Monday Plans

Well with the unbelievable nice weather and Easter weekend in between, I'm now ready for new Monday Plans. I even managed to get results for my last plans. I finished 10, count 'em, TEN, of my bead crochet ropes. They all got caps and clasps now! Yay me!! Wanna take a peek??

And in more detail....

I even managed to do my (unblogged) Monday Plans of last week, which was to get the finished necklaces all photographed and ready for my etsy shop. I've even started to list them too! Even more Yay Me! :-))

I've got plenty more of these ropes, so I'll be busy for a while trying to get those finished too. Then I need to get them photographed and uploaded to the store. But if I wanna do something completely different this week, I just may tackle some of my crochet bonnets and work the threads in.
Huh, my UFO's are slowly becoming FO's after all this time!

Monday Plans do get my butt in gear it seems. And that's not just the Monday Plan, but the Big Plan! LOL :-))

Hugs,
Wezz

I haven't stopped

...making jewelry!!! LOL!!
Don't worry, I couldn't stop even if I wanted to, I like it way too much!
Here are two of my bead crochet necklaces, both have been given as gifts already.

I'm sure I'll have more soon, different designs too, and they'll be available in my etsy store.... ;-))
Please let me know what you think about these! I would love to hear your comments!

Hugs,
Wezz

This 'n' That

You may have noticed that I've been working on the link list on my blog. The list was just getting way too long and it needed splitting up a bit. So, I've now made new link categories, like "Sparkly Beads & Shiny Jewelry", "Digital Scrapbooking", "Oh! The Funny Pages!" and "Crafty Rubber Stamper Blogs". But how do you decide in which category the link should go?? Oh my head just hurts thinking I have to put some kind of label on a certain blog. Where would you put my blog link? Under Rubber Stampers? Jewelry? Or should it be the "Yarns, Fabrics & Patterns" section? Most people I know do more than just one crafty thing, so yeah, these decisions are very difficult for me. I keep plugging away at shortening the list in "My favorite web stops", but I just might need a few more categories. Like "Mixed Media", "Scrapbooking", etc. I fear that just "Papercrafts" or "Cardmaking" would be too general. But then, so was the original list... and it got out of hand. Real bad and real fast. LOL
For those who are just wondering if they should start a blog or not, why don't you check out the links under "Help & Info Sites" in the middle column. You might just find the push you need right there. heheh. And don't forget to tell me if you did start a blog!! Okay? Okay. :-))

To get you a little more confused on where to categorize MY blog, I have some scrapbook pages to show you. ;-))
Some friends of mine will be traveling to this region in the south of France, so I thought I'd give them something to look forward to. They might be interested to know there's an english pub in Valbonne too, not just the good restaurants. haha!! Enjoy the trip!!

Valbonne

 

Biot

 

St Paul de Vence

Mougins

 

I hope you all will let me know what they think of these!
Most materials used are from Club Scrap.

Don't forget, today is CYBER MONDAY! That means the sales aren't over yet! Check out my store, as I've added more items into the sale. :-))
And, I've not only been working on my blog, but also added some new items to the store.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these new pairs of earrings!

Hugs,
Wezz

't is the season...

...for Shopping!!! Yep, that's right, people! Time to get the best deals and start your Christmas shopping!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I wish my US friends (and anyone else who celebrates this) a happy day and hope you can spend it with your loved ones.
But Thanksgiving, man, it really has become a surreal shopping experience over the past few years. First, all we heard about that over here in Belgium, was the -to us at least- strange "Black Friday" term and we got news flashes on TV about it. It totally amazed us. With the internet, everyone wanted to be part of it, so along came CyberMonday. But that's not enough, oh no! Now we have Black Wednesday too! You can get the best deals on the internet if you shop on Wednesday already, have Thanksgiving dinner with your family, then hit the brick & mortar stores on Black Friday to get the good deals there too! It's a win-win situation of course. :-))
Read all about the newest shopping experience in the full article on this page!

I am joining in this amazing blog roll too, and have put a few items in my store at half price. Whààààt??? Half price??? Why on earth did I do that?? Well, to give you a chance to shop at a reduction. Hmm, okay. Soo, what's in it for me? Happy customers will spread the word!!!! See?? Win-win situation. :-))
Check for the notion "Black Friday SALE" in my etsy store for the items at half price, and lots of other items have free worldwide shipping!! Yay!! I know a good deal when I see it. Do you??






All these above earrings are now in my etsy store at Half Price from Black Wednesday til CyberMonday! That's from November 25 (today!) and will end on Monday November 30 at midnight.

***Edit November 26: The following items are now taking part in the Black Friday Sale at my store too! :-))

There is also the video preview of what you can win in the Treasure Hunt! Okay, first time ever I embed a slide show into my blog so I hope everything will go well. Here goes nothing!!

Full pictures of all the handmade gifties in the basket can be seen here on this blog! Aren't they just gorgeous??

Enjoy the holidays and whatever you do, stay safe! Let me know the good deals you find too! heheh... ;-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Arrived!

Yay!! My snow white seed bead item made it to its destination and now I can reveal that it will definitely be in the Big Prize Gift Basket of the Treasure Hunt! That's right, folks, you can win my mystery item!! Here's a few more teaser pics! I sure hope you'll like it, and that you'll come along and play in the Hunt! Go read here for the rules! It's easy to participate but you gotta play to win! Remember there's a special clue here to make it even easier to play the Hunt Game.... ;-))



Here's a picture to give you an idea on the other items that are already in this Gift Basket, and it could be more! Everything has been lovingly handmade be our eSmarts Team members, who are artisans from all over the globe. Imagine finding this under the Christmas tree!


Now, isn't that worth a little Hunt??? Find the Hidden Santa images and you can win this!! :-))

For a dear friend of mine who can use a pick-me-up right about now, I made this very simple and easy card. This really is what you'd call a "Take Ten" card. I hope she likes it.

Text is from Inkerbell. The rest is just a wide ribbon, cardstock and two domed stickers. Easy peasy. :-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Another hint... or is it a clue?

Hey all, have you been on the Hunt yet?? The Secret Santa Treasure Hunt is on!! Go go go!!
Did you know you can enter as many times as you can find 3 different links with Santa in them? Just follow the rules and increase your chances of winning this fabulous Treasure!

Oh and I just thought of something too! (surprised, huh?? LOL) Now why don't you make this a family thing? Yeah! Wouldn't your kids just *love* to go hunting for Santa images?? Get everyone involved, even your hubby! He could win beautiful gifts for the woman he loves, or the kids could win some really cool gifts for mommy! Enjoy the family time together while going on a Treasure Hunt! Think of it as playing a game with the whole family! The kids will love it! :-))

I have another "teaser picture" for you today! Here's a little detail of my beadwork with the matte and shiny snow white beads.
Let me know how the teasing is working please! Would love to hear about it.... ;-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Something of everything

Recently, I colored some stamped images with my Derwent pencils, and this is one of them. I thought the card's theme would be rather fitting for my sister-in-law's birthday and the party we threw her. ;-))


I used pattern paper that came as an extra with a british cardmaking magazine. Some of those papers are actually not so bad. Really. LOL
The text stamp is from Stampin' Up! and the dancing old lady with bunny slippers (love those slippers!!) is from StampFrancisco.

Okay, so I'm gonna tease you some more about those snow white beads. I usually do my beadwork in the kitchen at the big table there. Sometimes, errrr... it happens that I spill some on the floor... and if you see two different types of snow white beads spilled on the floor, matte and shiny.... it's a real sorting nightmare!! I tell ya!! You do not wanna have to go through this, believe me...

Suffice it to say that this "tease piece" went through a lot of trouble to get to where it is now! ;-))
But, I must admit, the result is worth getting my eyes completely crossed while making it. You just wait and see....

Oh, and don't forget the contest!!! Did you know that can enter more than once, so you can increase your chances of winning??? The Treasure Hunt starts tomorrow!

On your mark, get set... and see you tomorrow! :-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Santa Claus is coming to town....

...and he's bringing lots and lots of prezzies!! :-))
Okay, so Christmas comes a little early this year, Santa is an old guy and he needs the extra time. Let him, will ya? (grin)

You all know by now that I'm part of the online group eSmarts and we've teamed up to bring you the best! We've organised a Treasure Hunt, and believe me, the treasure is definitely worth it!!
You have to play to win though, but the big prize could be yours! Wouldn't that be fun???? Mark your calendars for the start of the Hunt on November 14th! Go go go, what are you waiting for???

Our great eSMArts team is sharing the love with a handmade bundle to warm your holidays! And YOU can win this! Isn't that just sooo cool?? huh??? :-))

Enter our Hidden Santa Treasure Hunt to WIN a Christmas Gift Bundle of unique handmade creations.

The complete prize package, item photos and detailed descriptions will be announced here shortly.

Our contest begins November 14th so check back here for the full list of Sponsor Shops.

How to Play:

• Check this blog for contest details and a list of participating eSMArts Sponsor Shops.
• Visit each participating shop to find images of our santa.
• Make note of the url where you find our santa pictured!
• HINT: santa images are not embedded yet. They won't be online until the contest start date of November 14, 2009.
• Here's how to complete each entry: ~find 3 Santa images that you haven't previously submitted. ~Email the urls along with your name & address to esmartspromos [at] yahoo.ca to be entered. ~Find new/unsubmitted Santa image urls and enter as many times as you like! ~Entries will be validated to ensure that contestants are submitting fresh Santa spottings. ~Remember that 3 new Santa image urls equals ONE additional contest entry.
• Contest runs November 14-28, 2009 (close is November 28/09 at midnight eastern).
• Drawing takes place November 29th
• Winner will be announced here November 30th
• Prize package ships December 1st, 2009.

check back for hunting hints and tips! The package IS worth it, mark my words! You'll be in for a big big surprise! I know, coz I've seen some of what's in there.... I'll post more about the Treasure as we come closer to the start of the Hunt and the final draw... heheh... Patience, my dears, patience! And keep your eye on this blog!
Happy Hunting everyone! :-))

Hugs,
Wezz

You want another one??

Do you want another one?? What?? Another sneak peek of my new beadwork?? hmmm... let me think for a while....
Okay, you twisted my arm! (good grief, can you believe how easy that was??? LOL!)
Here is another view of the beads I have been working with. Snow white, in both matte and shiny.
Sooo, are you curious yet to know what exactly it is I'm teasing you all about???
Stay tuned, the answer will come to you soon!! Keep an eye on this blog for a surprise! heheh... ;-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Heartfelt Blog Award and a sneak peek

This is the Heartfelt Blog Award, and it was given to me by Mary Ann from Starlight Blog. Thanks so much!! It means a lot to me, coz this is a very special award given to blogs that give you a nice warm homey feel, full of heart. I'm so happy that my blog feels like a homey place on the web. That was the intent all along and I'm glad it all worked out that way. :-))

Many many thanks to Mary Ann for this wonderful award! It is truly an honor!

Mary Ann is a writer and loves to read, but has many interests beyond that. Check her post of Oct 31st and take a look at those pictures! For some reason I can't link directly to this post, but please scroll down, it's worth it. She's also a beader, and a member of the infamous eSmarts Team. (grin)

Now as for the people I'm going to pass this on to... Their blogs are all chock full of heart. You feel like they're old friends even if they write about something of little interest to you. You can feel their passion and the heart they pour into their blogs. Sometimes, they'll give you a peek into their real life, but even their online life is interesting. Give yourself a little gift today and go spend some time with them.

Here are the rules:

1. Display the logo.
2. Nominate up to 9 blogs that make you feel comfy or warm inside.

3. Link to your nominees.
4. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting.
5. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

OK...Here are the 9 new nominees:

1. Catherine from StampFrancisco, a rubber stamp company, is one of my dearest friends that I've come to know in the past 8 years or so. Generally, we see each other 2 weekends a year when I help her out at shows here in Europe. Her blog shows her love for animals, and for France. She takes wonderful pictures too and doesn't hesitate to share them with all of us!
2. Vanessa from Scrapness is an accomplished scrapbooker, and especially since she turned to digital scrapbooking. I hope to learn lots from her! Her blog gives you a peek into her life with pictures of her family. She loves to create, so anything that will grab her fancy will be tried. Like crochet. Did you see her pear?? I'm also gonna take a closer look at her dare list... Maybe that will be my next blog post... :-))
3. Godelieve from StampingMathilda doesn't need much introduction in the rubber stamping world. She's belgian, and she's famous. She shows a lot of her artistic work, but always with a witty sense of humor. She also has a section of blog help on her site, she knows what she's doing!
4. Mandy called her blog "The Diaries of a craftaholic and demented housewife". Now I ask you, that name alone calls for investigation, no?? She's funny, and I love what she makes and the stories she shares with us.
5. Anna Lee from Ga'hoolTree Designs is passionate about making jewelry (check it out!) but also shares her travel stories and how she feels about our world today. Always interesting to read.
6. Lois from A Beaded Affair also doesn't hesitate to share her feelings about today's world on her blog now and then. She does great wire work, it's just amazing what she does with copper. Both Lois and Anna Lee are a few of the driving forces behind the eSmarts Team which I also belong to. I'm thankful to be a part of that, and that I know these ladies through the internet. I love technology, even though I sometimes fight with it. LOL
7. Jennifer from Life Is Not A Cereal shares a lot about her life, sometimes with blog posts that make you ponder and think about things you never thought about before. She makes you stop and think about your next step. I love her digiscrap stuff too of course, whether it's her layouts or her freebies that she put up for grabs.
8. I love people who have more than one hobby, just like me. And that are not afraid to admit it, and share a lot with the outside world about their life. So I really want to give this award to Joan from the Stamping-Cooking-Knitting-My Life blog too. When I read her blog, she makes me feel like I'm right there with her. That in itself is an art.
9. Elly from My Everyday Things takes you on a tour through her life, her house and her creations. Just by looking at the blog, this is a place that feels like home. The pictures are wonderful to look at and give plenty of inspiration.

Thank you all for making the world wide web a place that feels like an online home! Don't know what I would do without you all.

Have you read this far?? Or just skipped til you reached the part about a sneak peek???? huh??? Tsk tsk, you should visit all the above mentioned blogs. Really, they're worth it.
But without further ado, here it is. The teaser for today. (grin)


Soooo, you were thinking I wasn't beading anymore???? No way!! I love it too much! And as you can see I have been working on something in winter colors. Snow white. Come back soon to see more teasers!! Bwahahahaaa!! ;-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Hello 2009!

The new year is well on its merry way, it's already 1 week old! Time just flies by, doesn't it?
Did you make any New Year's resulotions? I gotta admit, I used to do that every year, and every year come February, there was nothing left of my resolutions. I had given up. So, the last few years, I haven't made New Year's resolutions. Instead, I try to do as my grandmother used to tell me. "What you do at the beginning of the New Year, you will be doing for the rest of the year."
Well I certainly hope that's true! At the stroke of midnight, I wished my significant other a Happy New Year and cuddled and kissed him. Yeah yeah, I know, mushy and romantic, but hey, that's me! We spent New Year's Eve with friends so I wished them a Happy New Year too, and I sent some text messages with my cell phone to those who were celebrating somewhere else. We talked til late that evening. New Year's Day we went to see the family on both sides, had a good meal, drank champagne and cheered the New Year on. I beaded. Yup yup, I did! I touched my stamps, some cardstock and some ink pads. I didn't actually stamp, but thumbed through a stamping magazine with the intention to do some stamping/cardmaking soon. I flicked through a beading magazine so I will have plenty of inspiration throughout the year. I also spent some time online to send my well wishes to my cyberfriends on the various groups I belong to. I added a new Ruffles necklace to my etsy store. I've also added some earrings to the ESmarts Team Shop. My new tumbler is still tumbling, with stones in one barrel, and jewelry to clean in the other barrel. I've already taken a beading class last Saturday too! It's snowy and cold, for the first time in years we finally have a real winter here again. Let's hope the freezing temperature will keep the sick bugs away this year. They predicted another week of this cold weather. As long as it doesn't rain, I'm happy. Oh and it didn't rain on New Year's Day! I tweeted on Twitter to wish them all a Happy New Year as well! I blogged about our little kitten who just loves playing in the snow and I'm blogging here now.
I'd say the New Year is off to a good start! :-))
How 'bout you? Did you make any resolutions? Tell me, I wanna know!

Hugs,
Wezz

Introducing....

....a new blog!
Oh I hear you!! What, another blog? You're not even keeping up with this one! But I wanted to give our new little kitten her own blog where she can tell you all about her life in our household. So relax, it's a very different blog from this one. And it still needs a lot of work, but once the basics are done mainly little stories and pictures will be shared there. Hope you like it!
Here's the link, from The World of Wezz to The World of A Cat!

Santa brought me a Lortone tumbler! I'm so excited about that!! It came with a starter kit for tumbling rocks, but I have loads of stones from the beaches on Crete that I wanna make shiny! I just *know* I found some pretties there and I can't wait to see the end result! Think of what pretty pendants they will make! Since these are already pretty round and slick from tumbling in sand and sea for years I skipped the first few steps and put it in with the last type of sanding grit. After that, I can do the polishing cycle. Finally! ooh I can't wait, this is nerve wrecking for me, I want to open up that barrel every 5 minutes to see what it's doing and to check on the results. But... but that has to tumble for 5-7 days!! Per cycle! Ack!! I can't wait that long! I peeked yesterday... hey the instruction manual told me to check after 24 hours of tumbling, so being a good girl as usual, I checked. Of course there was nothing to see yet, not much anyway. Guess I'll have to practice on my patience again! Oy!!!

In the mean time, let me show you the latest Cretan Stone Pendants I have put in the store. These are finished with a single or double crown in Swarovski crystals. Soooo pretty!! :-))



ooooh I'm soooo curious so see how my pendants will look with the tumbled stones! I think that similar stones will not look better but will look different. At least, I hope so!! Otherwise, it's a long process compared to what I do now to treat the stones! LOL

Happy New Year everyone!!!
Party like never before! :-)))

Hugs,
Wezz

Note to self...

When waking up from your afternoon nap, and you're still a bit groggy, do not attempt to start a new bead project. NO, not even one you've already done before. Also, do not attempt to work on a bead work that requires counting beads. You're no good at that at a time like that. Math is not your thing anyway. Period. Instead, work on something that has already been started and may be tedious but doesn't require too much thinking. Automatic pilot, okay?? Oh, and get coffee first. Seriously. Or you'll stab yourself with the beading needle multiple times. Duh!

Hugs,
Wezz

Game revealed!

A week ago I posted my own little game here called "what's this?" and I had so much fun reading all the possible answers! In fact, some of you gave me a few ideas that I may want to explore further!
But, without further ado, the correct answer....


....was indeed the Sky Blue Ruffles Necklace all scrunched up!
So what did you win if you got it correct?? A big virtual belgian hug with the 3 accompanying kisses! Always 3 in Belgium... :-))
And, the think-outside-the-box answer was.... that it was my very first picture uploaded to my blog posts!! Yay! I did it!
Nobody guessed that one, but that's okay!! I had fun with it, and I may do this again some day if you are all in for another game of guessing! ;-))
Thanks for playing along!!

Hugs,
Wezz