something silly

After working for so many hours on the December Bead Journal Project page I wanted to do something relaxing and so I decided to make silly sock monsters - except I used baby sized socks. They just make me laugh - It also makes me laugh seeing Zakk the puppy try to sneak them off the sewing table. Rather than torture him with temptation, I've packed them up and shipped them out to surprise someone.

December page completed

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Being snowed in has had its' advantages as I finished up my December page this evening. I have an idea brewing for January but think I need to spend a day re-organizing my bead stash and I've not really put anything away in its' proper spot since this BJP began in September and it's difficult to tell what I have on hand.

How do you organize your beads? I've tried sorting by color, sorting by size, but it still seems like even when the beads are 'sorted' there is still a big jumble in each color drawer and I spend far far too much time finding what I want to use instead of actually beading.

Here's December completed.

December BJP page continues

Still snowed in - this is getting very very old, very very fast. I broke out the size 15 beads this morning figuring that since I had so much time to work on this page, I might as well use them.

snowbound

We've had quite abnormal weather here for the past week and I've been stuck in the house due to ice and snow which of course became the focus of my December Bead Journal Project page. It's still snowing so possibly I'll get this finished before Christmas. I never thought I'd WANT to go to the office so badly.

November BJP Finally Finished!

This one took me a very long time - a page of conflict, it offered me lots of conflicts. I'm not very happy with it, but I'm glad it's done. I've started December and am back to my 'comfort zone' of cool colors.

Here's November

Still stuck

I'm still stuck on my November Bead Journal Project page and have not begun December. I have this 'thing' about finishing a page before I proceed to the next month - a 'thing' that may have to be changed.

I have been working on some other projects - I took an on line class from Carla Sonheim that was very enjoyable. We made a fabric book and bag.



At the last minute I joined one of the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' projects where everyone sends in 12 hand made gifties and the hostess swaps them out so everyone gets a package back with 12 gifties - Of course I joined this at the last possible moment and so spent a very long time working on projects that I thought would go quickly. I made felt hearts that I needle felted some fiber onto and then embellished with beads and sequins and added a pin back. They were really fun to make.



In other news, baby Zakk had a pretty significant urinary track infection but after spending a lot of money at the vet, he is back to his old speed racer self.



Mushu had to have a bit of surgery and since I spoiled her terribly upon her return from hospital, she now believes she should always sleep in our bed under the covers with her head on a pillow and should always eat human food fed to her by spoon. I've created a monster. (She's awfully cute though isn't she?)



Hopefully I'll get to my November page soon so that I can progress onto December. I haven't even begun to think of a focus on the December page, I'm so perplexed with November.

Slow going in November

This page has me perplexed, but the whole month of November was pretty unsettling thus the November page is unsettling - well at least to me - there's lots going on, most of it in my head but the basis of the November page is opposition - colors (things/people) who should 'go together' but don't, just like orange and blue are complimentary colors but aren't quite complimentary on this page - the page is a little jarring to me - I think it needs a mirror - I'll see if I can find one.
Hopefully I can finish the page this week and move on to the December page and something a bit 'prettier'.

The Seven Tagger thing

I found out today I've been tagged by the lovely CarolL and so here are my responses:
Here are the rules of the game :


1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


1. I have 4 dogs and 6 cats.
2. I don't eat anything that swims.
3. I almost always have a digital camera in my handbag.
4. I am an only child.
5. My son is an only child as well.
6. I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up yet.
7. I am very happy with the results of the recent presidential election in the US.

And now to tag others - hmmm -

1.KiwiEllen
2. Sabine\
3. Cynthia
4. Theresa
5. cynjon
6. Paula
7. Freebird

beading on the fly

I'm in Phoenix once again tending to my mother. It's a horror what the airlines can do to vials of beads packed in checked baggage. Luckily I secured everything in zip-lock bags so I have some interesting mixes but no bead soup on the bottom of my suitcase.

I worked on the November page for a bit in the waiting room at the hospital today while my mother was having a heart catheterization. I could only work for a little while because there was just so much sadness in that room with people all stressed and doctors coming out to share not such good news.

An interesting thing here - perhaps it's everywhere and I just don't know it - when a baby is born at the hospital, the birth is announced over the intercom and brahms lullaby is played. It was charming the first few times - I don't think I'd like to work there though - perhaps you learn to ignore it.


And so mother is home now and we are experiencing a significant role reversal as now she is taking off her oxygen and sneaking out to the garage to smoke - she thinks she's fooling me. She's a grown woman - If having emphysema hasn't made her quit smoking, I don't think that I can accomplish it. I told her today that she was a grown woman who needed to make choices in her life - only she could determine whether or not drinking and smoking were important enough to shorten her life. If she felt that they were - then that is the route she should take. During the last few years of my father's life, he was miserable - he couldn't smoke his pipe, he couldn't eat the foods he liked, he had to eat foods he hated - everything was measured and calculated - I remember once I called him on his birthday and he said "I had fake eggs with fake sausage and toast with fake butter - I got half of a real banana though" - my father lived to eat - growing up during the depression was his excuse. But I often thought that if he'd lived 2 happy years instead of 3 and a half miserable ones - what would have been the difference. And that's basically how I'm feeling now with my mother. She has to make her own choices.

I think I've finally gotten her settled for the night so perhaps I can work on the beading for a bit.

Beginning November

I've begun my November page a bit early, knowing that I'll probably end up doing my December page a bit late - it all evens out in the end. Once again this is a page that I have no plan for - Well I did kind of have a plan, but just like all of my other pages, it went out the window as soon as I sat down to bead. I don't know where the orange beads came from - suddenly they were just there and I rather like them there now that I'm used to them. We'll see where I go from here. I'm so happy that I decided on a rather largish sized page this year - it gives me more room to experiment.

October page finished!

Earth tones are not my forte. In fact, I don't even own a pair of brown shoes much less anything else in those tones but October was a month of challenges and so I challenged myself with earth tones. I'm very glad it's finished. I grew tired of it long before it was finished. But as a person who often doesn't finished things she's not pleased with, I am proud of myself for completing it.

Slow progress on October

Life keeps getting in the way of beading but I'm making slow progress on October - beading when I get the chance to sit down for a few minutes.

And now for something completely different

Are you old enough to remember when they used to say that on the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons?
First I'd like to thank all of the people who have been stopping by and writing such lovely comments about my September piece. I worked on it for so long that I started to not care for it myself so it really did wonders for me that so many of you enjoyed it. Thanks so much.

This year I decided to stretch myself with the Bead Journal Project - and so for October I'm working in earth tones - It's really difficult for me as I think you can tell by the rigidness of the beginnings of this page. I'm hoping that I can work some of 'me' in there while still keeping with the color pallette. I so seldom use these colors that I had to go to the bead store yesterday on my lunch hour to pick up some size 6 beads. Even the store had a limited selection! I managed to find some that I liked (like I could even think of going into a bead store and not find something!) and began work last night. I've half wanted to tear it out and start over but Robin's voice whispers in my ear saying 'keep going' and so here is the beginning.

September's page is finished

September Storm at Sea 5 xx 11 inches - made with a sleeve in the back for hanging. I am excited to see all twelve of them hung in a row!

playing catch up

I've had some health issues that allowed me time to do some serious beading. I finished (gasp) the May Bead Journal Page - yes, another heart - the last heart. This one commemorating the marriage of my son and his wonderful beloved. The colors of the wedding were purple and green and as I did some beadwork for the wedding - (a beaded shrug and headpiece for the bride, and bracelets for her attendants) I had a LOT of purple and green beads left so this is where I went with this page. On the far right lower side of the page you can see beads in a 5 - 3 - 1 - 8 pattern. The wedding was 5/31/08 - it will help me to remember how long they've been married.


I also got some more work done on the September page - It's fun to use some of my 'treasures' that I've been hoarding - I think that every page this year will have some of those treasured pieces that I'm always waiting for the 'right time' to use - I had some lovely cashmere fabric that I was once waiting for the 'right time' to use - it got ruined in a flooded basement. Pretty silly waiting I think.

September Progress

This is day four - I still don't know where this page is going - I generally at least have some sort of loose plan. This is an interesting experience.

My work space

Denise asked on her blog for folks to post pictures of their work spaces. Much to the disappointment of my boyfriend who built me an amazing studio with cabinets, counters and work tables, I work on a tv table. I also must put everything away whenever I leave the space for more than a minute or two because I have a puppy who loves to chew fabric and snatch my things to take to his bed and another dog who for some reason, loves to eat beads. But this is the set-up for today. There's a snap-locking file drawer next to the table where everything is stashed when I'm not working - it has more beads as well. I take out what I think I might use on a piece and keep everything in the box until the piece is done when I'll hopefully put everything back into it's color labeled drawer for the next project - I say hopefully because sometimes this just doesn't happen. When the Bead Journal Project ended for the past year, it took me a full day to find and sort and put away the beads that never got put away when the year was over.
Note the critical components - diet pepsi, remote control, magnifying glasses from the drug store that I wear on top of my bi-focals - it's quite an attractive look, I assure you.

Where is it going?

The theme this year for Artfest is 'sea monsters'. I received my confirmation on Tuesday and it must have influenced my beading because I see some sea monster tentacles sliding into the piece. I wonder where it will go next.

Amazing Bead Artist

I received an email this morning from a person with my same name. Now being named Diane Moore isn't that unusual - there are three Diane Moore's in the small town that I live in and we all go to the same vet. But to meet a Diane Moore who is an amazing bead artist? Now that is something pretty cool. So go check out her work - you won't regret it.

ps
her maiden name is Moore -

September Bead Journal Project

I was stuck. I couldn't decide really where I wanted to go with the new year of the Bead Journal Project. Luckily I was involved in setting up the blogs and answering questions and fixing little things on them so I had lots of time to think about my page. Or maybe that wasn't such a good idea - thinking about it too much. And so yesterday, after re-reading Robin Atkins' book Heart to Hands Bead Embroidery one more time, I went through some fabric until I found one that said "use me!", and I went through the drawer marked 'focal beads' until one said "use me!" and I sewed it to the fabric and began.
And as I began to sew on more beads and shells and stones, the page began to come together. I really wanted a contrast of textures and I piled the pearls and crystals up next to the slice of stone (yes, it's stone, not bone as many people asked me).

Someone asked me where this page was going and to be quite truthful, I don't really know. The page is about the end of summer which is what September is to me. It's about the problems I've been having with my health related to my arthritis (that's where that bone-like chunk of stone comes in) and all sorts of other things that I haven't really worked out yet. There's still a lot of page to cover - the pages this year are 5 x 11 - yes it's large - I have a lot to say and I have a lot of large beads that I want to use. We'll see where it all goes.

September

The new year of the Bead Journal Project is underway. It is really exciting to thing of all of the people in so many countries around the world working on the same project. I've been working on other projects but thinking of my bead journal size. I've decided to work in 5 x 11 inch rectangles situated vertically that will be sewn into a wall hanging at the end of the project.

I've just finished up a self imposed class on wool felting. I've wanted to learn for some time and finally just gathered up my books and supplies and had at it for the long holiday weekend. It really was fun and I plan to do much much more, perhaps even incorporating it into some of my bead journal pages.

Well this was pretty silly

Roaming around on blogs of other BJP participants, I found this:

My Your Beady Name is: is Delica Miracle Bead.
Take Your Beady Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

What's YOUR beady name?

get ready . . get set . . . go!

gather some beads



gather some fabric

sharpen your needles and condition your thread. I am so excited for this year's Bead Journal Project to begin I think my head will explode soon. I might just need to start a day or so early.

Wow - It's been a while

The new year of the Bead Journal Project is about to start and I'm so excited to get going again - I won't be doing hearts again this year however, I'm thinking rectangles. I probably won't totally decide until I start this coming weekend.

The last few weeks have been filled with little projects. I finally finished the gypsy wagon I made for a swap. Unfortunately, I learned too late that one should make the container before they make the contents. I spent hours making and painting furniture that ended up being the wrong scale and not fitting into the wagon. Of course I think that might mean that I need to make a proper doll house now. (Maybe not) In any event, here is the wagon along with another photo of just some of the furniture that got made but didn't fit.

I also took several on line classes this summer, none of which I ever finished. Hopefully, I'll get to them sometime this fall when the rainy season begins and I'm not as likely to spend my time outside. One was a donoma stump doll that was very interesting to make. I took a class called 'the fairy catcher' where e were to make a doll holding a caged fairy. Unfortunately, all I got done was the fairy but

here she is.


While I was making dolls, I rekindled my love of making doll clothes and so acquired a Blythe and an American Girl doll to sew for. I really think this is going to be a lot of fun plus several of my friends have these dolls as well so I'll be able to sew gifts for their girls.

That's all from me until next week when the Bead Journal Project starts up again. If you'd like to read along, there are three Bead Journal Project blogs this year due to the number of participants, you can link to all of them from here. You can also subscribe to the posts from the same spot.

Tagged

Viviage tagged me for a meme. Click here for a definition of internet meme. If you've been tagged copy and paste the questions and post your answers in your own blog. Oh and let your chosen tagged peeps know they've been tagged.

Here are the questions:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Working at the same job I am now (a community mental health center). I was married, fully engulfed in doing ceramics to the point that I have a separate out building with a kiln, pouring table etc. and celebrating my son's graduation from the University of Washington.


2. 5 things on today's to-do list:

Apply another layer of papier mache to the project I'm working on in an on-line class.
Finish a report for work.
Pay the mortgage.

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Sour patch kids, pumpkin seeds, fruit

4. Things I'd do if I were a billionnaire!

Build a ranch for old dogs and horses and hire staff including vets to live there.

5. . Places I have lived:

Michigan, Southern California, Western Washington

6. Peeps I want to know more about:

Amber
Lisa
Carla

Good golly - I finally finished April

I finally finished my April BJP page - yikes that took forever - hopefully the belated May page will be quicker and I can get to binding the whole thing before the project starts up again in September.

It's official - I'm a mother-in-law

nearing the finish line

The April BJP heart still isn't done. I'd forgotten how much work all the little details of putting together a wedding are and how time consuming it all is. I wouldn't trade it for anything though - it's been such fun spending so much time with the kids. The wedding is next weekend and then my time once again will be my own. I've signed up for 3 classes on joggles.com as compensation to myself for deciding my health just wasn't good enough to attend artfiberfest this coming fall and I'm really looking forward to them. Projects on the horizon include finishing the April BJP page, making the May page and then binding the hearts into a book. I'm also in the process of making a 3-D fiber/beaded gypsy wagon and possibly a project for the beaded book exhibition hosted by Beadwork Magazine. In the meantime, it was great fun to take advantage of a rare sunny day to take the hearts outside and take a picture of the 12 that are done all together.

I've just a bit more to finish on the April page - I've never had something go so slowly before - I just don't seem to have the interest in finishing it though I'm eager to start May.

Work continues

on the wedding dress. It's not quite how I want it yet so I'll be going to the children's house to work on it again this weekend. I could probably finish it if I had it at home but I'm worried about the puppy somehow sinking his teeth into it so it stays safe and sound in a dog-free apartment. I did however get a picture of one of my grandkittens helping me sew last weekend. Also here is a shot of the beading I'm doing on the shrug that goes with the dress. The dress is strapless, the bride has many tattoos so we're using the shrug for some of the more formal wedding photos (like the ones that will be sent off to grandparents). The wedding dress work was quite frustrating this past weekend as the dress looked amazing until I hemmed it and then the hem was all wobbly no matter how much steaming I did - In the way olden days (who remembers this?) we used to buy little weights that we'd sew into the hem of jackets and dresses when we had this problem - the women at the fabric store looked at me like i was insane when I asked about them. So I've found some wonderful beaded trim to apply to the hem to give it a little weight - I'm thinking this will do the trick however hand sewing trim onto a bzillion inches of dress hem isn't my idea of a way to spend a Sunday afternoon but it's once in a lifetime - right?

i'm still plugging away on my April Bead Journal Project page. I've never been this tardy with a page before - I worked on it for a while last night and I'm thinking just a few more hours and it will be complete. Here's the work up until now. The women at Wynwood Beads in Pt. Townsend gave me those little white fish beads so I had to work them into the page somehow.


Mr Zakk the puppy is not getting very big which is a very good thing - in fact, he's much smaller than any of the other dogs. Of course he's only six months old but it doesn't seem like he's really going to grow all that much larger. He's getting better about not destroying too many things while we are at work but he can't resist my shoes and is determined to get to them no matter how securely I think I've stashed them - this boy can open closets and drawers! As I've said a million times, it's a good thing he's cute.

It's been a few weeks

Since my last post. Upon return from ArtFest I suffered a flare of my arthritis and fibromylagia that - to put it bluntly - kicked my butt. Couple that with the wedding dress I'm making for my son's beloved and the regular ups and downs of daily life and I was left with little time to attend to my blog.

I am feeling brighter now (or perhaps it's that it appears that spring may have finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest) and have been working on the April BJP page. I decided to try something new this month and am attempting a landscape of sorts - the landscape being that shore at Fort Worden where ArtFest is held. The working title of this piece is "The Rocky Shore". I'm not overly excited about this piece as, once again, my fingers are not doing what my brain wants them to but I am plugging along because this project was really meant to be a learning experience for me.

The next Bead Journal Project begins this September and I encourage you all to participate. This has been the best learning experience for me, in the virtual company of a few hundred beading folks for support and advice. The information is here. Check out the rest of the website while you are there.

Hopefully I'll have a finished page as well as a finished wedding dress to share next week.

Home from Artfest

I had a great time. I go mostly to see my friends and hang out but this year the classes were excellent as well which was an added bonus.

Thursday I took the Precious Metal Clay class. It was very interesting to me that it was so similiar to the low fire clay that I have worked with for years. I never do my best work in a classroom setting, but I really did enjoy making these charms. We also learned how to set stones and fire the clay both in a little wee kiln and with a torch.




Friday was the Icons class - It was very low key and fun - just mostly slapping paper and paint around. I sat with my friend Leilainia and that was the best part of the day.



Saturday was the Creative Characters day. I don't know if I was overly tired or what but the first part of this class nearly frustrated me to tears - I was ready to turn in my artist card but the teacher helped and suddenly a little light when on in my brain - If you ever get the chance Karen O'Brien is an incredibly wonderful and skilled teacher. I highly recommend taking class from her and would love to take another. After much gnashing of teeth and furrowing of brow I got this little painting done - It was really quite fun.

The dogs were overjoyed to have me home and I was happy to be back to my own comfy bed. Next on the agenda - a wedding dress.

p.s - There are tons more Artfest pictures on my flickr page.

On line classes

I've been having just a wonderful time taking on line classes at joggles.com. I finished up my projects in the Funky Felt Pin class. These were such fun - here are a couple of my favorites - the rest can be see on my flickr site.



I also finished my third project in the Fertile Earth class - It is supposed to be a Canadian Thistle but my friend Suz thinks it's Christmasy. The central floral bit is deep purple rather than the fuschia color that shows up here.
I'm off to Artfest later this week and will have tons of photos and stories upon my return.



In other news, the Bead Journal Project is continuing for another year beginning this September. If you would like to participate, I'll have sign up information here later this summer. It really is a fun project with a supportive group of people - beginners are welcome - in fact, I'd never done any bead embroidery at all when I started last year. This project gives me just a wee bit of structure that I need to complete something every month without the stress of deadlines to mail something off to someone. So if you've enjoyed viewing my beaded hearts this year and would like to try your hand at it, don't be shy - join us!