Denim Bead ID Lanyard Now Availabe on ArtFire Store

Those that know me know that it's practically a tie which jewelry task I like doing best--stringing new creations or finding new bead stores to go through. Just like my denim bead designs, no two bead stores are alike. I keep a list of clever names of coffee houses, B&B's, and bead stores! On a trip to Stillwater, Minnesota a little over a year ago, I happened upon a quaint bead shop entitled Art N Soul. In the basement of this gifts and novelties store was tucked a little room of spotlighted brick walls with baskets and containers overflowing with beads and findings--I was in bead heaven! Among the varied treasures were some painted bone beads. I wasn't sure what I would do with them at the time, but knew they had to be part of my collection.

The end result included several of my dark blue denim jean beads along with some black dice beads. At the time I created this piece, I was working as a revenue auditor at a casino. My plan had been to sell these and other employee ID badge lanyards in the casino gift shop, but I've decided to showcase them in my ArtFire studio instead.

Check out this creation as well as many others. I'm adding to my inventory daily!

Casual Day Designs Opens ArtFire Store

I'm very excited to be opening my first online store via ArtFire!! After losing a sale last month because I wasn't set up to accept credit card payments, I knew I needed to take that leap of faith and join the ranks of the ever-growing eCommerce world. Thanks to my dad's research and experience, I was able (with his help) to quickly get a store up and running. Now it's just a matter of finding the time to photograph my jewelry with a little more finesse, write some descriptions, and get my product in the store "window"! I still have a lot to learn, but there are plenty of artists in the ArtFire community eager to lend their expertise to their fellow artisans.

Thanks for stopping by!

Here it is at long last!! Shinier, sparkly denim beads with personalized "denim-look" pendants.

A Time for Harvest

My last post was in April of this year. I've taken some time to travel, relax, sample a variety of cuisine, hone my coffee snob status, and plant some new and renewed ideas with regards to my denim bead designs.

There's still no doubt in my mind that I have a very unique and valuable idea (to toot my own horn), but I had been wavering from my own lack of self-confidence (and lack of sales) whether to even pursue development of my jewelry creations.

During my haitus, I continued to ponder my denim bead idea and ways to improve my product. I've struggled with whether or not I like the "frayed" look of the beads upon prolonged wear and have been trying to come up with an idea to eliminate that aspect. I've also felt that while I like the denim look and the fact that it matches the jeans that I love to wear, the notion that jewelry should be more shiny and sparkly has niggled at the back of my mind as well.

So given the fact that my daughter is back in school once again and I've had to curb my vacation-taking, I'm back in my creative zone and working on a couple new enhancements to the denim beads.

I will be trying a new and improved denim bead that has sparkle, shine, and less fraying tendencies. I did manage to stumble across a few other rare bead finds throughout my travels that I will incorporate into the designs with my new denim beads.

So watch for some new creations from Casual Day Designs (and hopefully new posts that will occur more often than every four months ;) ) as my ideas come to fruition.

The seeds of new ideas have been planted and it is now time for harvest!

It's A Spring Thing...Mama's Country Memories

May 1 & 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Casual Day Designs jewelry will be featured at the Mama's Country Memories craft sale this weekend. Come spend a fun day in the country--handmade crafts, home and garden decor, refurbished vintage furniture pieces, primitive antiques, iron yard and garden art, hostas, perennials and potted plants, fresh baked goods, and so much more. There will be a wine tasting on Sunday, May 2nd hosted by "Garden Winery" a new Iowa Winery. Mama's Country Memories is located 7 miles east of Northwood on Hwy 105 at 4685 Vine Avenue.

Be Very A-Frayed!

It's less than two weeks until Halloween! Do you have your decorations up, the pumpkins carved, and the costumes made/purchased. I don't let my husband buy trick-or-treat candy until a couple days before beggar's night, or we'd have it all eaten ahead of time!! My daughter is less than fond of this time of year in the stores since the scarier costumes are just too frightening to even look at on display. And speaking of being afraid, I have a-fraying topic for my blog readers today.

While I do caution my customers that the denim beads on my jewelry will fray with wear, it's a matter of personal preference how it's worn once the fraying becomes more prominant. The bracelet I made for my sister gets worn quite frequently--thanks, Sis. She showed it to me when I visited her last month.

If you like the affect of the fraying, feel free to wear it with fringe swaying. If you want, you can carefully trim the strings for a cleaner look. If you've worn it totally out, return the piece, and I will make it look new again.

Happy Halloween!!!

2009 Vacations are BEAD-utiful!!!!

A long overdue post to my Casual Day Designs followers!!

I discovered some great bead shops in my travels this past summer! And with the snow we had today, I guess it's safe to say the summer is over! Which means I beader get back to beading!

The owner of 2nd Street Beads in St. Charles, Missouri gave me a great tagline for my jewelry when I described my unique craft--"It's the denim you flip over your head" [instead of stepping into one leg at a time].

At 1/8th A Bead Shop in Schroeder, Minnesota, the owner provided me with some very helpful information about some authenticity questions I had regarding my recent acquisition of grandma's jewelry.

The sales associate at String Along With Me in St. Charles, Missouri revealed some secret strands of assorted beads in the store's backroom that she let me sort through since my sister and I were the only ones in the store.

On our trip up the North Shore, we stopped in Superior Beads in Duluth where I found some beautiful stone beads and sterling bead cones. I made a necklace that I grew quite fond of. However, like any good beader, I sold that one from around my neck when a customer at the craft show last month inquired about it.

Each bead store, like my denim beads, is unique. I think I could become great friends with all the proprietors. They are unique individuals themselves and it is definitely reflected in their stores. I also know that I could spend hours and hours in each bead store.

My husband and I planned a romantic getaway to a B&B in Stillwater, MN last month for our 14th wedding anniversary. Tucked away in the basement of the Art N Soul on historic main street in Stillwater is a wonderful nook called Stillwater Beads. I found some one-of-a-kind treasures hidden away there. After my second stroll around the store, my very patient husband excused himself with a cell phone call and waited on a bench outside while I finished shopping. Thanks, Honey!!