This I know is a strange picture. It is one of the shopping bags that I have been crocheting the past month or so. I wanted to show it to you because I have an upcoming project that I have decided to use this technique for it. I am participating in a Art Auction called "Art in the Bag" that the Midwest Lampworkers Guild is sponsoring in October. I am going to make a messenger bag style bag out of the cut up shopping bags. Then last night as I was trying to go to sleep I started thinking about all the accessories that the bag is going to need inside it that I can make out of recycled and saved from the trash things. So now I have to find some of the heavier shopping bags to make a wallet and a makeup bag. So what else do you think the bag is going to need in it. I am going to make a list here on the blog and show the things as I make them. Help with your ideas please.

I have been adding things all week to my Etsy listings. Here is another set headed there in just a few minutes. Check out the other listings by clicking on the links to the right.

More new color combo's. This one is Fashion Fabulous because every where I look these days these three colors are showing up in the close I see. Thing is they are showing up two at a time and sometimes all three colors are in a piece. I just love how they came out.

This is another of my new color combos. A really luscious olive and an ivory that is just a touch toward the yellow side.

I have been trying out new color combos this week. This is one I like it is Bluestone and Buff.

It has been a very long yet short week.I had a show last weekend and am headed back out tomorrow so I have been busy making new pieces and new beads.
Of course the copper is my favorite right now and so I am working up several pieces in it.
I have some new hand pounded toggles and copper rings so have had lots of fun with them.
The new close in the front pieces for necklaces seem to be very popular so I made a couple of new ones.
This is the shot of my booth from last weekend. I really like how it looked. This weekend I will be in Des Moines at the Living History Farms for Beads, Blues and B-B-Q. If you are any where near there you should stop by I am sure it is going to be really fun.

Some beads for my bead box.I have been needing to make bright crayon colored beads for a while so for the past couple of days I have been working with these colors. Hopefully they will fill up those sections of my trays.

More new things for BrookingsFirst a new charm bracelet with my beads and some black stone. I really like the texture difference between the glass and the stone.
And a couple pair of earrings to match the bracelet. I liked the ones with the dangles but thought some one else might like just the bead.
And two new necklace pendants.

Brookings Art in the Park is both Saturday and Sunday this weekend and is a great show. This is my fourth year in this show and love it. Now it is going to be hot as always so if you come out bring sunscreen and your walking shoes because there is a lot of art to see.

Getting ready for this weekends show.I made this necklace up just yesterday and have been working hard to have new things for this weekends show in Brookings, South Dakota. I have been seeing lots of designs using chain and have wanted to try something out for a while. And I love the front closing toggle. Of course it is all hand pounded copper.
And I had to make some earrings to sort of match. They are the same earthy colors.

Some new lentils for your Saturday pleasure.I wanted to make some new lentils for my upcoming shows and I kind of got carried away. I made a bunch and these are just a few of my favorites.
This watercolor one is a lot like the one I wear all the time.
I just love the earthy look of this one and the sun on the earth came out kind of nice I thought.

Well I hope you all had a great holiday. We did not do much except chores. My son had to work so we did not even do a cook out. Today we made up for it with still doing chores but we sure had some good food tonight. All sorts of really good vegetables and steak on the grill. Any way have fun tomorrow since you still have one day off for the long weekend.

Happy! Happy! Fourth of July!I know most of you are out celebrating the Fourth of July so you will probably not see these until tomorrow but I made a goal to blog at least three times a week and I am going to really try to do it. We are just doing our same ole thing this year trying to accomplish getting some chores done. I finished up this Chocolate and Turquoise charm bracelet trying to get ready for my next show. And...........
This Deep Brown and Black anklet is for a customer.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and eat lots of wonderful barbecue.

Well it has been more than a month but I am still here.This is a bracelet that a customer bought from me several months ago and she wanted me to make her a necklace to match it so I had to give it a try.
Here is the necklace which is almost done. It does not have the clasp on it yet because she is coming over this afternoon to test the length.
And this lovely large thing is a footstool I have spent the last two days getting stuffed. I thought I never would fill up it's carnivorous insides. I got the pattern last time I was in Omaha and Lincoln with my friend Jodie. It was really easy just took forever to stuff.

Now as to where I have been. I have been right here trying to work every day, but it has not been happening very well. I seem to have been in some kind of a funk for the last month or better. It is a creative thing I think but I also have not really felt well so I do not know if it is really one or the other. I have had little funks like this before but usually I start getting more ideas than my head will allow and I get out of them. This one seems to be hanging on for the long haul. My friend Jodie and I set goals for this next month and one of mine is to blog much much more to hopefully work all this out. Any way see you again in a couple of days I promise.