If this is April, it must be spring?

You would think being mid April and Easter upon us that it would be spring.....right? Well apparently not quite!! We had a spring snow storm covering everything in a blanket of white....I must be crazy but it was really quite pretty. Pretty but thank goodness melting rapidly.

I have been very busy taking some photography courses and just loving them. I have learned so much and now have the thirst for more.  My latest class was pet photography and what fun. A real challenge getting the pooches to pose but what an enjoyable way to spend a weekend.

Jasper the Labradoodle

Pandora and yes Pandora was in a box

Pandora

Topper

Topper

Not only have I been busy shooting photos, I have been busy beading. I have had a bit of trouble sleeping lately but when all is quiet and everyone is in bed .... I just let my creative juices flow. I have completed my projects for Beading Babes and now I am just waiting to post (May 4th ). One of the projects was a kumihimo piece which renewed my curiosity to look into this more. By chance our local beading store (Crimpz) was offering a class and although I didn't take the class I did go home and create a similar set. I just love the rhythmic pace of kumihimo and had a great time creating this necklace and bracelet and bracelet....we know there will be more! I have also finished my piece(s) for the BSBP (May 3)...oh I just am so excited to show what I have created.....I am really quite pleased with what I have made!

Kumihimo necklace and bracelet

Kumihimo bracelet with long magatamas

As everyone knows, Pinterest is a curse and a blessing all in one. It is so addicting and so many ideas are brought to mind. Two that I immediately set to work on were loom beading (I did this when I was a 60s love child) and a RAW bangle bracelet by Marcia DeCoster. I like the look of loom beading but not sure I have the patience for threading the loom.

Loom Bracelet

The RAW bangle pattern by Marcia looked like something I would really like and although I am not a big bangle person I thought I would give it a try and tweak it a little.  I made it a little shorter and added a magnetic clasp. I also put my own twist on the embellishment.   I love the look and feel of this bracelet so much that I am going to work on a bangle next, there is always a first time.

My take on Marcia DeCoster's RAW bangle

 

Counting down the days to both Beading Babes and BSBP reveals!

The Color of Dreams

I was immediately hooked on this challenge from Rita of Jewel School Friends because of the incredibly beautiful beads being offered up…so totally Technicolor. The beads were created by artist Patricia Handschuh of The Color of Dreams Boutique. Thank you Rita for putting forth this wonderful challenge and for including me in as a participant and thank you Patricia for creating pure loveliness.  

I love, love, love bright colors; the more colors that are combined the better. I love to work with pinks, purples, oranges, yellows, red, blues….any color or combination of colors and the brighter the better. My husband is sometimes embarrassed because when in the dead of winter and everyone else is in black I wear bright pink jeans and a red sweater.  Color just lifts a person’s spirits and infects those around them with joy and happiness.

I loved the beads that Rita was going to send out so much I went to Patricia’s The Color of Dreams Boutique to see what else would catch my eye. Let’s just say – pretty much everything did. I had no knowledge of the bead I was getting but something just drew me to a pendant that was on her site (was it a dream). I figured I could and would just use the pendant in another project.  When my bead arrived from Rita I was thrilled to find that it matched quite nicely to the purchased pendant ….now what to create?  

Whenever I have a problem thinking of a design, finding a solution to a roadblock in my design or deciding what other colors to combine in my piece…I put the project aside and wait for the answer to come to me in my dreams. A solution always comes and I have never been disappointed with the outcome. When I mentioned to my sister that dreaming was how I solved design problems I was surprised to hear she does the same thing. Dreams are where my creativity knows no bounds and where anything becomes possible. I hope Patricia likes what I have created with her beads and I hope I have done Rita’s challenge justice!

I have named my piece “In My Mother’s Garden” because it takes me to a happy place in time. My mother was British and loved to garden. She especially loved her flower garden. There was a time when her garden was so full of color and bloom anyone passing by had to stop and take note. This piece reminds me of her beautiful flower garden.

In My Mother's Garden

No please take a moment to visit all my fellow dreamers!

Honorary Artist: Patricia Handschuh
Patricia's blog: The Color of Dreams
  Patricia's Etsy: The Color of Dreams
Hostess: TJ Jewel School Friends
Kay Thomerson KayzKreationz
Audrey Belanger Toki No Hourousha

Alicia Marinache All the Pretty Things
Terry Carter TappingFlamingo
Lori Schneider Bead Addict
Jenny Kyrlach Wonder and Whimsy
Asri Wahyuingsih Asri's Beadwork
Dini Bruinsma Angaza by Changes
Karla Morgan Texas Pepper Jams
Debbie Rasmussen A Little of This, A Little of That
Veralynne Malone Designed by Vera
Kathy Stemke Vintage Memories Jewelry Design
Mowse Doyle Mowse Made This
Heather Richter Desert Jewelry Designs
Lori Poppe Adventures in Creativity with LorilliJean
Jayne Capps Mama's Got To Doodle
Andrea Glick Zenith Jade Creations
Kathleen Breeding 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall
Becky Pancake Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Karin Martinez Fairies Market
Miranda Ackerley Mirandack
Penny Houghton Smelly Nelly
Carolyn Lawson Carolyn's Creations
Chris Eisenberg Wanderware
Christie Murrow Charis Designs Jewelry
Monique Urquhart A Half-Baked Notion
Eve Shelby Raindrop Creations Jewelry by Evelyn
Cryss Thain Here Bead Dragons
Jasvanti Patel Jewelry By Jasvanti
Nan Smith NanMade Handmade Jewelry
Sue Kennedy SueBeads
Jean Yates Snap Out of It, Jean! There's Beading to be Done!
Debbie Rogers Debbies Treasures
Marybeth Rich A Few Words From Within the Pines
Shirley Moore Beads and Bread
Shaia Williams Shaiha's Ramblings
Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design
Melissa Trudinger Beadrecipes
Linda Anderson From the Bead Board
Judy Turner Silver Rains
Gloria Allen Gloria Allen Designs
Regina Wood Ginas-Design
Robin Reed Artistry HCBD
Mary Goovars MLH Jewelry Designs
Marlene Cupo Amazing Designs
CJ Bauschka 4 His Glory Creations
Robin Showstack The Crazy Bead Hoarder
Cynthia O'Toole Sparkles and Sweets
Jael Thorp Jael's Art Jewels
Renetha Lamplight Crafts

Soups on!

My delicious soup is here and I must admit it is almost all gone!  Yes I have been hard at it and have been creating some beautiful (at least I think so) pieces. My partner Gayle Dyck hails from Rosthern, Saskatchewan, just one province away. Gayle and I selected seed beads so we were in the first group to be partnered up.  Gayle and I have chatted several times and both like working with seed beads; check out her amazing seed beaded purse.  I hope I will do Gayle proud with what I am creating, I can't wait to see what see does with the soup I sent her.

The soup Gayle sent me

The soup I sent Gayle

Oh baby it's cold outside

We are having record lows in this part of the country - steady -30 degrees Celsius and lower. You would think that the beginning of March would be heading into the spring type temperatures....safe to plan a move right! Well not so, we moved my daughter this weekend and both days of the move were -34.... let me tell you the move was done in record time, I must admit I got the easy job of staying in and loading stuff. My husband is still chilled to the bone. Although they are in their new town home, it is in utter chaos, my daughter has her work cut out for her.

Spring is on my mind, I just wish it would get here. I have signed up the the BSBP again and have already got my partner, got my soup and started a project....how cool is that! My partner is from my neighbouring province so it has been easy for us. For a newbie, Gayle sent me a great soup, full of challenges..stayed tuned.

With spring on my mind and a plethora of my favourite beads on hand and being way too cold outside to do anything ......look what I have made. Peyote has been my stitch of choice lately, I find it very soothing.

As previously mentioned my daughter is in Special Effects Makeup Design school, and was in need of a photographer. I decided to hone my skills and signed up for a photography course to help her out. It was a high intensity exciting weekend course, totally exhausting but oh so rewarding. I will definitely be able to help her out with her portfolio.  I am not yet allowed to post the models I photographed but here is one that I took of my daughter. I am totally loving this!

Molly Alanna

Freeform reveal day.....

I must confess although I have dabbled in free form I am in no means very good at it, I think I have had accidental successes. Always up for a challenge though, I thought why not. Red and Valentines day....what could be better or more appropriate.
I went through all my beads and pulled out all the reds...seed beads in 15s, 11s and 8s, small round glass beads, glass hearts, daggers (I decided against those) and crystals. It seemed so well...red...I needed to add something to give it some pop! I was going to use white but then purple just jumped in.
I sat down at my beading table and well .....nothing....yikes! Finally I just let go of any fear and started. All was going well and I had made some progress when to my dismay the crystals cut my thread and all my hard work came undone. I wanted to just walk away and forget it, but a challenge is challenge and it must be met. I diligently went back at it; added beads and stitched again and the end result was Joy!
Note to self -do not use those kind of crystals again!
Both my daughters love the necklace so I guess it was a success.

Joy

Taj

I have been working on this piece for sometime and today is the day, the day I think it is finally done and I can show it off. I really wanted to do a big artsy piece and although I had a lot of missteps and redo's, I am pleased with the results. I wore it to work the other day and not one person, not one single person commented....needless to say I was crushed. That night I went to bead night at our local beading store (my favorite one - Crimpz); running a little late most of the members were there already....when I walked in there was a collective gasp...and my ego was instantly restored....oh thank you all my beading friends, you made me feel so good!!! Hope you enjoy.

Taj

Yeah the party invite is out and I have signed in (I sure hope my sign in worked) for Bead Soup Blog Party Number 8. I am so excited....each year I get to add another dear friend to my list.  Last year my partner was Amy Severino and the soup she sent me took me to the winner's circle (3 times over), I think Amy was as proud as I was and deservedly so. The year before my wonderful friend Ginger showed me Japan and I continue to live vicariously through her, collecting awesome beach glass at equally awesome beaches. See why I am so excited!!!! Lori our brave hostess is really pushing her limits and I hope she knows we are all in her corner and wish her a speedy recovery. Thank you Lori, this is the event I wait for all year!!!!

I love my blog

I routinely woke up this morning prepared to pull the usual Sunday morning lazies. Part of my routine is to check my blog - catch up on those I am following, check my Facebook - make a few comments and then check my email. I have a cup of hot coffee and settle in to relax and read. When I got to the email part of my morning...there was an email from a long lost friend. She had read my blog (hence I love my blog) and thought it was me and connected. Wow! I have responded and hopefully it is the beginning of a renewed old friendship.
I have been busy working on a statement piece, but it won't be ready to post for awhile. Each step has to be contemplated, deeply contemplated and and has to be just right in my mind before I can move on.  Lets just say I have taken out almost as much as I have done ...oh the anticipation.While contemplating a particular part I took a side venture and made the following piece. I purchased the pattern "Morning Glory" from Ellad2.  I thought it would work up to be a bit smaller but it is quite substantial making it in my mind  a better brooch than a pendant. It was fun to do and the tutorial was easy to follow....now back to my big project. But wait I signed up for the Freeform Red challenge reveal date February 15...I had better get busy!

Morning Glory from Ellad2