June 27, 2009

Beading to be done


I'll be teaching a series of bead crochet workshops in Fall River Mass this October and needed to get a bracelet sample done. Having more than half of my beads still packed away was a real handicap. However, I'm pleased with how the Snazzy Chain Bracelet came out. It's for rank bead crochet beginners, no tubes, no slip-stitch, no closures, just chain stitch with beads. That way one can get accustomed to the use of hook, thread and beads. It is a learning session that leaves the student with a finished piece that is very comfortable to wear.

Nice feeling to have beads rather than bricks in my hands.

Summer of Destruction


I think there is progress on the house remodel, but sometimes I wonder if the destruction will ever end so putting it back together will start. This is my Son taking down the chimney that was so badly cracked that it wouldn't survive. On the up side, all of the flooring has been delivered and I'm really happy with the bamboo.

June 11, 2009

Colors of another Era

Dismantling the bathrooms yielded a glimpse into what this house looked like in the late 1970's. This was the wallpaper in the main bathroom. It had dark wood trim.
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Somehow I can't imagine waking up to the colors in the master bath.... It's a very small 3/4 bath and when it was new it had this wild orange, brown and white floral wallpaper.
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Combine those orange flowers with this orange tile floor and then imagine the lime green carpet just outside in the bedroom. I'm sure there is inspiration here somewhere, but just not for me. I'd have to brush my teeth with my eyes closed!
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It's sort of a personal archaeological dig to take apart a house and discover the different modifications and color schemes over the years.


One of my friends thought I was weird to want to paint the inside like this.....


until she saw the same color combinations in a Museum of Contemporary Art ..... Wasn't my intention, I just like blue ceilings and thought the suede gray walls would offer relief from the intense greenery all around outside. I'm tired of white or ecru as neutral colors in a house. However the trim will eventually be white once the windows get replaced.

So, beading is still set aside and the house project is more demolition than putting it back together. When it rains, I paint inside and progress is being made.

June 5, 2009

Wall & Colors

The yard at the new house has some delightful surprises. I found a large bed of Siberian Iris that was completely over-run with tall grass. The colors are something that I'll have to keep in mind for a future beading project; deep rich blues, a darkish maroon and those small splashes of yellow.


Ditch digging is not my idea of fun ...... but it had to be done before they would deliver the propane tank. I have a fondness for hot showers, so getting that fuel tank in place is at the top of the list. Before the ditch could be dug, I had to rebuild the rock wall. Building rock walls has always been therapeutic for me. I love finding the rocks that fit the spaces. This one is not as neat as I'd like it to be but it was a fill in the spaces project.



We took the time to decorate the yard. I just found out that these original, signed, flamingos have become collector's items. Now my friend, Bev over at No Easy Beads can find my house if she ever decides to come East visit. She has a long fascination with those pink birds.
After a week of moving rocks and digging out 15 years of neglect around the wall, I'm more than ready to move inside and start patching & painting the laundry room.
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Propane tank delivered and in place late last evening - one task completed!