The King of Naps

This is Napoleon P. Oodle doing what he does best - napping.

He's such an old farty bear that his toes have gone gray.
And his muzzle and eyebrows also have that distinguished silvertone.

Yes, if you were here you could hear him snoring like a chainsaw.

Ocelot Nuggets

This big necklace was a Christmas present for my sister - so I couldn't share it with you until she had it round her lovely neck.

It's has loads of hand-faceted beads.

The glass used is a combination of 'pale transparent brown' and 'light topaz' - equal amounts on each bead randomly blobbed on. Some beads are more brown and some are more honey colored, it gives the necklace a nice organic look.

The beads were decorated with reduction frit.

I have discovered 96 coe frit.
These beads were made with a commercial blend called "Ocelot Spots" by Val Cox.
It's awesome - the beads are nicely speckled and have a gorgeous blue iridescence.

The necklace is put together with lots of hand hammered sterling silver.
It's nice and long and looks very posh on her.

Christmas Sweets

Just sharing a few holiday snapshots.

The Christmas Goose.

They 'belieber" in Santa.

Baby it's cold outside.

Champagne for breakfast (and pancakes for dinner).

The tree - only one this year.

I love ornaments - first a bowl of handblown ones.
And below some favorites from the tree.

The best ones are glittery glass that have nothing to do with Christmas.

Gnomes just hangin' out in the corner.

Singing Suzi Snowflake and the giant lump of coal. It just wouldn't be Christmas without her.

Have a cookie before you go.

Bangle Freak-out

I had a bangle making binge.

So much fun to make!

Purr-ple Nuggets of Joy

I am not into making big, complicated, stand-alone beads.
I am impressed with people who do, but I am more about making parts for my jewelry pieces.

I just finished this bracelet.
See how stinking simple these beads are?
Just two shades of rosy purple, dark on one end and light on the other, with lots of hand-shaped facets.

These eight are a take on amethyst but the possibilities are endless.
Lemon-lime, watermelon tourmaline, blue & black, gray on gray, red and yellow...

The metal links are 18 gauge bronze and the clasp is 16 gauge bronze.

Yep, it snowed here and then it snowed some more, and more is on the way..

Black & Gold Monster

Like something come back to haunt me from the late 80's - a giant black and gold tone charm bracelet.
I wish I had an old Chanel earring or button to add to it...

It's huge, brash, jangly and not for the timid.

The base is made with some of my black glass beads, then I layered on a pile of antique black glass buttons and lastly, because too much was not enough, I added a mess of vintage gold tone charms from my stash.

There is a kitten, root beer barrel, mushroom, unicorn, clown, lots of hearts, hula dancer, crown, Eiffel Tower, purse, clam shell, some old coins, a bell, seahorse, race horse with lucky horse shoe, and I can't remember what else. So much fun.

The old glass buttons are really cool.

The clasp is sort of boring, but it needed something big and sturdy and overall the design worked.
I used a lot of bronze wire putting it all together along with some black enameled oversize jumprings.

Less may be more, but sometimes nothing succeeds like excess.

A Snowy Gray Day

It's so gray and snowy here.
The sky is cold and grim, the dead leaves are crisp and snow covered.

The glass I used in the beads for this bracelet is just pale transparent gray and clear sprinkled with medium sized white frit, nothing fancy.

The clasp and links are all sterling silver.

Perfect for that ice princess in your life.

Behind The Tree Truck

As we were driving along on some damn country road we came up behind a truck hauling holiday trees and I realized I am about to be run over by Christmas.

I have no master X-mas plan, only a few presents squirreled away and the knowledge that my red & green doom is two weeks away. There's not much spirit in me this year. I see other bloggers posting about handmade ornaments and gifts they have lovingly made and have seen their fancy trees all decorated.

My friend Tommy told me about this a great holiday song called 'Truckin' Trees for Christmas' by an old timer named Red Simpson.

I love it!

Maybe I'm just hungry but I am feeling the urge to bake some sugary cookies. I found a festive recipe, or two, on Pinterest that seem intriguing. That's a start, eh? Maybe some Christmas cheer will wash all over me any minute now? Maybe I just need an eggnog and a Valium to kick-start the season.

Whatever am I going to do about Christmas this year?

Bad Bad Bangle

A thick leather bangle with lampwork glass beads, some metal bits and a great skull bead.
It has a magnetic clasp which makes it super easy to wear.

(sold)

Cold Rain

A new necklace.
Simple. A graduated strand of glass beads and sterling silver.

It's my interpretation of a cold rain.

A November rain, nearly frozen droplets on bare branches a gray blue sky.

The cores of each beads is a mix of transparent aqua and transparent brown that were rolled in fine raku frit. Then the centers were encased in mixes of palest gray, pale lavender, clear and pale aqua.

(sold)

Craftacular! Craftacular!

If you're a Rochesterian ...
Tomorrow is Craftacular!
It's a small show, just nine vendors each one making something different and special.
Hand spun yarns and woven scarves, stuffed animals made from old cashmere sweaters, deluxe cookies, tiaras and hair ornaments, dog hats and potholders, arty tote bags, floral pottery and ceramic ornaments, glass beads and jewelry.