I’m home.  My head is still spinning from the whirlwind tour, playing a long game of catch up today.  It was such a fun week, I hate to see it come to an end, but I have so many exciting projects going on that it’s ok.  Right? Tonight we went to a fashion show/talent show at the international school.  The kids designed their own clothes, bought the fabric at the market and took it to the tailors to be made—the outfits were amazing!  This is a neat thing about living in Ch!na–you can design and have your clothes made from scratch.    Then there were talents presented from violinists to rappers.  It was all very colorful and well done.  Oh, and they even had a band made up of several male teachers–who sang "just what I needed" by the Cars.  Sigh.  So dreamy.   Come back tomorrow to see some egg-stra cute eggs…

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has discovered another outlet to sell your jewelry on-line. This is really a place for other crafters too.

Art Bead Scene
What’s the best suggestion you ever received? ABS Editor Cindy Gimbrone’s was The Rainbow Suggestion. ABS readers weigh in and tell us theirs! 

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi details the products and methods she likes best for creating her bead-embroidered necklaces.

Katie’s Beading Blog
Here’s another opportunity to use your beady powers for good. Read Katie’s blog to find out about Beads of Courage®.

PearlEsq.
Robin’s got some great news, tips and samples on everything Memory Glass!

Savvy Crafter
The Savvy Crafter is in the Philippines this week. Candie’s Travel Tip: Look beyond the everyday souvenir and you will find beads!

Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done!
Jean hand made a chain maille double standed bracelet with some very special names on it: her two grandsons! It is offered as a free project in Beading Daily online!

The Impatient Beader
Ever wonder how a designer comes up with new ideas? Get a peek inside the creative mind of Margot Potter as she shares two bitchin’ and bad ass new designs. Paging Biker Crafts Magazine!

WE MADE IT TO CEBU.   

to the weekend.  It was a fun one, too.  Party for friends and family at the international school on Friday night. As we checked in, they gave us name tags and said we could write the ages of our children on it.  Having no children, I later thought I should have wrote "37"—Butch (that’s our little joke around here).  Saturday was make stuff til’ ya drop day.  And this morning we went to our friends house to make banana pancakes.  Lordy, lordy, I could’ve eaten forty of those things….but I didn’t.  It’s going to be a short week because we’re taking a red eye flight here this Tuesday night, to Cebu.  Taking a small beach vacation—it’s the first "beach" vacation for me and Butch.  Ever.  First one for either of us in 10 years?!?!  We’re looking forward to it.  I’m also going to attempt to go snorkeling.  I’m scared outta my skin at the idea, but.  No buts.  Have to.  You see I’m not exactly a fish in the water.  I can swim, I just don’t love to swim.  But, I know myself, I’ll always wonder if I don’t and I’m being blessed with the opportunity to have a try….so I’m gonna.  Many firsts coming fast and my plan is to just hold on tight. 

P.S.  This is some fabric for a potential project.  I loved the stylized bushes and carnival rides.

"Simply Beadiful", you won the lucky charms!  Yay!  Send me an email with your address so I can mail them off.  If you didn’t win this time, keep watching—I’ve got more surprises up my sleeve. 😉

candieATcandiecooper(DOT)com

The weekend flew by.  I played around with some new beads.  Made some soup.  Soup sunday is alive and well–last night we ate it out of paper bowls because we are "so over" doing dishes…at least yesterday.  Here’s the links from the bead bloggers, sans mine.  I always forget to post on the weeks of Ornament Thursday.  Duh.

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has news about a unique jewelry design contest going on at a relatively new site for designers of all types. 

Art Bead Scene
A Fit to Print Review that Sparkles!

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi takes a little trip into macrame land in an attempt to find something new to do with a V pendant!

Katie’s Beading Blog
The Triple Take projects for April are online for free download now! Read Katie’s post for previews and links. And, don’t forget to scroll back and visit this week’s Ornament Thursday post.

Naughty Secretary Club
Shame on Jen for spreading Cyber Gossip!

PearlEsq.
Robin shares a fun technique with Ranger’s new Adirondack Pigment Pens and Maya Road’s new Sheer Sheets-it’s sheerly colorific! 

Snap out of it Jean! There’s beading to be done!
Aardvark art glass repost: with my hand-made sterling 3 in 3 necklace, I teamed up with Cathy Lybarger, an amazing glass artist, as she experimented with painting on the insides of her hot glass beads, using enamel! This is now in my Links chain maille gallery on my site!

The Impatient Blogger
The Crafty Chica and The Impatient Beader share their craftastrophies in a no holds barred conversation. Yes, even the pros make crap sometimes. Leave your own True Craft Confessions in the comments!

Jani, commenter #2!!  Congratulations and thanks to everyone for leaving a note.  Check out my Ornament Thursday post with Lucky Charms–leave a comment to win your own.  After all, you never know if you’re lucky unless you try 😉  ! 

XOXO, Candie

P.S.  Jani, send me a note to candieATcandiecooperD()Tcom with your addy. Thx. 🙂

Home alone working today and I had to stop and laugh at myself…  I needed to do some drilling and as of late, I’ve not been wearing my safety glasses.  Do I think I’m invisible to shards of plastic and metal flying at my eyes?  Or maybe I’ve just been living here too long where saftey quite possibly comes "last."  So today when I picked up my drill tool, the thought "you’ll shoot your eye out" popped right into my head.  I put the tool down and reached for the safety glasses, only I had no idea where they were.  I know!  My new "Arsenal" sunglasses will work (ask me if I even knew that designer name before moving here).  They worked like a charm, so good that I forgot to take them off until an hour later!  That’s when I took the picture.  Poor thing can’t help herself.