Took the camcorder plunge!

I am soooo excited!! I just ordered a new camcorder! Wheee!!! I've been nagging Aaron for 4 years about getting a new camera. We've comparison shopped (in the stores) several times and always walked away frustrated and totally confused. But I recently decided to stop putting it off (and complaining about not having one) and spend time properly researching and just buy one already.

The last time I bought a camcorder was 10 years ago. Oh my it's complicated nowadays! LOL! After weighing the pros and cons of mini dvd, hi def, mini dv, hard drive and all the options that go with....we decided to get a hard drive camcorder in the form of the Sony DCR SR85.


After I spent several days researching and learning about the camcorders, I spend another couple days reading reviews (and watching prices) on various stores featured on PriceGrabber. I just placed a phone order with Abe's and got a fantastic discounted price as well as a free camera bag and free shipping. (The free bag was only possible with a phone order.)

I'm so excited! Now, the free shipping option is for slow ground shipping but I can live with that. But still...I can't wait to start stalking my kids like the Mom Paparazzi! The last time I got quality video of them Emily was a wee baby. My Mom will have to buy some sort of DVD rolodex to keep all her home movie DVDs I'll be mailing her. :)

Crimp Impaired

It would seem that I have forgotten how to use crimp beads. I am so frustrated. Granted it's been a couple years or more since I made crimped jewelry, but it's not rocket science. I seriously can not get one single crimp bead to crimp. (I cheated with the watercolor bead bracelet and only 1/2 crimped the ends...and the bracelet is slowly loosening b/c of it.)

At some point during our many moves in the past 4 years I have lost my old pair of crimping pliers. My trusty pliers that crimped a bazillion beads and made a 1/2 bazillion pieces of jewelry. Recently I bought a pair of inexpensive replacement pliers at Hobby Lobby. But I'm still using up silver plated crimp beads I got long ago from Fire Mtn. (I think.)

I believe the el-cheapo pliers package said they worked with 2mm or smaller beads. My beads are 2mm.

My problem is in the 2nd squeeze where you fold the bead in half. When I make the 2nd squeeze the bead gets pushed back open instead of folding shut. I have tried finessing it closed at several different angles but it never works. I NEVER had this problem in the past. Did I get a bad pair of pliers? I wondered if the U-channel is not deep enough. But I'm beginning to think it's just the operator and not the tool.

I even had Aaron give it a try. He had the same problem and decided the beads were too big for the pliers. Since he manipulates metal for a living I kind of trust his instincts. :) But here's a picture to let you see the size of the bead in the pliers:

(click to make bigger)

What do YOU think? Since the beads used to serve me well, do you think it's the pliers? What pliers and crimp beads do you use? I'd really like to hear what you think.

Bracelet for Mom

I made some prototype beads a couple weeks ago. It all started with one little sculpted bead that I planned to make a mold of. I did not get a great mold made so I started using the bead as a stamp. The first stamped prototypes were in earthy browns. (I didn't like them.) So I opted to try black with orange. This way IF they turned out cute, my Mom could get a new OSU bracelet out of the experiment. :)


(It's hard to photograph a floppy bracelet that doesn't fit my own wrist! I took a dozen shots and these 3 were the least sucky.)

Originally I had planned on a simple, casual, stretchy bracelet. Then I decided to try and dress up the beads with lots of silver. I didn't have any silver beads that thrilled me, so I pulled out the wire.
Overall I like the bracelet. It's totally swirly and that always pleases me. But I am concerned with how well it will wear. I was going for low-profile and comfy for typing/computer work. There is a lot of tangle potential with all those S-swirls and jumprings though...so only time will tell if my guinea pig, er..Mom, finds it a comfortable piece of jewelry.

Have I mentioned I'm not a jewelry designer?! I'm a bead maker. I suck at designing and engineering finished pieces of jewelry. I just don't *see* it. (I can't decorate my house either!) So I will probably try more of the little flower beads with different bracelet ideas. Probably. Well, maybe. I've got a brand new page of idea sketches sitting on the clay table that are begging to be tried. (ADD strikes again!) :)

New treasury

I happened upon a treasury spot today. It's been ages! I had no themes in mind, so I went to my favorites and just started picking. Which was harder than I thought it would be.

So...would you like to have a look and do the clicky-clicky thing?! :) You might find something you just gotta have!