A story worth telling

I had received an email from MzuriBeads awhile ago telling me about their efforts to make a film documentary about the Ugandan bead industry.  They were asking for support by purchasing a bracelet made from a bark cloth bead, recycled paper bead, and a cow horn bead. 

I made the purchase and I just got the bracelet in yesterday's mail and am so happy with it. 

It's simple yet effective.  The beads are huge (1") and compliment each other nicely.  The cow horn bead has a beautiful finish to it and has taupe and cream accents, which are just barely visible in the pic (I should have turned the bead before I took the shot).

Check out the cool recycled magazine page gift bag it came in.  How clever is that??!

If you want to help support Kirstie Maclean in her efforts to help the beadmakers of Uganda, you can read more about the project here.

~ Bead happy and often ~

beads interrupted

I was having so much fun using Nicole's super-duper, awesome, how-did-I-ever-bead-without-it Beadbacking, making this (probably) pendant:

but then my Artbeads blogging for beaders program beads came in the mail, so I jumped over to that project (which, ironically, I'm also using Nicole's super-duper, awesome, how-did-I-ever-bead-without-it Beadbacking).  I'm still in the beginning phase, so I'll dedicate my next post to my progress, but here's a sneak peek at the first stitches:

Hmm, whatever could that line have anything to do with the Winter Enchantment theme??!  Stay tuned to find out ;)

This morning I had about 7 minutes before I needed to get to work, so I thought I'd get a bit of beading in.  Remember my messy beading table from a few days ago?

Well, I still haven't cleared it off and I paid the price this morning.  I set my coffee mug right down in the center of my beading mat (because my coffee coaster which sits off to the side was covered with, umm, stuff) and when I went to lift up my Ottlight to turn it on, I hit the edge of the mug and coffee spilled all over my project, beads, scissors, thread, etc etc.    UGH!  So, needless to say, I didn't get any beading done this morning and actually wound up being late to work because I had to clean up the mess.  Hmm, and it wasn't even a Monday!  Go figure.

~Bead Happy and Often ~

And baby makes 3

Here's the last of my snow buttons.    Its my favorite 'cupcake top' stitch!

 Its fun to see that although they are all the same size base, they made up so differently.

 While I was poking around, I came across this ring that I have no idea where I got it from:

So I made up a similar little flower that I stitched onto a small piece of that super-duper, awesome, how-did-I-ever-bead-without-it, Nicole's Beadbacking:

The beads I used were larger than the ring, but I still think it makes up into a sweet little buttercup kind of flower.

I'm in one of those frenzied beading modes where I don't take the time to clean off my table completely between projects.

 If you look under the small pair of scissors, you'll see the components of what I'm working on now.  I have no idea what it's going to be, but I mounted that blue/gray cab onto a piece of that super-duper, awesome, how-did-I-ever-bead-without-it Nicole's Beadbacking and am embellishing away,  just having fun.

 Even Rainy has given up trying to find a place on my table - now he steals my chair!

~ Bead Happy and Often ~