Wishing for a spring day....

Yep, I'm still wishing for a nice, sunny, spring day.  At this point, it
doesn't even have to be warm out.  Just seeing Mr. Sun would be fabulous.
But since the real thing doesn't seem to be coming for an extended
visit any time soon, I'll just have to make due with this sunny face..
Cute garden decor, huh?

However, even without the sun shining there are signs that spring is on its way..





All these pretty flowers seem to know that spring can't be far away.   The blue of this flower reminds me that I am participating in a Bracelet Blog Hop - 7000 Bracelets of Hope hosted by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things.    You may recall that I participated in her Bead Soup Blog Party back in February.  I'm looking forward to raiding my bead stash and finding some fabulous blue beads with which to create a bracelet. When finished all the participants will post their creations on April 16th.  The 7000 Bracelets of Hope project is sponsored by The Global Genes Project.  This is the advocacy group which launched this program ass a way to show support to those families who have a child with a rare disease. Come back and check it out on April 16th.  I better get hopping as this is just next week. 

And speaking of hopping, Easter is coming soon.  So my chaotic crafting has turned toward making Eastery crafts.  Check out Quilted Cupcakes adorable bunnies.  I think I'll have to make a basket of these cute little

 guys.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Hope the sun is shining in your corner of the world.

Spring Is here?

Notice the question mark.  Spring may have arrived on the calendar, but it is hiding its sunny face

from us here in the Pacific Northwest.  I woke again to another day of rain, wind, and cool

temperatures.  I am really getting the itch for some sunny days and better weather.  Gardening

isn't my thing, but about once a year I get the urge to plant something.  So off to the nursery

I went to gather a few posies and a few new pots with which to expend my yearly gardening

energy.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I'll just leave the rest of the spring gardening

to my husband.

My husband with the green thumb.

This rainy weather really doesn't do much for my energy level and neither did my late night

last night.  I'd like to say I spent it crafting, but I stayed up til 2 a.m. reading.

Anyone who knows me well, knows I really enjoy books.  My husband always knows

when the UPS man has delivered an Amazon box on our doorstep.  A new book

usually puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

Last nights nocturnal reading was 'Left Neglected' by Lisa Genova.

Some of you may recognize her name from her previous book 'Still Alice'.

I just love her books.   I think its because she depicts situations that could

happen to any of us.   Her books truly touch me because I can honestly put myself if the

shoes of these women she writes about.  Women who are in the full swing of life, with

careers, families, problems.  Women who are so busy taking care of everyone and

everything, that they really don't have time for what is to come.  Ms. Genova writes

about women who face neurological issues that bring their current lives to a halt.

 I have to admit I spent a few tears reading this book, just like 'Still Alice'.  My husband

can't quite understand how I can lay in bed, reading and crying and not wanting to

stop reading.  These are such well written stories, that while the situations are dire and

not without consequences, I come away with the feeling that these women, find something

so much richer, more valuable somehow than what they have lost.  This book

conveys the idea that our careers and material things (things that we think truly define us)

can be wiped out in a heartbeat.  That the true test of our success in life is how a person can

learn to live a life that has a 'new normal', and that our families, friends and the time

we spend with them is invaluable.  I know that life seems to move so much faster than

it used to.  These stories just show the possibility of gaining a richer life experience by

taking the opportunity to drop the trappings of our 'faster than light' lives.

Happy St. Paddy's Day....

Well it's St. Patrick's Day.  Went looking for a little leprechaun and his pot

of gold, but he wasn't to be found.  I created a cute little pot of shamrocks and daffodils

to decorate for the day.

 If you haven't seen Phyllis Hoffman's magazine

Celebration, your should really go take a look.

This year I'm using some of their recipes for a St. Paddy's Day dinner.  We are

having Corned Beef Sandwiches, coleslaw, herb roasted potatoes and Chocolate Guiness

Cupcakes. 

I think it turned out well.  Normally, I'll cook a corned beef brisket with cabbage and potatoes,

but I thought we needed a change.  Ok, I needed a change.  I have to say I am

really getting tired of cooking and for the last few weeks have relied on magazines

for recipes and inspiration.  Good news is that I am cooking and some of it is actually

eaten by my particular kids, however some of it hasn't turned out well.  It looked

good in the magazine, but my finished product just didn't do it justice.

Well, enough about cooking.  That's close to housework in my book and I don't like to do

housework.  I do it, but I don't like it.  Long before kids, I could spend an entire Saturday cleaning the house and then sit down and enjoy the fact that the whole house is clean.  Not any more, housework gets done sort of in shifts.  So my house does get cleaned, just not all at the same time.

Enough about housework and cooking, I need to get my focus back on beads and other crafting adventures...

The Party Aftermath...

It's been quite a busy few days.  As you all know, I was participating in Lori Anderson's (of Pretty Things) Bead Soup Blog Party.  I spent the weekend visiting the blogs of all 210 participants.  What an amazing group of artists.  It was truly a path of inspiration.  Again I need to thank Lori for all of the work she put into hosting this.  Not only was it fun, but it was education and inspirational.  And another thank you to Valerie Norton of Hot Fused Glass for the absolutely wonderful 'Soup' she sent me to work with.

I've always been a chaotic crafter and this week has been no exception.  I finally got new valances made for my kitchen.  I have to say they turned out great.  I was tired of the old ones, they just seemed to blend into the walls and I needed a change.  I don't think my husband quite understood.   He doesn't understand my need for change.  But it sure makes me feel better.  Maybe it's my itch for spring to come. 

I've also been able to get some beading done.  A local bead shop has started carrying Chinese crystal.  I have to say it certainly has the sparkle.  I'm still a Swarovski girl, but it was fun trying out some new beads.  With Mardi Gras coming up, I thought they would add to some charms I purchases the last time I visited New Orleans.  (I probably should mention that my husband is from New Orleans.)  So every year around Mardi Gras he gets a hankering for King Cake.  Ok, I have to admit we all love King Cake.  There are few foods that I order and have sent to the house, but Randazzo's King Cake is one of those things that I do.  I can't wait til it comes.  Yum. 

These are some of the pieces I made with the Chinese Crystal.

We are planning on having a few friends over this weekend for a Mardi Gras Dinner.  I think I have my bling to wear.  Beads, doubloons, King Cakes and Hurricanes are all synonymous with Mardi Gras.  And having company over is just what I need to get motivated to get some spring cleaning done.  I better get busy.

Til next time.....

 

It's Party Time...

Ya Hoo!!!  It's finally time for the "Bead Soup Blog Party."  

Again, a big thank you to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for hosting

this party.  You can Click Here to see the blog hop list..

My 'Bead Soup Blog Party' partner is Valerie Norton of Hot Fused Glass.  This is the

wonderful 'Soup' she sent me.

And now to end the suspense, this is what I created:

 

The pendant that Valerie sent me was so beautiful, that I didn't want to make the necklace too busy.  I wanted the pendant to really stand out.  The clasp and the bezel for the pendant were both 'hard anodized' copper and I wanted to stick with the very rustic, elemental feel of that.  So picking through my 'Soup,' I chose the Venetian glass beads and a few of the spacer beads.  From my stash, I chose a piece of black Greek leather and a length of chain that was similar to the finish of the clasp.

I used the leather to string the Venetian glass, spacer beads and the pendant.  I really wanted the

pendant to be showcased.  Separating the clasp, I linked the chain to one side of the clasp and then used the loop tied on one side of the leather to attach the other side of the clasp.

I think my necklace turned out fantastic and I can't wait to wear it.  It's one that I think is truly a statement piece. 

Thank you Valerie, for sending me such wonderful 'Soup' ingredients.

Please go out and follow the above link to see all of the other 'Bead Soup's.'

I almost made it...

Well, I didn't exactly post when I said, but it's only been a few days.  I have been busy coming

up with some designs for new beading classes I would like to teach at a local bead shop.  It's also time

to start working on my 'Bead Soup'.  It's been simmering for a few weeks and as the party date is Saturday, February 26th, it is time to get cookin.

Click here to see all of the Bead Soup Blog Party Participants.

Again, a big thanks to Lori Anderson for hosting this party.

Participating in this Blog Party has helped me discover so many others who

love to bead, create, and craft,

I have mentioned before that I have many creative interests.  I do like to knit and crochet also.  I think I mentioned that in a previous blog.  Last week while on a little getaway, I was able to visit a wonderful yarn shop in Port Orchard, Washington. 

I don't know if many of you have read Debbie Macomber's books, but she has written many enjoyable books.  Many of which have taken place in the Seattle area (as she lives in Port Orchard).  She has a Blossom Street series that uses a yarn shop as the center of the lives of the characters of this series of books.

A Good Yarn Shop is a wonderful place to visit if you have a little time while in
Port Orchard.  And right across the way is the Victorian Rose Tea Room where my husband and I enjoyed a very nice lunch.  (I should let you know that he is the one that discovered this was nearby and suggested we go visit.  He must know I like these kinds of places. He's a very, sweet guy.)

Well, I'm off to get my 'Bead Soup' cookin....

Poor excuse for a blogger...

Well its been awhile since I posted on my blog.  No excuses.  I just didn't.  I really need to make

this part of my routine so that it becomes habit.  With that said, I think I'll just talk about

what I did do. 

Martha's influence visited my kitchen in the form of organizing my cooking utensils in a few

different pitchers.  I think it looks pretty cute.  It took my husband well over a week to

realize that I had make that little change.  I guess it felt huge to me.

Since I last blogged, I also finished crocheting an afghan and actually sewed together an

afghan that I knitted over a year ago.  It felt great to get that bag of yarn out of our office

and out into the family room to actually be used.  I have such a huge stash of yarn that I

hope to make afghans out of all of it until its gone.  You know its bad when you have

to keep your yarn in the attic because you have no other space because of all of your

other crafting supplies all over the house.

My husband and I have the most unique anniversary, Valentine's Day.  This year

we decided to go away to a very nice resort, The Alderbrook Resort in Union, Wa.

We had a very nice time.  It was very relaxing and peaceful.  The food was wonderful and so was

the service.  I highly recommend it if you are need of a night or two away.  We even woke up to a beautiful rainbow, which was very nice considering all the rain we have been having (of course we do live in the Pacific Northwest and that's kind of par for the course here).

That was enough to put a smile on my husband's face and mine too.

But as with all things, our little escape came to an end and it was back to reality.  My next focus is to

work on cleaning up my beading table/room.  I have a Bead Soup that needs to get cooking and I don't think I have any space to do any work.  Although I will say that I find it equally challenging to create in a neat area.  I need to create an organized, clutter that feeds my creativity and lets me walk around my bead room without tripping over things.

I am vowing to write again. tomorrow.  Til then......