My Beautiful Friend Bea

I thought I should post a picture of my friend Bea in the jacket that I made for her. She is such a tiny little thing that its hard to judge size. Besides which she is such an amazing seamstress that its kind of scarey to do any sewing for her. She is one of the toughest Women I have ever known. She has terrible Rheumatoid Arthritis which has twisted her poor hands badly, does she complain..NO, she just keeps on doing her sewing and beading by learning to hold her needles a little differently. On this day she has on flipflops because her one leg and foot was so badly swollen from the Arthritis. She is such a character, I love her dearly.  Bea and our friend Karen have always been so gracious to share their families with me since our children and grandchildren all live in the lower forty-eight. Bea and I both miss Karen very much. The three of us had so many fun times together, putting on Teas and Luncheons at the Lodge, bumming around town together, (takes about a half hour to visit every store in town) and having our coffee and beading sessions. I made a jacket for Karen many years ago, I know I have a picture of her jacket somewhere, when I find it I will include it here. As I have said before....Time Flies......make the most of it my friends, make the most of it. Its cloudy but sunny today, and I am waiting for the tide to go out so I can go for a walk. Thank goodness for the beach..I can go there and walk and let the sounds of the water wash the stress and worries away...for a short while anyway. The grass is starting to green-up. Can't wait for things to bloom out so it doesn't look so darn drab! I am still working on my two beading projects..haven't had much time lately, don't know why..hope to finish up at least one today. Time to get moving................

Finished At Last!

I have finally finished the quilted jacket that I started LAST YEAR for my friend Bea. I started "collecting" black and white fabric for her jacket in 2011. How embarrassing is that. I knew that I wanted to make the jacket mostly black and white with just a touch of red, her favorite.  I am happy with how it finally turned out, I am not happy with my putting things off so long. Now, if it just fits her ok, I tried it on her before the sleeves were sewn on and it fit pretty good, just needed a slight adjustment in the shoulders. She was unaware that I was making the jacket until she stopped by one day and I decided to be smart and try it on her. Now that it is done, I hope it fits ok. She will be receiving the jacket today. I guess you could call it her Birthday, Christmas, Mothers Day  x 2 Jacket. Procrastinating is not becoming!! Now to finish my beading projects. Yesterday was beautiful, today is very very overcast but a good temperature, 43, and not much of a breeze, there may be a walk in my near future. Well maybe later, I just let our little step-dog out and its now raining. DRATS!!

April Projects

APRIL MAIDEN

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Well, March sped by and now April is on its way out, where does the time go? I have been busy, doing what I'm not sure, but here are some of the projects that I have been working on. The first is the Maiden for April Bead Journal Project, the others are for the Watercolor corner at the Gallery. The RedPoll and Pussywillow is for the Spring show, and the Sunflower and Jugs were just for fun, they will go into the Watercolor corner in June probably. I really never thought I would like watercolor at all, but the more I do, the more I like it. Although, Oils will always be my first love. Nothing like an oil painting.  I have so much to learn in watercolor, and boy does it show sometimes. Worldwide this has been such an ugly month, we can only hope that May will bring something wonderful.

My March Madness.

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 The tear drop shape was a bead, but had a flat back so it was perfect for a cabachon, and the oval above it was an earring in its other life. The strap is a loose spiral at the bottom and a smaller spiral at the neck edge. I used a "Vintage" look button for the closure. This photo does not show how beautiful the colors are. Should have taken it outside.

 I painted four pictures of the Chickadees, spring, summer, fall and winter.
 The picture of the geese  was a picture I had seen in an old Art magazine. I tore the picture out, so I no longer know which publication it was in. I do love painting birds .                                                                       The picture below is of my March Maiden. She is in pastel in keeping with Easter. Why is Easter Pastel? Just in my world maybe. Anyway, pink with flowers for SPRING!!!
We were supposed to get up to fresh snow today, thank goodness that did not occur, however the sky is still making threats.  Too much nervous energy lately, I WANT SPRING!!!!! Well, really, we have had some beautiful sunny days, COLD but beautiful. I have even been down to walk the beach three times in the last week and a half. Went to a different area of the beach to walk yesterday.....talked to a "Homerite" because she was determined to talk to me, actually I mostly listened to her life story that she was determined to tell me about. Thankfully her dog struck up another friendship and off she went to ....perhaps finish her story with someone else. Now I know why I rarely walk this stretch of beach, not that I mind visiting with others....sometimes. I have projects to finish, so I should get busy, besides housework needs to be done, back to work tomorrow.

MARCH MAIDEN

I  also participated in the "Painted Plate" project for the Bunnell Gallery. This is the first time (and could be the last) I have participated in their fund raiser. Ceramics and I have not had a great relationship in the past. I am terrified that the 3 plates I painted will turn out terrible. Well, I won't know for another month. Then I may have to send them a "Sorry" card, time will tell.    

"Queenie"

We received the call today that we had been dreading. Our beautiful friend has left us. I am so glad that I got to spend last Thursday with her. It was a rough day for her, but we had some laughs and battered back a few tears along the way. She was looking forward to going home and being done with the needles and IV's for awhile. When I left, we both said "I love you". Thank you God for that, it doesn't make the loss any easier, but at least I got to tell her I loved her. Our thoughts all day have been with her Family. They are all strong individuals, and will be there for their Dad,who's battling his own health issues , it just leaves "us" the Friends with ....????....no matter what words you use, no matter how many things you would like to say...they're just words. Do they help? Not really, only time helps, and personal space. But we must say something right?   She was Bossy, opinionated, beautiful, compassionate, a hard worker, a Beader, can't forget that, and funny, and so much fun to be around. I admired her "Can-Do" attitude and friendliness to all.  She leaves a big hole in a lot of lives. Cancer..........there are no words.................I miss her terribly already, I miss our "Beady" get togethers, the card games, lunch, laughter, just sharing our lives for a short time. The pain and suffering is over for her....the heartbreak for those she left behind has just begun. I can hear your laughter "Queenie", I hope it stays with me forever..........

Beach Walk and Beads

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Looking out the window at the Beach this AM and was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to "Be There", so off I went. It was 36 and no wind, made for such a great walk, and I only picked up one shell and one rock...a new record for me. No beach glass today, but I ran into a friend that says she has found a real treasure of glass. Hmmmm, and she walks the same area as I do, however she told me she walks every day. I need to get down there more. Came home and Mr J said he felt like eating today so we went for a burger and Ice tea. Came back home and finished the clasp on my cuff, darn, its just a little big for me, I made it to take to the Gallery, but I may have to "embed it with my "essence" for a day or two before I take it down. I used Turquoise of course and Carnelian and the coin. I love the more Ethnic look, and it will look good in the showcase with the Necklace I made just before we closed for painting. Now to finish my friends quilted jacket, and get busy on baby things for the two new babies that will be born in a couple of months. Two more Great-grandchildren expected. One Boy and one Girl, two different families. Can't wait!!

February's Bead Journal Maiden

FEBRUARY MAIDEN

Well, its been awhile since I have made an entry in the blog, I have been busy, we had to put the Gallery back together and of course to make matters worse, I was called for Jury Duty. I had two days to go to be excused and they nabbed me. So Rowan ended up doing a lot on her own. Our boss lady was ill at this time and the other gal that works part time was out of state...when it rains it pours.  I am also working on my watercolor piece for the Collaborative picture the Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society is working on for the Spring show. I have 10 days.....the pressure is on. I think I drew the most complicated piece of the picture...drats! I don't want to let them down....anyway, here's Miss February Bead Journal Maiden. 

A New Year

Well, 2013.....and we still don't have those little personal spacecrafts to zip around in like we all thought we would have back when the Jetsons were on TV. When was that? The 60's ? so much has happened in the years since that show was on TV. TV has gone to the dogs!! The majority of the shows on now are just disgusting. The "Reality" shows are just the worst thing to come along in years!! Well, except for our local men on the TimeBandit. I did enjoy that show the first three seasons, but that's worn off now, and I find myself hungering for more books to read, but even those..............The world has changed for the worse in so many ways. I so want my Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren to have a beautiful world to grow up in. I feel we need to get GOD back into this world!!! Some radicals have worked so hard to get him out, and have done such a good job...where can we go and what can we do to bring him back? I just pray that our Grandchildren bring their children up BELIEVING!!!  I know that some of you out there do not agree, so I say to you....I will keep you in my prayers. Don't you want a more beautiful world? Are you happy with the child abuse, murders, suicide and rapes? No I don't think you are. I believe things will turn around once again, I just hope I live to see it. Sorry if this sounds like a downer, but look around.  Maybe its just the weather, I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day. There's always my projects to keep me busy. The Gallery will be closed for three weeks, so I will have time to get many things done.....right?  So much illness all around us right now, I guess when you get to be our age, its just part of life........Stay Young my Friends!!!!!!! Laugh often, it sure helps!

JANUARY MAIDEN

Now on to other things, today I finished my January piece for the Bead Journal Project. I finally decided to do small Art Dolls that can be used as Ornaments...see, I have a method to my madness this time. Still haven't decided what to do with last years Journal pieces, or for that matter, I keep taking out the small squares I beaded for 2011 looking them over, then put them back...I know one day everything will fall into place and I will know what to do with them. Perhaps use one or two on a handbag....hmmmmm something to think about. Anyway, my 2013 Maiden for January is all white with a touch of silver. She embodies all the snow and ice we've had so far this month with more on the way. I love making these dolls, thanks to
Robin Atkins, she inspired me several years ago to start making them. So its fun to make them once again.

2012 BJP Finished and photographed finally.

So my 2012 BJP is finished, photo'd and now I am ready to start on 2013. I am still trying to make up my mind what I want to do this year, but hopefully I will decide before I fall way behind. Here are the months of 2012 all together. January: Rabbit, February: Moose, March: Squirrel, April:Eagle, May: Pheasant, June:Sandhill Crane, July: Raven, August: Dragonfly, September: Swan, October: Seagulls, November: Stellar Jay, December: Porcupine.