Hello from the cool and foggy Oregon Coast

Sorry for the delay in not posting! We've been busy with Lighthouse Hosting at the Coquille River Lighthouse in Bandon, OR for May and now at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse near Port Orford, OR until the end of September. 
In between I've managed to find a shop in Bandon that has sold some of my jewelry and
new Doggie Bling on consignment. So, my fingers have been working hard in a few spare moments!

Here is a silver version of the Star Fish I did last year. I made this one into a brooch for a fine
lady in Toronto! I liked it so much I had to make one for myself! :)

I also do special projects, like the one I did for my good friend Cecilia. She had a very pretty carved pendant but needed it suspended on a necklace with matching bracelet and earrings. Here is what I came up with:

Here are some of my Doggie Bling samples. Since we are in Oregon, you're either a "Duck" (University of Oregon) or a "Beaver" (Oregon State University) up here!  I sew these onto a sleeve so that a pet owner can just slide the regular collar through the sleeve and instant bling for their pet!
I also do:
"I (heart) My Ducks" in Green and Yellow. Or any special team you may have in mind! These go for $8 plus $1.50 postage.

Do you have a cat or dog that needs a little personalized collar? I can do any name in any color!
Just let me know!
Enjoy your July and I hope you aren't roasting where you live!

After 3 months of Volunteering, time for some serious Beading!

Hello Everybody!
I know it's been a while since I last posted, but doing cave tours has kept us busy from January to March!
April we're taking a "vacation", relaxing and then resuming travels to the Northwest.
By May 1st, we will be Lighthouse Hosts back in Bandon, OR at the Coquille River Lighthouse!
Talk about one extreme to another! The past 3 days here in Arizona have been near 90!
We have been cocooning under the Air Conditioner!
But I know we'll be going back to a cold Spring in Oregon!
They are water logged from record breaking rain and snow this year!

Here are a few items I have made. Inspired by the Southwest, I just love anything with turquoise in it, and what could be better than pairing it with Silver or Copper? So I made both:

Then I tried a pattern I learned while in Maine a couple years ago. It is called a Bangle with Pearls, but I used Swarovski Crystal Pearls with tiny little seed beads in between.  I made one in Hot Pink and the other in Lavender.

I needed a little more challenge for my brain, always good to give the gray cells a run for their money, to help fight back senility! LOL  My friend, Chelle, in New Jersey sent me a picture of a necklace she bought at a Craft Festival back there. It is worn like a scarf, so you can use a square knot or just let it hang open. I had lots of silver lined seed beads to use and I wanted it to have a pattern, like a checkered scarf. So here is the finished product:

I hope you liked some of my latest creations! Thank you for stopping on by!   Kathy

Having fun with Letter Bead Bracelets

Blogs are so endearing! One of  my friends has a blog at: http://kit-dogdaze.blogspot.com/  
Kit posted a picture of her bracelet, then one of her readers saw it and ordered one for her blog! 
Beth is owned by a gorgeous Newfoundland name Remington, her blog is at:
http://our-remington.blogspot.com/.
I had fun designing a bracelet that says just that: REMINGTON!!!

You still have time before Christmas! Let me make something for you!
Depending on what kind of beads and how many, I only charge for the beads I actually use.
So it could be as little as $15-20, including shipping!
Happy shopping!

Pandora style Large Bead Bracelets

A dear friend from Georgia, commissioned me to make a bracelet in Large Beads, to spell out her blog name.
Her blog is at:  http://kit-dogdaze.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Buddy, for the plug on 11-9-11.

I made up several different variations, photographed them and then emailed them to her for approval.

I also can do them in all kinds of beads, including crystals and colorful Lampwork beads:

If you prefer silver, I can make inexpensive silver bracelets, too.
In Kit's bracelet, we did large gold "Stardust" beads with the gold alphabet beads on a gold serpentine bracelet. 
Anything that says "YOU"!

The cost can be as low as $20.00, just depending on what kind of beads you want and how many.
Let me make something for you! Just email me at:   hummingbirdkw@gmail.com

Thank you for stopping by!

Back in California after a great cool summer in Oregon

We had a busy and fun summer being lighthouse hosts for the Oregon State Parks! Learned so much fascinating history of the area and met lots of wonderful people, who all had great stories of their own!

I did create earrings for Cape Blanco Lighthouse and was able to sell them right there in the Gift Shop!
They are the ones on the left with the red roof. Item #CBLH-100  $10 includes shipping.

We traveled north to Newport for August. Came for a week, the weather was wonderful, stayed a month! If I could only bottle up that sea breeze and take it with me! Lots of walking, fresh fish and crab and caught up with friends traveling along the coast.

In Newport, they have 2 lighthouses, (see Birdingrvers.com for the full story)
here's the link:
http://birdingrvers.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html

We knew 2 couples working as volunteers at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It is a wonderful looking lighthouse which inspired me to create earrings for it, too. The picture on the right, with the black roof, shows you an example and a comparison in size to the Cape Blanco earrings.
Item # YHL-200  $10 includes shipping.

While enjoying our vacation in Newport, I received a great book on beading and had to try some of the patterns.  I guess, from being at the sea, I saw a star fish and not a flower in the one pattern. So I made a peach colored star fish pendant in Delica beads. A little more challenging, but I  needed the challenge!
Item # DSF-101  $10  pendant alone.  If you would like a chain made of gold or silver seed beads, $12
covers both the pendant and chain, plus shipping. Please specify gold or silver.

We had gone to an Orchid Show while in Newport, it inspired me to make a permanent corsage.
I made an Orchid brooch done in Cube Beads, which worked wonderfully in a peyote stitch!
A lot of time and beads went into this item, but I was very happy with it when I finished it!
Item # OCB-102  $15.00  includes shipping

In a totally different direction, a friend sent me a pattern and wondered if I could make a Mother's Bracelet for her, with her children's names in silver alphabet beads and the Swarovski crystals in their birthstone colors. I liked making this for her and would love to make more! I posted two different views because there were dark and light crystals to show off.  I use silver plated or gold plated clasps, with silver accent beads in between the Swarovski crystals.  Item # MBC-103  $20.00.

Now I'm off to find more patterns to bead! Thanks for dropping in!

Umpqua River Lighthouse in Oregon

Hello from Winchester Bay, Oregon, where we have been hosting at the Umpqua River Lighthouse & Museum. It's a gorgeous lighthouse with a red and white lens, the only other one like it is in Brazil! 

Here is a link to our blog for the whole story:
http://birdingrvers.blogspot.com/

I was inspired to make a pair of earrings, in peyote stitch, for the Lighthouse Museum Gift Store:

Item # URL-1002   Silver plated or Gold Plated Ear Wires are available to your preference.

$10.00 plus $1.50 shipping

Also available, is a pendant,  Item # URL-1003, in the same design.  $5.00, (free shipping if purchased with the earrings)

Thank you for stopping by!

Postcard from Bandon, Oregon

We are trying a whole new experience for us:  being Lighthouse Interpretive Guides at the Coquille River Lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon.  While here I noticed they didn't have any jewelry in the gift shop depicting the cute little lighthouse, so I came up with my own pattern in a "toll painting" sort of view.

Here's a link to see what the lighthouse looks like:   
http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=127

Restoration of the lighthouse has been funded by sales in the gift shop. I thought it important that this work continue, so I have donated several pairs of earrings to the Oregon State Parks for sale in the gift shop.  

If you are interested in a pair, they are $11.50, includes shipping. You can order through my email.

I hope May is showing great signs of Spring in your area!