Mid week!

Can't believe it's middle of the week...or should I say the week almost over!  Yikes!
Making progress on my beaded cuff....I'd say it's half done...or close to that.  The colors don't show up as nice as they are in person.  I'm using Delica's in Cinnamon Rainbow for darker area, Copper Lined Crystal for background and Lt Peach lined crystal for the 'X' areas and diagonals.  

I also finished another Kumi bracelet, this one in narrow yarns.  I have another one started so I can wear them as a pair.  It's in shades of brown and beige.  This one has a really pretty yellow in it.

 So yesterday was my day with Amber & Nick.  We were quite busy as they helped clean out the garage for their mom and dad.  They each did a great job cleaning.  Next off to grocery store to return bottles - kids split the money!  Then we had a good lunch at Subway then home to help Nick paint a wooden box with his air brush gun and Amber to make a bracelet.
They each did a great job.  Amber finished her braiding (Kumi) but my glue wasn't working so I'll put the closure on it today and take back to her this weekend (she's having her BD party for family on Sunday).  Amber's bracelet turned out nice!  And it didn't take her as long as she thought it would!  Surprise!!!  I gave Amber some yarns, as she and another friend want to make bracelets.  She found some YouTubes  for braided bracelets (not Kumi) which look quite interesting and very easy.  I'll be anxious to see what they come up with.

Amber didn't want her picture taken....oh well!

Her braid is in pinks and purples.  Really nice!

This was a wooden box Nick painted

and put stencils on!

Nick learned a lot about 'masking' off areas when you want to paint.  He made sure to remove all the screws and hooks too.  I think he did a great job as well!


We just had a fun day!  Well, grandma did anyway...just more memories!!!

Here we go again, for the 3rd time!

What can I say....I'm a ditz!  I started the reverse applique on my sun piece (again!) and guess what I did!  I cut into an area that I shouldn't have...I can't 'fix' it and I'm getting frustrated with this piece SO...I ordered some Clover 1/4" fusible bias that I'll fuse the leading for the stained glass look!   Now I just have to 'unsew' all the basting, red line stitching and the parts I've already appliqued!  BUT.....

I found another stained glass pattern to do for my Tiffany piece!  I'm using some silk dupioni for some of the applique and then some old, old Pat Campbell's Fossil Fern!  I just had a small piece but enough for the feathers.  I'm using a white batik for the white you see in the background.
I'm also going to add some circles of the silk dupioni in the feathers and lots of hand stitching once the leading is all in place.

Today I basted the black fabric in place and I'm now working on stitching the center of my lead lines.  Woohoo!!!


And in between time, I'm still working on my latest cuff.  This is about 3" of beading so far and I really like the pattern and the colors.

We had an early dinner of  chicken kabob's w/ veggies today so dinner and dishes are all done!  Tigers won their game so Kalee and I will go out on the deck and either bead, unsew or stitch!  Decisions, decisions!!!
Temp is still 80 @ 5:05 p.m.  Our walk won't be until 8 p.m.!

For your viewing pleasure!

First, have to show the progress on my beaded cuff!  Didn't work on it last night but made good headway on Tuesday night.  I'm on row 70 of 230!  A ways to go and yes, for those 'eagle' eyes...I just noticed that I messed up and have the wrong bead in my triangle!  Grrrrrrrrrr  Since this 'bead mistake' will be in the back perhaps I'll be the only one to notice!  I might rip it out and replace...yea...that's what I'll have to do.  I think there's a way you crack the 'bad' bead and then stitch back through to replace it?  I'll have to look that up!

At our fiber meeting on Monday, I asked two of our ladies, Carol and LoisAnn, if I could post some of their watercolor work they do.  I'm always impressed with any painting or drawing since I can't do either!  So here for your "viewing pleasure" are some of the art work from my talented friends!

Carol was working on an online class called, Fantasy Journaling, by Diane Hollingsworth.  If you want to see  Diane's studio and some of her artwork, check out her YouTube here.  WOW!

Here are some pages from Carol's Fantasy journal.  I love the look of these pages and it's all done in watercolor!   Look closely at each of the elements in her pages.   Cool!

And these are just a few pages from Lois Ann's journal.  LA did these while sitting beach or ocean side! She just takes her watercolor paints with her and these are her results!  Amazing!

Hope you enjoy seeing some of my friend's work(s)!

Another warm one today.....looking forward to fall already!

Beading again/still!

Well, heck...I have to have more than one project to work on at a time...so...in addition to my Tiffany piece I have some beading to work on.

 I finished my 2nd cuff using Sand Fibers, (Carol Sharpe) pattern.  This was an even count peyote pattern called Dramatic Abstract Peyote.   I added a toggle made of beads instead of a regular closure.

The toggle closure was a little tricky as I had to follow the pattern while creating a hole in the cuff to slip the toggle into...also the little tag the toggle was attached to had to continue the pattern!  Talk about challenging my brain!  But I did it!!!  

I love Carol's patterns.  She offers both a word chart and graph for her patterns.  Check out some of her patterns and cuffs for sale in her Etsy shop here.

This is my 3rd pattern from Carol that I started on Sunday.  It's odd count peyote and called Verdant Enchantment Peyote.  You can see Carol's cuff & pattern here, which is beautiful in shades of greens.  I didn't have the same color beads so I used what I had on hand.

This is the first odd count peyote I've ever done...and I had a heck of a time teaching myself that so called "turn".  BUT...once again Carol came through and had a tutorial on her FB page.  She had pictures along with explanations of the turn which made it so easy for me to follow!  I did check YouTube and wasted so much time looking at videos and ripping out my beads before finding Carol's tips!

But now I've got it down pat and it's easy, easy!!!  I like the colors in this smaller cuff as I wear a lot of beige/gold.  Hopefully, my future pictures will show the colors better.

We're off  for carpet shopping today...not something either of us are looking forward to.  But our carpet is 17 1/2 years old!!  And really needs to be replaced.  It's held up well over the years and we've put this 'buy' off for the past year or two.  Finally going to bite the bullet!  But I might get a lunch or dinner out at the same time!  Might be worth the trip...maybe a margarita or glass of wine will be needed too - good excuse!

Break time?

  Well, it is break time from all the reorg I've been doing!!  But it does feel good to look at what I've accomplished.    I finished  the downstairs this a.m.  going through some of the old books I got from the library book sale...I  use these from time to time and I did get rid of some of them but saving most of them (I failed in this area, Lynn!).  I'll take some with me to our fiber mtg to see if anyone can use them.  The dye/wet room looks SO good!!!  And I even did a reorg in my closet today!!!  Bob took two bags to GoodWill this afternoon!

I'm making good progress on my Sand Fiber peyote cuff.  I'm going to try a different method for the closure that I saw on Beadaholic web site.  It's called a beaded toggle...now I just need to figure out when I stop my rows and start to create the toggle!  Might need some really quiet time for this step!!

This is the start of my Tiffany piece...these are the fabrics that will be under the 'leading'/black fabric.


The next picture shows the back of this piece where I've stitched the center line for the leading.

Lots of prep work for this reverse applique method but well worth it in the end.  It took a great mind to come up with this process and I'm so glad she's my buddy!  Thanks, Susan!

You have to look really close to see the red stitching, which is the center of the leading (reverse applique).

This is always the scariest part!!!  Cutting into the piece (black fabric only!) and starting to stitch the leading.

So that's on my to do list for today!  Start to cut and sew!!

On Wednesday, I'm taking Amber and Nick, along with their friends, to the 4-H fair.  This is our tenth year of fair going!!!  I love having this as our annual event...now to hope the rain holds off!!!

Gift Giving Time

I've finished Kris bracelet and hopefully it will fit her now.  I didn't finish off all the rows and closure when I tired it on her last Wed.  So hoping this will fit. 


And I also made a phone plug for another buddy of mine.  It's in the mail so she should have it later this week. 

I think she likes green(s) so I added a green bead I had along with some Swarovski crystals and a little angle to keep watch on her!! 

I'm making good progress on my own cuff bracelet.  I love this pattern by Carol, at Sand Fibers.  I definitely will order some more of her patterns.  The bracelet I made for Kris is also from Carol.  You have to check out her blog and go to her Etsy page and check out some of her patterns!

I'm sure the Tigers are on TV tonight so that's where I'll be as I bead my cuff!  I do have to put the sleeve on Zachary!  I just realized I haven't posted him in his new environment/home!!!  Maybe I'll just do some sewing tonight then beading!  Tigers games seem to go on forever, so I'm sure I'll be able to work on both!