Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Clock is Ticking Down

In less than 36 hours, the movers will have arrived and the process of shifting the 104+ boxes I have filled so far and all my furniture and worldly possessions, not to mention my two furry companions, will have begun, so I will be signing off for now. Sooner or later, I will have to unplug my computer and pack up my beading supplies, although so far, I have put off doing both. Hopefully I will have them unpacked and ready for use as soon as possible on the other end, but in the meantime, I won't be able to blog.

All of a sudden, I feel I am definitely running out of time and wondering how everything will get packed and ready by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, but I'm sure it will somehow get done. It might mean a little bit of sleeplessness tomorrow night, but we'll see. And I have a feeling that the last few boxes will be a little less organized and more of a free-for-all, just get it in a box! sort of scenario. Wish me luck!!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Chain Maille



This week's bead class focused on chain maille [or chain mail, depending on your preference. But if I spell it that way, it always makes me think of those chain letters we used to get as kids - "send a copy of this letter to 10 friends or the roof of your house will fall in!" At least nowadays, you can just hit the "delete" button when you get those emails. :) ]

The pattern has the not very interesting title of "European 4 in 1". No doubt because the four outside rings are held together by one centre ring. Very original. But the pattern is quite nice when it's finished.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Counting Down

I'm counting down the days.
It's 3 more sleeps until my birthday (cake, anyone?), 4 more sleeps until I move (really tired from waking up in the middle of the night with my brain busy rearranging furniture) and only a month until Christmas!! Which I will be spending in Calgary with my family, very much excited about that!!

Here's a picture of some of the assorted Christmas goodies that I have made:





Monday, November 24, 2008

Key Day

I'm very excited - I picked up the keys to my new place today. I am officially in possession. Took over the first load of stuff, which included toilet paper, cleaning supplies, a bag of cat food, a new frying pan, 2 lamps and a bath mat. Okay, it may not seem like an entirely logical collection of stuff, but...I always take toilet paper to a new place because what if you get there and there isn't any? That's also where cleaning supplies come in handy, because you don't want to use the new washroom until you're sure it's clean. I went shopping at Walmart today to get shelf paper and passed by the cookware section, picked up a new frying pan because I've been abusing the old one with an SOS pad and now the non-stick finish is all pock-marked, so sooner or later, I'll need the new one. I bought the bag of cat food the other day, because there don't seem to be too many Petsmart locations around this city so I thought I should get a bag while I was in the neighborhood, because it might be a while before I'm back that way. The lamps were in case there weren't any lightbulbs in the overhead lamps but there were, so I didn't really need them. I took the bath mat because I have two full bathrooms at my old place and I was packing up one of them a few weeks ago and put the mat in the box that had the toilet paper in it, since it was the first box I filled. So you see, there is logic in there...sort of.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Shaggy Drops


I've been making bracelets out of these shaggy drop beads. They are sold by Unicorn Beads and I just love the colour combinations. The bead itself is a funny shape, it's narrow where the hole is and then a round blobbed shape (how's that for a professional description, eh?) But the finished product is really cool, it just feels neat in your hand or on your arm, the way the beads dangle.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

One Week To Go

I am moving in a week's time. I've had two months to prepare and back then, it seemed like a long time ago. Now there are only 7 packing days left and I only have one more room left to finish, which is entirely doable. I've packed more than 80 boxes and thank goodness, I'm just about done.

Of course, I'm leaving my beading supplies to pack last. Some of my collection is already tidied up and tucked into boxes and bags, ready to be moved to the new place. But a lot of it is still out and being used. Up to now, my process has been that I pack for an hour or two, then sit down to rest my back, either at the computer or with a beading project. It seems to be a good system - while I'm packing, my subconscious is designing and playing with colours and bead choices, so that when I go back to the beads, I'm ready to create something.

One thing about packing, you just never know when you're going to turn up a bit of buried treasure, usually in a box or a cupboard you haven't opened in a while. Today I found a couple of divided trays that I used to use when I sold Mary Kay products, with all sorts of little compartments that will be perfect to hold beads or toggles or headpins or whatever I want. They're a pretty pink colour and made out of a very sturdy plastic, with a clear lid so you can see inside easily, about 8.5 x 14 inches in size and about 1.5 inches deep. I had completely forgotten about them. I opened a box that been tucked away under a chair in a corner of the room for quite a while now, and there they were. I can't wait to put something into them.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Quantum of Solace

Guess what I did tonight? I joined the many who have seen the new James Bond flick. It has only been playing for a week and already it has made over $300 million in box office. My friend Anna treated me for my birthday. She had a tough time waiting a whole week to go, she wanted to go on opening day but she very kindly agreed to wait and go with me this week. I quite enjoyed it, very much like "Casino Royale" - you barely have time to catch your breath in between action sequences and I found myself jumping in my seat and/or gasping out loud from shock a couple of times. That's not even counting the times Daniel Craig appeared without his shirt or even better, in a tuxedo. ;)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wired Caged Beads

Luckily, that snow last night didn't amount to anything too substantial and all proceeded as normal this morning, except that I decided to take public transit to work this morning, that's always an adventure all on its own. For example, the doors of the car I was travelling in didn't open when we got to my station, so those of us who wanted to get off had to wait until the next stop - fun times.

But let's get back to talking about beads.

This week in the Bead Crazy class, we learned how to wrap wire cages around beads. It's a really cool look and very forgiving - you don't have to make perfect loops or wrap it a certain way, you just sort of let the wire go where it wants to go. Ideally, the two wires end up on either side of the bead, thus creating the "cage" but we found that sometimes, the wires seemed to want to stay close to each other and that worked too. We learned a similar technique in wire wrapping class a few weeks ago, so I can also do the same sort of thing with objects that don't have a hole in the middle to anchor the wire. I have some marbles that I bought at a couple of flea markets in France this past summer that I'd like to try it out on some day soon.

In the meantime, here's what it looks like with beads:




Wednesday, November 19, 2008

First Snow

It always amazes me how people seem to forget, between April and November, how to drive in snow. As a result, the first snowfall is always a traffic disaster. Tonight was no exception. The snow started around 4 pm, just in time for rush hour and by the time I left the office just after 5, there was a little dusting over everything. Hardly anything to speak of, just a thin layer of white, the type of cover you'd get if you were frosting a dessert with icing sugar. I didn't even have to brush off the car, a quick flick of the wiper blades did the trip, the rest blew away as soon as the car started moving. The snow on your windshield was more like a Scotch mist. Intermittent wipers were entirely sufficient (thank you, Robert Kearns!). The roads were wet but only snow covered where there was no traffic. Nevertheless, the roads were jammed. The first part of my drive, which normally takes 10 minutes on a really good day and 20 on a bad one, actually took 40 minutes!! People were driving 20 km an hour in 50 km zones for no apparent reason. Some yahoos didn't even have their headlights on, but I suspect those people haven't yet realized that we switched to daylight savings time a few weeks ago, so they haven't quite absorbed the fact that it's dark by 5 p.m.

We're supposed to get 10 cm overnight, which is not such a big deal when you consider that people less than an hour north of the city have already had this much snow a couple of times already this year and the forecast for people in southwestern Ontario for tomorrow night into Friday is for 30 to 50 cm of snowfall - yikes! Of course, it won't last here in Toronto because it never does before the end of November (I know this because that's when my birthday is, so it's easy to remember) - it will all be melted by late day tomorrow or Friday. In the meantime, if it happens, it will be pretty and kids will make snowpeople and the driving tomorrow morning will probably be ugly. But at least the first snowfall will be over with, and hopefully people will remember to how to drive according to the weather conditions and if they don't, well, it won't be so bad for me, because I'm moving at the end of the month and my commute to work will only be 10 minutes, maybe 15 or 20 on a bad day and I won't mind the bad weather any more!

Here's a picture of what it looks like outside my window right now:


We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Ott Light

Do you have one of these? If you are a beader, or working any craft that requires a well-lighted area, you ought to check these out. Heck, even if you just read a lot, you could probably use one of these (my assistant has one on his desk in cubicle land and swears by it).
The company calls it "high definition natural lighting"TM. They are a cool little light. For one thing, they are portable. I've seen people at beading classes who bring their own. The lampshade part folds down so it is rectangular shaped when closed and it has a little handle so you can pick it up and carry it about easily.
If you don't have one, I suggest you run, don't walk, to the nearest 24 hour Shoppers Drug Mart and pick yourself up one. Or three. Because they're on sale right now - $19.99, regularly $31.99. I say the 24 hour Shoppers version because apparently that's the only one that carries them. The smaller stores don't have them and if you ask the staff, they don't know what you're talking about and they look at you funny. I know this because I went to 3 different stores in a 5 km radius before I found any stock. But it was worth it, because I was able to get three of them, 2 white and 1 black in the reading lamp size - about 10 inches high. I gave the black one to my sister for her birthday because I knew she needed one. Don't know what I'll do with the other two but I'm not worried, I know I'll use them.
You can get other styles as well but shop around, because they can be quite pricey if you aren't careful. The regular size ones usually retail for about $100 - yikes! (although they are available in several pretty colours). I got my first ones on The Shopping Channel - they had a great deal, a table lamp and a stand up lamp set for about $70 for the pair. They aren't too special to look at but they have a bendable arm that adjusts easily.
My senior cat seems to enjoy sleeping under the light, which I can't quite understand because it doesn't give off much heat. For us beaders, they apparently reduce eye strain. Added bonus, they are energy efficient and are supposed to last for up to 10,000 hours. That's a lot of beading!! :)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Girls Night Out

If you are looking for something new and interesting to try for your next afternoon or evening out with your girlfriends, why not host a wire crochet class? It's a lot of fun and super easy - all you have to do is invite 3-4 friends over and I'll provide the kits and the expertise. You can make either a necklace or a bracelet (price varies depending on your choice as more beads are needed for the necklace kits). Classes last two hours and you don't have to know how to crochet, I'll teach you everything you need to know to complete the project during the class.
My friend Coretta hosted a birthday party for a friend a few months ago and everyone made bracelets. Here's a picture of the results:

You could also take a class at Beadfx, taught by my friend Stephanie, The Dixon Chick. She has several coming up between now and Christmas but call soon, space is limited.

When someone compliments you on your jewellery, wouldn't you love to be able to say, "Thanks. I made it myself!"?

Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Special Thank You

I'd like to send out a very special thank you to my cousin Catherine, who hosted a jewellery party at her home yesterday afternoon and invited her friends to see my creations. She went to a lot of trouble to prepare her home (it looked like a model home showplace, it was that clean and beautifully decorated!) and I really appreciate her support for my business. My sister Janine was a "guest artist" as she also had some of her creations available for purchase. We caught up with old friends and met some lovely new people, some of whom are Catherine's neighbours, one of whom even sent over baking - yum!
Here's a picture of the three of us:




...and one of my very special assistants:

Thanks also to my aunt Barb, who helped entertain the kids when they got tired of trying on the jewellery. :)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Opera Divas for a Day

Two of the Toronto Bead Society's members volunteered to be transformed into opera divas last Wednesday night. These ladies bravely agreed first to appear before a group of approximately one hundred people without wearing any makeup at all and then to be dressed and made up by the Canadian Opera Company's head costume coordinator, Sandra Corazza and the wig and makeup supervisor, Sharon Ryman.


The first woman was made up to be Klytaemnestra, the mother in the opera "Elektra" who has arranged the murder of her husband and becomes consumed with guilt. Her body is covered with sores and her hair is falling out, a look that was not at all flattering for the woman who had agreed to be dressed as this character but she was very gracious about being made to look so frightful! The costume itself was comprised of many layers, the coat being especially heavy, which Elektra peels away as part of the story. I especially loved the foxhead stole, with the glowing red eyes of the foxes to signify her dementia.

The second woman faired much better with her costume. She was dressed to be Lady MacBeth. The designer apparently chose to stage part of the opera as a cocktail party, appearing more to 1950 than the 1057 era of the actual play. The idea behind this costume was that Lady MacBeth had just been to the beauty parlour to have her hair done before donning this fancy dress, which is a production all on its own, with a huge skirt and a big black bow at the back. The impression I had was that it was a very Princess Grace look, as she might have looked in her 50's. I had trouble getting a good picture of the dress, because the woman wearing it didn't stand still for very long - it was as if the dress demanded she keep moving, to keep the skirt in motion.
One reviewer described it as follows: "During the cocktail party scene, Lady Macbeth is represented in full red and black plaid regalia, tucks and pin-ups, including her hairdo, in a taffeta craze. The effect was marvellous..." I agree.

Friday, November 14, 2008

A Night at the Opera

The November meeting for the Toronto Bead Society was held at the Canadian Opera Company. The costume coordinator, Sandra Corazza and the wig and makeup supervisor, Sharon Ryman, took two of the TBS members and transformed them into opera characters (more about that in tomorrow's post). Displays were set up around the rehearsal hall in which we gathered, showing various costumes and wigs used in opera productions put on by the COC in recent years, arranged to show a progression of styles demonstrating the way fashion has changed over the years. It was interesting to listen to Sharon and Sandra describe how both the costumes and the wigs and makeup need to be something the performer is comfortable wearing, in order that their performance is not restricted, either physically or emotionally. I think the same can be said about jewellery - you must wear something you enjoy, so that it brings you pleasure to wear it.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

The Pussycat Bracelet


As I type this, I have a cat lying on my desk between me and the keyboard, making it very awkward to type. So it is only fitting that I should post a photo of this very cute pussycat bracelet that I just made tonight. It's so cute, I can't decide if I want to keep it or sell it! :)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Sweetheart Necklace


Here's a shot of the necklace we made in class last night. Or I should say, started to make, as it did not get finished. It's made up of a series of hearts and it was a very good exercise in "pattern vs. practice". The pattern is simple enough but as I worked the first four hearts, I decided that I didn't like the beads that were provided in the kit, as they are very random in size and quality - some had to be discarded because the colour was wearing off, some were larger than others, some didn't have a proper hole for the needle to go through, etc. I would prefer to use delicas as they are consistent in shape and colour and I think the pattern would benefit from that consistency. To me, it's worth it to spend a little bit more for a quality bead than to use a cheaper bead that isn't going to satisfy you or your design. But these ones will do to practice with.
I was also getting ideas about the colours as I worked up the pattern. The main colour is pink and the red, blue, purple and green colours are intended to be the accent colours. I can't decide if I like the accents to be added on purpose or randomly. I also think it would be nice to vary the colours, maybe have the hearts in alternating colours, sided by side. This pattern will definitely need to be revisited in the future, when I have more time to play with the possibilities and see what sort of creations can be concocted. It definitely is a sweetheart of a design.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A Day of Remembrance



In Canada, we wear poppies today, the 11th day of the 11th month, and we pause to remember those who have fought and died serving our country.


According the Royal Canadian Legion, "prior to the First World War, few poppies grew in Flanders. During the tremendous bombardments of that war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing ‘popaver rhoeas’ to thrive. When the war ended the lime was quickly absorbed, and the poppy began to disappear again. Each November, millions of poppies blossom in Canada. They blossom on the jackets, dresses and hats of nearly half the Canadian population and they have blossomed over 80 years, since 1921. The poppy is the symbol that individuals use to show that they remember those who were killed in the wars and peacekeeping operations that Canada has been involved in."




I have always loved this poem, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, first published in 1915:




In Flanders Fields the poppies blow


Between the crosses, row on row,


That mark our place; and in the sky


The larks, still bravely singing, fly


Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the Dead. Short days ago


We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,


Loved, and were loved, and now we lie


In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe:


To you from failing hands we throw


The torch, be yours to hold it high.


If ye break faith with us who die


We shall not sleep, though poppies grow


In Flanders fields.




Monday, November 10, 2008

We Will Not Forget

A couple of days ago, I was fortunate enough to turn on the TV just as a show called "The Road to Passchendaele" was starting, a documentary about the making of the movie "Passchendaele" (directed by Canada's best known Mountie - thanks to the TV show "Due South" - Paul Gross, who also plays the lead in this film, which is a far cry from the very entertaining "Men With Brooms"). It was quite interesting to see behind the scenes of this movie that commemorates an important contribution by Canadian soldiers in a battle of World War I that most of us Canadians hadn't heard much about in history class. This show was followed by a special called "Vimy Ridge: Heaven to Hell" about a huge offensive attack made by Canadians during the Great War. Both shows were fascinating and I would recommend that you watch them, if you ever get the chance (set your VCR or PVR - apparently the Vimy Ridge program is showing on the History Channel on Remembrance Day at 6 p.m.).


Thank you to all those brave men and women who served in the Armed Forces in days gone by and to those who continue to serve this country today.



Sunday, November 9, 2008

TBS Bead Fair

Had a great time at the Bead Fair yesterday. I volunteered at the snack bar from 9 to 11 a.m., which turned out to be an easy gig, as the fair didn't actually start until 10 a.m. so other than a few people coming by to grab a cup of coffee, it was pretty quiet for the first hour. Then at 11, my sister arrived and we went to check out the booths. What a lot to choose from! That is something that I love about an event like this, the wonderful selection of vendors - if you don't see something you want or need at one booth, you are sure to find something at the next one. I didn't buy from every booth but I was sorely tempted at most of them and indulged myself at several!

Here are some photos of my finds. Over the coming weeks, I'll post photos of what these various pieces turn into, as I create whatever it is they are destined to be.


Saturday, November 8, 2008

Crystal Choker




As promised in yesterday's blog, here is the result of my "crystal explosion" homework. I was going to do the dangly bits but I only had time to finish the choker part in class and I liked the look of it so much, I decided to keep it like that. I hung a slightly larger bicone in the middle on the bottom row as a focal point.

Because I didn't do the dangles, I had a bunch of left over crystals with loops on them already and was able to make a quick pair of earrings to go with the necklace. They aren't keeper earrings, I'm going to rework them for the final version, but I needed something quick to wear with my outfit today. :)

Someone took a picture of me today while I was volunteering at the snack bar and I didn't think to ask them to focus on the jewellery, so the photo below doesn't really show the necklace completely, but here it is anyway:
I really like the finished product and my mind is full of possible variations - I can't wait to get started making the next one. Wouldn't you know it, I was able to pick up more crystals today at the TBS Bead Fair so now I'm all stocked up! (If you didn't make it to the fair today, don't worry, it runs all day tomorrow as well - I highly recommend going!!)

Friday, November 7, 2008

Crystal Explosion


I am totally excited about the necklace I learned to make last night. The very talented and nearly perfect Katherine Flynn (http://www.beejewelry.ca/) of Bumblebee Jewelry, who teaches the Bead Crazy courses for the Toronto District School Board night school sessions (http://www.tdsb.on.ca/ -see "community programs"), was making up the kits for this necklace at our Bead Crazy Intermediate class the other night and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to learn how to make it. She very generously agreed to let me attend the Advanced class on Thursday night where she was going to be teaching the pattern, plus she sold me the kit on Tuesday so I had a chance to start putting the pieces together on Wed night. It's a very beautiful pattern and lends itself to a lot of variations. Katherine made the necklace in the photo - it's made using two colours of Swarovski bicone crystals and based on a Fire Mountain Gems Collection pattern.


As soon as I have a chance to finish mine (the pattern is somewhat time consuming to make, as you have to put the majority of the crystals on either headpins or eyepins and make loops for each one, then join all the loops together - it's not hard, it's just fiddly), I'll post a photo. It looks quite different than the one Katherine made, as the bead kit I fell in love with had five different colours of crystals, not just two.
Gee, I wonder if they'll have any crystals for sale at the Bead Fair tomorrow??

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Bead Fair


Just throwing in a little plug for the Toronto Bead Society's Bead Fair, taking place this weekend at the Metro Central YMCA downtown at 20 Grosvenor (just west of Yonge, between Wellesley and College, an easy walk from either subway station).


If you've never been to this event, I can tell you that it is a great place to go if you (a) love beads and (b) love to shop. There will be over 50 friendly vendors offering all sorts of beading-related products - it's a great way to see a lot of things you might need, all in one place - one stop shopping, you can't bead it. (I know, I couldn't resist.)


You can read all about it on their website - http://www.torontobeadsociety.org/web/index.php. This year, there are also classes available, some of which are already sold out and all of which are very reasonably priced and look quite interesting.


I'll be working the snack bar on Saturday morning (since my dear friend Stephanie Dixon - a.k.a. The Dixon Chick - signed up to be the Volunteer Coordinator for the TBS, I seem to be "volunteering" at several events these days - the good news is, it's a lot of fun), so do come by and say hello.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Downloading sunflowers

I have finally downloaded my photos from France. I've only been procrastinating about it since I go back at the beginning of August. No big deal, that's only 3 months ago. I copied them onto my hard drive but didn't erase them from the memory card, so now I have the photos saved in two places. There are 683 in total, which now need to be sorted into folders and labelled, but that can wait. The next step will be to hook up the external hard drive I bought a couple of weeks ago and do a backup of all my files, preferably in advance of disconnecting my computer when I move at the end of the month. I'm hoping that no files will be lost or equipment damaged in the transition. It seems to me that the last time I moved, I just unplugged my computer at the old place and plugged it in at the new place, piece of cake. But that was over four years ago and I've added a lot of stuff, especially photos, to my hard drive since then and I don't want to lose anything.



Check out these sunflowers, aren't they amazing? The field stretched out to the horizon, as far as the eye could see.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Vote "Yes" for Change

It appears that history is in the making today, as the United States of America elects a new president. It's exciting to watch the colours on the map fill in in either red or blue and try to figure out what the difference is between electoral votes and popular vote, and Senate seats vs. House of Representatives - it's like a whole different language for us Canucks. A heck of a lot more exciting than watching Stephen Harper get re-elected 3 weeks ago here.

I feel ready myself for a change. It's time to do things differently. I can't change other people or the world in general, I can only change myself. I can only stand up and say, I take responsibility for my own actions and choose to go forward as of today and tomorrow in a different direction. I'd like my words to match my actions and I vow to do my best to make that happen. I am human and I will make mistakes but hopefully I will learn from those mistakes, whether it takes days or weeks or, in some cases, years to learn and accept the reality.

Kate has this picture on her website tonight and I love it:


I wish President-Elect Obama all the very best in the next four years and I pray to God he lives safely through that term in office. It will be interesting to watch what happens next. I am hopeful for all of us.


Monday, November 3, 2008

Daylight Savings Time


Did you remember to change your clocks back? My little Carly thought I needed reminding, isn't she a clever girl?
It's always a weird time of year, once again getting used to waking up and driving to work in the dark, driving home again in the dark. At least we'll be spared the rush hour driving into those right in your eyes October sunsets (at least until it starts again in April) and for the next few days at least, we Ontarians will apparently be spared the need for the winter coat, as we are scheduled to enjoy temperatures in the 15 to 20 degree territory, very balmy and above seasonal for this time of year.
The weirdness continues as everyone is eagerly/anxiously watching to see what happens with the US election tomorrow. Of course, we Canadians are just so proud of our boys from Quebec who managed to punk Sarah Palin - take that, Ashton Kutcher!
Just to make things feel even stranger than usual, the price of gas is dropping again tonight by more than 6 cents to 85 cents a litre, what is up with that? Did the oil companies get together at their weekly price fixing brunch and decide they really don't need all those exorbitant profits they've been making off us for the past few months/years and decide to give us a break on the price for a change? According to my personal records (I've been tracking my car expenses on an Excel spreadsheet for the past couple of years, geeky eh?), we paid 88.5 cents a litre in February 2007 but we haven't paid 85 cents or less since December 2006, can you believe it? I'm going to fill up, even though I only need half a tank, just to get that number on this year's spreadsheet. :)
Ah yes, Hallowe'en might be over for another year but life is full of weird and wonderful things every day...you just never know what the next day will bring but an extra hour of sleep now and again is always a good thing!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Dia de los Muertos

In Mexico, where I will be exactly two months from now, today is the Day of the Dead. It is a day to remember friends and relatives who have died. It is also my dad's birthday, so I'm thinking of him especially today.

Here's a picture of him with his parents:



And one of my other grandparents:


They all look so happy in these photos, I'm glad to have them to remember them by.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Bead Crazy


I have been remiss in posting photos of what we have been learning in my Bead Crazy - Intermediate class.

Last week, we made a choker out of a honeycomb pattern crafted with bugle beads.

The week before that, it was wire wrapped earrings.


This past week, we made a bracelet called "Crystal Waves". It's a very simple pattern, very quick and easy, with a very pretty result, and I'm looking forward to experimenting with different types of beads.