Philly Bead Fest 2010

I had good intentions of keeping my spending in check today at the Philly Bead Fest, but when you're bombarded with deals, deals, deals, you have to take advantage of a good situation. Right?

I had the pleasure of spending the day with Lynn of Lynn's Craftworld, and Sally of WireWorked. We had a blast on the way to the show catching up on old times, and we had even more fun at the show spending money. I was swimming in a sea of beads today because the prices were right!

I coined the phrase, "A penny pinched is a penny earned," (a slight variation of Ben Franklin's original saying) and I was able to pinch a lot of pennies today at the show with all the fabulous deals. Heck, in this economy, you have to pinch your pennies.

I bought these beautiful glass beads by Maureen of Pumpkin Hill Beads. I can't wait to design some new earrings using these glass beads. This picture doesn't do justice for Maureen's beads. You have to see her beads in person. They're to die for.

Here's the lovely Maureen of Pumpkin Hill Beads.

Yes, people were spending money today at the show. Some of the vendors I spoke to said that the economy is a major drag on their business. I understand, but I always keep a positive attitude. When you're self-employed, you have no choice but to keep on going.

On The Cover!

 ~Image used with permission from Totally-Creative Magazine~

When the new issue of Totally-Creative Magazine was released, I was thrilled to see that both of my projects in the magazine made the cover. I'd like to thank editor Patti Ryan for choosing my projects for the family celebrations (volume 2 issue 4) cover. This is truly an honor. To learn more about this awesome publication, click here.

In keeping with the theme of family celebrations, I thought my paper mache adornments would make a great project for this issue. Perfect for weddings, anniversaries, or bridal showers, this project shows you how to make a wall adornment, which can also be used as a gift tag or ornament.

This jewelry ensemble is titled Wedded Bliss. It features pearls and Swarovski crystals from ArtBeads.com and pewter links by Talismann Associates.

Be sure to check out the new issue of Totally-Creative Magazine. It's loaded with lots fun crafting projects.

On The Auction Block

My original Pumpkin Cat painting will be up for auction at the Art Extravaganza on Sunday, August 29 at Ehrhardt's Waterfront Banquet Center, Lake Wallenpaupack, PA. Art Extravaganza is a tri-state area art show and auction to benefit children's literacy.

This acrylic painting measures 8"x10" and is painted on a thick piece of wood similar to a gallery-wrapped canvas, which does not require a frame. You can also purchase greeting cards with this folksy cat design in my zazzle gallery by clicking here.

Hope to see you at the auction!