I Found Another Fab Giveaway

Are you a patient beader/artist? Run over to Beads of Clay to read Kristie's treatise on patience and enter for a chance to win one of her gorgeous pendants.

What A Giveaway!

Apparently my dear friend Carol Dean Sharpe made a boo-boo, and in doing so she was left with a gorgeous mistake which she is so very generously offering to give away. She has a gorgeous purple and gold bracelet up for grabs. Go check it out! Her generosity abounds!

Changed My Mind . . .

It is my prerogative, right?

Surprise!!

It's not finished yet. Almost, but not quite finished. Stay tuned.

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain

Of course it's raining. Duh. We gave Bella a bath last night. Now she can go out and get her pretty blond hair muddy. Sheesh. We have had a lot of rain overnight. Taking the girls to school this morning I drove over a low water crossing that the water was just starting to cover. Fortunately it's not a running stream with any force. It's just a dip in the road, but I'm thinking we may have to use a different route tomorrow morning.

Here is a very cool link that I came across thanks to Suzanne Cooper. I agree with Suzanne's observation that beaders have been doing all of these for years, so we're a step ahead of the trend.

Lorelei is hosting the FIFTH Green Girl Studios giveaway. Hurry over and leave your comment to be entered.

And now I must be off. I'm moving on to the next teaching sample. Yes, pictures will be posted as soon as allowed. I had a bit of frustration yesterday. I thought I had the perfect ending for a piece I had been working on. I originally designed it as a bracelet and had just the right amount of supplies, but it would have been too similar to something that Kim Stathis had designed and I really hate stepping on the toes of other designers and teachers so it became a necklace. Unfortunately, I was eight little beads short of finishing the embellishment. On the upside, this one is not due until January so I have time to get to my favorite area Swarovsk pusher, Mica Jewelry and Beads in San Antonio. Today is a gemstone and seed bead kind of day in red, rosy red fading to paler shades. I know. It's totally unlike me, right? It's almost as unusual as orange! And on that note I leave you. Keep on beading on, beadlings!

Busy Bee

That's me! I have so much to do. I really need a replicator. I realized it had been a week since my last blog, but I'm really trying to not spread myself too thin right now. I've been beading and knitting and knitting and beading. I'm trying to get a lot of beading done before the next surgery date and trying to get some things knitted in time for the grandbabies.

In the meantime, we are enjoying exceedingly mild weather. I actually heard someone on the radio this morning make the statement that since we didn't break the record of 69 days with temps over 100° that our brutal summer was all for nothing. Tell me, if we had broken said record what would we have received? I'm just curious.

Lost My Sketchbook???

Actually, it's an IDEA book and I truly cannot find it. I have others, with better and more recent ideas, but I shudder to think that maybe the perfect project is in the oldest idea book. I'm trying to move on and look at more recent sketches and notes.

As a result of this misplacement, I've walked all over the house three times already. I've driven to school and back twice because someone forgot her lunch. I've walked the yard with the animal control officer (stupid stray dog got into T-man's garden!), and now my legs are threatening to go on strike. Fortunately, sifting through the idea notebooks can be done with my feet up. Did I tell you I've been up since 6:30? And you KNOW I'm not a morning person.

Let's go back to ideas. Hmm. I've got an elegant, gorgeous rosy pink WIP, an almost formal bronze UFO and grapes on two different vines waiting to be plucked. I've got an old favorite with a new and improved execution as well as some old standards that will eventually be scooped up as the perfect workshop. I've also got some one hour faves to send off to some of my favorite people in San Antonio. Add to this mix a scheduled surgery date AND the arrival of two very important little boys! And oh my stars, it's only Monday.

More Giveaways!

Did you think I'd forgotten? Nah, I was just waiting. And yes, I need to put together my own giveaway -- I have not forgotten that, either. I just need to be able to get to some of the stash (Jennifer asked about a destash giveaway, and since I won the earrings from her I thought that might appropriate).

Beverly Herman is giving away a lovely bracelet created by none other than herself. If you've never seen Bevvie's work in person, you are missing out on some great eye candy.

Lorelei is having the fourth Green Girl Studios giveaway. There is still time to enter and win beautiful beads and charms.

And this chart from Fire Mountain Gems is just too handy. Download it as a .PDF to keep on your computer. It's FREE! (that makes it a giveaway!)

I'm working on a kit I bought a couple of years ago from Beads East a couple of years ago. I felt like learning a little something different and honing old skills. I've got four new pair of earrings to take photos of and put in the Etsy shop, but *gasp* it is cloudy and RAINING today! And while this is a welcome change (it MIGHT get to 90° today), it makes for poor photo ops. Oh well! Rain, rain, rain! If my knee were healed a little more, I might go do a dance in it! Bead on, beadlings!!

Pool!

I climbed that ladder. Getting in was a bit more difficult than getting out was, but while I was in I kind of overdid it. No, I really overdid it. It felt so deceptively good to be able to move with ease that I just kept going. I know now that I should do only a fraction of what I did. But it felt so good! Last week I made a decision to NOT visit the Austin Bead Society's bead bazaar. It was a wise decision, based on both the pool fiasco and the drive to my parent's house Saturday. The ride in the car has left me stiff and achy. Crapola, I'm so impatient that it's almost funny. The funnier part is that this Friday I hope to schedule the date for the other knee! Hey, I've got to be fixed by Thanksgiving! I've got special guests this year!!

I managed to make two almost missed deadlines just under the wire. In GG's words, I "stitched like the wind!" I'm still blaming the near miss on pain meds. But, photos and bio got emailed, two additional color palette samples got finished and mailed off. All that's left is to wait and see how many students sign up for the classes and then the fun begins -- kit making! Woo hoo!

I hope you had a great weekend. I know we did.

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

She's 21 today. I've always said she's the child I did by myself. I think I did a pretty good job, if I may say so.



She's pretty, she's compassionate, she's intelligent, she's funny, she's loving.



In about 10 weeks, she's going to be a mom herself.



We've had to give her to someone else, who loves her as fiercely as we do.



But she will always be my baby bird. I love you, Natalie. Happy birthday!!