the return of the two-button explosion charm bracelet is back, new Art Beads Blogging Program materials

I relisted the two-button explosion charm bracelet tonight. I've already gotten some compliments about the new one in person.


I also got an e-mail today about my second round of supplies from Art Beads through their blogging program. I was able to pick out a wide assortment of items from their Swarowski Crystal Beads section. I had my eye on some of the Swarovski Pendants, too, though I held off in the end. Maybe some other time. I'm still contemplating the 20% off sale that I mentioned in my last post as well.

more new listings, another sale, custom order

I've listed a couple more new items the last few days.



I also made another sale on Etsy today! This is the third one I've had on Etsy this month. I have lots of money sitting in my PayPal account now. I may take advantage of the ArtBead's Gigantic Glass Sale that's going on until next Tuesday.

I completed a custom order for my grandma today. She wanted a larger version of this bangle. I'll give it to her when I'm back in Chicago in a few weeks.

EBW July Challenge winner, more fun with embellishment

Congratulations to KraftyMax who won the EBW July Challenge Here Comes the Bride with her piece Intertwined in Love for Wedding Bliss! As always there were a ton of stunning entries.

I have been wanting to make something like the bracelet that I listed today ever since I wanted to get serious about making beaded jewelry and not just stringing beads. A year later, I finally accomplished it. I cannot tell you how proud I am of this piece.


It was really a lot of fun to make, too. I completed a similar piece in green this week. I'm thinking about making a purple or red one (surprise, surprise!) as well.

a new button embellished bracelet

I've been having more fun making new pieces and sharing them with people in person so I haven't posted many new items lately even though I have some ready to go. However, I did put this new button embellished bracelet up today.


This is another item that fulfilled part of my recent purple and red fixation. The square red buttons that I used are from my mom's button collection (which she kindly let me raid back at Thanksgiving). I honestly don't know how old they are. They could be from either my mom's mom or one of my dad's grandmas. I think that they're really neat, though.

more non-Etsy sales

I went to Chicago from the 10th through the 13th. While I was there, among other things, I sold five more pieces, two of which are so new that I hadn't even listed them on Etsy yet. I had taken pictures of everything that I brought with me, though, so you can still see the new work.



The first one will still be a very easy one to list as a made to order item. I may go ahead and make another one at some point so I can have one on hand. The second one is a new design I've made two of now. The other one is all blue and will be listed sometime this month. I'm thinking about making another embellished cuff with the gold cubes for detail, but with an all green background. As always, feedback on the new design as well as other ideas for color and embellishment are appreciated.

My sales covered the beads that I bought at Briolette and Bead in Hand while I was there. I went to Briolette when I was in Chicago back in February, and my mom bought me a stash of beads from there for my birthday, too. I hadn't been to Bead in Hand in about three years, though. It was good to go back. I love the two bead stores in the Iowa City / Cedar Rapids area, too, but I love the variety of different stores.

Don't forget to vote in the current EBW Challenge if you haven't already! You can vote at the blog by clicking here. Thank you to everyone who already has voted.