March 30, 2006

Beach Days


How do you practice for a bead cruise to Mexico? You go on a family beach event in Mexico 9 days before leaving for the Bead Cruise! I just had a really great vacation with my Sister, her two children and their families right on the beach in Rocky Point Mexico. See all those shells, rocks and beach glass.... well, they look like fodder for some "found object" jewelry - and if that doesn't work then they can go into my side yard. It seems that my family can't go anywhere without picking up pieces of anything that looks interesting. It was a nice time in the sun listening the the waves just outside of our windows. We visited, ate, kept the littler kids slathered with sunscreen and worked on a few jewelry projects.

I spent much of my time on the veranda beading and teaching some of the family how to make things.

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I did manage to finish two cuff bracelets.


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My sister wanted to learn how to knot pearls and professionally finish strung necklaces. "Bring extra tools", she said, "as my daughter might want to do some too." The surprise was that my adult nephew, Jake, and 13 year old Grand Nephew Andrew (or is that my Great Nephew?) were the ones who got totally involved with wire wrapping.

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Andrew figured out that you could find shells with holes in them and using copper wire crafted this great shell necklace.

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Three of us practiced making wire wrapped bead components and then we hooked them all together. It's a great necklace for a practice piece, isn't it? Tina finished a copper and red necklace and managed to get her fingers wrapped around bead knotting.

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It was hard to leave the tranquility of the beach, but next week is another adventure on the high seas and another beach in Mexico.

March 14, 2006

I love Suprises

I was working against a deadline today, getting ad copy and program patterns ready for the Bead Cruise program booklet. Things were not going right, I deleted a critical file and was doing some big time cussing at my computer. When my mail came in I had a suprise package from a very good friend, Crystal. I opened the box and it made my day! In it was a "Tidy Tote" that her friend, Janice had made. Everyone should have one of these hanging on the edge of her work table to throw scrap & thread ends into. I guess my reputation for wearing flip-flops all year has sort of made them into my trademark. The fabric on this neat little hanging bag is very brightly colored flip-flops. Thank You Janice, I love it, it's perfect where it sits.


Leave it to Crystal to carry the theme to the extreme.... She made me a name tag with one of the fabric flip-flops and added even more flip-flop charms. Seeing as I've been procrastinating about making myself a beaded name tag, this one will sure come in handy. I didn't know there were that many of those charms out there. Crystal, you made an ugly day into a bright one.

March 4, 2006

Balls & Inspiration

Balls:
I seem to be in a beading slump and not finding anything that interests me to bead..........

What to do with a whole bowl of felted balls. They might look great as a random colored ball necklace. However, they look beautiful just as they are in my antique glass bowl.

Balls in any material fascinate me. I found these glass balls at the Tucson Gem & Mineral show that I didn't know what to do with. Yes, I just had to have them and they feel nice just to hold. Yesterday at a thrift store I saw the trio of silver candlesticks that looked like they would fit them. Perfect, and the light coming through the window shines through them beautifully. I like my soultion and think the pairing of candlesticks and balls very decorative.


Inspiration:
On another thrift store journey I found a beautiful vintage beaded purse that needs a lot of loving care. Some beads are missing and others are in danger of falling off. It is beaded on a fabric that resembles corduroy, but is not fuzzy. The opaque black and silver lined crystal beads are applied in straight rows and at first glance looks like it had been done on a loom. It is a delightful design with rose monte and bugle bead accents. If I had time I would adapt the design for an elegant loomed piece. Vintage beadwork always inspires me to do something similar of my own.

However, at this time there are a number of things that need to be done and going from inspiration to beading will have to wait until after my IRS accounting is done and bead kits are assembled for the Cruise workshops.