More Beading Fun And Time For Another Class!

October has dropped in with a bang! 
(Oh, where did September go??!!) 

I've got a ton of things on my bead table this month!
(Fun things - yippee!)

 

I'm going to have a few posts over the next week or so to tell you about some of them but today I want to tell you about "My Bead Table Blog Hop" sponsored by Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures that's going to be taking place on October 13th.  

 

 

 

Check out the lovely (and huge!!) stash of beads that Lisa so graciously sent for the blog hop.  

 

Ohhh,...just look at all these lovely goodies!! Thank you Lisa!!

 

Other than a few things here, these are beads and components that I don't regularly carry in my bead stash and so the challenge is definitely on for me! 

I'm excited because I love that this will challenge me to step outside my comfort zone and the colors Lisa's given me to start with (we can add from our own stash, too!) are ones I find really pleasing to work with!

Be sure to hop back over here on Saturday the 13th and see what all the participants have created (me included)!

 

 

I also wanted to let you know that I'm teaching another class over at Creative U in Carefree next week, too.

 

 

 

Come join me on Friday, the 12th of October

at 2:00p.m. for the

Fun and Easy Earwire Class!

 

It still shows up on their calendar as Jen Hanscom teaching the class but I'm helping them out this month, so come on over and join in the fun with me, won't you?!

 

There's never a dull moment at Creative U - trust me!

 

Well, maybe Lasso gets a bit bored at times, but we sure don't!!

 

 

Oh, and on a side note, I
 think I've finally gotten over the jet-lag from my trip.

 

 

I was fortunate enough to go to Italy in September!



 

 

I really thought I had my body fooled with setting my watch (and my brain) to whatever local time I was headed to but although it truly did help a bit, I still was kind of out of it from last Thursday until this Monday. 

Now I think a form of normalcy and a routine of some sorts is setting back in. Thank goodness, because the 3:30a.m. wake up calls my brain kept giving my body every morning was getting a bit old!

 

What have you got cooking for October? 

 

Are you in the Autumn mood?

 

Dreaming of Autumn!

 

Are you decorating and creating things and making goodies for Halloween and all the other Holidays that are coming up?

 

Be sure to drop me a line and let me know what's going on!

 

Until Next Time,

 

Peace, Love and The October Rush!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

Kalmbach Bead Soup Party - Teaser!

I wanted to fill you in on the Kalmbach Bead Soup Party to celebrate the wonderfully talented Lori Anderson's (Pretty Things Blog) awesome new book:

Bead Soup
32 Projects Show What Happens
When 26 Beaders Swap Their Stash.

 

Kalmbach Publishing got together with several wonderful suppliers who graciously handed out cups of bead soup and asked people who received beads to create something from what they were sent and then to blog about it.

 

Letter I received from Kalmbach
 

 

I was fortunate enough to receive this awesome 'bead soup' from Bead World!

Gorgeous Greens I received from Bead World!

Oh yes, that Bead World - the amazing bead shop here in Glendale (Scottsdale and Phoenix, too!) that's right around the corner from me that I stop in all the time!!

Here I am with Vicki from the Glendale Store and my copy of Lori's Book.

I've got to have my piece finished by the 31st of October and emailed to both Kalmbach and Bead World no later than the 2nd of November.

Although it doesn't give any rules as to a specific date you have to post your before and after photos on your blog and their Facebook Page, I've already seen some people who have finished their pieces and posted them so I've set a deadline for myself of the 19th of October.  Be sure to come back here on Friday the 19th and see what sort of soup I cooked up, okay?

Here we are showing off the cool cup of bead soup I got from Bead World!

 

Plus, this week, Lori has been hosting a Bead Soup Blog Tour where the participants of the book are sharing their designs, telling their stories and having some fabulous give-a-ways. And, Lori is have a grand prize give-a-way too, so you won’t want to miss out on this one! 
(You know it’s gonna be a good one when Lori puts it together!) 

 

Hop on over to the Pretty Things Blog and check it out right now!

 

Everyone have a great week!
 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Cooking Some Soup!

Bead Soup Mix from Bead World!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

Window Shopping Anyone?

The fashion and shopping in Italy seemed to be just as big of an attraction as the ancient ruins and historic sights.

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to get some good shots of the window displays but it didn't really work out too well because the sun was shining so bright on the days these were shot (not to mention all the people in the plazas), so you'll have to trust me when I tell you that they were all amazing!

 

 

 

I'd love to tell you the names of some of the shops but we were running through the squares and I was snapping away with my camera as fast as I could and wasn't always able to step back enough to get the shop/brand name in most of the photos with out bumping into people or before I had to run off to catch up to Marsha and Roberta.

(They were often seen turning around asking, "Where's Shelly?!")



I noticed that although there were pops of vivid colors and wonderful textures every where,

 

 

 

And this dear friends, is how to wear a necklace with a scarf!
Their wrists are bare,...they need bracelets and bangles!!

 

 

 the displays showing clean lines and simple silhouettes highlighting black, white, cream/beige and gray for Autumn were very prominent.

 

Yes, you know gray is one of my favs! 
 



Bold Black and White
(and here I thought Cobalt Blue was the new black this season!)

 

 

The Versace window was so cool - wish I could have gotten a good shot!

And then, there were these boots!  Yep, I'm in love. Simply and utterly in LOVE!  Wild, aren't they?! I was so distracted at getting a photo of them with out some one's hand touching them, I have no idea what brand they are. (I know, I should get a fashion-ticket for that!!)

Another shopping detail was how the window displays had this electric vibe to them.

 

They seemed to come alive and evoke feelings and emotions of actually wearing the clothes and 'being' in the scenario pictured. 

Can't you just see these girls waiting for the metro, off to have a fabulous weekend?
 

Oh, and the creativity of the displays
(most of which I couldn't capture because of extreme window-glare!)
were a visual delight!

 



Shoe Trees!  Quite the forest if you ask me!

 

 

 

Works of art in themselves, I tell you!

 

 

How fun is this?!  And the music playing was great, too!

My excitement was obvious by the little squeals of joy at each window! I'm sure people were probably thinking I was some sort of nut job! At least I wasn't the only one snapping pics of the window displays and merchandise. I guess they're quite used to this by now.

Of course I did have to get some of the 'names' on camera - I mean, there's some things I just don't see every day on my way to work.

 

And, the architecture that houses these wonderful names is equally impressive, if not more, and the blend of the old and ancient with new and modern was a big time rush for me!

 

Textures mixed with smooth, clean lines and soft curves nestled among bold, sharp angles - oh my!

I know I'm kind of a freak (dork!) when it comes to drooling over the fashion scene, but really, it's one of those things that make me tick; that tickles my fancy and makes me smile inside and feel all wonderful and excited with life.

Here's a couple of pieces of jewelry that I designed to go with those gorgeous boots above and those wonderful, soft, cream and beige cashmere pieces in the windows of Rome!

Silver and white with some gray tones mixed in.

 

 

Bold Black and White

 

These pieces will go nicely with the 4 Italian leather handbags I purchased too. Now I just need to find an awesome pair of black riding boots,...like these that my sister smartly talked me out of.

 

 

 

 

See the ones right there in the middle?  Uh-uh,...I know.
Sigh,.......

 

I haven't quite figured out how to wear two pair of shoes at the same time yet and so that little detail, (coupled with the fact that I had absolutely no more room in my suite case for them) meant they were left behind in Rome. I heard them sigh a bit as I walked away! 

I may have to order them online,....

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Window Shopping!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

I Heart Macro - It's Sunday!

Linking up with I Heart Macro today over at Studio Waterstone.

 

 

 

Happy Sunday Folks!

 

 

 

Until Next Time,

 

Peace, Love and Flower Power!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

 

When In Rome,...or Venice!

So, the vacation has come to an end.

 

The little village of Sommocolonia, near Barga, Italy in Tuscany where we stayed.

 

 

The sights, sounds, smells (except for all the cigarette smoking) and photo opportunities were amazing!!

 

Colosseum - Rome, Italy. Photo by Michelle Buettner

 

 

I will be posting some great window displays every now and then over the next few months as inspiration with everything from jewelry, shoes, purses, fashion trends - the awesome ways they display products - you name it!

 

Yes, I found the Swarovski Store in Venice, Italy!!

 

 

I'm not really jet-lagged. I thought I would be but luckily I think I figured out how to program my body and brain.

 

Italy really is this beautiful.
Sommacolonia, Italy  (near Barga in Tuscany)

 

 

I'll have my Etsy shops back up the 1st week of October is all goes well. I don't have all of the new designs I wanted to have finished done yet, but hopefully I'll have a few for you.

 

Pretty Blue Turquoise in One of the Shops in Venice.
I felt right at home!! ;-)

 

 

What have you been up to in September?  Have you transitioned into Autumn yet?  Do you enjoy this season and all it's fascinating colors and jewelry styles?

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Returning Home!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Tempo di vacanza!

Well, I'm officially outta here!

I'm on a jet plane headed for Italy with my sister and one of my girlfriends. 

 

 

 

 



We're meeting up with my brother-in-law (who's been hiking the Swiss and Italian Alps this past week!) in Venice tomorrow morning.

 

 

 

I'm actually freaking out! Twirling my hair with both hands (which makes it hard to hold that pre-flight Bloody Mary!!), I've got butterflies in my stomach, tears in my eyes and my heart's beating way too fast! 

I've got Dean Martin singing Sott'er Celo de Roma on my iPod, Paulo Coehlo in my back pack (The Alchemist), way too many clothes in my suitcase and my camera on my hip!

 

 

 

 

We're staying at a quaint little hotel in Venice that my sis's stayed at before. We're taking the water taxi over to Murano (Glass + Beads = Sweet!), going on a gondola ride (of course!) and walking some great little paths along the canals.

 

 

 

 

After Venice we're headed down to Tuscany. Barga to be specific. The most Scottish Village in Italy. Seriously - look it up!  (I'm so psyched about this part!! You have NO idea!!) We're staying in an old farm house that's pre-WWII and survived what so much of the village did not. 

 

 

 

 

We'll be taking some day trips - one of which will include driving over to the Cinque Terre and hiking the hill top towns over there (Yes!  I get to see the water,...and a beach!!) and possibly visiting Siena and San Gimignana and going to a winery (oh yeah baby!!).

 

 

 

After that, we'll all be heading down to Rome and staying in a friend's apartment which is situated in an area that's close to the Colosseum and all the other goodies Rome has to offer.  I'm excited to get some really cool pics of all the amazing architecture and ancient ruins!  Oh, and we're going to an opera while in Rome. I know - pinch me now!!

 

 

 

 

Then there's that little nagging thing in the back on my brain that keeps the tears right there on the verge of spilling over and running down my cheeks,.....my boys will not be with me. (insert sad face here!!)

I can't tell you how much I am going to miss them. And it's not only the fact that we'll be apart longer than we've ever been apart before,...but it's the distance. Oh, geeze,...the distance. My stomach is in knots, and the butterflies are fighting and knockin' each other around in there!!  Holy Cow - this is the most difficult thing for me right now, you really have no idea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, I know I'm going to have fun. And, I'm with family so it's not like I'm with people I haven't traveled with before or anything like that for goodness sakes. And they're fun people to hang with, too - that's for sure. So, I know I'll be fine. More than fine,...I'll be in Italy with my sister!  OMG!

 

 

 

 

 

A long time ago, probably between 15 to 20 years ago, Marsha and I said that we'd someday to go Italy together. Well, today's the day!

 

I'll be silent here on the blog until the last week of September. I'm not sure I'll even be able to post to Facebook or anything like that (all kinds of iphone/Verizon drama!!). I know I won't have email, so there will be a lot to read when I return home! LOL!! 

I hope you all have a fabulous next couple of weeks and I'll be sure to post pics upon returning.

Until Next Time,

 

Peace, Love and Sitting Under the Tuscan Sun!

 

(oh, and fulfilling dreams!!)

 

 

 

 

 

Ciao!

 

~Shel~