Dollie Bead

New Beginnings

2012-01-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

Long time since I posted anything..

For those who don't follow me on Facebook, I have moved from the USA to Australia ~ Long story, but I had to move closer to my children, and so here I am. I live now in Murwillumbah in the far north of New South Wales, just south of the border with Queensland, and the famous Gold Coast.

None of my art supplies or my dolls are here yet, but the crate that holds all of my beads and other art supplies, as well as my dolls, has made landfall & all being good and well, it should be here in the next week or so. It first has to be cleared through customs, I hope they manage to get everything back in the crate, as Joe and I packed it pretty tight ~ had to be to prevent things from sliding around while it was out there on the ocean.

This is 'The Keeper of Faces' she is my first Art Doll made using assemblage & she was so much fun to make that I want to make more.

Her body was made from a small drawer, this allowed me to attach her head over the drawer pull, she has 'barby' hands which are attached with wire to small pieces of dowel and beads that form her 'arms'. Her legs are polymerclay over dowel for strength. Of course I had to use beads, and I had such fun gluing her beads on that it was hard to know when to stop. I guess I will be doing more of this kind of beading LOL

She has a story, and it's attached to her back

I added 'LIFT' arrows so that she can be picked up without touching the beaded areas ;)

Before I set off on my newest adventure in life ~ moving back to Australia ~ I managed to finish a couple of UFOs that had been sitting for a long time..

The first is 'Mother & Child' I like how she she sits without the need for a stand ~ I weighted her bottom end with lavender seeds..

The question here is...... 'Do these beads make my butt look big?'

This guy is Joe's Polar Bear... He was a labour of love, a gift for a wonderful gentle man, enjoy him Joe ♥

I have a few beads here, I and might pull them out tomorrow and see what happens, my hands are sitting idle and I don't like that!!

Long time no art..

2011-03-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

But that is changing, and I have a couple of teaser pictures for you.

Arthritus in my hand, makes beading with a needle and thread difficult, so I am sad to say that my beloved beads have sat alone for the past year or more it seems.

Now, I have begun to play with assemblage art, I collected STUFF for a long, long time. I even had a nice studio, out in the back of an old trailer. That was the problem I think, it was in the back and the only window looked out over the neighbours messy yard. I really felt shut away from everything, sometimes that is a good thing but not always, a moot point anyhow because the trailer went away, and I had to move my supplies. That turned out to be a good thing! I have a new studio, which looks out on my back yard, and it's much easier to warm, two good reasons to be happy, and I am.

Assemblage, oh my the possibilities are endless ~ polymer clay, paper clay, found objects, this, that, cut, glue, paint, stick, drill, screw, nail, sand ~ I am sure you know what I mean. My DHJoe has made sure I have all the tools and then some, and it is so much fun.

Of course before I knew it, some beads began to sneak into my art piece in progress, I have to say I do love tacky glue...

The first picture show some of my wood burning skills, and yes I'm playing with wire..

This one you can see some blue beads, yellow and red, but what are they doing? That is not a head..

Expect some pictures of other bits soon

Obsession Exposed

2011-02-25T21:52:00.000-08:00

Taken today in Astoria, Oregon.
Not sure now of the name of the cafe
But they make delicious Panini. Mmm mmm

Anyhow, the cafe is part of a hotel downtown
And this wall of 'Things' is in the lobby.
Such a fabulous collection

That I really had to capture it

One man's junk, is another man's treasure.

Never more true, than what you see here.

Maps 'n floats 'n telescopes.

Boxes 'n books and this 'n that.

Stacked so neat and stacked so high

It really does catch the eye.

Nope, not my pile of neat stuff ;>)

I used it for my daily picture on my 356Project..
Joey this is for you ;>)

Our them this week on 365Project, is Over Exposed..

Before

After cropping and processing to 'expose it to the light'

Click on the pictures to make 'em big!

Rose Red - 365Project

2010-08-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

This week's 365Project theme is RED & so I roamed my garden looking for red things & happened on this lovely red rose which is called Taboo. I had not noticed until then, that it was no longer a bud because it lives in a part of the garden that is a bit messy ;)

Gunnera - 365 Picture for Sunday 22nd

2010-08-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

This huge plant grows at the base of a small hillside in my garden. Normally grown in bogs or the edge of ponds but this does just fine here as long as I keep its roots nice & moist. The spikes are the 'flowers' & are covered with tiny reddish-green florets which are the seeds. The spikes in this picture measure from 2.5' to about 4' long & the leaves are about 7-8' tall & 5' across. We have had this amazing plant in our garden for the past 5 years & this is the first time I've found seedlings, which I'm nurturing in my greenhouse.

A link to more info about the plant & a close up of a 'flower' spike

Man am I ever running behind..

2010-08-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

I tried to post yesterday but blogger would not let me upload my picture so here we go with the 365Project pictures for the 20th & 21st

This is the seedhead of an Arum Lily full of seeds almost ready to burst out & scatter all around. I won't let that happen though, I intend to capture them & plant them to sell later in my plant sale..

Here is a tiny Hover Fly -1/2" long- commonly called Flower Fly of the Syrphid Fly family, on a Cone Flower. I always thought they were tiny bees as they appeared to be collecting pollen but I know now that they actually eat the pollen & nectar & that their larvae eat ahpids etc so I am happy to see them in my garden..

Orange Crocosmia -365Project

2010-08-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

This project has me thinking outside the box for my pictures & seeing things in ways I would never had thought to before. Today's picture was taken with me almost flat on my back in the garden LOL but it gave me what I wanted; the clouds to add depth & the sun on the beautiful orange petals giving them a lovely glow. This also fits in with this week's theme of 'repetition'.

365 Project - Today's pic

2010-08-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

The 365Project has a weekly theme & this week's is Repetition.

I missed this on Monday but my pic for yesterday ( the dandelion seedhead wtih the dew on it) & today's pic are both in the theme. I do like the idea of having a theme as it really makes you think & look for different ideas to photograph. Can you tell I'm enjoying this?

Anyhoo here's today's shot, I called it 'Fading Glory' as these are the last of my Shasta Daisys, I had several large clumps of them in my garden but today they have to be cut down & put in the compost bin.

365Project pics for Aug 14 to 17th

2010-08-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Opps I got a little behind with my posts, but here are my latest pictures...

This is a Gaillardia Burgundy, commonly called a Blanket Flower. I love the colours of this flower .

Here we have a spider who made his/her home in a Shasta Daisy

A big bee getting pollon from the tiny Catnip flowers, he was so heavy he made the stem bend right over

Morning dew on grass & a dandelion that has gone to seed.

You really need to make this last picture bigger to see the drops of water on the grass & the fluffy seedheads

Daily pics

2010-08-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful sunny day here at the beach, pity we didn't get more days like this..

Here are my 365Project pictures

For yesterday 8-12-10

Now I am not sure what this flower is but a girlfriend said it looks like a False St. John's Wort, now of course I googled it & only found pictures of St. John's Wort but this sure looks like the same flower. Click it to see a bigger pic & the incredible detail of this magical flower

If it is SJW then how fitting, as it grows in the garden of our local hospital..

Today's pic is a Yarrow flower just about to burst into bloom..

Daily pic

2010-08-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

My 365Project shot for the day...

Gone to seed.

It is a thistle of some kind. In New Zealand we call it Sour Thistle or Puha, which is the Maori name for it. I have sauted the leaves of this plant with chopped onions & garlic - it's similar to spinach.

Baby Doll Factory & daily pic

2010-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Baby Doll Factory What an amazing picture, Joe came across it & sent me the link, which I thought was too neat not to share.

Here is today's picture.
I was taking pics of the delightful flowers on the chives when this largish hornet landed on one. I followed him with my camera & was able to get this nice picture for my 365Projcet

I thought I'd include the rest of the pictures as they are -IMHO- really nice.

Don't forget to click on the pics to bigen them ;)

365Project, Belly bulge & other EXCITING things

2010-08-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

First, I read this study this evening & although I knew that belly fat was dangerous, I found the statistics in this article frightening, especially with so many of us without health insurance.

Here is the study to you to read it yourself. - Study: Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults -

Maybe you have heard of the FlatBelly Diet but if you haven't, check it out, it really isn't a diet as much as it is a way to eat & is full of wonderful information for anyone wanting to work at their making their belly smaller. Here are some FlatBelly Meals. In fact Pevention.com is a wealth of information for those of us fighting the battle of the Bulge.

I am diabetic & so have trouble with my weight but I have lost a few pounds recently after putting back 11 of the 15 pounds I'd previously lost - sigh. So far I am down about 4 again but hey it's a start. I have lost a few inches from my waist too, which really makes me feel better & my pants a bit looser ;) I read somewhere that measuring is a better way to keep track of weight loss than the scales. The study said a Woman's waist should be no bigger than 35", so of course I grabbed the tape & measured my waist & I am just a half inch over at 35.5" - no sucking it in either ;) I have been doing some isometric exercises that target the core muscles & I think that, as well as my diet are helping be take control of my waist line.

Here is a whole bunch of links to a google search for isometrics aimed at weight loss, enjoy!

OK, some exciting news.... On July 17, my Granddaughter Katy became Mother to Jaxon a beautiful baby boy, making my Daughter Dear a GrandMother & me a Great GrandMother, how's that for exciting?

Today I joined the 365Project ..

I've been taking a lot of pictures lately as the arthritis in my right hand is not letting me bead much ;( I thought taking pics might keep me busy. Feel free to sign up to do the picture a day project & join me & hundreds of other folk with an eye for taking pictures..

Funny thing but a while back, the thought crossed my mind about doing a photo a day & posting it on here but that is all it ever was, a thought LOL

I really am going to try & commit to this for a year, so here goes nothing..

Here are the first two pictures..

I found this little guy/gal sitting waiting for dinner in the center of a daisy

As I sat there, a bug landed at the edge where all the pollen is & in the blink of an eye, the little spider had the bug in its grip & dinner was served..

I've started carrying my camera in the pocket of my jeans because I know how often I've thought 'Darn, I wish I had my camera', so now I do & hopefully I'll get some interesting shots over the space of the next 365 days..

♥ Valentine's ♥ Heart ♥ for my Honey ♥

2010-02-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

I'm a member of ABeadStory a group my friends Cyn & Dot created for those of us who love to bead embroider.

The challenge for this month was of course a Heart & so I started with the thought that my heart would be in a frame like my BJP Under The Sea series. I was wrong ;)

As I sat beading the other day, Joe sat down & started cutting up an old pair of jeans which he'd finally admitted had too many holes - he uses them for rags out in his shed. He came over & put the small coin pocket on my beading table. As I beaded on my heart, the tiny pocket caused my Muse to get excited, so we (my Muse & I) went & got the back of the jeans & picked the pockets off them.

The heart is embroidered on fabric that I backed with several heart shape layers of felt to give it shape. I started with a heart shaped piece of Paua Shell from New Zealand, which glued on before I beaded around it. I used mainly matt black czech 11s along with a variety of sizes & finishes in black, to create texture along with a sprinkling of red & blue/green to spice up the black. There's some Hematite too, to add good energy to the heart. I cut a slightly larger heart from red fabric & stitched both to the pocket, poking a little fiberfill behind them before I finished sewing them down.

Red embroidery thread & a few tiny flower beads topped with sparkly red beads finished this off. I used cardboard covered with denim to back the pocket & used copper wire & beads to make a funky hanger for my ♥valentine♥ for my honey♥

Joe loves it ♥♥

I do love it when my Muse takes over because then I really bead outside the box!!

DollieBeadznSewz

2010-01-31T15:48:00.000-08:00

So.... Because I find it hard to simply sit & do nothing, I decided to make things to sell using my sewing machine & am now proud to announce my Etsy Store DollieBeadznSewz which I opened today.

Here are few of the items that are for sale & I hope to offer more as the weeks go by.

I thought these hearts would make the perfect Valentine's gift for that someone special in your life.

Or, they might make the perfect base for someone to use for their BJP pages.. I can make a set in the colours of your choice if you'd like..

So please go to DollieBeadznSewz & tell your friends about it too ;)

Here I am again, at last..

2010-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged..

I have arthritis in my thumb joint & I'm waiting to see if my health insurance will approve a scan of the joint, so that the orthopedic dr can then decide what is the best action to take. I cannot take pain meds & the OTC ones don't do a real lot to relieve the pain.

I have trouble picking things up & holding a needle is painful so I have not been beading lately. In fact I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself & I ate way too much of the things I should not have & managed to put 8 pounds back on, after losing 17 pound early last year! Of course that made me feel worse & so goes the not so merry-go-round.

Then to make matters worse I fell at work about 2 weeks ago, I slipped on a wet patch on the floor & landed on my back. I've had a sore back since then & pains down my left leg, I believe it is my sciatica - I can't sit for very long nor can I stand for too long & of course I cannot take anything to help with the pain Grrrr

I am waiting now for L&I to approve my claim so I can start PT to help relieve this. Man do the wheels turn slowly at L&I!! I go back to see my dr again on Tuesday - I have also been off work since this happened & my sickpay has covered me to date but what the heck is going to happen when that runs out??

Oh well a new week starts tomorrow so maybe things will fall into place for me, at least I can hope, right?

Overdue update

2009-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have not been doing a lot of beading of late. In summer my garden seem to take first place on my list of priorities. So here are a few pictures of my yard & garden so you can see what I have been up to while not sitting in the 'bead nest'

This is the side yard looking west towards the greenhouse, the house is to the north /or right of this yard

Looking towards the house from the vegetable garden, which sits behind the greenhouse. The bright blue building to the left is my potting shed, that Joe built behind his garage/workshop.

The back deck, this is where I love to sit with a cuppa any time of day;) The hot tub is under that grey area on the deck & is a life saver, especially when I get home from my evening shift at work ~ ahhhhh

The front yard looking north, there are no lawns here to be mowed ;) That is the front of the garage where the motor home lives & beyond that, the old spartan trailer which is home to Joe's studio where he builds his robots & stuff that you can see here

My plant nursery, I propogate cuttings to sell in plant sales in the spring & summer.

The Gunnera with Joe standing behind it, it reached about 7 feet this year! This is part of the view from our deck. A little bit of the tropics in our back yard.

One of my favorite plants the Hebe, Aumumn Glory. Isn't it a beautiful shade of purple?

Looking in through Joe's 'Moon Gate', which is between the house & the garage. You can see the door to his workshop and the front of my potting shed..

Just one of my giant sunflowers...

This is a 5 year old Bonsai vine maple that I started from a seedling, it started as a 'what if' - This is the first year the leaves have been small, so something is happening as it should. I now have several more in the green house to see if I can do it again ;)

And lastly here is what I am beading at the moment, it's slow going though so don't expect to see it finished any time real soon LOL but then who knows?

Ouch!

2009-08-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

While we were away in the motor-home a couple of weeks ago, I caught my thumb in one of the drawers. As the week progressed I felt soreness at the base of the nail on my thumb & figured I had bruised it, I was wearing nail polish - a rare thing for me ;) so I could not see if it was discoloured. The following weekend I sat down to remove the polish & found that my nail was infected underneath. I bathed my thumb in salt water but nothing much happened as the infection was right in the center of the nail but I kept that up as often as I could. Anyhow by Sunday evening my thumb was throbbing & all the bathing had done nothing at all!

Monday I called my Dr's office & got in to see him that afternoon, he used a wee tool that burnt a hole in my nail & let the nasty stuff escape ewwww & the Dr gave me a prescription for an antibiotic. Of course my thumb felt better right away and the infection appeared to be going away with in a day or so.

Today the Dr's office called to say that the results of the swab he took, have come back & that there were 2 bacteria under my nail!~!

So the Dr has called another prescription in for me - two antibiotics!!!

I spoke to the Pharmacist & he said that going by the two antibiotics I have to take, that I most likely have a Staph infection, now that is scary stuff!!

Here is hoping that this thing goes away fast, never to be heard of again!!

Make tobacco prevention a part of health care reform

2009-08-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

I just took action on preserving and protecting tobacco prevention funding in health care reform.

I urge you to take action yourself and spread the word!

Please write to your member of Congress today

&

Make Your Voice Heard!

The Health Insurance Racket

2009-08-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

Getting Rich by Denying Americans Care

UnitedHealthcare CEO Stephen Hemsley owns $744,232,068 in unexercised stock options. CIGNA’s Edward Hanway spends his holidays in a $13 million beach house in New Jersey. Meanwhile, regular Americans are routinely denied coverage for the care they need when they need it most.

Read more HERE & please share it with your friends & neighbours

STILL more to read here if you're interested..

Two little dollies

2009-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

My dear Mother's younger sister Norah, celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this year, this is her with my Mother on Mum's 90th in 2007

Aunty Norah fell recently, not once but twice and has fractured her spine near the tailbone, which I imagine is awfully painful. She has always kept in touch via letters no matter how far from home I have roamed & so as I was writing to let her know that I am praying for a full & speedy recovery for her, I realized that I should make her a wee doll to cheer her up.

So here is Norah's healing doll she is just 5 " tall..My Girlfriend Frankie turned the big 40 on July 30th so to mark her middle age -snigger- I made the 'Lordy, Lordy Frankie's 40' doll..

I do believe this one is clickable so that you can see the details & yes she is on a lean LOL that is because when I hot glued her to the base I didn't hold her straight -oh well ;)

Looking down from above

Come into my parlor....

2009-08-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

...said the spider to the fly & we all know what happened next..

But this spider is only a teeny tiny fellow & the fly was as big as he was, isn't nature wonderful?

He had made a tiny web across the front of a petunia & I had to capture it on film - hmmm digital really isn't on film but you know what I mean ;)

You SHOULD be able to click to make this picture bigger & much easier to see this wee fellow enjoying his lunch

Just to see the whole scheme of things - he is that white dot on the petunia ;)

LOL @ myself

2009-07-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

While cleaning up after finishing my last project, I thought I should sort the flippies & odd beads & stuff on my bead cabinet as well & guess what I found underneath some STUFF..

A bracelet that I had finished somewhere back around Christmas time ~grin~

This was done in 2 drop peyote with a row of gorgeous purple swarovski sequins (?) stitched down the centre & fringing on the sides & either side of the crystals

It really is dainty and looks great on as you can see.

Maybe I should clean my bead cabinet up more often LOL

The Beaded Rock - the timely end of a UFO

2009-07-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am not going to admit how long this has been sitting around as a UFO but it has been a while & some of my friends may have seen it in person at a certain event here at the beach ;)

It began life as a 2.5"x 2" rock which I beaded over using peyote stitch & then the fun began, making tiny sea anemones.. I added lots of embellishment using tiny shells, pearls, drop beads & lots of tiny fringe/stacks.

I have taken pohots from all angles so you can see all the fun details..

FULL FRONTAL
FROM THE RIGHT

FROM THE LEFT

BACK SIDE

FROM ABOVE

I hope you enjoy this piece, it sure was fun to make even if it did take me a long time to finish LOL

Layne's Legacy - Beading For A Cure

2009-07-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Layne's Legacy is an annual beading challenge dedicated to raising money for the National Colorectal Cancer Research Association in honor of Layne Shilling, a member of the online group All About Beads, who lost her battle with colorectal cancer in November 2002.

The premise of the challenge is simple: participants purchase a kit which contains a variety of beads. Each kit is identical. At least one of each bead type must be used in the finished project and the beader can only add one other type of bead to the project (but as many non-bead items as they wish). The completed works are as varied as the beaders who created them. from the website of Layne's Legacy

Although I frequent All About Beads, I did not know Layne but felt this was a cause worthy of my time.

My favorite methods of beading are bead embroidery & 3D sculptural bead weaving, so of course my piece combines the two..

Here is Dragonfly Dreaming:
The area inside the frame measures 5"x7" & the dragonfly is 5" long with a wing span of 5"

This is the kit that we all started with..

Small beginnings - I stitched a line of size 11 beads down over the lines of the branches

I covered the line of beads with whip stitch, using a combination of beads from the kit & leaving space for the art bead to sit.

The body is done, size 15s make up most of the body - My added bead type are the size 15 purple. Size 11s round out the area where the wings & legs attach & then 8s for the head. I also put a piece of wire into the body area & tweaked it just so, causing the tail to lift slightly & then added a blue Swarovski Crystal to the tip of his tail

I covered the head area with black/purple 11s adding a mouth & the 2 large rose montees for his eyes, here you can still see the 8s in between the darker 11s

To get the right scale for the wings I printed out some dragonfly wings that I found online - I forget where ;)

The wings were made using goldfilled wire & I guess it is a version of square/brick stitch but as I made it up as I went, I am not really sure. When finished they were each about 2 1/2 " long and would not sit as I wished them too, they were too floppy & we all know dragonflys do not like floppy wings..

Finally I resorted to painting the undersides with Mod Podge - 3 coats before they were firm enough to sit above the rest of the beadwork.

Here he is drying his wings after the 3rd coat

I also added some swirly green sequins over the 'leaf' area on the fabric, here is a close-up of the Art Bead & some of the embellishing.

Close-up of the dragonfly, you can't see from this angle but to make his legs, I added black beads from the kit to where the wires from his wings came out on the other side of the body. The wires pierce the fabric and are secured on the back of the fabric.
Bird's eye view, allowing you to see the 3D effect of the dragonfly

I used a light tent in full sunshine to get my photos - if you photograph beaded stuff, one of these is a must - my Tide Pool at the top of my blog was also photographed in my light tent)

Here is a photo that Joe took while I was taking photos, I think it's kinda neat, so I included it for your pleasure.

This piece, along with all the rest of the wonderful creations will be acutioned on E-Bay next year - I will post here when that is ready to go live..

The ups & downs of life

2009-05-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life just plain overwhelms me ~

Last week I attended the last of 4 diabetes education classes (3 hrs each week!) at our local hospital & have a follow up appointment with the diabetic nurse next week. I was mightily ticked off with the idea of having to go to classes at first but I now appreciate the fact that our hospital provides this for us. The classes really helped me to come to terms with my diabetes, as well as helping me understand what this chronic disease is all about. Now I know how I can control my blood sugar & I am finding that my diet has not changed a lot, more meat/protein & healthy fats.

I had my 2nd A1C test a couple of weeks ago & am pleased to say that my numbers have dropped 2 points to 6.2. It's good to have confirmation that I am now in control.

I actually enjoy finding different ways of presenting my meals & I'm seeing a Mediterranean look to my food which BTW, I am enjoying immensely. I even took photos of some dishes ;)

One chicken thigh with steamed veges & some olives & no that is not butter it's Smart Balance margarine on my potato -I didn't eat white potatoes for the longest time but I'm enjoying a small serving of them again ;)One egg scrambled with stewed tomatoes, to which I have added chopped onion, garlic & fresh spinach, along with some olives for healthy fat
A freshly baked loaf of whole grain, Rye bread with sprouted Rye berries & flax meal added. Bread is a good thing if it's whole grain, which this sure is. We've had a change in our hours at work, so I now do 7 hr shifts & just 2 nights a week - Yay!

But the past 2 weeks saw me covering for other caregivers who had health issues & me with a small tear in my Achilles tendon - sheesh all the gals there are a lot younger than me, what's wrong with this picture?

I have no idea how I tore my Achilles tendon if indeed it is torn, I didn't have an MRI as my Dr said it was just a small tear & gave me a boot to wear that makes me kind of walk on the ball of my foot & decreases the strain on the tendon. I'm also on an anti-inflammatory med to help with the pain. Dr tells me that because I am older ~ahem~ my tendons & muscles will tear with little strain sometimes & it can be as simple as turning my foot in a mole hole in the garden - well that is a possibility as there are moles aplenty here ;( I need to get some decent work boots to wear when working in the garden.

I am totally rearranging my garden this year, if I get enough fine sunny days to work out there. I lost a couple of plants to the extreme cold we had here last winter so they need to be replaced & there is an area at the back on a hillside that really needs a make over. I have moved my Dahlias out of there, so that is a start & Joe is rebuilding my strawberry beds today, it might be a bit late but we shall see.

I took a few cuttings last fall, which wintered over under mist in the greenhouse. They have been potted up & hopefully will be ready for my plant sale in June.

Beads; Oh yes I am beading, mostly in the evenings when I'm not at work.

I am behind again in my BJP being that it's May now but I will get back to that real soon. I have been working on the BFAC Project, this is the first year I've taken part in it.

This is the kit that is sent out & I have to use the big glass bead as well at least 1 of each of the rest of the beads, I can add 1 extra bead kind & a few other things like cabs, sequins & non bead items

I had a couple of false starts, which seems to be the norm for me LOL but I am pleased with what I'm doing now. So here's a wee tease for you to wonder over ;)

Proud Mother - that's me ;)

2009-03-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last year my daughter Elizabeth bought a Cafe. She lives in northern New South Wales, Australia.

In February to celebrate International Women's Day, the local Weekly News did an article spotlighting Business Women in the Surrounding area.

Elizabeth sent me a copy of the Weekly, so I want to share her with you all ;)

I am so very proud of my Daughter!

March BJP - The Women in My Life

2009-03-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Ok this makes me up to date on my BJP pages - Yay!!

This is Julie Briggs, a dear friend of mine who passed away May last year after a sudden illness. She taught elementary school here on the peninsula for over 25 years & was instrumental in getting our Boys & Girls club stated.

She is greatly missed & I often find myself thinking of how Julie would have enjoyed this or that thing.

You might be gone Julie but you are not forgotten...

The Muse is unveiled at last!

2009-03-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Scarlett has set up a wonderful gallery where all the entries - over 60 of them - are on display.

I love how there are so many different styles & ways to use this piece which Scarlett named the Muse.

Nope I didn't win but I enjoyed the challenge all the same & congratulate the winners.

Here's my interpretation of the Muse & of course it's Bead Embroidered..

Here are a couple of progress pix so you can see how it looks out flat..

I enjoyed this challenge immensely but will sit the next one out as I have a Mermaid waiting for some attention, more on that soon;)

Daily pix

2009-03-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy today, aren't I?

Well I said I was going to post daily pix, so here is one of Ms Phoebe's tent & all her toys..

Yep she has her own tent - mind you, she is not a spoilt cat at all, not one little bit LOL

She has a new mouse, it squeeks when touched & while it doesn't smell as good as the catnip mice it does seem to be the favorite for now. I read that Maine Coons remained kitten like & that seems to be so with this one, she loves to throw that mouse in the air & chase it across the room

February BJP - The Women in My Life

2009-03-24T12:17:00.001-07:00

Meet Colleen, she is the second oldest of us five girls & lives in Nelson, New Zealand. Colleen is very family oriented & has 3 daughters as well as a son who she adopted as a wee baby. She used to love to hike in the mountains around Nelson but her health has put a stop to that in recent years.

I found this pretty orange fabric at Joanne's a couple of weeks ago & the hearts told me it should be my February Page. I love the combination of chartreuse & orange, it really sings!

What a waste of a morning!

2009-03-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

LOL at myself!!
In my last two posts I have typed the title & then hit enter - of course that published my post so there it sits just a heading with no content until I finish this ;)

Today I got up a little earlier than usual because I have to renew my Wa State food handler's card, required by all staff at the retirement home where I work. I had my oatmeal, showered & headed to the southern end of the Peninsula to where the class is held, only to find that today's class had been cancelled ;(

Well heck! So I headed home again via the supermarket & pharmacy where I picked up my test strips for the glucose testing meter I was given the other day & didn't pick up my 2 prescriptions that I'd forgotten to call in ;(

When I got home I saw that the test strips - which cost an arm & a leg BTW! - are not the same kind as my meter, what the heck? Then I saw a note from the Pharmacist, telling me that these strips were the only kind that my insurance covers, well heck! I only have one test strip left of the FREE ones that came with the meter I had been given, so called my Dr to see what can be done. The long & the short of it is, he is going to prescribe a meter to match the strips.. I guess I can pick it up tomorrow while I am picking up those scrips I just emailed to the Pharmacy!

At least I don't have to go anywhere now so I intend to do some beading ;)

Daily pix & some rambling

2009-03-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

I really need to be more active on here, I have the typical Cancerian tendency to shut myself off & while I read other's blogs, I just don't think I have anything to share, so I say nothing..

Today I decided that I'd try to embrace my bloggy self ;) & to that end took some pictures in my garden today to share with my on line friends & fellow artists.

This is the view from the back steps, I have a lot of work to do there once the weather warms up.

A close up of my blue Hyacinth, they were a favorite of my dear Mother & so are special to me.
Health is always an issue once you are over 60 & recently Joe had surgery to replace 2 vertebrae in his neck, here he is with the collar on about a week after his surgery. He had to trim his beard because the collar & it did not go together well. I'm pleased as I much prefer him without all the whiskers - even the moustache is gone for the moment, the radiation he had last year created a bald patch as you can see on his right side.

It is a month now since the Op and he is doing well & has been able to get off the pain meds, so that speaks well of the surgery & its success.

I have a different health issue, I am now Diabetic - I had been pre-diabetic & thought I was eating right. I really didn't want to eat meat so replaced that with beans & chick peas. BUT it turns out that was the wrong thing to do as while they are protein, they are also starch & turn to sugar- Duh, you'd think that I would have known that, wouldn't ya? But nope I did not.

I'm testing my blood sugar once a day for the moment, while I learn what foods I'm sensitive to & get used to eating 6 times a day..

It's funny but I'm almost relieved to learn this life changing news because at last I understand why I have been packing on the weight, which has been depressing me quite a bit.

I met with a Dietitian at our local hospital last week & next Friday Joe & I have an appointment to see the Diabetic Nurse, I 'm pleased that she wants him to come as well, as I know I need his support with this.

I'm confident that I'll be able to control this with my diet & lose some unwanted pounds as well.

I've almost finished my February BJP page & here's a wee tease of it. I should have it finished this evening & will have a picture of it to share tomorrow. Then it is on to Ms March.

Finally here's my Phoebe for your viewing pleasure ;)

The Muse is done..

2009-03-13T22:37:00.001-07:00

It took me longer than I had planned to do my Bead the Muse piece.

We have been short one person at work & as we are a small facility with a small staff the rest of us picked up a few extra hours until we found a replacement - it sure ate into my beading time but my next cheque should be good :)

Here is a wee tease for my entry in this contest & the whole piece will be revealed next week after Scarlett announces the winner.

Use the Muse Contest

2009-02-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

Scarlett Lanson of The Beader's Muse has a Contest going on her site info here

I signed up for it & have my kit - I have to say Scarlett is really fast at getting the kits out, I think mine arrived with in 3 days of ordering it!

This is an interesting challenge & I did it mainly because I don't make much jewelry & this has pushed me to make something.

I found out about this contest from Liz but over on FaceBook & Liz already has hers done!!

The ideas behind this contest is that we must use the MUSE which is part of a kit Scarlett has put together - I have managed to get the Muse looking how I envisaged it so now it is just beading, beading, beading & you know I LOVE to do that!

We are allowed to share a tease of the piece so I will do that when I get finished!

January BJP

2009-02-08T22:54:00.001-08:00

I've finished my January page & have even got it attached to the ultra suede!

The pink beads (both light & dark) are size 15s & I used the one bead at a time style of bead embroidery, I imagine it is similar to seed stitch in thread embroidery... I think the texture is amazing when the beads are applied this way... I first used it when I did my 'Under the Sea' series on the Orange Starfish

This is Tiffany; she is my oldest granddaughter & she turned 20 on January 28th

Tiffany is our miracle child, as she was born with Whilm's Tumor, a rare form of cancer that is related to the kidney & is often not found until the child is around 2 - 3 years old & in many cases it has spread to other organs & or the spine.

In Tiffany's case it the tumor grew very fast & she was only 3 months old when it was removed along with one of her kidneys, it was the size of a baseball. Subsequent tumors have resulted in a third of her remaining kidney being removed so her health is delicate & she will most likely need a transplant one day.

I thank God that Tiff was born in Australia where my daugher lives, the wonderful health care system there saved her life & my daughter did not have to go into debt to pay for her care.

That said, Tiffany is a bright intelligent young Woman & I hope she goes far in life & achieves her dreams

Houdini the Cat

2009-02-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

Check out the vidio of a cat trying to escape from his collar, it was too cute not to share with everyone

Tidying up my BJP pages

2009-02-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

I've finished attaching my Nov & Dec pages to the ultra suede - I'm pleased with how these they are looking, so thought I would share some pics.

This is my girlfriend Frankie - my November page - Frankie is an animal lover, can you tell?

This is my younger sister Isabell - my December page

I still have to edge the pages & prepare them for the book but I'm getting there - I do need to get the front cover for my book started I guess - sigh - There never seems to be enough hours in a day to do all the things I would like to LOL

I am still working on my January page but it's almost done..

Melba's Birthday

2009-02-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

Melba is my MIL - She turned 85 on Tuesday 3rd of Feb.

Joe & I drove down to Vancouver Wa on Saturday to celebrate with Melba & Joe's brothers & sister.
Ed's wife Geri is a fantastic cook, so you always know you will get something good to eat & we were not disappointed..

It was good to see Melba & catch up with the rest of the famliy as well

A Medly of Mermaids

2009-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a pic of my merry mermaids.....

HELP! They have taken over my chair..

No prizes for guessing what I have been doing with my time this past week ~ grin

Making Mermaids

2009-01-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

I got the urge to make some mermaids this week, so I have 2 down & who knows how many to go LOL

I made this gal first & she is pretty slim & 11" tall - I think she needs a few more curves, don't you?
This one took some fiddly sewing but I like her shape a lot more, she is 10" tall..

Of course they will both end up with beads, at least that is the plan as it stands now ;o)

My MIL gave me a bunch of fabric when her home was being sold last year & this is from her stash - perfect for mermaids in my opinion

CareDoll

2009-01-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

I made this wee doll for a special friend who I have never met in person, as she lives on the other side of the country - Isn't it wonderful how we are able to be friends with folks we would never have known without computers & the Internet

My friend has suffered from recurring fibrous tumors on her uterus for the past 5 or 6 years & is having a partial hysterectomy next week. She is naturally feeling more than a little worried about it all - I thank God that she was able to have her sweet wee daughter 2 & 1/2 years ago, as this surgery dashes any hopes she had of any more children but I pray that this will be the end of this painful problem that has plagued her for so long.

Ladies, have those Pap Smear tests done every year!

November BJP finished

2009-01-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

Yes I have finally got November finished...

This is Frankie, my BFF - LOL

We have known each other for about 6 years & she lights up my days, which is why she is wearing a 'crown' of golden sunflower petals.. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her in it..

I had to add a touch of purple, which is Frankie's favorite colour, but she sure looks good in yellow.

I have started on my January page & with luck I'll have it done before the month is out.

The Polar Bear

2009-01-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working on this for Joe, he used to work on Tug Boats up in the Arctic Circle, all around Alaska & the Bering Sea.

Polar Bears are favorites of his, so I thought this would be a good gift for him.

I still need to bead around Mr Bear, who will then be framed & go on the wall. He is about 3.5" long & I used silver lined matt size 15s for him.

I am just getting over a nasty bout of sinusitis which really put me on my tush - 3 days in bed while on antibiotics! I still can't smell a darn thing & my ears are popping like a bag of popcorn going off LOL but I am breathing freely now & I didn't get any congestion on my chest which I consider a blessing.

Save Handmade, Time is Running Out!

2009-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

LONG but please read & feel free to copy onto your blog

As of February 10, 2009 - most, if not all what WE make and sell could very well become ILLEGAL TO SELL IN THE US.

This is not hyperbole, this is a FACT and a law that, unless something is changed, WILL AFFECT US ALL.

As a result, for those of us who create art dolls, there is a movement growing about removing them term "art dolls" from what we do - more specifically the word "dolls" - because if this law as it is currently written - ANYTHING that is geared or even possibly seen as being geared or made for children, will be required by law to be tested.
It is far reaching, and will affect EVERYTHING if it remains as it is written. (It will likely not get voted in as it is written, but we can HELP to see that it doesn't by speaking up about it and being aware that it exists).

If it is thought or implied or in any way able to be seen as a item meant or geared for children, it will be REQUIRED BY LAW to be tested and be certified as passing the test to be legal to be sold in the US, including everything that is used to make the item. EVERYTHING!

In addition, unless the items that we use to make the item come from the same batch lot they have to be tested individually, and not as a batch.

It's a HUGE thing on Etsy right now.

***As taken from a post by marionscott77**

Here is a quote from the Certificates of Compliance http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr09/certification.html "The Commission is also designating the domestic manufacturer as the sole entity that must issue the certificate required by section 14 (a) in the case of a domestically produced product. This certificate must be available to the Commission upon request before the product or shipment is introduced into domestic commerce."WE are domestic manufacturers. Doesn't matter if we do wholesale, resale, direct or whatever. We are still the manufacturers. WE must be able to provide certification of compliance with lead testing by Feb 10th or pull our products off the market. This certification can ONLY come from a CPSC-certified third-party laboratory. All substrates of your products in all iterations must be tested (and yes, fabric is a substrate).

Read this entire thread here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5935591

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081224/ap_on_bi_ge/tainted_toys

We need to come together, even though we are NOT creating "toys" - this WILL have an umbrella affect on us.

Taken from http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

It's Not just Toys! The CPSIA does not just affect toys--it regulates all products for children under 12.? Clothing, school supplies, cloth diapers, car seats, boy scout patches, bicycles, sippy cups - everything!

Congress in its wisdom decided that a problem caused by irresponsible mass-market toymakers should be solved with a one-size-fits-all solution for dozens of industries totally unrelated to toys.

The Handmade Toy Alliance supports the parallel efforts of other industries to gain relief from the onerous enforcement mechanisms imposed by the CPSIA. Although we have proposed our own ideas that would help small toymakers, we believe that the following reforms of the CPSIA would be fair, just and appropriate to all affected industries:

**** The law should be scaled back to focus on products that were an issue in the first place (namely: toys and children's jewelry).****

Enforcement should allow component versus unit testing.? Manufacturers and/or industry groups, in cooperation with the CPSC, should decide the most rational method for their situation.

**** Testing frequency rules should be adjusted to allow smaller companies that deal with smaller runs, the ability to stay in business.****

Random testing could be part of the legislation in place of some of the more burdensome requirements, especially for "low volume" companies.

**** Companies should be allowed to keep testing certificates on file instead of re-sending them with each order.**** The law should be simplified to be understandable, while maintaining (or improving) its effectiveness.

**** Batch Labeling should be required only for companies producing more than a certain quantity.

MORE LINKS:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5935591

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/summaries/102brief.html

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/legislation.html

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/322.pdf

http://www.nationalbankruptcyday.com/

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/

http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/

http://cpsia-central.ning.com/

This will affect how you sell what you make anywhere - online, garage sale, flea market, etc.
Here are Etsy's new rules regarding this: http://www.etsy.com/terms_of_use.php

When each seller signs up to sell on Etsy, they agree to these terms and are each responsible for their own items. From the TOU:"Restricted Activities: Your Content and your use of Etsy shall not:
# 5. Contain items that have been identified by the U.S. Consumer Products SafetyCommission (CPSC) as hazardous to consumers and therefore subject to a recall.

Let's get this spreading through our mailing lists and discussion groups and start getting INVOLVED as a group to help CHANGE this. Let's get talking about this and protecting ourselves and our art and our businesses.

One thing that we CAN do to IMMEDIATELY protect ourselves might be to immediately cease using the terms "dolls" or "toys" with our artwork. That one term alone might be enough to cause our work to seem as if it is meant for kids - even if you use a disclaimer saying "Not intended for children." And if you post in the "Dolls and Bears" or maybe "Toys" or "Children's"categories, maybe you might want to reconsider that right now.

Copied with permission from VARIETIST MUSE

Picture Tagging

2009-01-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

I got tagged by Lora

Here are the rules:-

Go to your 4th picture folder
Go to the 4th picture
Tell everyone 4 things about that picture
Tag 4 more people

This is Joe & the picture was taken at the 2007 annual Jazz & Oysters here on the Peninsula & by the look of the sparse crowd the show was just beginning as the place is chock-a-block full by midday.

I think Joe is puffing out his chest because he's wearing his very cool, Maori design t-shirt that he got at WOMAD while we were down in New Zealand for my dear Mother's 90th birthday.

I don't see any shadows so I guess we had a grey start to the day but the sun came out as you can see here, which BTW, is how we cook oysters up here in Pacific North West ;o)

We volunteer at J&O & while Joe was selling T-shirts, CDs & stuff I was selling desserts

You can read more about it all here

I'm not going to tag anyone but if you are reading this please consider yourself tagged & feel free to tag your friends ;)

The New Studio

2009-01-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last year Joe got yet another free trailer, this one is a 35' Spartan made by the Howard Hughes Aircraft Company & is just beautiful, fallen on hard times but beautiful all the same.

He has been working on making the front of it into a studio for himself & is also redoing the wiring where needed.

Because my little room in the house that I use for my studio/storage was so full that I could not see a flat space (nor could I walk in it, as the floor was also covered with STUFF) I asked Joe if I could have the bedroom at the back of the trailer for my Mixed Media Art, I figured a board or two across a couple of boxes for a table to work on but in true Joe fashion he set out to make it solid & sturdy.
He found a free table by the roadside & he remade it for my workbench. There are closets galore which are almost full of cool STUFF waiting to be up cycled into something new.. Joe has also built shelves of ingenious design to hold all the storage containers that hold all my groovy STUFF for assemblage art, he has been careful not to drill or put screws into the lovely wood lining the trailer, as restoring it is a possibility someday if not by us then by someone else.

Now it is cold as we are in the middle of winter & this is the Great North West but we have a little heater running on low all the time so that it doesn't get freezing in there & just crank it up a bit when we go out there so that it is not unbearable ;)

On the inside looking out....

Anyhoo...... Here are some pics of the studio so far...

I have 3 projects on my worktable at the moment all in different stages of done & I am hoping to produce some interesting art dolls & such to share
This is what Joe gave me for Christmas, my own mini drill/screwdriver with its own charger, too cute, eh?

Here are Joe & Phoebe visiting me in my new play room..
What a wonderful space I have out there in the trailer, I am lucky to have a husband who can do this stuff, aren't I?

2009 Bead-A-Day calendar

2008-12-31T12:43:00.000-08:00

I am a featured artist in the 2009 Bead-A Day Calendar click here to order one

Disclaimer; I am not associated with this calendar nor do I receive any monies from the sales

Remembering Mother & Dad

2008-12-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

Dolly Tucker - 31 December 2007
Bert Tucker - 15 December 1980

Sweet are the memories silently kept,
Of those we love and will never forget.
Nancy, Colleen, Anne, Ellen, Isabell & families.

Mum & Dad you danced so beautifully together & I miss you so much

More on the bailout $$$$

2008-12-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Where'd the bailout money go? Shhhh, it's a secret

WASHINGTON – It's something any bank would demand to know before handing out a loan: Where's the money going?
But after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers, the nation's largest banks say they can't track exactly how they're spending the money or they simply refuse to discuss it.

"We've lent some of it. We've not lent some of it. We've not given any accounting of, 'Here's how we're doing it,'" said Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase, which received $25 billion in emergency bailout money. "We have not disclosed that to the public. We're declining to."

Read on here:-
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081222/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/meltdown_secrets

Shame, shame, shame is all I can say!!

Where your tax dollars went!

2008-12-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

Banks that are getting taxpayer bailouts, awarded their top executives nearly $1.6 billion in salaries, bonuses, and other benefits last year, an Associated Press analysis reveals.

The rewards came even at banks where poor results last year foretold the economic crisis that sent them to Washington for a government rescue. Some trimmed their executive compensation due to lagging bank performance, but still forked over multimillion-dollar executive pay packages.

Read on here:-
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/executive_bailouts

I am appalled about this & if you are too, write to your Senators & Representatives about it & demand accountability..

The Bead Nest

2008-12-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

The Bead Nest is what my husband has called the spot where I sit to bead. I have a beautiful cabinet to store my beads in that I designed & DH built for me.

I have spent the last few days sorting beads & getting them in the new flippy containers I bought back in July & I am finally done. (where I get my flippies)

Before

After
The Bead Nest

I use an old TV tray to bead on & have 2 OttLites, one either side of me when I bead. Notice, there are no more tubes or baggies of beads. I do need some bigger storage for the cabs & stuff but it is sorted for now. I have 'deep storage' for extra beads of the ones in the flippies, in my messy studio. The studio is next in line for a re-organize & what better time than winter to do that.

We are surrounded by snow here at the beach, this is a picture of our place that my DH took yesterday morning & more snow is falling as I write this Brrrrrrrrrr

This little guy is an Anna's Hummingbird, one of several that come to the feeders I keep out all year for them but especially in winter when there really is no food for them. He is perched on the Christmas lights on the front porch near the feeder. I have feeders on the front porch & the back deck, as the males are very territorial, they sit nearby & chase other males & the females away from the feeders.

A little bit more

2008-12-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

I have got my first 2 pages attached to the ultra suede, they still need to be edged but that can wait for another day...

I am happy with how these look now, the stack stitch really frames them nicely while hiding the edge of the fabric

I am waiting on some more ultra suede in different colours. Ya gotta love E-Bay, eh?

BJP pages to share

2008-12-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

I have got 3 of my 'The Women in my life' BJP pages finished....

And yes, I did change my mind again about my pages but hey that's a Woman's Prerogative, isn't it? I decided that as lovely as the Nancy Doll is, it was bigger than I wanted & I was also finding beading on a stuffed form harder than it used to be due to some issues with my wrist.

My pages are oval 5" x 33/4" & backed with fusible Pellon interfacing & will be mounted on leather.

My plan is to match the face with the month of birth but some months have more than one birthday so as my Sisters & my dear Mother come first, the rest will fill in the gaps..

Here is September - This is Nancy, my oldest sister & you can read more about her if you scroll down a few posts or click on the link above.

This is October & Katy, my granddaughter.. Katy turned 18 last August & is living in Darwin, NT Australia. She is the youngest of my only daughter's 2 girls. Katy shares August with her Mother, so Elizabeth with be my August face, which is only fitting & right..

December is Isabell, my youngest sister, who celebrates 55 on the 17th of this month. She has 3 sons & 5 grandchildren. Her & her DH own a motel down home in New Zealand, so if you are heading down to New Plymouth in Taranaki, NZ, be sure to stop by & say hi.

I still have to do November's page & I am waiting on my girlfriend to bring me a picture so that I can get hers started..

Meanwhile I am working at getting my pages attached to the leather or Ultra Suede which I am using to display them..

Long time no post..

2008-12-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

I have been battling with a bit of depression, not something I enjoy. So rather than subject my bloggy friends to my daily woes, I have been reading but keeping myself mostly to myself.

I am finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's not a train but bright shiny beads twinkling in the light of my Ott-Lite.

Last week my DH read in the paper that a bead shop in Nehalem (down the Oregon Coast about 1 & 1/2 hours south of us) was going out of business with all stock at 50% off. So on Black Friday, we headed south in the wind & rain to that little bead shop & I loaded up on sparkly beads, which as we all know, lift your spirits more than almost anything..

Crossing the Megler Bridge from Washington to Oregon in the wind & rain. Astoria sits beneath the hills that you can see in the distance & that bit that sticks straight up, is the top of the bridge where the ships pass below - Yep we drive right up that thing!

These are the sparklies I got, they are size 11 cuts except for the reds (12s) & the oilslick purples on the right (9s) I also got some turquoise beads, some lovely blue pearls & some metal nailheads. The little Swarovski flower sew-ons are from a couple of E-Bay buys that I just had to have..

I've been Tagged...

2008-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very active on here lately but today, I got a message from Charlene to say that I'd been tagged with one of those blog memes where you share random facts about yourself and then tag your friends. So I thought I'd better get on here..

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So without further ado, here are some facts about me:

1. I put butter or Margarine on my french fries because I really, really, really dislike ketchup except in occasionally in cooking to flavor sauce.

2. I met my husband on line, when I was living in Paraguay, down in South America & he was up in WA. USA - which is where I live these days.

3. I recently discovered that I like oatmeal & have oats for breakfast every day, yum..

4. I am a volunteer at both our local school & the Boys & Girls Club, helping children with literacy problems.

5. I was born at 7 am on the 7th day of the 7th month & my sun, moon & rising stars are all in Cancer - yeah I'm a bit weird & a bit phsicadelic as well.

6. I only have half an index finger on my right hand - how weird is that?

7. I can use the hula hoop in both directions ;P

As for the 7 soon to be tagged, here they are:

Cynjon
Helaine
Jos
Judi

Katie

Melissa

Victor ia

Apple, Date, Pecan loaf

2008-09-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is my Mum's Date loaf recipe - just one of the delicious treats you would find in her cake tins..

2 cups dates
2 level tspns baking soda
2 cups boiling water
2 tblspns butter
1 1/4 cups sugar

3 heaped cups flour
2 tspns baking powder

Chop the dates & pour over 2 cups boiling water, add baking soda, butter & sugar.

Mix well

Add flour & baking pwder (already mixed)

Bake 45 mins at 350 - Makes 2 loafs

This is best left a few days before eating if you can wait that long LOL I like it spread with a healthy butter substitute..

I changed the ingredients a little & I admit I have a dandy wee electric machine to chop my fruits & nuts but here's what I did..

I added dried apples & used about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of chopped apple - this was too soft to use in my nifty chopper so used a knife & the old fashioned chopping board method. I put them on the stove with a little water - enough so that the apple absorbed the water & became nice & plump & there was no water left.

I also added about a cup of finely chopped pecans.

I replaced the butter with olive oil

I only used 2/3 cup of sugar

I used whole wheat flour not white

What you get is a healthy treat loaded with MUFAs

I started making my own bread again earlier this year & found a recipe on line for making Sourdough & my 'bug' has been going for 7 or 8 months now - it took me a couple of trys to get it going right so don't be discouraged if your first attempt doesn't work, just roll up your sleeves & try again..

I use the basic white - for bread- flour but use 1/2 white & 1/2 rye flour for my bread & add NO sugar & only 1 tspn of salt & of course I use olive oil instead of butter. I also sprout about a half a cup of either wheat berries or rye berries to add at the same time I add the sourdough mix to the flour. I start the sprouts a couple of days before I do my bread making so that they are just at the soft stage where the leaves are forming & YUMMMMMM..

Joe snapped a pic the other day while I was kneading my bread so I'll share it with you.

Sunday update

2008-09-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Update on Nancydoll

She's getting there & still smiling thru all the poking she's getting in the process. I gave her a crystal (2mm) ear-ring to add a bit of BLING.

As I bead this doll, I have my sister much in my thoughts.. Nancy used to be a hair stylist & does Ballroom Dancing & she made her own costumes for that. She is a very accomplished Woman & always looks good. She power walks to keep fit & her dancing also helps to keep her slim & flexible

She is on extended holiday near Perth, in Western Australia, helping her DIL out with the children, while Phil (my nephew) gets settled in a new job out in a mining town a million miles from nowhere...

The Eyeball story for Denise

2008-09-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well last year an online friend (who is also a beader, fancy that!) sent me a box of goodies for my birthday, just because.. So this year I repaid the compliment & now it's a snowball because she sent me another box this year as well & the eye ball is from that.

Kelly tells me that she felted it then realized it would fit perfectly in a walnut shell & volia, a pin cushion or a needle cushion in this case, because that's what I use it for...

Kelly has included carefully chosen beads in size 8, 11 & 15 so that I can bead the beanie bear, as well as several faces & other interesting bits & pieces. The beautiful purple button on Nancy is from this package too..

Denise don't you LOVE those orange leaves in the front of the picture, oh & isn't that green & white doll magnificent! She took my breath away when I first saw her...

Thank you Kelly, I hope we get to meet in person some day!!

Denise's Dare

2008-09-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

Denise dared me to show my beading table, so here it is... I use a TV tray with vellux as my mat - mine is from 'Beading at the Beach' Denise, is yours?

So here is a pic taken today with Nancy smiling as she awaits more beads, did I tell you that purple has always been Nancy's favorite colour? Well it is..

As you can see the tray is upside down, I sit where Nancy's head points.. There are Ott-lites both sides of where I sit & my Bead Nest (as Joe calls it) is on my left & there is low table on my right both full of beads so once I am sitting down I don't have to move, it is all at my fingertips..

I can't explain the tiny 8 ball on my tray, it's something Joe put there, as is the map of New Zealand which he cut out to show me how it didn't fit into California twice as I'd told him.. I pointed out that the maps were 2 different sizes LOL so of course I went to Google to find out for sure & YES I was right.. Don't you love it when you're right!!!

September BJP

2008-09-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

OK this is it, no really, I mean it...

My theme this year is 'The Women in my life' & starting out for September is my oldest sister Nancy, who turned 66 this month.. Happy Birthday Nancy dear!

Nancy is now the matriarch of our family as we lost our dear Mother last December

I used the freezer paper method to transfer Nancy to plain white fabric & treated it so that the ink would never smudge (at least I sure hope it won't) I learnt a few things in the process - don't we always - Like fiddling with the contrast to make the picture darker so that you can actually see it when it is printed out LOL

My pages are 'dolls' that are 6" tall & fit into a milk bottle lid, which will be weighted before the doll is glued into it. I plan to use the Women in my family, including my dear Mother & a few special friends to make my 12 doll pages

This is my progress so far....

I have to tell you that when I told Joe (dh) that I was going to paint the milk bottle lid black, he informed me that it is not possible as the paint wouldn't stick.. Well telling me that something won't work is like a dare, so I Mod Podged the edge of the lid & then painted it & guess what? It worked LOL

Take #1

2008-09-04T11:28:00.001-07:00

Well my first idea for my pages failed miserably LOL & here I was thinking I had it all planned ha ha haaa

So it's kinda back to the drawing board for me & on with the thinking cap again

Wish me luck...

Take #1

2008-09-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sea Shells

2008-08-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Final page for the 2007 -2008 BJP

This one took some doing, as I posted earlier I had done a Paua shell planning to use it for the month of May BUT it was too big for the frames I have, so it was back to the drawing board.

I had a block as far as what to do for my last page & with it being summer I ended up spending lots of time in the garden & avoided my beading table because of my lack of ideas - yeah don't ya hate these empty spaces when it comes to beading ideas LOL

I did all kinds of things to avoid beading, even cleaning up my craft room, which looked like a tornado had hit it & in doing so, I found some delightful fabric I had got while down in New Zealand earlier this year. It featured a Paua shell along with a Mussel & a Kina or Sea Urchin & another shell in colour with the rest of the shells in sepia colours. I embroidered the 4 coloured shells & this is the result

I have to say it is not my favorite of this series but hey I still think it rocks so that's what counts, right?

I still don't know why my pictures won't open to full size but you can check out a larger picture here

Mother & Dad

2008-07-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

I just got a birthday gift to out do all gifts. Tucked into my birthday card from my sister Isabell was a photo of Mother & Dad dancing, taken back in 1967.

They both look so happy, it made me cry when I saw the picture..

I miss you both more than words can say & I hope you are dancing together again now..

One more page for the BJP

2008-06-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

I have finished the June '07 page finally - I started this one planning to totally encrust my pages but found the size daunting so there it sat taunting me for the next 11 months LOL I finally cut out the piece I had beaded & attached it to another piece of fabric, as I started beading around it I realized it was an sea anemone & so.... The Portrait of a Sea Anemone was born

I also had it in my mind to bead a Paua shell (black lipped abalone) for my final page BUT...... It ended up too big for my little frames that I am using to display my pages -grrrrrr

So it is back to the drawing board for my final page. Plus, now what do I do with a beaded Paua shell? LOL A friend suggested a tiny mermaid to sit in the shell & yes that could happen but time will tell, eh?

Back side covered with 'Paua Shell' fabric from New Zealand

My mind is a blank as what else to do for my last BJP, so I have been playing with beaded beads, which I will share pics of as soon as I get some pictures of them

Tagged for a Meme

2008-06-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Arline & Cyn in this Meme, so here goes..

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was living in Asuncion, Paraguay & teaching English as a 2nd Language at a British Language Institute. It was the experience of a lifetime for me, as I not only experienced a totally different culture from my own & learnt a new language, I also made some wonderful friends from all over the world (I am still in touch with many of them)

I'd been doing bead embroidery for a while & had also taught myself peyote stitch from a book so of course I was beading in my spare time.

2. What are 5 things on my to do list for today (need not be in order)?

1. Fix the tension on my sewing machine
2. Water the plants in the garden shed
3. Mount my June (yes June 07) BJP on the back board & get it in its frame
4. Work on my May BJP page (the last one & it's almost done)
5. Price a bunch of things for next weekend's Garage Sale

3. Snacks that I enjoy.

an apple - dried fruit - chocolate

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.

Stop worrying about money - ha ha haa that's a given, isn't it?
Set my children up with the home & business of their choice
Give all of my grandchildren a college education
Become a philantrapist & hire a bunch of my friends to help me find worthy causes
Buy a tropical island for bead/art retreats & have fun with all my creative friends

5. Places I have lived.

New Zealand - born & raised there
Australia - my dear daughter still lives there
Asuncion, Paraguay, South America
Pacific Coast, Washington, USA

6. Jobs I have had.

Cook

CNA

Varied office assistant & sale's type jobs

Primary Producer/Banana Grower
English Language Teacher
Mother, the most rewarding job of all

7. Peeps I want to know more about.

Jos
Sassy Sharon
Heather
Helaine
Judi
Kelly

I've notified my bloggy friends of their tags & hopefully they will want to play too.

Round Robin Beaded Doll

2008-05-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Back in late 2004, I was part of a wonderful Retreat called Beadin' on the Beach.

Several of us started a Beaded Doll Round Robin - sadly there were many life changing upheavals over the next threee & a half years which meant the dolls got stuck here & there instead of moving on but life happens & most of the dolls have made it home.

My dolly, 'Dragonfly Dreamer -Bonnie Blue' arrived home last week & here she is in all her glory & beads.

Thank you to all of my dear friends who worked on my dolly, I will treasure her always as a special memory of that wonderful weekend beadin' on the beach...

As usual my pictures won't open so you can see the pics somewhat larger here

Mr Natural's Etsy store

2008-05-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

My husband has opened an Etsy store where you can buy some odds & ends from his stash of his funky 'ART' supplies as well as some of his Steam Punk/Assemblabe Art. Check it out here

Here's Joe with his prize winning piece from the Peninsula Arts Association Spring Show last month. He had such a grand time making this 'Raygun' there are lights that flash & when you look in the tiny 'portholes' you can see the 'motor' working with all kinds of things spinning & moving. It truely is a work of art!!

Two more BJP pages finished

2008-05-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is August's page which is titled Nudibranch looking for lunch

September's page is a Pink Jelly Fish

I am finally catching up on the pages I missed out last year ~ whew! Only two more to go & less than a month to finish this year's BJP out in time but I know I can do it

You can see my pages enlarged somewhat here

April Under the Sea BJP

2008-04-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

One more page done for my Beaded Journal Project, this time it is a Green Turtle diving through the clear ocean waters for some tasty morsles that inhabit the coral reef.

I still have a couple to do to finish the whole year but I'm working at getting them done ASAP

You can see a larger picture of this one here

Under the Sea BJP for March

2008-03-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have finished another page for the Beaded Journal project, this was another fun piece to work on

As usual I cannot get my pictures to open so you can see a bigger picture here

More on my mask

2008-03-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

I am slowly making progress with my mask. I hope to get a decent amount done over the next day or two but time will tell, eh

You can see supersized pictures here

Pay It Forward

2008-03-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have read about Pay It Forward on several blogs & I have always been too late to jump aboard but that changed today when I found an open spot for me to jump into @ http://crystallinelight.blogspot.com/

It pretty simple, the first 3 people who comment on my blog will receive something handmade from me, if they in turn will do the same thing... See the rules below.

Pay it forward rules: I will send a handmade gift (something beaded) to the first 3 people who leave a Comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange (and email me their mailing address), and who make the same pledge on their own blogs. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward meaning you will do the same for three people who comment on your posting on your blog.

One more BJP page

2008-03-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Let's call this one January as I have a few months to catch up on, so I'm doing my darnedest ~ grin

This one is simple & uses some sliced shells that I found in one of the stores down here at the beach

I'm still having problems getting these pictures to open bigger when you click them so meanwhile, you can see this one supersized here

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2090263230063161327pLgMIq

February BJP finished

2008-02-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

I have to thank the Lone Beader for this one, as her style of bead embroidery inspired me to try something similar. I used layers of felt to make the Mermaid & the fish stand out from the background fabric..

Here are a couple of progress pictures so you can see what I did, the top side of the Mermaid is about a 1/4 " thick and the lower side is flat, so hopefully I have achieved a 3D effect with her & the fish..

I'm not sure about the face of the mermaid but hey she does have a great head of hair LOL

Her tail is ruffled with sculptural bead weaving, this last picture is the most true to life colour I think.... Now onto the next one

You can see this picture enlarged at my webshots allbums as my pictures still won't open to larger images even tho they are HUGE :(

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2995530400063161327oyswoK

More on the Mask Challenge

2008-02-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

I recently started a new job & life got turned upside down for a bit & I am now working 40 hrs a week BUT I am still getting some beading done, which helps keep me sane in a crazy world ;9

I've got the theme for my mask worked out & have made a small start on the beading. I will show some teasers pictures of my mask as I go but I intend to keep my theme to myself for now, it is a challenge after all, right?

I decided to glue some polycotton fabric from on old sweatshirt over the felt, as I didn't like beading on the fuzz from the felt.....

I love these clear AB 11s - they have a wonderful rainbow effect, don't you think?

Under the Sea for December

2008-02-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to feel like I am catching up at last & have December's page done & in its frame

I am really pleased with this one & was inspired to make the fabric 'tubes' by an article in the July '07 Quilting Arts magazine & some of the lovely polished Paua pieces I brought back from New Zealand last year were the perfect complement... I also added a Swarovski Starfish that I got at the Puget Sound Bead Fest last year but it sparkles so much it's hard to see clearly

The colour is not quite right, so I might try another picture with natural light & see what happens, meanwhile here's a detail shot as I am still having problems getting these pictures to open to a bigger pic - grr
I have made a good start on January's page as well, so hopefully I'll have caught up before May arrives

Noverber BJP finshed at last

2008-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

OK, so I really am running late but here it is with progress shots to show you how I did it

The Mermaid made with PC, hand painted & from a mold I made some time back, I bezzeled around her like you would a cab
As you can see, the yarn is being transformed into sea grass with the addition of beads
Now the fun part begins - embellishing!!
So, the little orange bit is going to be a fish..
But he is not what I wanted so back to the drawing board I go..
The final fish, I am much happier with this wee guy, he's done in peyote stitch
And so it is finished, it was hard to know when it was done, I could have kept going with this one for at least another week but you have to stop somewhere, right?

For some reason I cannot get the last two pictures to enlarge, so here are close ups - I hope you can see the detail clearly in them

2008 - A new beginning...

2008-01-19T11:54:00.000-08:00

This year has started out with my sisters & I saying goodbye to our dear Mother, , who passed away in her sleep on the morning of 31st December 2007.

Mother was just 4 months short of her 91st birthday, she had lived a long & happy life & had accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord & Saviour, which has made accepting her loss much easier for me. Still, her going has left a hole in my life & that of all who knew & loved my dear Mother.

Eva Isabell Tucker (Dolly) 1st April 1917 - 31st Dec 2007

Silly Women that we were, we forgot to get a photo of us all together before my sister Colleen returned home to Nelson, after Mum's funeral. So, I have 2 photos of my sisters & I to share with you..Isabell, Colleen, Nancy Ellen

Isabell, Nancy, Ellen, Anne

I flew out of Portland Oregon on Dec 31st (remember we in the US are a day behind NZ) & 'WOOSH' flew right thru Jan 1st, arriving at 5 AM on Jan 2nd in Auckland, where my son Stephen was waiting for me.
So, I missed New Year's Day totally but that's OK, & despite the heartbreaking reason for my trip, I enjoyed being with my family & spending some quality time with my sisters, in New Zealand's warm, summer weather.

My sons Garry & Stephen with me

I arrived back home Tuesday, 15th Jan & although it is cold & wet here, I'm mostly glad to be back -part of me wanted to stay down home in NZ.

I am trying to finish the BJP page I started in November & here is my progress so far..

Time has not been my friend with this project at all, maybe I started with my pages too big but I am going to try & finish them all by June

Of course I can never do just one thing at once & am also taking part in a Beaded Mask Challenge, organized by Heather & Debra from The Beadin' Path http://www.beadinpath.com/content/blogcategory/15/13/

I got the felt attached to the mask itself before my trip to NZ, so now I need to get some beads on it

I first wet the felt, then stretched it over the mask to mold it to the shape of the mask. Once it had dried, I used a fabric adhesive to glue the felt to the mask, which left it flexible enough to stitch through.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my family & friends a very Merry Christmas, may the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ fill your hearts with peace & happiness this coming season.

All the best for a happy, healthy 2008..

My DH Joe found this little light thingie (official name) that turns while the lights change colour some time ago. This year when I got out my beaded ornaments, he chose a clear glass one covered with silver lined beads & clear crystals to sit atop of his 'light merry-go-round' & made a short video for me to share with you all

I guess he should have had some Christmas music playing but hey it is what it is

The weekend at the beach

2007-11-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

Was windy as all heck!!

We had high winds of up to 80 MPH this past weekend & woke yesterday (Monday) to no electricity - YIKES!

&

NO WATER - Double YIKES!

We did have bottled water & the holding tanks on the moter-home were full so we were able to make tea & coffee out there - thank goodness for small mercies, eh? I cooked spaghetti bolognese for dinner out in the moter home last night & Joe took a bowl of it over to our elderly neighbour, so that she would have a hot meal too. Vida told me today that is was the best spaghetti she'd ever had but I'm guessing anything would have been welcome on a night like last night ~ grin

The water was out because a tree had gone over pulling the water pipes up (just inside the property line so it is our expense - yikes again! Joe made a temporary fix & we have the insurance man coming tomorrow to see about them paying for the trees in front (beach pines) to come out as there are 4 & while only the first 2 are over, the other 2 are also showing signs of disturbance to the roots so are a problem now as well - Widow makers is what Joe calls them

The trees are actually in front of my MIL's house but we share the water line ;9 Our house is the white looking one to the right of the picture..

The power came back on this morning around 10 am thank goodness, Joe had got the fridge in the motor-home going yesterday afternoon & we put all the perishables out there, so didn't lose any food at all which is a good thing, eh?

A friend's daughter had her 11th birthday last week & I made her a couple of things, can you tell that pink is her favorite colour?

I have started making some Christmas themed jewelry & lots of ornament covers as a friend is going to host an open house for me at her Motel sometime after Thanksgiving weekend. So keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll have good sales ;9 I'll share photos of that stuff later when I get done with them all

Eeww

2007-11-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

Do you travel?

Do you stay in hotels?

Check this out eeww

Under the Sea for October

2007-11-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

I used a fish cut from some of Laurel Burch's fabulous fabric for my Under the Sea BJP for October. Laurel passed away in September, so this is my tribute to her & her wonderful art...

Isn't Laurel's choice of colours fabulous?

The fish was backed & lightly stuffed with fiberfil to give him a 3D effect. His body is bead embroidered & the fins are woven with Peyote stitch, which allows them to 'float' as fins should.

You can read Laurel's Obituary here.

Joe's news

2007-11-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

It turns out that the tumor that Joe had removed is the lowest grade of Lymphoma there is. It is a very slow growing cancer & the Dr assured Joe that people with this type of cancer usually go on to live several more decades.

To which Joe replied that; as a 60+ year old man, several more decades is a good thing.

He had a PET scan of the lymphatic system, done on Thursday so we should hear the results of that by mid next week. Depending on the outcome of that - we are believing that there are no more tumors - Joe will have some radiation treatment to the area where they removed the tumor & that should be that...

What a wonderful outcome, eh?

An added bonus to all of this is that Joe has had chronic sinus problems for over 10 years getting worse each year & it seems that this tumor was the cause of it all, as the sinus problem has cleared up! That is a huge relief too..

My dear Mother has improved somewhat too & is able to walk to the dining room for meals witht he aid of her walker & encouragement from the assistants at the home. She is getting more & more frail as time goes by tho & it makes me regret being so far from her..

October what a month!

2007-10-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ok this month started out with Joe having a tumor removed from his sinuses - yeah scary, eh?

Next the drainfield for our septic failed & now we have a HUGE mess in the back yard.. Argg!!

This is looking down at the house from the top of the garden at the back... It is a pretty good pic too of the finished roof & deck, Joe replaced the original roof over the hot tub & the decking around it too so that it all matched the additions we made a couple of years back.

Still work going on in the South end ---> like a window to go in that wall & a built in closet/storage for stuff that needs to live out there on the deck as well as a laundry tub as there is none inside the house a fact that seems odd to me ;9

It was an easy if messy fix & while the backhoe is here we are adding an extra hole full of rock for all the rainwater that comes off the west side of the house & the roof over the deck. This should help keep the yard a little less soggy over the wet winter that is in store for us compliments of La Nina..

I imagine the backyard will be something of a mud hole for most of the winter but we will cope ok, worse things are happening elsewhere right now. Like the horrific fires in Calafornia, my heart goes out to those folk who have lost their homes & those in fear of losing their's. Thank God there are not as many lives lost as there were in the last big fires they had down there..

Anyhow back to Joe, we saw his Oncologist today about the tumor they removed from his sinuses 3 weeks ago... He has a form of lymphoma, exactly what we don't know yet... The Dr was concerned because the 'almost cancer' lump they took (back in February) was from the left side of his neck & this was from the right side of his face, he seemed to think this odd as it is unusual for these things to be both sides of the body at once kind of or something

Like Joe says, he is nothing if not unusual.

He has to have a PET scan which is a scan of the lymphatic system to see there is anything else there - He had one of these done after we got back from NZ last April - & it showed nothing, so so much for that!! But this thing they removed must have grown quite fast, another thing that appeared to worry Joe's Oncologist.

He also has to see Dr Nichols an Oncologist who specializes in Lymphoma & incidentally treated Lance Armstrong, the famous cyclist who won the Tour de France several times, so we know he is good!

I'll let you know when we know more, please keep Joe in your prayers he is pretending to not be worried but he is & so am I

Oh yes, my dear Mother is not doing well at all, she had a clot removed from her ankle area a few weeks back & now has cellulitis & is not able to get up & walk on that leg at all, I spoke with the manager of the home where she lives this evening & she tells me that the antibiotics are working as the cellulitis looks to be clearing up, I hope so, that is a wicked infection. Her poor old body is starting to shut down & that saddens me more than words can say.. I fear I will be on a plane winging my way to New Zealand very soon

I am making progress on my 'whatever month' page for the BJP - I am so far behind that I need to look at another way of keeping up... Bead more often? LOL I'm trying to ha haaa

I hope to have some pics of what I am working on now to share after this next weekend

~smiles~ Ellen

July done OMG!!

2007-09-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Finally I have something to share - This is my JULY page..

The starfish was made as a separate piece & then attached after he was beaded

He will eventually live in this frame but I have a lot of embellishing to do before he is completely done

So today I also finished a Caterpillar Bracelet that has been sitting waiting for the last 3 inches to be done for longer than I care to admit LOL

I recently bought a new wrist support, which is especially for sleeping in & I am pleased to say that it's making a LOT of difference in the pain level in my hand. The wrist support is padded so that the metal bar which keeps your wrist straight doesn't dig into your flesh - that's why I gave up wearing the last one I had - but this one is so comfortable & I no longer wake up with pins & needles in my hand.. I can now sit & bead without pain - YAY!!!!!

Hmm... I don't know why my pictures won't open to bigger pics when you click on them, if anyone can help me with this I would very much appreciate it

Yay - it's not migraines

2007-09-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago I was waiting for the garden hose-reel to wind back up, when the wind caught the lid on the box it lives in, at the same moment I lent over to untangle the hose. It fell on my neck, missing my spine thank Goodness. It caught me on my neck behind my ear & knocked me to my knees & I must admit the air was pretty blue for a while as I realized I wasn't bleeding & not seeing double.

This lid measures 28" x 36"

If you look real close you can see the flimsy hook just below the top right corner.

Now I am keeping that huge heavy lid up with this big plank

I have had awful headaches since but knew they weren't migraines & most of my days since the accident I have felt like I was hungover - not the nicest feeling in the world.

I saw my Dr yesterday to find out what was up & he tells me I have damaged a nerve that goes up the outside of the scull, so I am on some anti-inflammatory capsules that hopefully will heal the nerve.. But I am so happy it is not migraines & hopefully the headaches will start to go soon

Time for a change

2007-09-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

I have worn my hair long for years now & it had got to the stage when I pulled it back that my head hurt. So I decided to have it cut short.

My dear Mother should be happy as she always tells me she likes my hair short, so Mum this one is for you..

Before

After

I have been getting horrendeous headaches (not migraines) the past couple of weeks & I don't normally get headaches at all so today I am going to see the Dr to find out what this is all about.

I am not able to concentrate on one thing for long & have been spending increasing amounts of time lying on the bed unable to do anything, not even bead!! So enough is enough. Keep your fingers crossed that the Dr finds the cause of these damn headaches

Disappointing but such is life

2007-09-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well after starting out so well with an early bid, the necklace didn't get any more bids so went for a mere $50. I hope whoever won it realizes what a bargain they got..

Would I take part in another of these projects? You bet I would as even tho the outcome was disappointing, the process was fun & I made some new friends along the way..

The auction has begun

2007-09-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Please take a look at the auction for the 'Charmed Life Necklace' which has started on E-bay..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260158499739

If you can't bid please forward it to family & friends who you think might be interested in owning a one of a kind necklace & helping out breast cancer research at the same time

A Charmed Life...

2007-08-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

In April 2006 an online friend Cyndi Lavin of Bead Arts invited me to join her and a few of her other 'on-line' friends to take part in a collaborative charm necklace which we would offer for auction to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.

First we voted on a theme and colour scheme for our charms, we chose the ocean for our theme, which led to a palette of blues, purples and greens for our charms.

This is what I made..

I used some Paua shell from New Zealand with seed beads and Swarovski Crystals to compliment the gorgeous blues, greens and pinkish purples in the shell.

When the charms were completed we sent them on to Cyndi, who then assembled them into the necklace.

We each got to wear the necklace to an outing, it created lots of interest where ever it went. I wore it to the local Rotary Club's annual Oysters and Art Auction to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club. The photo my dear husband took of me wearing the necklace was a nice shot of the back of my head but we can't see the necklace Joe! LOL

You can see the necklace I donated to the auction here.

Cyndi contacted Belle Armoire who featured it in their 'Simply Charming Collaborative Art Necklaces' in the Sept/Oct issue of their magazine. Sadly the photo they took does not do our necklace justice - plus THEY SPELT MY LAST NAME WRONG...

Here's a picture I took of the necklace “A Charmed Life” will be auctioned off, starting Sunday, September 9 and ending on Saturday, September 15, on eBay.

Search for it using the phrase “a charmed life necklace breast cancer”

Please share this information with your family and friends and mark it on your calender, so that we can get lots of people bidding to raise money for Breast Cancer Research, a cause that has touched all of our lives in some way.

Housekeeping...

2007-08-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

I got bored with the colours of my blog so played around with the templates & as green is my favorite colour this seemed the perfect set up for me..

Freebird has this link to Bablefish on her blog & I thought it would be a cool addition to mine too, thanks Freebird ;9

I did get some beading done over the past couple of days & the starfish is almost done. Then I need to attach him to the page, I plan on doing a bit if beading to highlight the 'waves' in the ocean of the background fabric before I attach him tho & then it will be done.

Of course I still have to do August's page & here we are almost into September - I don't like being behind, so hopefully next month will see me catching up. Don't any of you hold your breath tho LOL

Today (already the 27th down under) my baby is 37 - Happy Birthday Elizabeth..

Oh my, how you have grown, I am so proud of the Woman you are..

A little bit of Saturday night silliness

2007-08-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

Clearly a slow Saturday night in the US.... said Bobbi LOL It sure is Bobbi..

Anyhow... Lora has invited all who want to play to a mini contest & the winner will receive one of her beaded face pins check it out here

That sounds like a good deal to me, thanks Lora ;9

So here it is..

SCATTERGORIES... & it's harder than it looks!

Here are the rules:

* Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the questions.

* They MUST be real places, names, things ... NOTHING made up!

* If you can't think of anything, skip it.

* You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

* If your name happens to start with the same letter as mine, sorry but you can't use my answers!

My name: Ellen

1. Famous Singer/Band: Ella Fitzgerald

2. Four letter word: Easy

3. Street: Egmont Street

4. Color: Ecru

5. Gifts/Presents: Ear warmers

6. Vehicle: Edsel

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Ear-rings

8. Boy Name: Eric

9. Girl Name: Eva

10. Movie Title: East of Eden

11. Drink: Earl Grey Tea

12. Occupation: Engineer

13. Celebrity: Ellen DeGeneres

14. Magazine: Elle

15. U.S. City: Ellensburg (Wa)

16. Pro Sports Teams: The Eagles (Philadelphia)

17. Fruit: Eggplant

18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Empty gas tank

19. Something You Throw Away: Empty toothpaste tubes

20. Things You Shout: Eeek!

21. Cartoon Character: Elmer Fudd

Yeah I know I should be beading but well, ya know LOL

Thursday Dahlia

2007-08-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

I picked the dahlia this afternoon so that the next one will have enough room to open

Here it is, Thursday 23

Of course it needed a big vase but I didn't have anything to put inside to hold the bloom up straight... Thank goodness for husbands, Joe managed to construct the perfect 'frog' to hold it up straight in the vase... Thank you dear ;9

I saw my Endocrinologist today, she's pleased that I have lost weigh, plus my cholesterol & triglycerides are both at excellent numbers, which pleases me very much too.

I'm going to bead for a while & maybe I'll have a progress pic tomorrow..

It's done

2007-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well not really done but it is open completly & now the bud next to it is beginning to open as well, so here is the last pic..

Wed 22 Aug

I plan on doing some much needed garden work today & hope that these grey skies don't decide to open up & rain on me. I guess I can bead if it does rain ;9

I did manage to get a bit of beading done last night but I'm not taking any more pics until it's finished, so stay tuned...

Tuesday Dahlia

2007-08-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

We've been getting rain during the night since last Friday & my garden loves it!

I do too, as God has been watering the garden for me..

Here's the Golden Emblem Dahlia this morning...

It is 8 inches wide!

Jazz & Oysters

2007-08-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jazz & Oysters at the old Oysterville school, an annual event here on the Long Beach Peninsula, which is organized by the good folk from Water Music Festival

My husband has been a volunteer at Jazz & Oysters for several years but this was my first year helping out.

I worked at the dessert table & boy oh boy there were some tempting delights, all donated by local Bakeries & Restaurants!

I only had two plates honestly!

This is how we cook oysters up here on the Willapa Bay, where some of the finest oysters in the Nation are grown by the way ;9

Although the day started out damp & grey, by noon the sun had come out and with it came many locals... ...to listen to the Ron Steen Trio & the beautiful voice of Marilyn Keller I was lucky enough to speak with Marilyn, who told me she has been singing since she was a child & that she learnt to sing in harmony when she was in kindergarten.

Of course that meant I didn't get any beading done this past weekend but that's OK, I'm planning to make up for lost time this evening

Here are two photos of the yellow dahlia...

taken this morning
& again this eveningIt's really got a grow on now & that bud next to it is getting bigger by the minute!

Dahlia Sunday 19

2007-08-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here's day 3 of the yellow dahlia, it has 2 more petals open..

Last year my girlfriend gave me a Hollyhock she'd grown from seed & which I put in a part of the garden that is a work in progress, not much has changed in that corner since last year - Except the Hollyhock, which came up from last year's seed & there are close to 30-50 plants there now LOL

They're such beautiful purple flowers I had to share them with you.....

Golden Emblem Dahlia

2007-08-18T19:08:00.001-07:00

I've decided to share progress pics of my huge yellow dahlia as it opens, I've never seen one this big before & to think it started as a tiny tuber I got at the supermarket a couple of years ago...

Friday 17 August

Saturday 18 August

The flower that's opening now is just over 2" wide & the bud next to it is just over 1" wide.

I'm wondering if the slender stalks will be able to hold the flowers up once they are fully open. Time will tell, won't it?