What a fun day!

I feel like I have been totally neglecting N's Whims this month. My to-do lists for the rest of my life have been a mile long, totally monopolizing my time. Most of the month, I have been looking longingly at my studio and mentally berating myself for not making it a priority. But hey, that is life sometimes. The laundry is done, kids are fed, sales tax paid, I've lost a few pounds and my house is mostly in order. Anyway, as I was feeling badly that I wasn't going to make it into the studio yet again today, I got two HUGE pick-me-ups in the mail.

I received both my bead soup ingredients from my partner AND my February issue of Bead Trends (with my bracelet inside). Seriously, which to open first?! I decided neither, because my to-do list was not done. Oh my, is that some tremendous self-control or what?! Boy did I get efficient! When I finally got to the fun stuff, I chose my package from my bead soup partner, Patti Vanderbloemen. You know I had already peeked at the online version of the magazine and my curiosity was killing me! Patti was so generous with her ingredients, I was overwhelmed!

First off, all of the findings she sent were sterling silver--chain, two handmade clasps (made by Patti) and two bali style balls. So beautiful! I don't tend to work a lot with sterling in order to keep the price down, so this is going to be fun!
Next, I found the pendants. You know I love ceramic (so much that I am currently taking a class to learn how to make pendants and beads), but I tend to be drawn to the earthy, rustic designs. Patti sent me some porcelain pendants (I learned from my instructor, this is the hardest to make)--they are all at once dainty and commanding--whatever will I do with these complex beauties?!
You would think that would be good, but no, Patti included a very generous supply of hand-made glass rondelles to accent my design. You can't tell by the pictures, but the white ones have a shimmer--like freshly fallen snow. Beautiful!
I also found a little bag of the cutest yellow enameled metal beads! Two lovely pops of color! Patti couldn't have known that these are precisely the sort of enameled goodies that made me sign up for a couple enameling classes this summer. Aren't they super cute?!
Last but not least, Patti included another little surprise--a pair of earrings she made. Woohoo! Surprisingly, I rarely receive hand-made gifts. What a treat! The glass beads have a really cool clear texture to them--like crystallized sugar--so neat!
Now, what to do with all these beauties?! Sometimes it is best if I walk away, come back and look for a while--get to know them--and wait for them to speak to me. You will get to see in March for the big reveal! So fun!
Hmm, now on to the magazine--my guilty pleasure! I just love reading it front to back. So, I started with the letter from the editor. I almost fell of my chair when I saw my name in her letter! She wrote "One of my favorites in this issue is entitled 'Sunflower Fields' and was created by Natasha Lutes. It is a beautiful bracelet that she created in memory of her grandfather (and grandmother). You can find her gorgeous design and more about the story behind it on pg. 62....."
Wow! How cool is that?! I am tickled pink! What a day!