A collection of great green items from ArtFire. Can you find one of mine?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What a Fun Day
If you are looking for the Bead Soup Party post, click HERE.
Well I had a wonderful visit with a friend of mine from Chicago. She flew in to teach at the Art & Soul retreat in Portland this week. Since I won't be around for it, I was able to pick her up at the airport, have lunch and visit with her for a few hours.
I think we are getting closer to being ready to go on our trip but do you ever feel you are completely ready and packed? I still have to check my kindle and make sure I have enough reading material, some games are packed such as the farkle dice and playing cards so I think the relaxing times are covered. Hubby did try to lift one bag tonight and I think it will weigh out over 50 lbs.... cr@p. Okay, so now that plan is to redistribute the weight between the two bags. Maybe I'll move all the shoes to the lighter bag. Good thing we are taking two big bags versus our usual one large and one medium.
Our leave you tonight with a picture of Buddy our spaniel mix dog. He tends to guard toys, bones and in this case a pig ear.
Well I had a wonderful visit with a friend of mine from Chicago. She flew in to teach at the Art & Soul retreat in Portland this week. Since I won't be around for it, I was able to pick her up at the airport, have lunch and visit with her for a few hours.
I think we are getting closer to being ready to go on our trip but do you ever feel you are completely ready and packed? I still have to check my kindle and make sure I have enough reading material, some games are packed such as the farkle dice and playing cards so I think the relaxing times are covered. Hubby did try to lift one bag tonight and I think it will weigh out over 50 lbs.... cr@p. Okay, so now that plan is to redistribute the weight between the two bags. Maybe I'll move all the shoes to the lighter bag. Good thing we are taking two big bags versus our usual one large and one medium.
Our leave you tonight with a picture of Buddy our spaniel mix dog. He tends to guard toys, bones and in this case a pig ear.
Friday, September 23, 2011
If you are looking for the Bead Soup Party post, click HERE.
Guess what Peg comes today and I finally get to meet her and talk to her in person vs. just on the computer or phone. Now you are wondering who is Peg. Well she is the one and only co-author of the book Making Mixed Media Art Charms and Jewelry. I started making these little works of art last year and fell in love with them. They are addictive. If you have read my blog before then I'm sure you have seen some pictures that I've posted. Here is one from last year.
If you are interested in checking out Peg's book, it is available on Amazon.com. Peg also teaches at various art retreats around the country and soon she'll announce a new teaching venue for her and it might be in international waters. I'm seriously thinking about going to that one.
Guess what Peg comes today and I finally get to meet her and talk to her in person vs. just on the computer or phone. Now you are wondering who is Peg. Well she is the one and only co-author of the book Making Mixed Media Art Charms and Jewelry. I started making these little works of art last year and fell in love with them. They are addictive. If you have read my blog before then I'm sure you have seen some pictures that I've posted. Here is one from last year.
If you are interested in checking out Peg's book, it is available on Amazon.com. Peg also teaches at various art retreats around the country and soon she'll announce a new teaching venue for her and it might be in international waters. I'm seriously thinking about going to that one.Speaking of art retreats, I did submit teaching proposals to three for 2012. Maybe I'll hear back from at least one of them. Just to give you a clue as to what I would be teaching....it would be gem trees or a form of gem trees as some of them don't have gemstones on them at all. More about that coming.
Have a great weekend.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Tough Day
If you are looking for the Bead Soup Blog Hop Click HERE.
It was a tough day for the little guy today as he went to the groomers. He is always so happy and full of energy after but during they say he lays flat on his tummy and won't move. I can just see him doing that. Right now he is sound asleep next to me on the couch laying on a pillow. Boy to have a dogs life.
I always find it difficult to pack for a trip and I'm still trying to figure out what to take for a 19 day cruise. I hear we will have 5 formal nights, good thing I can wear things more than once and there is a laundry on board. Then the planning to make sure you have taken everything you will need for that many days. It's not like I can just run out to the mall to pick up something I forgot. So, I have lists, lists in my head and on paper, not that it will help me any as I'm sure I'll forget something.
We have one more fair day tomorrow and I'm looking forward to scones and raspberry jam for breakfast. I hope everyone is having a great day and if you are from the Bead Soup party, thanks for dropping by.
It was a tough day for the little guy today as he went to the groomers. He is always so happy and full of energy after but during they say he lays flat on his tummy and won't move. I can just see him doing that. Right now he is sound asleep next to me on the couch laying on a pillow. Boy to have a dogs life.
I always find it difficult to pack for a trip and I'm still trying to figure out what to take for a 19 day cruise. I hear we will have 5 formal nights, good thing I can wear things more than once and there is a laundry on board. Then the planning to make sure you have taken everything you will need for that many days. It's not like I can just run out to the mall to pick up something I forgot. So, I have lists, lists in my head and on paper, not that it will help me any as I'm sure I'll forget something.
We have one more fair day tomorrow and I'm looking forward to scones and raspberry jam for breakfast. I hope everyone is having a great day and if you are from the Bead Soup party, thanks for dropping by.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Bead Soup Party Reveal
A couple times a year I participate in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog party. This is such an inspiring event as it pushes your boundaries to try new things and use different supplies that you wouldn't normally purchase. After we sign up, Lori pairs everyone up and then we send our partner a clasp, pendant or focal bead and a selection of beads. They in turn have to make some thing with those beads and now show them off during this big blog hop. There are over 300 participants, so that's a lot of blogs to visit but I'll be starting bright and early tomorrow morning. So, finally I get to show you what I made with my bead soup. My partner was Christie of Charis Designs and to start off I'll show you the wonderful mix of beads she sent me.
Now we all get in a rut sometimes and I'm just as susceptible as anyone but who couldn't be inspired with this mix. I just am in love with blues right now. Okay, so there was a funny coincidence in that we both sent each other the same metal to work with as well as blue beads and as I'm writing this I jumped over to her blog and we both created items that look very similar or that you could wear with each other. Check out what she made on this post. I made this set before we left for our Napa trip and just had to take it with me. It was fun to wear and just a bit edgy.
Now we all get in a rut sometimes and I'm just as susceptible as anyone but who couldn't be inspired with this mix. I just am in love with blues right now. Okay, so there was a funny coincidence in that we both sent each other the same metal to work with as well as blue beads and as I'm writing this I jumped over to her blog and we both created items that look very similar or that you could wear with each other. Check out what she made on this post. I made this set before we left for our Napa trip and just had to take it with me. It was fun to wear and just a bit edgy.
As you can tell I used the bronze chain on one side of the necklace and some brown leather knotted with beads and jump rings on the other and the pendant just works to set it all off. The bracelet is made with stretch magic more of the ceramic beads, bronze spacer beads and some Kyanite square beads I had in my stash that mixed well with the other blues. I don't normally like stretchy bracelets but this one is so comfortable. I can't wait to play with some more of the beads she sent me.
To visit some of the other participants in the party, check out Lori Anderson's blog for the full list.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Where has Summer Gone?
I can't believe it has been so long since my last post. It has been a busy end of Summer for us. We did make it back from our vacation in Napa and it was so wonderful as always. Bought way too much wine, did a little shopping, relaxed a lot and even had a few interesting day trips out in the wine country. But boy did all the stuff hit us when we got home. I had a jewelry show two days after we returned so I frantically got organized and everything priced before the show. The Puyallup Fair started just a couple days later and we volunteered to work 3 shifts at our Gem and Mineral Club's booth so we have worked two shifts so far, one on Saturday and one on Monday ...more to follow on this. I taught a gem tree class at Shipwreck Beads on Sunday, then I realized that all the Art and Mixed Media Retreat proposals were due this week ....ugg. So, I quickly made some additional trees, took photos, wrote tutorials and got the proposals completed and e-mailed yesterday. I'm feeling a little less stress now... just a little through.
So a little bit more about the Fair. It is a standing joke with our family that we always purchase something at the Fair so this year was no different. Each year it seems we find something expensive to purchase, a few years ago it was a Gas Fireplace then 2 years ago it was a Sleep Number bed, last year was a Silk Comforter, which we loved so much we purchased another one this year for the motor home. We always purchase some smaller items such as aroma fans,dog brush (helps with shedding), those rubber clogs that were and still are popular, sheet set, faucet sprayers and shower heads, wham shammies, squishy pillows, dehydrated ice packets where you soak them in water and freeze then you can use them in coolers, pepper jelly, pickled garlic, honey and kettle corn. All that plus food that we ate there such as krusty pups (corn dogs), scones, Earthquake burgers, scones, Perogies, hot dogs, curly fries, scones, BBQ ribs and sandwiches, scones, ice cream cones and oh did I mention the scones. It is so much fun going to the fair and as much as I hate to admit it, the vendors hawking all their wares is some of my favorites as well as the artwork that has been entered for competition.
Here is one of my new trees. It is called Painted Leaves. Yes, I know the name is a little simple but I couldn't think of anything more appropriate. Definitely a mixed media tree vs. a gem tree.
A few new bracelets that I still need to get listed on ArtFire. These were inspired by some that I saw on vacation. Stretchy with sterling silver and gemstones or crystals with dangles. A little bit out of the norm for me but oh so much fun.
Don't forget about the Bead Soup Party Blog Hop. We will be hopping all over the blogosphere on Saturday visiting blogs and seeing all the beautiful creations people made from their Bead Soup. So don't forget to come back on Saturday as I will be revealing the jewelry pieces made from my soup.
So a little bit more about the Fair. It is a standing joke with our family that we always purchase something at the Fair so this year was no different. Each year it seems we find something expensive to purchase, a few years ago it was a Gas Fireplace then 2 years ago it was a Sleep Number bed, last year was a Silk Comforter, which we loved so much we purchased another one this year for the motor home. We always purchase some smaller items such as aroma fans,dog brush (helps with shedding), those rubber clogs that were and still are popular, sheet set, faucet sprayers and shower heads, wham shammies, squishy pillows, dehydrated ice packets where you soak them in water and freeze then you can use them in coolers, pepper jelly, pickled garlic, honey and kettle corn. All that plus food that we ate there such as krusty pups (corn dogs), scones, Earthquake burgers, scones, Perogies, hot dogs, curly fries, scones, BBQ ribs and sandwiches, scones, ice cream cones and oh did I mention the scones. It is so much fun going to the fair and as much as I hate to admit it, the vendors hawking all their wares is some of my favorites as well as the artwork that has been entered for competition.
We do complain every year that the scones get smaller and the price seems to get larger but we buy them and eat them anyway. Hubby said that this scone booth was the first one at the fair and he should know as he has been going since the 50's. It is always fun to go early in the morning, sit down with coffee and a couple of hot scones with raspberry jam....yum. So glad we have one more volunteer day at the fair.
Here is one of my new trees. It is called Painted Leaves. Yes, I know the name is a little simple but I couldn't think of anything more appropriate. Definitely a mixed media tree vs. a gem tree.
A few new bracelets that I still need to get listed on ArtFire. These were inspired by some that I saw on vacation. Stretchy with sterling silver and gemstones or crystals with dangles. A little bit out of the norm for me but oh so much fun.
Don't forget about the Bead Soup Party Blog Hop. We will be hopping all over the blogosphere on Saturday visiting blogs and seeing all the beautiful creations people made from their Bead Soup. So don't forget to come back on Saturday as I will be revealing the jewelry pieces made from my soup.
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