4/01/03

Today was a little easier - I actually got some stuff done... I took my vitamins, too.

So I made a RAW based crystal cube, and strung it on gold-filled wire with quartz and gold-filled beads to make a pendant. It's just a little squishy - I used Nymo thread. We'll see how it holds up!

Still need to clean off my work table, the creative frenzy is getting a little too chaotic!

M-4 C-1 F-3

4/02/03

I wanted to make something fast and easy with this lampworked bead - it has Stars! So I made a simple pendant - it's just a little big for an earring. Now I gotta go find something to put it on...

M-5 C-1 F-4

4/03/03

OK - So I'm making a lot of these quickie projects lately... But it's been 2 months of projects! Hooray for me! :) I try not to be too hard on myself. I could tell me that "It's Not Good Enough". But I know that I'm doing the best I can do at this moment in time. And I'm having a good time making these quickies!

M-6 C-1 F-4

4/04/03

Here's a variation on the crystal cube bead from 4/01. It's made from 2mm Sterling "cube" beads. I put it on a link. I can make more links from future beads, and end up with a necklace! or at least a bracelet....

M-7 C-1 F-3

4/05/03

The only problem with this Delica bead ring is, it's too small - for me, anyway.... Wonder if it'd look good on a chain, or as a spacer, or?? I'll have to figure out how many beads it takes for each of my fingers, and make a whole flock! The challenge is to make a complete repeat of the pattern.

M-7 C-1 F-5 (if it wasn't for the Pepsi addiction, I'd be eating a LOT better!)

4/06/03

I was having so much fun graphing ring patterns, that I looked up, and it's almost 4 in the morning! I've got 13 patterns graphed out. Here's the pattern for the one I did yesterday. It's 48 beads around. (String up 48 beads to see if it'll fit your finger.) I guess now I'll have to write up some instructions, and make a few rings!

M-6 C-1 F-5

4/07/03

Another ring... this one fits my little finger. The fairly simple looking pattern was surprisingly hard to follow.

I'm NOT in a great mood today. And my diet was awful. Question is - do I feel bad because I ate bad, or did I eat bad because I feel bad, and want comfort food? I ate pretty well yesterday, but woke up this morning feeling panicky. So I ate junk food all day. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

M-2 C-1 F-1

4/08/03

I'm on a ring kick. This one fits my ring finger. Finally! It's 44 beads around, so 48 (like the pattern above) would be a little big. But these rings are made with cylinder beads, so now I have to find out what bead size my fingers are using 11° and 14° seed beads.

My mood is better today, and I ate better, too. Maybe it's hormones or pms, or the planets... let's see- what else can I blame it on?

M-4 C-1 F-5

4/09/03

This bead is made form 6 mm beads. I just had to try it with larger beads, and I like it! My daughter finally moved her stuff out of the bead room, so I can get to my yarns, and make a tassel for it.

Mood is still pretty good - but I have to be careful no to listen to too much negativity.

M-5 C-1 F-5

4/10/03

Here's the promised tassel - not my usual colors, but you gotta stretch once in a while. It's about 7" long. It's kind of hard to see, but there's a copper frog on top, with a tiny pearl bead ( just like the red one) one his back. I was looking through my bead stash for the perfect bead to top the tassel, and found the pearl one - I don't know where it came from, but I had it hidden away with my special beads, because I wanted to learn how to make it one day. Funny how these things work out!

M-4 C-1 F-4

4/11/03

I made a pattern for a needlecase from the Salamander TinyPouch Pattern. I started beading the needlecase, too. Here's a photo of the pattern (on the left) with the work in progress on the right.

M-4 C-1 F-5

4/12/03

This talisman has quartz crystal, opals, and an amethyst. It's really pretty small - the gf beads on the ends are only 2 mm, and the amethyst is 6 mm. You can't tell from this angle, but the flat bead at the bottom of the amethyst is a star. Gotta go find a chain, so I can wear it!

M-6 C-1 F-5

4/13/03

I worked on the salamander some more - I finished the first half! Does that count? OK - I put together a chain so I could wear my project from yesterday, but it's not all that creative to put a clasp and 2 split rings on the end of a piece of chain...

I'm in a special mood today - I've been breaking out in random smiles and feeling really blessed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

M-8 C-1 F-5

4/14/03

I have this challenging friend - no, no - not that kind - she challenges me to make new goodies! Anyway - we were talking about those 3-D RAW crystal hearts, and I said, "I don't really like hearts, but now if it was a star! Wait! Gotta go!" And I came up with these two variations. They're made from different sized crystals, and the bigger one has a free floating bead "trapped" in the middle.

Still in a grinning mood. Biochemistry is a strange thing. I was reading on a Yoga website about how we can control our own biochemistry to deal with depression. There's even a specific breathing exercise. I'll let you know how it works....

M-8 C-1 F-5

4/15/03

A variation on the above, this fat little star is made of 11° seeds and raindrop beads - it, too, has a crystal in the middle. I also gave it a hanging loop.

I had a not-so-good day, I was tired and achy and stressed and heavy (not fat, but like I had someone sitting on my shoulders) so I took lots of vitamins, and rested, but I ate some junk food... See! I didn't feel good, so I ate comfort food! AHA!

I do feel better right this minute. Maybe the vitamins are kicking in?

Happy Tax Day!

M-6 C-1 F-4

4/16/03

Still on the star theme... I thought I'd show you my process - I wanted to try flat crystals, but it was impossible to get them to nest together, and they kept cutting the thread. So then I tried using them only for the center row. I like the look, but they still cut the thread. So I did one with 4 mm beads in the center ring, and 3 mm on the arms. All 3 have the same mini-pendants on the points. I'll probably cut them all up - but I'm making the rules, and 3 tries is enough to count!

I'm in a much better mood today than last night.

M-8 C-1 F-3

4/17/03

OK - I just could NOT get inspired today... I worked on the Salamander needlecase for a couple of hours early on, but I want to finish him before I post another photo. I spent about an hour looking for inspiration on the internet, then I spent another hour looking through my own photos, and different papers to print them on.... Then I spent ANOTHER hour looking through my wire and beads. I finally put together a couple of charms. I'm gonna have to figure out what to do with all of these! They're hanging off of lots of my stuff. Maybe a charm bracelet? I also like to give them away.

Mood is still ok, but I had one of those days when I couldn't seem to get anything done - just couldn't seem to get motivated.

M-6 C-1 F-4

4/18/03

This is a research bead... It sure is Orange! Lots of you have asked how to make these beads. I've been just making them, without really thinking about just EXACTLY how. So when I went to write the instructions - I got myself all confused, and had to start over. I numbered each bead with a permanent marker, and wrote down which beads were strung, and which beads gone through. It's pretty floppy, cause I didn't worry too much about thread tension. Now all I have to do is the drawings/illustrations, and I'll have an instruction sheet. I like this because if I don't make any for awhile and forget how, I'll have the instructions to remind me.

Mood's OK - did my Yoga, took my vitamins, ate my veggies... also ate a brownie and some of those baby Cadbury eggs. And too much Pepsi. Ah! The light bulb lights! It must be PMS. I ate a whole bag of potato chips in the last 2 days, too. And I've been cleaning things. I seem to want to clean and organize before my period, and feel more creative and outgoing after.

M-5 C-2 F-4

4/19/03

Here's a little Bunny charm. I found the idea on the About.com jewelry site. Happy Easter! Go eat some chocolate!

Was really depressed this morning. I did the yoga, vitamins, and protein for breakfast thing, but was depressed away. It makes me mad that I can't make myself stay in a good mood, but I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.

I feel better now, but it's almost 2 in the morning. I've spent the last few hours following links to different doll/craft/miniature websites. I'm storing up ideas for future projects!

M-3 C-2 F-4

4/20/03

I made bunnies (see above) for all the big girls in my family, gave the little girls bead kits in cute little chick and tulip shaped boxes (OK - I bought these...) but what to make for the 3 boys, ages 12 through 14? Last minute quickie idea - print out Easter postcards on canvas paper (made for inkjet printers), trim to size, and stick to the barrels of those promotional pens with double-stick tape.

I am blessed with a great family. They're all wonderful people! And most of them live close enough that we can all get together on holidays.

M-5 C-3 F-4

4/21/03

I spent the whole day with a friend, helping him celebrate his birthday. I got home about 1 am, and was getting ready to go to bed, when I remembered that I hadn't posted a project today. I actually played tambourine on several songs he recorded today, so I made music! It's very exciting for me, because I secretly want to be a musician. But I can't show you a picture,so I made a talisman for him. It's got a beautiful creamy jade and emeralds with clear and rose quartz.

M-8 C-2 (False alarm - for those of you who are paying attention. Yes, menopause can be fun!) F-4

4/22/03

Now that I can see 50 off in the distance, I can't see the holes in those tiny beads like I used to.... I find myself using a pair of drugstore glasses more and more often. I spend plenty of time just looking for them when I want to read the fine print. (They are printing things smaller these days, right?) So I made a matching glasses leash for them. The hard part was matching glass bead colors to paint colors, but I got pretty close!

M-7 C-3 F-5

4/23/03

I needed a new pair of earrings, so.... I made one!

I don't have much to say today. Mood is OK, I'm just tired. Think I'll go to bed early. Sweet dreams!

M-7 C-3 F-3

4/24/03

This is a gift for a friend.... Emerald, jade, opals and quartz crystal.

I'm feeling kind of discouraged tonight. Maybe it's the chocolate I've been eating - after all, I still have some Easter candy left. <sheepish grin>

M-4 C-3 F-4

4/25/03

And here's the gift all wrapped up! I love being able to print out and fold up a gift box....

I went dancing tonight - the exercise feels good - and helps my mood. Wish I had more room to dance in my little apartment... I'd be dancing a lot more!

M-7 C-3 F-5

4/26/03

This is called Cube Cubed. I thought it would be good if I made one of the RAW cube beads out of cube beads.... As you can see, it didn't work too well. The cubes are not all exactly the same size, nor are they all exactly cubes. So the cube is not exactly a cube. Are you following me?

It feels good in my hand, though.

My mood, frankly - sucks! I've been trying to be upbeat and positive, but I think I'm really depressed. If I don't admit it, does it count?

M-3 C-3 F-4

4/27/03

M-2 C-1 F-4

4/28/03

Here's the finished Salamander Needlecase. I'm not sure I like the top - I might have to redo it. I think it needs to be a plain white. And the lampworked bead matches much better irl than it does in the photo.

My mood is so much better today that I wonder what I did. I'd like to do it again!

M-6 C-1 F-4

4/29/03

I've had these vintage "jewels" for a long time. I used stretchy thread to make an instant gratification bracelet. It's pretty gaudy - but I like it!

Mood is still good. Wish me luck!

M-5 C-1 F-4

4/30/03

Another Glitterfly.... This one is almost twice as big as the last one. Her wingspan is 4 inches, and she's almost 5 inches tall. The color is pretty close - she's mostly Tanzanite colored crystals. The two flat-backed round crystals are that beautiful purple/blue combo that I think is called Bermuda Blue. They're glued onto the front of the wings. To give you an idea of scale, both Glitterflies start with 4mm crystals at the tail.

M-5 C-1 F-5