Think spring!

I have spring fever. To celebrate, I have been making some outside-the-box necklaces using fresh color combinations. Example: Fuchsia Swarovski crystals with lime green seed beads as spacers. They pop! The necklace itself is very simple. I think it's elegant, and I can imagine it with anything from a bridesmaid's formal gown to jeans and a t-shirt. Yummy!

After making this one, I looked at my stash and decided to play all day. Instead of watching the Academy Awards (tm) show last night, I listened while I beaded. I made 7 sets of necklace/earrings in all:
1) The fuchsia and lime green
2) Clear crystals with orange
3) Clear crystals with blue
4) Mocca crystals and dark brown crystal pearls with cream seed beads
5) Dark green crystal pearls with rose crystals
6) Rose crystals with olive seed beads
7) Cream crystal pearls with clear AB crystals and clear seed beads (necklace, bracelet, & earrings)

None of these sets is made using beadweaving techniques, but they are pretty. Simple. Elegant. Sparkly. Fun.

I do love beads.

Merry Christmas and welcome back

I have neglected this blog for over a year. I've also neglected my beads! I did a few projects this year, but I also had hand surgery in February. That was a temporary set back, but after it healed, I could use pliers again pain free, so it was a good thing.

My New Year's resolution is to be a better blogger and to take more time for beading. Last week, I made myself a little Christmas present from a special rock I had been saving for a long time. It's a rock from the Allegheny River at Camp Dandy. If that weren't enough to make it special, it was in my fish Marjory's aquarium for 7 years. After Marjory died, we gave the aquarium to a teacher friend of Craig's, but I kept this rock. When I wear it, I'll think of the cabin, Marjory, and how much fun I had making the necklace. Beading is so relaxing for me; it's a very spiritual thing, too. The minute I start working on a project, I feel calm. As my beader buddy John and I used to say, "Beading is cheaper than therapy."

Where, oh, where did September go?

Oh, I know, my day job ate it all up. Don't get me wrong. I love my day job. It's never the same day twice, and I like that very much, but it does take time away from beading. And this month I had to rest my hand. I have a trigger finger (ring finger, right hand) and carpal tunnel stuff going on. So I had a shot of cortisone (ouch!) at the base of my ring finger and wore a brace thingy for a while. Not fun. But, as I always say, it could be worse.

Now we are off to the Tyrone, PA, farm/city day. Gotta buy those raffle tickets to support the Tyrone-Snyder Twp. Public Library. Best little library in the state. Un, make that best little library in the world. I love the library director, my daughter. :)

Phun in Philly

Back from the BeadFest. Again, it was a great time. Again, we stayed with my cousin (Hi, John), who is a wonderful host. He always makes us feel so pampered. For dinner, his cook made the most fabulous eggplant parmesan. (Maybe I should explain that John is a priest, and that's why there's a cook.) I know that it isn't always easy to entertain vegetarians, so I really appreciate the effort. Besides, it really was delicious.

As always, my favorite booth at the BeadFest was Dikra Gem (http://www.dikragem.net/index.php). I love working with cabochons and seed beads, and I love shopping at the Dikra Gem display. It's not the fanciest display in town, but the staff are the best. As I posted last year, David Kramer makes us feel like his best customers, and he does it without seeming like a phony. I told him on Saturday that when I grow up, I want to be David Kramer. Then today I got home from my day job to find a very lovely message on the phone from David thanking me for my comments on this blog last year and for shopping with him on Saturday. Even my hubby said, "Isn't that nice?" If only we all treated each other so well....

Also this weekend, we visited with my college roomie and her hubby. What fun! Carolyn had dug out a bunch of photos from our dear old Penn State days. We had wonderful times then and thinking about them now.

I have put photos from the weekend on my Facebook page for friends to see. Here is a photo of my new haul of cabs.

I'd rather be beading!

I don't keep up with this blog very well because I would rather be beading. And in the summer, I don't have Internet access when I'm at the cabin. But I thought I'd share this latest with my blog fans. :) WHO are you???

I bought the vintage-style button at Stitch Your Art Out, a great quilting/knitting shop in Pine Grove Mills, PA. Check out Cynthia's blog (see list at right). She is a much better blogger than I. She probably doesn't sleep. :) The seed beads are Toho glass triangles in a double peyote stitch. I love the way they work up, so I recently bought some in various colors. If anybody wants a custom bracelet, let me know. That's what I do. :) If you want this particular bracelet, it's for sale at my Etsy shop.

I hope everyone is having a great summer.