Bead Cruising!!!

I just heard that we are officially registered for the Beady Friends bead cruise to Alaska!! I am so excited about this! There are still some openings if you are interested! Don't have a roommate? The travel representative, Shelley, can put you in touch with other beaders traveling on their own - great way to make friends and save money!

We leave Detroit on May 15, leave Seattle on May 16 and have many exciting days beading and traveling!!

It's not time to pack - but it's certainly time to dream!!

Bead Journal Project - February 2008

Doesn't she look like she is doing the happy dance!??

Round Robin Project

In March of 2008, the beading group that I belong to, the Loomatics started a Round Robin Project. My project was, of course, a Moose. I wrote in my journal that traveled with the moose, that I chose the moose because it would "Fit in so well with my decor and [allow me} to see how my friends would bead a moose for me." In the back of the journal, I wrote my infamous quote about bead embroidery:

"Bead Embroidery? Why on earth would anyone want to do bead embroidery? It's f*&^%$g silly, what's the point of it? It doesn't make any sense. I hate bead embroidery!"

Moose came home on Friday night. I still have a little work to complete on it which is not expected because we didn't believe that the pieces would be finished, but have a little bit of my beading friends in the moose.

Didn't my friends do a great job? There are so many parts that I love about it.

Bead Journal Project

Once December was determined, January was an easy choice. January felt right in green, with a blue background! Something just fell into place. Now, February.........

Beading Magazines

It isn't often that I look at one of the beading magazines (Bead and Button orBeadwork) and find a project that I have to do immediately. This Feb/March 2009 Beadwork was different. There were two projects that I just loved.

Now, everyone knows my love affair with Marcia Decoster's work - it's not a secret, and I love, love love the Ellipse Necklace!! Started on Friday, finished Sunday morning using a different color scheme than suggested in the magazine and I just have the neckstrap to finish. I wore it to work today and received kudos for it.

The other piece was "the Alchemist's treasure" by Scarlett Lanson - how pretty is this spiral!! I think that I'll be starting that one really soon.

Kudo's to Beadwork for a great and inspirational issue.

December Project

For some unknown reason, I really like this one. It's plain stitching, nothing fancy, but I like the way that the beads lay out. December was a late start - in January actually, but once my idea hit me, I just went with it. January has about 4 beads on it so far......

Bead Journal Update - December has some progress

I've been watching a British television show called "Time Team" - it's a show that have been around forever and the other day I was watching a DVD. The show was talking about medieval floor tiles. There was my inspiration.....

2008 - Year in Review

2008

2008 - can it be over already?? It just started. I had a really rocky start to the year with my mother-in-law passing away on New Years Day (not a good start to any day....), but that was the lowest point of the year. Although she had dementia due to Alzheimer's, and it was a mixed blessing, she is still missed.



For my artistic side, it was a pretty good year:

• I received notice that I was in the 2008 Bead a Day Calendar (three days)
• I had my Korean Dragon accepted for publication in the August 2008 Bead and Button magazine. I have received emails from beaders around the world letting me know how much they liked this piece
• Nicole Campanella (Beadwright) accepted four pieces of bead embroidery in her book "Flatwork"
• I worked with Marcia Decoster as a teacher's assistant in Milwaukee in June. I also lied to her about the weather - it was scarey. But I wasn't going to let her freak out. Besides, John the bartender would have saved us if necessary.
• Simply Beads published an article on traveling beaders which featured a picture from the 2006 Bead Cruise, of which I am in.
  I finished the 2007/08 Bead Journal Project with Robin Atkins and company, and have started the 2008/09 Bead Journal Project.
• Our study group from the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild continues to meet. We worked on a round robin project this year, of which the projects should be coming home soon.
• I entered a funky pair of reading glasses into the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild challenge to Bead an Everyday object.
  

Alan and I had a good year - we went on our second Bead Cruise with Beady Friends in January, we found a campground that we like in Monroe, MI that was can get to in 1/2 hour for long weekends. We also camped for a week in Brighton as gasoline was too expensive to drive too far this year. The state park there is very nice.

Dad and Patsy are doing well and wintering in Mission, TX - enjoying not being in Michigan with all the snow this year.

I hope that your year was as good as mine was.

Bead Journal Project - November 2008

November project is finally finished. Just in time for December to be started.....and finished? Today? I don't think so.

New and Improved

Here is the finished card case from a design by Marcia Decoster. As you know, the first case disappeared somewhere, so I made another. This one I like better, with small 2mm Swarovski crystal rounds coming up the corners. Can you see the hint of bling?? Actually, this would be case #3, because I learned on case #2 that RAW has a "nap" (and I took that one apart). I plan to keep a tight hold of this one!!

p.s. Snow? Detroit has snow? Not after the record highs over the weekend. I have piles of ice and green grass. The dogs are fairly happy.

Detroit's Big Snow...

December 19, 2008. I could post the pretty pictures of my back yard, but I thought this one of the ruler in the snow (measuring 8.75 inches) and Chloe watching me, was all that was needed. Detroit gets snow, but 3 inches, 2 inches, maybe 4. We don't get a lot at one time.

This was a lot of snow for us. My 20 minute commute took 50, and when I drove one of my doctors to the airport, my 25 minute drive to the airport took an hour. But we got there safe, and actually faster than we thought.

2008 Bead Journal Project Completed!

Completely completed!! Several weeks ago, I framed the pieces in shallow shadow boxes from Joann, Etc. About 15 minutes ago, they were hung over my dining room window (please no comments about the dust on the blinds!! I don't have time to dust when I am beading!!) - I love them!

6 Word Memoir

My friend asked me to write a 6-word memoir, based on an article that she read in the newspaper to sum up my life:

Working to support my vacation habits.

Here's the link: What would your six-words be?

Did you know?

Did you know that Right Angle Weave actually has a "nap"? I was almost finished with my RAW business card case, when I realized that the way that the beads were laying in my piece were not correct. I had completed a couple of rows in sections, instead of going all the way across the row, and they really stood out - in a bad way.

So, I am on row 30 of my case. Again. But doing it in rows, it's laying correctly.

Lesson learned: RAW has a nap, just like corduroy.

p.s. If you find the case pictured above - it's mine, I lost it.

Chloe and Her Red Sweater

Chloe loves to be outside. Now that the weather is getting colder, when she comes in she's shaking and shivering. Many years ago, we were given a great fleece jacket for our other dog Casie - who hates to wear it almost as much as she hates to go outside. Molly - our chunky monkey dog can't wear it, she's to big (Molly is arguing that the fleece shrank in the wash and it's not her fault). Chloe doesn't seem to mind it.

Here's Chloe, playing with Big Ben, our neighbor's dog (for those of you that know me, this isn't the mean psycho dog), and generally looking good while patroling for those squirrels.....

And to keep this bead related - yes, I started working on November BJP, finished a piece while up north for a swap, and still working on a RAW business card case since I lost my first one.

Back to coffee and beads.

October Bead Journal

October! The skies are clear and the leaves are changing colour.

Brr, it's getting cold out, but that doesn't bother our owl.

He's hanging out and looking for his dinner.

With the leaves dropping, it's easier to spot

supper running under the trees.

Please take the time to vote!!

Next Tuesday is election day. Please take the time to vote for the politician that will hurt you and your family less. Spend 5 minutes looking up your local proposals and determine where you stand.

My mother told me when I was old enough to vote that it was my duty as a citizen. And if you don't vote you can't bitch.

Next Tuesday - take the time to vote.....

Seven Things about Me......

Okay, I've been tagged by Arline - even though I honestly think that no one wants to know anything about me! Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now to the facts about me:
1. I love shoes so much that I have promised my husband that if I bring in new shoes, I have to get rid of the same number of pairs of old shoes.
2. I love, love, love to travel. It's the reason that I work. That, and health insurance.
3. My brother died due to complications of liver transplant anti rejections medications several years ago. I am still angry at him for lying to me and other family members about his care - he told us that he was compliant. He wasn't. If he was compliant - he might still be alive.
4. I vote in most elections because I was told a long time ago "if you don't vote; you can't bitch."
5. I have done things in my past that were dangerous and stupid.
6. I would love to speak the Korean and Arabic languages. What is stopping me is that it's not very easy being that the alphabet is different.
7. I love Skittles......

I'm not going to tag anyone, but I invite people to leave a comment here with one or two things that we might not know about them........

Have fun with this!

Rachel Nelson-Smith

I never thought that I would actually make this bracelet, but by adapting the pattern for me, I really like it. Of course, they aren't in the "in your face" colours that Rachel loves and uses, but more toned down for Liz (like some of my orange and green colours are toned down, right?). The flat bracelet is using the new permanent finish Toho beads - using them in a bracelet is the perfect place to see if they will keep their colours.

Next? Working on part of my round robin project with members of my bead guild. Diane's piece is at my house now. And I need to finish a swap piece for Diane - she's making me a felted bag, and I am making her a Marcia DeCoster "Etruscan" necklace. Then I need to complete my October Bead Journal piece - it's about 1/2 done, but was put aside for the above projects.

Housework? I need to do housework?

Oct 15 p.s. I've worn the permanent finish bracelet for three days, 9 hours a day, in an office setting. The colours have not changed.

Neuschwanstein Castle - fertig?

I'm pretty happy with it.

I've been there at least 7 times, maybe more.

First time was in 1981 when I traveled with my friend Tricia.

Then when I lived in Stuttgart between 1984 and 1987, I was there

with friends and family who visited.

I followed the Lone Beader's lead with painting a canvas and

mounting the beadwork on it.

I really like it.

Now, I have a crewel embroidery castle, a lace version,

a cross stitch version and a beaded version.

The public debut will be on Sunday, October 5th at the

Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild Bead Bonanza in Southfield, MI

Now to continue on my Bead Journal project

that I put down a couple of weeks ago.