BLACK FRIDAY SALES ANNOUNCEMENTS 2013! Shop Handmade!

Hello friends! 

Can you believe it's THAT time of year again?! Where has fall gone?? Well if you have not already seen our sales announcements plastered ALL over the web you get to see them here ;)

So below I will fill you in on some sales from me and some other wonderful peeps! See I am makin' it easy for you to easily find art this year instead of getting bored doing searches only to NOT find what you want ;)

Yay! Go me for including ALL you need to know in the photo! This sale will be ONE DAY ONLY on BLACK FRIDAY! So the code will be active at midnight! Be sure to hop on and grab what you want before they end up in someone elses cart! ;) www.genea.etsy.com

Want to dress up your rockin' bod or your wall? You can do both in my jewelry shop! www.geneack.etsy.com

Come on over to Ricky's shop and show him some love! My budding artist has been busily creating master pieces! This will be his FIRST sale and what better time to do one than Black Friday?! www.stacheart.etsy.com

Don't forget our fine folks over at Love my Art Jewelry! A special thanks to Marsha Neal Studio for setting this up for all of us! You can check their current link for Black Friday info here. So be sure to add your shop to the list if you are vending or if you are shopping a click right there will whisk you away to handmade shopping bliss! 

So I think that should cover some super SWEET sales going on this black friday! Just think! No crowds for you, handmade savvy shopper! You can shop local or support handmade artisans right from the comfort of your own home! You don't even have to get dressed or shower! 

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays!

xoxo Genea

Lori Anderson- Amazing People that Enrich Your Life

Hello friends!

Today I want to tell you a story about how Lori Anderson has enriched my life. If you don't already know her she is the master mind behind the Pretty Things Blog and the Bead Soup Blog Party. I first met Lori through the BSBP. I have the privilege of being paired up with these amazing artists through this super creative and fun hop: Mary Harding, Gail Vanderster-Zwang, Heather Powers. 

Lori is an amazing person. She brings creative people together. I can't even imagine how hard it must be to, time after time, do these GIANT blog hops for all of us to come together an enjoy. She is a creative soul and fantastic designer. I had the pleasure of seeing some of Lori's amazing designs when I participated in her Cup of Bead Soup.

One of Lori's designs using beads from my cup of bead soup. 

Lori's bracelet created from my cup of bead soup.

So when I talk about her "bringing people together" I have her to thank for bringing one of my beady besties and me together. Staci and I met through the first BSBP in which  I participated. We loved each others beads immediately and messaged to tell one another. That message turned into a trade, which was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

These were the very first beads Staci and I traded. 

This first little sprout flourished into a more branches and leaves that bloomed into a collaboration.

That collaboration grew into doing a HUGE bead show together. Staci and me at Bead Fest Philly 2013.

I just love this girl to bits! I am so lucky to call her my friend and it's all because of YOU, Lori!

It was so nice to finally meet you at Bead Fest! To be able to thank the person that has enriched my life and connected me to this amazing group of artists I call friends. Thank you for everything you do Lori! We love you girl!!

To see how Lori has enriched others around her check our our post in Bead Soup Cafe. Stop by and tell Lori how she has changed your life!

xo Genea

New Beads in the Shop and creativity at the C-K House.

Hello friends!

Are you tired from holiday prep already? I am already feeling the fatigue myself. It feels like there is so much to do and the days are FLYING by! Some of the newest beads managed to make it to the Etsy shop(YAY!), but don't delay! There is no telling how long they will be in there ;)  Want to see the new arrivals?

Here is the Q&D for you all that want a quick glimpse ;)

Beach Stones "Painted Desert"- Did you ever have those upcoming projects and you weren't sure what you were going to make, but you just decided to make a bunch just in case? Well that is what these spacers were. I guess I am over due for this combo. It's pretty nifty!

Beach Stones "Sea Glass Green"- YUM! I don't think I can ever fall out of love with this color. I only managed to make one set, but that is how "bead free stylin" goes. You make a little bit of whatever pops into your head ;)

Beach Stones "Yellow Lime blush"- You know how I love me some collections so what better to fit a collection than spacers?! 

Earth Stone Droplets "Desert at Dusk"- Boo! Only ONE? Yes.. that is how it goes. I had some singles, but only one pair. I ran out of baking soda by the time I got here. Something about using the stuff sitting on your table versus fresh out of the box. Go figure *shrug*

Earth Stone Droplets- "Painted Desert"- MMMm yes, ivory is always the answer. Add in some rainbows and you have a masterpiece!

"Sacred Om Lotus"(front)- I managed to make some more. This little baby will be featured in one of my upcoming magazine tutorials. You can expect to see it in March/April 2014! 

 "Sacred Om Lotus"(back)

Spiral Earth Stones "Yellow Lime Blush"- Hellz yeah! You know when you have a focal size, spacers, and headpins, you need to have a set as well. I love these rainbows on this vivid canvas! 

CREATIVITY IN THE C-K HOUSE...

Do you make art? Do you have other areas where you excel besides your main medium. Well I do too! With the holidays fast approaching, Ricky and I have been busily creating things. It's nice to step outside of your normal creative area and do something different. I am always amazed at my well roundedness in art. It's pretty exciting :D

Like our studio, I mean kitchen?! You wouldn't believe the other piles. 2 creative people sure do make a hellacious mess! 

Here is my budding little artist at work. Normally Ricky spends his creative energy creating edible masterpieces in the kitchen. Who knew that he would get into mixed-media?! I won't lie, I have always dreamed of dating an artist or photographer. Who knew I had married one? *beams*

Here is one of his latest pieces. He wasn't really happy with it in the beginning and he is still working on it, but it really came together! You can't totally tell from the photo, but he learned this amazing layering technique. You use matte medium and tissue paper to create see through layers! It's SO amazing! I loved it so much I even used in in all of the pieces I have done! We went craft shopping and he had to check every place we went for cool tissue! Lol, so awesome that now he knows what it's like to be on the hunt for your favorite supply! 

Here is his other piece that is still being created. He started like 3 projects at a time. I was a little worried for him, but he proudly stated that in the videos he has been watching "they" tell you to work on more than one piece. Look at him "schooling" me on how to do art! 

Did you know the last art class Ricky had was in 8th grade?! He didn't get to take any art classes in highschool or college. What a bummer! Aren't you so impressed with his intuitive skills? I sure am! 

Here is his other piece. I really love this one! This is just the bottom layer.

Here is the finished piece! It's SO awesome! There are so many layers and texture. Some of the stars are even textured with some kind spackling paste! He is learning so much from these mixed-media you tube videos he has been watching.

Ricky's new work will be added to his Stache Art Etsy shop in time for holiday shopping! He will even be announcing his Black Friday plans soon. You can hear all about it on his facebook page.

Here are the projects on which I have been working. 

I started out with layers of torn up newspaper text. I wanted a nice base for my work.

Next I did drips of water colors and glued on crayons. I was inspired by the gagillion diy tutorials on melted crayons! 

Here is my melted crayon. I love that you can see the water color drips underneath as well :D 

I added a few of those tissue layers and I'm still not done. I have been building this piece in my mind and working on it slowly :)

For this second piece you can see I did the newspaper and tissue layering again as my base. You can see the text through the purple tissue.

I was inspired by this image I saw on Pinterest and decided to take that idea and put my "Genea Spin" on it.  Here you can see I added some other elements and raised all of my designs with some foam sticky tape. I love the glittery paper and jewels I found as well! 

Here is the finished piece! I am SO in love with it! It's hanging in my kitchen right now so I can admire it :)

What creative projects have you been making for the holidays? Are you anywhere near done or have you not even started yet?

xo Genea

Buried in Beads and Did ya see, WE'RE FAMOUS!

Hello friends!

I've been here or well there. Making beads as always. Making, making, making. They have been selling out before I can get them in the shop or posted here! That is pretty exciting! I'm so lucky to have such amazing customers and friends! Thank you all so much! 

So a few pics of things that are already gone to prove where I have been spending my time ;) 

Yep, they're ALL gone! Pretty huh?! Ok... well mostly. I have some of the lotus focals, but I need to reshoot some pics of them. I am currently working on a magazine submission with them so I needed to make more for the article ;) 

Um... YUM! Isn't this AMAZING?! I love it! Yes, it's gone to a new home ;)

and these... yes, Wing Dings. Yes... I know they have been out of stock lately and these are also gone...already. 

These are IN STOCK thought so that counts for something, right? Well they are for now. No promises  on how long they will be in the shop ;) 

Spiral Earth Stone "Yellow Lime Apricot"

Earth Stone Droplets "Yellow Lime Apricot"

Desert Serpent "Purple Peacock"

I worked on some more beads in that bright yellow limey palette though. Just didn't get to everything. I made some other beads for a project I had in mind as well. You never know what you will want to use so may as well make a bunch just in case, right?

So here is all of what I made over the last 2 days. Some stuff was kinda random. I will be working and think, "Oh I should try..." So then I stop and make that and then carry on. Kinda A.D.D. I guess, but meh whatever. 

Some beach stone spacers in beachy glass colors, more purple Desert Serpents(DS's for short), along with some of those tealy headpins I made um, FOREVER ago! It was a start. I ran out of headpin wires so I only made a few for now. Looky! A Harvest Moon XL focal too to match my little set! 

Mmmm check out these stone babies! I am LOVIN' that pink and raku with the stone texture! So awesome!

They were awesome enough for 2 photos ;)

I'll admit, I made these beads in the center for my project. As you can see I made PLENTY, but better to have more than not enough ;) I will only need a few for my project.

More Urchins. One for me, the other for the shop. It's already in there ;)

More bright pretties! I was so excited about the set of spacers I made that I made more! Oh and medium coins too! I have been trying to stock some stuff that is currently in magazines, but I am not doing such a great job. The large stone focals are a substitute for the ones we have in Stringing Fall 2013. 

Did you know we were FAMOUS?! Yep! Check this out! A WHOLE PAGE! So is this like a glassy centerfold?! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

This is in the current issue of Bead Design Studio.

I made this collage to post with the other beads in my shop like it. This one on the page is still hanging out at the magazine's office. I had to add in my GB info on the bottom. Not to shamelessly promote, but because the collage chopped off the bead if I just used 3 photos. 

Well that is all for now. The new piles of beads need to be tied and priced. I will worry about shooting photos tomorrow. I need to hustle on my bead mag submission that I have been secretly been putting off! Shhhh. Lol. See you soon!

xo Genea