Wallet Progress

Jenna's wallet is turning out quite cute. Its a very fun color scheme and the outside pockets and coin motif are finished. The black velvet is so so soft. I love working on it, though I find that alot of beads disappear against it, so the bright pink works well. I used a coin my girlfriend brought me from Trinidad/Tabago which I surrounded with peyote stitch and then I made a sunburst pattern around that using 3 mm faceted AB clear rounds and size 11 seed beads for the points. Just a bit more embellishing and I will be ready to sew the lining.


I always use shot glasses to keep my seed beads separated while I work. They are perfect since you can see through them and when I'm finished with a certain color for a bit, they slide easily over my vellux blanket piece that I use for a beading mat, while the beads stay under the glass. Another handy and unconventional 'tool' I use in beading is a small scallop shell that makes a perfect bead scoop. My leather thimble and a sweet little flower topped straight pin are two more implements I couldn't be without. If you look closely you can see all these in this picture.


I'm using some fabulous vintage flat backed faceted jet beads from a necklace that I picked up at an estate sale. I have a hard time 'parting' with them, since I know I'm sure I will never find them again once they are gone. But they look much better on this wallet than they do in a heap on my table!

After spending a glorious Saturday in the woods, I have mentally switched into Fall mode. Although the trees still were green, a few have started their spectacular color change. I couldn't resist collecting a few leaves and acorns and some unknown fun little speckled pods.

Now it's time to turn my attention to my home. I love the colors of the season and although making too many trips to the attic to haul all the totes down is not my favorite way to spend a Sunday, the effort is worth it. I love re-discovering all my collections of this and that and finding a new place for them around the house. It's an all day process, and I don't dare sit down at my studio table to just bead a bit, because I know where that will lead --

One my favorite whimsy pillows is this pumpkin. The paisley fabric was a gift from my friend Stephanie and the design is from a rubber stamp that I enlarged and tweeked a bit.

Resolution Day 2 - so far so good - here's a pic of my next project. It will be a wallet for Jenna, who is the daughter of the office manager at my daughter's orthodontist.

Hot pink and black - what fun! Can't wait to get started, now that the pattern is all ready and the beads (I think) are selected.

how did 3 months pass since the last time I 'posted'??? I guess I need to discipline myself to be a better blogger. I cruise around these other beading blogs and I just am amazed at how out of the loop I am. To think I used to be a computer programmer -- too funny -- times change, thats true.

My big goal for the summer was to get my work on Etsy. Ok so now I'm there - what does that mean? Why do I feel that I need to justify my creative time at the studio table by selling my work? Why can't I just bead to bead? Here's a picture of my baby giraffe that I started months ago, when I didn't feel the need to produce for the public. she's (he?) so cute - watching me from her basket of beads that will some day adorn her entire body. She's actually a bit further along than the pic shows - her neck and mane are done and I just love her.

I really thought I would join the BJP group, but waited too long to decide and missed the deadline. So instead my attention and focus is preparing for a Holiday Art Show the end of October. After that commitment is fulfilled, my new resolution will be to get back to beading for me and playing with techniques and colors, without worrying whether or not the end result will produce a marketable product. Maybe then I will finally come up with something as as tribute to my grandmother. Lord knows she deserves it!