Bead Inspiration ~ Tropics

Once again, I am dreaming of some tropical location and wishing I lived under a palm tree!  I think this week I will focus on all things tropical ~ palm trees, the ocean, sea creatures ~ you name it, I'll be trying it on a bead!

Here are a couple of things I'm going to use for inspiration this week:

And I think I have a really interesting idea for this:

This week I'll start posting pictures of what I made based on the inspiration.  I promise I'll share the good, the bad, and the ugly ~ as long as you understand there will probably be more ugly than anything!

Since it's on my mind again ~

Two Tickets to Paradise by Eddie Money



Have a productive week!

MONDAY?!

Ouch!  Looks like I fell off the blog again.  I think I may have skinned my knee this time ~ they ought to make training wheels for these things!! 

Okay, today's motivation ~  hmmm....  Flowers!  I've been working on improving my flowers lately, and I've come up with quite a few things I like.  But I think I'm ready to up my game!  Let's try something like this: 

Or this:

These might be wishful thinking, but I have to keep pushing myself!

I guess a little music about flowers is in order :)

Scarlet Begonias by Jimmy Buffett

Have a great week, and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - Custom Orders

Oh, so it's not Monday? It is still early in the week though right?  I hope so, because I still have a LOT to do this week!

I didn't have much time during the past week to play with the cupcake patterns I posted last Monday because virtually everything I made was a custom order.  Did I tell you I love custom orders! They often inspire and push me to try things I may not have otherwise considered.  Please don't hesitate to let me know if there is something special I can make for you!

Here are a few from the last few days, and I have several more on the board for this week.

Matte Pink Italian Marble

Pink Flowers

I think a little Bachman Turner Overdrive is in order for this week's motivation!

Have a great week and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - More Cupcakes

I'm not sure why I find cupcakes so inspiring for beads.  Maybe just because they are round?  In any case, I'm always finding the cutest cupcakes on pinterest and thinking I can make them into beads!  Here are a couple I think I'll try today.

And I'll be listening to some of my all time favorite music ~ it is most definitely "Good To Be Me"!

Happy Monday and Stay Motivated!

Motivation Monday - Kalypso

DH Kalypso

I realized I have a lot of special glass sitting in my stash collecting dust because I didn't feel I was "good enough" to use it.  DH Kalypso is one of those colors.  It's expensive and I'm frugal, so it's hard for me to risk making ugly beads with it.  However, I just accidentally ordered more last week, so I felt it was time to use some of it!

It doesn't look very special in the rod:

But I made this bead with it the other day:

and I'm really excited about it ~ I'm always looking for pink!!

I think I'll do several experiments with Kalyspo this week,

and I think I'll do them to the sounds of the Carribean and this beautiful steel drum soundtrack!

Happy Monday ~ and Stay Motivated!

Motivation Monday - Orange

  CIM Pimento 

I have a new orange to play with! It's such a bright color and I'm really excited about it!  

I see this mixed with a whole lot of other bright colors in my beads today!

And since we're talking orange, I think this is an appropriate song... 

JJ Grey and Mofro ~ Orange Blossoms

Have a great week, and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - The Ocean

Dusty has to go out of town for work and he invited me to go with him.  *smiles!*  Because spending time with him and being near the ocean are two of my favorite things, of course I said yes!!  It really doesn't matter that it's a 4 hour drive and a ferry ride, or that the water will be freezing cold, it's the ocean!

I'm sure this picture was taken in the middle of summer and it won't look like this while I'm there, but it is beautiful ~ and it is salt water!!

And we'll need some driving music!

Happy Monday ~ Stay Motivated!

What? It's Tuesday? Where Did Motivation Monday Go?

So yesterday I completely forgot it was Monday.  But the good news is I was extremely motivated!  I think I had double the number of beads in the kiln this morning than any typical day in a long time.  I'm up really early this morning, so I'm going to make this post quick and get straight to work.  Watch for lots of new Etsy listings today!

For some reason I've been thinking about birds lately.  I have no idea why since I typically steer clear of sculptural work.  But I'm going to see what I can do with these little guys as inspiration:

and I think it's a Traveling Wilburys kind of day:

Happy Monday (Tuesday)  Thanks for stopping by and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - Colors

Things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and 

anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!

I seem to have been inspired simply by color lately.  It happens occasionally, a whole day where only 2 or 4 colors come out of the kiln.  This week I had a coral day, and a blue and green day.  It's a good exercise to just see how many ways you can use a few colors.  Today I really think I want to focus on pink and black. I found this pic on pinterest and while I don't think I have a pink that vibrant, I'm still inspired by the photo.

Really, if any glass company produced this color I would buy a hundred pounds of it! In the mean time, I'll work with what I have (and see what I can come make with layering).

On the other hand, I purchased a photo from Natural Illumination the other day that I find really inspirational, so maybe I'll go with that; the ocean always, always inspires me and the quote is awesome!! (p.s. great customer service and stunning photo!)

and the music for the week is Styx

Friends of mine are opening for them at a local show, so of course I had to get tickets!  Congratulations to Lynus and Lucy!

Thanks for checking in ~ and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - Colorful Combinations

Things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and 

anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!

It's Motivation Monday and do you know what I want to make today?  Everything!  I'm sitting here with a hundred ideas running through my head; colors, shapes, styles ~ and I just can't decide where to start.  I seriously need to focus!  

If I could make a bead from my thoughts right now, it would look like this~

or this

I think I need to listen to something really calming today!  A reminder to just breathe is probably a good idea.

There's a Jimmy Buffet song for everything!

Thanks for checking in and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - Cake Pops

Things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and 

anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!

What's motivating me today?  I don't know yet, but I better find something!  Whenever I'm stuck for ideas, I head over to pintrest. It's really a great place for inspiration! Maybe I'll try these?

And I think the music will be old school today:

Thanks for stopping by and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - Chinese Character Beads

Things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and 

anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!

The first Monday of 2012!  I'll be in the studio all day today and I'll be working on Chinese character beads since I have a special order and I need to replace some in my shop (plus, they're fun!).  

Here's one I already made:  Friend

Here's the special order character I'll try today: Unity

Whew, this one looks hard!

And I feel like rocking 2012 ~ so I think I'll crank a little Nickleback!

Thanks for stopping by and stay motivated!

Motivation Monday - Christmas Cookies

Motivation Monday

Things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and 

anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!

Today's motivation has to be cookies and carols! 

When I decide to make cookies this is what I see in my head:

(Picture was found on flickr)

and this is a more accurate depiction of what comes out of my oven:

(picture from life as a modern wife's blog)

I'm glad you're buying beads from me instead of cookies!  

As a funny side note, my husband asked me yesterday why I make Christmas cookies.  I said "because I like to".  His response?  "Well, I like to make sandwiches but you never see me make 27 of them and leave them all over the counter".  He always makes me laugh!

and the Christmas carol that always has me singing along (much to the dismay of everyone else in the room):

Silver Bells

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, and Happy Boxing Day!

Motivation Monday

                                     Motivation Monday

Things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!

I've been hanging out on pinterest again ~(imagine that!)  and I'm finding manicures surprisingly inspiring. I totally wish I could do my nails like this, but I suck at nail polish; so I'm hoping for beads.  :)

I'm actually pretty excited to try these this week.  I'll make sure I share pictures (good or bad) next week.

Enrique Iglesias  is rocking my studio this week (between Spanish language instructions) thinking I can do two things at once, but we'll see! :)

Thanks for stopping by and stay motivated!


If you still need more motivation check out all the pretty flowers in KTBelleCrafts garden!

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday

It's Monday again already ~ where did the weekend go?  It's cold out there this morning!  22 degrees and I am in need of some warmth!  So today's motivation is going to be flowers.

There!  That makes me think of islands where it's warm and sunny every day!

And now for a little warm music: Michael Franti - Sound of Sunshine

One of my favorites, and I just made it my alarm clock ring tone. For the three minutes I lay in bed, snuggled in my blankets, I can pretend it's going to be a sunny day!

Thanks for checking in ~ and stay motivated!!

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday

It's Motivation Monday!  So what's my motivation for this week?  Doors!  I know, it seems strange, but look at these great doors and try not to get motivated!

I'm not sure how this will wind up in beads, but seriously, how can you not be inspired by these!

and the music that's rocking my studio this week?

Love and Theft

because sometimes, no matter how great things are, I still fantasize about running away.

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday
things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!




It seems I've been inspired by everything rainbow. How can anyone look at a rainbow and not be happy? I love happy!!



These fun pancakes are from tablespoon.com . I think if everyone ate these for breakfast ever day the world would be a friendlier place!

And look at these fun cookies from amandascookin.com I don't even need to eat these, just looking at them makes me happy!

And I'm rocking it old school with Def Leopard!





See you all next Monday ~ and until then Stay Motivated!