Let the fun begin

Let the fun begin!

Starting today, for 13 days new goodies will be added to the shop!

Have a great weekend!

xo

Soon, very soon

Happy Halloween (almost)

October's Design of the Month will start tomorrow, Friday September 30th.
For 13 days, I'll be adding a few new pieces everyday to the DOTM page (because 13 is a lucky number)

There will be spooky bracelets, creepy necklaces (and cute ones too), maybe a black cat and a spider or two. Plus, so much more!

I hope you'll come back and join in the fun!

Boo Ha Ha

Liquid Gold

I've been a hobby beekeeper for about two years now. But this is my first year for harvesting honey. The first year you leave all the honey for your bees so they can make it through the cold winter months ahead. By the second year hopefully your bees have been busy little things, so there will be enough honey for you both.

My girls (bees) did good this year.

Last weekend we harvested this years honey...

Honey supers full of honey ready to be uncapped...

Uncapping the comb with the heat knife, so the honey will flow when placed in the spinner.

Placing the frames in the extractor and start spinning...

And spinning...

and spinning some more.

Look at all that pretty golden goodness.

Now I'm looking forward to designing some fun labels for the bottles!
xo

Hip to be Square

Because I run a online business, I only take credit cards through paypal. I knew I was going to have to figure something else out if I was going to be doing shows this year.

I heard about the Square, so I gave it a try.

Let me say, I think it's the best thing! Really!

It's easy to sign up for it, once you do you'll receive a FREE little white card reader (in a couple days) that goes right on top of your phone (smart phones only)

They only charge you 2.75% for each sale and there is no monthly fee, none!

Banks charge more than that, plus a monthly fee of $45.

I tried it out this last weekend for the first time. So easy, it's my new favorite thing this week.

xo

Something new

The Chain Gang

xo

Soups on!

A few weeks ago I joined Lori's Bead Soup Blog Party.

Everyone got paired up and we exchanged our beads (A focal bead, a clasp and a few spacer beads)

My partner was Wendy Blum  (you might remember I sent her this soup mix)

She sent me this amazing Peruvian Amazonite focal, silver toggle, pearls and crystals.

Once I received my soup mix, I knew I had to make something with an ocean theme.

So off to the studio to make some "ocean" beads to go with my soup mix...

This is what I made, a Carmel by the Sea Necklace...

With a seaside glass bezel to hang the focal, a amazonite colored heart and a starfish all wrapped in sterling.

A little glass bottle is filled with beach sand from Carmel California.

(I collect sand from the beaches I visit)

Thanks again to our party host, Lori for putting on such a fun party!
If you'd like to check out all the party goers, here is the list.

Thanks for stopping by...xo

Before and After

As I'm getting ready for a couple upcoming shows, I wanted something for my table...something charming, something that would be fun and go with my name, Garden Path Beads.

Kurt came up with an idea and offered to make it for me.

I still can not believe he took this scrap metal...

And made this sweet garden gate for me...

Complete with a couple of my lampwork bees...

It's perfect! Just PERFECT!

I've been busy over these last few months getting ready for some fun events!

Here is a list of the happenings for the next few weeks...

Saturday, Sept. 17th
The Bead Soup is reviled (here on my blog)
This event is where you get matched up with a partner and you send each other beads and then you make something from the goodies they send you. This year my partner was Wendy who sent me an amazing Peruvian Amazonite focal bead! Fun Fun Fun

Sunday, Sept. 18th, 2011
I'll be selling here- (loose beads only)
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BEAD SOCIETY
Ramada University Hotel
324 E. Shaw Ave.
Fresno, CA
9:00am-5pm

Saturday, Sept. 24th 2011
I'll be selling here- (Halloween goodies only, sorry no loose beads)
HALLOWEEN & VINE
Hermann Sons Hall
860 Western Ave.
Petaluma, CA
9am-2pm
www.halloweenandvine.com 

Saturday, Oct. 15th, 2011
I'll be selling here- (lots of fun goodies, maybe a few loose beads too)
GLITTERFEST
Elk's Lodge
212 S. Elk Lane
Santa Ana, CA
10am-4pm
www.glitterfest.com

If you are in the area, I hope you'll stop by and say hi!
Maria xo

To the top

My sister Pam climbing the cables.

Pam is almost to the top...

My sister Pam and I on the top of Half Dome in Yosemite yesterday...it was a long day (14 hours) of hiking, but we made it to the top!

Sweet

 

Did you know it takes about 556 worker bees to gather 1-pound of honey from about 2-million flowers.

Can you tell what I've been thinking about lately? Yep...harvesting my honey!
Soon, very soon.

It's going to be a busy week here...
My sister, Pam and her husband are flying in to go hike Half Dome (like we did last year)
We'll take some time and celebrate Pam and Kurt's birthday (both were last week)
Plus, I'll be spending every extra minute in the studio (I have a couple upcoming shows)
 

xo

What a HOOT

I added a couple goodies in the shop...

I also have a few loose (I mean single, hehe) owls. But I need to take pics of them and then I'll put them on the bead page in the next day or two.

Have a great 3-day weekend.

xo