Winter Quarters

Come Fall, I have to butt up against the idea that the plants really do have to come in for the Winter, and I have to move out of my sunny studio area, into the living area that has the heat near by. I tried staying in the sunporch last year, and while the plants love it at 55 degrees with lots of sun, my fingers went numb!

So, being glad that I like moving furniture- no, really!- I got myself moved into the warm area before it gets cold- taking off the stress of having to move both that AND my forest back inside at the same time. DH calls it 'cozy'- I call it Heaven!!

This lovely is a shelf I bought for $4 in Chattanooga- my first visit ever! It holds treasures from friends, family, our honeymoon to Canada, interesting finds and beaded dolls. If you click on the pic it will enlarge....see what you can find.
This is the Granny's Panties shelf, repositioned in the living/my Winter beading area- I didn't like the doll so close to the kitchen, and they are happier here.

Round Robining again!!

You would think I had enough on my plate; a kumi rope and fully beaded doll, representing a 'Woman in Art' to be done by the end of September, plus the Hand and a beaded animal, which have until the end of Oct...and my DH's birthday, looming ahead on Oct 3, but who can resist working on these beauties?? The dolls are part of a Birthstone RR at Beaded Art Doll, with the doll above belonging to Sue O, and named Sapphire- her birthstone. I did her hair, and the part down her back.

This Jester belongs to Jeanne of OR, and she did the scrumptious beading using the swarovski bicones- peridot AB, that I cannot get to photograph true in all the rain we keep having. Indoor lighting just doesn't work for them. I did his left side; the leg, body and arm.

Stay tuned for more pics as things progress!!

Tippy relaxes at last!

What a tired little man Tippy is, hugging his stuffed Sharpei friend. Tippy is enjoying being flea-free at last! The rainy Summer has made the little devils almost impossible to get rid of, or treat for. The Tipster has been on Advantage Multi since last January, but all the mud required bathing at least every 10 days, and that makes the spot-on topical flea treatments so not work anymore.

He is now a Comfortin puppy, lovely stuff- worked just like they said it would, 30 minutes and all the fleas are dead! New ones that hop on during our times in the 4 acres of our yard are dead within the same amount of time! woo-hooooo!

dolls since march 09

these are the few dolls i have been able to do since march.....more to come

stuff done since march 09

just so you know I wasn't sitting around doing nothing LOL!

fur family fotos

calliecatt wishing she had thumbs
flashcatt enjoying my chair
happy jazzdogg
tippypuppy
ms sassysquirrel
puffin, queen of all she surveys

the last hummers of summer

the pics say it all...

new school at Cherokee, Qualla Boundary

The Cherokee paid for this school all by themselves- it is an awesome, green, state of the Art set of buildings that house K-12 in 3 separate schools on one campus. Here are some shots of the new football field, and the fans enjoying the first home game!! Way to go, Cherokee!!

woo-hooo, I'm back!

After months of mental and emotional recovery from tending to my DMIL, I am ready to blog again....and go to bead shows, apparently!

I had heard that Intergalactic Bead Show was not as good as it used to be, and certainly when I walked in the door at the Asheville, NC Civic Center, the show looked mighty small. But, just as the old saying goes, good things come in small packets.

Then vendors were friendly, willing to share what they knew about their products, take the time to get to know their customers, even though this was the last day of the show.

Here are some of the wonderful finds; 3 cuts in 8o Antique Gold, 14o Green Iris, 11o Raspberry AB, and charlottes in a true red lustre, not to mention the awesome matte daggers with the dots- thanks to Black Wolf and his wife (Henry Rubin and Theresa)

Chain in a hematite finish and vintag brass finish, silver 2mm Czech rounds, a dyed and crackled turquoise colored agate (that is so going onto the Mermaid Hand), 4mm true red and bronze glass pearls for a friend who spent hours searching for exactly that at the Gem Wholesale Show, but never found them, and the way coolest orange coral sticks from BeadAttitudes out of Gaithersburg, MD.

Swarovski 8mm rivolis in Olivine, Topaz AB, Tanzanite, and Padparascha, 6mm Fire Opal Bicones from Beads De Colores out of Columbus, IN, whose owner was so taken with Friend Harry's Montee bracelet that he going to order and sell the 8o silver beads AND the montees! You rock, Eddie Santos!!

Green Iris 6mm Czech rounds like my friend Kassie used for her bracelet awhile back....now I can make one too, instead of drooling over hers...LOL! from Blue Iris Designs, Joanne Morash of Anderson, SC- an accomplished lampworker, silversmith and bead crocheter who does not mind sharing her tips and carries all sorts of wondrouse items I no longer had money for, but will do mail order!

last but not least, BC Beads of Cambay, where I found beautiful Tigereye, labradorite, bronze pearls, and amethyst diamonds, all for $4 a strand!! This booth had a couple of Ashevilleites, both sweet as can be and willing to learn all the beady things they can....oh, they know not what they ask for! LOL!

What a way to come back, eh??

Good going, Intergalactic- my first bead show folks years back, and still worth the money to go in!