Thursday, June 13, 2013

Give that Duck an Emmy!

Emmys and ducks are on the horizon.

The first batch of little ones floated across the pond last night. It has been worrisome since two mama ducks showed back up on the banks last week for the first time in three weeks or so. They should have had a brood with them, but instead, they went and hung out with the guys on the driveway. This made me think that the skunk I smelled a week or so ago ate all the duck eggs. They could have succumbed to a rampaging raccoon as well. Either way, I was worried that little ducks would not be peeping on the pond and pooping in the yard.

I could not even hear any of the little telltale peeps from a nest. These little ones were quiet. There were/are 11 in this brood. I could not count them while they were swimming; they are like watching cottonwood spin across the pond. They are impossible to count. They are fast and agile. They can RUN across the pond at a high rate of speed if they think they are going to be left behind. Soon their lessons will include bobbing under water to feed. That is always a hoot since they do not bob at this size, they pop like little corks.

It is not a very good photo of the ducks, but I was shooting from inside the house, and Blu was bouncing around trying to shove me out of the way so HE could see what all the fuss was about. That way he would know what to bark incessantly at. When there is something in the pond or in the yard that I want to take a photo of, he is right there in my way to bark it away. If I pick up the camera and head to the window, he is on high alert and ready to save me from the baby deer, the little bunnies, the baby ducks and a raccoon or two. Then you are supposed to take HIS picture.

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We saw one gosling the other day with its Canadian goose parents. I am not sure where or if there were any more, but that was all that was on the pond.

The mama duck gets the award for making it through the perils of pond life and barking dogs.

Since I have been a member of The Artisan Group (TAG), I have been working on two gifting opportunities. The first opportunity I have is to gift the Press at the 2013 Primetime Emmys. This is through the GBK’s 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge, which provides SWAG bags to celebrities and the press. I fussed with many earring designs before settling on the one that I chose. I also chose to send all the same thing.

Here is my contribution to the Press bags.

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These earrings represent a new design and bead shape for me. I have had it on my list of things to do for a long time, but never finished the design or shape prior to now. I had two pairs left over that I took over to the Gallatin Valley Mall as part of my retail spot in Simply Montana LLC. As of this moment, I have not created any of these loose beads or finished earrings for my website.

I still have a lot of other bead and earring designs that I have not finished yet. I have the list posted next to my work bench, but it will be awhile before I get back to them.

Here is the next project:

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This is half of the amount of beads I need to create for the next event. I am sending bracelets to the GBK's NY Fashion Week Luxury Gift Lounge. It includes both celebrities and press. It takes place in the fall as well.

The bracelet is a simple beaded bracelet featuring my handmade beads and Swarovski crystals.

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While all these projects will keep me busy for the next couple of months, I still have so many other things that I want to get accomplished. New products and new designs are just the start of my “to do” list. It may all keep me tied to my chair at my workbench, but I can look out over the pond and count baby ducks while I work on beads. Hopefully, this is just the first brood of the season and we will see many more.

Enjoy,

Julie and Blu