Humblearts Journal

Bead Cruise Memories

This is my version of the Caribbean Queen Necklace that my Mom designed.  It was one of her classes on the cruise.  I love what she comes up with for my beads.  I would have never thought of a design like this.  Click on the image to see it larger.  (it's more impressive that way.)  The long beads on the sides are glass beads that I picked up at a recent bead show.

I'm offering the pattern for the Caribbean Queen Necklace on my website for my mom.  She's still recovering and asked me to have it on my site.  Click here.  You can also see another color combo that I did in purples and garnet.  The necklace is for any skill level and can be finished in an afternoon.

More beady treasures. 

I was super inspired by Liz to try my hand at bead embroidery.  Here is a starfish that will soon be turned into a necklace and used on our Bead Cruise promotional materials this year. 

And a little bead embroidered bead.  Both were created using a felted form as the base. 

I purchased Beaded Embellishment a few weeks ago and have been enjoying it.  It's a great beginners guide.

Other bead news, for you international bloggers I have opened up my shop to orders outside the U.S. to select countries.  So if you have a Paypal account, you can now shop at www.humblebeads.com.  International orders need to be emailed directly to me.  You can read all about it on my ordering info. page. 

Moving along

Well, I have been working away quietly on my goals this month.  I thought I should mention this to you dear readers especially for those seriously planning that overachievers intervention for me.  My monthly to-do list is simply a guideline of projects I'd like to work on during the month.  Some things get listed every month with the best of intentions and yet never find their way to my work desk.  Other items I may only work on them for a 1/2 hour but it's the steady progress of moving forward that motivates me.  It's my map and as with any good journey, diversions and pitstops along the way are constant. The map helps me find my way back to the road when I've been off wandering. 

I just updated my website with some new spots and few illustrations that have been on this blog, but needed to be put up at humblearts. 

I hosted our annual Critiquenic with our local SCBWI chapter this weekend.  I had a great time and appreciated everyone that turned out for the event.  I brought along a manuscript that I've been revising for a while.  A picture book that I'm dying to illustrate.  Writing is tough stuff, but one of my major life goals is to write and illustrate my own books. And speaking of writing and illustrating, are you ready to turn various shades of green?  I'm signed up to take the classes with Tomie DePaola, this summer at the SCBWI National Conference.  I'm beyond excited!

Enjoy your journey this week.

May's To-Do

I thought I'd get back to the monthly to-do list, since they help me keep on track!

Beady stuff:

Sell beads at the Bead Society Meeting this week.

Finish making beads for a beadstore.

Send out two articles that are long overdue.

Bead Cruise Stuff:

Pick our next cruise.

Send out press releases.

Illustration Stuff:

Teach kids how to make Magic Books at the McNay Family Day.

Finish 2 dummies, 1 picture book, 1 easy reader and send them out.

2 finished pieces of artwork as samples for the dummies.

Update website.

Make another promotional postcard to send out.

Update my mailing list.

SCBWI Stuff:

Host our annual Critiquenic

Secure our location for our Fall Conference

Send out postcards for our upcoming events

Look into the possibility of hosting an Illustrator's Retreat.

For Fun:

Make a raised bed garden.

Mulch the flower beds.

Enter this contest.

Purple - this coming week.  Teal - the third week in May.  Green - the last week and half of May. 

May Bead of the Month

New Bead of the Month is up over at humblebeads.com. 

Also listed a few weeks ago is the kit to my Sundry Bracelet that I taught on the cruise.  It whips up quickly in an afternoon.  It's been fun to see pictures of everyone's bracelet from the Bead Cruise!

For every season there is a squirrel...

What will they be doing next?

PBJ's Theme

My critique group had a monthly theme that we used as a creative springboard for April. 

April's theme was growth.  Here we have this little guy who gave up one of his acorns in hope of a future full of his favorite treats.  Of course, nothing wrong with trying to give Mother Nature a hand.

Other Picture Book Junkies who did a little growing last month:

Roz, Janee, Patrice, Laura & Paige. 

And even little PBJ's are sprouting: Emily. (Roz's daughter)