...missed a day somewhere and now it's Monday..

Summer is rapidly disappearing and I wonder where the time has gone. This summer has been pretty stressful but thankfully things are looking up and a vacation is just around the corner.  A much needed vacation.....This year we are planning a tour of Washington and Oregon in particular the Columbia River Gorge and the west coast highway from Portland to Seattle, just can't wait. I have researched places to go and shops to shop-Shipwreck Beads here I come.

My love of twin hole seed beads continues and in between getting ready for the hops I have signed up for I have played around a lot with these beads. I just finished this beauty. I love how the rope drapes so elegantly and making it really special is the pendant that can be removed to wear the rope plain or with a different pendant.

To Russia with Love

 

Pepita's 1st Anniversary Blog Hop

The extremely lovely and talented polymer clay artist Alenka Obid, Pepita Handmade asked people to help her celebrate her 1st blog anniversary. I just had to join the fun. Alenka asked people how they would prefer to participate and the decision was unanimous....a blog hop. Alenka sent out polymer components made by her to each participant. She wrapped and packaged each piece and then mixed them up and addressed them...even she did not know exactly what each participant would receive.....way to add to the excitement!

These are the components Alenka sent out

I have worked with Alenka's components before and just love her work. I was also lucky enough to be the recipient of one of Alenka's give aways and I knew right away that some of these would be incorporated into my creation for this hop. 

The prize I won, each piece made by Alenka

The package arrived and I was thrilled with the piece I received. Alenka asked us to post a picture of the piece when we received them.

Love love love this clasp and it works so well with the other pieces I have used in my creation. I stepped out of my comfort zone on this one, and after taking it apart and redesigning several (quite a few several) times I came up with "Little Red Bird",  the final result. As I was making this I thought I would give it away once done, because it is something that is out of my norm.....my mind has changed and this will be staying with me unless it mysteriously disappears into one of my daughters collections, which seems to happen quite frequently.

rdeči ptiček

Happy 1st Anniversary Alenka, thank you this hop and for letting me be part of the celebration!

August

I just can't believe it is August already - I am so not ready for summer to be done but it is flying by. My daughter is well enough that I think we will actually be able to take a little vacation. We are planning (fingers crossed, barring no more surgery) to hook up the trailer and head to the west coast. Normally we drive through the Rockies straight out to Vancouver but this year we are going south through Idaho and then to Portland, Seattle and then up to Vancouver. One of my destination stops is Shipwreck Beads....can't wait and with a trailer I will have ample room to bring home a ton (just kidding). My life continues on the merry go round but I am so looking forward to a vacation.

And the merry go round goes round

I made this piece for the Beard Hoarders Blog Hop (by the by I am almost finished hopping, it's taken me longer than usual but I will get there). I just hadn't figured out what type of rope I wanted, then a couple of my coworkers asked me to show them how to do viking knit and my decision was made.

Aztec Treasure