Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Earrings and Triangles

I finished the triangle in the center of pic last night.  I made 5 pairs of earrings for the sale next week!
I've been busy tonight... maybe I should let wind blow up my skirt more often:)  These angel earrings were great sellers last time so I'm making a few more pair.  I also made a couple of gift box earrings.  Used all Swarovski crystals... some sterling silver for the angels and some gold plate for the gift boxes.  Very cute!  If I can keep this up I'll be good to go for the sale on Dec. 9th.

Marilyn and Me

So I'm walking along the side walk, when something like this happens!  Well not exactly... there wasn't a vent in the sidewalk and I wasn't wearing a billow-y white dress...  the zipper on my skirt came undone!!!  Feeling a cool breeze on my hiney was not a welcome feeling.  Indeed, my butt was hanging out a bit... good thing I was wearing tights!  A woman caught my eye and we both just started laughing... she said, "I thought you just had a long skirt on."  Well, I didn't.  The good thing is I caught it before it was down to my ankles.  Thanks, Marilyn for making it cool to show your hiney in public.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

AAAAAaaack! Again? Really?

Can't seem to get on top of this mess!
Here's part 2 of the beady MESS!  I can't seem to quit stringing beads.  I'm a big bead WEAVER at heart but I'm doing a little show in a couple of weeks and as I've said before, the hours it takes to create a woven piece just doesn't pay off for me.  I don't have a following and I guess people can't see the worth in the hours it takes to create cool beaded pieces.  I'm going to put some beaded triangles in the show.  But the quartz necklaces and bronze chain necklaces will sell.... so a-stringing I will go.
That being said... the MESS.... the MESS... the MESS.  It's worse tonight than last night! AAaaCK!  And I'm leaving it until I get this stringing out of my system.  Then I'll move on to making earrings.  So much for me valuing my own space and keeping it neat.  Procrastination.  Why do today what I can put off unil tomorrow?
I did manage to pick up the turkey today.  And the yams for Boubon Yams... yum!
Looking forward to 2 days in a row off!  Yeah for Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Work in Progress

I think the most difficult thing for me (and other crafty, beady types) is to pick up after myself.  When I've finished a project I can let the "leftovers" sit for days.  When will I learn to put things back where I found them?  Maybe this is one of those things we all "learned in kindergarten" and ignore when we grow up.  It just makes too much sense to pick up right after a project.  I get lost in what I'm doing, though and when I'm done, I'm really done.  Sure I'm "high" on my project, but when it's over, I simply walk away and save the mess for another day.  Then I have a couple of hours of clean up saved for another time.  I'm not being fair to ME!  I need an attitude shift on this.  I'm going to start thinking about how much I love to have this cozy beady room neat, with all the doodads in their doodad homes.  Makes sense, huh?  Here's hoping it'll happen.
Beading home of several completed projects.  Pick up after yourself, please!
My goal for the next month is simply this: keep beady space neat.  That'll be difficult due to the fact that I'm a beady MESS... making tons of earrings and beading another very cool triangle.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Accumulation

I'm getting ready for a little jewelry sale that my friend Joel is hosting.  I've just got to sell some of the stuff I've accumulated over the years.  This is beautiful hand-beaded jewelry some of which has never been worn.  It's kind of embarrassing to show the pictures of this accumulation.   All the energy and heart that went into each piece... and it just rests on a stand.  I know that earrings sell and they are fast and easy to create.  I also know that hand beaded jewelry isn't appreciated by your basic everyday consumer who can cruise down to Cost Plus World Market and get inexpensive (I want to say cheap) beaded jewelry.  I will be putting some cool stuff in the sale... but it won't be cheap.  Two years ago I received $100 for my cellini spiral bracelets.  I have some more to sell.  I'm also creating some cool necklaces with those triangles!  And of course lots and lots of earrings... because they are fun and fast!
This whole beading thing IS an addiction.  Point being:  I want to make some $$ so that I can buy more beads!!!!
Here are pictures of some of the accumulation... and this is just the bracelets!  One of these days I'll get close up shots of the bracelets that don't sell... they are really very cool!  There are samples from classes I've taught... and most of the stitches I've learned over the years, represented here.



Friday, November 18, 2011

Whatever will she make with THESE?

This reminds of geometry class AND the spirograph toy.
I've been really busy making triangles this week.  They do create a cool pattern when they are circled up but I have better plans for these little ones.  Stay tuned for more!
In the mean time, we have a couple of grandkids spending the night.  Gotta get ready to take them to their fav: Spaghetti Factory.  Don't be quick to judge... it's a kid-friendly place, they serve wine and dessert's included.  White Clam and Mizithra, here I come!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Occupied

We checked out Occupy Portland yesterday.  We are the 99% so we thought we'd check out "our people". The camp was pretty muddy... the grass in the two parks completely destroyed.  It was pretty stinky, too.  The police were wearing surgical masks due to tb and viral pneumonia in the camps.  Yuck!
The protesters have left the parks and are standing off with Portland Police this afternoon.  "Breaking News" for two hours.  Nothing is happening.  People are standing, Police are standing.  That's all.  I had to turn off the TV due to complete boredom.  I want to be fired up over this.  We watched a documentary, "Inside Job", narrated by Matt Damon.  It tells the story of the Wall Street bail out.  The rich getting richer.  The corrupt politicians.  Very good piece.
For now, the news is on hold and I have a need to bead.
While the parks were still occupied...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Still Seeing STARS

Still working on stars.  Here's a four pointed star that I've attached to the five point.  I was hoping to finish up a necklace tonight but that's not in the STARS!  Learned today that my dad will be going home tomorrow.  Stars are lining up for health and life!  I'll be seeing stars tonight... ha!  It's clear!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

First Star I See Tonight

Finished my first star today!  As I mentioned in previous post it's a Jean Power pattern.  Zipping the five wonky squares together to form this star was so rewarding.  I started this star while in Spokane, helping my Mom figure out some things with my Dad's health.  Now I'm back home in Portland, and I have the completed star to hold in my hands, and dare I say, admire?  When we do hand work, we think, we remember, we even pray while the needle moves and beads click.  This star will always hold this week in it's arms (it has FIVE arms, after all).  This star is the color of life:  the pain, the joy, the blessings, the laughter, the heartache.  I love this star.  I don't know yet what I'll do with it... probably bead little friends for it to shine with and for and around.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Homeward Bound

What a week!  My dad got pneumonia and went to the hospital.  I drove to Spokane (6 hours) to be a support to my Mom.  He was pretty out of it for a few days but things are looking better for him.  We researched rehab centers and nursing homes (Dad is 86) and found the perfect place.  Close to home, lots of PT and they'll even go up to the house and pick up his favorite recliner to practice getting in and out of.  Hopefully he'll only be there a week or so and then back home.  He should be moved to rehab tomorrow.
I took some pictures with my iPhone on the way back to Portland.  It's so interesting to experience the topography on an East/West drive.  This picture was taken from a gas stop at Biggs Junction, right before the green happens.  There are so many of these windmills along the Columbia River Gorge... they are cool looking but they take a toll on the land.
So glad to be home!  I took some beads with me and in a weak (not really) moment downloaded some awesome geometric patterns from Jean Power... really cool on pay pal because she lives in London, England and pay pal has to convert from pounds to U.S. dollars.  Isn't it amazing that I received patterns from the UK in like 2 minutes.  I heart technology... no, really, I do!  I'll have pictures of some beaded stars soon, I hope.
In the mean time, I'm grateful for doctors and nurses, OTs and PTs, MSWs, and all the folks at Valley General who are taking care of my dad.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Artsy and Yummy

This morning I had a mocha at the local Coffee's On.  Ariel, the barista, created this!

Gorgeous, and the design lasted for most of the drink!

I've spent the evening working with iCloud.  Updated all the software on all my i-stuff...iPhone, iPad all that.  I also upgraded iPhoto and I'm taking some time to put names on faces... that really takes a long time.  Can you say: "learning curve?"  
I thought I'd finish the awesome bracelet I started yesterday but there just aren't enough hours in the day.
I'm working the next couple of nights so the bracelet may have to wait until... Thursday????  Ugh! 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Columbia River Gorge


Yesterday we took a car ride to Hood River, OR to visit friends.  I can't believe they commute to Portland... 50 miles each way!  I don't get it but I think people on the East coast sometimes commute that far.  An hour plus in the car to get to work probably isn't fun for most commuters.  I imagine our friends love the views, though.  This picture was taken with my iPhone while cruising down the freeway.  Not a great picture, but you get the drift: beautiful Columbia River Gorge... Fall just beginning.
This afternoon I went to a Rings and Things bead sale in Tigard.  I'd just spent some time at their store in Spokane and spent plenty of $$ so I wasn't even sure I'd find anything.  I did!  I bought some cool turquoise colored magnesite, center drilled beads.  As soon as I got them home I started a new bracelet.  About a third of the way into it, I knew I'd run out of wire before I finished.  So I hopped in the car and off to Michaels for some 22 gauge antique brass wire.  I've been wire-wrapping all day and my fingers are feeling it.
What a fine day this was... beading and listening to Pandora.  If you haven't yet done it, start a Rufus Wainwright station.  It was sooooo good to listen to Rufus and others!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

What to do in an All Day Workshop


Yep, ya bead!
I was stuck indoors (it got up to 70 in Portland today!)   The workshop was very good... excellent speaker, nice videos, meaningful connections with colleagues... great!  I've taken beading projects to meetings before but always felt like I took up too much table space.  I have traveling a bead box but it's kind of big, 12"by12".  I was at the Container Store last week and saw these mini jewelry trays.  This one is 7.5" by 8.5"... which is about 7" by 8" of beading space.  We sat four to a table and the tables were SMALL.  I had my beading in front of me, sat in the front row, paid attention to the speaker, participated fully and didn't spill a single bead.  That's cool!  There were lots of knitters in the room and I didn't feel left out because my artsy, craftsy passion was cumbersome or took up too much space.  Not only did I learn what I needed to learn professionally, I also brought this home:
Another TRIANGLE!
Yep, another triangle.  I made this one without the pattern, too.  I thought I put the pattern in my brief case, but when I went to grab it, nada.  I was pretty sure I could get one side finished without the pattern (from Kate and Dusty) but wasn't confident in the turn for the 3d look.  Surprise...I did it!  Isn't memory great?  Both sides, pattern in my head.  Not having pattern images in front of me and relying on muscle memory gave me some new insights into how this goes together.  Yes, I had to take out the turn a few times... but hey, that's what learning is about.  Very cool!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Beaded Bangle

Finished the Beaded Bangle (Marcia DeCoster design) last night.  Made a detour to my hometown, Spokane and didn't even pick up a bead while I was there.  Lots of FFF (Forced Family Fun) trumped beady times.  I picked up the incomplete Beaded Bangle yesterday as soon as I got unpacked.  It's amazing that as soon as I wrapped the beads around the armature all the wiggly-ness disappeared.  The colors are pretty and neutral and will look great with a new top I got at The LOFT last week.
I was having some trouble in the beginning but it turned out great!


Monday, October 10, 2011

New Software or Not?


I use my Macbook at work.  The rest of the office is on Windows machines.  Since Word is the preferred program, I have Word for mac, era 2004.  Now the problem is I want to download Lion, the newest operating system from Apple.  We have an IMac at home with Lion and it's cool.  Problem with Lion is that it can't support such an old version of Word.  I need to update to Word 2011.  That's $149... not a cheap fix.    I checked out downloading it online but chickened out because I'm just not sure.  Need one more day to think about it.
In the mean time, the beads are calling... I'm going to try to bead until I have to go back for a work meeting at 6:30.  Beads... take me away!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Right Angle Weave

I made a bracelet using RAW a few years ago.  I'm admittedly out of practice on the stitch.  I recently purchased Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence and I've had trouble getting the tension right on her Beaded Bangle.  The instruction and illustrations are fabulous and I know I'm okay on the beading path, etc.  The beads are two different sizes and I just haven't quite gotten the feel for it.  I know it'll just take some practice.  Here are my first two tries side by side... in the sample on the left, the tension is so tight it looks like Herringbone.  My latest try is on the right and that looks better but it feels pretty loose in my hands when I hold it.  The strip gets attached to an armature (which was fun to make).  When I put the strip around that base, it fits and looks pretty good, so I think I'm on the right track.  But I'll likely take another go at it and try to the beads to line up better.

RAW, not so good on the left, getting better on the right:)
After a very busy Sunday morning and a trip to the country for fresh-squeezed milk, it's so nice to settle down in my super comfy chair in the family room and bead.  Peter's reading and almost falling asleep, we just finished listening to Prairie Home Companion on OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) and now... the rest of the day is dedicated to beads and quiet.  Life's pretty good!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Making Progress

What a week... so sad, Steve Jobs... he changed my life.  I love my intuitive Apple stuff.  Thanks, Steve.  Eternal rest and peace.
On a beady note:  I'm making progress on my beady space.  There are clear surfaces.  I think I may still need to purge some  stuff.  I'm not really liking the book shelves we brought up from the garage.  They have sentimental value because Peter's dad made them.  But he made them for his specific space, they were custom to his house and they are just a tad too high for my space and my taste.
Today Jill (daughter) and I made a trek out to the Container Store... I have the Elfa system in my beady space (love, love, love) and I wanted to a add a shelf or two but they quit making "birch' which is my flavor of shelf.  Bummer!!  So it's a work in progress.
More on that later.
Took away the TV that was in the corner, clear surfaces!

Monday, October 3, 2011

On Order

I've been on a cleaning kick lately... not the usual like the bathrooms and kitchen but the BIG stuff... the GARAGE and the JUNK drawers.  Stuff that hasn't been touched in years.  I took on the garage last week on a day off (took two days to complete.)  Peter came home to me in full-on "git 'er done" mode so he had no choice but to help out.  After we dug through stuff and sorted and tossed away lots of junk, we got huge shelves from Home Depot for storing the "keepers."  I ended up taking a load to Good Will and we took all the old paint to the recycling place.  Peter likes the new/improved space... he especially enjoys having more room to work on his (three) motorcycles and I like having more room for getting in and out of my car.  We've always been able to get both cars and the motorcycles in the garage... so I suppose it wasn't THAT bad... but now there is a bit more order in the former chaos.

Garage, after

I regularly straighten the beady place... I want to call it a studio but resist calling my space that, due to my inability to say I'm an artist (did I just write that?) and artist's have studios.   I'm not the best at picking up after every project (is anyone good at this?) but I do enjoy organizing the space when the mood strikes.  I love getting all the tiny beads separated and back in their tubular homes.  My little shovels and triangle thingies remind of doll accessaries and Monopoly game pieces.  They're tiny and feel cool in my fingers as I move the bitty instruments over the velvet pad in the beading tray, sorting, moving, sorting, tossing.  The beads grab onto the velvet and they all line right up, like first graders on their way to recess (there's always a straggler.)  It's been a while since I've taken charge of my beads.  Having several trays worth of leftovers,  last week I started to create some order out of chaos.  Then I got ideas about moving things around.  There were unused bookcases from the newly cleaned garage that needed a home, so I brought one into the beady space... I don't know if it will stay.  The ordering is still in progress... embarrassing as it is, here's before:
Beady Place, before

Now all this begs the question... what about order in my life?  Where are those places that need to be dug out and de-junked?  Work has been stressful.  Enough said.  Remember that Calgon-Take-Me-Away commercial?  I feel that beads and the creative process take me away... to a Zen place... a peaceful, creative, inspiring place!  I think better when I've taken time to bead... it's like exercise that way (except I don't like exercising until AFTER the work out)... I like, no LOVE the whole beady process... finding beads, figuring out patterns, and colors, colors, colors... love, love, love.  This week I shall bead every night!!  For fitness!  For the possibility of order in the midst of chaos...


Friday, September 30, 2011

Scary Pay Pal Moment

I planned to blog about cleaning my beading studio today, but after paying bills... AAACK...  I discovered my paypal account had been hacked.  That got my juices going.  When I logged onto paypal to look at my history, I was instructed to input my credit card information because they were doing routine updates and my account was selected for an update.  That made me nervous because then I thought someone else (besides paypal) was trying to get my information.  And I couldn't go to my history until I input my info.  I finally figured that since I logged on to paypal and I didn't connect through an email, I was probably safe.  So I took a deep breath and entered by card number then I immediately went to history and discovered that someone bought $500 worth of stuff on my account and had it sent to addresses in Chicago and New York.  I then got a phone number for paypal and talked to a really nice customer service rep, Nathan and he told me they'd already put a stop on my account... which I thought was pretty cool.  Now, passwords are changed, information is updated, hold on my account is removed and I'm good to go.  My advice to others:  Check your paypal account regularly.  I don't usually log on to mine unless I'm making a purchase (which is usually either beads or books).  I wouldn't have discovered this if I hadn't noticed a transaction through my online banking process.  I'm still shaking from this!  I've never been hacked before.  Now for some lunch ( or snack, I really NEED chocolate, now) then on to cleaning up my PIT of a studio.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Front Landing Decor

This morning we brought the Adirondack chairs around to the front landing.  I think the whole thing is beeeee-autiful!  I love the brick red paint on the chairs.  I think the mahogany deck looks classy!  There isn't anything like this in our neighborhood.  I spent a few minutes sitting out there today and it's actually quite private... but not too private.  The whole idea of this is to be out there... in our  front yard, in the neighborhood.  We're trying to somehow trump the three car garage mentality by being in the front of our house.  We'll see.  It's getting pretty late in the year and the rain is supposed to return on Sunday.  In the mean time, I'm a front porch person.  Let me know what you think!

Our lovely new sitting place.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Finished Front Landing

I'd say this was well worth the wait!  We had to get all the paper work with the HOA finished so that our friend and contractor, Joel could build us this incredible front landing.  It's mahogany, stained by us!  Joel added the very cool fish ladder detail.  We're still having a few nice evenings in pdx so this will get some use!  It's a good place to bead!  Also, in our three car garage neighborhood, where everyone drives into the garage and heads for backyards, we've got a show piece in the front yard and a place to connect with the neighbors who walk by.  Nice place for a little glass of vino and a neighborly chat.  That's our hope, anyway.


We'll add soft plants below and put our Adirondack chairs on the landing.
Beeeeee-utiful!

Fish detail... love it!

Tri-Wing

I carved out the time to bead a tri-wing ring last night.  Not totally sold on my color choices: turquoise, gold, brick red and my favs, bronze.  I added a picot edge for a bit of flash.  This ring is surprisingly comfortable and I'll be rocking it today.  I love the way it stitched up... genius design by Kate and Dustin, through the inspiration of their friend, Jean.   Good stuff!
These aren't the best pictures... still learning the new camera and the macro settings... but you get the drift.

I like how the picot edge creates a zigzag, adding the triangle goodness.




Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Shrinky Dinks



Remember shrinky dinks?  I don't think I created anything with them as a kid but I got some for "Doodle" (granddaughter) last week.  They come as blank sheets of plastic so we found pictures to color for her bracelet.  She likes a show called Dinosaur Train and I was able to find some clip art from the show online.  I traced the pictures for her and Doodle colored them... well, I colored a few... it's so fun to color with your granddaughter.  Then we popped them in the oven and we got these nifty little charms.  A few jump rings and a clasp and there you have it.  I think the little charm bracelet turned out so cute.  What fun to have a little one so interested in creating new things.  Genes... gotta love 'em!
Observing the process... they are really curling up!

Finished product!

Monday, September 19, 2011

My New Best Friend

I just received the "Tri-Wing Kit" from (my new best friend) Kate.  She creates the coolest 3D triangle rings and bracelets and she is putting final touches on a book: Geometrics.  I discovered her blog and became intrigued with her work and her passion for the beads.  I'm so into triangles and spirals right now, too!  Last Friday, Kate sent out an email with instructions for the rings.  I was so excited that I made this ring in a few hours on Friday night (see orange ring below next to dinosaur).  As I stitched, the click of the beads, the shape of the work was so zen-peaceful.
Today I got the whole kit which included very cool beads that Kate personally selected.  Kate wrapped everything in newspaper and she sent along a dinosaur cut out that looks at home (not!) in the mountain scenery.  I'm so bummed that I have a work meeting tonight so likely won't get much beading time in.  But I have some really cool tri time coming soon!
Thanks, Kate... can't wait to get started.

Tri-Wing Kit: beads, dvd, instructions, dinosaur, smarties and the ring

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Ta Da

I've been talking up this wavy triangle for so long... well guess what?  I finally finished last night.  I love the colors but I don't quite know what I'll do with this piece.  It looks cool and feels cool, too.  The toughest part of the whole thing was zipping the three sides together to create the 3d triangle.  I'll probably make a few more of these because they are fun to make and a bit of a challenge.  I like the spinning, spirally look.  So here ya go!

Wavy Triangle created Sept. 6, 2011

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Dolphin with Smiling Gorilla

We're back from Lake Tahoe and we had an incredible time.  Jim had a canoe, so we took in the water sites on Friday.  We drove around the Lake on Saturday and noticed "Donner Pass" had a prominent presence in Truckee.  Did you know there was a Chief Truckee?  Anyway, we didn't order food in Truckee... no reason, I'm just sayin'.  There are so many hiking trails and places to see.  We'll have to visit again.  Both Peter and I feel refreshed following our time in nature.
I took some pictures along the hikes.  This one was taken along a trail at Bliss State Park in Emerald Bay.
Can you see the dolphin and the smiling gorilla?  Pretty cool, huh?
See the dolphin under the gorilla's chin?  Cute!

For the record, I did some beading and bought some beads at Bead Etc. in Lake Tahoe.  I finished both sides of the wavy triangle, but still have to sew the pieces together.  More on that later!  

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Drive around Lake Tahoe

We drove around the lake today. In Truckee there is actually a road called "Donner Pass Road" and lots of Donner-named things. We didn't eat there, too weird. We hiked at Emerald Bay... So beautiful. What a wonderful weekend. Lots of fun hanging out with friend/relative Jim. He knows all the fun places to visit. We took lots of pics but I'll have to download them on my computer before I can get them onto the blog. It's easy to blog on the iPad but still working on best/easiest way to get pics posted.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Lake Tahoe

Wonderful day canoeing on Lake Tahoe... This lake is so blue and so clear. Family friend, Jim is showing us around and taking us to all the hot spots. So nice to just chil-lax!!! Awe...

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Spirals

Since I didn't get the twisty triangle finished, I thought I'd share some twisty, spirally bracelets.  The pattern is called a Celini Spiral and it's basically tubular peyote with beads that gradually get larger then smaller.  I love making these.  I've sold a few and I've taught a couple of classes.  It's fun and looks great.  I'm attracted to spirals.  I draw them, I look for them... spirals...

We're traveling to Lake Tahoe tomorrow... I'll try to blog on my iPad if there's internet... otherwise I'll try my iPhone.  Fun to learn new things!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Landing

Maybe this post isn't what you expected.  I was hoping to have a twisty triangle to show off but I tried too hard to manipulate the beads and I broke the thread!  Fireline, no less.  For the uninitiated that's the stuff they catch big fish with... it's strong!  But, I guess, I'm stronger.  When I get it finished, I'll post it, promise.
In the mean time, Peter and I are getting our front lawn ready for a new landing!  I'm so excited to have a shady spot to sit during the summer.  Our back deck and most of our patio are full sun.  I've also thought that in a culture that worships the three car garage... where you don't have to EVER see a neighbor if you don't want to... in such a culture a front landing/porch would give us the opportunity to say hi to the walkers.  It's a nice social statement.
We both worked with shovels and picks to level the spot where the landing will go.  Peter worked harder than I did... he's bigger... and stronger.
Lookin' good!!!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Wear it, Wear it, Wear it...

This is one of my creations that gets worn A LOT!  I love this necklace.  The chain is recycled from my mom's really old stuff.  The chain is 25" long and the dangle is a full 5"... that makes a long, cool necklace.  It looks great with jeans and a cute top or all dressed up.  What bugged me about it was the resin Eiffel Tower pendant that I made a while back... it was one sided.  When the necklace turned with normal wear the blank side would inevitably show.  So tonight, I put the same image on the "back" side.  The resin poured perfectly and I cured it under a UV light and now I have a 2-sided pendant.
Okay, now back to work on the twisty triangle... hopefully I'll post a pic of the finished triangle tomorrow.  For now, here's the Eiffel Tower Necklace...

Eiffel Tower Necklace

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Weeding vs. Beading

The weeds are taking over our flower beds (see all the clover around the petunias below?).  Peter went out to mow the lawn and the guilt-driven me feels an obligation to at least make a tiny dent in the weeds.  But the beads, the beads, the beads.  They are soooo attractive and fun and challenging.  I'm trying to figure out this triangle piece.  The way the beads come together to form the waves is twisty-er than I expected.  I love the challenge of getting these tiny little things to create a shape and a form that is new to me.  It's like the architecture of a building... how a keystone can hold together the arch is really beyond what I could ever imagine.  Putting together beady sculptures and bringing the pieces together to create forms is pretty amazing... on a way smaller scale, but cool, none the less.
So the journey continues and today there's such a small question before me: to weed or not to weed?
Answer:  now that I've taken a break to write... I'm feeling the motivation to weed.




Saturday, August 27, 2011

Powell Butte Ride

Riding bikes on Powell Butte is a challenge.  Up hills, down hills... tiny little deer trails.  Found out I'm not much of a "mountain biker."  The narrow deer trails through the woods were kinda scary.  I rode with both brakes on and I was sliding all the over the place.  As I spend the year be-ing me, it seems appropriate to discover that I don't really do mountain biking.
Peter on the other hand likes all kinds of biking... especially motorcycle riding.  I spent the afternoon checking out new bikes with him.  Dude, get a NEW one... a BRAND NEW one!
On a "bead-y" note... I got my Beadwork magazine today and there are a couple of cool, challenging projects I'm already considering.  Also trying to master a very cool "wavy triangle" pattern.  Really difficult to put together.  I'll keep interested readers posted.  
That's all for now, I need be disciplined and get back to work!
Bikes needing a rest after a big hill... also needed to check the map.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Fun-tastic Birthday

Family fun celebrating birthdays!  Jill and I have birthdays two days apart.  It often becomes a 3 day celebration... you HAVE to do something with the day in between!  This year we celebrated on MY birthday with dinner at Joe's Crabshack... lots of work for the food (cracking, shelling, poking)!  There were 12 in our party... all the kids, their spouse or significant others and all three grandkids.  Wow!
I made a pair of earrings right before we left for dinner.  Isn't that the best thing about making your own jewelry?  Get a new top, make a pair of earrings.
                                                     We wore the funny bibs, what the heck?

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The journey continues

Today is my birthday... okay, I'm 59!  That's a good thing.  I'm starting this blog because I want to look closely at this year, take notes and remember who I am and how I am as I journey toward my 60th year.  Those birthdays with zeros are touchstones on our life paths.  I want to make sure I notice the pebbles and streams along the path this year.  Don't know if anyone will be interested in following this blog, but that's not the most important aspect of this little creation.  Life is about growing into our own being.  The older I get, the more I realize that it's okay to have some of life be about ME.  Not about my ego necessarily, but about who I am and how I am in relation to the rest of the world: family, friends, creation....
I have a passion for beading and be-ing... that's how I think about the title of my blog "beadayle"... get it?  Of course you do, you're brilliant!
On my last day of high school, as I was cleaning out my locker, a teacher was yelling down the hallway with some sage advice (origin: Shakespeare):  "Be true to yourself!"  Whoa, what the heck does that mean?  I've been trying to figure that out my whole life long.
So there ya go... the journey continues... toward REAL life!