Ahhh, Facebook, such a fickle friend you are! One day you are so kind to me, allowing me to post my thoughts and pictures with nary a problem. Then I come back to visit on another day, and you don't show my comments or you won't upload my pictures. Is that a nice way to treat a friend?
And I wish you would warn me ahead of time, when I am about to open the page, just say "Cathi, don't look at me today. It's all nonsense." No, instead you suck me in, when I am supposed to be beading. Before I know it, I have spent hours with you, doing very much of nothing, and no beading has gotten done.
Also, why are you so mean to my business page? I spend a lot of time composing a post that I think might be interesting to my fans, but you only show it to about 10% of them. That isn't nice, especially when I am visiting you every day, giving you revenue with the ads you show on my page. I don't even hide the "sponsored" posts you put on my page. Show me a little love, please?
Anyway, Facebook, I think it's one of those 'can't live with you, can't live without you' relationships. You know what I mean. Every time I try to break it off, you entice me with an email. I have notifications! Oooh, I wonder what they are. And I wander over again, drawn in, unable to resist seeing the latest pictures of my grand-daughter, what projects my bead buddies are working on, or what my far-away friends are eating for dinner.
So, Facebook, please try to be a less fickle friend and I'll try to visit more often. OK?
Cat
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Friday, April 05, 2013
E is For Embroidery
One thing I really like about beading is that there are so many different techniques. I don't think anyone could ever "know it all". Nor would I want to...what is the fun if you stop learning?
One technique I have not tried yet, but would love to learn someday is bead embroidery. I see so many beautiful things made with this technique!
Here is a collar, that is going to be a necklace, done by a member of my bead group, Donna Louise Sanders. See how she made the twirly bead in the center? I would never be able to stop playing with it if I were wearing it.
This is another fantastic piece made by another member of my bead group, Dee Wingrove-Smith. It's so colorful! I'd probably wear this as a brooch if it were mine, or maybe hang it on a pretty chain.
Bead embroidery also looks great on cuff bracelets. Here is one bracelet from a shop on ArtFire, Dancing Wind Designs. Just my colors, too.
I've added bead embroidery to my to-do list, which seems to grow longer every day, but I've promised myself I will learn this technique someday.
Cat
One technique I have not tried yet, but would love to learn someday is bead embroidery. I see so many beautiful things made with this technique!
Here is a collar, that is going to be a necklace, done by a member of my bead group, Donna Louise Sanders. See how she made the twirly bead in the center? I would never be able to stop playing with it if I were wearing it.
This is another fantastic piece made by another member of my bead group, Dee Wingrove-Smith. It's so colorful! I'd probably wear this as a brooch if it were mine, or maybe hang it on a pretty chain.
Bead embroidery also looks great on cuff bracelets. Here is one bracelet from a shop on ArtFire, Dancing Wind Designs. Just my colors, too.
I've added bead embroidery to my to-do list, which seems to grow longer every day, but I've promised myself I will learn this technique someday.
Cat
Thursday, April 04, 2013
D is For Dragon
I just finished this project. This dragon is a lot of work, but he sure is worth it. The pattern is from Fantasia Beads.
I used size 15 seed beads, size 8 seed beads, size 11 seed beads, Delicas, Miyuki triangles, and Preciosa crystals. It's hard to take a photo that shows the crystals, though.
Cat
I used size 15 seed beads, size 8 seed beads, size 11 seed beads, Delicas, Miyuki triangles, and Preciosa crystals. It's hard to take a photo that shows the crystals, though.
Cat
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
C is For Crystals
I love sparkly things! I think that's what draws me to beading. I'm like a magpie, always on the hunt for something shiny.
One of the sparkly elements I love to use for beading is crystals. And what's not to love? They bling up any design almost immediately. Here are a few samples of bicone crystals, ranging from 2mm to 6mm in size.
One of the sparkly elements I love to use for beading is crystals. And what's not to love? They bling up any design almost immediately. Here are a few samples of bicone crystals, ranging from 2mm to 6mm in size.
And here are a few other crystal shapes that I have in my stash right now.
Cat
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
B is for Beads
Continuing the A-to-Z challenge...
Of course you knew that I would choose Beads for my B-word. I am in love with those small, and sometimes not so small, pieces of glass!
I love that I can take tiny pices of glass less than 2mm in size and make almost anything out of them. Of course there's the requisite jewelry, but I have also made boxes, butterflies, bookmarks, keychains, candle-holders, dragons, many species of fish, and much more. I have weaved small beads together so that they made a bigger bead, a "beaded bead".
Once, just to see if I could do it, I even beaded a push-pin!
Don't set anything down in front of an avid beader, for you may return to find it covered with beads!
Cat
Of course you knew that I would choose Beads for my B-word. I am in love with those small, and sometimes not so small, pieces of glass!
I love that I can take tiny pices of glass less than 2mm in size and make almost anything out of them. Of course there's the requisite jewelry, but I have also made boxes, butterflies, bookmarks, keychains, candle-holders, dragons, many species of fish, and much more. I have weaved small beads together so that they made a bigger bead, a "beaded bead".
Once, just to see if I could do it, I even beaded a push-pin!
Don't set anything down in front of an avid beader, for you may return to find it covered with beads!
Cat
Monday, April 01, 2013
April Showers
This is the first day of the A-to-Z blogging challenge! Luckily, April begins with A, so I am able to present your April pocket calendar. Free for you to download, print and use.
This month I also have an extra treat for you. Since I charted this peyote design myself, I am also giving you the chart. That way, if you feel like making one of your own, you can.Use it as peyote practice, a cover for a journal, the front of a small bag, a wall hanging, or whatever else you can think of. Mine is going to framed and mounted as part of a set of two. (You will see the second design on next month's calendar)
First, your calendar.
This month I also have an extra treat for you. Since I charted this peyote design myself, I am also giving you the chart. That way, if you feel like making one of your own, you can.Use it as peyote practice, a cover for a journal, the front of a small bag, a wall hanging, or whatever else you can think of. Mine is going to framed and mounted as part of a set of two. (You will see the second design on next month's calendar)
First, your calendar.
The design is charted for Delica beads, and when beaded as shown the final project will be 2 1/4 inches wide by 2 1/8 inches tall. Except for the background, the other elements in the picture use very little beads, so it's great for using up small amounts of leftover beads. Use any colors you wish.
Tomorrow, I will be blogging a subject beginning with the letter B.
Cat
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Three Cheers For Grocery Rewards
In this economy, every little bit we can do to save money helps. And we do it by putting my boyfriend in charge of the grocery shopping.
He is the greatest grocery shopper ever. He organizes all his coupons, watches for specials, and manages to make the most of Winn-Dixie's rewards card program. I don't know how he does it, I've never been good at that sort of thing.
Look at this receipt for our last gas purchase! We paid just over two dollars for twenty gallons of gas. Yes, you are looking at that receipt correctly, eleven cents per gallon.And he manages to grocery shop in a way that makes this a normal fuel purchase. Granted, I don't drive my car much so we only have to buy gas about every three weeks or so. That gives him more time to build up a good reward amount.
When it's my turn to shop, I certainly don't do this as well as he does. If I happen to have a coupon I use it, but I just don't have the talent or patience for organizing them and waiting to match them up to the specials. About the only time I take advantage of the extra "buy this item" gas bonus is when my favorite ice cream is on sale. Yum, ice cream!
What is your favorite money-stretching tip?
Cat
He is the greatest grocery shopper ever. He organizes all his coupons, watches for specials, and manages to make the most of Winn-Dixie's rewards card program. I don't know how he does it, I've never been good at that sort of thing.
Look at this receipt for our last gas purchase! We paid just over two dollars for twenty gallons of gas. Yes, you are looking at that receipt correctly, eleven cents per gallon.And he manages to grocery shop in a way that makes this a normal fuel purchase. Granted, I don't drive my car much so we only have to buy gas about every three weeks or so. That gives him more time to build up a good reward amount.
When it's my turn to shop, I certainly don't do this as well as he does. If I happen to have a coupon I use it, but I just don't have the talent or patience for organizing them and waiting to match them up to the specials. About the only time I take advantage of the extra "buy this item" gas bonus is when my favorite ice cream is on sale. Yum, ice cream!
What is your favorite money-stretching tip?
Cat
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Bracelets
I've made three bracelets already from Shelley Nybakke's Tennis Anyone pattern. You really should give this one a try. These bracelets are quick to make and lots of fun! I only have pictures of two of them, because I haven't taken the third one off my wrist long enough to take pictures of it.
I made this one with blue sapphire Swarovski crystals and silver permanent-finish seed beads.
For the next one, I used Swarovski gold pearls and Miyuki seed beads, but I don't know the color number.
The one I'm wearing has pink Swarovski crystals and pink gold-lined seed beads. I love it! They all look so different too, depending on the beads I use.
What have you been working on lately?
Cat
I made this one with blue sapphire Swarovski crystals and silver permanent-finish seed beads.
For the next one, I used Swarovski gold pearls and Miyuki seed beads, but I don't know the color number.
The one I'm wearing has pink Swarovski crystals and pink gold-lined seed beads. I love it! They all look so different too, depending on the beads I use.
What have you been working on lately?
Cat
Sunday, March 17, 2013
A-to-Z Blogging Challenge
It's only two weeks until the A-to-Z blogging challenge starts. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.
Anyone who follows my blog knows that I'm a sporadic poster at best. Will I be able to post every day for a month? I hope so, because this seems like it's really going to be fun.
I wrote down the alphabet letters and I'm writing down topics next to each letter as I think of them, so I'll be somewhat prepared. I haven't thought of anything for "K" yet. Kumihimo? I've never done it and really don't have much of an interest in trying it, but maybe I could show some pictures of other people's beautiful kumihimo projects.
Some people in the group are pre-blogging and scheduling their posts to appear on the proper day. That might be a good idea. At least that way I know I won't miss a day.
I'm also excited to read some new blogs. We've been encouraged to put a two-letter code by our blog name to denote what type of blog it is. That will make it easier for me to find other craft blogs to read (and get hooked on).
Click on the link in the first sentence if you want to join me in this challenge!
Cat
Anyone who follows my blog knows that I'm a sporadic poster at best. Will I be able to post every day for a month? I hope so, because this seems like it's really going to be fun.
I wrote down the alphabet letters and I'm writing down topics next to each letter as I think of them, so I'll be somewhat prepared. I haven't thought of anything for "K" yet. Kumihimo? I've never done it and really don't have much of an interest in trying it, but maybe I could show some pictures of other people's beautiful kumihimo projects.
Some people in the group are pre-blogging and scheduling their posts to appear on the proper day. That might be a good idea. At least that way I know I won't miss a day.
I'm also excited to read some new blogs. We've been encouraged to put a two-letter code by our blog name to denote what type of blog it is. That will make it easier for me to find other craft blogs to read (and get hooked on).
Click on the link in the first sentence if you want to join me in this challenge!
Cat
Happy Day To All!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Cat
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)