4th of July weekend

When most people think of Arizona, they think of the flat, hot desolate desert. But there is actually a lot more here than meets the eye in the major metropolis areas. The lowest elevation in the state is low, only 70 feet above sea level - but the highest elevation is 12,633ft at Humphreys Peak. This is just shy of the highest peak in my home state of Montana. And in between these two elevations is a whole lot of differing and interesting eco-systems. At any time of year, you can find the perfect temperature somewhere in Arizona. At any rate, this past weekend Josh and I spent time with this family in Cochise again. This time we took a day trip up Mt. Graham. It WAS amazing. It is about 10,000 ft above sea level at its peak. We went very close to the top. We saw a breath taking, knock the wind out of you view near the top, as pictured above. I think it is hard for pictures to capture such beauty, but it does make for a nice keepsake to remind me of a beautiful place. I think that Josh told me that the high at the peak of Mt Graham (in Southern AZ mind you) is just under 70 degrees. It is lush, green and a little slice of Arizona heaven for this desert dweller.

A few other nice photos:

We enjoyed a little rain.

Me and my love at the highest campsite....so GREEN!

Look at that AMAZING view!

The sun was setting as we headed down the mountain.

We somehow drove by Wilcox just in time for their fireworks show as well as the entire show in Sunsites, AZ. It was meant to be. I hope that every one else had a lovely 4th of July too.

And......
Best of all...Josh's parents sent us home with homegrown produce from their ranch in Cochise County. YUM! Not pictured is our homemade fresh salsa that also made it into our bag.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July, America!

One of the most beautiful things about America and the American people is our endless generosity. In honor of that generosity, today's post is about one of the many causes that receive donations from Soft Flex Company. SFC is a U.S. manufacturer and entrepreneurial dream come true. We come from humble and modest means and use innovative ideas to keep propelling us forward. We are always happy when we can give a little back to the beading community as well as a few other charities that have touched our employees more personally.

Fe Y Alegria Charity

Click to get a better look:

See more pictures on Flickr!
Anyone who would like to donate should email Barbara at bdeconc@emory.edu. She will accept all donated supplies and she can put you in touch with the right place for cash donations.

See other charities that Soft Flex Company supports!

Beads Feature

Beads Special Issue Magazine - 2009
Serenity Trios

Ask for the Soft Flex Trios by name at your local bead store!

Extremely Woven

Here is another design that I created last week. It needs some fine tuning, although it turned out wonderful, it took a REALLY long time. "Good things come to those that wait." Right? At any rate, I plan to test it out in a few Trio colors and see if I can streamline the instructions to post online. Right now, I'm not sure I could explain it too clearly. :)

I used 20g Artistic Wire in non-tarnish silver plated for the links, a clasp from Jess Imports and all the wire woven through is the Extreme Trio in 24K Gold, 925 Silver & Champagne. The wire is anchored to the clasp using 3x3 crimps.

Stringing Feature

Stringing Magazine - Summer 2009
Extreme Trios

Ask for the Soft Flex Trios by name at your local bead store!

July Free Art

All
Free desktop wallpaper
Free bookmark
Free recipe design card
Free gift tags

Check out the awesome July designs that Kristen just posted. They are all designed by our web graphic designer Kristen Fagan. Pretty cool!

Sara Smiles

I made the pendant as a Make-It-Take-It at CHA in Anaheim this past January at the Vintaj booth. It has one of my many nicknames on it, "Sara Smiles". The pendant started out as a flat round disk. Vintaj had all sorts of neat tools to hammer, shape, stamp, etc.

The other parts and pieces are also from Vintaj. They were given to me by Jamie Hogsett for a holiday present. THANKS JAMIE!!! I've been holding onto them for a special design. Last Friday, I spent the entire afternoon and evening beading with my best friend Erin. This was one of the products of my time and energy. I love it. It turned out great. The only thing I need to work on is getting a little more weight down at the pendant so that it doesn't pull up and twist quite so easily. Isn't everything just a work in progress! :)

I used the new Soft Flex Extreme Wire in champagne color. It was the perfect bridge between the brass findings from Vintaj and the silver crimps. I don't use brass crimps - so I was happy to have a segway to bring the two metals together and have it be successful.

Belle Armoire Jewelry Feature

Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine - Vol 9 Iss 4
Renewal Trios

Ask for the Soft Flex Trios by name at your local bead store!

Bead Style Feature

Bead Style Magazine - July 2009
Serenity Trios

Ask for the Soft Flex Trios by name at your local bead store!

Bead Dreams Winners

We sponsor the Lampwork/Glass section of Bead Dreams. We are proudly contacting them with their prizes today. :)

1st Place - $300 Soft Flex Credit
Designer: Debra Kallen

2nd Place - $200 Soft Flex Beading Bucks
Designer: Sara Sally LaGrand

3rd Place - $100 Soft Flex Beading Bucks
Designer: Fallah Funston

Northern Virginia Bead Society

Dear Soft Flex supporters,

I want to thank you again for your wonderful donation to the Northern Virginia Bead Society for this past May’s Annual Bead Auction. We raised over $2500.00 for outreach programs with the girl scouts, Dress for Success, and other venues that give us an opportunity to use our artistic talents and beads to help those in need.

The 10 packages of colored beading wire was not only unique to our auction, it was very well received. I believe you have launched a few fans, as those of us who were unable to “win” a package are becoming paying customers.

Blessings, Pam

Repost - BEADING CONTEST!

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER THIS BLOG GIVEAWAY!!

Contest designs are due Sept 1st, 2009.

Giveaway prize includes:
3 FREE Trios of your choice!
That's right ANY 3 Trios. You choose the colors!
Total retail value = $50.85-$71.85

Here's what you gotta do:

Help us get the word out about our new contest.

To enter to win, please blog about our new "Flex your Creativity" Beading Contest.

For your convenience - Right click, Save & Post picture:

FIND OUT MORE HERE!
(link to: http://www.softflexcompany.com/BeadingContest.html)

Feel free to expand and say more if you like. The only big rule is that it must link to the details page on our website for your fellow designers to find out more.

In addition, if you use the fancy artwork that Kristen created in your sidebar, I will enter you again. 2 entries!

Grab the html code for the button artwork and display it on your blog at the bottom of the contest page. Then, leave me a comment with a link to your blog! I will enter you to win 3 FREE Trios in your choice of color combination! If you blog about it more than once, let me know. I'll enter you as many times as you mention and link to the details page.

All entries (comments) for this giveaway must be posted by July 1st, 2009.

Dawno reviews Trios - Part 2

Using round nose pliers, she curled the wire to give it a seed weed effect for this "under the ocean" design.

Please stop by Dawno's Blog to see her neat designs using the Soft Flex Trios from Rings & Things! :)

Dawno reviews Trios

Dawno is a blog partner of Rings & Things. She recently received a Trio package to test. Check out her assessment on her blog. :)

Would you like to be a blog partner of R&T? Check this out!

Crimping Video

Crimps are so little, it is easy to forget just how important they are. Many times, they hold an entire design together. It is important to find a dealer that will stand behind the quality of their crimps. Our crimp tubes are double the wall thickness of most and are also seamless. Sterling silver is a soft metal - so it is important that there is enough sterling silver in the crimp tube to withstand the force used when crimping.



Above and beyond the crimp tube itself, the most common errors that I see when using the regular crimping pliers are easy fixes. 1. Don't use a lot of force with the regular crimping pliers. As I said above, sterling is pretty soft. It doesn't take much force to compress a crimp tube. 2. Also, after you fold the crimp tube with the "rounder", go around the crimp several more times with the "rounder" gently compressing. This will allow you to mold it into the perfect shape and make sure that the crimp is snuggly attached onto the Soft Flex Wire.

To learn more about crimps and crimping, visit our Soft Flex School of Design.

Remember, ask for Soft Flex beading wire, tools and crimps by name at your local bead shop. We consider quality a necessity and only put our name on simply the best products.

Knot tying stainless steel

Pearls knotted using Soft Flex Extreme 24K Gold, 925 Sterling Silver & Champagne.

One of the neatest features of Soft Flex Beading Wire products is that you can actually knot the wire. You will not lose any strength or durability where the wire is knotted. Remember when I talked about tensile strength? Tensile strength refers to the breaking point when the wire will snap under the stress of weight and pull. From the very beginning, it was important to Scott and Mike that their wire was strong enough to be knotted. And what that meant to them was not that it could just be knotted but that it would not lose strength, work harden and break at the knot. So from day one, Soft Flex Beading Wire was tested for tensile strength with and without a knot. Our wire will not break under duress any sooner regardless of knot or no knot. Strong & flexible, Soft Flex was the first beading wire that could truly be knotted. It speaks volumes about the strength and durability of the product. If the product cannot be knotted then it will likely break easily if it is kinked. And there are beading wire brands made by other manufacturers that specifically advertise no knotting. Be aware.

The Fashion Show

Trios Beading Wire by Soft Flex
Use color in your next design.

"I think we are totally heading into seasons of color. With what's going on in the world in this economy, the collections have all been very, very colorful. It's the one thing that is going to spark somebody to buy something new."

Fern Mallis
Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion
The Fashion Show

Relax and Breathe

I was long overdue for a relaxing weekend. So it was wonderful to get out of town and head down south. On Thursday night we saw Wilco at Centennial Hall in Tucson and then spent the night at Josh's brother's house. The venue was wonderful. We were able to sit, relax and enjoy the music. It was easy to get in and get out. The vibe of the crowd was really nice. The band did and excellent job.

On Friday morning, I tried to go to a yoga class at the Tucson LA Fitness. Unfortunately, the teacher was ill. So, the replacement teacher taught a form of Tai Chi/Yoga/Pilates. It was a little too fast paced for my liking, but I did my best to keep up. After getting cleaned up and having some lunch, Josh & I headed down to his parent's ranch near the Cochise Stronghold.

His parents grow and sell an assortment of plants as well as grow lots of produce: tomatoes, egg plant, zucchini, squash, beans, onions, etc....It is a little slice of colorful paradise.


With 40 acres, there is plenty of room for camping out under the stars. We also got to spend lots of quality time with the ranch dogs: Reno, Sparks, Merl & Chubs. They are so lovable. They can never get enough of Josh.

On Saturday morning, I got the chance for a little yoga mountainside. It was very refreshing.

Then we headed out to a little town called St. David, AZ. It is home to the Holy Trinity Monastery. It is a gorgeous oasis. We really enjoyed our time spent here.


Peacocks symbolize immortality and eternal life. The peacock annually sheds its bright colored feathers in a "resurrection" of new colors. The peacocks were just roaming free through the grounds. They were so beautiful.

Josh & I in front of the church. There was a courtyard full of flowers and a nice water fountain.

Then we headed down further south to Bisbee. It is definitely a colorful city and was extra colorful for Gay Pride Weekend. Josh & I wandered around and were fascinated by the old buildings and ornate decorations.

The mine outside of Bisbee is enormous. I've never seen anything quite like it. We were impressed.


Josh's mom showed me that she had a little nest behind a few of her flower pots. Little baby birdy eggs.

I love the eco-system. I love all of the bugs and creatures that can be found if you look closely.

And the fresh produce was fantastic. Josh's dad made a really great pico de gallo, using almost all fresh ingredients from their garden.

We stayed just long enough to see the little baby birds peck through their eggs and see the light of day.

We also saw two little, itty bitty baby bunnies. I was/am in love with them. They are so tiny and so cute! I sure hope a coyote doesn't get them. I didn't get a picture, but we saw a coyote up close and personal right through the living room window. I was in awe. It went too quick for me to have time to capture it on film.

Josh's parents are known for their scented geraniums. These were perfectly blooming.


Like I said, lots and lots of insects, animals and plants. The butterflies are as big as small birds. The bumble bees are huge too.

It was really nice for Josh to be able to spend Father's day with his dad and his brother. I'm glad that we could be there. It is always nice to see Josh's mom and his brother's girlfriend Meredith.

I found it hard to relax at times. My go-go-go lifestyle can be hard to slow down, but I recognize how important it is that you have time off and away. I did a lot of knitting. I am still working on my first scarf. I'm impressed with how long it has gotten with some due dilligence this past weekend. I also read a lot and just tried to enjoy the moment. I was not always successful, but all in all it was a very enjoyable and much needed time to relax and breathe. I think we will go back again for the 4th of July in a few weeks.

Knitting on a Knitting Spool Video

A timeless tradition that many will recall learning as a child has returned. The knitting spool you may have used with yarn or thread as a youngster has been reimagined for wire weaving. Skip ahead to 2009 and try knitting using Artistic Wire, Soft Flex Beading Wire as well as threads, cords, yarns, leathers, etc. You can add beads, you can weave multiple different materials together and create unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry bracelets and necklaces. Check out this easy how to video to learn more about knitting on a spool using Soft Flex Beading Wire. We offer 34 colors of beading wire between our 5 different brands as well as 4 different diameters. The possibilities are endless! Find all of the supplies that you need at www.SoftFlexCompany.com!

To see more helpful blogs about knitting, click here!

See what my friends are up to this week:

Jamie Hogsett has some work in the new issue of Stringing magazine.

Kristen Fagan created free wallpaper, bookmarks, recipe cards and gift tags for June.

Magic Bullet proves to be Magical

Last weekend, I had breakfast at The Farm at South Mountain with one of my best friend Erin. Let me rewind, really this all started in Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, the show runs late on several nights. This can make getting dinner tricky. Hundreds of exhibitors all of a sudden flood every restaurant in the near proximity of the show. Everyone is starving. The restaurant isn't used to being jam packed for dinner at 9pm on a Thursday night, so they are almost always under staffed. I chose to go the Miller Time pub in my hotel for several nights in a row. It's close by. It's easy. Yada, yada, yada. Although I'm sure the Miller Time pub is fine for one night, several nights was overkill. Excuses aside, I had far too much fried food. So when I came home, I was really craving fresh food. I filled our fridge with lots of veggies and fruits. Josh & I have a really different take on our food preferences. I'm always trying to figure out how I can get my veggies and fruits into meals that he will like too. Over time, I've come to realize that it isn't so much the fruit or the veggie itself that he doesn't like. In most cases, it is the texture. So as Erin and I ate our very fresh meal at The Farm, we were talking about ways to get more fresh food into our diet. I was complaining about my almost never been used blender. We need a washer to make it work properly and I've been looking for the right washer for a LONG time. Then we started talking about food processors to puree veggies to add to sauce. We decided to check out Target and see what sorts of food processors they had to offer. As we stood in the appliance aisle and tried to compare the $19.99 to the $29.99 to the Kitchenaid, etc - I just felt overwhelmed. Is this what I really want? Do I need a 2 cup, 3 cup or the mega size? Finally we decided that we needed more information to make an informed decision. As we headed out of the aisle, Erin spotted the Magic Bullet. I am so thankful she did. We both bought Magic Bullets and it has been wonderful. I have been making smoothies and low fat frozen yogurt shakes for Josh & I this week. I am very excited about the possibilities of adding squash, zucchini, cauliflower and other fresh veggies to my pastas. Yay! Fresh food....mmmmm!