New!

Hi folks!

I haven't updated here in a year and a half, despite many promises to keep up with this. So I've decided to start over with a new blog. Pretty please check it out, and follow me! =)

http://isitstilltuesday.blogspot.com/

Projects

It's been a busy few months and I've been slacking in both Blogland and Real Life...but I'm slowly working my way back into the creative world....all because I realized I had my store-bought red, white and blue Americana wreath still up...no, not just since the Fourth of July but since MEMORIAL DAY. Whoops!

You see, I'm an equal-opportunity neglecter. It's not just you, my dear blog. I have also overlooked my poor front door. That happy little wreath of tin stars needed replacing, STAT. It's August, after all! So it was off to A.C. Moore I went...(did you know they offer a military discount?? Cuz they do!)I took the easy way out and bought a premade wreath and silk flowers to wire on. Gotta start slow, y'know? Pretty pale pink roses and hydrangea with creamy yellows...so pretty! Brilliantly green hydrangea leaves added some pop, and then I finished with some awesome vintage lucite goodies The Beadin' Path...translucent ribbed baubles in watermelon and tiny carnation pink rounds. I wired them in with this great soft aluminum wire I bought there a couple years ago...not sure if there is any still in stock but it's fun to play with!

So, what next? Well, today I started a facebook fan page for my jewelry shop on Etsy, BunnyBeads. Would you like to like me? Go here. Would you like to like me even more? Check out the BunnyBaubles page here. I also started an encaustic painting today with supplies I bought from fellow Maine Teamer Jamie Ribisi-Braley. Check out her absolutely stunning artwork and supplies here in her Etsy shop! I promise (as always) an update about this new painting soon...<3

Hope

I have some really awesome and exciting news to share! I've been busy for the past few months raising money for this year's Relay For Life, which is the American Cancer Society's #1 annual fundraiser. This is something I have done every year for 13 years...but this year is special. THIS year I have a force of awesome standing behind me in my efforts...and that force is Regretsy.com

April Winchell runs the website which is downright snarky and mean...which is why I love it. April is a snarky bitch with a heart of gold. She recently raised money through Regretsy to help an Etsy seller, HiBird, to get a new sewing machine, and when I saw how quickly the Regretsy community rallied for this cause I wanted to cry. She did something totally amazing and life-changing in a matter of hours. It gave me hope. I emailed April to tell her how amazing that was and how I really needed that to lift my spirits since my own fundraising had hit a roadblock...money is tight this year, and everyone's feeling it. Without being asked, April graciously donated $100 leftover from the sewing machine fund to my personal Relay Fund, and now she set up this, just for me:
http://www.regretsy.com/2010/05/24/new-alchemy-project-3/

I am so excited about this! Now there are so many ways to help!
-To donate directly to me, go HERE!
-You can also buy from my two Etsy shops, BunnyBeads and BunnyBaubles, because 25% of total sales through May and June are donated.
-You can also donate to me directly, HERE!
-You can bid on the Regretsy Ebay items.
-You can buy April's Regretsy book directly from Amazon.com where her royalties will go to my fund and Amazon.com will kick in an additional 5%.
-Did I mention you can donate directly HERE...?
-You can also donate items to go into one of two gift baskets that will be raffled off at the Relay on June 11. The first basket is going to be full of Regretsy-themed goodness, the second full of offerings from the Etsy Maine Team.

Big thanks to April and the Regretsy community, and to all my friends who have also generously donated to this cause! Thank you!!!

Neapolitan Dream

It's been a good 7 weeks since my last blog post (and of course I probably promised in that post to update again soon...sorry!). In my defense, I was out of town (visiting home!). I am also lazy. =)

But here I am yet again, lovely readers, with a new piece for my small collection of Donna Necklaces, a collection named after my dearest mother. This pretty baby was started in late January and finished just yesterday (again, lazy)...

I started out with some of my Beadin' Path Design Partner beads (check out the stash I started out with here) and added to it with some BP favs. The carnation pink Czech glass pinch beads and the marbled pink Czech glass daggers were part of the bundle I received from Heather, the rest were pulled from my personal stash!

The teeny pink coral rounds were actually from a great Beads in the Mail Club set from about a year ago (are you a hoarder like me? I always save things for the right piece!). The matte cocoa seed beads were meticulously plucked from one of the fabulous seed bead mixes (don't want to pluck? Here's a tube of ALL the same bead...wonderful concept, really. Why didn't I think of that?) and the brown agate rounds were actually going to be part of a different necklace many many moons ago...but of course I changed my mind. 'Twas destiny! They were destined to be a part of this delicious Neapolitan Dream necklace!


The fabulous Bali cones I snagged from another Esty shop, MegaBeadStore. The hook clasp is a BP staple, you can find it here.

I hope it won't take me another 7 weeks to update again...I have some earrings to match this necklace I'd like to show off while still relevant!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Hear that? It's the sound of relaxation...oh, wait, my vacation is over. Then that must be the sound of the real world coming back to smack me in the face!


Well, life isn't too bad, in all honesty. I just got back from a week at Walt Disney World with my wonderful husband of three years.

We had a wonderful time!

But now it's back to the grind...work, home, work, home...luckily I have another trip to look forward to very soon! Back to my real HOME...to Massachusetts and Maine at the end of this month! Woohoo!

In the meantime, look for some new Funky Flowers to arrive at BunnyBaubles, and don't forget about the Etsy Maine Team Spring Cleaning Sale! Check out my sales here and here!

Until next time...

Spring Cleaning!

I know it's February, but I've started my Spring Cleaning already! I decided to do some cleaning in my Etsy shops too, adding to my Sale/Clearance sections so I can make room for new things I have been working on! I have several new necklaces for BunnyBeads so the SALE section in that shop has grown significantly. I am also phasing out the "Candy" line of bobby pins and barrettes at BunnyBaubles to make way for my "Button Up" line, created with mis-matched vintage buttons. I love me some buttons! Above are my new Laura pins, below are the Kaylea pins. Love!


Several of my fellow Etsy Maine Team members have started to clean up their shops too! You can search Etsy for our SALE items, we're tagging them with "MaineSpringClean" so it's easy to find and shop! There are some really awesome items that are super-affordable! Go check it out!


Speaking of the Maine Team, I got some really awesome Valentine ideas from fellow teammate Shannon, who is an editor of the online magazine Modern Handmade Child. (Check out Shannon's Etsy shops here and here!)


I am a Nanny by day, so I am always looking for fun new things for the boys to do. Ben, in 3rd grade, is currently learning parts of speech in English class. So what's better than giving out super-funny MadLibs Valentines?? We took MHC's idea a step further by decorating paper hearts (as you can see, with loads of stickers!) and inserted the MadLibs scrolls at an angle to be the "arrow" through each heart.

For 1st grader Jake, we had a lot of fun peeling and breaking up crayons to make his Valentines. Here are our broken crayons going into the oven (in a silicone muffin pan I got at Jo-Anne's for $7.50!)


Check out the "After!" Jake was very impressed! His class loved the crayons too, win-win! I made these crayons again with my best friend's seven-year-old daughter, another success! She made a red, white, and blue heart crayon just for her daddy. Feel the love!

Reduce, reuse, restock!

I've been adding new items to my BunnyBaubles shop this week...

...There are two new Lace Barrette colors...
(Coral Pink is already available, check back soon for the Chocolate Brown!)

...several new Funky Flowers...
(plus a couple old favorites and more to come!)

...and I've slowly been phasing the lucite "candy" collection out and adding in layered buttons.
I have a great pair of red button bobbies that should be available tomorrow...enjoy!

To top it all off I'm offering a bit of a Valentine's Day Promotion! Free US shipping on all orders from both of my Etsy shops. Happy shopping!
BunnyBeads
BunnyBaubles

Valentine's day is around the corner...

...and whether you love or hate the day (I admit, I'm not sure how I feel about the so-called holiday myself) you know you're going to be surrounded by red and pink and hearts galore. So I thought it'd be a great idea to design some really fun and funky pieces for the day with beads from the Beadin' Path. Check out this blog entry from last month to see what I started out with.


My first creations were a bracelet and necklace set. I used a length of vintage chain for the necklace and hung big lucite ribbed rounds and a couple lucite bell flowers from it (using Czech glass baby bell flowers in the center of each lucite flower) and added a little sparkle with Swarovski bicones in fuchsia. I left the necklace long, which is unusual for me, but I ended up loving it.


I echoed the bright silver of the necklace's chain in the bracelet with metallic seed beads. This is a really simple design to make, and it's also great to give as a gift. Whenever I make bracelets for others I am always afraid they'll be too short or too long. But the looping seed beads of this crossweave bracelet give a bit of stretch, which is perfect for that situation. I used the same ribbed rounds and bell flowers and crystals as in the necklace.


Tada! A perfect match. I am in love with this set! I may not be able to wait until the 14th to wear them =)


This next bracelet, however, may have to wait...it is so girly and fun but also REALLY Valentine-y.


I used a vintage lucite opaque pink bangle bracelet I bought ages ago (I am SO sure that the BP still has them, too!) and epoxied these gorgeously glittery plastic leaf beads all around it. This adds not just the glitz but the texture I really wanted to mix in with my other plain bangle bracelets. I think I'll wear this one with a couple white bangles and a few in different shades of pink...very 80's!


I think that's it for tonight folks...I'll be back in soon with more pink-inspired designs (earrings galore!) and with some new pieces I'm adding to my shops this week...until then, happy creating!

Baubles, buttons, and beads

As usual, I have been a busy bunny! Mr. Bunny has left for a monthlong trip to Japan which leaves me both lots of things to do and also lots of downtime...I know that doesn't make much sense, but you'll just have to take my word for it.

So to fill my downtime I have been working a small collection of vintage buttons I have been collecting (several from fellow Maine teamers Joy and Nancy) and using up the last of my vintage plastic flowers for my Funky Flowers collection....really, someone needs to recreate those because I friggin' love them!

I've also been working on my Beadin' Path Design Partner jewelry...I have a TON of pink goodies to share with you, and just in time for Valentine's Day! Hurrah! Some of those designs will be appearing tomorrow, right here =)

And my last project? Is a secret =) It's silly to even keep it a secret, because it's so simple and probably not a very good idea on my part...but I want to do it, so there! But shhh! Don't tell anybody...

Facebook, bra colors, and true breast cancer awareness.

Have you seen a bunch of Facebook status updates that just say "black," "pink," "red," or some other colors? Do you know why?

I got this email on Facebook several times over yesterday:
"Some fun is going on.... just write the color of your bra in your status. Just the color, nothing else. And send email on to ONLY girls, no men .... It will be neat to see if this will spread the wings of cancer awareness. It will be fun to see how long it takes before the men will wonder why all the girls have a color in their status... Haha! pass this on"

I'm sorry, but Breast Cancer is not fun. Sure, it can't hurt to post these colors, but how many women are posting a color and forgetting about it? How many women are actually raising true awareness for the disease? And why can't men be involved?

If you want to truly step up and let your voice be heard, here's a better way. It takes a few moments of your time and is definitely worth passing around...


Dear Friends,
This is an opportunity to help the 20,000 people in the United States who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. If you're receiving this, it's because I believe you will take the 3 minutes to email your Senators and Representative to support Breast Cancer patients, and that you will recruit others to support to this cause.

The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2009 (S. 688/H.R.1691) will require Insurance Companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It will eliminate the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are being sent home a few hours after surgery.

This legislation has been introduced in every Congressional session since 1997, but had always died in Committee, until last year. 2008 marked the FIRST time the bill made it to subcommittee discussions, and then passage by the House of Representatives! Progress! However, the Senate did not vote on the bill before the legislative session ended, so did the bill died again. Now that Congress is back from summer recess, it's again time to apply pressure to get the bills into discussions and passed.

Email is an efficient, effective way to reach a Senator or Representative. It doesn't need to go through the security check that a regular letter does.

Below are links to the Senate & House, instructions for those who might need them, and a short message you can copy and paste in.. The goal is to inundate Congressmen from EVERY state and get their attention.



Please take the time to contact your Congressman, and then forward this to all of your friends and relatives who will take action. I sincerely believe that last year’s August, 2008 email campaign that so many of you responded to led to the House passage on September 25, 2008.

This is a personal battle. My surgeon insisted I stay a full day after my mastectomy. I still went home with drains attached, but I was in better condition than I was the day before.

Cancer patients need our support, a mastectomy is only the first step of a long ordeal.
I truly appreciate your help.


Instructions (read through first)

Senator
1. Highlight and copy the letter below.

2. Click on the this Senate link to get to the Senate web page: http://www.senate.gov/
3. Click on your state name in the Find Your Senator box
in the upper right corner of the page, then click GO.
4. Click on the senator's "web form" address line

5. Fill in your personal information (name, address, etc)

6. Paste the letter in the Comment section & click submit/send



Representative

1. Highlight and copy the letter below.

2. Click on the Representative link to get to the Representative web page: http://www.house.gov/
3. Click on the picture of the pen in hand (upper left) that says Write Your Representative.
4. Select your state and fill in zip code, then click “Contact My Representative"
5. Fill in your personal information (name, address, city ), then click Continue to text

6. Paste the letter in the Comment section and click submit



Letter:

The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2009, H.R. 1691 and S. 688, provides
mastectomy patients with inpatient care NOT limited by insurers to less than 48 hours .


200,000 women in the United States will get diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
They need more than proclamations and pink ribbons each October. They need your
help and support. The bill has been referred to subcommittee on Health, Employment,
Labor and Pensions, but it needs to be voted on, passed, and signed into law.

The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act has been waiting for passage since 1997.
The 2007 bill, HR 758, was voted on and passed by the House of Representatives
in 2008, but its companion bill, S 459, was never voted on in the Senate.

Please don't let another session go by without making this legislation law.


Thanks, friends. Please pass it along!
-Drea

Happy Holidaze

What has the Bunny been up to? A LOT! Like a trip to the zoo with five kids under 12....


And decorating cookies with that same group the next day....


And having a very merry Christmas! There were loads of presents, but my favorites came from Etsy...here are a few goodies from my favorite group, the Etsy Maine Team!

Jack with his new bling! "Mama's Boy" tag from LoftedDesigns.

Me being a ham with my new sign from WordBoards!

And this one wasn't for me, but for my grandparents from all 19 of us grandkids, grandkids-in-law, and great-grandkid =) I wish I had been there to see them open it! All I got was a little bitty cell phone picture which was kind of lame. So here's the photo Melissa of Little Pink House took after she completed this masterpiece!


Well, what else has been going on? We added some new furniture and re-arranged the house a bit! Now my parents are visiting from Massachusetts and we've been having fun shopping and sightseeing with them. My favorite sight so far?

Oh yeah. That's a shrunken head.

Happy New Year, from the Bunny to you!

Designing Designs

Here at the Bunny Abode it has been a LONG week. I have been sick for the past four days and there's only so much daytime TV I can handle. I made a few pairs of earrings for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts, and strung up the Gators bracelet I mentioned in my last post.


I made the earrings for a friend...I love these aqua blue glass beads. I use them here and there in a lot of designs, because they're so vibrant and fun! They're vintage lovelies from The Beadin' Path in Freeport, ME.

And speaking of the BP, on Tuesday I received a batch of pretty pink beads, after I badgered my former boss and owner of the shop to make me a Design Partner. I love that they sent me PINK, which is pretty much my favorite color in the NBA off-season (during the season it's green, because I'm superstitious and a Celtics fan).



I haven't played much yet...ohhhh but I will! Just wait til I get this fever down...


THESE babies are going to be perfect for my cousin Liz's Christmas gift...Liz is like me...a magpie and a lover of pink!

I hope you're ready to see lots of PINK this week! =) And I also hope you're ready for a story tomorrow...because tonight was an interesting night...to say the least! Let's just say I had an unexpected visitor in an unexpected place...

Good night Bloggers =)

Works in Progress

Here's a few peeks at things that don't have anything to do with decorating Christmas trees...really!

There are a few new items up at BunnyBaubles, and a few to come at BunnyBeads, but I have been spending a lot of time working on gifts for my friends and family...and gifts from my friends and family.

Check out these bracelets my sister ordered. One for her Mother-In-Law and one for her Stepmother-In-Law (SMIL?)

This one is her MIL's two sons and one grandson's birthstones. This could have been disastrous...pink, purple, and red! I decided to use pearl for June instead of tanzanite and white opal for October instead of pink...imagine all boys and having the most girly-colored Valentine's-esque bracelet ever! Yuck.

And this is for the "classy crunchy granola" SMIL, hematite and turquoise...not my fav combo, but I don't have to wear it.

I found those great clasps from lilysoffering on Etsy...she donates 10% of her sales to Domestic Abuse Awareness, which is great! The money is used for counseling service, housing, and transition services for women and children affected by domestic violence. I got my beads and findings super-fast and I'm glad to have helped a good cause in some small way.

My Swarovski crystals and pearls I bought from 411Crystals, another Etsy shop. Her crystals aren't horrifically overpriced like so many other sellers' are, and they arrived quickly and in mint condition. It's a great shop to find just about any color you'd need in all the basic shapes. Fantastic!

The lovely stone beads came from my favorite B&M shop and former employer, The Beadin' Path. I'm happy to say I'll be one of their "Design Partners" soon and I can't friggin wait. The lovely Heather, a co-owner, will be sending me some bead-y lovelies and I'll get to play and show off the results right here...keep those eyes peeled! =) It'll be fun and awesome!

Speaking of the BP, does anyone remember the Tweet Your Studio contest the BP had with Dawno a few months ago? I won a lap-desk thingy for beading and it has been a GODSEND. With my non-studio space (the couch!) I needed some help! Thanks so much again, ladies!


That was a necklace in the works for my BFF Nelda's birthday...freshwater pearl, labradorite, and Swarovskis with a sterling cross. She put it on as soon as she opened the box! Hooray!

Tada!

Next up? A Florida Gators-themed bracelet. Again, glad I don't have to wear that one! Gimme Celtics Green and we'll be all set =)
Also coming soon...my Etsy Maine Team secret santa gift...I wish I could show it off now! But we're not opening gifts til the 18th...y'all gotta wait!! And so does my Secret Santa..>=) Whoever they are!

Happy creating!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

...I finally got to decorate my trees! We have been dogsitting a HUGE dog all week (See above!), so we didn't want to put out the trees til he was gone. Now I have FOUR trees in my house, woohoo!

There's Pants with our REAL tree...our first real one as a married couple, which is great! We picked out a really great one, I think. Here is it with my Crunchy Country Bumpkin ornaments...

You can see my hideous pink tree up there in the corner too =D I love that thing. And I love my tree! Here are some of my ornaments...I'm silly, I take pictures of everything!



Here is our old artificial tree. It's got my usual Peppermint Theme, which I am carrying over to the ugly light fixture. All red and silver and white and pretty in my front window.


And here is my fourth and final tree...this is the Pants Tree, because he doesn't really care for my white-lights-themed trees. So I gave him a two-foot colored-lights-themed tree. Yep...those are Yoda lights. And Star Wars ornaments.

What, don't you have Star Wars trees?