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......

A lovely day in the Pacific Northwest...

I am almost ashamed to be so happy about our weather today, when it looks like most of the

country (including my parents in Ohio) will be facing what looks like a heck of a winter

storm.  But here in Western Washington, we are to be blessed with a week of clear, sunny

skies.  After last weeks rain, its nice to see Mr. Sun.  We don't often see his cheery face

around here in the winter.  While out running errands today, I had to stop and take a few

pictures to show what a sunny, winter day looks like in Washington.

This is a picture of downtown Seattle with the Olympic Mountains (across Puget Sound)

in the background. 

These silly looking things are the snags left when the city of Sammamish cut the trees down.  I

guess the original idea was to turn them into Totem Poles, but the cost was prohibitive.  So

for the winter, the city had the snags covered in sweaters.  They look silly enough in the

pictures, but up close they look even sillier.  I have to say this is the first time I've ever

seen a tree wearing a sweater.  At least they all coordinate.

My Bead Soup has arrived...

I received a most lovely packet of beads from my Bead Soup Blog Party partner, Valerie Norton of

Hot Fused Glass.  Ohhh, I can't tell you how excited I am and the tingle I got when I opened her

package. 

I have to say I really admire her Dicroic Glass pendant and clasp.  Her work is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to get started.   

I can't wait to get started.  But I need to let them sit out so I can get the ideas percolating in my head.  I don't know about everyone else, but the planning and dreaming is as much fun as creating the finished piece. 

Thanks to Valerie for a beautiful set of beads and findings to work with.  I can't wait to see what all my fellow Bead Soup Blog Party goers create.

I wish Martha lived here......

Well, I had great hopes at the end of my last post.  I've managed to continue my dejunking of our home.

I tell you, clutter breeds.  But I'm staying one step ahead of it.  Now I have got to get my husband on

board.  He is definately a keeper and I'm not.  I think he feels that if you buy it once, you should keep

it til you die so that you don't have to buy it again.  Or somebody might need it someday.   I've got to

work on changing that mentality, because our garage has become a staging area for Goodwill or a

storage unit for our posterity.  I am convinced clutter causes stress.  I know I get stressed everytime I

go into our garage.

Bead Soup Blog Party

 On the brighter side, I've exchanged a few e-mails with my Bead Soup Blog Party partner

Valerie Norton of  Hot Fused Glass.  Check out her blog and her

Etsy Shop Artfull Adornments by Valerie.  I had quite a bit of fun putting

together her "Bead Soup" and hope she likes it.  A big thank you to Lori Anderson of

Pretty Things for hosting this wonderful blog party.  I can't wait to see what

everyone else creates with their 'Soup.'

I've been busy doing some crafting that is totally unnecessary, but totally fun. 

The next holiday is Valentine's Day and while I was out at Michaels Craft

Store, I found these really cute scrapbook embellishments that I just had to have.

So I thought I would decoupage these cute little cutouts onto small pieces of painted wood.  Sprinkle

a little of Martha Stewart's Glitter over them while the decoupage is still wet. (I have never used this product before, but it is absolutely the best.  It is so fine and powdery.  It adds the perfect glisten without being obvious like coarser glitters.)

After the decoupage has dried, I used a tacky glue around the edges to attach pieces of ribbon to

frame the little Valentine's.  I used pieces of ribbon I had to create a loop and bow to hang these

adorable little Valentine ornaments.  I just love making things that give me instant gratification.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Hopefully, I'll have my Etsy Shop Everyday Gypsy Designs filled this weekend.