Christmas?

Oh yes, Halloween is over, stores are displaying numerous Christmas trees and I've given Kyle and Caitlyn their marching orders for their annual Christmas List.  Last year, Kyle's list came in 2 days before Christmas and I had to tell him: Too Late. Christmas shopping was over.  His gifts were wrapped and waiting for a ride to his tree. 

Whatever happened to Thanksgiving?

I don't even put up a tree any more.  My sole concession to Christmas is setting out the ceramic Mr. and Mrs. Claus my Mom made years ago.  I don't hear sleigh bells and while I may catch myself humming a Christmas Carol or two, I certainly don't play Christmas music.  Oh, Bah Humbug.

There are, however, gifts to be given and budgets to be made and Christmas treats to be pondered.  We could all use a little help in the budget area.  I plan to try to win as many of my Christmas gifts as possible.  A good start might be Lori Anderson's nice little book giveaway.  I know some of my crafty friends might enjoy one of these books.  Why don't you enter too?

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2011/11/two-book-giveaways-you-do-not-want-to.html

Time to Party....Sari Party!!!! Ribbon galore...

One of my favorite suppliers is B'Sue Boutiques and not just for her gorgeous goodies but also her generous spirit.  This lady is high energy and encourages interaction with her customers.  She is also a great teacher and posts teaching videos on You Tube.  So, not surprisingly, she is sponsoring a blog hop  and here lies the challenge:  Sari Ribbon. 

It's gorgeous stuff made from the material that women from India wrap around their bodies.  It is silky and colorful and...and...and...raveling.  In fact, that's its main draw...the fibers unraveling all around the ribbon.  It's enough to make a person who loves symmetrical design cringe. 

The whole experience brought forth memories of the time I took Singer sewing classes.  I was the only "civilian" in a class of retired nuns.  While they were sewing inset pockets, I was ripping out my zipper so many times that the fabric started to unravel.  Oh, the horror!  It was my first...and last...attempt at sewing.  So, to take on this challenge was an exercise in stepping out of my boundaries.  All in all, I like my simple little project.  It is wearable and lightweight.  There is cheerful color and a bit of sparkle. It has symmetry and the "ravels" are under control.  ' Hope you like it too.  Thanks for stopping by.

Be sure to stop by the other participants' blogs listed at the bottom of this post.. We have some really creative people in the group!

Sari Ribbon Party Blog Hop
Vickie Wills
http://www.jewelrybyvee.blogspot.com/

Susan Kennedy
http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Michelle Mach
http://www.michellemach.com/blog/


Michelle Lee Hardy
http://fireflyvisions.blogspot.com/

Ruth Crawford
http://www.home-with-ruth.blogspot.com


Hilary Frye, FryeStyle
http://fryestyle.blogspot.com/


Diana P.
http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com

Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B'sue Boutiques
http://www.bsueboutiques.typepad.com/

Elizabeth Owens-Dwy
http://www.clarityofpurplesage.blogspot.com

Connie Rios-Relyea
http://www.JewelsDesignsCreativeCorner.wordpress.com/

Jennifer Justman
http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/

Deb Davis
http://www.naturaltreasuresbydeb.blogspot.com

Beanzie
http://www.thevintageheartcharmbracelets.com/the-vintage-heart-charm-b/

Cathie Carroll
http://www.cathiecarroll.com/

Rosemary Cowit
http://www.gemrosedesigns.blogspot.com/

Georgene Lockwood
http://sylvanavintagedesigns.wordpress.com/

Cathy Buckley
http://cathybuckleycatsmeow.blogspot.com

Harry Wood
http://www.oscarcrow.blogspot.com

Sonya Stille
http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Mary Deis
http://mdeis.blogspot.com/

Heather Goldsmith
http://asibeadit.blogspot.com/

Susan Rouleau
http://mountainshadowstudio.blogspot.com

Terry Matusyk
http://pinkchapeau.wordpress.com

Pam Chesbro  (You are HERE and thanks for stopping by!)
http://afortunatesoul.blogspot.com/

Mary Shannon Hicks
http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/

Janice Everett
http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.com

Davinia
http://www.daviniadesign.com

Kristina Johansson, Maneki
http://wildrosesandblackberries.blogspot.com

Kris Binsfeld
http://www.cherishdesigns.wordpress.com


Mandy
http://www.beadsforbrains.blogspot.com

Charlene
http://thebeaddreamer.com/blog/

Catherine Jeltes
http://www.galleryzooart.com

Jackie
http://kydojewellery.blogspot.com/

Sharon Palac
http://www.sharonsjewelrygarden.blogspot.com

Deb Beechy
http://beetique56.blogspot.com/

Jean Yates
http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/

Patrice Pfeiffer
http://treeseatreasures.blogspot.com/

Dorcas Midkiff
http://wondrousstrangedesigns.blogspot.com/

Lynn Perry Bennett
http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com

Linzi Alford
http://www.magpieintheskyspoilheaptales.blogspot.com

Deb
http://greenshoot.blogspot.com/

Cynthia Wainscott
http://www.exoticperujewelry.blogspot.com
Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp
http://skyejewels.blogspot.com
Alice Craddick
http://alicesbeadsandbaubles.blogspot.com/
B'sue Boutiques Creative Group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bsueboutiques/

Mostly Metal Challenge!

Ah, it was such a GOOD idea.  Michelle Mach, former editor of Beading Daily, was having a challenge.  Kits were mailed out for a small price and I could test the waters, dip my toes so to speak, in the world that I see in the beading magazines:  Designer Challenge.  Yes, no credentials required although I notice we have some pretty impressive names participating in the challenge.  It did seem like a good idea at the time and I had a brilliant idea for my piece.  In fact, it was INSPIRED!  I couldn't wait to get started and I found just the right Stuff in the Romance Kit as well as my stash recently received from B'Sue Boutiques. Thank you so much Michelle.

I should have known it was just too easy.....

2 weeks ago, my beloved aunt and constant terror of the Forest Hills Nursing Home, 94 year old sharp-tongued, endless bundle of energy Aunt Irene, became extremely ill with an infected kidney.  My cousin and I are her guardians.  She was not expected to recover.  After all, she is 94 years old and her kidney was so swollen and infected that it blocked her colon and extended her abdomen.  My cousin and I spent hours in the hospital the first and second week and she fooled the doctors and survived. However, the prognosis isn't good long-term and  the illness has taken a toll on her.  I've not had time to do much of anything besides attend her in the hospital.  (And Read.  There is a point of light in every dark cloud! )  We hope to move her to a lovely hospice facility in our area soon.

So, I spent today throwing together my project.  It isn't what I initially imagined but I feel good that I got anything done.  My initial idea was to cover the background painting with seed beads...a nod to the Pointillist artist, George Serault: Beads of light and color instead of brush strokes of light and color.  No time for that, so I leave it to you to use your imagination and think...what if she had the time?

There's a nod to Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine in there somewhere.  I hummed the song "Sunday" the entire time I worked on the project. Love that song.  It is inspiring.  You can take a look at the kits we had to choose from here:

http://www.michellemach.com/blog/index.php?/archives/310-Join-the-Mostly-Metal-Design-Challenge.html

Please visit the other blogs participating in Michelle's great challenge.  They are spectacular.

Antique Brass Romantic

• Donetta (via Michelle's blog)
• Michelle
• Pam (You are HERE)
• Shannon
• Stephanie
• Terry

Filigree Fun

• Andrew
• Cassie
• Cyndi
• Jeannie
• Ruth
• Vina "Jane" (via Michelle's blog)

Gunmetal Love

• Erin
• Heather
• Jean
• Kelli (via Michelle's blog)
• Linda
• Lola

Thanks to B'Sue Boutiques where I find so many of the different elements for my work  In this piece the brass scalloped blank backing, the monkey,and the lovely paper flower as well as the elements in the Romantic Kit are from her online shop.  http://www.bsueboutiques.com/  I bought the painter's palette from her too on her Etsy shop BSue1441. 

And thanks as always to the members of the Oklahoma Bead Society for their constant encouragement.

Thanks again Michelle Mach for allowing me the privilege of participation!
Happy Hopping!

Pam

Blast from the Past

I remember when...the 60's, I wore a kilt to school with a big gold kilt pin and scottie dog pins on the collar of my little white shirt with heart shaped buttons. I was probably 12.  I was cool or so I thought.  This is my first post to the Five and Dime challenge.  Resin was a little messed up on the vintage plastic disks from my Muse box.  Gel de Soleil, vintage plastic disks and scottie dog raw brass was from B'sue Boutiques. http://afortunatesoul.blogspot.com/

Satisfaction

There is nothing like the satisfaction of seeing a project start to come together.  This one is complete except for the neck strap.  No, it is not as difficult as it looks.  There is something very therapeutic about beading peyote and watching the picture appear. The pattern is by Amy of I-bead. She makes her patterns in paper graphic patterns which you form into a tube and bead upon.  This means no counting, getting lost, recounting, etc.  Once you get the first few rows onto the form, it is pure relaxation.  If you get a chance tovisit one of her trunk shows, you will be amazed.  Photos do not do justice to her patterns. You must see them in person to fully appreciate the colors and design. 

Visit Amy at http://www.i-bead.com/

Happy Birthday Kathy

I just took another brief foray into the world of metallic objects for a dear friend's birthday present.  This bracelet is the result of classwork at the Beadles bead shop in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  They will have another of these Connect The Disk classes in June. Watch their calendar.  It was great fun and I got to heat things up with the Torch and pound out my employment frustrations with a chasing hammer.  No casualties and no burns resulted,  just one small nick from the shears and only a couple of bruises on my thumb.

I also tried metal stamping for the first time. My first stamps were really indistinct and fuzzy.  However, I had the stamping thing down by the time I got to the last disk.   This was my first venture into soldering silver as well and as it turned out, not as hard as I expected the work to be!  I highly recommend this class though fair warning: you are going to spend some serious cash working in silver and copper.  I'm happy to report that the bracelet was well received and the artistic reference to our favorite series of books (Jim Butcher's Dresden Files) was not lost on the recipient. 

Spring is for beautiful girls

Doesn't this just say Spring? Lotsa bling here. I wonder if I know anyone who might wear it?.....hmmmmmm...maybe my beautiful tween sweetie?

My bead table is a disaster...the question, will I get my project done to turn in for the Oklahoma Bead Society Challenge?  It's due Wednesday.  Pics promised if I get it finished.

Giveaway...gotta love 'em!

Nope, haven't won anything...yet...but there is always a first time.  One of my fav blogs, Lori Anderson's "Pretty Things" has an Auntie's Beads giveaway.  Just follow the link and leave a comment.  I just love black...goes with everything in my wardrobe!  If you aren't logged in, be sure to leave a way for her to contact you if you win.

Snow and Beading...a perfect combo!

What I did during the Tulsa Snowmageddon...bead, of course!

The snow was deep on Carl's patio but inside he was watching hunting shows and I was beading.

I had a limited selection of seed beads at his house but I remembered I had the little red lampwork beads from the Oklahoma Bead Society bead swap in January. 

 I combined those with the black and red seed beads and a few inexpensive butterflies from Hobby Lobby which I also happened to stick in my purse before the storm.  Voila!  Beading project!  I didn't have findings with me so I beaded a bumpy peyote necklace and clasp to go with it.  Very comfy around my neck. 

To fill up the rest of my time, I spent some time learning to weave a netting stitch. 

Fun!

OBS Beadathon: Eleven hours of fun.

Wonder of wonders, I "almost" made it through the entire first OBS Beadathon.  I planned on staying 4 or 5 hours at the most and ended up being enticed for 11 hours by Mazzio's Supreme Pizza and the incredible productivity of a great workspace and congenial co-workers.  I finished 3 projects which is unheard of productivity for me.  The best part is I really like all of my projects. 

I have very little experience with stringing projects so I decided to concentrate on stringing for the day.  Lots of experienced stringers around to give a little help! Barbara Bellatti helped inspire me with my first project of the day, a simple stone necklace.  She volunteered a few bronzite pebbles from her stash that really made the project come together.  Love the earrings too which I put together from various beads in my stash and a couple of round green stones from our venue, A Memory to Scrap, in Broken Arrow.

I strung a second string of simple black and clear glass beads which although attractive may need to be restrung with bigger spacers so they lay correctly flat across my neck.  I have worn this strand to work and I like it too.  Very light and comfortable.

And lastly, about 10:00 p.m.,  I strung this metallic necklace. Jan Rogers was keeping me awake by talking to me and of course, there was Shane's dancing.   I read somewhere that "metallics are having their moment" and I have to agree.  I see metals everywhere on everyone!  Of course, for me it isn't jewelry without earrings.

Thanks for viewing friends!  Thanks OBS members for helping me ! 

Bead Blast is Coming!

http://okbeadsociety.com/beadblast2011.pdf

The Oklahoma bead society is having their 5th annual Bead Blast on April 16, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Union 8th grade center.  Come join the fun with classes, beads and findings as well as finished jewelry products.  Vendor tables are available for as low as $20 for members and $30 for non-members.  Don't forget to vote for your favorite bead creations at the door.  My soon-to-be-created masterpiece should show up in the beginner category unless I wimp-out.  See you there!

Book Giveaway

Wow, visit mixed-media-artist blog and enter a comment for a book giveaway for "Scraps" an inspirational guide to collage art.  Who doesn't need a little inspiration now and then?  Hurry, you must comment by February 23, 2011 to enter for a copy of the book.  http://www.mixed-media-artist.com/2011/02/book-review-and-giveaway-scraps.html

Happy Valentines Day

Here is a lovely little money saving idea for you.  I just received my order from Jason and Jet Beads.  I didn't need a lot...just some ear wires and I really wanted to use those cool new Sterling Silver filled ones at Fire Mountain Gems.  I took a chance on Jason and Jet Beads and found, YES!  this isn't too good to be true.  You can order Fire Mountain items at the 50 plus item rate through Jason no matter how small your order.  The ordering method is easy and work like a charm.  Details on his website.  Although I try to use our local shops whenever possible, there are times when Fire Mountain just makes financial sense. Jason drop ships from FM directly to you.  Feel free to contact me to verify my comments. Happy Beading!
http://www.jetbeads.com/

Flawed Beginnings

I was busy in the Fall through Christmas and into January 2011 learning stitches and creating the beaded pieces above. Each piece was a challenge to put together and has significant mistakes, some were creatively incorporated into the existing designs and some are just hanging out for all to see. This bothers the little perfectionist in Pam. It's as if the errors are sticking their little beaded tongues out at me. Still, I am quite proud of each piece for different reasons.

The Zebra Bracelet is completely my own design and my very first attempt at 2-drop peyote. I was inspired by the name tag project we did at the January Oklahoma Bead Society meeting. The Farfalle bracelet is my first to use those crazy little peanut beads. It feels really silky and yet substantial on my arm but even though I measured 5 times, it is still a little too big. Too big is a recurrent theme in the pieces I made for my daughter, Heather, for Christmas. An example is the pink and black necklace and earrings. Obviously, experience is going to be a great teacher. Sadly, I forgot to photograph several gifted pieces at Christmas time.  Oh well, I'll do better next year.

This winter I loved finding new websites including Deborah Roberti's "Around The Beading Table." She has a talent not only for creating beautiful jewelry patterns but also clear and easy to follow instructions. Another great blog is Mandi Ainsworth's "Bead Circle".  I enjoy my membership in the Oklahoma Bead Society.  I am learning from these beaders.  Can't wait to see what 2011 has to offer!