June BJP 09

Last night I was very angry about something. Anger is not conducive to sleep, so I got out of bed, went to my bead room, pulled a few things together, sat on the floor and made this piece. I used markers in my least favored colors, project rejects, embroidery thread, which, when I got frustrated with using it on the needle, I just wrapped around the lacey's stiff stuff. I even left the needle in the piece. Was I less angry? Well, enough to go to sleep. And enough to get out of bed today and move on and leave some of the anger behind.

Hawaii

Last week my husband was in Hawaii for a conference. When he sent me the hotel information, it said his room had a partial view of the ocean. This is what partial looks like! He's off to France next week for yet another conference. We'll have to wait and see what his room with a view looks like. And yes, I could go if I wanted to, but the truth of the matter is that this is work for him, and engineers take their work seriously. They love to talk about their research, what new work they're doing, renew old contacts, and most of all, talk about their research, and their work... because the bottom line is, they love their work!

Clay pendants

I have a few new pieces of polymer clay (my DH is out of town again for the week). I have a feeling this clay stuff can be addictive, just like beading. Above is my last leaf pendant. Now I'll have to make something besides leaf pendants, like the heart below. I'm still very much a novice, but I'm enjoying the process and the possibilities seem endless.

Use the Muse

I'm working on my Use the Muse piece. I've tried several ideas, excitedly gathering beads of different colors, shapes, and sizes, only to discard most of them. Now I'm narrowing down my design, and it's totally unlike my usual beading. Usually my beading is dense, but this design is airy and lightweight. In fact, I'm not sure it's worthy of the contest, but it's been fun for me to do something so totally different, so I feel I have gained something new. I can't show the piece because the muse is in it, and one of the rules is that you absolutely can't share the muse until the contest is over. So check back on July 18th, when all the entries are due!

Use the Muse Contest

I decided to enter the Use the Muse Contest by Scarlett Lanson. She is a young woman from Sedona, Arizona who is adding lots of energy and enthusiasm to the beading community. Her contest uses a "muse," which does not appear in the photo. Also missing is a lovely piece of ribbon. What's unique about this contest is that the entry needs to be finished by July 18th, so the design and beading needs to be completed in a relatively short time. I love the colors of the beads and hopefully will start getting ideas flowing in the next few days.

Beading for a Cure

Below is the Beading for a Cure necklace and bracelet that I won through the auctions. Aren't they wonderful? What's really clever is that there is a magnetic clasp embedded in the beaded beads on both the necklace and bracelet!

Polymer Clay Week

My husband is away for the week, and I've decided to devote my time to making more polymer clay sculptures. Since my class with Christi Friesen I've actually been dreaming about making clay, so here's a chance to dive in... but first, off to meet my bead group friends to design a hostess gift for our annual bead retreat in October. We have an item picked out to embroider, a palette, and now will focus on the design. Above is a photo of part of the "W" we made for her last year. In this part of the W you can see a lake, which the cottage is on, the road leading to the cottage, which is long and one lane, some flowers for the gardens - you can see all that, right?

Have a great week!