BP in Absentia

To quote Billy Crystal: "I'm on VACAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYSSHUUUUNNN!!"

So, I'm not really here. But I knew that everyone would want to kick off their long weekends with a nice dose of beady eye candy so I'm writing this ahead of time and scheduling it to post while I'm off doing vacation-y things (hopefully this will include a lot of bead and jewelry stuff assuming the kid cooperates and my Ice resin order shows up!)

(Also - thanks for all the bloggy love on the "Stringing" news. I'm really excited and pretty much giddy over it. I still am having a hard time believing it's really true!)

And now, on with the porn!

Okay, I know, these are not beads, but they are so cool I had to post them anyway. These are actual dried flowers that I'm planning to use in an upcoming resin experiment. Unlike most dried flowers, they are not pressed flat, but are actually three-dimensional and velvety soft to the touch. These flowers are a smaller "cousin" of the pansy known as violas or Johnny Jump-Ups.

These are vintage Japanese glass beads and cabs set in brass. I thought they might add a cool retro look to some designs I have planned and, in fact, I've already used some of the white beaded chain and charms in my Nautical Menagerie necklace. The vendor is a company called BrassGoldBeads on Etsy.

More fabulousness from the wonderful Shannon Levart at MissFickleMedia! I think the chestnut disks, in particular, are going to be amazing in a design! Love that aqua patina on the melon beads, too!

Apple green dyed howlite squares.

These crystals are an unusual flat coin shape - I don't have anything sparkley in that shape so I decided to try them out.

And they come in pink, too!

Dyed lavender jade rounds. This was all about the color - I bought these around Easter time and they just look so much like jelly beans!

And at the risk of repeating myself...they come in pink, too! All of these stones and crystals came from Uncommon Beads.

These two sets of amazing porcelain "washers" are from Joan Miller.

This just had to be mine when I saw it in Humblebeads shop. LOOK at the amazing detail on the starfish. She does this art by hand. I can't stand it - it's just too yummy.

So, of course, I needed more than one. Because one is a pendant and one is a toggle. TOTALLY different things. Both gorgeous, though.

All this hand-dyed silk lusciousness is from Jody Waldemar's Etsy shop: JodyPoesy. That last picture is a colorway called "Raven" and I'm using it in a design in process right now and OMG...it is SO gorgeous. Uh, the ribbon...not my design. Although I am aspiring to gorgeousness...

Cranberry and aqua hollows with black stringer work from Alisha White. She has just about the most precise stringer work on her beads that I think I've ever seen. It's really fantastic!

This is the last of my bonus check "splurges" from Loupiac. I love the sparkling ivory mixed with the deep teal and dusty plum/lavender in this set.

That's it. I won't be back until Wednesday so y'all have a fantabulouse and bead-filled holiday weekend!!

KJ