I just realized I'd better add another resolution to my New Year's list: I've got to do something with all the beads I've been ordering lately.

If you're not into beading--well, you better stay away from Etsy.com, because there are so many talented beaders selling their wares there, that you may find yourself getting addicted to this hobby, too. The handmade beads are my favs, whether they're lampworked glass, or made from ceramics or other materials.

This is a new pendant that I just ordered from a talented lady named Tracee Dock. Her Etsy site is called The Classic Bead, and it's packed with handmade pendants, beads, and more.

This piece is a seed pod; see the golden seeds peeking out of the blossom? There's an opening at the top so you can insert a chain or silk chord and make a necklace, which is what I plan to do. It seems fitting to make a piece of jewelry with something seed-related, since "seeds" appears in two of my book titles, and like Tracee, I'm fascinated by how so much beauty and promise are packed into seeds, which are really tiny genetic packages, if you think about it.

I've ordered from Tracee before, and I have several of her lovely focal beads that I'm planning to make into necklaces this year. I'll do a giveaway with them in a month or so, a little closer to the release of my new book, Little Mercies, as promotional items, so watch this space!