More necklaces

I wore my new necklace Cranberry Thirst to Pink Flamingo today.  I decided to use a RAW piece to keep the last two cabs from flipping.  I would still like to do more to it, but after the reception it got at the bead store today, I think I'm just going to keep it the way it is.  I DO need to find my thread zapper which is buried under a pile of fabric/beads/fibers on my work table.  I really need to take some time to clean that place up.  Pink Flamingo is one of our latest bead stores in Columbus Ohio that is closing.  Donna from Pink Flamingo after 14 years is closing her doors in the Powell area.  The first time I went there was with the group Ohio Beaders.  The store is in an old two story house with each room showcasing different beading techniques.  The front room had a class room.  I never bought much from the store as it is a little out of my way and the traffic in Powell is really tight and busy.  But today I went in as they were having a 35% off sale.  I bought a great purse which will eventually be encrusted along with some empty tubes, displays, pearls and of course...seed beads!  Donna told me that there were several people interested in buying the store. 

And yes! I'm still in a manic beading frenzy.  I still have so many ideas wanting to get out.  I have taken a position on the board of Beading for a Cure: Layne's Legacy.  This next year I want to get the word out to as many people as I possibly can as our cause is near to so many hearts.  So many people have been touched by colon cancer through a family member, a friend, a coworker, or personally.  Though a small group, we have managed to send in thousands of dollars for colo-rectal cancer research in the name of our friend who we all met many years ago on All About Beads a Delphi Forum chat group.  I already did the one piece with the raku owl made by Duane Collins, but we had people drop out so I along with several others are working on making a second piece that will be auctioned off next year.  For my second piece, I wanted to do something more feminine so I chose to take the pink out of the color palette.  Next week before I mail this off, I'll take better pictures and share with you my pictures of how it was designed and constructed but for now a quick picture of it on "Louise".

Winner's Circle....still needs a little more work as the chain is too weak

I've met so many wonderful people on Facebook. First and foremost are the bead artist out there who are constantly challenging each other.  My current challenge partner is Rose Thorn.  We were partnered together by Lori Anderson to do the Pantone Fall color bead swap.  Now this is just  a swap and we are not obligated to make anything with what we sent to each other, but my o my...aren't these lovely.  Rose really went out of her way to spoil me.  The lamp works are going to give this seed beader a run for her money in designing.

And just a little personal thing for you who wonder a little about the me behind the beads.  I work in a laboratory that is currently being reconfigured into a regional Medical Center in the Northern quadrant of Columbus.  We are getting a big robotic arm that will run our chemistry department from receiving the specimens in the computer to putting the tubes away in the refrigerator.  Hopefully it will all work.  For now we are extremely cramped and working in very tight quarters.  This is my chair in Chemistry and yes!  I have to squeeze through to get to the instruments in the back.  I know it will all get better but meanwhile, I'm getting use to the bruises. 

6th Bead Soup Blog Hop Party

Well, remember I was going on and on about my power coming back on yesterday? Well, as soon as I posted that entry our power went out again.  Talk about upset!  I hadn't even gotten into the shower.  Luckily we had some power & were smart enough to turn the A/C on but still I went another day with funky hair.  Hummmm...can I get a generator just for my Ott Lamp, coffee maker, and hairdryer.  Think about the important things, right?  LOL!  Well, it did come back on but AFTER I went to work with a cooler of perishable food.  I was so happy to actually go to work last night in the cool chilly air conditioned laboratory-a definite first for me.  But it is on, and we are hoping that it will stay.  I saw the news that there are still over 80,000 in Central Ohio without power.  Many of those big power poles over around the New Albany area were destroyed causing problems in the Northeast part of Columbus.  AEP crews from as far away as California and Quebec are here or on their way.  I hope all those still without power can find safe places to keep cool.  Oh and another thing about Columbus:  Tonight is Red,White & Boom.  It is one of the largest fire work displays in the MidWest.  Millions of people go downtown to watch this fantastic display.  When I worked downtown, I would go into work early to watch the display and then head back down to the laboratory waiting for the ER to start cranking up with dehydration cases and the occasional trauma.

So talking about fireworks and BOOM!, this blog post is about Lori Anderson's 6th Bead Soup Blog Hop party.  There are 400 people this time around.  WOW!  It is amazing how Lori organizes this keeping her cool and matching people with partners.  This year since there are so many people participating in the Bead Soup Blog Party, she split the reveal dates to three separate groups.  I'm in on the last group.  How does this work after Lori sends your partner's name and contact information?  Well, you get ahold of your partner getting to know what they like and their snail mail address.  The only real rule is that you have to send a focal piece and a clasp that MUST be used in your final design.  Everything else is up to you. 

Lori also gave people the option to be matched with someone who loves seed beads.  YEAH!  I "met" my partner Geneva Collins who probably adores seed beads as much as I do.  Here is the link to her blog.  I see she has this fascination with beaded insects...sweet! Now, I just mailed her package to her because I didn't have power to get her address from the nice e-mail she sent to me.  I took a picture of what I sent her and I'm sure she'll like it and it will definitely be a challenge to her.  I can't post that photo until AFTER she gets her package.  But since she's on vacation....no!  I won't! 

Geneva sent me a marvelous Bead Soup Blog Hop box of marvelous things. First off was the metallic flower focal.  She actually wrote me a note saying she had two different color challenges in mind when picking things for me.  She picked pinks and purples then looked at this focal piece and thought is needed some gunmetal gray mixed in.  I can't decide what to make.  Since I'm in the mood to make bead embroidered collars, I think that is where I'm leaning too.  Or maybe something else will grab my attention.  I'm in a happy bead place!

Day 5 of StayCation

I woke up in Michigan to a Sunny but cool morning.  Cyndy took me out to breakfast at Cheryl's place in Brighton.  It was delicious with fried potato slices instead of the usually luke warm hash browns.  I drank cup after cup of coffee as we kept talking and sharing stories.  I so wish Cyndy only lived 50 miles away instead of 200.  I can't imagine the trouble we would get into.  Plus, she told me she would teach me how to mold glass...that would be trouble double!

Tray of lovely pendents from local artist

On the way home, I promised Sue that I'd come to visit her over at Stoney Creek Beads in Ypsilanti.  Her daughter owns the store, and Sue works there.  And does she work!  She told me that sometimes she puts in 60 hours a week.  Talk about a dedicated employee!  Stoney Creek Beads is off of I-94 and is a lovely area.  The shop for those who get lost easy (like me) is in the Kroger's shopping plaza.  You can't miss the sign over the shop, and once inside you just can't miss the smiles of Sue greeting you.  The store is very well lit with walls and walls of yummy treasures to look at.  One wall is of just unusual czech glass, fire polish, and hand made poly clay beads made from a local artist.  The center aisles are well laid out with tables of single stones and bead findings.  Books are every where enticing those with enough time to browse leisurely through the place.  And every where is lots of beautiful finished jewelry.  The wall of beads is enough to make a person feel faint.  All the 6-11 seed beads are in large tubes all arranged by color.  They also have a fantastic selection of 15s, cubes, drops, magatomas, and every other thing you can imagine.

Then the case of special items is right to the side with items made by local artist.  I have to especially give you a glimpse of these fabulous owl pendents made by an artist in Port Huron.  They are absolutely the finest ceramic birds I have ever seen.  I could not resist and bought several of these.  I did leave you some if you are interested.  And you should as they were only $15 each.  What a steal!  Here is the phone number to the store if you want to grab some of these owl pendents made by Collins (866-799-2588).  Tell Sue I sent you there.  The best part is that the artist said he could make more of these so buy one, buy two, buy MORE!  I also purchased some other ceramic pieces along with a delicious poly clay flower pendent and some pumpkins that I know will wind up in a Halloween themed piece. 

Sue welcomes the customer

I took a box of dolls and assemblage pieces I had made to show Sue, as it was so crazy at Bead Daze in Farmington Hills that we didn't get a chance to really chat and get to know each other better.  While there many customers came in and wanted to see what I had made.  Fantasty Swim from Bead International 2006 made a big hit.  I could have stayed for hours, but I had to get home by 5 to made sure the girls got all their medications.

Fiona dreaming of food...delicious food

I would like to say that Fiona waited at the door for me all the time I was gone, but I have a feeling that deep in her canine heart she loves the refrigerator more than me. 

My studio

I've been enjoying the new blogs I am following after the OWOH blogger event. One blog was asking "what is one your desk?". I had to laugh as I have something very odd on my desk besides the usual beads and sequins. Fiona woke me up this morning at a quarter after 5am. Yes...FIVE AM! She must have heard me tossing & turning as I did have the electric blanket up a little higher than normal & woke up to turn it down. Well, she barked & I knew if I didn't get up, she wouldn't stop. I let all three out (Frodo was definitely NOT happy about getting up so darn early), fed them all, made myself some coffee & went downstairs to work a little before Chris got up. I finished up another bracelet & had another hour before I would wake him. So I decided to work on some more Pocket Monsters since I got so many nice comments about them. Now to what is on my desk...cut up dog bedding! Honest! I use fleece to line Arwen's dog bed as she likes to scratch at it, turn around three time, sigh, then fall asleep. It was old & worn, but when I pulled it out to throw away, I thought to myself...wouldn't this be great (once washed) for Pocket Monsters. So this, morning I began to cut out bodies, arms, and legs for a new set of these beasties.

As usually I was watching TCM. I caught the last hour of Giants with Elizabeth Taylor Rock Hudson, and James Dean. It was great to see it again. This was the first movie where I realized I was not a child any longer as I when we all went to the drive in to see it, I stayed awake for the whole movie which was an event for me as after swinging for hours waiting for the movies to start, then running as fast as we could back to the car when the cartoons started, eating assorted junk in the back seat of the car, and then trying to stay awake through the whole movie...well it was just way too hard. But, this was the first movie where I was so enthralled with it all that I stayed up until it was over. All the other kids were passed out in the backseat of the car, but I got to sit up front with my parents. My Dad said my eyes were like little black buttons attached to the movie screen. Both my parents laughed when I asked if we could see it again the next night. So it was fun to see Giants again and remember the smell of popcorn and car exhaust from that long long ago evening in Los Angeles.

Funny about memories...I have to share this one thing more with you before I head out with Chris for a little ride up to Mohican to see the snow...I was walking through the studio when a smell caught my attention. It was perfume of incense & I stopped in my tracks & was transported back to Byzantium, my long lost bead haven. I looked around & figured out where that smell was coming from. When Bzyantium closed, I bought several of the racks that held the bead. Okay, I bought a lot of beads from them too. Joyce also gave me some of the black velvet trays that customers would carry around the store putting treasures into. I had three of them on the desk over where I have my bead rack. I miss that store so much. It was a place I would go to even if I didn't need any beads. It was just so comforting. So I thought, I have never shared a picture of that rack of beads I have...so here are a couple photos of my bead stash.

Classes & more classes

The last two weeks besides traveling all over the world from one blog to another during the One World One Heart blog event, I also have been beaded & even taking classes at 1 Stop Bead Shop here in Dublin/Columbus Ohio. This first set of bracelets are from a little mini class during Bead Club where Cindy A. is developing a class. She wanted us to be her guinea pigs & my wasn't I lucky for my very first time to get to learn a new technique. I don't remember what she is actually calling the class, but it is netting using 4mm pearls. The closure is magnetic, but this can be converted into a free flowing bangle or use toggles or other closures. I have a bunch of magnetic closures left over & have used them. These are two of the three bracelets I made. I made a gorgeous one with orange & yellow sea glass with green Delicas, BUT...I lost it Friday when my brain was in a daze from lack of sleep. Someone either at Applebees on Sawmill or Trader Joes now has a new bracelet. No, they didn't show up, but those were the only two places I was before I noticed it was gone. I think I learned my lesson there about those magnetic clasp.




I took 3 out of 5 classes Janice Berkibile was teaching at 1Stop Bead Shop this weekend. I really enjoyed the Pod Rings on Thursday night even though I'd been awake for over 24 hours. I came home Thursday morning with my hip aching from being on my feet all night at work & took a pain pill only to realize instead of calming the pain and making me drowse, it calmed the pain but made me hyper! I hadn't seen Janice since I was out in Tacoma this past July taking another one of her great classes. Friday I signed up to take two of the classes Fierce Connections and Crown of Jewels. Well, it would have been great, but Fiona woke me up before 6 am so there I was forcing to stay awake during the day class trying to learn to make earrings. Do you notice I have no pictures of earrings...because I didn't finish them. I had to go & eat (therefore losing my bracelet) & then came back to wait for the evening class. I must have drank 5 cups of coffee at dinner so I could wake up & have some conscience thoughts. It worked, but I realized that when I crashed it would be bad. Lisa was so wonderful to get in touch with the person on the waiting list & having her take my place for the all day class on Saturday which I KNEW I couldn't never make. I'm happy someone else got to learn more great metal working techniques and tips from Janice.



Saturday? Well, Fiona must have been tired too as she didn't wake us up until 6:30 am. We were both so tired we went back to bed for another three hours. It felt so good to sleep in. Then lunch at China Dynasty and a local shopping at Costco. All the time we were in the car, we were listening to Robert Plant's Band Of Joy which has been in my car since I got it from Amazon last December. I love this CD & Chris feeling better really enjoyed it too. No, I didn't take it out of my car...still there for me to enjoy.

So this weekend it was nice with 60 degree temperatures, and now the ice cold dampness is back. I was wondering if Janice brought some nice weather for us, which was a much needed break.

I need to mail out my two OWOH giveaways but realized tomorrow is Presidents' Day so I'll have another day to package all that up along with some other things that I need to mail out.

I keep wondering when Spring is going to arrive. This freak warm spell caused our young maple tree to sprout some buds & I saw some plants shooting up in the back. I just hope they all survive as I KNOW Winter is still here for awhile. Meanwhile, I'm going to bead away and find some time to do a little metal working.