(almost) Wordless Wednesday

I took a walk yesterday in one of the local parks.  It is so gorgeous this time of year that I had to take some pictures.  I hope that all of you in the midwest who have been blessed with warm, sunny weather this week have been able to enjoy it a little, too!

inspiration from a different source

I thought I'd share a different source of inspiration today.  One of the best parts about creating any kind of art is that you can find inspiration just about anywhere.  It doesn't have to be when you're looking at other art or at anything else related to your field.

One of my favorite catalogs is the Crate and Barrel catalog.  We registered there for our wedding so we got their mailings for a while, but they lost track of us in Iowa, probably because there are no Crate and Barrels in Iowa.  Now that we're in Milwaukee and are only about 15 minutes away from the closest one, we're getting catalogs and coupons.  I haven't bought anything...yet, but there are lots of inspiration selections in the latest catalog.  Here are a few of my favorites.  Hopefully they'll get you inspired, too.

You can actually order a mixed set with all of the colors!  How much fun is that?

Perfect colors for fall.

Of course I love some of their leafy items.

Great dotted picks.

And finally, some awesome stripes.

in the works

I recently sold this long admired bracelet.  I went digging through all of my brightly colored buttons to see if I had enough little ones left to make any more.  It took me a while to sell the original two, but they always got a lot of hearts and views on Etsy.

I was pretty surprised that I found so many, especially in this many different colors.  I'm not sure when I'll make them, but I have them set aside in one of my little "to do" piles.

I've started working on my November challenge piece.  I wasn't planning on working the blues in different layers, but it really works better that way with the spiral.  I'm sorting the beads as I go.

You can see the glass beads that I'll be pairing with the seed beads in this post from last week.  This piece is going to be fairly slow going so I will most likely be working on some smaller projects in the middle of it.

Sunday (temporary move) Link List

I moved my weekly link list back a day for the Top Droppers yesterday.  Treasury round up will resume next week.

Before I get into the links, I have to share that Kristin from My Art and the Mom in Me made my pumpkin muffins with her girls last week and blogged about it here.  I actually posted this recipe for a blog carnival, not a link list, but I'm still always excited when people try out my favorite recipes.  Thanks Kristin!  I'm so glad that this was a hit with you and your girls.  If you missed the recipe, it's still available right here.

50 Questions for Etsy Sellers and So Much More!

The 50 Questions Squidoo is something that Timothy Adam put together last year.  If you're on the Handmadeology e-mail list, you've probably seen it before.  Even though it's a little outdated now, it's still pretty interesting.

What Type of Sales Should I Run In My Etsy Shop During the Holiday Season? from Handmadeology

I have one more from Handmadeology today.  I thought that this would be good one to post with the Christmas 2011 holiday season coming up before we know it.  This article came out long before the relevancy change, but the keyword information is still relevant.

How to get tabs (navigation bar) on new blogger templates from Markandey's Blog

Hopefully you have noticed before that I have tabs on my blog.  Even better, hopefully some of you use those tabs.  If you are interested in adding tabs to your blog, this is how I got mine.  It's very easy.

How to Beaded Cuff Demo from Melissa's Jewelry and Gem Blog

My tutorial this week is a video that Melissa posted earlier this summer.  If you are a visual learner who is interested in making a beaded cuff, this is a long but very detailed video tutorial for it.

Bacon-Topped Macaroni and Cheese Recipe from Pillsbury

I thought that this would be a good comfort food recipe for this time of year.  If you've never had homemade macaroni and cheese before, you're missing out.  I made it in a slow cooker (although not with this recipe) for the first time last year, and it was very good.  Personally I would use a greater variety of cheese than this one has.  Even one or two more will make a big difference.  Otherwise this is a good recipe.

Did you use one of the resources, tutorials, or recipes from my link list?  Leave me a link in the comments or send me an e-mail (randomcreative28@gmail.com) with your photos and stories.  I would love to post them here!

September Top Droppers and October news

It's a new month that means that once again, it's time to thank my Top Droppers.  I really stepped up my own dropping this month and have been surprised by how many new droppers I got in return.  I especially appreciate the new bloggers I've met through Entrecard who are taking the time to comment or reply to my comments.  And as always, I appreciate anyone who visits my blog regularly, especially those of you who comment.  These monthly posts are for all of you.  I wouldn't still be here without all of your support.

Here is the Top 10 for September.
1) Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
2) Sparkle
3) Funky Town Disco Music
4) BeadedTail
5) The Pond
6) toys4dogsncats.com
7) The Soap Seduction
8) Digital Rebel 350
9) Everyday Game Plan
10) Melissa's Homeschool

Please check out some of the newest Etsy items from my top commenters, too.  I have to give shout outs to Grace of Dragon's Alley, Mandy of Beads For Brains: 365, and Catherine of Living the Gourmet who have also left me a lot of comments this month.  Thanks ladies!
Real Wood Birthday Card - Have a Tweet Birthday - Laser Engraved Cut by memoriesforlifesb

Kitty Cat Face Beaded Sterling Silver Earrings - Olive by BeadedTail

Art journal, watercolor fall fashion by storybeader

Peyote Swirl Green Peridot Purple Sterling Silver Necklace by PrettyPrettySwicy

Knit Coin Purse in Grey and Purple by nfall2rt

Laundry Bag.  Lingerie Bag.  Storage.  Roses and green polka dots by PeriDotByDuni

Sleepy horse artwork - print of my original watercolor painting - 5 x 7 by tapestry316

Sugar Scrub Sample - Mango Sorbet by thesoapseducation

Beaded Snowflake Ornament in Crystal, Silver, and White by AsteropeBC

For October, I've created a Think Pink section of my shop for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which includes these new earrings.  Remember when I previewed them here back in August?  They were so well received that I decided to list them.

All of my older pink items are in that section, too.  I'm donated 15% off all sales from there this month to the American Cancer Society.  Here are a few of the eligible items.  Check out the section for the others.