A New Year

Another January, looking back on last years 'resolutions'- be more organized with my beading area, get up regularly to play with the pups and cats or just go for a stretch, every-other-day yoga, drink more water- I did pretty well with all of them.

So, here are the new ones; submit more pieces to the beading mags (actually got accepted for the Bead and Button Dec 2011 issue!), bead immediately on RR pieces that come my way, create at least 2 pieces a week for sale at shows.

Not a whole lot.

But added to moderating several yahoo groups, keeping up with the beady challenges there, and having a great life with my DH, that is plenty!

To this end, I did triage in both Facebook and Yahoo Groups, removing 'Friends' who weren't, and whose interests I no longer shared, like games, etc, and whose group owners were more about crowing over their creations, then generally ignoring what the other members did, as well as group owners whose groups have 'died'- no messages for two years. While this isn't a huge deal, it is one less thing to clutter my mind.

In the beady world, did a bit of exploring the Dec 2010 issue of Bead and Button- what IS it with the size 10 delicas everyone seemed to have required for those projects???? I don't have a good local source for them, and don't want to start acquiring alot of one-size-up from the delica 11s I finally managed to get enough of.

I will be trying 'The Right Connection' bracelet by Eileen Spitz from that issue, but using size 11 delicas- funny that the opener for this pattern states 'enjoy the time-saving design that uses 10o cylinders for faster stitching'. Really? Faster stitching? Do they stitch themselves? Faster stitching as far as making a wider bracelet, perhaps, but if you use the same bead count, it goes at the same speed LOL! Geez Louise. It does look like a great little bracelet, and I am going to see if using the 11o delicas and maybe 3mm bicones or even CzechFP doesn't work just as well. I do like that they mentioned using any pattern for the base.

However, in the realm of 'WHAT THE HECK WERE THEY THINKING?', I tried starting the 'Grand Circles' pattern from the same issue, by Jonna Ellis Holston. My DH tried to dissuade me, as he pointed out to glaring markers for this being a failure (the creator teaches at the Sawtooth School of Visual Aaaarts in Winston-Salem, NC- a hoity-toity wannabeeanwishtheywereNCSchoolOfTheArts place, and she uses her maiden name as her middle name), without knowing anything about beading. I should have noticed that there was absolutely NO indication, except in the materials list, that this was a necklace. It appeared to be a bracelet from the photo.

Add to this that I didn't even subscribe to B & B in 2008, because I didn't like many of the projects that year.

I should also have known that the stitch, herringbone, used with size 8 hex on the outside, was NOT going to be strong enough to keep this circle flat, instead of floppy even with 6# Smoke Fireline. Still, I liked the look and so gave it a try.

Even adding more beads to the center didn't help. You can see how wide these babies are! I will not make another, but feel this one will make a good bit of decoration on a beaded art doll, with a nice cab captured in the center and beaded flat onto the doll. Too bad the latest doll from Dian requested bright colors LOL!

So, on to the next, and Happy Beading, everyone!

Spring Cleaning

No, not the kind that involves rags, vinegar and lots of hot water, but that which has to do with going through old stuff, seeing what is still useful, and what would be better off somewhere else.
It all began with trying to find a pattern I knew I had just seen, somewhere in the paper stacks ( all of them neat, but unorganized) or in the books of patterns that had been copied off free sites on the internet, but couldn't find. As it is a pattern we are doing at the retreat in a month, it behooved me to NOT wait until the last minute to find it, not with everything else going on; first grandchild due near that time, getting ready for a show 3 weeks afterward, etc.
No time like the present to just dive on in, and get all that stuff sorted and put into some semblance of order!
Spring, Glorious Spring always brings a feeling of newness to my life, so it was truly a pleasure to get out the different binders, stacks of papers, and dig through drawers for the odd pattern that had slipped into them. Taking a good look at each, deciding if it was really anything I wanted to do, learn, or even use for inspiration, they went into either the correct pile ( bracelets, necklaces, 3-D, instructional, earrings, wire), a different pile to give away to new beaders, still another pile to go to the retreat for folks to dig through- stuff I thought I would like, but on second look, was never going to make, and the last; the pile of junk- stuff that faded beyond recognition or was generally useless, partial instructions, etc. The latter I cut into scrap paper to take to the Friends of the Library bookstore. Had a tiny stack left over that was printed on both sides, to start the Spring cleanup fire with. WOOO-HOOOOO!
I now have 4 empty binders, and can find any pattern or instruction easily. I even took the time to stuff pattern, even those with multiple pages, into those plastic holders, and make sure that within each folder, patterns using similar stitches are next to each other.
No more will I spend hours looking for something!
Now I can spend hours scanning these lovelies into the computer, enhancing the ones that are faded (yes, inkjet ink fades, even kept in the dark!), and putting them onto thumbdrives in even easier-to-find (and share) formats.
Ahhh, Spring!

Playing Around With Miyuki Drops

Here is the result. It is fast, fun to do ( once the pattern sticks in your head ), and could have lots of color changes, including making the center V or Z a different color. Don't pull too tight, especially if you are using Fireline, because it will round itself, instead of laying flat. It is also a nice look and feel, but not if you have flat portions in the beginning LOL!

Have fun! Left click to open pics to full size, right click to 'save as'.

Happy Spring and Happy Beading!

Joetta's hope pattern

as requested....just right click on the pic and select print.

Happy Holidays to come!

Endless Summer, approaching Fall

As the days shorten, and the flowers give their last best, I am drawn to all those bright and colorful beauties. I know I will find myself in the garden section of the megastore down the road, soaking up their hues, as the cold approaches, and greys/blacks/browns of winter take over the outside world.

While my home is not short of green Life inside, the flowering plants do not fare well. In fact, our home becomes a jungle for five months, giving the cats places to hide and jump out at their buddies!

Still, I will find myself missing the vibrancy of reds, purples, and yellows, so have saved a few to enjoy as Time marches on.......