Sneek Peek

The Challenge Kit

I try very hard to post a  new blog entry every Saturday  morning.
I do this for three reasons.
1 :I am disappointed when my favorite bloggers post erratically or with long waits between entries.
I look forward to my coffee and early morning "bead reading "
If anybody out there reads my blog ,I want them to find something new at predictable intervals
2:  In everyday life I sometimes talk and nobody listens.
 When I blog ,I can ramble on and on .
I can  pretend people are listening! That is FUN!!!
3: I enjoy the discipline of creating a work schedule and sticking to  it.
   I actually like the challenge !!!

This weeks entry is going to be short.
At last  I was in time  purchase one of Andrew Thornton's Challenge kits!
http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/2012/05/lima-beads-readers-challenge.html
I am a  bit intimidated. I expect the entries to be Extra Fantastic.
They always are !
Today I  am beading... not writing
The big reveal is Friday June first
Please stop back to see my creation
This week challenge yourself
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

What I'm Adding

House and Home

 A House is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body" 
 Benjamin Franklin

 This is a rather lofty qoute for my little blog.
But, I have been thinking about houses and homes all week .
I think fuel for the mind is especially important to those of us who are artist/makers.
We need a well stocked food pantry and  well stocked art supplies!
To be content, I need both beans and beads!
I require cookbooks and craft books.
 I enjoy planing what 's for dinner ,I enjoy planing a new bead design!
What makes my House my Home???
 Family of course ,including the fur-persons...our 2 cats and 3 dogs
Also the memories it holds for me . Memories that come to come to life with photos , little heirlooms and mementos . I also treasure my "bead" stash . I have a large collection of beads and jewelry handmade by favorite artists and friends. My home is where my heart is. 
Why am I so sentimental about House and Home this week?
 Last week I included a little house on my ABS entry.
This week I made a few more bracelets for gifts .
I liked the tiny house beads so much, I decided to made some for my shop .While I worked on them, I thought about houses .
I thought about all the shapes ,styles and colors a house can be.
I thought about  what those buildings mean to the people who live in them.
The photo is  from my last year's Nassau vacation.Isn't it  inspiring!
I can not stop coming up with new colors for my  little houses
I just want to sit and make a zillion of them
But, my family requires a little fuel for the body ! Unless we are going to order pizza for dinner, I'd better strike up some balance between feeding my brain and feeding our bodies!
This week feed your body and your brain
make your House a Home
and Bead Happy !

m.e.

Home Sweet Home Beads

ABS Inspiration

House  and Home

Time for the ABS challenge !
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-monthly-challenge.html
For some time I have been admiring fabric cuff bracelets.
When I saw this month's inspiration painting, the lines of the houses made me think right away about rectangular fabric cuffs .
I don't see the world through rose colored glasses.
My lenses seem to turn things into bead designs... LOL!
Lately I have been truly obsessed with aged metal and patinas .
I gravitated right to the rust tones in the painting.
I started by making a rusty little house shaped bead.
Is a House a Home ?
Is Home where the Heart is?
Who holds the Key the my Heart?
All these are questions for my bracelet .
To add a little of that beautiful  green color ,I found some suede cord and mixed chrysprase beads  in my stash.Look closely on the left ,one  little bead is shaped like a tiny heart. It was meant for my bracelet !

My friends and family really like this design . I am almost ashamed to say how easy peasy it was to make ! I  cut three rectangles each a bit narrower than the other.I threaded the suede cord through and drew it a bit tight to make the felt "ruffle" . To fasten it, I knotted a bead at one end and a loop at the other. Then I just sewed on the beads! I didn't have any  thick thread that matched .But, I did have regular thread in several "go with" shades. I couldn't decide which to use ,so I put them all on one needle. I liked the effect so much  I added  little sprigs of thread  ...because ....well , because I felt like it !
This bracelet  is soooo comfortable and it was sooooooooo  easy !
But, please don't tell anybody. Many of friends are asking me to make them similar bracelets .They find it different, daring  and dramatic . Please keep my secret .....
this week try "less is more"
create something
Simple but Bold
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

All Work...no play

Shark Dive 2011

All work, no play for me this week.
The photo above is from last year's vacation in Nassau
That's my hubby and me on the right in the yellow fins.
Right now I'm counting the days until  its scuba time again.
This week has been a long one .
I've been working double shifts, filling in for  co-workers.
The extra dollars will be Very,Very  welcome on vacation !
But, the hours are a bit exhausting.
I had so many beadie ideas I wanted to work on this week.
Plus, there is a new ABS challenge posted !
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-monthly-challenge.html
I can't wait to get started ! You know I like to post my entry early !
 This month ,I have something new up my sleeve..pun intended LOL!!!

But ,no time to play with clay this week .Just work ,work ,work for me.!
At least I know I'm not alone. Does misery really love company?
Many of you also have"pay the bills "jobs that 'interfere" with your bead projects . I am not a candidate for an ETSY "quit your day job "feature!
Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But, I have some bead ideas that I REALLY want to work on!
Sometimes juggling work and beads can be difficult  .
But, I feel my "need to bead' is important to my well being

Life is best  when there is balance. All work and no play is not good for us.One more day of double shifts for me and then a day off  !!!

Tomorrow I'm relaxing ! I plan to try to make my ABS entry idea come to life.

this week 

find time for work 

and 

Play

Bead Happy !!!

 

m.e.

Sea Shell Fairy