On growth and resolutions...

2011 was such an incredible year of growth for me both personally and professionally at BethNouveau.  In addition to all the new customers I served on etsy, I also continued to spread my brand by wholesaling my work to brick and mortar stores.  Around eight new stores across the nation began carrying my jewelry in 2011, including the official boutique of Anusara yoga at Wanderlust festival.    I can't count how many tiring evenings I spent cranking out piece after piece until 3 in the morning, collapsing into bed with glue still on my fingers and clothes.  While I am INCREDIBLY thankful for the business, I began to realize that level of productivity is not sustainable for me in the long run, and in the fall, I began to slow my shops down.  In addition to running a business, I am also in graduate school and have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 aquariums, a snake, a boyfriend who lives 3.5 hours away, and I like to stay fit!!  In 2011 I began training for a marathon but unfortunately injured my ankle in October (but thankfully maintained my fitness level).  I also backpacked the appalachian trail in the smoky mountains, covering 75 miles in 5 days in July and finishing the AT section from Georgia to Mt.  Rogers, VA.    

I sit here on a still January evening contemplating the incredible whirlwind that was last year and think about where I want to go this year.  A couple goals from 2011 are wrapping themseleves up as I type:  my website will be finished within DAYS, and I have a host of new inventory to add to my shop with more new ideas still hatching in my head.  My good friend is scheduling a photo shoot with several models, and these new fun photos will be added to my listings and website...   So what next??  Well a marathon is certainly in the works for the first half the year.  With the exception of illness and injury I  have been diligently training for 9 months  now.  Unless something catastrophic happens, I hope to finish a marathon by May.  And I feel awful about how lacking my yoga practice has been the past four months.  An ankle injury doesn't lend itself to sun salutations... so it is time to get back on the mat religiously as well..   I also hope to graduate in the latter half of this year and move on to the next stage of my life, wherever that next stage takes me... hopefully with my beau in North Carolina.  

But what goals do I have for myself creatively?  This is where I feel most lost.  I'm not sure what direction I see my art going, in particular BethNouveau.  The grizzly rooster craze is over... THANK GOD... and I worry that feather earrings may be a trend that some now find outdated.  I hope that my work can remain progressive despite the  passing trends.  Can you believe I was selling grizzly hair clips back in 2009 on etsy!!!!!

In this next year I definitely hope to spend more time designing new creations for BethNouveau, hopefully implementing elements of sterling silver wire wrapping and gems/stones, which have been unexecuted ideas of mine for some time.  I also want to spend more time creating for me and knitting/designing knits.  I barely have time anymore to make something for ME and I can't tell you the last time I knit something or even wore a pair of feather earrings.

So yes, 2012 shall be a rededication of all around creativity, going with the flow of wherever the universe takes me.

xo, beth

Ashley Paige patterns make me growl and half marathon plans

I finally finished the Blue suede bikini from Ashley Paige's Sexy Little Knits. This is the 3rd project I have made from the book.. I was initially impressed with the patterns in the book.. I made the Little Mermaid and hippie tops and both turned out nicely, but this project has left me wondering whether anyone bothered to proofread at all.. I looked online when I first started the project, because the bikini cups looked kind of large (kind of is an understatement, they were huge) I decided I was going to hack this pattern to do it right...

I found several other blogs with complaints of the same nature. Nimble Fingers and Sexy knits both made the bikini and had to revise the bottom (I'm so glad I read their blogs first!). I patterned my bottom after a cute pair of undies I had, making it more of a "full coverage" type (I have a big butt for a skinny chick). I finally finished the bikini last night.. And I'm NOT happy (yet).

When I tried the bottom on last night, it stretches in some areas (around the ties and the crotch) that look rather unappealing. I have decided (in lieu of frogging it and starting over) to sew some darts in those areas, that will tighten it up a bit. I originally neglected to sex in the elastic around the crochet edge, but I am definitely going to do that now.




The places where I have the pins is where I'm going to make a small dart.. It looks kinda dumb on the item laid out, but makes the bikini bottom fit like a dream on.. so I'm gonna cheat and do it :)

The cups also look a little big still... despite me taking the needle size down to a 4 (two sizes) AND removing some of the rows at the bottom.. I'm not sure if its how the bikini is modeled or due to the size of my breasts.. Lets just say that I now know why they chose such a skinny model with well endowed breasts... If I had modeled it it would have looked stupid! And I'm a normal size. Grumble........ I'm going to grab a bikini from my drawer and see if I can use one as a pattern...I may need to redo the bottom of the cups..

So this item stays in the UFO bin for now until I can revise these three things... I anticipate I'll finish next week, so check back for finished pics of me modeling the bikini ;)

I've been working on another item from the UFO bin as well. It's a pink and black felted skull makeup bag I have conceived for my etsy shop. I am at the final stages and plan to finish it tonight... The hardest part will be overlaying the intarsia pattern of the skull tonight... I'll be sure to post pre and post felting pics.. I always love those!



Here's a shot of a sunglass case I made for a coworker. I may post the pattern on here.. The ceramic button is one that I made.




I haven't mentioned this earlier on here (although my friends have heard about it a lot), but I've been training for a half marathon since March. I plan on running the Richmond Suntrust Half Marathon. Those plans have been sidelined due to an ankle injury a few weeks ago. I think I'll be ok, though.. the race is in November. After a really good run a couple weeks ago I developed sudden debilitating ankle pain. Within a few days it was gone, so I ran again. After one mile it was aching. After four miles, I couldn't run anymore. When I got home I couldn't walk. My ankle was swollen in between my ankle and my heel. I have taken about two weeks off. to rest Last night I ran 2 miles as a test to see if I could. There was no pain afterwards, but I was conscious of how tightly I laced my shoes (maybe the reason for my injury to begin with). I also had a fairly intense yoga workout last night. I haven't done yoga in ages. I'm not naturally flexible, so any lapse in my stretching routine sets me back to square one. It's very frustrating, but its something that I've dealt with my whole life. I've always been able to run forever, but never done a split (or come very close). When I move I plan on joining a yoga class.. my study alone isn't really going anywhere..