Wakarusa Music Festival and 20% Off Wanderlust Sale News!

Hello friends!

Do you ever get an amazing opportunity to travel and not only travel, but to hear some mind blowing music? My darling scheming husband talked to his parent's and they got together to get me a ticket to Wakarusa Music Festival in beautiful Ozark, Arkansas!

I have to say I am excited and terrified all at the same time. I am NOT a camper. I like to sleep in the dark with it quiet, and I er.. um... am a little skeptical about port-o-potties. I will be going on this expedition solo(without Ricky), but will be traveling with some new and amazing people(You know who you are! Love you guys!). This is a really big thing for me guys... I am stepping WAY out of my comfort zone for this one. I expect to return home with my life changed forever in so many positive ways. I know this experience will make me grow with so much love and gratitude.

The festival is set in Mulberry Mountain.  It is a 4 day camping and music festival in nature. Here is a photo from the event last year :)

Look at how beautiful the venue is and did you see they have a FERRIS WHEEL?! *Wakarusa photo by Phil Clarkin.

Here is another photo of one of the stages.Wow, does this look incredible or what?! *photo by electronic midwest.

So not only will this event have music, camping, a FERRIS WHEEL, but it will also have art installations, live painters and performers, a poster design contest, and so many more exciting things I could go on for days.

These types of events are life changing. You go with friends, drop your drama at the door and get yourself immersed in: nature, music, hooping, and all of the amazing people that have traveled from all over to come together in one magical place to celebrate life. Doesn't that sound like something you would want to do? Just thinking about it makes me pretty emotional(shhh don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold ;) 

Now, as you know, all great traveling experiences do take lots of: planning, camping supplies, food, gas, and any extra fun you plan on having at the event(purchases of artwork, clothing, jewelry, and other creative works). 

So I will be offering a 20% OFF SALE to help raise funds for my trip. Use coupon code "WAKA2015" at checkout to receive your discount.  Sale will begin  THIS weekend (May 22-May 24th) at Midnight on those dates. Our newsletter folks will get "first dibs" and early shopping Wednesday(May 20th)! If you are not already a subscriber, you can join our mailing list here.

You can receive our discount in our Bead Shop and Jewelry Shop!

To make things even MORE exciting I will be doing a GIVEAWAY  as well! For each item purchased you will get an entry into the drawing to win a stash of some very special art beads (from myself and other artists) along with some stringing materials!

Have you ever wanted to travel? Have you ever wanted to really get yourself immersed in culture, but were a little timid about the whole experience yourself? Help support my journey through this sale and travel safely with me through my experiences, and photos on this life changing expedition :)

Thanks so much for stopping by. See you at the sale!

xoxo Genea

Coming up for air- creating and outsiding.

Hello friends!

I've decided to come up from some air. I have been busy making and "outsiding". I have really been enjoying lots of time being outside in the beautiful spring sunshine. Here are a few pictures from our Kansas City Drum Tribe. 

Hula hoops!

A little Acro yoga. Ricky and our friend Kristen are doing a position called the "box". 

 I have been been making beads and jewelry and going from pile to pile sorting out the mess as I go. So let's take a look at what I've been making :D

It sure does take FOREVER to list jewelry, but I got a few new pieces in the shop. I still have LOTS more to photograph and add, but I am trying to balance out my "work" and "play". A few work things for a few play things :D 

Last weeks shop update with more rustic lime green, aqua, and teal beads. Yum! Did you see I even made Vortex Flower HEADPINS! Yep, sure did! 

Lots of other "little bits" in the shop as well. Some Vortex Flower bead focals, glass headpins, and little sets.

Here is what we made for mom for Mother's Day. Hooray for Pinterest!

We found a really great and easy tutorial for transferring an image to a wax candle. My idea for the candle holder botched. I sure did hand cut out text on some contact paper and etch "family" on the vase. I only had my bead etching liquid which does NOT work, so don't bother ;P I searched around and saw this idea using scrap book paper, so we did that instead. It turned out super cute :D There weren't any instructions, but I figure you guys are pretty clever and can figure it out. We used a little bit of sand paper to sand the glass where the paper went and applied the paper with mod podge. We hot glued the ribbon and bow separately :)

What's a pretty gift without a pretty package. I made this bag for mom with a stencil, some scrap book paper, and little vellum banner. 

I got this amazing air vase from the lovely, Marsha Neal Studios! My mom kills plants so I decided to save her the trouble and I just gave her dead flowers :D

Mom's birthday just passed as well. Mother's day and her b-day are always a week apart. Boy lots of creating to do that week! Here is the necklace I created for her with the carved focal by S L Artisan Accents, and sea urchin bead by Blue Berri Beads.

Did you know I do all kinds of art? Not just a pretty face ;P I created this fanciful Harry Potter wall art for a swap partner I had. I made a cosmic nebula with Harry Potter's outline. It's layered over a page of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with the quote"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live". I was  a little proud of my new "baby". I took LOTS of photos of the process of this piece. You can see them here.

My friend Jamie moved out of state and I had wanted to make him a bead for forever. He never did tell me his favorite colors. He wanted me to be inspired to make him whatever called to me.... You can see why he didn't get a bead for awhile. Lol. I couldn't really think of anything until right before he left. I decided to do moon phases and the "Mother, Maiden, Crone" for him since he is Pagan. I made LOTS of these seemingly simple style beads before I was happy with them. These were the best ones I made ;) 

My sister's b-day was in April and I was inspired to create these earrings for her. I really LOVE the black and pale aqua together. I had some GORGEOUS watermelon tourmaline faceted teeny beads. I had to dig through HALF the bag just to find a few that were drilled big enough to fit over 28 gauge wire. I am going to find the person that drilled these beads and punch them in the face >:D

I have contemplated making more of these, but I need to dig through those damn beads and see if I can find just enough to make another pair for my shop. Awesome "clay dings" are by my friend, Karen Totten :D

My sister has always loved rainbows together so I made her a pair of these for her birthday too. I made super teeny beads for my collaboration with Zenned Out so I used some of the extras in her earrings ;)

*Whew* see why I've been "absent" lately. Lots of stuff to make and do and not nearly enough time for ALL of it. Good thing I plan to live for a VERY long time so I can get most of my life's ambitions completes before joining "the man in the sky" ;P

Thanks for checkin' in! See you soon!

xoxo Genea