Here's hoping 2011 will be filled with creativity and inspiration!

I personally am hoping for that and lots more, but I most hope to keep my attitude sunny and positive.  Lately I've been letting myself get dragged down into this pit of ~b l a h~.  That thick, sticky, hard-to-shake, motivation-creativity-sucking feeling of not wanting to do anything but sit on the couch and watch reality tv shows (my personal guilty pleasure).  And even with all the support and caring and encouragement you guys send my way, I realize no one but me is going to be able to turn that attitude around.  That's the only resolution I'm making this year - positive attitude. 

I made two small beaded gifts this year:

A picture frame ornament for my niece Ashlee and her husband Adam.

I choose the red/black/white theme specifically because those were the colors of their wedding (this past August).

And an embellished drink coaster for my mom.  Every year I give my mom something 'bird related'. 

I had the perfect fabric in my stash (not that you can see very much of it in the finished project!). 

And I choose my colors based on the chickadee.

I thought encasing the coaster with these stacks rather than a peyote stitch would be quicker.  Not sure if it was.

I was so committed to using these beautiful potato pearls I had gotten at Artbeads ages ago, that even though their holes were so dinky tiny I had to use a long size 12 needle, I stuck with it.  Believe me, I wanted to swap out different beads.  Trying to bead through poster board, pellon, and the fabric with that long flimsy needle was a pain!  So tedious. 

Speaking of being committed.....no, silly, not in that way!  I haven't been shoved into the rubber room (yet).  I finished my first Bead Journal Project piece for January.  I don't have any pics yet  It was too dark tonight to take any, but as long as my computer continues to behave, I will post those up real soon!  In the meantime here's the colors I used (except the loose beads - those didn't make the cut).

Big Hugs to everyone - thank you for saying all the right things when I need it most! 

Bead Happy and Often!

And now for something really well, um, UGLY

Thanks for all the feedback on my last post.  Its so nice to hear back from you!  I was surprised everyone felt the same way I did about competitions vs. challenges.  I know the sponsors are so generous with their prizes and the competitions sure are popular, and I'm glad they are available, but they just put this little nagging cloud over my creative spirit!

Anyhow, I came across this UFO the other day. 
I know why it's a UFO. 
I just don't like it.
I think it's the white velvet with the green outline that is just not doing it for me.  It was a class I took a long time ago and all I have to do to get it finished is to attach the back of the frame and edge it. 

 The birds themselves aren't sooo hateful.  It was a project designed to show how clear beads look when used with colored thread.

 
 Ok, so this poor thing looks like a sunburned dolphin, I know.....

And I hate this monogram I added - I think if I take it off now, the velvet is going to be forever indented from the beads.

I'm thinking if I re-do the edging in a crystal or a pearly white, I  might like it better.   Yep, add that to the to-do-someday list!

Bead Happy and Often!

A Love Story

Today we celebrated my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a great time, as usual, when our family gets together. The photo journal above was made by my ultra-talented sister Laurel and each page was prettier than the next; overflowing with eye candy and the cutest pictures of my mom and dad through the years. To think they started dating when my mom was just 15 -- wow!

My gift to them was a set of small picture frames that I made with the thought they could use them as Christmas ornaments on their tree. (There are 6 in all, but I have somehow lost the picture of one of them--go figure)

I'm so looking forward to this week - my cousin was able to come in from California for the party and stay the week, so we have lots of catching up to do. She hasn't been back to this area since they moved in 1974, and I haven't seen her in 12 years. It's going to be a blast! I am so thankful she was able to come 'back home' for a bit.

I hope everyone is enjoying these long summer days. Our weather here has been crazy. Incredible downpours of rain followed by sun and then another cloudburst and then sun--you just never know what to expect. We have yet to get our boat in the water and people are grumbling because it hasn't been very warm. It doesn't matter to me-it's all good.

Mom to the Rescue

I was trying to come up with an idea for a thank you gift for the family my daughter went to visit over spring break down in Port Charlotte, Florida. Sometimes the obvious just escapes me. But not to worry, my mom came up with the perfect idea. A picture frame with a heron on it. Geez, why didn't I think of that? Considering one of the pictures my daughter took showed that the front doors to the house had two herons etched in it. Ya think maybe the light bulb would have went on? Nope. See, I still rely on my mom even at the age of 44!

The color is really off in the picture - the velvet is much more teal colored than this heavy green.

And a wee bit of progress on my life box.

Whenever I bead improvisationally (is that even a word???), I tend to change stitches too much and it gets too busy. So I'm trying really hard to fill in with flat stitches to emphasize the larger stones and shells, etc., that I'll be putting on the box. I have no drawing or plan for the design, I'm just letting the beads show me the way. Let's hope they know where they want to go!