New Stuff

Top cuff is Golden Nebula (based on golden nebula granite) and the lower one is Quadraplaid (based on my original pattern). I'm also in the process of creating several cuffs for a small art show this weekend.

More Weather Photos of the Yard

As a friend (she lives about 30 minutes north of me) on Facebook  stated: "I live in Narnia!"

Of course, it's supposed to warm up again causing more flooding! I'll be very happy when this winter is over!

Winter Flooding

So, we're lucky (so far) that we haven't had any water in our basement. There is still a flood warning in effect, so the water level could rise more, but here's hoping it doesn't! The creek is usually about three feet lower than in these pictures. Then there's our neighbor...skating rink in their backyard! (In the spring when it floods, they have fish swimming over their grass!) I hope I haven't just jinxed us with this post!!

This Photo

Here's the finished cuff....what do you think?

Currently working on a cuff based on the sky in this photo. Such lovely colors! I'll post the photos of the piece when it's finished!

Newest

The first one is "Alaskan Waters" and was created for the Bead Art Originals Color Challenge. The next is the photo used for inspiration and it's the one I took on vacation at the stern of the cruise ship sailing through Alaska's Inner Passage. I love the color of the water there!

The next one is another in my "stone" series. This one is called "Chiffon Granite". And lastly is the cuff I did for a special order. I LOVE how it turned out, so nice and crisp and clean looking!

Etsy Beadweaver February Challenge

Voting has started! Check out all the beautiful entries & vote for your favorite here: http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com

Starting February 9th the voting will begin for the "Touch of Royalty" Challenge. I've finally (after more than a year) submitted a piece for a challenge! It's a simple bracelet called "Elizabeth I" loosely based on a necklace Queen Elizabeth I wore in several portraits. The portrait I've included is the Phoenix Portrait painted by Nicholas Hilliard in 1575. Be sure to stop by the Etsy Beadweavers Blog (http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com ) from February 9th to 15th to vote for your favorite piece in the challenge...and trust me, this is going to be a tough decision!

New Stuff

Here's what I've been up to lately. The kitchen isn't getting done yet, but I wanted to show the colors. These are the same colors that were in our living room & dining room. (I can't believe I hadn't taken a "before" picture!) So, now we have the new colors...from camel, sand and Merlot to modern gray and grapy (a really smoky purple). The previous carpeting was this really cheap berber that was here when we moved in and now we have this lovely, cushy, fluffy carpet that Sadie certainly loves!

The last photo is another color challenge piece for Bead Art Originals! I can't believe I actually finished one on time. I also just completed a piece for the Etsy Beadweavers Royalty Challenge, but I haven't photographed it yet. I have to get that done tomorrow so I can list it before the deadline.

That's it for now...but I think I may be on a roll, so you may be seeing more soon!

Not the Way I Planned...

This is not how I wanted to start my new year...I've pretty much been sick for the last couple of weeks and it's getting very aggravating! I suppose I'm going to have to get in to see the doctor soon since this is just not going away!

I did get the cortisone shots in my trigger point (lower left neck and shoulder) and as far as I can tell, it's really helped. I say that only because it's hard to tell for sure when your head's messed up from coughing and sneezing!

The nicest thing to happen though was being Baby Girl's "guinea pig" for her cosmetology class! Her assignment was highlights and she did a beautiful job! There is no doubt that Baby Girl has a natural talent for this and I know she'll do very well in her future career!



I have tried to create something every day though it's been difficult being sick. I did finish a piece, but too late for the Bead Art Originals color mosaic. I'll get it together eventually!

New Year and New Stuff

Hope everyone had a lovely, festive and safe New Year's Eve. DH and I had a nice, quiet evening (older daughter was at her boyfriend's and younger daughter had a little party of her own). We didn't even watch "the ball" drop in NYC...we were watching a movie! The first day of the new year was quiet as well. The girls are off on their own with their friends, DH and I just stayed around the house and then he took me for a steak dinner! YUM!

More done in the family room...new carpet, which doesn't look this beige in the real world. It's called "cobblestone" & it's a gray with flecks of a darker gray in it. It's very soft and cushy! There's new track lighting and of course, the new TV. Now, if we could just get some furniture in there. The chairs just don't cut it. (One's a throw back to our first living room set and the other is a refugee from my mother-in-law's house and neither of which will be staying!)

I've been enjoying my new Christmas presents! I've been reading again...something I've not done in a couple months. This is very unlike me. I used to read every night, but somehow got out of the habit. I've also spent my entire Fire Mountain Gems gift certificate (and then some)! That was a lot of fun, but there are still many more beads I would love to buy and several that I'd like a lot more of!

Hope everyone is enjoying the new year!

Happiest of Holidays

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (for those who celebrate it) and/or the happiest of holidays. We had a lovely time with our little family. The girls were home (& didn't fight) and along with their boyfriends, we had a lovely Christmas. DH surprised both the girls and I with Kindles! I've been having a lot of fun playing with it and downloading books. There are so many free classics that I want to read, I haven't even spent money on books yet!

Our family room is coming along. The carpet was laid today, so the echo is gone and the room is warmer! Now we just have to get some furniture down there!

Here's the completed Pink Marble Cuff. I found a large button that reminded me of a Roman shield which went along well with the marble design. I'm working on a cuff now which resembles blue zircon. It's a little darker than I wanted, but we'll see how it goes.