I'm back!!!

Oh how I've missed you all!!!  Over the past several weeks I've been busy with a bit of a home project as we've been getting our townhouse ready to sell.  We put in new floors (ourselves), we painted top to bottom, we redecorated and we de-cluttered (a fancy real estate term for putting your junk in storage).  Although it looks fantastic in here (if I do say so myself) I am exhausted and I miss my creative mess.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to make any jewelry or keep up with my favorite blogs while I was up to my eyeballs in paint and sawdust but it's all done now and I'm back baby!  We are still looking for the perfect house (with the perfect studio of course) and I'll keep you up to date with our search. :-)

My Living Room

I spent the last couple of days working on some new jewelry (Yay!) and I will share some pictures over the next week.  Here's a sneak peek of one of my new pieces.

Honeysuckle Bracelet

I'm looking forward to getting caught up on all my favorite blogs.  I hope you are all having a great spring!

Much love,

Wear Your Passion

A friend of mine posted this on facebook today and I just had to share it. :-) 

Have a great day!

I'm Still Here

Sorry I've been MIA lately!  Life is just busy, busy, busy.  I feel like we need to catch up. :-)

Here's what I've been up to over the last couple of weeks...

~Home renovations.  We're putting in new laminate floors and painting our house from top to bottom.  We're planning on listing our house to sell in the next few weeks.  Why is it that my home always looks prettiest when I'm selling it?  Right now it looks like a tornado hit it but I'll be sure to take a picture when the floors and paint are done.  I think it's going to look really good!

~House hunting.  We're looking for the perfect house with a nice backyard.  Our current townhouse is great but it's time to find a house.  It has to have a great kitchen and a great studio too!  Wish us luck!

~My husband and I just finished a 12 day herbal cleanse with no gluten, dairy or sugar.  It was tough but I feel great!  I also realized that I have a pretty severe gluten allergy.  I've been gluten free for two weeks now and I feel better than I have in months!  It's really quite amazing actually.

~This one is really exciting for me... I am going to be published!!!  Bead Trends magazine has accepted 2 of my designs for their August issue and 1 for their September issue!  I can't wait to see my designs in print!

~I am the Call to Create winner for March over at Love My Art Jewelry!  I won some beautiful beads by Clay Designs by Glee, Patty Lankinsmith and MACarroll!  If you are not following LMAJ yet you should check it out!  Their Call to Create challenge for April is one of the coolest yet!

~I bought a dress form mannequin.  Her name is Gretchen.  I realized that when I look at jewelry on Etsy the first photo I always click on (if there is one) is of the model wearing it.  Since most of the time I'm in sweats with my hair in a ponytail, Gretchen will be modeling my jewelry for me from now on.

~I've been making Spring and Summer themed jewelry even though it's still cold and rainy here.

Now for some photos!  Here's a piece that I made for my sister who is in sunny Mexico right now for a friends destination wedding.  Her dress is white with coral and yellow flowers so I made her this bright and cheery piece.  The shell flower is kind of special because I bought it when we were on vacation in Hawaii last October.

Tropicolor Necklace by Lisalu Jewels

Made with a mother of pearl flower combined with yellow agate and Swarovski pearls.

Keeping with the bright and cheery palette I made this fun bracelet.

Strawberry Sunshine Bracelet by Lisalu Jewels

This bracelet is made with some pretty lampwork beads by Mandrel 2.

Remember this one from BTW a couple of weeks ago?

A Little Bit Country by Lisalu Jewels

Modeled by Gretchen

I hope Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods even though we're still waiting for it here.  My blog posts will probably be a bit spread out over the next few weeks  while we complete our renos but I promise to keep in touch. :-)

Until next time,

Make Something Pretty!

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're having a great day. The sun is actually shining here today after what seems like weeks of rain, and it's beautiful outside. I even had a chance to take my son out to the park to absorb some rays.  I was inspired by this beautiful weather to create a treasury of some pretty spring themed art beads.  Please, someone else buy them all before I do! ;-) Enjoy!

'Make Something Pretty!' by lisalujewels

A selection of art beads, pendants, clasps and cord from some of my favorite artisans on Etsy!

Stephaniebeads Lampwork... stephaniebeads $75.00	Bold Focal Pendant classicbead $12.95	Hawaiian Shirt Pendant shaterra $12.00	Pink Andalasia Artisan ... GlassByLeese $23.00
TROPICAL BREEZE - Handm... HavanaBeads $28.00	Tideline Discs (12) - M... mermaidglass $18.00	SALEToggle Clasp Green ... maryhardingjew... $25.00	Creme de mint silk ribb... dfer7666 $13.00
Wacky Chunky Spiral Dis... hmbstudios $16.95	WATERCOLOUR VIOLETS - s... jperaladesigns $24.00	Mermaid Tail / Ceramic ... gaea $14.50	Big Golden Leaves Sprin... IrinaS $35.00
The Big Blue - Mixed de... Loupiac $59.00	Pollination Toggle Clas... mamacitabeadwo... $19.99	OOAK Set No. 98 Silk Bu... MarshaNealStud... $20.00	Sunshine Chrysanthemum ... carolinedousi $19.50

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Spring Treasuries

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're having a great week!  Things have been busy around here as usual and I'm hoping to share some new things with you later this week.  I have been in Spring and Summer jewelry making mode even though the weather outside still feels wintry.  I'm hoping it warms up soon!

I just wanted to take a minute to share the three beautiful and colorful treasuries I've been featured in this week.

Go Gogh! Amsterdam on Etsy by MannersTalk

My Dutch Delft Earrings were featured in this one.

Colors of Spring by GlassbyLeese

My Dreaming of Spring necklace was featured in this one.


Teal Dreams by Blueribbonmom

My Teal my Heart necklace was featured in this one.

I love the beautiful colors in all of these!  It's always such a nice surprise to be included in someones treasury.  I'm hoping to make a few myself soon. :-)

Bead Table Wednesday

This is my first time participating in BTW.  What took me so long?  Two reasons actually.  First, Wednesdays are not usually a day that I get to sit at my bead table.  My son has a minimum of two, sometimes three therapy appointments and by the time I get a chance to get into my studio Wednesday is almost done.  What makes today different though, is that I'm actually writing this on Tuesday night and scheduling it for the morning.   What can I say, I'm a cheater. ;-)  The other reason is that my bead table usually looks like a tornado hit it.  I have noticed lately however, that I am not the only one with a bead table that's not exactly artfully arranged.  That being said, I'm not actually going to show you my bead table(s) today because as I write this it's getting too dark to take a good picture so I will move some of what is on my table to my light tent.

Here is a piece that I've been working on.  I've been experimenting with waxed linen lately.  So far I haven't produced anything that I'm thrilled with but I keep trying.  I found this pendant at Michaels on the weekend and thought it would work well with the tan waxed linen I had sitting on my table. 

Work in Progress

Ceramic beads by Shaterra Clay Studio

Here are a couple of pendants that I bought recently.  I'm just waiting for some matching gemstone beads that I bought to arrive in the mail.  I'm hoping to whip these up into necklaces soon.

Pendants

Pendants by The Classic Bead and Shaterra Clay Studio

I also purchased a new photo prop this week.  A nice big cup and saucer.  All of my photo props are white and I thought this would be a nice fit. 

Photo Prop

Makes me feel like a latte...

I've already used it for a few photos.

Damselfly Earrings by Lisalu Jewels

Available in my Etsy store.

Check out the BTW flickr group to see what everyone else has on their table!

BTW Flickr Group

Happy Tuesday, I mean Wednesday everyone! ;-)

March Blahs

It happens to me every year around this time.  The warm coziness of the holidays is over, spring is yet to begin and I get the blahs.  I look out at the dark gloomy skies (I live in Vancouver where it's often dark and gloomy) and my body and mind just ache for light.  I crave the feeling of bare feet, bare shoulders and sun on my skin.  I feel like I wake up in the spring and then come alive in the summer.  Late winter feels like something to get through. 

The View from Here

photo taken from my living room

In the winter I wear pants and sweaters (blah) but in the summer I wear outfits with matching jewelry not smothered by a heavy winter coat.  In the winter I eat apples harvested in the fall, but in the summer I get to savour the bright juiciness of fresh strawberries and peaches. I can almost taste that sweet nectar on my tongue just thinking about it.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate winter.  Sometimes nothing feels better than watching falling snow while sipping a cup of hot cocoa, but by this time of year, winter feels stale.  Like it has overstayed its welcome.  The trees are just waiting for a sliver of sunshine to burst forth with their blossoms and I too am waiting to burst forth with my creative blooms.  When winter has dropped its last icy rain drop, the city around me begins to spring to life. 

And when those first rays fall on me I will rub the sleep out of my eyes and stretch my limbs.  I will pop my head out of the cave I've been hibernating in and breathe in the sweet fresh air. 

I will savour the months ahead.  I will play outside.  I will wear pretty clothes, I will create pretty things and soak up all the sunshine and fun that spring and summer has to offer.

Until my body craves the crisp cool air of autumn...