Special Surprise!

Several weeks ago, I received a very special surprise.  Kathy from ZnetShows e-mailed me concerning my blog.  She had read it and asked if I would be interested in designing for their March newsletter.  Of course, I said Yes!!!! A couple of days later I received a fantastic collection of beads to design with.

I was on the way to Newport News, VA to see my brother so the package went with me and the imagination kicked in.  I visited two of my favorite bead stores The Bead Store and Bead Retreat.   At the Bead Store, I found the perfect sea glass blue seed beads (along with a bunch of other beading supplies you can never just buy one thing at a bead store), then off I went to Bead Retreat.  She doesn't have a web site but her address is 1105 William Styron Sq. S., Newport News, VA (just in case you live down in the area)  I found the coolest sea charms and chain at her shop (and more extra beading supplies) and she is a wonderful person to visit.  Back to Tom's house I went and started creating.

The sea glass shell pendants and crystals are from Znet and I combined it with a spiral rope. I was so excited about this necklace I finished it in just two hours.

 Next, a simple chain necklace with a shell pendant and charm with matching earrings. Note the earring have shell chain drops.

I then made a RAW (right angle weave) bracelet  using three of the sea glass nuggets, a third necklace with the daggers, three pairs of earrings, one with daggers, one with sea glass bottle top rings, and the third with pearls and crystals.

Of course I help loads of help with my designs from two very critical inspectors--

 Marvin and Emma.  Somehow every once in a while one or the other would join me at the table and as usual lay right on top of my work. Sigh, oh well.

Finally, a picture of everything I created.  I had so much fun with this design project.

I would like to thank Kathy and Bill for this chance to design using their sea glass and crystals.  They have a very interesting blog on how the sea glass is created, please visit it. Znet blog on sea glass.  Also please visit their web site

7th Bead Soup Blog Hop

Good Evening Everyone!  It is now time to stir up the ingredients for my Bead Soup, get my imagination in high gear, and create sometime beautiful with my soup I received from my wonderful partner Judy Robinson!
This is Judy's first time with the Blog Hop and my third time and I wish I could stop drooling over what she sent me.

First, I opened the box and it was filled with a beautiful soft tie-dyed purple bag. (One of my favorite colors!)  And in the bottom was a letter from Judy.  She stitched up the" beadle bag" for me from her flute bag materials.  Judy designs, creates and embellishes Native American flutes.  And by creates I mean she turns the wood herself to make the flute. I am in awe of her talent and skill!

Back to the soup ingredients-- I opened the bag and found the following ingredients:
Natural color mix of #8 seed beads, 4 cathedral beads, 2 brown stone beads, 4 green-gold speckled glass beads, #11 golden grain seed beads, #11 jade green delicas, a copper toggle, and two gorgeous wood cabochons. (more about them in a minute)

   The cabochons are extra special to me because Judy turned them herself!  The larger one is made from her favorite wood, sycamore.  This piece is from a Florida sycamore that was six years old which had to be taken down.  The cab is so awesome you can count the rings.

The second cab is a little smaller and from a spalted maple.Judy explained that spalting in wood comes from  fungi when it attacks the wood.  (Please check out her blog for more pictures of items she has turned.)

I think both cabs are fantastic and I can't wait to use them.Of course, you will have to wait until the second revel to see what I have created!  Judy and I are in the second revel---  April 6th so please come back!

Thank you, Judy for the wonderful soup ingredients.

A Stitch of Time 2 Blog Hop

      I am currently working at Gallery 107 in Seaford, DE, relaxing for the first time this week and waiting for     Hurricane Sandy to arrive.

The porches at the house are cleaned off, plants tucked away for safe keeping, and plans in place for my car to be protected.  I have purchased my extra supplies in case the electricity goes out and I am charging my laptop and cell phone. This evening, I think I will plan out some projects to work on so I don't have to search for stuff if the electricity goes out.  Yippee, I think I am ready.

Now on to better and bigger things---  The Stitch in Time 2 Blog Hop.  I am late posting for the hop, please forgive me, everyone.Therese Frank and  Christine Altmiller are wonderful to host the Blog Hop and I have so much fun with their first Hop.  This Hop challenged me to create using a new stitch (for me), St. Petersburg. I have often looked at patterns using it but never considered creating with it.   I have a book,  Cube Bead Stitching by Virginia Jensen and found the neatest earring pattern.  Thank you, Virginia, your designs are fantastic.
My earrings are made using 1.5 mm cubes in matte aqua & rainbow lt. topaz/seafoam lined   and 3mm cubes in transparent copper and copper delicas.  I think they are yummy and fun.

Next I made a royal blue and white bracelet using tila beads, 11 and 15 seed beads and vintage czech crystals.  I found the pattern in Great Designs for Shaped Beads by Anna Elizabeth Draeger.  Her patterns are always great. I adapted the pattern using the czech crystals instead of bicones just because I had them.

I have used RAW before and prefer to use it in ropes.  The pattern was originally a three strand bracelet published in Beadwork mag, June/July 2003.  It is an embellished double needle RAW stitch which I thought would be hard to learn but ended up being extremely easy to create.

Thank you Therese and Christine for hosting the Hop. I look forward to the next one!  Everyone on the East Coast, Stay safe with Sandy coming to visit!
Please visit everyone else involved with the Hop.  Their work is fantastic, interesting, and different!

Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller

Nikki Byers

Kristen Stevens

Shirley Moore

Cynthia Machata

Shannon Hicks

Lola Surwillo

Maryanne Gross

Alenka

Karin Slaton

Katherine Gale

Sally Russick

Amy Severino 

Alicia Marinache

Sonya Stille

Tanya Goodwin

Lisa Stukel

Marla Gibson

Sarah Sequins

Mandy 

Andra Weber

Kim Hora

Karen Williams