Ella's First Day of School

Yesterday was a very big day around our house, Ella had her first puppy training class. It was pretty much like taking your child to kindergarten for the first time except you get to go with them and your kid is furry and walks on all fours. I was like a mom beaming with pride and at the ready with my trusty camera. Here is Ella sitting in the backyard after a round of playing ball, little does she know at this point that she is about to have the ultimate play date with a room full of puppies.



When I called to sign Ella up for the class they suggested that we tire her out a bit so that she would pay attention in class. I have watched enough Dog Whisperer to know that a walked and pooped dog is the best kind of dog for training. Today was our third walk ever since we just realized it was safe to take her out of the yard. She is a matter of days from her last vaccination but the vet said it would be fine. Friday on our first outing she was afraid and pulled on her leash. Saturday she was OK until running kids and tricycles approached and scared her. Sunday she was running at the door when I grabbed her leash ready to go tail a wagging. Here she and Lucy are with their tails in synch on our walk.



Remember how I said Ella has only been on 3 walks outside of our yard, well think of the adventure that Petsmart was for her! Sure we have had a few play dates and trips to the vet and rides in the car, but Petsmart is a whole different ball game. When we sat her on the ground in the parking lot with dog smells everywhere she started pulling and whining and basically refusing to budge at this point we had to pick her up and carry her into the store. We got a cart and wheeled her into puppy class sitting in the basket. It was quite a site to see a 35 pound English Mastiff puppy being wheeled around the store.



Class was like a giant episode of Cute Overload, I hardly remember a word the teacher said I was so involved in looking at all the puppies. We sat between a toy poodle named Biscuit who was more afraid than Ella and an outgoing black lab Somora. In front of us was a prissy little black Pomeranian whose name escapes me and the tiniest boxer I have ever seen named Stella. I think there were 15 puppies total in the room. At first Ella was a little afraid but then she just laid down on the floor like a good girl and almost appeared to pay attention. Maybe she will let me borrow her notes since just like in high school I didn’t take any.



The drift of our first class was about clicker training and getting your dog to look at you. Using the clicker, giving Ella a treat and saying the word yes was a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy but I think Chris and I will get the hang of it. During these practice runs with the clicker we were encouraged to go throughout the store, by this time Ella was a pro and no longer afraid. On our clicker adventures around Petsmart we encountered not one, but two full grown female mastiffs! I can’t remember either of their names but one was a fawn like Ella and weighed 165 and the other was a brindle who just turned a year old and weighs 170. Both of the owners thought Ella was adorable and that she was going to grow up to be a whopper which is exactly what we want. Since we got Ella from a rescue we have no idea what size her parents were, but we are hoping for the best that she is a biggie.





One week of class down, 7 more weeks to go! Don’t you worry I will be taking pictures at each class so expect more reports on the cuteness oh and the training too.

Beat Poets, New Jewelry, Puppies and Bead Bloggers!

Do you have big exciting plans for your weekend? So far my weekend has consisted of watching Death Proof and taking Ella on her very first walk. I think Chris and I may venture down to the Harry Ransom Center today to see the On The Road with the Beats exhibit and go for some Greek food. Also this weekend I get to judge the Ponoko Design Contest and I am pretty dang excited about that, I took a peak at the entries and lets just say there were a couple that immediately jumped out at me! Tomorrow we are taking Ella to her first puppy training class at Petsmart so that is our other big piece of excitement. Next week is the big Roundtop Flea Market, I need to save up all my strength for 3 days of shopping. It has been awhile since I did the Bead Bloggers round up so just in case you missed the ladies here are the links of the week sprinkled in with all the new jewelry I added to Naughty Secretary Club this week.

About.com Jewelry Making
Learn to "make it yours" from this latest issue of Make It Mine magazine. You'll find lots of crafty goodness including some fun jewelry articles, one even from our very own bead buddy, Candie Cooper!



Art Bead Scene
Is it time to get organized? Art Bead Scene has storage ideas to help you get organized.



Jennifer Jangles Blog
Jennifer shows two bright and fabulous projects featured in Simply Beads this month.



Jewelry & Beading
Glass bead curtains?? Come and see Denise Perreault's sun-catching masterpieces!



Katie's Beading Blog
Bead embroidery doesn't have to be hard! Check out Katie's embellished felt flower. It's just right for spring!



Naughty Secretary Club
Win a free copy of the spring issue of Make It Mine Magazine that includes painting projects by Jen’s younger sister Hope Perkins!



Savvy Crafter
It's a plane! No! It' a Felty Bird just in time to hang out on your spring jacket.



Snap out of it , Jean! There's beading to be done!
I had such a good time with Naomi Fujimoto that I wanted to repost our story of our trip to NYC!



The Impatient Blogger
Ornament Thursday returns with the theme of Sprout. Madge dips into her new stash of vintage French postcards to make a charming little collaged pendant with metal mesh accents. Art is sprouting all over blogland with the wonderful creations of the OT Gang.

Make It Mine Magazine for Free!

I love crafty magazines and I am not afraid to shout it from the roof tops! Make It Mine is one of my new faves. Their spring issue just hit the stands and it is chocked full of crafty goodness. I love it so much I am giving away 5 copies right here on my blog. I know, I know I just gave away copies of Bust last week – but hey who doesn’t want free magazines. This time I have 5 issues to give away, but I have two favors to ask. First if you are familiar with Make It Mine leave me a comment about what you think of the magazine. If you have not yet snagged yourself a copy let me know what crafty magazines (online or print) you do frequent and yes blogs count. Also Make It Mine has started themselves a brand spankin’ new My Space page and I would love you forever if you added them as a friend.



Make It Mine has a 2 prong strategy to win over your crafty heart. Not only do they have their print magazine but they also have a really fun and informative blog with videos and how-to posts. For instance I found the post on how to make a mold with a two part epoxy especially helpful. Whether you sew, embroider or carve stamps there is kind of something for everyone. Plus with the blog the wait in-between issues just does not seem quite as long since you have daily crafty ideas to help tide you over.



With the spring issue of Make It Mine I was smitten for a myriad of reason. First of all there are lots of amazing jewelry projects by people I heart like Barbe Saint John. My amazingly talented younger sister Hope Perkins has a 4 page spread about painting on clothing called “Let Your Cage Bird Sing”. Not one, but two of my fellow bead blogging babes have projects in the new issue of Make It Mine. Even though I am not a big wine drinker I was drawn to the article by Candie Cooper because of her use of vintage jewelry. Katie Hacker sparkled up some shoes and anything to do with shoes is going to make me happy. Stitch get’s a shout out in the article called Heart Felt Ambitions about LeBrie Rich of Pen Felt, one of the most amazing felt artists in the whole wide world. Craft Lab guest PC Smart makes an appearance in the issue. The article Armed with Charms caught my attention since Hope and I were just having a discussion about how she should draw onto Shrinky Dink paper to make jewelry.

How can you not want to run out and score yourself a copy of Make It Mine after that rave review! Be sure to leave a comment and add them as a My Space friend and in a week I’ll go through the comments and let you know what lucky 5 peeps scored themselves a copy!

P.S. Be sure to check out Vickie’s blog as she too is giving away free copies of Make It Mine!

Are you the next big thing?

In the last week two different sets of super fun friends have asked me to help spread the word about some amazing crafty awesomeness they are working on. Do you want to win a contest or host a TV show? I’ve done both and it is pretty fun stuff trust me so you might want to read on.

My DIY Network cohorts Cathie and Steve from Creative Juice emailed to let me know they were casting for a brand spanking new TV show. Cathie and Steve not only make awesome hosts they also make awesome TV producers. If you are under 28 and love to craft then you should apply for the gig. Here are the details...

We are seeking crafty guests from all over the USA and will begin the process with DVD submissions. The DVD's are not for air on TV they are for casting purposes. Fear not if you don't have access to a video camera. Just send a photo of yourself (big smile) holding or showing off your handmade items.

Here are a few guidelines:

You should have high energy and great style. Show off your style - flaunt it!

Your crafts should be current, hip, cutting edge - think Urban Outfitters, Anthropology, Gossip Girl, Project Runway, MTV!

You can make anything from room decor, jewelry, clothing, soap making, knitted and crochet goods, lip balm, art, etc. The most important thing is that you know your stuff and can explain how you make it in a clear and fun way.

The deadline is May 1st – 2008. Age range: Teens, Young Adults (28 and under)

Video Guidelines:

1.Have high energy and be yourself. State your name, where you are from, how long you have been crafting and what your craft project is. Try to hold your project in your hand or have it next to you and briefly explain to us how you made it. You can show a step or two on how you made it you want.

2.Try to keep the camera as smooth as possible (using a tripod helps) and make sure you have lots of light so we can see you.

3.Fashion tips for the camera: Please don't wear prints, all black (even if you are goth), white or red. Tattoos, elaborate hair dos, and punky attire are just fine.

4.Videos should be no longer than 3 minutes and should be submitted on DVD only. Tapes cannot be viewed. On the DVD please include your name, your craft, email, city, phone number and age if you are under 18.

Photo Guidelines:

1.Have a big smile in the photo. Try to hold your project in your hand or have it next to you. You can include a picture of you at a sewing machine or at your work station or in the process of making something.

2.Fashion tips for the camera: Please don't wear prints, all black (even if you are goth), white or red. Tattoos, elaborate hair dos, and punky attire are just fine.

3.Photos should be digital, high resolution and should be submitted in print and on a CD. On the back of the photo and on the CD please include your name, your craft, email, city, phone number and age if you are under 18.

Please mail to:

Casting - Untitled Craft Show
c/o Cathie Filian
1531 Randall St
Glendale, CA 91201

www.twobeesandapea.com
www.cathieandsteve.com


So maybe the thought of making crafts on TV puts the fear of Jesus in you or perhaps you are not uner the age of 28. Well there is still something fun for you too. My friend Keith over at Fred Flare sent me a big fat stack of postcards about the 2008 Next Big Thing Contest and asked me to help spread the word. My charm bracelet kit was one of the winners last year to give you an idea of the kinds of things they are looking for. You only have until May 2 to whip up something amazing so go get crafty and enter to win!

Hey that's my bathroom!?!?

I know you have just been lying in bed nights wondering: where in the world is Jennifer? Why hasn’t she blogged? What could possibly be wrong? Well OK maybe you never even gave my blogging absence a second thought and that is ok too, but for those that do care I went home for a few days. Home as in to my parents house. My sister called me Saturday morning to let me know she was making the drive from Austin to McKinney which is about 45 minutes north of Dallas and I of course could not pass up a trip to go home and be driven around and taken out for free meals. There is something about going home to visit your parents that makes everyone regress just a little bit. I kissed the kids (dogs) and husband goodbye and ran out the door with a small bag and my lap top and forgot to even pack my toothbrush. I did remember PJ pants thank God because we all know how I am about PJ pants. The trip was nice and relaxing just as I had hoped. We did our usual trips out to dinner, late nights up filled with crafts, shopping and more. I feel all rested and revived now! Right when Hope and I got back into town last night we had to go straight to an Austin Craft Mafia meeting so today is really my first day home since last night I showered and then got into bed and passed out. Life has not changed much around here except I swear I think the puppy grew while I was gone and she literally probably has. She was over 30 pounds last time I got on the scale with her and her paws are officially bigger than Lucy’s who is 85 pounds. Good God what have we done.

One of the most exciting moments of my visit home was finding my house in a book. I was at the Half Price book store in Dallas just minding my own business thumbing through old magazines and craft books when I picked up Kitschy Crafts: A Celebration of Overlooked 20th-Century Crafts by by Jo Packham and Matt Shay and started flipping through. My first thoughts were wow what cute old graphics and secondly this is a lot like Leah Kramer’s The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts: Fifty Fabulous Projects from the Fifties and Sixties. Both have adorable re-do’s of old vintage craft projects like toilet paper covers and macaroni art. So anyway there I am flipping through and all the sudden I land on page 95 where a doll in a crocheted dress and a pink plastic elephant were staring back at me and I did a double take. I went though a range of emotions quickly from: “wow they’re cute” to “hmmm that looks vaguely familiar” to looking on the next page and shouting out loud in the book store “Hey that’s my bathroom”. I mean you can even see my tooth paste, prescription bottles, framed pictures of Chris and more. Most importantly you can see the amazing custom mosaic my mother Fredda Perkins did for my bathroom. Here are the two pictures from the book followed by a couple that I took.






I was kind of in shock and was freaking out about where these people had gotten the pictures from. The only person nearby was my dad who has been to my house like 5 times in the 6 years I have lived there so it did not resonate with him about the pictures. When Hope and my mom walked up they started making a commotion with me too and lots of “Oh My Gods” ensued thereafter. The next logical step was to flip though page by page and see if my house made any more guest appearances in the book and there on page 78-79 was my old living room. I still have the same living room, but that couch is no longer with us, it was humanely put down after the cat and the dog had their way with it over several years. At this point I am racking my brain about these pictures and something clicks. Years ago a girl named Denise who runs Pussycat Magazine came to visit all the way from New Orleans and took pictures of my house and told me they were going to be in a craft book. After Denise left things got busy because that fall was the taping of the first season of Craft Lab and Hurricane Katrina happened so between the two we just lost touch and I never heard from her again and assumed the book had fallen through. Little did I know until an Easter Sunday trip to a Half Price book store that the book had happened after all and that two rooms in my house had made the cut. Here is the picture of my living room from the book and then one I took before we arranged and got new furniture.




There it is my big exciting weekend away in glorious McKinney, TX. Besides the pleasant surprise of finding my house in a book not much of anything else happened and that is just the way I like it.

Bead Simple: Essential Techniques for Making Jewelry Just the Way You Want It

Hooray, hooray, hooray my copy of Bead Simple: Essential Techniques for Making Jewelry Just the Way You Want It by Susan Beal finally came in the mail! My little google alert was going off with people like Tricia Royal of Wardrobe Remix and Jenny Ryan of Felt Club blogging about my bracelet and I had yet to see it in print. I emailed Susan and she pulled some strings and had a copy overnighted to me and I have hardly put it down since the Fed Ex man placed into my hot little hands.



My first impression was man this is a heavy and thick book. Most craft books seem a little thin, but this baby is chocked full of beading goodness and stays true to it’s tag line Bead Simple: 150 designs for earrings, necklaces, bracelets, embellishments and more. Plus there are 200 color pictures. Craft books without photos or a little picture section in the middle are not for me. I want tons and tons of pretty pictures to look at and this book has it in buckets. Whoa, this should keep me busy for quite some time!

I’ll just go ahead and get my own horn tooting out of the way. On page 170 is my Bric-a-Brac Charming Bracelet. I love the caption for the bracelet because it actually fits a lot of my jewelry and me in general: Designed by Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club, this colorful bracelet is one of those baubles that is all about the organized chaos. When absolutely nothing “matches”, suddenly that’s the very element that ties everything together.



One of the best things about this book is the fact that there are so many different contributers which not only makes the book more diverse it also makes it a marketing dream come true. Why you ask because everyone who is featured in the book is going to blog about it just like I am right this minute. Actually even if I wasn’t in the book I would write about it, but the fact that a ton of my crafty friends grace the pages sure does not hurt. Let me run down the list of a few favorites.

Alrighty Sparkle Cocktail Brooch by Cathy Callahan of Cathy of California caught my eye. When I read that it was her ode to Enid Collins purses which I collect I knew why. I love jewelry that encompasses more than just beads and string. Cathy busts out the fabric, paint and gem stones!

Suerte Love Charm by Kathy Cano Murillo of Crafty Chica stands out with all the dangly charms and colors. Kathy knows a thing or two about organized chaos herself. I also really like the Tassel Talisman right next door on page 201.

Christy Petterson of Ice Atlanta worked some magic on a playing card making the Player Vamp Hair Comb. I just so happen to collect wacky playing cards amoung other things so this project opened up a whole new world for me.

I totally heart the Pop Organic Low and Swingy Earrings by Tricia Royal of Bits and Bobbins. After seeing this picture of Tricia I always associate her with rainbows and these earrings just further prove my point. They also remind me of my Squirrel Trying to Get a Nut Earrings.



Hey I use those same adorable owl shaped beads on the Hoots McGee Necklace and Orangey Owl Earrings that the fantabulous Jenny Ryan of Sew Darn Cute used on her yummy Candy Shoppe One-Strand Bracelets!

Laura Stokes of Charcoal Designs and her Crown Jewels Button Brooch made my toes curl in delight. Check out her Buzzard Brand website for all kinds of fun charms and stuff so you can make your own version.

Jesse Malone from Art School Dropout is one of my favorite Indie jewelry designers so it only makes sense that I would be extra smitten on her Circles and Circles Necklace.

Other contirbuters who’s name you might know as crafty mavens include Natalie Zee Drieu of Coquette and Craft Magazine fame, Diane Gilleland who does Crafty Pod, Leah Kramer from Craftster, Faythe Levine one of the masterminds behind the upcoming Indie Craft Documentary, Torie Nguyen of PDX Super Crafty and Tontienette, Nicole Vasbinder of Queen Puff Puff and more.

There are 38 guest projects so according to my math that leaves 112 projects by the amazing Susan Beal.

Susan Beal is a woman of many talents: author, craftavist, designer and more. I’m a little partial to her because she was one of my favorite guests on Craft Lab. Susan even wore the Splashy Flower Charming Pendant Necklace from Bead Simple on her episode! Besides all of the fabulous projects in the book there is also over 20 pages about color theory, the right supplies and techniques. For instance wrapping a briolette is something that always boggles my mind, but there on page 22 are clear easy to follow instructions so there might be hope for me yet. Score yourself a copy of Bead Simple on Amazon, check out the Bead Simple Blog and peruse the Bead Simple Flickr Pool.

Bust Magazine: Free Copies, Videos, Ads and More!

Now that all the excitement of SXSW is behind me I am starting to catch up on things. Getting orders out, cleaning house and just some overall recuperating. After 6 days of house guests, 4 days of drinking, a 2 Live Crew show and tons of jewelry making and selling all I have wanted to do this week is lay on the couch eat pop tarts and watch re-runs of Jon and Kate Plus 8. I must persevere and move on. SXSW is not as easy to recover from as it was when I was 20 and first started making the trek to Austin for the event. Maybe I am officially getting too old for this, then again maybe not.



I managed to make it home from the appropriately named Bust Hangover Lounge with 4 copies of the brand spanking new Men We Love issue. One side of the cover has Elijah Wood who I met at the Bust party and was super nice and the other cover features the dudes from Flight of the Concords. I like to think of it as the New Zealand issue: Elijah filmed Lord of the Rings there and that is where Bret and Jermaine hail from. Anyway besides the usual fun Bust stuff inside there is also a full page ad for the Crafty Chica product line. I have seen a few sneak peeks and let me tell you when the crafts, drama and glitter hit your craft stores this summer you are going to want to be the first ones in the door. The ad is called I’m a Crafty Chica too and features a slew of crafty ladies like Lisa Shepard Stewart, Natalie Zee Drieu, Traci Bautista, Sonya Nimiri, Vickie Howell and lil ole’ me! All the tote bags that we got to customize at the Bust Hangover Lounge Party on Saturday were provided by Crafty Chica and they were a huge hit. Just watch the video below to see. The Austin Craft Mafia was there too selling our wares and Ms. Tina Sparkles was tricking out bags and guitar straps including my Loyalty and Blood bag!



Speaking of the extra copies of the magazine I have lying around my studio, do you want them? Leave a comment and I’ll pick 3 peeps to mail an issue and a Bust pin too. Who doesn’t like free stuff.

But wait there is more…..



In other Bust News did you hear that they are having a Spring Fling Craftacular April 27th in Brooklyn. They are taking applications for vendors right this very second so you better check it out. I have always dreamt of one day making it up to Brooklyn for the Holiday Craftacular I hear the crafts are awesome and the vendors make money hand over fist! Sadly by December I am so worn out from Stitch and Christmas orders of my own the idea of a trip makes me want to die.

Jewelry Classes with Naughty Secretary Club

One of my very favorite stores in all of Austin has asked me to teach a couple of jewelry classes in April and I jumped at the chance! Craft-o-Rama is an adorable sewing lounge and craft store in South Austin that plays 80’s music all the time! I am teaching two different classes and registration has already started so if you are interested you might get a move on since there is only room for 8 people in each class. Not only will we be learning how to make jewelry we can also chat about running a small business, marketing, correct ways to open a jump ring and more – for 2 whole hours I am yours to quiz on all your hot burning questions. Email Hayley, call the store at 512-707-2405 or stop by (3100 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704) to sign up for the classes.


NEW! Charm Bracelet Class: Thurs. 4/24 6:30pm-8:30pm
Learn the fundamentals of jewelry making while whipping up your own one of a kind Revamped Vintage Charm Bracelet. This fun and informative 2 hour class will cover the basics of jewelry making like the difference between head and eye pins, wire wrapping, and how to open and close a jump ring. Class supplies include everything you need to make your charm bracelet! You will need flat and round nosed pliers as well as wire trimmers for this class. You will be able to buy a set from the instructor on day of class as well. Fee: $40 and includes materials.


NEW! Fabric Jewelry Class: Sat. 4/19 11am-1pm
And you thought fabric was just for sewing, oh no it is for jewelry making too. In this class we will talk about ways to use fabric in jewelry design. Each student will be able to make a ring, pony tail holder and two different bracelets! We will learn how to use a button covering kit, make a fabric quilting yo-yo and ribbon wrap a bangle bracelet. Not to mention lots of discussion throughout about incorporating in unusual elements like fabric into your jewelry design. Fee: $40 and includes materials