Vicki got stars in her crown today. After staffing the gallery all day (and making several sales) she took the time to gather up all tof my stuff that had accumulated in the back room and delivered it to me. She even gave me compliments on the cheese I had brought to the opening. Thank goodness Jody had bought too many packages of the cheese so I was able to share some with Vicki. Having her here allowed me to give her the ornaments I had made for the tree to be donated by the bead group which means I do not have to go to the bead meeting and hobble around in front of friends. She was also kind enough to offer to sell my beaded animals along with her things which saves me the huge job of setting up at Festival of Trees. I felt so relieved and elated to get all these delivery jobs taken care of, and the package for Fire Mountain with the snowman done, that I finished up the gold star I was working on and, with great jubulation! started beading on Sus's Garcia bear.

I hope the judges at Fire Mountain see this as "interesting' and not as an example of bad beading. At least the piece looks less raggedy with the holes filled. Ran out of room with the word 'snow man' and ended up with the phonic version. The little pile of snow by the snowman circle is a marker so they get the snow man turned correctly. On his base are two little snow piles that 'key in' to position it absolutely. Repaired the torn off mitten (what ever did the folks at the gallery do to this?) and got the wand to keep its crystal on straight (more glue and a needled down the center) and now need to pack it all up so it goes out on Monday. It has to be in Oregon by Nov. 20th.
Last night I returned to making stars. Vicki wrote that they may want some for the tree for the Festival of Trees. The animals call to me and at any moment there are going to be flying beads as I toss the star-making tray into the air and liberate myself.
Have gotten a couple e-mails from persons doing them from the instructions in Bead & Button. So far I think the instructions are correct. Not everyone can read!

There is no picture today. Yesterday I finished up so many little jobs. Got the stars ready to take to the gallery, finished up the Christmas tree earrings and sent them off to Bethel AK, organized beads for the bead meeting, and finally started to prepare the Visiting Snowman to send to Fire Mountain.
If I were a true crafts person I would make a wooden base with spindle supports for the snowman and the tree but I am not. I felt that no matter how securely I sewed them to the snowy base, they would part company during transport or during their handling in the FM photo studio. I realized I had to find someway so a stranger could easily reassemble the work if I sent it in three separate parts. Originally I had left holes in the snow section so I could either make or hire someone to make a supporting base. Yesterday as I was sewing the holes shut I got the idea of beading in the word 'tree' and 'snowman' so it would be clear where they go. Looks very nice! I don't feel so bad about not having other skills.
I even got an idea how to make a 'snowdrift' with part at the base of the snowman and part on the snow surface so the snowman will have to be positioned perfectly for it to fit together. Today the whole thing is wrapped in a plastic bag so I can handle it without destroying the little animals already sewed down and looks like nothing at all.

How is this for being appropriate? Bring on the clowns. It is election day! and I finished this last night. All the time I worked on it I hated the eyes so at the end of the job I took some time to find the best ones. Somehow a red-eyed clown felt like he was a drunk. I really wanted to use some small glass stars in gold but could not find them anywhere. These were also used on the seahorse and I think I have no more. Time to make up a new order.
At the Holiday Bead Extravaganza Lena bought five of my stars but needed to have one a different size so now I am making stars. When I get a special order I lose all my self-confidence. I am unable to made just the one that was ordered, but need to make several in different sizes and bead colors to make sure the customer gets exactly what she wants.
Today I found out that of the swags / tree chains mine was the first to go. Now Vicki wants to make a tree of swags for the Festival of Trees. Good thing I had so many crystal beads left over from the "Edge of the Cloud" piece.
Saturday when they called from the gallery asking for more Christmas tree earrings I wondered why I had so many tucked away. That was not like me but I was happy to be able to supply them. Today I found out why I had stashed those tree earrings. I had them listed on Etsy and today one pair sold. I hope the customer will give me the weekend to either get a new pair made or find a pair yet unsold in the gallery.
Sunday, when I went in to pick up the snowman piece, to get it ready to send to Fire Mountain, a friend came in and started shopping. We were having so much fun trying necklaces on her, making choices, running back and forth, it was only when I got home did I realize my left knee was not enjoying the day as much as I was. Hobbling around with a cane now. Happy to sit and bead instead of taking out the garbage.

Here is Barbara Fast inviting  you in to see the show "Holiday Bead Extravaganza." She is even holding out a glass of wine for you. Behind her you can see the new case we got to display our jewely in. One probablem - my necklaces are so thick, so full of stuff that they can barely get the glass doors to open and shut. One necklace had to be displayed elsewhere.

Here is just one side of the show.You can see the Christmas tree that has my stars on it. Under it are all my beaded animals. The beaded swags on the tree were made by members of our bead group. We are donating all the profits from them to the local Theater. The event was well attended and I had several sales. In fact in the morning before the show officially opened Brenda called to say all my beaded Christmas earrings had sold and did I have more and could I bring them? While we talked a woman bought and paid for a pair that was still in my house. I got to meet her in the evening and she had brought a friend who also bought a pair. Even though there were stars and star pins, as well as all the suncatchers on the tree, people missed the net and asked where it was.

Here is the Ronald McDonald clown bear that I am practicing on. Only as I finished the head did I see his nose is not on straight after I had covered with red beads! That ugly rubber stripe down his tummy is, I think, supposed to be a neck tie. Will make a real beaded one and try to get that ugly stuff covered with yellow beads. The clown picture on his chest is vinyl and ugly so I am thinking of beading a frame around it. This is from the 2005 series and the natural world had passed away.
Stopped by the gallery yesterday where Barbara and Vicki were making great progress. However when I got out the camera there were mild screams of "We aren't ready yet." so I put it away and got no work in progress photos for you.
Does the lack of a mouth on these Beanie Babies bother you? Ah, you have other things to worry about.

Done! He looks better than I thought he would. I wish I did not want to do one in yellows and wine-reds! I found out today that Vicki bought the other one at CHAC. She was there installing the bead show and decided she had better buy it before the show opens. Knowing an animal is 'gone' makes me want to do it again and here I was avoiding the urge to do the new colors. I hope this project, below, keeps me off the idea of doing a crab again.

I wanted to start on this bear, the Garcia bear, made in honor of Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. It is advertised as being tie-dye.  David Susalla asked me to bead it (to add to its present worth of $19. on Ebay)and I just did not feel up to starting in on some one's loved pet so I am doing a small one  to learn the best way to go. I wanted to photograph the bear in his original colors and then there was this attack on the photo shoot set-up. Tomorrow I will show you the practice bear.