Monday, August 22, 2011

31 Days Til Autumn

Hooray! Autumn is officially 31 days away, and I can't wait!  Just realized I haven't updated this blog in a month, but I have a good excuse:  I've been stitching my brains out. :)  Here are just a few of the new additions to the wrap bracelet line.  These pictured below are ready to ship today!

Single Wrap Autumn Squirrel.  Isn't he a cutie? 

(Makes you just wanna jump in a big ol' pile of leaves, huh?)

#69 in the revived Leftovers Series!

(Her big sister sold, but can be made to order again!)


There are many, many more in my shop ready to go and tons with optional custom buttons and custom charms.  Leather choices have expanded to:  black, dark brown, rust, off white, maroon, light pink, aqua, pale aqua, pale periwinkle, gray, navy blue and custom buttons and charms come in copper, aluminum, or brass!  I'll post more of those later this week.  Have a great Monday!

View previous bracelet post here.

~Lori

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

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

Thursday, July 14, 2011

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

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

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!

(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.)





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

(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.)






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




Friday, July 1, 2011

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

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Cat in Box - Supplies Arrive

Admittedly, I get excited when supplies arrive, but not nearly as excited as my oldest, Darcy, gets.  This tall narrow box was impossible to resist!

She didn't object when I finally rescued her, lol!

~Lori

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Personalized Gifts for Dad for Father's Day

Father's Day is 25 days away!  This year it falls on Sunday, June 19, 2011.  Are you ready?  Here are some gift ideas to help you honor the father figure in your life...






also available in nickel silver and in sets of 2 or 3


There are lots of other options in my shop as well!  Get creative and design the perfect gift he'll never forget!  All pieces enjoy flat rate shipping... $2.50 to U.S. & Canada, $3.95 elsewhere.

~Lori


Thursday, May 5, 2011

Rio - Go See This Movie

Brought to you by the folks who made Ice Age, Rio is a fabulously hilarious movie.  You'll love it; your kids will love it, and your booty will be shaking like a polaroid picture. ;-)  I mean, George Lopez is the toucan.  How can you not love that?

~Lori

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Recent Handmade Purchase - Caribbean Scents Soy Candles

It's once again time to gush about a recent purchase!  I do this periodically as it's become a crucial step in my Retail Therapy, lol. Today's praise comes from a seller I've bought from before--Caribbean Scents on Etsy! Since I've been getting uber-busy again with Mother's Day, Graduation, Father's Day, etc., I decided to splurge and spoil myself with my favorite drug of choice--handmade bath and body goodies.  As I've said before, I'm hard-core addicted to the Brown Sugar Fig scent Ana makes.  I've tried similar scents from other shops, and they literally made by stomach turn.  Not Ana's.  Ana's makes me so freaking happy.  (Don't ever let anyone tell you aromatherapy doesn't have some truth in it.)

So, this time I decided to try her soy candles because, like I said, spoiling myself.... I bought 2. One in a glass jar and one in a little tin. They both smell unbelievable. This candle in the glass jar, though...well, I think I'm in love. It has a wooden wick which is something I haven't tried before, but I'm hooked now. When you burn it, the wood adds a trace of a fireplace scent and it actually crackles a little. For real. At night when I'm trying to wind down, I burn it for a few minutes in the darkness of my bedroom. Peace in a jar, I tell ya. Peace. In. A. Jar.

Know that my effusive praise comes only from the heart when I brag about these products. I do it because I enjoy it, and I figure, you might enjoy it, too.  It's fun to lurk and see what other people buy, isn't it?

~Lori

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Time to Remember Teachers & The Graduate!

It's time to remember teachers of all stripes and of course, the 2011 graduate!  Don't forget your child's aftercare teachers, troop leaders, and camp counselors!  Need a specialized gift for the graduate?  Be sure to check out the Weapon of Choice series where I have over 50 charm choices including:  medical, calculator, microscope, scales of justice, beaker, molecule, tons of sports, typewriter, laptop, instruments, and crafting/artist charms.  Here are some other ideas:


(can be customized.  please ask.)


(for the dance teachers!)

(back side customization available)





Most designs in my shop can be customized, so if you'd like to include more info, please convo me and ask! I'm happy to help.  All pieces ship for a flat rate!  $2.50 to U.S. & Canada, $3.95 elsewhere.  Shop here!

~Lori

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Good-bye Steve Carell




I just watched Steve Carell's last episode on The Office, and yes, I'm in tears.  I'll really, really miss his character Michael Scott.  It's dorky, but through the bizarre power of emotional transference and because I don't work in an office anymore, but just for myself at home, this cast became my co-workers.  I was able to feel like a part of that 8-5 world that I've been absent from for 2 years (and really for years before that because of health issues I was battling.)  I know the show will try to go on, and it'll probably be fine, but it's truly not going to be the same.  Now I'll be sad every time I catch a re-run where Michael Scott rolls his eyes at Toby Flenderson for having the gall to be alive, or flaunts his bro-mance with the hot temp, Ryan, or somehow manages to bring humanity out in Dwight, the cat killer (lest we forget.) 

So, good-bye Michael Scott, and I'm only a little less saddened because Jim told you what a fabulous boss you turned out to be in your last episode, and really, he was speaking for everyone watching.  I don't know how Carell managed to turn a complete idiot into a hero, but he did.  Good for you, Steve Carell, and good for us.  You gave us 7 seasons of absolute must-see-tv.  Thank you.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Spring Cleaning My Studio

One of the things I enjoy most about being a jewelry artist is the few times a year I have time to get my 'OCD on' and reorganize my studio.  It's been a year now since I started making hand-stamped jewelry, and in that year, my studio has been revamped about three times because I'm using different tools and materials and what works for beading does not work for hammering.  LOL.  So, this weekend, I took yet another crack and reorganizing because my studio is basically 40% of my one bedroom apartment.  So, a friend of mine came over on Saturday and we rearranged the furniture yet again (much like deck chairs on the Titanic when you're in a tiny space) and I think this will work.  I bought a new media tower, put it together and then put it to use!


Can you tell I'm having a hard-core love affair with my labeler?

I'm now at the point where I wouldn't be horribly embarrassed if someone came over because I've freed my nightmare sofa from my work space, hence, why you can't see it in these pictures.  And believe me, that's a feat when you see what a gargantuan sofa I have.  (Yes, I have sacrificed my fireplace.  I used it once last winter here in NC.)

Please excuse the crookedness, lol.  I went to sleep early last night after all this organizing and basically slept through the rest of my area getting pummeled by tornadoes.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

~Lori