Learning to teach

I made a lot of holiday gifts this year. Well, OK, I make a lot of holiday gifts every year, but this year was interesting. I made some simple chandelier earrings for my nieces, who are 14 & 15 years old and they were fascinated by the whole idea of making them...so now I'm a teacher. Our first day went really well, both girls made some chandelier type earrings for themselves and learned about basic design and some simple wire work. Their mother tells me that all they could talk about was how much fun it was. What a great thing to hear! I'm not sure what we'll do next, maybe some stringing, maybe some more earrings, but I might just be looking forward to it as much as they are.

I've never considered myself much of a teacher, but I hope to learn as I go. As long as we're having fun, it won't matter too much if I'm not great at it.

Until next time...be well.

Saying Goodbye

Last night the world became a poorer place. We lost my friend Lora Tobias to cancer. Lora was a wonderful person who scattered love like flower petals every time she spoke. Lora and I had a strong friendship for fifteen years, though we never actually met. Her zest for life and wonderful personality attracted friends of all types. She always had a kind word or a sympathetic ear. I'd like to write more, but the tears interfere. Rest in peace, Lora. You will be sorely missed.

Keeping Promises

Sometimes keeping promises isn't as easy as you think it will be. Over a month ago, I promised on All About Beads that I would take pictures of my figural beaded beads. The next day, we started to remodel our kitchen, and the pictures never got taken. Well...better late than never. Now, remembering that I am not a fabulous photographer, here they are. I've separated them into three categories, people, flora and fauna. People includes mermaids, angels, demons, witches, faeries and Scarlett O'Hara. In fauna you'll see a dragon, lion, tiger, kitty, horse, bird, bat, fish, octopus, flamingo, elephant, frog and rubber ducky. The flora category contains roses done in 2 sizes, a morning glory, a palm tree, another tree, a mushroom, a peace lily and a star with a floral design. The star is my own version of Sylvia Beckers star from a very early Beadwork magazine, I couldn't make it her way, so I worked it out another way.

I included a ruler in the pictures, so you can see the scale, but they are usually around an inch and a half long. They are all beads, meaning there is a hole straight through. I forgot to include the ducky bead when I took the picture, but I added it in later(that's why the background is different). I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoy making them.

Be well

Harvest and Holiday Time

It's that time again...time for making preserves. Yesterday I spent the entire day making apple butter and juice for jelly. I spent five hours just peeling and prepping the apples. My back hurt, my hands were cramping up, and my kitchen was a mess! I can't explain why I love it, but I do! Next things are jellies with all the juices I've put into the freezer this summer, then holiday cookies and candies. When I get my canning done, I'll have Christmas gifts almost finished, and that's another thing to be happy about. Just a few things to make (not food) and I'll be ready to assemble baskets. So far, I've done spaghetti sauce, dill pickles, pickled peppers and apple butter. I still have 4 kinds of jelly to do, but I did the juices already, so they'll be quick. I can't wait. Well, I've rambled enough today...'til next time.

Be well.

Finally, something new!

I haven't been posting because nothing was happening, but I finally finished a piece! I love using glass bubbles in sculptures and I have a few different sizes. I tried to work with the colors of the bubbles in a slightly off-kilter way, and I think it works OK. You can be the judge of that, though.

For my next couple of projects, I think I'll be working on clocks. I have ideas for polymer clay, but I'd also like to do at least one beaded one. That will be a challenge...I don't really do patterns or flat work. Maybe I can attach beadwork to a backing. Hmmm....I'll have to think about that a bit.
Until next time, be well.

Back from the beach

My husband and I were in Wildwood, NJ last week. The weather was perfect, the water was cool, all in all a wonderful vacation. The best part was seeing all the dolphins. I swear, there were dozens of them really close to shore. It was awesome!
I hadn't been doing much beading, but I got an idea, and I'm working on a fairy house. It won't be jewelry, but I might try to reduce the pattern once it's done to make a beaded bead. I know, what a shock. *G*
Right now the base is all I have started, so I'll wait to post pictures. I just thought I should say something, since it's been so long.
I haven't been working on the website...mostly because I don't have the patience for it. I don't have a clear picture of how I want it, so it's very slow going. I know I need to just make a decision and do it, but that's not really my best thing...I'd much rather implement someone else' ideas than decide what to do on my own. Oh well, I'll get there eventually.

Until next time, Be well.

BFAC Done...Finally

Well, I actually managed to finish my Beading for a Cure project. I am pretty happy with it, and will be sending it out, soon. I started making holiday gifts, too, but I won't be posting pictures of those for a long time.
I don't have a lot to add, but I have pictures.*Disclaimer* Please remember that I'm a beader, not a photographer, and the pictures are the best I can do with my limited ability.
I do hope that you enjoy seeing it, picture quality notwithstanding.

Be well.

Never enough time

Well, it's been months since I took the time to post. It's not that I'm lazy, mind you...I'm just feeling uninteresting. Life moves on at a fairly normal pace. I am laid off right now, but hoping it won't last too long. Not doing a lot of interesting stuff. Working on my BFAC project. I don't usually share those as a work in progress, but I will hint. It's a two part project like the dragon egg I did a couple of years ago. It is not a dragon egg, though, just two parts.
In other news, I am working on a website to sell my patterns for sculptural beaded beads and possibly larger sculptural pieces as well. I'm using Blue Voda and it's actually pretty easy, though I'm kind of slow at it.(OK, maybe I'm a little lazy) The program is free and there's a lot of help available. If you want to try it, here's a link: http://www.bluevoda.com/

I'll try to be more chatty, but no promises...I'll just try. Be well.