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

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Personalized Gifts for Mom on Mother's Day

Mother's Day is less than a month away; are you ready? Sunday, May 8, 2011 will be here before you know it! Here are some ideas that she'll love! And don't forget grandma either!


available in lots of varieties (disc amounts and metal types)


available in 2 tag and 1 tag as well



There are tons and tons of other ideas in my shop. Have questions? Please ask!

~Lori

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Thoughts on Digesting 6 Seasons of The L Word

I've spent the last month marathon-ing the entire season of The L Word, and have made a few observations about the series.  Figured I put them here because if I put them anywhere else, I'll forget where that place is, lol.  So, in no particular order... (spoilers will abound...)

First, (and this is not just the fault of The L Word, but every dramatic series of yet), when you watch a show in one whole gulp, you realize how every single episode is composed of everyone running into each other at the same restaurant and then pardoning themselves because they have to do X to get ready for a party/fundraiser/event. I need another refill of something strong to get through that tired plot device.  I realize that the easiest and often most logical way to get all your friends in one place is to throw a shin dig.  But, omg, exhausting.

2ndly, major kudos to The L Word for being heavy on brunettes!  I'm a brunette and a brunette-lover myself, so I appreciated that greatly.  In fact, I appreciated it so much that I started to truly wonder if there are really that many brunettes in L.A. where the show is set.  I kind of doubt it.  And the blondes that were in the show weren't bleach blondes, so that was another plus.  Nice and easy!

3rdly, because I watched it all at once, I was immediately able to dissect who was stealing whose jewelry.  I often found myself tiring of the constant hashing-out-of-emotions (however true to form) which allowed my attention to wander to Bette and Tina, who in the middle of a quite infamous split, were actually sharing necklaces.  Yeah, I think not.

4thly, I found the sex believable, and I only rolled my eyes a few times.  This is a feat for lesbian sex because it can be varied and boring at the same time.  If you don't understand what I mean, you're probably not a lesbian.  I thought the portrayals were genuine, and I (almost) bought Cybil Shepherd as a lez.

5thly, a real pat on the back to the writers who created the Jenny Schechter character and didn't slit her throat in the first episode.  I don't know who actually killed her or if she killed herself, but if I think about too long, I'll confess to it myself.  It wasn't for a lack of trying through my television screen.  You kind of have to hand it to writers who decide to put 98% of their plot devices into one character.  That takes balls...or apathy. 

Finally, a big hug to Olivia Windbiel who played Bette and Tina's daughter, Angie.  She was absolutely adorable and a scene stealer.  Talk about perfect casting!

That's all for now! If you have thoughts on The L Word, feel free to comment!
~Lori