Sunday, June 26, 2011



I am trying to use up the beads I have on hand and thus I end up with this. Actually I made the rope twice trying to find a suitable green for the cubic Z crystals. In real life they are much more olive green as are the hex beads in the rope. Here it looks as if I have missed the train with the color wheels.

Have been reduced to making lizards because it seems I have tons of beads and yet not enough of anything to make any thing! I suspect this season of discontent is the brooding period before the begin of another interesting work. I have several jars of bead soup sitting around me and I am tempted to find a way to use them.

I did sent my entry fee and form to Gualala Arts to put the pumpkin in the August show. I could also send a necklace as a second piece, but nothing really excites me enough to do the paperwork for it. Perhaps because I am saving the option of doing the bead soup idea as my second piece. Keep tuned! to the cosmic giggle.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011



The little lights on a plug-in wire came on Friday and on Saturday I was able to redo the pumpkin and ghost mouse. It went back together fairly fast and I feel the whole composition is better, but when I looked at the previous photos, it had really not changed that much. Will now enter it in the Art in the Redwoods.


So with that long project off the trays, I went searching for something new, and found this in Beadwork. The small, narrow example was made following the instructions. It seemed too thin, with Delicas, to support embellishment so I made a much wider one with seed pearls and it has the heft I need from a bracelet. Nice but not my thing.


Yesterday I ordered the 'blog2book' to preserve my blogs of the past year. They had a 15% off sale so I got it, postpaid for $30. One of my reasons for keeping up this blog is to journal what I am making and thinking, but that needs a journal and for me, a journal is a book. They did such a good job last year that I am eager to see this year's book.

Thursday, June 16, 2011



Got what I think is a better photo of the dreamboat car. Sent this off to Gualala Arts to see if they want to use it in any of their publicity. I realized that this has moved from a 'car' to a float. I love how easily the wheels roll and like a kid I laid on the floor and did the "rooom, rooom" bit like I used to do with Hans. Some mothers grow up completely!








I had a bunch of these square beads that I bought too many of because I loved them so much. Then I could never find the pendragon cuff instructions where I wanted to use them, so I "put them away" and completely misplaced them. I would find them or the cuff instructions, but never both at the same time.


Werner bought the latest issue of Beadwork at the store last week and there was this tutorial for those new two holed beads. I had not bought any and after reading that they are fragile I doubt I will, but the design gave me an idea how to use my single-hole square beads and I made these tries. Am on my third one; still trying to get the count right. I see here that mine look very pointy. Maybe I should soften that as the example does. I am enjoying the challenge!

Monday, June 13, 2011




While I am catching up on last Thursday, I have another tale. I had arranged to meet Debbe at the bead trunk show at Gualala Arts Center and we were the first ones there. She brought her lampwork teeth (with blood! - thanks Debbe!) and her trade for the man lizard bracelet. When she had seen the ones at the bead meeting there was a green and blue one that was larger and when she ordered some in 'man colors' she asked they be that size. When she looked at all the bracelets, previously made and the new ones, she picked, not one of the specially made ones, but that older one she had previously seen. What a laugh we had!


Tah-dah! Got this done late last night but because of the late summer sun set, I was still able to photograph it at 8:30! This is not the official photograph. I want to use the other camera and hope to get a better shot, but I wanted to see how the angles work. I have never photographed a car before.

This will be my entry in Pinewood Derby at GAC on July 16th. Naturally it weighs more than 5 oz. so they will have to see it as an 'art car.'

I was pleased how it came it out. I see it ended up between a car and a float! But at least I found a way to use the boat I had made back in the winter. I wish now the roof was a darker brown, but not enough to redo it.


On Thursday, Alain, a seller of beads who had held a sale in Vicki's garage on a rainy day in December, came back and displayed a huge assortment of 'new to me' beads at the Gualala Arts Center. A beautiful sunny day made the beads really sparkle and I have heard from a couple of beaders who bought more than they had planned to spend that they really had a great time.

That makes me wonder what was wrong with me. I bought nothing and felt his beads were overpriced. I was interested in a strand of turquoise nuggets that he wanted $480. for. On the web I found one can buy directly from the sleeping beauty mine in Globe, AZ. They had a similar strand of nuggets for $160. I am willing to pay a bit more to have someone bring the beads to me so I can finger them, but that seemed out of line to me. Also he had two great crystals from Brazil but again he was asking $780 and $480 when I felt the prices should have been $350 and $150.

The one big bargain Alain did have is in this photo. See the bright yellow-orange strand among the turquoise? Later Barbara, just walking out of the shot at the right, got it for $48 which I judged to be an excellent price. Maybe it was just my day to shop!

PS The deer-in-the-headlights-looking guy in the sunglasses is Walt Rush, who makes fine gold and silver jewelry. I wonder if I will recognize any of these stones in his work at Art in the Redwoods.

Monday, June 6, 2011




Debbe, Here are my three attempts to make the "manly" lizard bracelet! I am continuing to make more as I find string and beads to match. It is in moments (weeks!) like this that I really miss a bead store on the corner. Instead of making the bracelets in my mind, I am making what I can with what I have.


After finding a good dark string in Gualala at The Loft, I ran out of black 6s. I have pounds of 8s in black that are both glossy and matt, but the black thread is too large for them.


After all of this complaining, I am totally hooked on crocheting and love my new manly colors. Thanks Debbe for setting me on this journey.