Lori Anderson is at it again! Going on right now, she has posted a list of five free giveaways on her blog! There are e-books, beads, a bag and one giveaway even includes a pair of mini Wubbers! Check it out for yourself, and share with friends!

The fifth giveaway is a Bead Soup, hand selected by Lori, herself! How fun! Five ways to win, but you have to play to win! Head on over and check it out! =^..^=

My Soup is here!! MY SOUP IS HERE!! I was so excited when I saw the Muscle bring in the mail today-a package from my bead Soup swap partner, Gretchen, of ArtFoodLodging!! Since I had visited her blog and her shop, I was really eager to see what kind of Soup Gretchen would send! We have many similar tastes, as you can see in this awesome steampunk necklace-one of my favorites! It totally reminds me of the wedding on the beach in Surfside, TX last year, when Jake found that scary doll…………. LOVE!!!

And this rockabilly bat necklace! Hello?? Does it not have my name written all over it?!

I was going to try and be good and wait until I got dinner finished, and the kitties cared for, but the more I thought about it, the less I could resist it and I decided to take advantage of the fact that they were upstairs in my Craft Room still painting. I carefully slit the box edges, lifted the lid, and slowly unwrapped the layers of tissue paper. As I beheld each little pouch, I was so overcome with the generosity and thoughtfulness of Gretchen, that my eyes teared up. Such incredible little treasures, such amazingly beautiful beads, bits, buttons, and laces!! I love anything vintage!! I love the Gothic feel to the entire Soup!

Make sure you click on the pictures, to get a bigger, better close up view!

As you can see, I almost forgot to take an initial picture, before I unwrapped everything! I was so excited! Like a little kid on the Christmas! Then I felt the items deserved a great presentation:

The colors, the actual pieces themselves, all just so inspiring! I have SO MANY IDEAS!!!!!!!! I will treasure anything and everything I make from this Soup for the rest of my life. Here are some close-ups:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    So there you have it! Thank you, Gretchen, for such a wonderful Soup! I am so moved! And thank YOU, Lori Anderson, for your wonderful matching, and all your time and dedication in making this, my first Bead Soup Blog Party, so exciting and happy!
Stay tuned for August 25th, our Big Reveal Date! Until then, happy beading. =^..^=
P.S…. I humbly apologize for the overuse of exclamation points
in this post. It simply reflects my true excitement!

Just days away from The Big Reveal of the Big Hole Focal Blog Hop, and I am SO excited!! It is seriously the first time I won something online (won gorgeous copper focal, made by Kristi Bowman, artist and hostess of the Blog Hop) and I am SO excited that I get to create something with it and share it! I am also incredibly excited about it because I have never  partaken in a blog hop before! I know I write and write and write things on the internet, and my family and friends visit occasionally, but now, I will potentially have dozens of people checking out my blog! I hope everyone who visits my blog come away entertained, amused, energized and inspired! As the result of being a part of the BHFBH, I got it in my head to be brave, and join ANOTHER blog hop!

The 6th Bead Soup Blog Party is hosted by a highly energetic, charismatic lady named Lori Anderson of Lori Anderson Designs. I don’t know how she does it, but she has 400 participants in this blog party!!! WoW!

I made quick contact with my partner Gretchen Nation of Gretchen Nation Collection, and I am very excited to see that we have many similar interests. I hope the Soup I send her excites her just as much as it excited me! I think I have some real goodies picked out, and with her great creativity and artistic flair, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with!

Well, I’m back to squeeze in a little more work before we have a great playdate with a super cute kiddo later this afternoon. Come back Saturday, the 30th, and check out my reveal! =^..^=

I thought that in light of the New Year, I should get started on my new blog. I love to craft in all mediums, and I love to write. Crafthopper was thought up sometime around 2 am, while chatting with my bff, L, and having a heckuva hard time sticking to one subject while we discussed craft ideas for the next craft faire we wanted to participate in. As I scoured my latest internet obsession, Pinterest, my list of possible projects mounted and ranged from simple cut-and-glue felt projects, to complex wire-wrapped jewelry, easy whip-up-crochet-hats, to fair-isle knitted wraps. I thought to myself, “Gah! it’s crazy how I hop around from one project to the next, from one category to the next! Like a grasshopper!” And then I couldn’t get the phrase “you are very wise, crafthopper” said in a Mr. Miyagi voice, out of my head.

I know I am not the first person to ever conjure up this phrase, and I am not claiming to be the sole-inventor of such persona. I merely liked how it encompasses my entire crafting mindset, attitude and personality. So if anyone out in the world wide web feels I am stealing their idea, they can shove it. Ya should have patented it long before I came along.