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Welcome 2020!

Posted on January 5, 2020 by admin Posted in The Life of a Bead Whore Leave a comment

Happy New Year, all and welcome 2020! It’s been a long time since I’ve updated the ‘site, but now’s the time and I’m excited to share what’s been happening.

No Gallifrey One Art Show this year

Doing the Gallifrey One Art Show every other year has worked out well for me, so I am skipping this year and will be back in 2021. I hated to do it, but time constraints and missing the submission deadline made the decision for me, so I’m going with the flow and concentrating on new designs and the Etsy store.

New Bracelets

I’ve created some awesome new Doctor Who bracelet designs and are they ever FUN! I may not have hit my goal of designing a new pattern and making a bracelet a week, but I set up a new Esty store and concentrated on improving my beading techniques. This year I’m ready to set new, more realistic goals and play with even more designs than ever. Here’s a sample of the new designs now available as instant downloads:

All three designs are available in the Etsy store here.

What’s to Come

5th Doctor Bracelet beaded final by T is for Tardis

The 5th Doctor bracelet. This was one of the first ones completed early last year that really showed an improvement in my technique. I had a hard time locating end findings to attach the toggle clasps to, but finally ordered some all the way from Turkey. Now I’m searching for the right toggle clasp to use. Unfortunately, the “clock face” toggle on the other bracelets pictured isn’t in a shiny gold finish, so I’m researching other options.

The Crack in the Universe. I can hardly wait to put this one up, OMG, it turned out absolutely AMAZING! What’s so amazing about it? It actually glows in the dark. How’s that for awesome? I just finished it off this weekend and tried to photograph it glowing, but it wasn’t cooperating, so I’ll finish up the regular shots tomorrow. Look for it to premiere in the next few days.

The 4th and 5th Doctor’s Scarves. I say “scarves” because there are two versions of this scarf in two different color schemes, one for each Doctor. Being a big, former 5th Doctor fan, I had to do the Davison scarf in beadwork as well as the more famous 4th Doctor’s. In fact, I did the Davison scarf first. I just need to validate these two patterns are being complete and ready to upload to the store.

Ideas in the Works

These are all in addition to a few new ideas for new bracelet designs previously unexplored. Like to see a “Hello Sweetie” or “I (double heart) Doctor Who” bracelet? Have another idea not seen or mentioned here? Leave a note in the comments. I can always use more ideas to keep me busy this year!

Kustomer Order Kreation Day – Seaweed earring set

Posted on July 12, 2019 by admin Posted in Handmade Products 1 Comment

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July Kustomer Order Kreation Day

is tomorrow, 10:00 am Pacific Time. Come see the creation of our Seaweed earring set. This multi piercing has been with us since 2010 and refuses to go out of style! This set is composed of four distinct earrings that carry the same theme of seaweed and fresh water pearl. The long, green daggers are czech glass carefully attached to copper chain. The set can be mixed and matched many different ways for a unique look every new day!

Grab a drink, watch us work and chat with other Ears Have It fans in our chatroom. This piece is for a special return customer in the U.K. and we are excited to give her and others the opportunity to see the creation of our most complicated design piece in our Etsy store. A direct link to the YouTube livestream and chat will be made available tomorrow on our channel and on our Facebook page.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to receive a notice when we go live for this and future Kreation Days.

Addendum: the link to the finished livestream plus comments and link to purchase this design is here: http://youtube.com/channel/UC1gUAwzRuD3Tz81YJDOij4Q/live . If you would like a shorter version of it, let me know in the comments and I will edit it down into a new video.

New – Kustomer Order Kreation Day

Posted on May 22, 2019 by admin Posted in ear cuff Earcuff, Videos 1 Comment

Hi all and welcome to my new KCDragonfly Kustomer Order Kreation Days. After a bit of fussing with YouTube and their new regulations on live streaming, I am now set up to do real-time videos on jewelry and crafts creation again.

Where this is coming from

A quick update on where this is coming from and why it seems like it’s out of the blue for me to do. Ever since my first convention back in the 80’s where I created an ear cuff for a customer while they watched, I’ve been addicted to having an audience while I create something. It’s so much fun to get a customer’s input into their own orders from me, as well at the fascination they have watching the actual process. It’s what motivated me to do as many years of conventions in dealer’s room as I had – something on the order of 30 years!

Now that technology has caught up with the ability to live stream from the comfort of my design studio at home, I got excited about the prospects all over again. Once I live streamed my first custom order on YouTube, it was so awesome, I wanted to do it again!

And so, with my new webcam in place, I am ready to give this a go with regular as well as custom orders. I hope you will join me today and in the future for some fun KCDragonfly Kustomer Order Kreation Days.

Details for today’s Kustomer Order Kreation Day:

Location: The Ears Have It by KC Dragonfly YouTube Channel
Time: 5:00 pm Pacific Time

Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show & Wrap Up

Posted on March 13, 2019 by admin Posted in Finding your place in the Universe, Gallifrey One, The Life of a Bead Whore Leave a comment

fan on lax marriott carpet from kc dragonfly

Four days of fun, followed by con crud

It’s hard to believe it’s only been weeks since Gallifrey One 2019 ended. It seems like so much longer! And, as has become an unfortunate tradition in the 28 years Dennis and I have attended this wonderful convention, we both caught con crud. Hence in part why this update is so late. (<== picture me laid out flat for TWO DAYS from work, looking like this Gally carpet-worshipping fan I found on Twitter) The nasty little bug came and almost went TWICE, so I went and got antibiotics for it Monday.

It was once again a fabulous year of amazing entertainment, the highlight of which was the ribbon collecting war between Catherine Tate and John Barrowman. Barrowman, being the shy guy he is, came out on stage Saturday in a dress in an exploding tardis print in vibrant yellows and blues. Catherine showed him up the same day, demonstrating how long her ribbon trail was. She had a helper hold it on stage and went out into the audience trailing the end – which was easily two-thirds of the length of the ballroom! As you can image, her bragging about it being longer inspired all sorts of hysterically rude comments from John. Makes up for missing all the other programming outside the main ballroom!

tis4tardis art show premiere

What Next?

After all the sales have been tallied up and the thank yous done, I kicked into high gear. Even as con crud was trying to slow me down, my brain was non-stop forming plans for what to do next. While all the beading for the Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show was fun, it was also hard work towards a purpose. After a couple of years away, I really want to get back into jewelry full time and this time have more fun doing it. Yes beadwork of this intensity is hard work, but it’s work I LOVE. And when you love what you do, REALLY LOVE what you do, burnout doesn’t exist. When I finished the 5th Doctor’s bracelet, I jumped straight into beading 13s necklace without a single day’s break. When it was apparent I wouldn’t finish it in time, I went back to bracelet ideas and did one for the 11th Doctor.

I even set aside my fanfiction writing for a month because the beading bug wouldn’t let me go. And while I also dearly love creative writing I never regretted my decision to trade one fun project for another for a time.

Now the real work begins

5th doctor bracelet on KC Dragonfly So where – you might ask – am I going from here? Forward and up and never looking back. I can’t bead fast enough, there aren’t enough hours in the day to fuel this bead machine monster Doctor Who fandom has created. The beadwork for a new 5th Doctor bracelet is done – and it is a vast improvement over even the one that sold at the convention. See for yourself. The top one is the 1st version, the bottom bracelet the one that went into the auction (and sold).

Happily my rows were straighter and neater, there was less of a wobble to the overall bracelet and I fixed the orientation of both question marks so they face each other. It always bugged me they faced the same direction in the original design. And if ever there was a sign that doing what one loves is what we are meant to do in life, then improving one’s technique is the proof in the pudding!

And it’s beginning to show

5th Doctor Bracelet final by T is for Tardis on KC Dragonfly

It amazes me how much repetition and getting advice from experts can make a difference – and how fast it has manifested. This third version has really come so far in just a few weeks that it has me absolutely tickled. This is by no means the final product. That will come as I work on it this week. And I cannot wait to show you wonderful folks the finished product!

river song watch us run

Stick around and as River Song said, “You watch us run!”.

Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update part four – final

Posted on February 19, 2019 by admin Posted in Appearances, Custom Pieces, Doctor Who Cosplay, Gallifrey One, Handmade Products, The Life of a Bead Whore Leave a comment

new owner of 4th doctor lariat scarf necklace from kcdragonfly

Thank you Gallifrey One!

Gallifrey One has always been one of the best local conventions and it gets better every year. This wonderful lady (on the right) made the show for me when I came in in the morning after the auction. She said, “I regretted not getting the 4th doctor lariat scarf. Will it be available after the show?” I smiled and said, “I’ll sell it to you right now. Just pick it up and take it and the bid sheet to the checkout gals and it’s yours!’ I gave her tips on it’s care and feeding and to make sure it stays secure as it can be a slippery bugger. She was kind enough to take a pic with me and I thank her for it and wished her many happy years of ownership.

I had the great fun of speaking to many art show visitors that morning/afternoon. Thank you each and every one for taking the time to stop by, admire my work and have a chat.

The Final Tally

All in all, we sold half of the value of the items we brought to Gallifrey One 2019 – a great ratio of sales for an artist. There was one or two artists that didn’t sell much (there always are). We all have our off-years and it is so unpredictable that sometimes it feels like a game of chance. For me, pieces sold that surprised me and others didn’t that were also puzzling. Here’s the final tally:

Sold –

4th Doctor Lariat Necklace
5th Doctor Bracelet
11th Doctor Envelope Necklace

Didn’t Sell –

11th Doctor Bracelet

I had expected not to sell the Envelope Necklace because it was a rather obscure piece. You really have to be a fan of 11 and remember the episode and I guess they did. It got three bids and came close to going to voice auction – two more bids would have sent it there.

tardis blue envelope

If you Didn’t Get a Piece…

Not to worry! People seemed pleased I am opening an Etsy store for patterns. And I have a surprise in store for the store in the next blog post, which will be a grand opening update. It will make them and our fans quite happy. Stick around as that announcement will be coming very soon.

A Final Thank You

I want to thank the art show El Heffes Elizabeth Klein-Lebbink and her significant other Jerome Scott. We have known you two beautiful people for decades now and you are the best art show mavens in the biz. I always get a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart when I see these two at a con and that feeling grows every year. I warned them to expect me next year and indeed also at Loscon Thanksgiving Weekend back at the same hotel. Sorry, Liz, you won’t be getting rid of me that easily. No more hiatuses for me!

Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update – semi-final

Posted on February 17, 2019 by admin Posted in Appearances, Custom Pieces, Doctor Who Cosplay, Gallifrey One, The Life of a Bead Whore Leave a comment

Hello Gallifrey One!

The Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show was fabulous and so much fun to do! Thank you EVERYONE who purchased art pieces from me. Everything that didn’t sell is available for purchase TODAY. So, if you were outbid or didn’t get a chance to buy, stop by and browse! You will also get a SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE COUPON towards purchases in our new Etsy store, T is for Tardis, opening tomorrow!

TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE. WE WILL UPDATE THEM AS SOON AS WE KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THE HOURS ARE BUT I WILL BE AT THE CONVENTION UNTIL CLOSING, SO TWEET ME AND WE’LL ARRANGE A MEETUP.

Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update part three

Posted on February 15, 2019 by admin Posted in Appearances, Doctor Who Cosplay, Gallifrey One, Handmade Products, The Life of a Bead Whore Leave a comment

On our way

We are finally on our way to Gallifrey One 2019. It feels strange after over a month of doing beadwork on bracelets every day to not have a bead project in hand, beading and ignoring everything else around me.

I miss it already.

Is that weird? Not when you’re addicted to doing beadwork like I am and have been doing it for so many years. When you do something this intense and it’s something you don’t love, it’s easy to get burned out. Me, I’m already going over ideas for my next art show which hopefully will be for a My Little Pony convention up in Northern California. Of course I’ll stop once in awhile during the panels to pay attention to who’s on stage and hang out with my sister and brother-in-law. But there is always downtime when I’m hanging in the lobby and people watching. Those are the times it’s I sit and sketch out what I want my next project to be.

And now what you’ve all been waiting for

The 13th Doctor Bracelet

The 5th Doctor Bracelet

Tarot & Angel Deck Divination Bags

divination decks by KC Dragonfly

Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update part two

Posted on February 13, 2019 by admin Posted in Gallifrey One, The Life of a Bead Whore Leave a comment

Table Display Signage

As I mentioned in a teaser earlier this month, I went shopping for lettering for a new name for my Doctor Who-themed creations in the Gallifrey One 2019 art show. Creating the new logo last week took more time than I had expected due to planning, measuring, gluing and painting. After the bulk of the painting and gluing was done, I went back to beadwork. Still, project pieces were slowed down because they were worked on in between touch-up coats of paint and lettering adjustments. Once the logo pieces were finished, I made a scrabble game out of the letters and posted it on Twitter. Alas, no one guessed the name I had done too good a job of mixing up the letters!

The final touch to the logo display was one my husband provided, creating a table riser to lift the lettering slightly above the level of the table so it would stand out better.

Beading on the Go

I keep my client company at my job while he watches t.v. – a lot of it. Luckily this allows me to sit and bead a few hours each day. Because I bead there and at home, my carrying case has gotten more and more portable. I hated this see-through, plastic carrying case at first. I didn’t want everyone to see what I was carting around, but later I grew to love it as I could easily see its contents as I packed it the evenings. In the pursuit of the life of a bead whore, it has become one of my new, best friends.

wooden bead sorting tray at KC Dragonfly wooden bead sorting tray cover at KC Dragonfly

My second best friend is a wooden bead board that divides different colors of beads into organized sections. I was wary of using it at first since I have knocked over a seed bead tray or two. You only do that once, then learn to use cases with lids the rest of your days, believe me! After years of being very careful, I was now tempted to try this new sorting tray I discovered years ago at the Pasadena Bead & Design Show. It was just too cool to pass up, especially after the creator personalized it with a dragonfly on its cover.

Still, it sat for a couple of years until I decided to bead the 13th Doctor’s shirt stripe into a lariat scarf. The tray easily holds all 11 colors where I would have needed two of my usual, round plastic cases. Two cases would have been fine except the pattern for 13’s scarf requires I use one bead color at a time. Because of that, I needed all colors open at once, rendering the lidded cases useless.

Next time – a preview of our newest beaded designs to premiere in the art show.

Gallifrey One 2019 Art Show Update

Posted on February 6, 2019 by admin Posted in Gallifrey One Leave a comment

The Push is On

With a mere week and a day to go until Gallifrey One 2019, the push to get done is on. I’ve finished up the final large project jewelry piece and might have a few works-in-progress to showcase. Brick stitch is a long, slow process, but was necessary on the bracelets because of the detail in their designs. They helped me get back up to speed, but too fast at one point caused me to backtrack & rip out 11 rows to fix a mistake. On the other side of the coin, the lariat necklaces are created with peyote stitch. While they are much longer, the stitch allows me to bead up to six rows at a time.

shopping for signage by KC Dragonfly

A New Look

This past weekend saw me also start work on the signage for the tables. Sunday was spent at Michaels and Jo-Ann’s gathering together lettering and supplies for the stand(s). I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to look on the table, but didn’t work when I actually made it. I painted the letters while watching cartoons and the Kitten Bowl, wondering how to fix it. With my husband’s help, another idea worked out even better.

I will be showing under the name “Time Siren”, but the table will sport a new name for a new Etsy store. Once I have the store created, look for it to be officially announced here, along with its new name.

Video: Making Your Star Trek ear cuff

Posted on December 27, 2018 by admin Posted in Custom Pieces, ear cuff Earcuff Leave a comment

This video was done for our longest-running customer, Maxine. She requested a triple-pierced Star Trek ear cuff. She supplied the Star Trek charms. Come watch how it all comes together when we create the earring of your dreams and you could see yours made live on YouTube next.

And here is the finished product:

Please subscribe to get notifications of our future broadcasts when they become available. We will also have links and notifications on our Facebook page here. I will be adding them for each new, unique ear cuff piece that is ordered from our Etsy store The Ears Have It. Thank you for watching!