversary details, graduation and school pride, a phrase you like, longitude & latitude coordinates, a thank you to a teacher, coach, or sitter, etc.  Buttons can also be done in copper.)

Earthy Nautical Brown Leather Triple Wrap, one of a kind design, $44.95***

Raspberry Vanilla Black Leather Triple Wrap, $44.95***

Golden Heart Brown Leather Triple Wrap, $44.95***

Metallic Gray Rubber Tubing Triple Wrap, $44.95

And now for the double wraps!  Each piece takes about 1 1/5 hours to complete.

Double Wrap Black Leather with Personalized Button, $39.95

(Custom buttons could be your children's names or a baby's name, birth date, and weight, commemorate a great golf score or marathon time, wedding/anniversary details, graduation and school pride, a phrase you like, longitude & latitude coordinates, a thank you to a teacher, coach, or sitter, etc.  Buttons can also be done in copper.)

 Rainbow Black Leather Double Wrap with Handmade Glass Disc Clasp, $34.95***

;Blue Jean Girl Duo Brown/Lt. Brown Leather Double Wrap, $34.95

Mermaid Song Brown Leather Double Wrap with Handmade Glass Disc, $34.95***

Rainforest Crunch Dark Green/Lt. Brown Leather Double Wrap, $34.95

Lover's Quarrel Brown Tubing Double Wrap Bracelet, $34.95***

I'm working on several new designs each week, so keep checking my bracelet section for new arrivals. I have a new one in my light box waiting for some decent sunlight!  Please note that designs marked with *** indicate one of a kind designs.  Typically, this means that I don't have any more duplicate clasps to recreate that exact design.

~Lori

Happy Independence Day 2011

Americana Hand Stamped Necklace

The summer slump has arrived just in time to celebrate the 4th of July and kick off my favorite summertime addiction...

Big Brother!  I'm a pretty decent Super Fan of this show.  I watch the feeds and get waaay too invested, but it's a nice vacay right before the Christmas rush begins!  Thank goodness the Casey Anthony Murder Trial will likely be ending when BB13 starts 'cause I'm currently addicted to both!

~Lori