Focus on Life Wk 5~Capture our Hearts

Here is Sally's instruction for our fifth week prompt:

Have you ever taken a moment to notice all the hearts that come into your life everyday?  From candy hearts, patterns on clothes, a paper heart you make yourself or heart shaped spirals made from the ornate rod iron fencing that you may or may not have ever noticed on your walk around the neighborhood, hearts are hidding everywhere.  This week pay attention to your surroundings, think outside the box and capture a heart! 

In thinking about this over the last week, I was reminded not only to "see" the hearts, but to think about the things that I "heart"; ie, the things that make life livable/fun/important on a day to day basis. 

And, so on that note....here are a few of my favorite hearts....

#4. Funky shoes! 

Converse should pay me....I own way too many pairs to mention...although there IS that custom-designed pair I'm still trying to figure out how to get them to ship to Canada! 

#3. Coffee Mugs...and latte

Always my favorite souvenir if I am travelling, or want a memento of an occasion....maybe because I use them every day and can remember the fun times. And one of the best things I ever bought myself is my Tassimo machine, which keeps me sane in the winter months in Canada. That and Second Cup latte, of course!

#2. In conjunction with the above mug...this guy:

No explanation required...just see my last post. He just makes me smile. Which I am doing even as I look at this picture. 

#1. This organization:

As you can see from the banner, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year. These hearts (see the shapes in the logo?) shape my days and have shaped them for 10 years now. Here's one of the many reasons why:

Why Isn't Everybody Doing This? 

And here's something YOU can do to help!

Inclusion-grams

Send a special Valentine to everyone you know this month! 

Living in Turnaround: Always and Forever: Ten Years with Clay Aiken

Had to take this opportunity to share a wonderful blog from a friend that speaks to the last 10 years of MY life as well....congratulations, Clay! And THANKS! for the memories.....

Living in Turnaround: Always and Forever: Ten Years with Clay Aiken: Ten years have passed, but I remember it well. I was just a few seconds away from changing the channel. I love music, appreciate good si...

Focus on Life Wk 4~Create Art!

"Art"....hmmmm.....I don't draw...really, you don't want to see me draw. Although, I did think about adding to my zentangle experience of 1 so far:

...and then looked at the 1 and said...."nah". Just wasn't speaking to me. 

I have in the past done a bunch of quilting; I think most of us have worked in multiple "disciplines" through the years. But I didn't think you 'd want to wait the 1-2 years it would take me to get an art quilt put together for this post. AND I'd have to clean off the beading table, to put the sewing machine on it instead! Nope. 

So....one of the days I had off from work, where I had the luxury to lay in bed for a few minutes before getting up....(I LOVE that!)...I thought about a post I had seen on Freeform Peyote, along with an wonderful audio podcast. Hmmmmm.....THAT I might have time to do! And I thought it might just qualify as "art". That very day I painted a wooden base bead with a beautiful rich purple which spoke to me:

Gathered up a few *cough* beads which fit my colour plan:

Created some bead soups in different colours from the plan:

...and started beading, just letting it flow...please excuse the (lack of) manicure. My real life is not conducive to manicures. 

I am enjoying the work. I adore working with colour, and actually had a few moments when using that paint, whcn I considered just splashing some on a canvas...but I didn't. Maybe next time. With some crumpled tissue...and some gesso...and some stamps. And some rub-on glittery stuff.  Hmmm.....

Oh!! Almost forgot to mention...in picking through things laying on the beading table while I chose colours for my beaded bead, I discovered this, picked up at random from the lake (Lake Huron) the last time I was there in September or so. Until then, I hadn't noticed.....this....

Do you see the fossil at the upper right of the rock? Cool!!

But, back to the freeform beaded bead....here she is! I'm fairly pleased :-) and while I was working with her, I definitely felt like I was doing "art", if that counts! 

From a few different angles:

There will definitely be more of these; it's a really fun way to play with color and beads. It's about 1 1/4" in diameter, to give some perspective. 

ETA: Alicia reminded me of something I had not thought of in years...and it fits this week's theme so perfectly, I just had to come back and add it to my post:

Yes, it's me....one or two years ago. :-)

Focus on Life~Week 3

Week 3's Focus on Life Photography Challenge is "Take Time"...and I used Sally's "permission" to do just that!

A little background....several things are at play here....

1. I love books and bookstores.....

2. I HATE to cook....when I was about 4 my mother was hospitalized for almost 10 years; it was just my Dad and I at home for the most part, and as of course he had to make a living...I was cooking for the family from the time I was about 5. And now...I'm SO done with it. Anything someone else will cook for me....ANYTHING....is super-duper great!! 

So my "taking time for myself" hour or so (so, OK, I stretched that 15 minutes a little.....) became a 2-parter here:

It's OK by the way....don't worry....I went WITHOUT the credit card and spent a wonderful hour browsing...

and then, here:

That's the BEST cheeseburger soup ever (it was a cold day), the best jalapeno roll ever, and the best chocolate/pecan/caramel cookie ever that you see there....and oh! The best glass of lemonade ever! 

And I didn't even have to wash the dishes *g*

Thanks, Sally, for the "permission"; I had a wonderful afternoon! 

Focusing on Life Challenge Wk 2

Week 2's theme is to consider a "word of the year" rather than creating a New Year's resolution...a word that represents how you want to change your life going forward on this new page, if you will....

After much thought, my word is.....

I want to take the time to explore color, new places, new relationships, new challenges at work, new techniques for my beading....new books, new music, new ways to help my charity...new roads, new restaurants, new ways to do the same old things.

I can't wait!

Focusing on Life Challenge Wk 1

I'm a little late getting started, but I am excited to join the Focusing on Life Challenge at The Studio Sublime. Last year I participated in a monthly challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed, but unfortunately it petered out last summer :-(.

This challenge is a single-focus weekly theme presented to us by Sally; the first week was a self-portrait...as I had just taken some pictures at Christmastime, here is mine:

My family is important to me, and this is us...........

Beading Babes Project 7

The reveal for Beading Babes Project 7 was Dec 9th, 2012...right in the middle of the mayhem for me...and I did get my projects mostly completed, but did not get all of them posted in time for the reveal.

As I just finished the third one today, I thought I would post my pictures and comments, perhaps better late than never. :-) Project 8 is coming up fast.

1. Scalloped Pearls Bracelet from Bead & Button October 2012. (Angelle Procopio design)

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this bracelet. The instructions were easy to follow, even though I had to make some substitutions from the original bead sizing as I was determined to use "stash" to create these projects. The pattern is a great opportunity to do some colour work, which I really enjoy, and I will certainly do this one again, probably in multiple colourways to see how that affects the "look". I want to try it, for example, with all the bugle beads in the same colour, so the wave is highlighted rather than the fans. 

Most of my projects are created for the benefit of my charity, but this one became a Christmas present for my granddaughter after she admired it on Facebook. 

2. Enchanted Rivoli Earrings from Beadwork August 2012. (Csilla Cermaz design)

These were a bit tougher to create; after searching heaven and earth for the size 9 seed beads used in her original design without success (WHY do bead magazines do this??), I substituted size 10 czech seeds. The size differential is crucial to the design of the herringbone rope which encircles the rivoli, which needs to smoothly transition from the 6's to the 8's to the (9's) 10's. What I did worked, but I think would have worked better if the 9's had been available. Which they are not. *sigh*

My bezelling technique definitely needs work. I did manage to get those suckers in there, but I have added at least one row of peyote to the front and back to make them more secure. I'm still not sure I shouldn't have resorted to the crazy glue. 

But they are really pretty. As they remind me of peacock feathers even in this colorway, I think I'm going to have to try a colour which would make them even more evocative of the feathers. A good friend has been dropping hints, so I'll probably do a pair for her as well in the purple; she has an evening gown which would be amazing with these, but I don't want to gift them to her as I'm just not confident in the rivoli...possibly after pair #3 I'll be more confident. Hopefully. 

3. Roller Beads from Bead and Button, also October 2012 (Cathy Lampole design)

I just finished these today; as you can see, I had a bit more time to play with pictures for these. These are a fairly typical Cathy Lampole design, with her signature RAW base and criss/cross crystal embellishment. I had to do a fair amount of frogging on the first (cream) one to get the base to work properly but after that they were a breeze. They use a LOT of crystals and Swarovski pearls, so I'll probably try them in Fire polish and glass pearls to see how they look, as a less expensive to produce alternative. As shown, we're looking at a COST of $15.60 per bead to produce them, so at least $35.00 per bead retail. 

I was not fond of the accompanying herringbone rope, so I didn't do it. I like the idea of just slipping them on a looped chain like I have done, with a stopper pendant of some kind; it makes them more versatile as well. They are very firm and self supporting, so there are lots of options. I did try one on a Regaliz leather band, but it is slightly too small to work. 

Looking forward to Project 8 with this group!