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Friday, April 30, 2010


So today was just one disaster after another so I put aside my beads and moved over to my sewing machine. I made two pairs of pillow cases and then decided to get out the quilt I started five years ago and never finished. That was going well until I discovered that I had used one of my main fabrics at some time and now I am short. So I ran over to the fabric store and of course, the fabric is five years old and they did not have any more. Mary (the manager of that department) said she would be glad to give me some out of her own stash...if only she had some.
When I got home I had a message to call my friend Sandy at the Gallery and she invited me to go to a special showing of a documentary that was made about a local artist Norman Lowell. So off we went. It was very well attended and a great documentary. Norman and Libby are such nice people and he is such a fine artist. The documentary was well received internationally and won first place over 4000 others.
Then back home, and back to the quilt. I managed to scrounge enough scraps to finish the squares I needed (I hope) so maybe the day isn't a total loss.
I also sent out a plea for help to my Sister Janna, to guide me through adding the Bead Journal Logo to my blog page. Another success, God is good. Janna has helped me a lot with my blog, I could not have done it without her.
Back to work tomorrow, perhaps it will be a good day all around. I hope so. This awful gray, rainy weather is not much help in the attitude department. If God gives us tomorrow, its up to us to make it good. So thats my plan.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010




Took a walk on the beach today, glad I was alone, well, not really alone, I walked with my Grandson Chris at my side and in my heart. It turned into a very emotional walk. The harder I tried to move past the grief, the more it enveloped me. When does it get easier I wonder. Lets move on.
I turned in my two floats to the Coastal Studies today. I ask if they had a good showing with the artists and she said yes that there seems to be a lot of participation. She took a photo of me with the floats. I hope it doesn't show up any where. I was dressed for my walk on the beach. They will be having a First Friday Opening June 4th. That should be fun to see what everyone has done.

No signs of the "boys" today. We have twin baby bull mooses that have been hanging around the house. Only saw one of them yesterday and not at all today. They are just starting to get bumps where their racks will be. Hope they make it ok. They are sure staying small this year.

Friday, April 16, 2010

You can see the fresh water pearls in this shot. I bought these less expensive pearls to use in embellishing bead embroidery, then I put them away and forgot about them until I was looking for things to embellish the floats. Always a treasure hunt.
I also used some of my lamp work beads that I rushed and they cracked because I didn't let them cool long enough, but they work on here. Also another little lamp work fish.
One more little lamp work fish swimming around the side.
Well, I think its done..except that I am going to add a few freshwater pearls here and there. I added my lampwork sea critters. You can see the little "seahorse" that I made, right next to our sea maiden.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Well, its been a week and everything is holding fast on Float #1. Glad of that. Hope everything goes as well with float #2.
Our early morning visitor. Actually there were two of them, but they were zipping by so fast I could only get one in the photo. These two have been hanging around all winter. I just can't get over how small they still are. They must be sisters. They have been pruning whats left of my raspberry bushes and the lilac bush. Super low tide this morning. If the breeze lays down, it might be a good day for a walk.
A view of the top, I still have a long way to go, but its a good start.
More embellishment added. I found I cannot push a pin through the air dry clay. So I have had to use silicone to add the flowers in her hair.
Starting the embellishment process on float #2. I have to drive 0 pins down along the sides of the mermaid to have something to anchor my thread to. No matter what, she must have beads.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

We took a drive out on the Spit Sunday afternoon. The seagulls seem to be readying their nesting areas. The Ravens and the Eagles have been gathering twigs for the last two weeks. So perhaps this is a positive sign that spring is just around the corner. Of course it was snowing when I got up this morning and it is still very overcast and we have heavy cloud coverage right now.
I think she came out ok. I hope the float takes on a little more life once I attach all the beads that I plan on. I made a tiny seahorse and some fish out of moretti glass that I plan to attach also. Its been awhile since I made any beads and should have practiced some before I tried making my little critters. You can buy these out of Firemountain, but I wanted to make my own, so they are what they are.
I have a large beaded bead that I want to find a way of using on this float if I can. I woke up this AM working on this float in my dream, so I guess that was the nudge I needed to get busy.
I am now working on the second float, got the background underway and the mermaid painted. I will be covering her lower body with beads and attaching a lot of embellishments.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

The sun is shining and there is no wind at the moment. As soon as the tide goes out I am going to have to go for a walk on the beach. The weather has been such a crazy mix, snowed yesterday, then the sun finally came out, and so far today it looks like it might be a decent day. We so need a decent day. Thinking positive!!!
Getting started with the grouting. I used grout mixed with an acrylic extender, and white glue. Now, as it dries I guess I will know if this is going to stick to the float. I sure hope so. If not, I will have to try just straight silicone ....maybe. It looks ok so far. Time will tell.
I added some tiny Mother of Pearl seahorses also. They fit well for background. I used silicone to adhere them to the float.
Today I am working on my Drift Art Project. These are a few of the materials that I am using. Most of these I have picked up off of the beach on one of my many walks. Jack always says "don't look down" when you walk the beach. I bring home everything. Sometimes thats not a good thing. But my inner child just takes over. I have to pick things up. I am also using some tumbled glass, the "bubbles" they use in aquariums, and some of my handmade beads that just didn't quite make the grade or broke while cooling, or rather because I didn't let them completely cool.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Well, enough for now. I have a few more pieces to add, but I need to take a break for awhile. Tears, there are just so darn many of them. I need to get busy. Cleaning my work room would be a great idea, but its just not a lot of fun. I have several projects going, and I need to get back to my "Drift" projects and get them done. They have to be completed and turned in to the Coastal Study Center by next month. So...back to work.
April piece for Christopher. Our Granddaughter Tosha had a dream about Chris and she said it seemed so real like he was really there with her, but he said that he could only stay a while and that he had to leave on April 4th. She said she did not realize at the time that April 4th was Easter. Tosha and Chris were always very close. His passing has been very hard for her to cope with. Its been very hard for all of us, I wonder when it will get easier.
This is Ryans April piece for my bead journal. I used the same "Forget me not" Cabs for both of the boys. I used the same design for both boys this month...seemed like the thing to do for some reason.
This piece is called "Ravens Dance". I styled it after the dance bustles that they wear at the Pow Wows we used to attend in Oregon. One of my favorite pieces. I made this in 2004. I used fox fur around the center medallion and as the "puffs" on the top of each feather.The center medallion is beaded with size 11 seed beads.
The photo is a little blurry, but you can get the idea. This is a tubular netted amulet bag that I did for one of our local bead shows here. I called it my "Bridal Bag". It was featured in Belle Armoire's Spring 2008 Jewelry Magazine. I love doing that branch fringe.
I bought this mixed hank of beads at the Bead Shack one time, and I had purchased the agate slice at the State Fair in Palmer a couple of years before. I was sitting at my work table one evening looking at the hank of beads and trying to decide what I wanted to do with them when I accidently knocked over a box and there in the box was the agate...it exactly matches the colors in the beads.....coincidence? Don't think so..I believe my "Muse" was working over time. I liked the way it turned out. It is a large piece, well maybe we should call it a "Statement" piece. Anyway, its beautiful colors.
This has to be one of my all time favorite Cabachon Necklaces ever. I have no idea what the orange cab is, it was in a mixed bunch that Gig bought at the Tuson show one year. I have never been into orange much, but I instantly saw a beautiful flower when I looked at it. And the mixed green beads I found at the Bead Shack in Anchorage.
This is a loomed amulet bag that I made several years ago. I loved the colors I used in this bag. It was a free pattern in either Beadwork or Bead and Button Magazine. I love Dragonfly's. I was really in to making the amulet bags for awhile. But bead embroidery is my main love. You can let your mind and the beads just go where they may. Although I made several "pattern" pieces for my show last year. Hmmm what does that say?
The other side of the shoe. You could wear this shoe, if you don't mind the pain. The beads would be a little rough on the edge of the top strap. I really enjoyed this challange.
The beaded shoe that I did back in 2000. I was working at the beadstore then and Gig challanged me to find a shoe, bead it and send it in to the Beadwork Challange for their traveling bead show. Well, I finished mine, Gig did not, and I almost did not send it in..but..Gig pushed me to do it and low and behold, it was chosen to be in the show. I was stunned to say the least. It was featured with all the beautiful shoes in the December-January 2001 Beadwork magazine. The show traveled all over the lower 48 for a year. It was a lot of work, but fun, and I was going to complete the set...but who knows where I put that other shoe.
This is my loomed belt that I used to wear when we were still Rendevousing..I couldn't even get this around my waist...waist...did I say waist? Lets rephrase that..I couldn't even get this around my MIDDLE any more. I loomed the beadwork and then attached it to the leather belt that I made. It held up very well to a lot of use. I also loomed strips that Jack attached to his Leather shirt. They held up very well also. I don't care what you say, Nymo thread is my favorite.
This is a "Strike-a-lite" bag that I made at least 30 years ago when Jack and I were attending the Blackpowder Rendevous in Oregon. I carried my char cloth and fire starter kit in this bag. What a lot of fun we had with that group of people. We still have our beautiful Teepee, although we never use it any more. But it was fun and we have a lot of fun and funny memories. I made and sold several Capotes made out of Whitney blankets when we first moved up here, but it has been a while since I have done that. I sold them mainly to Dog Mushers. The blankets are extremely heavy and my hands just won't co-operate the way they used to. I have problems working with all the bulk and my sewing machine is getting along in years also.
This is my Chickadee handbag that I did almost 14 years ago in Kates's class. It was also featured in the Autumn 2008 "Haute Handbags" magazine. I really like the small size of this bag. I used down to a size 22 vintage seed bead in this design. And some of the tiniest vintage bugle beads I have ever seen. They are however, extremely fragile to bead with. I love these little birds, we get so many of them here at our feeder.

This is my handbag that I carry every day. The beadwork is now on the second purse. I wore out the first one, however, the beadwork is still like new. Again, my work is textural...not flat like I suppose it should be, but I like the look and feel of the raised beads in my designs.The centerpiece eagle design is from one of my beading books, but I can't remember the name of it off hand. It is an excellent book..well..they almost all are. I love getting inspiration from fellow beaders. My purse is about eight years old now, well I mean the beadwork is.

Got up to snow flurries this AM...NO MORE SNOW!!!! We are all so ready for spring to come. Decided to add a few more of my pieces of beadwork to my blog. Looking at beadwork is so much better than looking out at the snow. Some of the pictures did not turn out as good as I would like, but....its better than looking at snow...did I already say that? This is my needle case that I did in a class with Kate Boyan. Kate is such a fabulous beader, I join in her classes every chance I get, just to enjoy her company and that great ....creative...spiritual...I'm not sure what to call it exactly..anyway, it makes me feel so good to be around other like minded people. Its like a shot in the arm. I am a solitary beader now that I am no longer giving classes. I love the Iroquois style of beadwork because it is so textural.