Beading & STUFF

Back in Nov 2004 a group of online beading friends (about 30) from 8 different states & Canada got together for a Retreat at the beach where I live. We had a super time, 3 days nights of beads & laughter, friendships were born & memories were created. We also started a Beaded Doll Round Robin, which because life happens has been extended several times but is nearing the end at last. I am working on the final doll to come to me & should have her on her merry way by Monday all being well & good. Then I can get my head around my BJP page for June ;9

This weekend is the Relay for Life & I signed up for the team from the Assisted Living Center where I work.. I am fortunate as no one in my family has had Breat Cancer but I have friends who are survivors & have lost one friend & it is for Crystal that I am walking.

Speaking of walking, I am finally losing weight - I've been using the gym at work since February & not only am I losing weight, I've also lowered both my cholesterol & blood sugar. It feels good to know I am doing the right thing for my body, it took me long enough tho - laughing at self.

I am also getting caught up with my gardening chores but there are still a good number of plants waiting for bigger pots or to be planted somewhere. I took a bunch of photos of my garden last week & must put them here so I can share them

Oh yes & my friend Joslyn who just welcomed her third beautiful son into the world, also won the Bead Art 'Through the Looking Glass' challenge, with her piece 'The Red Queen' Congratulations Jos!

Husbands!

Today DH went to pick up an old dentist chair - He sells old STUFF on E-Bay -
Anyhow instead of waiting for his buddy to come by & help him off with it, he rigged his block & tackle & was hauling it off by his self. Only it didn't go as planned & THANK GOODNESS I was home.
He has a nasty gash above his eye and another level with the outside corner of his eye. No stitches but I did convince him to let me cover the worst of the cuts (said eye is now black & swollen)

You'd think by the time a man is 60 + he would KNOW not to do things like that

This is the reason Women out live men..

Martha Edlin's Casket

What an amazing show of skill Martha Edlin's Casket

I found this on one of the beading forums I visit when I should be beading

80,000-year-old Beads

Yep you read right, 80,000 year old beads.

That was a headline on yahoo news this morning so of course I had to check it out..

It goes on to say:- Even the very first modern humans may have spruced themselves up with beaded bling. So, check it out for yourself...

Since beads have been around for that long I sure don't see them going out of style any time soon, do you? LOL

A false start

Well I've been at a standstill with my pages which has been frustrating.

I want to make 3D beaded art quilts so I got the fabric I thought I needed & off I went.

But when I started on my 'first' page I realized that even tho this has a kind of 3D aspect to it, this is not what my mind's eye saw.

Although it doesn't show in the picture, the mermaid & seahorse are attached with a felt backing, so that they are raised slightly but not with the effect that I wanted to achieve.

Also, I was going to have my journal as a book with the pages attaching to the left of the beaded page & that no longer appealed either.

Today I checked out my friend Grace's blog & was encouraged to name my journal, thinking that would aid my Muse who seems to be in hiding at the moment - Thanks Grace

So now, I'm working on a new start with a new slant & hopefully I'll have something to share soon

LOL at myself

Ahh talk about Women changing their minds, well I guess I am the classic example LOL

I got started on my June page for BJP but as I worked on it, I realized that it was not what I wanted to do... So for the past coulple of days I've been brainstorming my ideas & have totally changed my thinking

Oh well, better now than later I guess & at worst I've added to my fabric stash, which is a good thing ;9

Tune later in for further adventures..

Mermaids on my mind

I've lived most of my life near the ocean, so chosing a theme for this journey of Beaded Journals was simple - Mermaids - For me, they are part of the wonder of the ocean along with the countless fish & plants which are hidden beneath the waves.

We might live on a dead end road, off a dead end road; as my DH likes to put it, but it's still the beach & for those of us who create art; be it with fabric, fibre & or beads, our little sand spit has it all.

Those of you who were here for our 'Beading on the Beach' Retreat (Nov 2004) will remember Anna Lena's the fabulous Fabric & Fudge shop that we have down here at the beach..


I sure wasn't disappointed when I called in there today to see what I could find with an ocean flavour. Near the back of the store was a fabulous display of just what I was after & as you can see I had no problem choosing what I wanted for backgrounds on my journal pages. I also got a few other interesting fabrics but you'll have to wait to see them & no I didn't get any fudge ;9

I have made a couple of other mermaids & there are several others which are WIPs sitting around waiting for more beads. Here is my first one.

Robin Atkins' very talented brother Thom makes the most delightful beaded art quilts & they are the inspiration for my goal on this year long journey. I usually totally cover my dolls with beads, so not beading the whole thing, will be something new for me. At this point I think my pages will be done in book format but time will tell, won't it?

On another subject I have finally started to lose weight - YES! - I am down by 5 lbs, I knew it had to happen but it seemed to be taking forever. I really like the ellipitical & I get the best workout on it.. I know this weight loss thing is better when it's a slow, steady process but it's hard not to become impatient & wish for a 'miricle' pill that would magically melt pounds off over night.

Ha, if wishes were pennies.....