Adventures in metal and ribbon

After participating in my first Bead Soup Blog Party I have been inspired to reach out of my comfort zone and try new beading methods. Two mediums I had wanted to try were using ribbon and/or metal.

   I decided to try out these mediums on a necklace for my mother in laws birthday, I needed a piece to match a knitted long vest. After talking to her I found out that she liked the color purple. The yarn I used was a self striping off white, blue and purple (I forgot to take pictures). I needed to find a way to bring out the purple in the yarn and first found the small purple beads. Then I introduced in the black ribbon and metal beads, focal and clasp.

 

I was so excited to get started I laid out the design at work then realized I should take pictures so as not to forget the design.


   After I returned home I realized that the black would not work for the piece as it was to dark. So I dug threw my sewing stash to find a light cream/off white colored ribbon. Then I realized that no matter what the ribbon was not going to fit threw any of the beads. So back to my jewelry stash where I found a length of chain. Below are pictures of the finished piece.

Monday Wish List

Today is the first Monday after my 33rd birthday and I am very thankful for the wonderful gifts I have received. I do however believe it is never to early to start dropping hints for Christmas, Mothers day and my 34th  birthday!

                                        
Chevron Beads from http://www.firemountaingems.com


                   

New Murano Glass from http://www.pugster.com

Reuse, reduce and recycle

I firmly believe that I am not a hoarder, I just keep allot of things that should be thrown in to the recycling. I do not go shopping often (I do love a good thrift store and there are three close to my house) and rarely do I take things out of other peoples trash (I had to have a table once it is perfect in my sons room).  That said as a baby my son was a formula baby from about 3 months - 1year. I instantly took a liking to the formula cans (we used both round and square) believing that they would eventually be made into lights. Instead I now use them to hold girly personal items and toilet paper in my bathroom.

The before stacked formula cans, and a wooden shelf. The formula cans were stripped of all labels then decoupaged with scrapbook paper. To blend them with the shelf/room color they were then dry brushed with the wall color.  The shelf I had bought to be a coat holder in our old house but never used. So I primed/painted and antiqued it. ( I used a coffee and varnish combo to slightly darken the shelf)

Here are the finished products for you viewing pleasures:

11,000 pictures in need of a home

The time has come to start printing and mounting pictures for the upstairs hall way. Last spring (thanks to the dog digging up carpet) my husband and I decided it was time to put down pergo flooring. Me being me I could not stop at just flooring, new paint for the walls (did I mention 20 foot walls going up the stair way?), and re staining all molding. After all this the pictures that were there just did not seem adequate.
So this is what we now have:

And because all my plans have to have the proverbial wrench thrown into the mix the drive on the computer I use to hold all my pictures has now gone bad. My husband is now trying to find a place that will hold 11,ooo pictures (this is just the last 6 years) none of which has been printed yet.
Wish me luck in getting this project finished because I will need it.

Taking Stock 2

In an earlier post I blogged about a list of projects I had going on that needed to be completed. Recently I have started making lists again (more on this in another post) and decided to update that original list.

1. Finish staining the fence
2. Finish staining the pergola
3. Touch ups on the house paint (A big thank you goes out to my husband for this one)
4. Weed through the flower gardens
5. Start and Finish a pink/white baby blanket (see Two pretty blankets for two beautiful  great nieces)
6. Weave in countless ends for knitting projects
7. Block said knitting projects
8. BSBP project (So excited for this to be complete)
9. Finish snow man (current bus project)
10. Print/mount pictures for the gallery wall in the hall way
11. Yellow/White baby blanket

This is the original list and as you can see I have made some progress. But as time has passed it is time to make a new list:

1. Clean/winterize yard
2. Hang Christmas lights (My solemn vow is to not turn them on till after thanksgiving)
3. Keep weaving in all those ends to knitting projects
4. Block finished projects
5. BSBP forum swap
6. Finish snowmen accessories
7. Print/mount pictures for the gallery wall in the hall way
8. Yellow/White baby blanket pieces (9 diagonal dish cloths blocked) just need to decide on the best way to join them then actually do it.
9. Mother in laws two part bday gift
10. Mothers special order necklace
11. 6-8 birthdays (including one party to plan, 6 gifts to buy, 2-3 parties to attend)
12. Christmas shopping
13. And then what ever it is I just know I am forgetting......  

NaBloPoMo

    Any one who knows me understands that I am highly organized from the beginning of October through the end of April (this is ski season a real big deal in our house). This year I am trying to focus more on me time (knitting/blogging/beading...), my son who is very inquisitive and active, and my husband (schedule permitting), basically using what little time we have positively. So to take on anything extra can be a stressful event for me. Right now I am trying to figure out what in the world I was thinking with the blog a day for thirty days idea.  Truth be told I have not been doing so well with the whole one blog a day for everyday in November. On the first it sounded so simple and I thought I can do this. Well I had to come to terms that by myself there was no way I was even going to come close to 30 blogs. So I took a step back, did some thinking, and came up with a plan of action on how I will get as close to the 30 blogs goal as I can.
 
The first realization I came to was that alone (me, myself and my brain) I would not finish this goal. So I looked around and realized I have access to my cell, my composition book, and a computer at almost all times in a day. The stress of doing it alone is now gone one if not all three of these objects is with me at all times. So I  am not alone in this.
   
The second realization is just as simple use what is around; take that picture now instead of waiting, write down/sketch out the idea when it happens, and write the blog when the idea comes to mind then schedule the time it will post.

The third make an outline of topics I can blog about and stick to it. Think of something and write it down. Then blog about it.

So now the stress is gone and I look forward to blogging, sometimes more then once a day. I also enjoy reading your comments..

Today I wish for:

10 Tibetan Silver spacer beads.

Christmas Tree Ornament:

Rolled Paper and Champagne colored Fabric 

          

Blue Felt Beads                    Felted Beads                        Felted Bead Necklace

   First I would like to start with the where and how I found these items then what appealed to me about them. All were found on Etsy by searching beads. I then jumped from page one (all very nice pieces) to the end page and began looking from end to beginning. In the tibetan silver spacer beads I enjoyed the contrast between the silver and the black of the design. The design is appealing because of the way it leads the eye through the piece with the soft curves. The ornament is just sentimental to me, my grandmother used to make  beads in this style with wall paper. The felted beads and how the pieces were made appeal to the knitter in me. I have seen so many felted items that I don't know why these surprised me. I think it is the size and the detail that goes into them.

Well I hope you enjoy....

Mondays Wish List

November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo)

Well it is now November officially the busy season for my family.  Between holidays (mostly preparing for them), birthdays (off hand I think we will celebrate almost 10 before the end of the year), work schedules, school schedules, knitting and beading and all that other fun stuff it is also national blog posting month. I have excepted that I will more than likely not blog  everyday (I find it hard enough to make my goal of once a week), I am going to try to post more often. So please check back often and leave comments (especially ideas as to what I should blog about).

http://www.nablopomo.com