Dead Bead!

I've not done any bead work lately. I am crocheting. No beads involved, but it is a handcraft that I also enjoy doing. I actually began this afghan over two years ago! Yes, I am embarrassed to say how long it's been waiting to be finished. I brought it with with me to all sorts of places ---in a bag and worked on it during those times I am waiting for my husband or waiting for motocross to begin or out camping. When I get back home the whole bag goes back into the corner where it is promptly forgotten!

Here is a picture of what I have accomplished with the afghan so far.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

One of my favorite places to shop online is Artbeads.com. They had some very good sales recently and I decided to order new beads. I don't know yet where these will end up but I am enjoying looking at them right now!

Garnets, seaweed quartz, opal quartz, fancy jasper and my favorite of the bunch black sardonyx! They are beautiful!

Keeping Up With Blogger.com

I decided to upgrade to the new Blogger Template with the new layout feature.

I have not been beading so much during the summer. We have been camping and busy attending motocross racing. My two sons, my daughter and her husband and two of my granddaughters are all involved with it so that is where we end up most weekends!

Happy Work

I love these earrings and love how they swing on my ears. They are perfectly weighted and I love the sterling silver they dangle from. Aren't they cute?

Ran across a poem and makes me think of getting busy beading and the joy that comes from finishing a project. I did finish the bracelet below. I received the order I made and was able to complete the project. It sparkles so nicely.

Here is the poem I wanted to share with you.

Discovery

I wished to shirk my task one day:

I much preferred some pleasant play.

But when the work I'd once begun,

'Twas full of interest, joy and fun.

The dust removed from off my books

Brought happy thoughts and cheerful looks.

Weeds, in the garden, put to rout,

Made beauty blossom round about.

Why use my time and strength and skill

In hard-wrought play, to serve me ill?

Why from sure pleasure should I shirk,

Since there is play in pleasant work?




Written by Benjamin Keech

Time to Wait

Here is a picture of the bracelet I got started on and did something that I am sure many other beaders have done, ran out of beads! I only needed four, FOUR more! I didn't count right and so now I have to wait until beads that I found show up in my mailbox.

I had to do an online search to find the beads too, because my niece no longer sells beads at Polarbeads.com but I got lucky!!!! I found more of the color that I needed at Land of Odds. Check out Jenni's newest handcrafted creations, Bears by Jen, she is making cute, cute little collectible bears!

I am following a pattern I found in Bead and Button's magazine. It is fun and not hard at all, so I am going to count out more beads, correctly and then start a new colored bracelet while I wait.

Using the traditional chevron chain stitch designer Yvanne Ham adds her flair to it and produced a beautiful flowery looking bracelet just in time for spring.

Challenge For Me!

These earrings were a bit on the challenging side for me, but I did finish them! It is another pattern from my niece, Jenni, done in peyote/gourd stitch.

I love the colors and used Swarovski beads to give her a bit of sparkle at the bottom of her "kusbuck" or dress-jacket. She is a dancing Eskimo with a beautiful head dress on.

The headdress was what I had trouble doing. After several attempts and having to pull out the beads each time, I learned that I need to finish the basic rows first and then go around the edge to put in the beads that extend out giving her hat a long fur trimmed look. The ladies that wear these dancing hats make them so beautiful and are finished with long fur. I am not sure what kind of fur though, maybe wolverine.

That Was Fast!

Two-drop Peyote that is. It made making this bracelet go very fast. It is another design from Jenni (my niece).

I decided to do the beaded toggle and clasp for this bracelet. It matches so well.

Polar Bear Earrings

I have been busy doing others things besides beading so not much to show for beadwork. I did complete this set of earrings. It is one of Jenni's designs.

Jenni has 530 bead patterns now that you can buy and download. You can order this polar bear pattern HERE.

Several things have kept me from beadwork. We just got a new granddaughter on January 23. I took time to knit a little for her. She is so sweet. Another is my sister had an cranial aneurysm rupture on December 27th and that has been filling my thoughts. I have been reading about things related to her recovery. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Seattle with my two sisters to see her too.

I have been listening to one of my favorite radio stations while I do beading today.
WPIL 91.7 FM. If you get a chance to, visit their station and listen. They play Gospel and Old Country. On the top right side there is a Click Here to Listen Live link. It's good music to bead to.