Thursday, October 28, 2010

Halloween, San Antonio Egg Show

Well, time certainly moves at a regular pace here. Halloween is just around the corner and I am just back from the San Antonia Egg Show.
The Egg Show was wonderful, and I got to catch up with lots of my friends. I entered a really neat egg for the Halloween competition. I did not win, but it was fun to enter and see what everyone else had as entries. I did sell some of my stuff, and have plans to make more to sell. I also have some cute ideas for midnight madness, or for a little make and take at my table. might help generate more revenue for me.
Now on with the ideas and the quilts that I need to do. I have several ideas for some eggs, one for a dragon and one as a sewing box, think that both will be cute. I also got two ostrich eggs to get one of my fairies in. I will be doing some piecing and fixing to get this to work.
I have a swan egg that I am going to put small pearls on including the neck. they will be black., it will also have black lace on it and has black lace already on the wings. Not quite sure what I will put in the inside. but I am sure it will be interesting.
( too many ideas, too little time)
the quilts have already had some cutting out done, and this weekend I hope to sit down and sew the top on one. then I will get to the other. I did get into my old quit box, thinking that I had maybe two more quilts to do. seems that I have about 5, Most are in some semblance of being cut or stitched. after I finish those, I have been collecting several quilt of the month blocks for full quilts. they look like they might be fun so I will start them.
I have seen some beautiful bead work done and really want to see it I can come up with ideas for some of the beads that I have Someone has asked me to make a necklace for them and I have a wonderful idea which I hope will translate into a very beautiful necklace. It will have a glass animal with it.
I just sold my seascape necklace which was peyote , with sea shells and a large glass turtle. The peyote was done in sea green and blues some was frothy, and some was wavy. It was very pretty and I hope my friend enjoys wearing it.
Well, that is all for now, happy beading, friends, and talk to you next time.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

all work and no play

I have been busy getting things ready for the San Antonio Egg show. I now feel relatively caught up. but I still have to get the competition eggs done and there are three weeks untill the show.
Mostly what is left is the beading. the egg that I was going to use is not big enough for the faries, so I have a nice dragon that I will use instead. this will be rather a comical beaded egg.
I used a new program, called Bead 4, and turned some of my photos into beadwork. the first one that I did, which was a photo that a friend sent me, was sold before I even got it finished. I redid it with different colors and framed that one. I am going to do it one more time and then take a photo of the finished project and get it up on the website. I have two more photos that I have turned into bead charts and soon they will also be added to the web site.
I hope to have more compititions to do, I want to even do a quilt , that is something that I have not done in a while, but I think that it will be fun.
Off to to some more fimo bears, and beading.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Teddy Bears, Bead Challanges and Contests

Well, even on good days, I can not stay caught up. I have been busy trying to get ready for the San Antonio Egg Show. I have been making fimo flowers and candys, as well as chocolate eggs and bunnys. I have also made some chocolate eggs from real eggs and made the fruit out of fimo that I put on the top. I am going to do a dealer table at the show. that means that I must have stuff on my table to make the eggs as well as eggs to sell.
I have some kits that I am going to have available also. a nice little beaded jewelry box that would hold a ring. and the french beaded flower kits.
I have also made some cloth teddy bears that are small and will fit into a egg.I need to make some honey pots, and some picnic baskets to go with them. I think that would make a really cute egg.
They are having a contest there on Halloween eggs. I have an idea for a egg which has a witch and some children in it, but I have to figure out how to cut out the opening. I don't just want to do an oval cut on this. Maybe something with a bat or pumpkin with a stem.
I also want to do another beaded egg for the regular contest. but I need to figure out what I want to do. I have a really nice fairy that I would like to put in the egg.
The Wild West Bead Society is having their annual fall bead Challenge. I am not sure what I am going to do, but it will be interesting. Everything must be in fall colors and can not have been started before Aug 17Th. So I have to get on the drawing board and get cracking on this. It has to be a wearable item also. I think I have an idea, but I will have to think about it.
The Arlington Gem and Mineral Society has their show on Sept 4 and 5.at the Arlington Convention center. They have a few contests, and I am hoping to enter two of them. the wire wrapping and the Cab cutting. I will be working at the show in the auction area. Maybe I can pick up some nice stuff there also. I know that there is one piece that I would love to have. but I think that everyone else wants it too.
The wire wrapping has to be done in 22 karat gold filled wire. I got 22 gauge, 22 karat gold filled wire, and have a beautiful cab to work with. I really want this to turn out well. I have gotten several ideas on what I would like to do. so I am hoping that I can execute it well.
The cab has to be agate and cut to certain dimensions. I think that I have a stone that I can use. and I am going to start working it this week at the club house. I like to freehand the stones, but this time I will have to try to be perfect.
It will be very interesting to follow what the rules are.
So back to work . Happy Beading, or Egging or whatever it is you love to do.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Retreat to beads

What a wonderful weekend. I spent it with 9 other friends at a bead retreat in North Texas. We had a great time sharing stories, bead patterns and gossip. Learned a few more chain maille patterns and finished a chain maille bracelet. I also got several necklaces finished.as well as some wire wrapping done.
One of the wire wrapping projects that I did was a really neat ring. I used a cabachon and then wire wraped around it and the ring portion too. I really need to work on my technique for wrapping the bands together, but other then that, I did pretty good.
I still have a bracelet and a necklace to finish, as well as some peyote. but I am much farther along, and happy with what I got done.
Next weekend is the Bead Faire in Ft. Worth, Tx. the club gets to have a table there and I will be working there on Saterday afternoon for about 4 hours. I hope that we can get some more new people interested in the club,
I am going to get a design program to help with the peyote designs and with loomwork designs. I would like to start teaching beading as a second outlet to my creativity. I have several great ideas, but need to get the patterns up so that I could teach them. I am thinking of small squares that when added together, would produce something small but unique.
I also saw a pattern for a chain maille necklace that I think would look beautiful with crystals added on the chain part. I need to sit down and work it up also.
but first I need ot finish the floor in the den. I thi nk that taking over a week to do this project is just a little much. So I hope to work on it this week.and get it done.
there are still many more projects to do and many more to dream up. I really doubt that I will get it all done in this lifetime. But I am going to try.
I really want to do more chain maille. and am always looking for good patterns to play with. I think that I can do that, either through books or even here on the internet.. Also with the wire wrapping. there must be other ways to get the look that I am after without getting bored with what it is that I can do.
so, raising a glass of wine to all my beading friends, I will retire to the roomw where I put the beads all together. Happy Beading.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The 4th of July.

To celebrate the independence of the United States from English rule. The actual document was signed on the 2nd of July, but the president did not sign until the 4th. The date could have been differednt, but I doubt that the patriotism would change. So to all the people who have fought in all of the wars, Thank You for your service to our country. We do appreciate you.


What a 4th of July weekend. I decided that we would replace the carpet with stained concrete. That was a huge undertaking. Taking up the carpet and moving the furniture was murder on the back and thighs. Have taken numerous pain pills to try and get back to normal. But the room is almost done. Will finish it this week.

We did go to watch the fireworks out at the lake. the weather was much better then last year. There was a slight breeze blowing, and the bugs seemed to be at a minimum. We took our cameras and tried to take lots of photos. Some were good, some were not. We did see something quite interesting. There was a tree at the butterfly garden that was covered in butterflies. Almost like they were mating and laying eggs. but it was so weird seeing all of them clustered together like that. Got a few good pictures of them, and trying to get the name of the butterfly so that I can look it up later. There were also some baby snakes at the pond and I got some good photos of them.
This coming weekend is Create-Away Cottage retreat. there are about 9 ladies going, and we will spend three days there. I have several projects that I am going to take. I need to find a good light to take with me. I have a Ott light but the durn thing hums so bad that it is annoying. So I am off to look for a good light and some fabrick for one of the projects. They are also bring back the massuse that was there last year. I signed up for 1 hour. That should really help my back feel better. I am going to spend time with my friend Carol, cause we never seem to be able to get together. I am so looking forward to that.
I am hoping to get a beadpunk necklace done this weekend as well. I have lots of stuff to use, just really need to sit down and work on it. I also hope to do some wire wrapping and get two rings done, and maybe some others also. I have a really neat black and white spiral necklace that really needs a nice wire-wrapped pendent on it.
I have taken to wearing my jewlery to work in hopes that someone will see it and ask where I got it. that way I can tell them that I make jewlery and maybe get a customer.

Well happy beading, and wait for the report from Create-Away cottage.

Monday, June 28, 2010

A Fun Weekend

Well, what a great weekend. Maggie Meister came and taught classes for the Wild West Bead Society. We had such a great time. Maggie is a really warm funny lady who has a great zest for life.
We learned and worked on three of her peyote sculptural necklaces. The Santa Sophia, the Iside, and the Kilm. All were totally different. and so much fun. We all personalized our designs in our own way.
Maggie and Jill Wiseman had fun fighting over Harley D. Carol's little wawa dog. Poor Carol, she really thought that one of them would dognap him.

I did my Santa Sophia with green beads ( very light green ) and bronze pearls, It is very striking, because I added other crystals to it after I was done. My Iside is also done is light green and has beautiful crystals in a light bronze. I really like how it turned out. The Kilm beads are based on the kilm rugs that are made in Turkey, Afganistan, and other Aribic countries. They are brightly colored as well as muted, They make great beads just as a single object on a necklace. Maggie also taught her Scepter beads. I could not attend that day, but I hope to get the pattern for them so that I can make up several of them.
I am still working on the amulet bag, hoping to have it done by the end of the week. it is the 1776 flag and is very neat. it was designed by Cindy Fleming. I have gotten several of her designs as well as some from Amy Loh-Kosper.

I am hopeing to get a program that will alow me to turn a photo into a peyote design. I think that I have some great photos that would look nice beaded. that is for the future, not that I will ever run out of things to do.

So here is to good friends, and fun beading times.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

WOW, Where Did The Year Go?

Well, for all my good intentions to stay caught up, it does not seem to be working.
Alot has happened since my last post. I have visited Tonopha Nevada and mined turquoise, as well as Jasper. I have taught classes inFrench Beaded Flowers. I have joined the Arlington Gem and Mineral Society and started making my own cabs again. I have sold several pieces of jewlery, mainly bracelets which I enjoy making. I attended the Dallas Eggshibit International and placed an egg in competition there. ( did not do too well, but enjoyed the learning experience) I have joined ebay and placed a few pieces of my jewlery there to be sold hopefully. I an looking for a few other venues to sell my stuff at also. We have gotten the web pages for the business back up on line and are getting the photos up as well. I will be attending the egg show in San Antonio in October with hopes that I can get a dealer table and sell supplies for making some of the eggs. I am looking at adding the Fimo candies, and the kits for the jewlery boxes as well as having some new eggs done. I also have a design for an egg that would have Fimo fruit in or on it, I think that it would be very cute. I also want to sew up some more of my mini teddie bears which I think could be used in eggs also.
What I am really afraid of, is that I will end up with lots of stuff and no one will buy them.
I need to teach Rebecca B. and Theresa A. how to do wiring and they also want to learn how to make the fimo candies.
I have two classes with Maggie Miester this weekend, and then in two weeks I go with all my friends to Create-A-Way cottage for a weekend of fun and beading. I hope that I can get some of my wirewrapping done since Betty will be there and she and I can put our two heads together and come up with something.
I am hoping this fall that I can start taking the silversmithing courses with the Arlington Gem and mineral society. I think that I could learn alot and would have fun in the process. I have lots of ideas, but not sure that I can implement them.
I would also like to take the wirewrapping class from them. Hopefully they will offer it again cause right now I have a scheduling conflict with the class being offered and Create-A-Way. This club is very active and I really enjoy the time that I spend there. Just love the smell of oil from the saws and the noise of the polishers. The thrill of taking a stone that is rough and uncut and then cutting and polishing it into a cab is wonderful. You never really know how they will turn out, but that becomes part of the process of doing them. I have so many stones and slabs to cut and polish, that I will be here forever doing them. I love polishing by hand because I feel that the stone is talking to me and I can tell what it wants to become.
(Ok, there is my insanity talking)
I still have not finished my classes at Penn and Foster. I need to get on the computer and get this work done. I know I can do it, but have just been procrastinating. So time to get with the program.
I also have a few quilts that I want to get done. there never seems to be enough hours in the day, but I need to better plan my schedule and make it happen. ( but not over-night).
So there you have it. time to get busy and do some peyote to make a really cute amulet bag,
Happy beading.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Finishing is Nice

Well, after much thought and hard work, I got two more pieces done. Both necklaces have peyote in them, with tons of seed beads being used. I am very pleased with both of them and can not wait to show them off.
The one necklace has a summer, beachy, feel to it, with using shells and lots of beads, it looks like sea fans and coral. The big accent piece is a green sea turtle that looks like he is swimming through the water. He is made from glass, and is really cute.
I have some more glass pieces that I want to design necklaces and or broaches around.
The other necklace has flowers that are offset to the side and looks like a garden. The colors are more fall like, yet I see this as a spring necklace. I would like to make a few more necklaces with these flowers if I can figure out how to incorporate them inbetween the stones.
I have been working on some braclets, that I think are lots of fun. Fun to make and really fun to wear. I hope that others will like them also. They are all different colors but the same basic pattern, which allows for easy working, but totally different personalities coming forth.

Have you ever collected the squashed pennies form different attractions, ( like the zoo)? I have got a really cool necklace design that is really easy to do. It incorporates beads and the pennies, as well as some charms. It would make a great project for the teen group and they would really enjoy wearing something like this.

I have also seen some great lariat necklaces and an going to try to make a prototype for another version of the necklace. I think that people would like these,and enjoy wearing them. I may also make a pattern for them, so that I could sell them as kits. I am still working on my other kits and really want to get them done. I need to find a good computer program that would let me work up the pattern in color first and then let me bead it to see how it would come out. I also need a program that I could scan a picture into and translate it into beadwork. I had bought a program once, but it never worked.

So I guess it is back to the drawing board now to get some more projects done.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Well, Time Sure Flys

It has been a while since my last post. I have been busy working in the jewelry. One thing that got done was that two of my great friends came over and we organized all the beads and beading tools and findings. Betty and Beverly got everything organized and five bags of trash went out, which certainly helps. I finished the closet and found more unused boxes that I have kept, so now half the closet has nothing in it. The other half contains the Christmas Village that I have collected over the years. I hope someday to just get it out and display it with out having to put it away at the end of the season.
I spent one whole day working on the idea book and got several of my ideas translated into Jewelry. I really like the way the pieces turned out, and only had one that I am going to have to rework. So that was a good days work.
I really like Egyptian Scarabs, and made a really beautiful scarab necklace that I hope that someone will like. I am working now to get all my jewelry online so that more people can see it. I can not make up my mind if I should go to Etsy.com or go to Ebay.com and open a store there.
Which ever way that I go I will have a clearence area .
I still have many more cabs to wirewrap or bead, so I will still be busy working on new ideas.
I got beads to work on my first kit to see how well it will work out. I need to figure out how many beads I need for each kit. So this is another direction that I can take my ideas.
So untill the next time, Happy Beading