Designs by Dawn Marie

Who Needs a Brazilian Butt Lift if You have one of THESE

2012-02-08T07:52:00.000-06:00

There are very few things in life that can truly serve more than one purpose... alas let me demonstrate.

Kristen Stevens Adaptation of Tutorial Diamonds are Forever by Nancy Dale

You see, I have a very good friend Kristen that we often have beading discussions and bounce ideas off of each other. Well my darling friend decided to surprise me with an artisan crafted gift. Imagine my delighted squeal as I opened my mailbox and found a padded envelope shipped directly from New York.

Within the package was the most beautiful bracelet. You see, dear Kristen knows I have very small wrists. We've discussed why I don't use tutorials or even the examples in Beadwork magazine. She put on her artist's hat and took a tutorial created by beader Nancy Dale and modified it. That's the beauty of being a real artist. It's not about using somebody's pattern, it's about learning something from doing the tutorial then making it your own.

For those interested in learning how this bracelet was made, you can purchase Nancy's Diamonds are Forever tutorial for yourself from her etsy store here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/92145558/bracelet-tutorial-diamonds-are-forever

Now... what else makes this bracelet so special? Well... as I opened the package I was so giddy, I tried right away to put it on. I couldn't get the frickin clasp open. I was on the phone with Kristen at the time and she started laughing... imagine that, laughing at me, her dear friend. (Just kidding Kristen!)

Kristen had used the most incredibly strong magnetic clasp I have ever seen! Seriously, if I had a necklace on with one of these, and had the other end attached to my butt, honest to goodness, I'd never need a Brazilian Butt Lift! It would pick that tooshie up so it would be nice and perky all day long!

I was laughing so hard as we talked... my brain wandered to so many other uses for said magnetic clasp. But I won't get into those right here... LOL Needless to say, you'll have to get intouch with Kristen to find out what planet she got those on, because they are outta this world!!

Kristen, I feel so very honored to have such a beautiful creation. You know I love purple, but the detail you put into this bracelet was impeccable! I love, love, love the crystals and the fit is perfect! Everytime I wear it, it'll remind me what a wonderful friendship we share!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Nancy's Blog: http://nedbeads.blogspot.com
Nancy's Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NEDbeads
Kristen's Blog: http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/

Super Bowl Ads - Just My Opinion on a Monday Morning

2012-02-06T10:39:00.002-06:00

First, let me ask... did you watch the Super Bowl or the Puppy Bowl (or both) last night? We had the Super Bowl on and didn't personally have a vested interest in either team. We do have very good friends that are die hard "Big Blue" fans and other dear friends that will bleed New England blood. But with Chris a Packer fan, and I a Bear fan... we hoped it would be a great game (a true nail biter) and that the commercials would live up to their hype.

So with a degree in marketing and a love of GOOD commercials, I just had to tell you I loved the dog* commercials this year. (*Provided all dogs were represented fairly and compensated according to their acting experience.) Actually, I thought the dogs took the cake and the human commercials stunk! (Just my opinion - it's my blog and I can voice that here, k?)

But here's where my mind wanders... overall, I thought 10% of the ads were good. I thought there were too many commercials for upcoming television shows and movies. I get it, they need to be promoted too. BUT they did nothing about even peeking my interest during the Super Bowl - where I'm watching for and expecting funny. Sorry...

Really though, when I was growing up, the ads were about eating, drinking and having fun. Not about the new series of blah, blah, blah reality show on TV. It was about selling more potato chips, or drinking more beer and even which brand of cars are the best. But really, the next reality tv show or doom movie on the big screen... I give it a big YAWN during the Super Bowl!

I know, we have an obesity epidemic in this country. But many of the "junk food" companies are coming out with healthier options - so they can advertise those, especially in a humorous way. And moderation is the key. But before I get on that soapbox, I still think people that watch the Super Bowl for the ads, we really aren't giving a rat's patoosey about the next reality tv show or movie. Those commercials air every.other.night.of.the.year.

If you didn't get to see the commercials, NBC has set up a youtube channel with all the ads. I know from chatting with some Canadian friends last year that Canada blocks out some commercials for US products. Here's a link to their channel: http://www.youtube.com/adblitz The ones I thought were awesome for you to check out were the Sketchers ad, both Doritos ads were great, VW ad and the Bud Light rescue dog "Herewego" LOL I'm laughing just typing that! Oh my....

Bella however, she frowns upon (and barks at) any dog in our house... especially those that come in via the television (no matter if they are real or cartoon). Yes, she didn't like the Budweiser Clydesdales either. In her mind, she could take on the whole team of those horses! LOL Oh little/big dog syndrome - how funny you are.

The one ad that I laughed my rear off at was in the opening commercial break. This in addition to the several commercials featuring dogs was the M&Ms commercial. It had me holding my stomach in laughter. http://www.youtube.com/adblitz/?x=yn3mktl30iw

So which ads were your favorites? Hope you got a laugh or two... after all, laughter IS the best medicine!
Have a fantastic week!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Designs By Dawn Marie Custom Beaded Jewelry is Going to Jamaica AND Barbados

2012-02-03T08:14:00.000-06:00

I only wish I could hand deliver the packages!!

Two of my pieces are traveling abroad in the next few weeks. Remember the Grandmother's necklace I created for a special Christmas gift? I received a call from the woman that she's so excited to take the piece on vacation with her to Barbados! Seriously, can I please shrink and fit in the jewelry box with the necklace?

I had another woman that is going on vacation to Jamaica this month. Swoon... palm trees, sandy beaches, umbrella drinks... no snow.... ahh, bliss. Oops, sorry, you lost me in a daydream for a moment there. She wanted a beaded ankle bracelet that was earthy toned and simple. Nothing to chunky or big.

So I pondered the thought for a while and used some seashells from a Hawaiian shell lei to add a true, natural beachy feel. Using beachy charms I brought in the feel of tropical and using the silver combined with earthy toned beads she can wear it with other gold or silver (or even brassy) jewelry! So it's multi-purpose!

While I sit and daydream about being on vacation (the moving boxes quickly bring me back to reality) it sounds like we'll be able to take residency of our new home in less than two weeks! YEAH!!! So I best be hustling my bustle for the Challenge of Music I'm participating in with Erin Prais-Hintz! :o) I know the reveal isn't until Leap Day (so does that make it a blog leap instead of a blog hop?) but there's a pretty good chance my beads will be in transit at that time. So I'm going to get right on that!

If you haven't signed up for Erin's challenge yet, what the heck are you waiting for. There's no judging, no prizes. It's truly just for fun and to help us all break our creativity out of the winter blues. So head over to her blog right this very minute and sign up! Sign ups close tomorrow (Feb. 4th!)

Have yourself a merry little weekend!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Are you up to a Challenge

2012-02-01T09:14:00.000-06:00

Today is the big reveal day for my friend Erin's Challenge of... Contest. The last challenge Erin put together was a challenge of color. We were asked to pick a color family and then assigned a color palette in that family to design a unique piece of jewelry from. That was a BOATLOAD of fun and it really helped me think outside of my normal old shoes rut (purple, turquoise and brown).

So when I heard that Erin wold be making the announcement TODAY for this round of Challenge (which I love Challenge on the Food Network) I actually wrote it in my planner (yes the real paper version) to make sure to check out Erin's blog AND get my butt signed up because I know there's a limited number of spaces.

This morning Erin posted a great blog post to introduce The Challenge of Music. You have to read her post because honestly, it paints you the perfect picture of inspiration for this challenge. I know I'm crazy despite packing and moving to think I can do a challenge... But like the Little Red Caboose, I think I can, I think I can!"

I love challenges of any sort... it stimulates growth and growing is always a good thing! SO if you would like to participate in The Challenge of Music by Erin Prais-Hintz, go to her blog post, take a read and be ready for a wonderful, creative journey! Sign ups are limited and only open from today (2/1) through February 4th.

Look forward to seeing what YOU come up with!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Challenge of Color Entry - A Walk in the Woods

Challenge of Color Entry A Walk in the Woods is available in my Online Store!

This Artisan is Asking for your Help

2012-01-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

The First Snow of the Season by Dawn Doucette

I am elated and excited to share this bit of news with you.

Yesterday I received an e-mail that one of my jewelry designs I entered in Beadaholique's contest "The Jewels of January" has been selected as one of the top 10 finalists. I am so excited, and feel so blessed to be chosen.

Now for picking the winner... winners will be chosen by the public. Voting is open to anybody. To vote, you have to visit their Facebook Album of entries and click "Like" on the photo you want to vote for. My Necklace, "The First Snow of the Season" is Entry #2.

Voting is open until Tuesday at 4:00 pm PST and it's a VERY close race. There are some incredibly talented artists that have been chosen and I feel so fortunate to be included. Would you consider giving me a "Like?" And if you really like my design, use the Share Feature under the photo in Facebook to share with your friends. I really, really appreciate your support!

The link to click directly to the entry photo in Beadaholique's Album is: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150518461956864&set=a.10150518451221864.374589.11327971863&type=1&theater

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

You can find Designs by Dawn Marie all over the internet. She's a bit of a social marketing geek and enjoys connecting with other artists and sharing our love for one-of-a-kind creations!

Designs by Dawn Marie on Facebook

Designs by Dawn Marie on Twitter

Designs by Dawn Marie on Google+

Designs by Dawn Marie on Youtube

Designs by Dawn Marie's Website

Transition 12 - As Dave Hester Says on Storage Wars - Yuuuuup!

2012-01-20T09:36:00.002-06:00

Flowers for the Queen, one of my favorite pieces

Yes my dear friends, it appears 2012 is a year of change. Not just for me, but for many of my friends in the blog world. These friends are like family to me, yet I've never met them face to face.

As I posted about a week (-ish) ago, we're moving. I'm so happy to report we've found a great place to call home for the next few years. It's close to Chris' work, it had an awesome great room, perfect for hosting our families for gatherings and I will have an awesome, Southern exposure jewelry studio!!! Oh Yeah!!!!!! And that my friends is so exciting! Right now I'm sorting and "preparing" to pack. Keep It, Store It, Donate It! If I haven't worn it in the last year, it's donate it (except for my formal gowns because I haven't had an excuse to wear them in the last 12 months, but hey, maybe 2012 will be a year of fancy balls or maybe Will & Kate will invite me to England to tea?) Hey it could happen.... Kate might really like Designs by Dawn Marie jewelry!

So while preparing to pack (because I'm the best procrastinator in the whole wide world) I'm enjoying the cleansing process and can't wait to be in our new place. Can someone just fast forward past the heavy lifting part for me?

While my move is only 7 miles (woo hoo, I know big move) I have two great friends moving across the freakin' country! Now THAT is a big move. One friend is moving from Alabama to Oregon because the beach called and she picked up the phone! Another friend is moving from Texas to Alaska.... in the winter... now that just might be crazy.

So while I become the queen of cardboard, and transition into a new place, new studio, new opportunities, I want to know what transition you're in? I recently read (and still read) a great book co-authored by a dear friend of mine, Kathy Stover. The book is called Smart Women Live Their Why and it's a book written by women from all walks of life. Each shares their story about living with passion and purpose. So whether you read one chapter, or drink a pot of coffee and enjoy the whole book, it will surely inspire you! It's just now available on Amazon or you can visit my friend Kathy's blog to purchase the book. FYI, she only has 15 autographed copies left then she's out!

So if you are looking for inspiration, or facing a transition... let this book be your rock! I've picked it up so many times, read a chapter or two and come away feeling totally motivated!

Hope your day is inspired!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Very Special Grandmothers Jewelry

2012-01-16T12:07:00.000-06:00

Over Christmas, I had another custom order that really was near and dear to my heart. I received a phone call from a husband that really wanted to surprise his wife for Christmas. This year his family grew by 3 new grandbabies! Can you imagine 3 new babies in one year? Oh my babbling smiles....

What he wanted created was something that showcased each of the grandchildren's birthstones. I was given creative liberty to do whatever my artisan heart wanted.

I created a necklace and bracelet set. In the bracelet, I used each of the grandchildren's birthstones, separated by spacers into family lineage. So their grandchildren are from 4 different daughters' families and I grouped the grandchildren within their family.

The necklace I created was even more special. I wanted to incorporate all of their children along with the grandchildren. They have 6 daughters, and 1 son which was stillborn. So I also wanted to honor his memory in the necklace.

I created what I'm calling my waterfall style necklace. The round crystals represent each of their daughters. The smaller crystals that I have cascading down represent the children born to each of their mothers. Again keeping the daughter's families linked together.

To represent the son that passed away, I used a different shape and finish crystal, and put it as a link further up on the necklace. Staying close to his mama's heart, this little angel boy will always be with her.

The reaction to receiving such a special, one-of-a-kind gift was priceless I'm told. There were tears, emotions and it created a truly special Christmas. After Christmas I was asked if I can also add the son-in-law's birthstones as well to the necklace. So I'm adding those as well, but don't have photos.

When I finish a custom order, I always want the customer to see it and approve of the design before I ship it. In this case, the husband did not have access to e-mail. So, I took digital photos, uploaded them to Walgreens' website, then sent them to the Walgreens store right by his work. It was great for him to see the jewelry in color so he could approve of the own design. This is the perfect solution for a customer with limited internet or e-mail access!

The best part about this necklace is that as either of their other daughters marry, or more grandchildren are born, I intentionally made it so we could add on. So as the family grows, so to does the Grandmother's Necklace.

I'm truly honored that I was asked to create such a special piece of custom beaded jewelry. It really touched my heart and I know it was a Christmas that this family will forever remember!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Updates from my little corner of the world

2012-01-11T11:36:00.000-06:00

Have no fear SUPER Dawn is here! Seriously I think I need the cape... it would make me so much more super! In case you live in a warmer, more tropical paradise and haven't heard, they are predicting that white powdery stuff in grand scale over the next 48 hours here in SE Wisconsin. My little Bella, oh what a site she will be since they are saying 4-8" and she's about 7" tall. No worries, I have the camera batteries changed and ready to shoot!

I've been a bit quiet for the last few weeks because life just got a bit crazy. We're at the point where it's time to move... we were planning on doing this late in the spring or early summer. But life is not a straight line and we just were handed a little detour! :o) So the time is now to find a place and let the adventure and next chapter begin. I know, packing, moving, unpacking, getting settled - I'm sure you're just booking that plane ticket to join in the party - NOT! LOL But it's part of life. So while I do the worrying, I hope you'll continue to be creative and share your designs so I can live vicariously through you.

My studio will need to be packed, and while it's the last thing I'm planning on packing and the first I'm unpacking... my time will need to be spent sorting, organizing, packing, storing, etc. the rest of our lives. So the creating on my end will be sporatic, but I promise to share as often as I can.

So bear with me, please and share your beautiful designs! You're welcome to share on my Designs by Dawn Marie Facebook wall as I would love to share your gorgeous work with my fans. I try to bring sunshine to someone everyday, but while mama's busy with life, I could use a few extra helpers spreading the love! ;)

http://www.Facebook.com/DesignsByDawnMarie

Funny Friday - Knee Slapping Belly Laughing Funny - I promise

2012-01-06T10:12:00.000-06:00

Copywrite prlog.org

So far this week I've managed to fight a bug, lose a day and get a whole lot of laundry done. So in lieu of my missing 24 hours (honestly, I thought yesterday was Wednesday... all day.) My computer calendar actually had to prove me wrong. So today I thought we all need a good laugh.

Here's my disclaimer on the following video: *It's British humor.

That being said, here's the video. My sweetie was doing a training for his sales agents yesterday (which I thought was odd for a Wednesday - because it was really Thursday.) He wanted enlighten his agents and help them start of 2012 on the right foot. So a video about teamwork seemed most appropriate. And since I really appreciate the teamwork in a recent custom jewelry order, I thought this would be appropriate here too! So enjoy... TEAMWORK!

http://youtu.be/2RnohUnZrqg

Since I also mentioned that we are now in 2012, and I've heard and read a lot of "stuff" about the world ending in 2012... here's another funny! I bet the cavemen are rolling over in their tombs/graves laughing right about NOW! LOL

Hope your Friday is Freakin Hilarious! Remember, laughter IS the best medicine!
Have a fantastic weekend! {Hugs!}

~Dawn

Super Christmas Present Surprises REVEALED

2012-01-04T15:55:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to finally be able to share this with you. Do you know how hard it is to keep my mouth closed in lieu of ruining a Christmas surprise? Honestly, in this day an age of everything being online and digital... I couldn't post a picture of this anywhere for fear somebody from the recipient's family might per chance see it, and mention something about it that would then spoil a huge surprise.

So now that Christmas is over, I can finally share this with you.

This piece was made as a custom order. A 77 year old man knows how much his wife loves Designs by Dawn Marie jewelry. So while she was at an appointment, he made a phone call. He wanted something that his wife would just adore. His wife has a very tender loving heart for all things related to animals. Especially supporting those charities that help protect the animals. One of her most beloved charities is in support of Grey Wolves.

My instructions from this distinguished gentleman were create whatever you want so that it represents his wife. That's it... blank slate and away my creative heart did dream. I started 2 different necklaces and then had my "ah ha" artisan moment! From there, all the pieces came together in beautiful fashion. The pendant whipped up to perfection.

But what to do about the necklace... I was tossing around a couple of ideas. I just couldn't decide, so I asked my dear friend Kristen for her opinion. I wanted something that would compliment the pendant, but not overpower it. If I could pull the grey from the coloring of the wolf, it would really "set" the photo perfectly. So I was contemplating some sort of a woven chain like a russian spiral, or a wire-wrapped link chain style necklace... but neither were really doing it for me.

Click for larger photo

Along comes Ms. Perfectly Pearl... who loves all things pearls. She says to me, "Why don't you do pearls?" OMG, grill me a hotdog and cover it in bacon!!! Yes, pearls... and I have the PERFECT silver pearls to compliment the grey wolf!

I'm so happy I reached out for an opinion. It just shows that a second set of eyes, especially eyes that have an artistic flair are really, really helpful. And that my friends is how we as artists all help each other!

So I ask you, have you been able to help someone have an "Ah ha!" moment like my dear friend Kristen helped me? My goal in 2012 is to extend my hand and reach more people in a service manner. Spread love and joy!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

The First Snow - Entry for Etsy Bead Embroidy Guild December Challenge

2011-12-28T12:46:00.000-06:00

Winter Wonderland Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild Challenge

My oh my what a busy month December is! As part of the Esty Bead Embroidery Guild, we were posted with the challenge to create a piece inspired by the theme, Winter Wonderland.

To me, winter speaks of simplicity, elegance and a monotone color palette. There are shades of silver and white dancing in snowflakes and sticking to tree branches. But when you look at a landscape as a whole, it's blends together in a monochromatic picture.

I created a necklace that offers the same simple elegance! I call this bead embroidered necklace "The First Snow." The pendant features a sparkly Swarovski flat-back crystal. It's sparkle is completely reminscent of the "diamonds" that sparkle on the first snow of the season. You know when you first look out the window before the dogs go out or the kids tromp through the beautiful, fluffy white snowy carpet. Those little snowflakes that capture the light and sparkle like diamonds.

The First Snow - Click to enlarge photos

I kept the necklace simple to really allow the pendant to be the star of the show. Classic pearls and fire-polished crystals bring in the hues of white and silver with that touch of sparkle. I hope you can see my interpretation of a Winter Wonderland. This piece was custom designed for a Christmas gift and the recipient was delighted to have such a special creation.

To check out the rest of my fellow artisans on the Bead Embroidery Guild, visit their website or check out the fan page on Facebook!
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Dawn Doucette is a jewelry artisan that creates one-of-a-kind beaded jewelry out of her studio in Southeastern Wisconsin. Dawn really loves bringing personality into each of her designs. To see other work created by Designs by Dawn Marie, check out her website: http://www.DesignsbyDawnMarie.com or visit her Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsByDawnMD.

Winner Winner - Chicken Dinner - or how about earrings instead

2011-12-27T16:06:00.000-06:00

Earrings... how did we get from Chicken dinner to earrings? Heck, I don't know... it just sounded good. But what I DO know is that I've got 2 winners for Designs by Dawn Marie Earrings!

Last week I did a dual blog giveaway with my good friend Sky Purington. I was giving away a pair of earrings on each of our blogs as part of her "What Every Woman Wants" Christmas giveaway. So without further adieu, here's the winners.

On Sky's blog, I created these great turquoise magnesite and chocolate wire earrings. The winner of these earrings is Veronica Scott!

On my blog, I gave away a pair of custom earrings featuring some gorgeous artisan lampwork beads by my good friend Juli Cannon of Julsbeads. The winner of these fabulous earrings is Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati.

Ladies, send me your mailing addresses and I'll get these right out to you!

Thanks to all who participated! I love meeting new people and I've met some wonderful jewelry lovers with this giveaway! Hope you wrap up 2011 in grand style!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

What Every Woman Wants Giveaway

2011-12-21T08:08:00.000-06:00

The twelve days of Christmas are full of presents... so to is this blog post! I have the joy of partnering with a dear friend of mine again this year for her "What Every Woman Wants" giveaway!

Sky Purington is a fabulous author... if you love Celtic romance, throw in a dash of ghost adventures you'll love Sky's books. This year for the event, I wanted to host two giveaways. One is going to be on Sky's blog and one is right here on this very post! Keep reading to see how you can win these GORGEOUS earrings and then hop over to Sky's blog to enter to win that give away too. (AND she's giving away a $100 Amazon gift card to someone at the end of the event!)

Up for grabs is this gorgeous pair of earrings. I truly love these beads that were handcrafted by the wonderfully talented Juli Cannon of JulsBeads. After purchasing a set of these and making an incredible necklace (that sold) I had to get more of these awesome psychedelic ribbed rounds.

The earrings are accented with light amethyst and crystal AB crystals. Finishing off these beauties are sterling silver fishhook style ear wires. SO you like them? Are you drooling?

To qualify to win follow this blog (upper left corner of your screen... yep, click follow) and leave a comment letting me know you did. If you already are a follower, that counts too. (Heck, I might even kiss you for that!)

Sorry so short, I'm off to do some Christmas-ing today with Chris' mom. It's the prep part of cooking for Christmas Eve dinner. SO.... one last thing, the deadline for this giveaway is December 23rd at 12:00 a.m. EST. If it's 12:01... so sorry!

I hope you are enjoying this holiday season. Merry Christmas with Love!
~Hugs!~
Dawn

www.Facebook.com/DesignsByDawnMarie

Beauty Without Mittens!

2011-12-18T10:52:00.000-06:00

This morning I woke up to the most pure, gorgeous blue sky and sunshine. Yes it was a bit chilly, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to capture the beauty around me from the dusting of snow we had Friday night. Sunshine and frost make for beautiful photos AND great inspiration on a grey day (which I'm sure we'll have plenty of in the winter months to come.)

So here's a few of my snapshots really capturing the beauty of our morning.

See the moon?

It's supposed to be warming up to 40 as the day goes on, so with this sunshine, these beautiful frosted trees will melt off by noon.

My plan for today is to start wrapping Christmas presents. I have a few orders that will ship tomorrow (Priority so I'm sure they'll arrive at their destination this week) and then I'll be finished with a wonderfully busy holiday of custom orders.

The Christmas gifts we have purchased have spent the last month socializing with each other on our dining room table. The beauty of having 4-legged kids is that they can't see up on the table (nor do they care, because our presents don't smell). So in all honesty, they are safer there where the dogs can't have a festival unwrapping everything when I'm not looking.

But in an effort to be more organized and have less procrastination, I've decided not to wait until Friday to wrap everything. Have you ever run out of gift tags and had to run to Walmart on the 23rd of December? I did last year and it wasn't pretty! So I'm not going to be that woman this year. I love giving... I love the wrapping of gifts you know are going to put a smile on the face of those receiving them. I love knowing each gift comes from our hearts and that alone makes it special. There will be a few HUGE surprises this year that I look forward to seeing.

Are you Ollie Orangized or Patty Procrastinator this year? I got two new rolls of wrapping this year (which makes the process so much more fun). One of which contains pictures of puppies... coincidentally it was purchased because one of those puppies looks just like Bella - imagine that. LOL

Have a wonderful Sunday and a very blessed Christmas week!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Really Pantone - Tangerine Tango - REALLY

2011-12-14T07:10:00.001-06:00

Image from Pantone Facebook Page

If you know me, you know Dawn doesn't do orange (much). The only thing I do orange is eat them (and preferably without seeds.) So imagine my er, uhhh, delight when I read that THE color of the year is Tangerine Tango. It's not a subtle, stand in the corner orange... NOPE! It's a bold, shut the front door orange!

For me as a designer, if I'm playing in Pantone's sandbox, I guess it's going to be another color challenge. A whole year full of color challenge. But seriously, tangerine tango? Honestly, I usually do my own thing anyhow. I can't help it I'm married to turquoise and purple (swoon.) But my creative muse also dances when I pull those colors out of my bead boxes. So in all honesty, I pay attention to the predictions, but I don't base most of my creations on that alone.

I truly love my friends that love orange. Our differences make us more fun. And what they design with orange always amazes me. Mainly because I just don't think like that. I cannot wait to see what new Pantone inspired pieces are designed by my friends and what they pair Tangerine Tango with to really create a special look. After all, orange is truly a happy color. And we all need a little more "Happy" in our day!

So while I finish a few special orders from Santa Claus, I'm putting my plan together for 2012. In that plan, is to challenge myself to incorporate Tangerine Tango once in a while. Who's going to tango with me?

Hope your day is fabulous! I'd love to hear what your plan is for 2012! Hard to believe it's less than 3 weeks away... zoinks!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Here's my Orange inspirations and the pieces I've created using orange!

Spreading the Love for a Fellow Artisan in Need

2011-12-09T08:08:00.002-06:00

Being the season of giving, I want to share with you an event taking place across several blogs right now that is really, really special.

The event is called Artists Helping Artists!

A fellow artisan has recently experienced a life changing situation. Litterally the world has been turned upside down for herself and her children. Which would be pretty if you lived in a snow globe, but we don't. In addition to being emotional, it's been a true challenge getting her business sorted out so she can continue earning a living to feed her family.

So a group of wonderful artisans have banded together to create an event to help out this truly special artists. Each of these artists have created a special piece (or pieces) of jewelry that you can bid on with all proceeds going to help this artist and her family. Below is a list of participants. Won't you please take a moment to visit the blogs and if you see a piece you like OR you'd like to give as a Christmas gift, put a bid on it. Your bid is helping a wonderful woman, artisan and mom rebuild her family.

Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/

Marie Cramp & Lori Anderson http://skyejewels.blogspot.com/

Barbara Bechtel http://secondsurf.com/

Erin Fickert-Rowland http://elysianstudiosart.com/

Keirsten Giles http://www.cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com/

Andrew Thornton http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Karen Totten http://starryroadstudio.blogspot.com/

Kristi Bowman-Gruel http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/

Nan Emmett http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/

Maire Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Amanda Cargill Austin http://www.seashoreglassgirl.com/

Janice Everett http://jlynnjewels.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com/

Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Justman http://mysoulsfire.blogspot.com/

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/

Have a wonderful weekend and keep spreading love!
{Hugs!}

Santa Asked for My Help - How Could I Say No

2011-12-05T17:07:00.000-06:00

Starting on December 26th, I will have oodles and caboodles of new jewelry from Designs by Dawn Marie to share with you. Why? Because Santa sent me a Facebook message and asked that I help him create some really wonderful surprises some women that are on his "Nice" list this year. I couldn't say no, I mean come on... who could say no to Santa?

So I've been a busy little elf working away in my studio. And I've created some really wonderful and in several cases sentimental pieces of jewelry that are going to be Christmas gifts. I'm amazed at how many husbands have contacted me asking me to design special pieces of jewelry for their wives. I'm touched and honored - and I totally give those guys props! They are listening to what their wives want AND not waiting until the last minute to hit up the Five & Dime. Kudos men... you know who you are.

I would totally love to show you pictures and share... BUT I'm not about to ruin any surprises! So if I have to have patience, so do you. :O)~ Na, na, na, Boo, boo!

For those husbands, daughters, mothers and girlfriends that would like to give the give of artisan jewelry, I've added a "Christmas Gifts" section to my website. All of these pieces are finished and ready to ship. So if you need to give a gift to the boss's wife at an unexpected dinner party before the holiday, check out that section of my online store! I'm also happy to gift wrap as a courtesy... just let me know you want it wrapped and consider it done!

Hope you've been having a fantastic holiday season! Spread love, spread smiles and create cheer!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

A Peek Inside the Artists Brain

2011-12-03T07:52:00.001-06:00

Okay, if you don't want to tour the grey matter between my ears... step away from this blog post now. BUT if you're crazy (just like me) and you want to see my thought process when creating a piece of bead embroidered jewelry... stick around.

On Wednesday, I participated in a fantastic challenge... The Challenge of Color blog hop organized by Erin Prais-Hintz over at Tesori Trovati. Throughout this challenge I learned many things... I took risks and those risks were rewarded with a beautiful finished product. When I finished my beaded cuff bracelet, even I stepped back and commented, "Wow, I didn't know I had it in me!" Who would have thought!

So in an effort to document my process throughout the design of this embroidered cuff (now available in my online store), I took pictures throughout the process and put a video together. It'll show you how I design and where my brain and the beads play together. Remember though the beauty of bead embroidery is that every person is unique and so are your works of art! Design what you dream!

http://video214.com/play/V6nP0IXkuWUtLs6R1dCHjA/s/dark

For Supplies: I use Nicole's Bead Backing from Nicole Campanella (The Beadwright). I tried Lacy's when I first started and was not happy as it kept "frizzing" and "fuzzing." I purchased this druzy from a seller on Etsy. Both offer SUPERB service!

Well... that's a tour through my brain. Hope I didn't lose you in the process! Have a terrific weekend and live an inspired week!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Welcome to the Color Challenge Blog Hop - You won't believe the palette I had

2011-11-30T06:45:00.005-06:00

First, I really have to thank Erin over at Treasures Found for organizing this challenge. When she asked me what color palette I want, I said, "Surprise me!"

Boy was I surprised! And since it's a challenge, boy was I challenged! I got the color palette BROWN - so I was thinking mocha, chocolate and earthy tones, okay!

What? Green??? And Blue??? Holy jeez... I'm going to have to think on this! Here was my challenge palette, created by Design Seeds.

Jarred Tones by Design Seeds

I loved the brown and blue combination, but tossing in green really threw me. And then inspiration struck (or rather jumped) out of my bead stash and onto my table. From there, bead by bead this cuff grew and really turned into something special.

A Walk in the Woods - A Beaded Cuff Bracelet

Not only did I use the color palette as inspiration, but I also used the photo itself. See the glass jar in the photo? The focal I started with for this design is a Druzy Agate. It has the look of crackled glass of the jar with the warm earthy brown "dirt" around it.

I have no idea what the side cabs are. They've been sitting in my "I'm.going.to.do.something.with.these.someday" pile for oh, about a year... but I didn't know what I was going to do. So alas, they are the perfect way to pull in the blue & green - Holla!!

The whole cuff was so out of my "zone" from concept to creation it was crazy. But looking at the finished piece, I can honestly say I grew and I'm so excited to have created it. I love that I was challenged by the color palette, but also by creating something I've never created - a bead embroidery cuff! I was able to use some of the "special secrets" I learned just a few weeks ago in the Sherry Serafini class I took and look what it turned into.

By the way, I will totally be needing bi-focals if this addiction continues. Those little bronze beads that are 3mm and the scalloped seed beads are 15/0s. Yes they are tiny, and yes each is sewn on by hand... but the end result - totally worth it!

Now, I'm off to hop over to the other challengers blogs. I love seeing how people embrace a challenge and grow from it! Feel free to visit some more great bloggers and see the works of art they've created. Also, if you're looking for inspiration, please do visit Design Seeds Blog. They put out GREAT color palettes daily that are sure to inspire you!

1 Norma Turvey ~ Teal ~ Color Crave

2 Jeannie Dukic ~ Green ~ Mineral Tones

3 Mary McGraw ~ Teal ~ Embellished Hues

4 Jo Tinley ~ Red ~ Decadent Tones

5 Rebecca Anderson ~ Pink ~ Tulip Tones

6 Kristi Jaro ~ Red ~ Temple Entrance

7 Stephani Gorman ~ Green ~ Dew Tones

8 Melissa Meman ~ Green ~ Fruit Star

9 Kathleen Lange Klik ~ Teal ~ Silk Hues

10 Cynthia Riggs ~ Red ~ Autumn Comfort

11 Heidi Post ~ Teal ~ Flora Bright

12 Cece Cormier ~ Teal ~ Merino Teal

13 Amy Freeland ~ Gray ~ Cultured Tones

14 Alice Peterson ~ Blue ~ Island Play

15 Rose Noble ~ Gray ~ Autumn Stacked

16 Kristina Johansson ~ Yellow ~ Sunny Flower

17 Kirsi Luostarinen ~ Teal ~ Dragon Hues

18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones

19 Mallory Hoffman ~ Purple ~ Petaled Dark

20 Molly Alexander ~ Brown ~ Peppered Tones

21 Regina Santerre ~ Red ~ Frosted Berry

22 Emanda Johnson ~ Teal ~ Color Purl

23 Amy Severino ~ Orange ~ Winged Tones

24 Bobbie Rafferty ~ Teal ~ Lime Hues

25 Tanya Goodwin ~ Gray ~ Pecked Tones

26 Lisa Lodge ~ Blue ~ Nocturnal Tones

27 Hope Smitherman ~ Blue ~ Bloom Tones

28 Linda Landig ~ Green ~ Cacti Dark

29 Ambra Gostoli ~ Teal ~ Perched Autumn

30 Lori Bowring-Michaud ~ Blue ~ Sharpened Blue

31 Pippa Chandler ~ Teal ~ Hungarian Hues

32 Keirsten Giles ~ Purple ~ Mineral Brights

33 Jennifer Justman ~ Blue ~ Autumn Rays

34 Sandy Richardson ~ Purple ~ Moroccan Brights

35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air

36 Shaiha Williams ~ Teal ~ Sushi Hues

37 Kay Thomerson ~ Purple ~ Autumn Spectrum

38 Sally Russick ~ Purple ~ Golden Gate Tones

39 Cilla Watkins ~ Purple ~ Autumn Infused

40 Shirley Moore ~ Purple ~ Frozen Heather

41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 Tamara Soper ~ Green ~ Field Tones

43 Sharyl McMillian-Nelson ~ Blue ~ Nested Blues

44 Jen Velasquez ~ Pink ~ Sweetened Tints

45 Maria Grimes ~ Red ~ Bright Bloom

46 Elisabeth Auld ~ Gray ~ Petaled Tints

47 Susan Kennedy ~ Pink ~ Zinnia Tones

48 Shannon Chomanczuk ~ Gray ~ Autumn Leaf

49 Holly Westfall ~ Yellow ~ Sprinkled Tones

50 Patty Gasparino ~ Red ~ Color Carton

51 Angela Little ~ Pink ~ Singapore Brights

52 Lizzie Zawinski ~ Green ~ Budding Hues

53 Kristen Stevens ~ Pink ~ Scooped Tones

54 Dawn Doucette ~ Brown ~ Jarred Tones

7 days - 70 vendors - 70 Giveaways - You know you want to find out more!

2011-11-28T08:53:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm sharing because it is the season of giving and I'd like to GIVE you the link to the biggest virtual craft fair in all the land. Lori Anderson of Pretty Things (also known for her huge bead soup swap) had created a virtual craft fair. She's having 7 days of amazing giveaways over on her blog. Today is Day 3, but you can go back and check out Days 1 and 2 as well.

Each day Lori is featuring 10 different Artisans. Each artisan has contributed something toward a HUGE giveaway - from handcrafted beads and jewelry making supplies to finished jewelry or books & magazines to build your design library! Anybody can enter and each of the vendors participating also has an online store where you can continue to shop for those one-of-a-kind Christmas gift. And even better... you're not having to battle crowds just to see the best vendors at the show!!

Even more fun than entering to win though is seeing some of my dear friends shops being featured! SO while Cyber Monday is hitting online shopping portals all over, please take a moment (or 10) to check out small business owners and artisans on the web. Supporting each other is the best way we can make a stronger community!

Have a terrific week! {Hugs!}
Dawn

Thanksgiving Recap - Video Style

2011-11-25T17:59:00.002-06:00

In true "dawn" fashion, I have to share with you a snippet of our Thanksgiving... of course I did a video because it's so much more fun to look at pictures set to music!
-

http://video214.com/play/taWmgI1S7r4mb1BtUmUgVw/s/dark

We had a great Thanksgiving. I am really, really blessed to come from such a loving family. Truly, we're a family that doesn't fight. We can laugh at the little things (often those are the funniest) and we know just how special that really is.

I have to say.... 3 year old girls are adorable, especially when they take my hand and say "Auntie Dawn, it's time for coffee. Let's make coffee." Love!!! **See photos in video.

This week, I'm ~~stalking~~ waiting patiently for the mailman to deliver my package from Artbeads.com with my 3mm bronze druks to finish my challenge piece for the Challenge of Color Blog Hop on Nov. 30th. Please dear package, don't make me procrastinate! LOL

I can't wait to share my design... it's a first, and truly something one of a kind. I am amazed at how much this color palette is playing together.

By the way... did you do some shopping today for Black Friday? I have a funny story to share... but my sister Amy is reading this, so I can't share. But if you can somehow outsmart the computer genius and block her reading my blog, I'll tell you sometime. K?

Who wouldn't smile seeing this??

Hope your weekend is full of smiles!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Wordless Wednesday - Thanksgiving Style!

2011-11-23T16:12:00.000-06:00

Family Love

Furry Love

Working Love

Art Love

Laughing Love

Love in Heaven

To my friends in the US - Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. To my friends around the globe, I am a believer that Thanksgiving isn't just one day a year, Rather... it should be everyday. Count our blessings, tell those we love just how special they are, and share a smile with someone new. Love is contagious... spread happiness wherever you go!

I'm thankful to all of you that read my blog and share your thoughts and feelings. Your friendship is precious to me and fuels my creative spirit!

Happy Thanksgiving today and Always!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Great Interview about Social Media Marketing with Kathy Stover

2011-11-20T09:26:00.000-06:00

Good morning! I know how odd is it that I'm doing a blog post on a Sunday... BUT what I want to share with you is that good, that you'll want to kiss me for sharing!

This week, I listened to a great interview about social media marketing. Suzy Manning, founder of Sizzzl interviewed me a while back for her blogtalk radio program about following your passion and what that can translate to in business.

On her live show this week, she interviewed well know social media expert and entrepreneur Kathy Stover. Kathy is one of my greatest mentors in the world of social media marketing. She's on top of everything new in the world of online marketing... and works with several high profile clients planning their social media marketing plan and creating their entire online presence.

Listen to internet radio with SuzyManning on Blog Talk Radio

In this interview she's sharing with you some very helpful tips about social media marketing that I think you'll find really helpful in growing your business online. (If you can't see the media player above, click here to visit the website to listen to the recording.)

Hope your week is full of creativity, love and family. With it being a holiday we'll be gathering around a big feast with family. I've been "told" by my 3-yr old niece that she's going to bring her "jewelry book" and we're going to make jewelry on Thanksgiving. I'm still laughing... I may not have birthed her, but she's a chip off the Auntie block! LOL

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

What have I been working on - it's a SURPRISE!

2011-11-18T07:17:00.008-06:00

And if I showed you now, A. it wouldn't be finished, and B. Erin Prais-Hintz writer of Treasures Found blog would probably come right to my house, string me up by my toenails and dress me in orange! Not that there's anything wrong with orange... after all "Orange" season starts this weekend (aka the opening of hunting season.)

SO even though I can't SHOW you what I'm doing, I can tell you...

Erin has organized her 2nd annual color challenge. She collaborated with Jessica of Design Seeds out of Madison, WI and has given each participant their very own color palette to design with. We chose our main color and the rest was a surprise. (Side Note: If you go to Design Seeds website, you can sign up for their daily e-mail of new color palettes. I did and I LOVE getting that e-mail in the morning!)

I told Erin, surprise me - and boy did she ever! I told her I had stash in everything except red, orange or yellow. Beyond that I was open to the challenge.... and can I say, I LOVE my color palette! I would never have put all 5 of these colors together, but seeing them on paper... then creating with them, it has been helping me venture into a whole new area of creativity.

So not only am I playing with fun colors (and I'll spill just a hint, my main color is brown... but that's all I'm sayin!) I'm also designing something that I've NEVER made before!!! Yes I'm challenging myself beyond what I've ever done and I feel so liberated! Okay, I can hear Erin, I think she's on my shoulder saying, "Dawn, enough... don't say any more. It's supposed to be a surprise." I know, I know... I'm just excited at where this journey is taking me!

Enough babble! I'm off to bead!

Have a beadiful day!
~Dawn

Playing with Seed Beads and Chain - REALLY

2011-11-16T07:31:00.005-06:00

I'm smiling ear to ear about sharing these beautiful bead embroidered Tiger's Eye earrings with you. Why?

Because I mixed mediums... namely seed beads and chain.

Because I incorporated some of my new found "balance" in my design.

Because I would totally wear these with blue jeans to the store - just because.

Don't you just love it when something beautiful comes together? I sure due, because lord knows we've all had pieces we've not finished or taken apart because they just weren't "right." So when we get it, we do a little dance and keep on beading! Which is where I'm about to go!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

P.S. If you like these earrings, you can snag them from my Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/listing/86258314/tigers-eye-earrings-tortise-brown-bead. I'll happily wrap them if you're giving them as a gift too! ;)

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To see more bead embroidered jewelry from Designs by Dawn Marie, visit her website: http://www.DesignsbyDawnMarie.com or "Like" her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/designsbydawnmarie.

Reveal - Things I Learned from the Sherry Serafini Bead Embroidery Class I took

2011-11-14T11:37:00.000-06:00

I'm still overflowing with creative juices from the class I took with Sherry Serafini a few weekends back now. What was so very cool for me was to broaden how I "picture" designs. In other words, seeing pieces in a different way from beginning to end than what my brain had previously seen.

Here's a picture of my finished pendant - I used Sherry's pattern and supply list, but I put the supplies/components together myself. So the color palette for this one is designed in true "Dawn Colors." ☺

One really HUGE "ah ha" moment for me was to break things down into individual components. So I created this "component" and not sure what to do with it, it could be a part of something bigger like a bracelet, collar or pair of earrings. Who knows just where that one piece of the puzzle fits into play!

Balance - not just in a "weighted balance" terminology. But color balance. This was also HUGE for me. Because I don't naturally "see things" asymmetrically, hearing about balancing color rather than size or quantity was incredible.

Swarovski Lochrosen - aka sequins - are my new favorite Swarovski component. You see them embellishing the top cab and the second component. I LOVE how they add sparkle (which is hard to see in my photo because I haven't had a good sunny day to capture a true picture of this piece). Yet they are a "low profile" sparkle. They just kind of sit there like "Look at me, I'm pretty!" Will definitely be adding more of these to my working stash.

Stitch in the Ditch!!! My mom taught me years ago when she was teaching me to sew and then as we were creating quilts to Stitch in the Ditch. I hadn't heard this term in over 2 decades! LOL But when Sherry described the embellisments we were adding to the top and middle component, she said stitch in the ditch! And I knew exactly what she was talking about! What a fun trip down memory lane!

So those were a few of my "Ah Ha" moments in this great bead embroidery class. Sherry was a great teacher, so real and awesome at explaining and answering questions. I love my pendant. Because of the tremendous amount of Swarovski on the pendant, I wanted to keep the necklace simple so the pendant could really "Shine" as the star of the show. I beaded it on some memory wire and viola! I love it! And I wore it to a local craft fair this weekend and got tons of compliments. Even other jewelry people that are non-seed bead style designers, were amazed at the detail!

Hope your week is creative, fun and full of greatness!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

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To see more bead embroidered jewelry from Designs by Dawn Marie, visit her website: http://www.DesignsbyDawnMarie.com or "Like" her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/designsbydawnmarie.

Because I Love You I am Sharing this Book Giveaway with YOU

2011-11-10T10:42:00.000-06:00

BUT I really, really want to win, so if you don't get a chance to check it out, I'll forgive you. tee hee hee

I WANT This BOOK!!!

Over on Lori Anderson's blog, Pretty Things, there's a great giveaway for not one but TWO great books! She was asked to review both books for Potter Craft and now she's generously giving away the books. I'm not sure if she's drooled all over them or not, because I sure would have! BUT if you're interested and want to win (which you don't because I really, really want to) check out her blog!

Great for Upcycled Crafting

And if you aren't a follower of Lori's blog... become one. She's full of spunk, humor, pie (as in the food, not the mathematical calculation without the 'e' kind) and sincerity. She's also a really great jewelry designer that thinks outside of the box. SO check her out and let her know I sent you her way! K?

Taken this morning on her 12th birthday

As a P.S. to this blog post, today is my Brandi's 12th birthday!! We woke up to a light dusting of snow this morning, so she's THRILLED! That crazy dog LOVES snow. I know, I said she was crazy. I adopted Brandi from the English Springer Rescue of America (ESRA) many moons ago and she has been the perfect dog for me. Even when she shredded a box of kleenex because she wanted it to snow INSIDE... yes I told you she loves snow!

So happy birthday to my wonderful, loyal and loving Springer Spaniel! I am so lucky you picked me!

Brandi looking beautiful in 2005!

Taking YOU on a Vacation with this Beaded Brooch

2011-11-09T09:03:00.000-06:00

Yes, as Matt Lauer is taking us all around the world on the Today Show, playing Where in the World is Matt Lauer, I created a piece that is definitely inspired by somewhere other than the land of brats and cheese. LOL

I created this beaded brooch at the beginning of last week. I have no idea where the inspiration came from, but I love the tropical yet native feel. I purchased a set of 4 of these clay "bricks" because they were pretty. I had no idea what I would make, but they just looked like little treasures.

So after making the Hope beaded brooch as a custom order, I had brooches on the brain. I saw these beads again and thought "Ah ha!" Because of all the colors in one bead, creating a brooch would be perfect!

I'll be putting this brooch in my online store tomorrow. If you would like it for yourself or to give as a gift for X-mas to someone special, I'll give you first dibs. For my blog followers, the beaded brooch is $40. E-mail me at dawn {AT} designsbydawnmarie {DOT} com and we can chat!

Hope you feel the inspiration I felt creating this piece. It's a real color play for the eyes! As it's raining hammer, nails & pitchforks here for the second day in a row, I'll just look at all the pretty colors in this beaded brooch and pretend I'm on a beach in the Carribbean! Bring on the umbrella drinks!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Learning and Growing - Sherry Serafini Class REALLY Expanded my Creativity

2011-11-07T10:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend was such a weekend of extreme emotion. Starting with a very hard good-bye to my uncle who was taken too soon. He was an incredible man, father, husband, brother and son. To my aunt, he was her soulmate... the person that could finish her sentences, make her laugh, show her the kind of love you only find once in a lifetime. It was precious to be able to share memories, but everyone also shed so many tears - Bill was such a genuine wonderful person, filled with love and gone too soon.

Can you say WOW?? Stunning collar by Sherry Serafini

As if I was sent a message from Heaven, I also was able to take a great bead embroidery workshop from Sherry Serafini on Sunday. The chances that she was teaching anywhere that I could drive to was miraculous on it's own. I didn't know when I registered over 2 months ago just how much this workshop would be needed for my soul. Honestly, I know things happen for a reason... this "happening" fell into place perfectly.

I had never taken a class... beyond college... but a class I was looking forward to taking for fun - this was a first. The ladies at Funky Hanna's in Racine were so accommodating, answering all my questions and making sure everyone felt welcome. Class was full and the energy amongst all the women beading was incredible!

The project we were working on was a component style pendant. I'm about 75% done, so I'll post those photos when I finish. We were also able to play in Sherry's stash. I scored the MOST amazing cameo that I can't wait to turn into something extraordinary.

BUT even beyond the project was the little tips or "Golden Nuggets" that you pick up from Sherry and other beaders just working side-by-side. I learned so much! I can't even believe how crazy fast my brain is working right now. Honestly.... this class was all about thinking outside of the box. Making components that can come together to creating something incredible!

Sherry, if you should happen to land here on my blog, thank you so much! I cannot express in words what I feel in emotions. Getting a peek inside of how your brain works was so much fun!!! Letting us "play dress up" with some of your amazing collars was inspiring! Your kind remarks about my necklace was so, so touching. I'm humbled, flattered and sincerely grateful. I very much look forward to sharing classroom space with you again.

I was so busy taking it all in, I didn't snap many photos. BUT here's the ones I did take!

These were some examples of the Wavy Cuff Class Sherry taught on Saturday.

I fell in LOVE with this collar... seriously it was all sparkly with gorgeous Swarovski Crystals and gold... oh baby did it have some gold! Honestly, reminded me of what royalty would wear in ancient Egypt!

Who's royalty now?

I told you I love that collar... It was stunning. I am now an honorary member of Ancient Egyptian Royalty... seriously! ;)

My lessons for the weekend:

Surround yourself in love - family, friends, and business associates. Life is too short to hold on to negative feelings.
Say "I love you!" Tell those you love how much they mean to you.
Surround yourself with people that have achieved more success than you. You will learn something new all the time and continue to grow as a person.
Beauty is everywhere! Embrace it!

Hugs and creativity to you this week!
~Dawn

P.S. For anybody looking to learn how to do bead embroidery, I learned from Sherry's book The Art of Bead Embroidery that she co-wrote with Heidi Kummli. That book was my bible and the coolest part is that it's almost like two books in one. Sherry and Heidi share each of their styles (which are very different) and learning both styles let me figure out "Dawn's way" a style unique to me. Sherry was my teacher even before she knew she was my teacher!

Surprise Accomplished - Now I can tell you the story of the HOPE Beaded Brooch

2011-11-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you how much I love to help surprise people? Custom orders are always so much fun when the client gives me creative freedom. In this particular case, a son-in-law came to me asking me to make something really special for his Mother-in-Law's 70th birthday. Since it was a surprise, I couldn't share the story ... until now.

Custom Beaded Brooch

Here was my "instructions" - she doesn't wear jewelry, but she's a breast cancer survivor and very proudly sports the pink ribbon whenever she can. Maybe something like a pin would be perfect!

I mulled this over for some time... because when inspiration strikes, magic happens when I'm designing custom made jewelry. When this design struck.... it was the perfect idea, at the perfect time. Here's the note I sent with the beaded brooch to give to the MIL after she opened her gift:

"When I was commissioned to create your birthday present, I was also taking care of our oldest dog, Cody who was aging and injured at the same time. Since I have no children, my dogs are my babies and they are truly treated as such. So while taking care of Cody, I had worked on a few design ideas for your gift, but the “perfect” design just hadn’t come to me.

While Cody’s health deteriorated, and my heart broke, it came to the day we had tosay our final goodbyes. I was beside myself because I couldn’t do anything more to help him. That morning I was cleaning and organizing like a wild woman. I just didn’t know what else to do. While I was organizing my desk and studio, I came across a pendant that sparkled so much I just knew I had to have it over a year ago. At that time I had no idea why I needed it, but I just did. Inspiration struck in that moment and the colors and sparkle said Gloria! The perfect design idea came to me like a bolt of lightening.

From there I let the stones and crystals do all the talking. The design came together like a mini work of art that I hope you truly enjoy. It’s beautiful, made with love and shares the message of Hope! I think my final gift from Cody was the inspiration to create the One-of-a-Kind gift for you. I couldn’t be happier that it goes to someone who I’m told shines despite adversity and continues to be the light of the family.

Happy Birthday Gloria! I hope this year brings you all the dreams and wishes you ask for and that you are surrounded more love than you could ever imagine! I feel so very blessed to be able to share in your special day!"

And can I tell you, the e-mail I received after the party was nothing short of wonderful. Honestly, I feel so lucky to have added such a special moment to such a special 70th birthday for this special woman.

"Hi Dear,

Here is a pic of Gloria in all her glory!!! It was an absolutely fabulous evening and the brooch you made her was perfect!! She loves it and has already received complements from people as she walks by them!! The letter you included was simply icing on a perfect cake....she will tell your story a million times....every time she wears the brooch..... Thank you Thank you Thank you for making such a unique gift for her......she'll always remember turning 70 with fondness....

Thanks to for your thoughtfulness in sending something for Jan.....you're truely a special lady....Chris is one lucky fella!!! Make sure he never forgets it!!! ;0)"

The Birthday Girl - 70 years young & glowing!

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If you would like to have a piece of custom made jewelry from Designs by Dawn Marie, contact Dawn to discuss your dream style. Each piece of artistic jewelry is OOAK and made to order just for the recipient! For handcrafted beaded jewelry that is ready to ship, visit Dawn's online store!

The Only Time You'll see my BUTT plastered all over the Internet - No worries its G-Rated

2011-10-31T08:35:00.026-05:00

What a fun weekend! Seriously, lots of laughs and running around without pants on. Oops, did I just type that... well maybe I better do a little rewind so you don't think I'm some freaky teaky joining a nudist colony going into winter.

Once upon a time (on Saturday) I had a friend Carol that was having an open house. The open house was a blast. Carol is an exceptional hostess and does all the right things ahead of time to market and ensure a great event. Hostess with the mostess...

This time, in addition to asking me to share my Designs by Dawn Marie jewelry, Carol displayed and demonstrated her Miche Bag purse system. Love the Miche Bag and love how Carol shares the product without EVER being pushy or "salesy." She's an awesome relationship builder which makes her parties even more fun.

I saw lots of faces that I knew from other parties Carol has hosted. It was so sweet to hear people say they came just to see what new jewelry designs I had created. I was able to share my bead embroidery jewelry with Carol's friends which hadn't seen this style of my jewelry in the past. I got lots of "OMG, you MADE that!! How do you have the patience?"

We also had Art, from Purple Creek come. He purchases gold & silver (and at a mighty fine price.) Purple Creek pays out better than any local jewelry stores and WAY better than the Cash 4 Gold commercials you see. Plus their reps test the gold & silver right in front of you so you see exactly what your pieces are and you get paid right there on the spot. GREAT home party if you're looking for a win/win. You and your guests all walk away with more $$ than you came in with. Cool - YES, very!

BUT... the something different about this event was so much fun I plastered a picture of my butt on Facebook! SERIOUSLY... and I've NEVER done that before!

Giving SparkleButt a Whole New Meaning!

Carol had invited a woman that demonstrates Vault Denim. I had never heard of Vault Denim before and all Carol knew was that she brings in blue jeans in all sorts of sizes and you purchase them right there. I tried to go online to see what the jeans look like ahead of time, but their website doesn't show their jeans. That's because their inventory is always changing. They get designer jeans that are factory overstocks and sell them for 1/2 of what you'd pay in the store for designer jeans. Okay... I'd never pay for designer jeans in the store, so I went in with an open mind.

I walked into Carol's living room and squeeled like a little girl. SERIOUSLY... as I looked at all the jeans that the woman was setting up (because I was there early to set up my jewelry too) I was seeing crystals and rhinestones all around the room. OMG I was in BLING heaven! Were the jeans ever cute and the denim was a good quality denim.

So I dropped my drawers and started trying on... okay I didn't do it in the living room, I went to a bedroom first. I tried on 14 pairs of jeans (and I really, really, REALLY dislike trying on blue jeans because they NEVER fit right.) Yes, I tried on at least 14 pairs and finally narrowed the lot down to 6 - did you hear me? I found 6 pairs that I liked and that looked good on me. Again, that NEVER happens! I'm pretty sure the angels in heaven were all singing Hallelujah because I was having a BLAST and kept looking at my butt in the mirror.

We were laughing and having such a great time that I had to spread the word to answer the question so many people that were invited to the party had: What type of jeans does Vault Denim have. A: Super cute well cut jeans that have spandex so they fit comfortably, wear just right (and hold their shape!) That way people knew what to expect that were pondering coming to the open house or not. If they like cute jeans, they were there!

So alas, my butt in some blingy hot blue jeans ended up on Facebook and we had a great turnout at the party. Seriously, I don't know where all Vault Denim currently has distributors, but if they are in your area, this is a GREAT idea for a girls night out party. You will have a blast! If you're in my area (SE WI or northern IL) I've got a great woman to connect you with. She was really helpful with fitting and finding those pairs that were "perfect" for your personality.

For the record, I did narrow down the 6 pairs to just my favorite. AND They got the stamp of approval from Chris when I wore them home... and the rest is all history! ;)

Hope your week is fantastic!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

P.S. This party was just what my creative heart needed with so many life "issues" going on for the past several weeks. I'm headed to the studio to create some new pieces and I can't wait to share with you exactly what comes of it! YEAH!

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To start your Christmas shopping, visit http://www.DesignsByDawnMarie.com for a special section of the online store just for Christmas Gifts. Dawn Doucette is an artisan that creates OOAK custom beaded jewelry blending her unique style with the personality of the recipient to make something truly special.

Here is an Awwwww Moment to start your weekend out with a fuzzy feeling

2011-10-28T09:07:00.001-05:00

Fuzzy like cute... not fuzzy like one.too.many.glasses.of.wine fuzzy. I have an open house this weekend at my dear friend Carol's house - who coincidentally sells Miche purses. If you don't know what a Miche Bag is, check out Carol's website: http://www.my.michebag.com/carol_murphy

Miche Bag Readers Digest Version: NEVER Dump your purse to change bags again. Miche is a base bag with interchangeable shells now in 4 different sizes!

She does a fall open house every year and has asked me to again join her this year. So I'll be headed over there to set up Designs by Dawn Marie jewelry ahead of time. So while I've been tagging pieces and putting the finishing touches on my display... I wanted to share a picture with you that will make you go awwwwwwww.

Yes these are my girls, finding their "new" normal. As I work, they have learned to really love each other (which is saying a lot for my almost 12 year old Springer Brandi.) Little Bella blew into the house like an F5 tornado over the summer and finally they are learning to play - and actually love each other. This photo was taking yesterday. Brandi was sleeping on the VERY cushy dog bed and Bella wanted to cuddle. So she jumped up next to Brandi, curled up in a ball and away they both did sleep. Did I tell you I love my girls?

Hope you weekend is filled with sweet and tender Awwww moments!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

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Dawn Doucette is a jewelry artist based out of her studio in Wisconsin. You can learn more about Dawn on her website: http://www.DesignsbyDawnMarie.com. As an artist, Dawn specializes in creating custom beaded jewelry that perfectly mirrors the recipients personality. Currently she's added a Christmas Gift section to her online store of finished jewelry designs. She is happy to gift wrap your purchase so it's ready to put under your tree!

Creating Heirloom Jewelry for a Special Lady at Just the Right Time

2011-10-26T08:35:00.000-05:00

One of the warmest, fuzziest feelings for me is when I can make somebody's day. Whether it's surprising them with a handwritten card out of the blue, buying them a coffee or designing a piece of jewelry that perfectly matches their personality.

Key to Her Heart - Bead Embroidered Art Jewelry

For the second present from my birthday giveaway the lucky winner was Gen Voss, The Diversified Crafter. After Bella chose Gen as the winner, I set out to get to know Gen's personality and discussed with her what colors and styles she likes.

What I learned about Gen is that she's all heart. This woman maintains a positive attitude, is constantly supportive of her online and offline family AND she's a wonderful mother, grandmother and GREATgrandmother. Now that's some big shoes to fill Gen!

I wanted to make a special piece for Gen that she would be able to pass down to her daughter or granddaughter someday. What I designed is a work of bead embroidery art! I call it "Key to Her Heart." When I e-mailed Gen the photos, she e-mailed back in tears because this came at just the perfect moment for her. Gen needed a pick me up on a particularly difficult day and I'm so glad this necklace was the perfect solution.

Bead Embroidery as a style of design just resonates with me. I just love how each bead has it's own voice and how they all play together to create texture, color and send a message. The voice behind Gen's necklace said it was a vintage romantic at heart and indeed it was.

Hope your day is filled with beautiful things!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Birthday Giveaway Presents Revealed

2011-10-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

So excited to share with you the first of the birthday presents I gave away. If you're new to my blog, I had a brief stint on the Celebrity Creators Television show. On my live show I talked about turning your passion and purpose into a viable business. I also offered to give away a piece of custom made Designs by Dawn Marie jewelry to one lucky winner.

Well my little Bella has a big mouth and picked two winners. So here's the present I created for Nancy. Actually when Nancy found out she won, she asked me to create something special for her granddaughter. So my first step was to find out a bit more about her granddaughter. I saw a photo, learned her age, found out the colors she likes and what type of jewelry she wears.

As a teen, she wears a lot of black and red. So I wanted to make something really "cool" that she'd wear to school or the movies and feel beautiful wearing. I created a necklace and bracelet set. The custom made necklace is a choker style with a vintage style skeleton key dangling. It's a touch of gothic with a dance of vintage romanticism.

For the matching bracelet, I used the classic tiffany-style bracelet with the heart charm. I used a substantial gunmetal chain and added a few dangly charms, one being a great crystal heart. Again it has that flair of romanticism with the pop of color!

I can't wait to hear what Nancy's granddaughter thinks when she gets her pretty package. From what Granny said, she's a very special girl that deserves to be treated as such. She makes her Granny very proud and it was such a priviledge to create a set for this special girl. It really touched my heart to be brought into the family.

So I ask my fellow artisan friends, what is one of the most special pieces of custom jewelry you've been asked to create? I love to hear stories from the heart and I know we all share in the sentimental moments! So let's spread love together!

The other winner was Gen and I have finished her heirloom necklace and will be sharing that later this week. I can't wait to show Gen and hear her reaction. Hopefully it's the perfect piece that matches her beautiful, generous heart!

Have a terrific week! {Hugs!}

Wordless Wednesday - Captions are like small print so they don't count

2011-10-19T07:44:00.000-05:00

This week in 2009 - view from my desk

Oct 24, 2009 - My front yard

Sunset 2009 - the evening my nephew Liam was born

2 years ago, 10/20/2009 - happy birthday little Liam!

Just cuz baby toes are cute!

Awareness Jewelry - Having a message and sharing it beautifully

2011-10-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

Some of the most special pieces of custom made jewelry I've been able to design are awareness pieces. Not only are the designs special because they are OOAK, but the message the recipient is sharing by wearing such a piece proudly is even more profound.

While awareness jewelry isn't something I keep in my store at all times, when I have the opportunity to create something special, it makes me so very happy. Here's a few of the designs I've created recently as custom orders for different awareness messages.

Diabetes Awareness - Symbolized as a Grey Ribbon

Breast Cancer Awareness Brooch

Domestic Violence Awareness - A Purple Ribbon

If you are looking for a really special gift for someone, maybe you're now considering a piece of custom beaded jewelry with their symbolic awareness ribbon. I'd be happy to help if you are thinking about it. Drop me an e-mail and we'll create something beautiful together!

Wordless Monday - Hey it could happen and I think it starts today okay?

2011-10-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

Taken of Cody in 2009

From Kit to Kaboodle - The Lima Beads Challenge Results

2011-10-08T07:42:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited that today is the reveal of this jewelry making challenge. I don't often purchase "kits" of pre-sorted and picked out beads and components. But when I saw a blog post by Shannon & Lorelei Eurto about the kit they put together with LimaBeads I said GIMME!!!! And I surfed right over with credit card in hand to get hooked up!

It was my first experience with LimaBeads and it was wonderful. Super fast shipping, great quality stones and beads, well packaged. So if you're looking for a new bead vendor... check 'em out!

Once I had the hot little kit in my hand, it was up to my muse to show up. I laid everything out on a cookie sheet, and added some of my own "stash" and played with ideas and moved things around... for 2 weeks! Then inspiration struck and I saw two distinctly different color patterns that were popping out at me.

Here's the first!

I saw the creamy yellow colors and the soft lavender blending together in a really soft, romantic look. Once I had the color pallet in mind, putting the necklace together flowed so sweetly. I used a vintage button that had both the cream and lavendar on it. Enhanced it with seed beads and the Czech glass gladiola buttons and rondelles that were in the kit. I also incorporated a few of the freshwater pearls to add a little splash of the cream. From the focal, I created a drop with the Vintage pendant they included in the kit. Dangling center I was able to use one of the amethyst teardrop.

The second piece I did was and still feels like buttah (or butter depending on where you live) in my hands. I had a beautiful focal that was created especially for me from Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati. It's a double sided pendant from her simple truths collection. Once side says "Love" the other side says "Focus on What Really Matters" - which is so perfectly Dawn!

So when I saw the beautiful dyed silk ribbon included in the challenge kit, it married so perfectly with the pendant Erin had made me, I knew they needed to be joined in holy bead-trimony. :o) But how the heck to I use silk ribbon???? I've never used a fiber in my creations before in my life! Enter in some oval chain I had in my stash and my great talents as a weaver. (really the talents aren't that great, but it sure sounded important). From there all the components came together. For the necklace I actually created something asymmetrical that WORKS for my eyes! (I'm a little type a not A, just a, and asymmetical is often very hard for me to create) I brought in some of the purples, this very cool lone abalone bead that came in the kit, turquoise zebra jasper nuggets and Czech FP rounds. But then I still had the challenge of those funky, beautiful Biwa pearls. They were top drilled like little tears from the sea, so I had to use them. I wire-wrapped a chain and created a party fringe!

So thanks for coming to my reveal party! Please stop over to Lorelei and Shannon's blogs to see their creations and those of other participants. I had a great time and really was able to grow with such a unique mix. I still have earrings to make to match the necklaces (because one can't have naked ears), but those are still on my bead table.

Hope your weekend is fill with Love and pumpkin spice!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Just meeting me for the first time? Let's connect on Facebook to spread the word about artisan jewelry! http://www.facebook.com/designsbydawnmarie or find me on Google+ Dawn Doucette

Facebook Friday - All those changes!

2011-10-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

It's Friday and I felt a good time to do a Facebook Friday again. This is the part of the post where I'm supposed to say something WOW and amazing about Facebook or teach you something fun and exciting. However, with all the freakin' changes... I've pulled nearly all my hair out and the only 3 strands I have left are grey! Seriously!

Okay, so what are those changes (or as many of us are saying, what hasn't changed) in the last 2 weeks. And you're right... darn tootin' everything has changed.

Newsfeed - Facebook is now telling us what they think we want to see and read. REALLY? I've always been about honesty.... just lay it out there like it is and I'll pick what I want to read. We can no longer sort by type of updates (like I used to sort by status updates, then check out the uploaded photos and if I had a boatload of time, then I'd look at links people posted.) Yep, no more... you're being spoonfed whether you like it or not. I'm still on the NOT wagon personally.

Pages - So much! Really... and there's more changes coming. Tagging, you can only "tag" someone in a status update (typing the @ symbol then their name) if they are a fan of your page. Also, you can "tag" someone in comments on both pages and your personal profile. People are still setting up personal pages for their businesses (doh!). At the end of this month, FB is taking away the REVIEWS tab from all business pages. As of yesterday, FB also added "Number of People Talking about This" just below your Liker count. Which is nice, but really there's no way at this point of seeing who's talking about this... or be able to comment on posts about your business. Too many programming geeks, not enough teachers.

Photos - FB is only showing a snippet of the photo in the newsfeed if you upload more than one photo at a time. You have to click on the photo to see the whole picture. It's also a different layout on your wall. It'll also take getting used to.

Subscriber Feed - people can now subscribe to your feed to be alerted to everything you post without you having to accept their friend request. So if you're in the witness protection program, this totally spoils your whole FB experience. Really though, If I wanted somebody to read my everything about me, they'd be my friend.

Who's sharing? When people share something that you posted on your wall, it now will show how many "shares" this item has had. You can also see WHO shared it and be able to comment or thank them. Great for relationship building! This is a great addition!

Many settings can be adjusted by editing your privacy options in your Account. It's too much to list here, but you can check it out.

On a side note, tomorrow Lorelei Eurto and Shannon (I only wish I could pronounce your last name because in my mind it's sounding like chocolate - seriously) Chomanczuk will be hosting a blog hop revealing great works from jewelry designers all over Blogland. They put a great kit together with LimaBeads.com and the challenge was to design something (or multiple somethings) with the kit. SO, mark you calendar so you can stop back here!!! I can't wait to show you what I created!

TGIF all! If you have comments on the recent FB changes, please feel free to share them. We're all learning as we go and helpful tips are appreciate by all those still scratching their heads.

Want to really shout it from the rooftops, share this blog post on your FB profile!

Wordless Wednesday - FALL

2011-10-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

So close and almost wordless... but if you know me, you know wordless isn't a word that describes ME! So... here's some words to inspire you from Today's Sizzzl talk radio show with Suzy Manning:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sizzzl/2011/10/05/artisan-designer--jewelry-inspired-from-the-heart

Peace, Love and Inspiration!
~Dawn

Join me on Blog Talk Radio with Sizzzlicious Woman - Suzy Manning

2011-10-04T14:14:00.002-05:00

Sneak Peek of my Challenge piece for Lorelei & Shannon's beading challenge. The big reveal is on Saturday 10/8 right here on my blog!!

It's so gorgeous outside today you have got to be saying to yourself, "What the heck is Dawn doing inside typing a blog post??"

And if you asked yourself that... then you and I are in the same BOAT!!!

So I'm typing a breakneck speed because I'm very excited to share with you this...

Tomorrow, Wednesday 10/5, I am going to be chatting with Suzy Manning CEO and founder of Sizzzl live on her blog talk radio show. Suzy is passionate about helping women embrace their feminine qualities and use their strength to lead fulfilling lives.

We will be chatting about living your passion and following your destiny to lead a fulfilling life! The show will be live online at 12:00 noon EST (11:00 a.m. in WI, or 9:00 a.m. on the west coast):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sizzzl/2011/10/05/artisan-designer--jewelry-inspired-from-the-heart
Or you can dial in from a phone if you're on the road to:
(858) 220-7937

Our discussion will be about half hour long and will be recorded for playback later. I truly hope you can join us and look forward to chatting with you live tomorrow!

Okay... now I'm going back outside to take some jewelry photos and try not to eat boxelder bugs at they fly at my face. Honestly... the warmth brings them out in droves!

Have a splendiforous day all!
{Hugs!}

P.S. If you like the bracelet I created for Sizzzl, you can get them through Suzy's website! http://www.sizzzl.com and yes, that's 3 z's!

Fall did not tiptoe in NOPE - She came flying in hootin and hollerin

2011-10-01T07:54:00.001-05:00

Honest to goodness, you know the minute fall arrived on our doorstep! She blew in like a bat outta hell and it's downright chilly! There was actually a layer of ice on the puddles in the driveway this morning.

Now you're probably scratching your head crying "Say it ain't so Dawn." And I'd love to oblige. But darn it it's freezing! However the one bright star through my tears of summer is that fall beckons Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING!!!! Holla!!!!

Image From www.cariboucoffee.com

Yes, the day Caribou, Panera, Starbucks and bakeries around the area bring in pumpkin spice, I'm totally doing the happy dance. Can you see me?

So here's my little tip of the day for you, to bring pumpkin spice into your home (for less than the $5 per cup you pay at the big coffee chains) when you put your coffee in the filter in the morning, use a dash of pumpkin spice with it. (Or substitute cinnamon, nutmeg and a tiny dash of clove) You'll have a gourmet treat and save your $$ for some custom beaded jewelry (especially the Designs by Dawn Marie sort)! This tip was shared with me by my good friend and fellow foodie Stacy at SLMPetersen - where life is all about great food, great crafting and love!

Hope your weekend is fantastic!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Winnner of Celebrity Creators Present is

2011-09-29T09:45:00.000-05:00

Genelle Voss!!!!

But wait... there's more! Princess Bella Marie of DeVincentisville didn't pick just one winner, she grabbed two (I know, she has a big mouth). SO it's only fitting I get to give out TWO presents!!! YEAH!!! So the second winner of my birthday giveaway is....

Nancy Neubauer!!!!!

I have to thank everybody that watched the show - both live and the recorded version. Because it's my birthday, it gives me great joy to give out presents! I will e-mail both Gen and Nancy to let them know and be able to design something one of a kind that is perfectly "them!" After all, that's what makes a Designs By Dawn Marie piece so special... it's handmade beaded jewelry created especially for the recipient and personalize to their tastes!

See the glitter? Yes, he even had the cake sprinkled with edible glitter! ♥

I've had cake for breakfast (thank you sweetie), and it's National Coffee Day (coincidence, I think not) and I'm going to have lunch with my mama! SO it's going to be a great day! I feel so very loved everyday, but especially today!

Hope your day is terrific!
{Hugs!}

Dawn

Wannna hear a secret?

2011-09-27T10:05:00.001-05:00

Well as a loyal reader of my blog, I'm going to tell you! But first... this is not a secret!

Tonight - 8:00 central (9:00 pm EST, 6:00 pm PST) online on http://www.celebritycreators.com/live-show/ Designs by Dawn Marie will be featured. We're discussing turning your passion and purpose into a viable, thriving business.

The hosts of Celebrity Creators Kathy Stover and Brian Kelly created this weekly show to introduce entrepreneurs to a global audience and to share different ways people can build and grow their businesses. Guests on the Celebrity Creators in the past range from internet marketing experts, authors, artists, social media marketing experts, product developers, infomercial wizards and even more. I have learned so much from Brian and Kathy's guests over the last 2 years. I can only hope to be able to inspire their audience too.

Here's my personal invitation to you! I'd love to have you join us. The show will be streaming online at http://www.CelebrityCreators.com/live-show/ Whether you've started your own business, or you have a hobby you just love and want to turn it into a viable business, then this show will have some great information for you!

And now, what you've all been waiting for....

Here's the secret - for those watching the show live tonight, I'm going to be giving away a piece of custom designed jewelry. Designed just for the winner! Yes siree! I'm going to bring your personality into a one of a kind design, just for you (or for you to give as a gift if you wish.) Are you excited? I am, it's like a party and I love making a party out of everything I do! Presents, presents, presents - all just for you!!!

Hope to see you online!

Success comes in packages of all sizes

2011-09-25T10:49:00.000-05:00

Having the rummage sale this weekend was such a growing experiece. We had a very successful sale and I think part of that can be chalked up to Dawn doing her best to make it a party! Yep, why do it if it ain't fun! :o)

I applied similar concepts that I use for the home parties and open houses I do for my handmade beaded jewelry. Setting the stage for a WOW from the minute people walk in the door (in this case the garage.) I had tablecloths on all 12 banquet tables (yes and we still had stuff staged in front of the garage doors on the driveway. I offered a warm beverage to anybody that came in (coffee or cider) as a thank you just for coming out. We piped in some soft music and people were truly wowed! We were truly wowed at how much sold, and how little we have to pack up (all of which we're not donating to a local charity, and books are getting donated to our local library for their book sale.)

However the real successes this weekend were more than just the cash box and naked tables. Here's what I mean:

- The gentleman that came back (drove 14 miles back) just to pay us $6 that we had undercharged him. Then bought some more things and called later in the day to ask if he could purchase some windows and pick them up on Tuesday because he was in his truck on his way up north for the weekend. Yes sir, your honesty knocked my socks off.

- The woman that had a wonderful conversation while taking some of our free books. We discussed her weekend plans and I suggested an idea how she could stay warm while dressing for a luau they were going to in 50 degree weather. Who also came back to give me a hug and thank me for making her feel so special with all the health challenges she and her husband are going through. (and yes, her kindness in coming to share that with me did indeed bring me to happy tears.)

- The young mother that brought her daughter and the daughter said please and thank you for every single thing, including an ice cube I got out of the freezer for her cider so it wasn't so hot. The little girl invited me to her birthday party to share in her cake. She'll be 5 and was precious. I love seeing parents that really teach their kids not just manners, but appreciation and gratitude.

- The ladies that came near the end when all was quite picked over just to see if there was anything they wanted. Finding nothing, they insisted on leaving a donation for a cup of cider and the warm, welcoming spirit despite the rain.

- For my family, who trudged all the way down from Deforest, Madison and Mequon all over an hour each way just to come out to show their support. My heart felt gratitude cannot be measured. Nor could the shock on my face as I saw them walking up the driveway.

- A long time friend that saw our sale posted on Facebook. Drove up from IL just to say hi and reconnect after several years. Again, my shock and gratitude were overflowing.

Seeing this side of human nature was AWESOME! With all the junk they show us on TV and the news, we're really missing the ability to embrace the wonderful aspects of people. Honesty, gratitude, appreciation and thoughtfulness are so much bigger than the blucky part of this world.

So to all of those people that shared the wow moments with me this weekend, I owe you so many thanks and more!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!
Much love & hugs!
~Dawn

Designs By Dawn Marie In Front of the Camera - Uncensored

2011-09-23T09:01:00.001-05:00

By the time you read this... I'll be up over my eyeballs in rummage sale craziness. Seriously, I know how hard rummage sales are to prep, price, organize and hold... and this is why I've never done one... nor has Chris and thus we have oodles and oodles of stuff to sell in our plan to downsize at some point.

Anyhow, while I'm peddling my widgets (and freezing my tookus off because its' only supposed to be in the 50's on Friday, 60's Saturday) I wanted to share some exciting Designs by Dawn Marie news. I have been asked to be a guest on the Celebrity Creators, an online television show with an international audience.

At first, I was a big 'ole baby... and wahhhh, wahhhh, not a camera... love waaaahhhhhh cried like a little chicken. You see, I don't like talking infront of people - live. I'm great on the phone or webinars I can be a rockstar... but live.as.in.camera - ZOINKS!

Then finally some sense got smacked into my head and I agreed (or they caught me at a weak moment before I finished my 6 cups of coffee) either way, I reserve the right to put a bag over my head and cut out eye holes. :o) So if you're online on Tuesday, 9/27 at about 9:00 pm Easter (8:00 central, 6:00 pacific) I'd love to have you join me!

My discussion is going to be about turning your passion and purpose into a viable business! We'll talk getting started in business, marketing your business and growing your business! I'm really, really excited to share my passion with such a grand audience.

For more information, Celebrity Creators has created a Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150657655028385

Hope your weekend is wonderful and that I can see over empty tables after everything sells at this goofy rummage sale over the weekend!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Flowers for the Queen - A Bead Embroidered Necklace with an AH HA Moment

2011-09-19T09:05:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to share this piece with you today! In creating this necklace, it stretched me outside the box and allowed me to grow. First, let me show you Flowers for the Queen!

One of a Kind Art Jewelry - Bead Embroidered Necklace

You can read the full story of how Flowers for the Queen came to life here. Part of the romance behind this piece is that the flower on the focal is a real flower. I purchased the pendant because I love bringing natural elements together with man made beads to create something special. It feels like I'm honoring Mother Earth while sharing my creative talents and gifts. So the dried, pressed flower on this pendant spoke to me... but here was the kicker... the flower was yellow.

Did you read that right???? YELLOW??? I know, I was as shocked as you were! It's a big challenge for me to get into a yellow or orange creative space. I love the colors, I just don't design with them often.

So thus, I had to think outside of the box and incorporate a beautiful happy yellow, along with two of my favs turquoise and brown. Hope you like the piece. I have many more photos posted on my website along with the whole story of how I designed this piece.

I hope you enjoy story and can see the same beauty in this necklace I saw while creating it! It exudes happiness and love!

Make it a terrific week!

Dairy Queen Made Me Do It - And I LOVED It

2011-09-15T07:31:00.000-05:00

This necklace was inspired by the DQ Blizzard I had the other day at Dairy Queen. It was one of "those" days and after running around to what seems like every corner of teh county to get dog meds, groceries, etc... I came upon a particularly busy intersection that happened to be even busier because it was 4:00 and all the vacation people were coming up to start their weekends early. So rather than going left, I opted to go right and that darn Honda Odyssey drove right to Dairy Queen (near my cut across road).

Dang it, I just hate it when that happens. So this darling little gal working the counter (I figured I better at least walk in and use 2 or 3 calories since I hadn't planned this treat and I've eaten my fair share of M&M's to fund the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra) was so very helpful. But what did I want? The Banana Cream Pie Blizzard or the Ooey Gooey Caramel Chocolate Blizzard. Fruity or chocolatey... so many decisions could drive a girl to drink... or eat more ice cream.

Hmmmm, what to get?

The DQ goddess suggested if I live near by, I can stop back anytime for the Banana Cream Pie Blizzard, but the Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie was just their flavor of the month. Cha-ching! Chocolate wins hands down!

"What Size?" she asks. Again, my head is spinning, so many decisions... "We have small, medium, large or the new mini."

"Oh I better go with the mini," I say. "I wasn't planning on stopping here today."

With a puzzled look on her face the girl cups her hand and whispers, "The small is only 40 cents more and double the size." Then she winks at me.

Ahhhhh, music to my ears. She had me a "Double the size." After all, I'm all about economics and helping people get more for less is helping fuel the American dream, right?!?!

So the rest is all history. I could have licked that disposable paper blizzard cup. It.Was.That.Good!

Have you ever had one of those food moments? Care to share...the moment, not the food! ;) I'd love to hear I'm not the only crazy woman that has food inspired jewelry!

Have a terrific day!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

The Odyssey of the Odyssey and The Trip to the Big City

2011-09-13T18:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I told a small tale on Facebook, but for those that haven't requested to be my friend yet, it's okay. I still love you and I will still tell you the tale...

Here's The Odyssey of The Honda Odyssey and The Trip to the Big City...

Monday, yes, Monday's always come way too soon as weekends are glorious and wonderful. This Monday found me leaving home before the roosters woke up. YES, that early. Since I have a "no make-up before sun up" policy, I tossed it in the bag and away I did go.

Where? Over the river and through the woods to mama's house I go... (you can sing the rest, I don't mind.)

I was taking my mom up to Brookfield (a burb of Milwaukee) for a medical treatment. The treatment was to last 4 hours and I couldn't go into the facility because of their patient privacy policy. I get it, but that gave me 4 hours (since I was an hour from home) to figure out what to do with myself.

My first thought was - wow, no pups needing potty breaks, tip back the seat and enjoy the silence, maybe a little nap, maybe?!?! 5 minutes later, that's good, now the sun's up, I suppose I better address that make-up situation before anybody sees me. Check... 10 minutes in I still have 3 hours and 50 minutes of self-induced fun!

But what I'm most proud of accomplishing while waiting for my mom is my invention of the Dashboard Pedicure! Let me tell you, if Billy Mays were still here on this earth, he would have been knocking on my van window to put me on an infomercial! Seriously... well maybe not that seriously.

Yes, the toes needed some attention. Yes, we're headed into fall. And yes, we're wearing boots. BUT who doesn't love a day of flip flops out of the blue? I DO!!! Thus, needing to re-do the toes in grand style.

As you can see, I had all the essentials; Coffee (lots of it), Water (both in recycled cups/bottles), base coat and pretty color. I had toe separators and nail polish remover (not shown in photo) to keep everything on the professional level!

I even had a built in air dryer! Turn the key of the van, set the fan to blow on the floor, turn that baby up and you are dry in no time at all!

The end result - pretty toes in a great autumnal burgandy shade - PRICELESS.

For those still asking about what happened with my mom, she was so very proud of my Dashboard Pedicure. Oh, not that question?? Hmmm, yes she's doing great. This procedure while it took a while was pretty laid back. She's feeling great and hoping for amazing results for her arthritis!

Updates on the jewelry front, I've been working like a crazy woman with beads and needles and wire and thread. I have some amazing finished pieces, but haven't had the time during the right light to capture them on "film." I'll get photos soon though and can't wait to share with you what I've been up to in the bead studio!

Hope your week is fan-dang-u-lous! I dare you, go sit in your car/van/motorcycle?!?! and give yourself a dashboard pedicure. I want to see pictures - especially if you are on a motorcycle! You would totally rock!
{Hugs!}

The Winner of the Artisan Earring Giveaway is

2011-09-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to everybody for participating in my giveaway throughout this week. This morning I took all the entries from my blogger blog and from my blog post on The Hive and put them all into a very fancy bowl (said fancy bowl also doubles as Bella's Halloween themed toy box). Then I read all the rules to Bella to make sure she followed them to a T. I must say, she questioned "Thou shall not eat the winner" ... as you'll see momentarily.

Then Bella reached into the fancy bowl and selected one lucky name...

The WINNER of the Artisan Lampwork Glass Beaded Earrings is:

Moonlitfantaseas answering my question with:

the crisp air and the brilliant colors.

Please e-mail me with your shipping address and I'll get your brand new earrings right out to you! Thanks so much to everybody that participated. I enjoyed reading everything you were looking forward to most with this fall!

Have a terrific weekend!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Sizzzlin' up Designs by Dawn Marie Jewelry

2011-09-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to share this news with you this morning. Designs by Dawn Marie has partnered with Sizzzl to offer an exclusive wire crochet bracelet design!

First I want to introduce you to Suzy Manning, CEO of Sizzzl (don't you just love that business name? It just makes me smile!) Suzy is a professional trainer and published author. She is passionate about teaching women to live their life with purpose. In getting to know Suzy, I can say from personal experience, her mission and teachings come from her heart. She shares all she knows helping women become the best "She" they can be one beautiful woman at a time.

Suzy also hosts an online radio talk show on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon EST. She features women of many talents from all walks of life that share the passion for building women up and helping them to embrace their womanhood. If you'd like to tune in to her show today, you can get all the event details on her Facebook event!

I was introduce to Suzy from a very dear mutual friend. She's seen my jewelry in person on our good friend and wanted to see if I could design a bracelet that we could make available to all her Sizzzl ladies. After pondering what I wanted to design, how I wanted to design it and what energy the end product would be, I had an epiphany! Here's what I created:

Available through Sizzzl.com

So let me share with you the how, why and what this piece represents. I chose to use a chocolate colored wire and crochet it into a cuff. The crocheted wire represents how we are all woven together. Not one of us could stand alone in this world, we all need each other and when working in harmony we can create beautiful things. I added accents of round wooden beads. The wood is representative of being born from Mother Earth and staying grounded. The final touch of the Czech glass heart shows us that as women, we need to follow our heart, be true to ourselves and let the inner beauty shine through!

After finishing the Sizzzl bracelet, I mailed it off to Suzy sight unseen. As a design, it really spoke to me and I hoped Suzy would feel the same radiant energy seeing it for the first time! Her reaction was priceless and the voicemail she left me when she received it is one I will save forever and listen to again, and again, and again.

As of today, the Sizzzl bracelet is available only through Suzy's website: www.Sizzzl.com Because each wire crochet bracelet is made by hand, it will be very similar, but one of a kind because wire has an energy all of it's own. Wear your Sizzzl bracelet with pride, celebrating your femininity and beauty. Give it as a gift to a beautiful woman that you cherish!

I want to offer a sincere thank you to Suzy for seeing something more in my designs than "just beads." She truly saw how I put my heart into each piece I design and breath life and love into the finished jewelry.

I urge you to connect with Suzy. She's such a wonderful woman and so inspiring. One phone call with Suzy and you'll feel enough energy to tackle all your challenges you face this week. Trust me! Suzy is the utmost professional and so intune with our female energy. Here's where you can find Suzy and get to know her!

Website: http://www.Sizzzl.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Sizzzl
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Sizzzl
E-mail: suzy@sizzzl.com

Hope you get a chance to check out our Sizzzl bracelet on Suzy's website. Have a beautiful day!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn Marie

P.S. Suzy's book is entitled Wise Women Circle of Wisdom. This is a great book to help you stay focused, strong and beautiful. Suzy's book offers words of wisdom for women and the action steps you can take to put this wisdom to work for you. It's like a daily reminder to be wonderful! You'll want a copy to tuck by your makeup mirror or in your purse for those moments when you need a lift. Here's one of my favorite quotes Suzy shares in her book:

"We cultivate our own inner garden knowing we are meant to bloom to create a larger harmonious, sensual bouquet known as humanity!" ~Suzy Manning

Celebrating Labor Day even though I haven't birthed children.

2011-09-05T08:21:00.000-05:00

So many meanings of the word Labor... some of which I've done... others, not.so.much! As we celebrate the "worky" variety of labor today, I just had to share this with you. I saw a funny on a friend's Facebook wall and I'm still laughing. It's so very true and is definitely how I was raise - Woot for my mom & dad!!

"BREAKING NEWS: The Pity Train has derailed at the intersection of Suck It Up & Move On, and crashed into We All Have Problems, before coming to a complete stop at Get the Hell Over It. Any complaints about how we operate can be forwarded to 1 (800) waa-waa...a. This is Dr. Sniffle reporting LIVE from Quitchur Bitchin'. Suck it up cupcake, Life doesn't revolve around you...this is the thought I used to raise my kids just like I was raised."

Having a 3 day weekend has been wonderful! We have been tag-teaming sitting on... err, uhhh, I mean babysitting our oldest dog making sure he doesn't jump, run, or do anything that could further injure his leg. Give him a little anti-inflammatory and he's feeling like he's a puppy again. Alas, he IS a full time job!

I've gotten a bit of beading done and that has been just blissful! We were also able to break away for a few hours last night by crating our big boy so we could enjoy our county fair. Last one of the season, and the elephant ears never get old. Along with the corn dogs, cheese on a stick, cream puffs, frozen bananas and eclairs.... :o) Thank goodness the fair isn't here all year long. LOL

If you haven't yet entered my Freebie Friday Giveaway for some great lampwork glass earrings, check it out! You have to play to win!!!

Cody - the patient with ice on his leg Bella - the nursemaid

Hope you are enjoying a day off from Labor today... unless of course you're in Labor today, then by all means, continue on. Little one wouldn't want you to wait! ;)
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Freebie Friday - Fantastic Giveaway That will Have your Ears Ringing... Or Blinging

2011-09-02T04:56:00.022-05:00

TGIF One & All! It's been a doozy of a week at Designs by Dawn Marie. SO to celebrate Friday and because I made you a promise... I'm having a Fantastic Freebie Friday Giveaway.

This stunning pair of earrings popped into my head like Jelly Beans at Easter! The lampwork beads were custom designed by the one and only Juli Cannon of JulsBeads. A short while back, Juli ran a promotion to help her family out and as a surprise from another good friend, these beads ended up in my mailbox. I love mailbox beads! And I was thoroughly delighted as their tribal colors of turquoise, brown and amber really speak my language (Dawnese.)

And since you've been following my blog and reading 250 posts... crazy, I know - I can be full of hot air -- I wanted to share their beauty with one of you! I just love these earrings and have a feeling that there's a pair in my future. Lucky for me, I know the artisan that made them! ;) They hang from antique copper earwires and have accents of Swarovski Crystals. Dangling, are strands of antique copper chain that add movement and create a stunning flow of energy.

Since we're headed into fall... and playing with shades of brown makes me think of lots of fall-ish things - most being food related - I'd like to know, what do you most look forward to as summer turns to fall?

So here's the deal... all you need to do to enter is leave your answer in a comment on my blog post (since I syndicate on both Blogger and The Hive, either place will work!) The giveaway will run from today (9/2/2011) through midnight CST 9/8/2011). Winner will be announced next week Friday right back here! Easy Peasy, right?

Happy Contesting (and that's not like conTESTing as in "I disagree," rather CONtesting as in "Woo hoo sign me up!")

Do you like Extra Credit? For over achievers like me, here's a few more bonus entries that will help you score an A+ report card. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry (or Bella won't be able to count you all those extra times. After all, she's only a puppy!)

1. Like my Facebook Page - Designs by Dawn Marie
2. Follow Designs by Dawn Marie on Twitter
3. Share this contest on Facebook, Twitter or your Blog
4. Any purchase from my Artfire or Etsy Stores will earn you a bonus entry

Good Luck! I'm happy to ship within the US or Canada for the winner. Hope your weekend is fantastic and thank you for following my custom made jewelry blog! Each comment you leave on my posts really does make a difference in my day!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Jewelry Making Question - Resin Filled Pendants

2011-08-29T18:16:00.000-05:00

Oh.my.goodness... oh my goodness! I cannot believe we're a week away from Labor Day. In all honesty, I'm looking for my summer and I fear she's left the building.

For those of you that make jewelry, I'm seeking an opinion. I'm looking to help a friend locally. She's an artist and a life coach with a tremendous spirit. Recently she purchased a kit to make a resin pendant using a bezel setting. What she would like to do is encapsulate a photo of her artwork in the bezel then fill with resin. If you have worked with resin before, is there a particular way that you would print (or have printed) the photo so the ink will not run when we set it with the resin.

I've offered to help, and told her it's not a medium I've worked with before. So if you have worked with resin or photo pendants... I have an inkjet and color laser printer here, and Staples is just up the road. I'm almost certain that inkjet would smear... but maybe color laser would last... or would you recommend I print it, then have the print laminated so it would be color-safe?? See all the ideas bouncing around in this creative brain of mine?

Good news though... actually two good newses.... this is my 250th blog post, so in my next blog post, I'm doing a celebration give away! So stay tuned! Secondly, just 2 days left of my Anniversary Celebration in my Artfire Store. 34% off all currently listed items using the coupon code BLISS in honor of my parents 34th wedding anniversary!

Bella Marie at 6 months old

On a final note... here's a bit of cute to enlighten your day.

Thanks so much for stopping by, sharing your opinions and just for being YOU! I appreciate you so very much!
{Hugs}
~Dawn

Get Your Custom Made Jewelry On

2011-08-22T12:10:00.001-05:00

On occasion, I have a customer/client/friend/family member that sees a focal or beads that just speak to them. However they don't know the first thing to do with such pretty beadiness. The next action that transpires can be played in slow motion, with soft romantic music just like the love scenes in the movies.

They call (or e-mail) me to ask if I'd create custom made jewelry with the treasure they found!

I absolutely love creating custom made jewelry because I can bring the personality of the individual into the design. That's what makes a piece so special... it wasn't design for just anybody. It was designed especially for YOU.

Recently I had a set of beads sent to me that were orange raku. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, one thing you'll see missing is anything in the color orange. For some reason, my brain doesn't think well in orange or yellow tones. So I had to wait for the right "ah ha" moment to strike me with what to design with these beads.

As I had hoped, I chatted with the beads and waited for them to b-mail me with how they wanted their party. Once they decided and invited these funky vintage faceted beads to join them... and thus creating something that truly cannot be replicated. Because vintage = mama ain't got no mo!

So if you see a set of beads or a focal pendant that are just shouting your name, and you haven't any idea what to do with it, consider asking for help from a jewelry artisan. As an artisan, it brings me great joy to see a piece of custom made jewelry I designed put a smile on your face!

Have a fantastic week!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

P.S. Only 8 days of my 34% off sale left in my Artfire Store! Great time to do a little back to school shopping for mom! :o)

Consignment Shopping - Its Amazing What you Find

2011-08-17T12:31:00.000-05:00

I love a good deal... whether it's a BOGO or clearance rack... or consignment, I love finding the "treasures" amongst all the stuff.

Last week while Bella was having her surgery, I stopped over at one of our local consignment shops. Mainly to say "Hi" to a friend that works there, but also to see "what's new" on the racks. I brought her an iced coffee, set it down and BLAM! Like a bolt of lightening hit my eye! THIS is what I saw...

Which then was immediately followed by I.Have.To.Have.That.Right.NOW!!! Yes, I can make my own jewelry, but more importantly each piece I wear has to represent me. This bracelet was WOW, sparkly! Love the swarovski Montees... (fuchsia) love the Czech FP Rounds, love the gunmetal square-ish chain ... oh.my.word. Just like Cinderella's glass slipper, it was the perfect fit for my tiny wrists! And it was calling me, "Dawnnnnnnnnn, take me homeeeeeee!"

So I did, and I had to get a great shirt to go with... And it just so happened that there was the most adorable fuchsia shirt hanging right there on the rack. AMAZING! Let's call it Serendipity and they all lived happily ever after!

The moral of the story: There's something beautiful around every corner. You just have to have your eyes open to find it!

Have a beautiful day!
~Dawn

There's no Title BIG Enough for Something THIS Spectacular!

2011-08-15T07:28:00.000-05:00

Honestly, what I about to tell you is amazing... simply incredible... and most of all, an example for all to see.

In just a few days, my parents will be celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary. It's amazing to think back on all my years of life and reminisce about the adventures we've had (some good, some not.so.much) We've had big scares and we've seen HUGE triumphs.

As I've heard so many times, every challenge presents opportunity! And isn't that the truth?

34 Years, 3 Generations and So Much Love!

Looking at 34 years, in the day and age that is full of interruptions, distractions and "noise" it's amazing that all 4 of us children ended up pretty darn good adults. Instilled in us from the moment we could comprehend, my parents taught us the value of respect and honesty. They also taught each of us how to work hard and make a way for ourselves. I think one of the most important lessons they taught each of us is about personal responsibility... if we did the crime (even staying out past curfew) we did the time (for me it was always taking away my talking on the phone time.)

As adults these lesson are so, so, SO valuable in our interpersonal relationships. In many instances I've been so very glad I took the high road as my parents taught us to do.

So in honor of 34 years of marriage for my Mom & Dad (and because I LOVE YOU) I'm having a HUGE sale in my Artfire Store. For ANYTHING listed in my Artfire Store (http://dawnmd.artfire.com), I will give you 34% off your entire order if you use the coupon code BLISS. The sale will run through the end of the month (Aug. 31st). The sale is only on my currently listed inventory, not custom made orders.

Thanks for joining me in congratulating Mom & Dad's Anniversary. If you were or are ever in the neighborhood, they would be YOUR parents too! Our home was a safe haven to all who needed it growing up. There was always a warm apple crisp (or something equally sinful coming out of the oven) and plenty of cold milk in the fridge. Thanks Mom and Dad for bringing us up as you did. I think we are so VERY lucky to have the family we have!

Hope your week is great! Stop by Artfire, and let me know what you want. I will place items on reserve for 72 hours if you need it. And as my mom always said, "Be home before the streetlights are on!"

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Fast Friday Post to get you up to speed

2011-08-12T09:15:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a speedy post today because our little Bella had surgery yesterday and I'm now an official Licking Referee. I hope the stripes look good on me.

Bella is in great shape. She woke up with her usual appetite today, and I can tell she's going to be a fast healer.

I've had a few pieces of jewelry I've been working on sporadically throughout the week. I'll have more to share with that, AFTER I get the photos. I'm waiting for an order from Artbeads.com since they just had a stupendous $0.99 sale. We all love a sale... but dollar days are my favorite!

My dear friend Erin Prais-Hintz celebrated a birthday this week. (Shhh, don't tell her I told you, but she's only 25 -again, wink, wink) In celebration, she's sharing more about her and having several giveaways. Pop over to her blog to wish her a happy birthday and check out her birthday un-present! http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/

That's all Bella is giving me time for... off to referee! Hope your weekend is fantastic!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Custom Made Art Jewelry by Designs by Dawn Marie
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Baby Christian Needs our Help

2011-08-09T12:57:00.003-05:00

Hey friends,

I don't normally blog about some of the most sensitive subjects in our world. But this one is really important. So if you'd please, read the whole post, I'd really, really, REALLY appreciate it.

Last week my dear friend Juls posted on her blog that her nephew was born pre-mature - not just a little, but by 4 months. I've not had children, but I know that those last 4 months of development are so very critical to the baby. So prayers, support, and lots and lots of healing energies were immediately and are still being sent up for Baby Christian.

Juls did an update post about Christian over the weekend. That wee little guy, he's such a fighter. Here's what Juls shared on her blog:

"Christian is in NICU at UAB. He is on blood pressure medication, an oxygen ventilator, in an incubator obviously, has to be given blood and a myriad of other things I can't remember right now, weighs 1lb 3 oz and is 11" long. He is so tiny that he wrapped his entire hand around my brother's fingertip. His vitals are good, he is properly developed for the stage of pregnancy he was born during, and his oxygen intake is slowly but steadily improving. The overall prognosis is that his chances are good.

Please continue to pray for our Christian. He is so loved."

Because Juls' heart is bigger than the rest of her entire body combined she just posted today about a sale she's having in her Etsy shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/Julsbeads All sales will go toward Christian's treatment and the expenses incurred by her bother and his wife. They've have not yet gotten into the Ronald McDonald house, so every night that they stay in Birmingham, is out of pocket expenses. And who could leave their first baby... so tiny, and such a fighter? If I were in their shoes, I'd be there 24/7 too.

So right now, if you make a purchase from Juls Etsy store, use the coupon code CHRISTIAN at the check out for 25% off your order and all the funds raised will go to support baby Christian and his family.

If you've read this far, from the bottom of my heart I thank you. Juls is like family to me and I only wish I was there to help her stay strong. If you want to spread the word, grab the button on the right! (If you're reading this on The Hive, visit my blogger blog: http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com) It'll link to Juls post about the special sale for Christian. She's going to be the best Auntie this little guy could ever ask for.

Hope your day is filled with blessings and love!

{Hugs}

Dawn

P.S. If you want to help, spread the word to help baby Christian. Share or re-tweet this blog post to spread the word far & wide. Thanks in advance... I know you rock!

UPDATE on Christian

It is with very heavy heart that I have to share this news. Christian passed away on Friday, Aug. 12th, his Daddy's birthday. He was a gift to his family for just a mere week, but he'll be treasured forever. Prayers and love go out to Juls and her entire family though this difficult time. Juls, we're so very sorry for your loss. If I could hug you in person, I've give you 8,452,129 of them!

Thanks so much to everybody that shared Christian's message, and that offered words of support and love to Juls and her family. You are all a treasure and a blessing to be friends with!

Finding Your Niche WHILE Expressing Your Creativity

2011-08-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

I'm a firm believer than when you find your niche (no matter what type of product or widget you create) you will still have abundant creativity and great ideas.

I also believe that while we can enjoy lots of things, if you really, really want to succeed as a true business (not a hobby) you need to find your niche and become really, really good at what you create. It's not to say you can't enjoy doing multiple things, because as creative artisans, we all have several joys. But the true love of what we create... the piece that comes from our heart... the pieces that reveal our soul are where we are meant to be.

I bring this up after creating custom made jewelry with several styles over the years. I've strung, wire wrapped, crocheted, embroidered and woven. Now that's one heck of a varied list when you're talking about handmade jewelry. But, I really, really LIKE each style for different reasons. It wasn't until I made the Dancing in the Tide Necklace that I had considered which direction was calling me.

Seed beads have become like crack for me... seriously, I think they talk (outloud) to me. They tell me where they want to live and who they want as neighbors and I just take their orders and try to make everybody happy. After all, I'm a Libra... and I like balance. In working with seed beads for a while, I finally got enough GUTS to try bead embroidery. What was I afraid of? Who knows, but I'm so glad I did. Each piece is different, all are special and when I finish a piece, even I'm surprised at the messages they reveal.

Well last week (or maybe the week before) when I created the Dancing in the Tide necklace, it was like a Nirvana for me. Each piece starts with a OOAK focal bead. I happen to LOVE the artist Juli Cannon so her lampwork focals are most often the WOW factor in my pieces. Why? Because I know she pours an infinite amount of love into each-and-every-single-bead she makes. Yes, they are all born of her very talented hands and knowing I'm helping out a fellow artisan is really important to me.

So I start with an already special piece and I added more pizazz and "Dawn-a-size" it, creating an even more OOAK piece. I pride myself in being able to bring personality to a piece. If I'm designing a custom order for someone, I like to bring their personality into a piece. But if it's not a custom order, I let the focal do the talking.

I think I'm closer to finding my niche with this design. Similar, but completely unique, I've created another seed bead necklace - again, similar but OOAK. My goal is to be able to create a style that when somebody sees the photo or the jewelry on someone, they KNOW it's a Designs By Dawn Marie original!

This very well could be one of those designs. Each one I've made, it's like I can't get enough. It feeds my creativity. It's a mix of funk and a whole lotta soul! The design is the type of project that makes me giddy to get in the studio in the morning and makes me forget that I didn't eat lunch. Say what? I know... me forgetting to eat is like snow in Mexico... or is it?

Where does your creativity buffet come from? What's THE thing that makes you giddy to create what you create? Hope your day is terrific!

{Hugs!}

Two of my loves Glass Beads and the color Purple

2011-08-01T16:07:00.000-05:00

Two of my loves are also coffee and donuts, but you didn't come here to find that out, did you now?

What you really came here to read about were either A. Glass Beads or B. The Color Purple... either way, grab a napkin because you're gonna drool! PROMISE!

Earlier this summer I was doing a wee bit of shopping and stumbled across the most awesome maxi-dress. It was this fabulous purple and green bohemian style flowy sundress. Honestly, it jumped right off the rack and said, "Take me Dawn, I'm yours." And how could I not. It looked like me even without me in it! So home with me it came... along with the idea that I MUST have a necklace to go with it. That was May...

Then was that infamous trip for coffee where something else said "Bring me home Dawn, I'm yours." And so I did... and thus the necklace for this most perfect dress has been a work in progress during stolen moments of beading time for nearly 3 months.

I poured so many things I love into this necklace... obviously purple... with a dash of green. Beyond that, I like rounded shapes... I've always had an eye for angular rather than perpendicular or parallel. (Yes, in my dream bedroom, the bed will be at an angle, with the headboard in the corner.) I love big bling, so the crystals add a pop or shparkle... yep, I spelled it shparkle because I can! And I adore lampwork glass beads. In this necklace I used some custom made lampwork beads from Julsbeads. I mixed it all up with a host of seed beads and stones (agate, and some jasper thingy or other, and some shparkley purple glittery stones I had in a stash from who knows where) and voila!

And since I mentioned DONUTS... if you pop over to Juls Blog, she's got donuts over there... sorta. It's a big 'ole Blog-o-versary and she's doing one.heck.of.a.hu-mungo.GIVEAWAY. Then you can get your OWN donuts and pretty coily beads. So just wiggle that little tushy of yours over there and enter... hurry because one the blog-o-versary donuts are gone, the party is O-V-E-R over!

**Disclaimer: This blog post is 100% calorie free eye candy. Designs by Dawn Marie will not be held responsible for licking of computer monitors, uncontrolled drooling, or twitching mouse finger. If you experience any of these symptoms, please seek help immediately.

Thanks for playing! :o)

Simply Elegant Vintage Inspired Earrings

2011-07-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

I was asked by a friend if I could make her a pair of earrings to go with a dress for an upcoming wedding. But of course I can! What was she looking for? She wasn't sure, but she said I needed to see the dress first.

Since she works with Chris, she brought her dress into work (and I'm sure he looked adorable carrying out a dress bag with a gown in it that evening.) Great mental photo...

The dress is cocktail length, rich chocolate brown with small straps that cross in the back. Along the bust is some decorative beadwork that makes a necklace unnecessary. So earrings are the perfect accessory to compliment it.

I opted to go with a vintage copper style. Soft and romantic, light-weight and definitely able to be worn with so many outfits. Accented with Swarovski Lt. Colarado Topaz crystals and Czech fire-polished crystal rounds, there's a little sparkle with a touch of class!

Hope you have a terrific weekend!
{Hugs!}

Dancing in the Tide - Just Makes You Want a Vacation - Doesn't it

2011-07-27T07:46:00.001-05:00

Dancing in the Tide

I'd like to introduce you to my new neck candy! :o) Yes, this necklace is almost good enough you can lick it.... except it doesn't taste like a lollipop... I don't think, it's not like IIIIII licked it or anything. (Because once you lick something, it officially becomes yours forever and ever.... like the last piece of birthday cake - just sayin')

I have entered this necklace in The Hive Creative Challenge. The theme for the challenge was "Celebrate!" because they are celebrating their 1 year anniversary. I was super excited to join in the challenge because I've met so many great blogger friends from around the globe that all have different artistic interests.

Why does this necklace represent "Celebrate!" to me? You'll just have to click here to find out!

The voting for this contest is open to the public. If you like the piece and would like to cast your vote, visit my blog post on The Hive, and "like" the post. Then if you really, really, really like the necklace, feel free to share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. :o)

Thanks in advance because I KNOW you are awesome! Heck, you took the time to visit here and share a virtual cuppa java over this post, so you made my day!

Hope your day is superb!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

P.S. If you want a necklace like this one... head over to JulsBeads and pick out a focal you want to lick. Ask Juls to send it up to her favorite girl in WI and I'll sparkle-it-up for you! Then you can lick it to your hearts content! :o)

Facebook Friday - That Darn Chat Bar

2011-07-22T10:01:00.002-05:00

Warning: I do not chat on Facebook. Have not and won't because that's really way over taxing my one track mind most of the time.

Did Facebook mix you up this week with their sudden "pop up" chat bar on the right hand side? I logged in one morning and viola.... there it was. And there was no 'x' to close it so I left it for a day before it irritated me into action. Side note: the friends that are showing are those that are most "relevant" in your interactions - according to FB. I'm not so sure that's accurate, but that's what they say. :o)

I'm not a chatter... I used to chat when Yahoo Messenger first came out, I chatted my brains out. I also got very little of anything else accomplished. So then I discovered how to be invisible.... but people still sent me messages even when I "appeared" offline to them. Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with other people. However, when I'm working on my computer - blogging, marketing, listing I really need to focus. There's just not enough hours in the day otherwise. So the random chatting via messenger had to go.

Honestly, people who know me know to send me an e-mail or private FB message or pick up the phone and call me. I prefer the more personal conversations and interactions. (which is also why 140 characters on Twitter is also sooo very difficult. But that's a story for another day!)

So how the heck do you make that darn chat bar go away if you really don't want to use it (or look at it)?

On the lower right side of your screen, click on the starburst looking icon.
If Available to Chat is Selected, un-check it.
From this same area, you can also click "Hide Sidebar" to have it disappear complete.
You can go back online to chat anytime but clicking that starburst icon again.

Another Side Note: This morning when I went to publish this post, my chat worked different than it did just yesterday. UGH... so if the above instructions don't look right based on your screen, today's version goes like this.

Click that Starburst Icon on the lower right.
Select Options, then click "Go Offline".
That should disable chat and minimize that sidebar for you.

Hope this little Facebook Friday info helped. It just shows how dynamic and radically changing the game of social media marketing has become. I'm happy to share the tidbits I know and learn that may be helpful to you!

Hope your weekend is Fabulous!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

The woman is crazy - like completely off her rocker CRAZY!

2011-07-20T09:57:00.000-05:00

Honestly, when someone's done gone and lost her mind, can we help her find a support group? I'm working on it, but I'm drooling all over my keyboard and it's getting in the way!

I'm talking about our sweet southern lampwork artists Juli Cannon y'all (her y'all not mine.) She's been crazy making beads the last few days and even crazier listing them in her StudioJuls Store! What's really crazy... these sets of beads are only $10 each... that's nuts! I don't care if it's walnuts, pistacios, peanuts or almonds... she's a whole mixed bag of nuts listing these sets for $10. That's 1/2 price y'all (again, her y'all, not mine.)

So before she comes to her right mind (or I find a support group for nutty glass artists) I'd scoot your little patootie over to Studio Juls right now and scoop up your favorite sets!

Like the beads but don't make jewelry (Stacy, Jenna, Kathy and so many more) pick some up and ask Juls to ship 'em this way! I'm happy to make you something custom with these delicious baubbles!

So don't wait... she might find the mind she's lost! http://studiojuls.bigcartel.com/

Have a Wacky Wednesday! :o)

Softflex Craft Wire: An Honest Review

2011-07-18T06:25:00.001-05:00

Recently I was asked by another jewelry maker what wire I use for my wire crochet pieces. When I started making wire crochet jewelry, I only knew of one option that had a variety of colors in a fine enough gauge to crochet with. It was Zebra wire. But as my focus shifted from wire crochet jewelry to bead embroidered jewelry, I hadn't purchased wire for wire crochet in some time. Which got me to thinking...

"I follow the SoftFlex blog and Facebook fan page. Both Sara and Jamie are all over the internet communicating with other bloggers and sharing the jewelry love of anybody that uses SoftFlex products. I've been using SoftFlex beading wire and absolutely love it! So I think I better try their craft wire before I answer my friend."

I contacted Sara about doing an honest review of their colored craft wire on my blog. She was thrilled that I wanted to try something new from SoftFlex.

Before I even delve into the wire itself, can I tell you how on the ball SoftFlex as a company is? Their customer service is bar none and their shipping time... well let me just say I think they have Superman on staff because my package arrived in record time.

Okay, now about the SoftFlex Colored Craft Wire...

I have to say using it was a pleasure. I used the 28 gauge black wire to make a wire crochet bracelet. The wire was the perfect size to work with. It was sturdy enough and yet malleable all at the same time so I could maneuver it with the crochet hook.

One thing that I'm a real stickler about when I'm using a color-coated wire is how well does the color STAY on the wire when I'm making wrapped loops or working with my tools. Other wire I've used you have to baby because the color coating scratches easily and reveals the copper base wire. I'm very happy to say that SoftFlex Craft Wire kept it's color coating throughout the whole process. From stringing all the beads and constantly feeding more wire into the project.

The bracelet turned out FABULOUS and I was very pleased with the way that the SoftFlex craft wire performed. I won't be going back to the "other" wire anytime soon because SoftFlex has won over my wire crochet heart!

Give it a try and let me know what you think! You should see all their colors. Even though I used the black, (because I had these amazing silver beads that I thought would end up completely drool-worthy) their line of colors is outstanding. I saw them in person at Bead & Button in Milwaukee and they really are as vibrant as they look on the website!

SoftFlex Website: http://www.softflexcompany.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/softflexcompany
Blog: http://softflexgirl.blogspot.com/

Hope your week is full of wonderful discoveries!
{Hugs!}

What's Purple and Green and Sparkles All Over

2011-07-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

If you saw my Bead Table Wednesday (BTW) post this week, you'll see a necklace I'm working on for me, myself and I. Why is it we always design for other people first and sadly forget to make ourselves a priority (or maybe it's just me, but play along and make me feel better, okay?) Thanks.

So I'm working on a purple and green bead embroidered necklace. I'm loving how it's coming along. I had a few hours of puppy nap time this week and a beautiful day on my screen porch so I opted to make a bracelet to match. Disclaimer: this is not my design, it was in Bead and Button's April 2010 issue. It worked up in just a few hours and brought in both the purple and greens that I've worked into the body of the necklace.

I kept a tight tension to create a wavy, ruffly edge. But with looser tension, this bracelet would lie flat. I however am a curly girl, so a little bit of wavy is just my thing.

How about you... when was the last time you took the time to make something special just for YOU? If you can't remember... go make something now! You're special and you deserve to know that I really value our friendship (even if we've never gotten to meet in person)!

Make it a terrific day!
{Hugs!}

Bead Table Wednesday - BTW

2011-07-13T12:56:00.001-05:00

This is 2 weeks of BTW in a row. Why? Because I took pics and forgot to post last week AND because I have a puppy that has really limited my beading time. SOoooo while my beading table is full of "projects" including a wire crochet project with Softflex craft wire and a custom design that will be exclusively available through Suzy Manning's Sizzzl website. (which you should really check out of you want to meet an EXTRAORDINARY woman!)

So this week (and last) I've been working on a project for me. I bought a summery sundress that is a purple paisly pattern with green, black and cream tossed into to create the pattern. I've been working on a necklace that would go with the dress perfectly. Not sure where it will end up because as you can see from the two photos, it's starts as one thing then evolves and changes with each bead I add!

What's on your bead table today?
{Hugs!}
Dawn

I Heart Macro!

2011-07-11T08:49:00.000-05:00

I saw a post on Facebook over the weekend from a fellow Wisconsinite Beader - Tracey Nanstad (A Beadiful Mess) with a great macro photo of a bubble on a bubble wand. Now we see kids blowing bubbles and love how they float, then pop, but have you ever captured one on photo? Thanks Tracey for posting your link on Facebook while I happened to be online! It caught my eye and introduced me to several new bloggers! ♥

The post is part of a blog hop called "I Heart Macro" and it led me to flip through several blogs that I hadn't seen before! I love how being summer, we're capturing so many beautiful flowers with our macro photos. I also love the tenderness of animals in the macro photos!

So for my entry into the I Heart Macro blog hop, is a photo I took at our 4th of July party with Chris' family. This is a tri-colored zinnia that starts out as a fuschia in the middle and blends to a red-orange and finally yellow. Don't you just love the little clusters of stars around the center of the flower? And do you see the bug at the very tip of the petal on the upper right (you'll want to click the photo to enlarge.)

When I took the photo, immediately I was seeing a bead embroidered piece of art, and I still do. But in the meantime, while it simmers in my creative brain, I had to share with you so you could enjoy the simple beautiful Mother Nature gives us each and every day.

Like it? Wanna Play? Click the I Heart Macro button and you'll be taken to Waterstone Jewelry's blog! Surf through the current entries for I Heart Macro and then share an entry of your own! Can't wait to see what you capture!

Have a terrific week! {Hugs!}

~Dawn

Facebook Friday - Connecting your Personal Profile to your Business Profile

2011-07-08T14:19:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Facebook Friday! First let me ask... if you have an online business, do you have a Facebook business page or are you just using your personal profile?

If you don't have a business page, you really should. For a number of reasons, there are many more applications that work with business pages that just aren't available to personal profiles. (i.e. Etsy app and the Artfire Kiosk to name a few.)

So if you don't yet have a business page, set one up.... I'll wait, so hurry back. :o) Trust me, people are much more likely to follow what's going on with your business if they just have to click "Like," rather than sending you a friend request and waiting for you to accept.

Once you've gotten your business page set up, you'll want to link your personal page to your business. Otherwise, how will people know where to find your business page (or that you even have one.) One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is when they list their employment on their personal page, they'll write XYZ company or self employed, etc. BUT by doing that, nobody knows you have a business you run. They have no way of seeing that information. This really came into play when Facebook made their major changes back in May for both the personal and business pages.

How can we fix this?

Regardless of your day job, or full-time employment, the reality is you still work for yourself and need to promote YOUR business with passion in order for it to grow. Simple solution to get you started. In the Employment Section of your personal profile, set the employer as your facebook fan page! Here's how:

Click Edit Profile > then go to the Education and Work section.
Begin typing the name of your fan page in the Employer field.
If you see your fan page in the dropdown menu, select it.
Then fill out the remaining fields (Position, City/Town, Description and Time Period). If you also add in any business partners/colleagues, this will show on their profile too under the Employer section.
Click Add Job.

Ta Daaaaa! It's that simple! Now when people are your friends on your personal profile, they can click the link at the top of your profile to go directly to your business page!

Want more great Facebook and Social Media Marketing tips? "Like" my FB Page and I'll be sharing more secrets and tips frequently in the weeks to come! Hope you have a FANTASTIC Facebook Friday!
{Hugs!}

Cinderella Made it Home from the Ball

2011-07-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

We survived the 4th of July weekend. No windows were blown out because of the neighbors fireworks. All 3 of my dogs still have their bark (although our big guy is still working his way back to normal.) And we enjoyed all of our family gatherings. Here's a few pics to share from our fabulous weekend!


When you wear the funky glasses, these bubbles appear to have lightening bolts in them.

These Fabulous Glasses are 3-D for the Bubbles!

I am in the process of doing a review for SoftFlex Craft Wire using it in a wire crochet cuff. Can't wait to share with you. (secret: there might even be a tutorial involved.. shhhhh)

Hope you have a wonderful week! Hard to believe it's half over already!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

My Sweetie and My Baby Bella

Long Weekend - Break out the Margaritas!

2011-07-01T14:22:00.001-05:00

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends! Hope you are enjoying the holiday and spending time with your dear families. For those in the states, the 4th of July is on Monday, so I say... what the heck, let's break out the margarita maker right.this.very.minute!

Since WI is so close to Canada... I mean heck, we're only an international border away... I'm officially celebrating BOTH holidays! Yes, I'm barefoot, casual and I've started my weekend early! I have 3 dogs all napping peacefully (gasp, that NEVER happens) and mama's gonna go play in some beadzzzzzz! WOO HOO!

This weekend is always a lot of fun! Celebrating my niece Ashlynn's 3rd birthday (actual birthday is today, party is tomorrow) then having a BBQ with Chris' family on Sunday... and on Monday, we all rest!

What's your plans for Canada Day or the 4th of July? Are there fireworks on your agenda? (That F-word... yes, fireworks) is sooooo not welcome in our home. Cody is TERRIFIED of anything that goes boom... which is precisely why he's a handsome house dog and not a hunting dog. LOL So we play REALLY loud music to drown out the crazy neighbors that aim their bottle rockets at our house. And yes, you read that correctly, they actually point the tube that they shoot the ILLEGAL bottle rockets out of at our house... and yes, we have talked nicely to them and asked them to please not aim their flaming explosives at our home... but apparently they have short term memory issues. So this year, they get a visit from the uniforms until they can refresh that aging memory. (Sidenote: they already started last weekend and we had 4 bottle rockets in our front yard... just feet from our screen porch.)

In my next life, I'll live in the middle of the woods with no neighbors for 5 miles each direction!

Hope your weekend is fun, safe and full of great memories... or really funny stories you can share on your blog! :o)

{Hugs!}

Tis not Sesame Street - But Today is all about G

2011-06-27T09:55:00.000-05:00

I could say the G is for Greg, my little brother who is GREAT... but that's not the entire reason for this post.

It was a very busy weekend and finally the weather here in WI was perfect on a weekend. We were able to clean out the screen porch for the season... I know it's July next weekend, but prior to this the weather has never cooperated when Chris and I were both available.

So clean, clean, clean... then GRILL! Yes, G is the letter of the day!

We had one of our dear friends over and I made an incredible - healthy - dinner yesterday. I tried all new ideas for dinner including a Greek cucumber dip (for toasted pita chips) and a beautiful GREEN cilantro pesto made with fresh herbs from our garden. The Cilantro pesto topped chicken that had a light lemon pepper and olive oil for seasoning.

Both turned out so well, and were healthy I just had to share - see facebook note for cilantro pesto recipe.

Greek Cucumber Dip
1 c. organic plain yogurt
1 c. organic sour cream
1 Tbsp Greek Seasoning
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper
1 Medium cucumber

De-seed and shred cucumber. Mix in yogurt, sour cream, greek seasoning and lemon juice. Refrigerate 2 hours prior to serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with baked pita chips.

Glass... yes a very favorite piece of eyecandy for me. Especially lampwork glass from a wonderful artisan. I've organized and been working with much of my stash lately and will be adding several new pieces to my Artfire Store. Pieces include a fuschia set (earrings & necklace), patriotic earrings and a stunning pearl & lampwork bridal set! Oh yeah... I'm still drooling... So that's on my To DO list today, what's on yours?

G is also for Gallbladder which at this moment Chris' mom is having removed. What started as a stomach pain ended her in the ER overnight and surgery this morning. So positive thoughts and healing energies for her today would be most appreciated.

Good Gravy, can you believe this is the last week in June? Honestly, I've been working so diligently on puppy training so I have a Good Gurrrrllll... it seems June just slipped out the back door! So while I'm embracing puppy training because I recognize a good dog is a happy dog, and this little cutie patootie is one smart whipper snapper, I need to work with her while she's absorbing it like a sponge!

Thanks for joining me on G day! In the words of Tony the Tiger, I hope your day is Grrrrrrr-eat!

{Hugs!}

Brought to you by the letter J

2011-06-21T08:55:00.001-05:00

Dragonfly by Jayla Rediger - 11 yr old

J for Jelly Beans, J for jumping, J for JAYLA!

I am so excited to share this piece with you. I have a little story to share, so if you'll grab a cup of coffee first, I know you'll be so glad you walked on this little journey for me.

"Why Jayla" you ask?

Because Jayla is a beautiful 11 year old aspiring artist that made the dragonfly pendant I've used in this necklace. Yes, just 11 YEARS OLD!!!! I first heard about Jayla's talents when I was reading her mom Melissa's blog. Melissa operates Sea of Glass, a lampwork artist out of Iowa. When her daughter wanted to take a class with her at their local bead store, Melissa embraced some special mother daughter time and signed them up for a polymer clay class.

Jayla was instantly in love with making the pendants. From the colors and finishes to all the little add ons that make each pendant one of a kind, she was inspired. After the class Jayla wasn't about to give up designing. No, rather she wanted to turn her creative inspirations into a business. Jayla continue to make her special pendants and Melissa created a section on her website called Jayla's Corner just for her to market her pendants.

When I heard Melissa was going to be selling at Bead and Button and Jayla's dad had created a special display to sell her pendants, I knew I had to get one (and meet Melissa too!) I had my dear sweet fiance Chris with me (he was SUCH a trooper going to B&B and I'll tell you, he was amazed at the various artisans we met. He had no idea just how many talented artisans are in this genre. He's also still waiting for his T-shirt that said "I attended Bead & Button 2011"~ goofball.)

The second I saw this dragonfly pendant, it was mine... as in GIMME-RIGHT-NOW!!! Her artistry in this pendant is stunning. She even used a toothpick to paint the body of the dragonfly because it's a tiny area. As an added touch, she created a flower with a bead cap and sparkly swarovski crystal center for that perfect finishing touch.

I love supporting today's youth because I feel like they are facing challenges much more difficult than I faced growing up. But I also LOVE when I see parents taking such an interactive role in supporting their kids and fostering their creative spirits. Jayla's Corner is available on Melissa's website, Sea of Glass and if you want to see Jayla's latest pendants as she creates them, I urge you to follow Melissa's blog too!

This is just the first piece I'll make with one of Jayla's pendants. It was a pleasure pulling the colors out of the design and adding some additional sparkle with Swarovski crystals in the beaded necklace. The necklace is currently available in my Artfire Store.

I hope you enjoy the simple beauty and you find creative inspiration from the story of this very talented 11 year old girl. She's got a great start to a very bright future!

{Hugs!}

Available in my Artfire Store

Ode to my Dad

2011-06-18T06:36:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Father's Day weekend is here - already! Zoinks, I'm still thinking it's May, I better catch up. LOL

This is my Dad... Short little fella (5'5" - or he was at one time) so that's where I got my substantial height from. (pun intended) He's a hard working, simple man that has worked my entire life to provide for the family. My dad has a great sense of humor... and LOVES to be the life of the party AND the brunt of all the jokes. Seriously, he really enjoys people picking on him (when it's done out of love of course). He's got a sweet tooth that resembles a saber-toothed tiger (seriously, I guess I owe that quality in myself to him too). Dad, my hips, butt and thighs really thank you for that one... NOT. But really, he can't help it - he's a Schwan man... ice cream is in his DNA. :o)

All in all, he's a pretty darn great guy!

Happy Father's Day Dad!

To all the Dad's out there (and Fur Dad's too) I hope the weekend to celebrate you finds you surrounded in Love and Family!

Baring it All - Just for YOU

2011-06-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

Fancy Photo Studio

Yes, many people have asked for pictures, so today I'm baring it all for you!

I've tried many, many different methods and continue to read blog posts and articles about how to take the best photos of handcrafted jewelry. Last summer I took advantage of all the nature around me and took outside photos. I really loved bring that organic element into my photos.

But I live in WI and summer leads to fall... and then WINTER. And I'll be gol darn it I'm not going to freeze my fingers off taking outside photos through the winter.

So I needed to find a solution that worked indoors. My good friend Stacy who's an excellent photographer shares anytime she finds great articles about photographing our items and one in particular really helped me. (Sorry, I don't still have the link, but it was great!)

With some of my props

The article said use natural lighting from a window, but filter it with a sheet of tracing paper. Put a table right up to the window and cover it with aluminum foil... with full sunlight coming in, this will appear white.

They also had a number of other "reflective elements" to shift the light back on the item you are photographing. My challenge, in an old house, most of my windows are multi-pane and leaded glass. Not good because of the shadows that it throws behind the paper.

I have two windows that I've found work great... one worked all winter, but then when the trees bloomed, I no longer got direct sun. So I found a better window which happens to be right by my desk.

So using the M setting on my little point & shoot Canon camera, and using a mirror to capture light on the front of the object with the natural backlighting, this is my "photo studio" set up. Nothing fancy... trust me.

Click photo to enlarge

At some point I will set up a silly photo tent, so I'm not reliant on Mother Nature to give me sunshine so I can take good photos. Note in the photo the lilac bushes outside of my window. Yes, the period of time I can capture just the right light for my photos is from about 11 a.m. until about 1:30 p.m.

How do you photograph your pieces? It's not just jewelry, it's any of us that are creating artistic treasures and marketing or blogging about them online.

Hope your day is terrific!
{Hugs!}

Gardening Question

2011-06-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Gardeners... I have a situation brewing in my garden and if you have any ideas that can help, I'd deeply appreciate it!

In my veggie garden I have tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce planted. As well as herbs (basil, cilantro and parsley.) In the last few days, something has been eating my basil leaves and lettuce. But that's it. It hasn't touched my tomatoes, cucumbers or red pepper.

It's not something like a bunny.... it's not that kind of bites. Rather it's insect like, but I haven't seen the culprit. Has anybody had a similar pest munching on basil and lettuce? If so, any ideas on what to do about it? I was thrilled to be able to have a plethora of lettuce.... not to mention bruschetta when the tomatoes come in. Now, I'm not sure those itty bitty plants will make it.

This gardener appreciates your solutions very much!

{Hugs!}

Bling for the Lobes

2011-06-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday all! I've been working on balance (finding it) and seem to be making some headway. I was recently able to create... on another day I was able to photograph... and on the third day I listed.

So these glass beaded earrings are all brand new in my Artfire store. Asymmetrical anybody??? It's something new for me... but I think I rather like it!

In other news... check out this lady that stopped by as I was washing dishes. She primped and preened, and scavenged bugs out of the puddle for at least 20 minutes while I was cleaning up the kitchen. She's definitely a BIG bird. It's funny, she walked over to our "potty pen" where's we're potty training Bella and she was sniffing around there too. Very comfortable bird in her own feathers I'd conclude! LOL Have a terrific day! :)

P.S. All lampwork glass beads used in these earrings were created and designed by Julianna Cannon of JulsBeads! Check out her store to pick your favs! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Julsbeads

Where do you read blogs?

2011-06-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

My Surprise - Yummy Big Hole Beads from JulsBeads

When I logged in this morning, Blogger had a little pop up window that asked me if I wanted to turn on Mobile templates so my blog would be readable on mobile phones. So my question to you is where do YOU read the blogs you follow?

Do you read it in your blogger dashboard?
Do you read them on The Hive forum?
Do you use Google Reader?
Do you follow via Networked Blogs on Facebook?
Are you a Twitter follower?

So many choices. I'm just curious, how do you follow? If you're on Facebook or Twitter, feel free to share your links to your profile in your comment! Take some time and visit a few others and spread the networking love around! K?

Make it a terrific day!
{Hugs!}

One Big Beautiful Bead by Sarah McConnell is a great book for inspiration to create using lampwork glass beads!

Starry, Starry Night

2011-06-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

Starry, Starry Night

I'm so excited to share the photos of this special necklace with you. I made it as a gift for my sister Amy for her birthday. Even though her birthday isn't for another week, we celebrated her birthday and my Dad's birthday yesterday at a wonderful family BBQ. We missed my baby sister and her family as she was working. :(

For Amy's birthday I wanted to give her something really special. Something she couldn't just go to the store and buy.... or she would consider frivolous and not spend the money on for herself. She's so generous with others and when it comes to spending money on things for herself, she's very economical.

When I set out to make Amy's birthday present, I knew I wanted it to be in the blue family. Amy just loves that deep, rich blue. And I might add, with her fair skin, red hair and the only blue eyes of my siblings, it's a great color on her! So I brought her personality along with her personal tastes into this bead embroidered necklace.

I'm calling this piece Starry, Starry Night because once it was finished that's exactly what it reminded me of. The deep blue glass center surrounded by vitrail FP Czech Glass rounds looked like stars in the sky. In the chain I used some gunmetal and frosted sapphire Toho seed beads, Black diamond & sapphire swarovski crystals and a gunmetal chain to tie it all together. The bead embroidered pendant was again stitched on Nicole's BeadBacking in grey... which was perfect with the vitrail beads.

I matching pair of earrings using sapphire & crystal rondelles & bicones. For a fun factor, I used my jig and created at little twisty turvy curly loopy headpin, which made Amy (another curly girl) smile.

Amy loved it. I cried tears of happiness (I know, I'm such a sap) and it was a great day for everybody. Hope your birthday is absolutely wonderful next week Amers! Love you lots!

xoxo,
Your Big Sis