What's Going On ...

Crack that whip..

I've been hanging out and enjoying my weekend...i'm working on some Petra Organics, but when I change from one type of press to another (squeeze to lentil for instance) it takes a few 'test' beads before I get the hang of how much glass is enough for a proper press...so everything in the kiln right now is bit wonky...i hate that, it seems like a waste of time (more than even the glass), but eventually it'll all settle down and I'll be rockin'..

for background noise, I have the Time Trial from the TdF playing on my DeVo..i've renamed my TiVo (which is really a DVR, not even a real TiVo cause the DVR does more than the TiVo can) to DeVo cause, well, I just remember that name easier..Yet again Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett are yammering in my studio, and Phil is yet again giving backhanded compliments to Lance...you can tell he just seethes having to say anything nice about Lance...speaking of...

if you want to catch Lance on tv this week, he's on Letterman and Charlie Rose tomorrow night, then a two part interview on OLN starts Tuesday...i've marked my calendar...

I'm doing laundry and Brian is completing the server move for one of his clients, he's been gone almost all weekend...

Tomorrow is PMC Play Day, we shall see what disasters arise from the studio...if we suck really bad, we'll just go back to stringing beads or working on our shag carpet bracelets to make ourselves feel better...I have been watching some PMC related projects on Jewelry Making and I need to pull out some books and review projects in them tonight...i'll certainly keep you all aprised of what happens, of course...

Saturday lazy day...

What a great day today has been...eating chinese leftovers, wrestling, fighting, running, playing, jumping, biting and hugging with the dog, and now I'm heading to pick up Brian who has been stuck in a bank vault (no lie) all day doing a server-move...he has to be there till 8:00 tonight, so I'm rescuing him for a few hours for some early dinner...

Looks like the beads are a 'go', most of ya'll seemed to like them and i'm also looking forward to new color combos and shapes (like Vanda requested)...I've pulled out my regular Lentil press and will also leave some in the funny round shape...

Well, I need to head off...hopefully the electricity won't go out again tonight like it did last night for an hour..our entire block went black...the kiln went off as well..it prob wouldn't have been terrible if I'd had beads in it, but still, i'd rather it stay on properly for annealing...i'll try again tonight...

Rock and or Roll...

Yep, that is indeed a Red Headed Woodpecker on my site..gaze it a bit longer, cause I've got a pic of beads to post shortly...not necessarily for sale, unless someone just HAS to have them...I've been playing around and am working on some color combos, and well, I always enjoy your feedback...

It was fun teaching my old buddy Lisa yesterday...haven't seen her in years, literally..she brought a scrap book of pics of her 4 boys, and I remember when the youngest wasn't even born, and now he's almost 3...but of course I am not any older...Lisa did great, she made a bunch of beads and we had a great time...and thanks to her coming over yesterday, my studio is clean and ready for PMC Day on Monday...good job Lisa!!

I'm glad to see that Lisa Niven Kelly updated her site and didn't make a liar out of me..I kinda jumped the gun mentioning that she was gonna mention ME on her site, so if you went yesterday you probably didn't see anything...duh...I should just keep my mouth closed cause it looks like I'm 'name dropping' when in fact I'm just an excited little freak who gets star-struck like everyone else when someone mentions me in their blog...tee hee...

So, maybe today is the day I go to see Charlie Chocolate...should I? I've heard nothing but great things...I'm thinking of going when its quiet in the theatre...we can hardly stand going to the movies anymore for all the distractions of people talking, kids whining, phones ringing, and just all of it...At least Alamo Drafthouse has pretty cool customers that aren't annoying, but still...I managed to get Brian to watch my favorite movie with me last night - "All About Eve" from 1950...Bette Davis at her best (the line 'bumpy night' is in this one) and I just think its one of the best things ever written...whats so cool is that its now 55 years later, and the movie is still relevant, funny, witty and smart today...brilliant...and Brian actually appreciated it too...Next I have to convince him to watch Harold and Maude with me...One of my favorites, especially all the Cat Stevens songs on it (Tea for the Tillerman album is one of my alltime faves)...And yes, we are doing the LOTR all day extravaganza in August - what is that 10 or 12 hours of movies and food..I'm gonna gain 20 lbs!

The Gathering

Oh, the Gathering is going on right now and I really wanted to be there, but this year has been very topsy turvy for me, so I decided it was best to stay home this time...Next year, it'll be in New Orleans (Nawlins) and a bunch of us plan to go...after all, its 'just down the road' from Austin (about an 8 hour drive I think...)...

I'm doing a quickie 2 hour class for an old buddy of mine who I worked with a million years ago..Her birthday was way back in April and we were going to get together then, and now its almost August and we're finally hooking up..She has 4 small boys, so finding 2 hours in her schedule isn't so easy...I'm looking forward to seeing her!

I did play around with some new ideas, they are still in the kiln, so I better go see what happened...I dunno if they are worth anything, and I'm still playing with colors and ideas in my head, so don't expect to see anything for sale, but i might post to get an idea of feedback on what you think of the technique...I do know that it's very shiny, or at least it was when I put them in the kiln last night...

I'm also jazzed about my 'interblog references' this week..Paula Best and Lisa Niven Kelly are nice enough to mention me in their Blogs...how groovy cool is that...(well, Lisa told me last night she was gonna mention me, I don't think she's updated her site yet...so I could be lying thru my teeth bigtime...)...I just write about THEM cause I like their work (not to mention I think they are super cool people themselves) but I don't do it for cross publicizing, so I appreciate that they'd say anything at all...You know when I find something that I dig, that I like to share it with you...its not about 'what can you do for me'...so I'm tickled that they'd take the time to even mention me...rock on twisted sistas...!

I'm not far away..

just kinda in the background here, doing chores at the house...litter boxes, cleaning the oven (well, its cleaning itself, but I had to push a button...), picking up after the destructo-dog and her trashed toys, vacuuming, watering the outdoor plants, you get the idea...

Hey, I'm thinking of doing some PMC experimenting...for any of ya'll who've played with it, or are masters of it - what tips/hints/tricks can you give me? I have lots of the product, tools, etc, but not a lot of ideas or info..I do have books, like 5 or 6 of them, but you know its always cooler to find out 'behind the scenes' stuff from someone who's been there, done that...if you have anything you think I should look into, lemme know...I think I'm gonna stay away from rings right now, too much shrinkage, but I thought about maybe charms or even some clasps a la Kate McK...(but not her style, of course, I'd rather buy hers than make copies)...and finally...

I've been playing with some beads, not happy with everything coming out of the kiln right now...kinda like opening a Christmas present and finding socks or underwear - hmph...So, I need to keep working until I'm happy...dunno exactly when that will be...I'm also in the mood for some organic stuff...so we'll see what happens...

Back to the humdrums...

No Tour to watch this morning, I stayed up late last night and got up late this morning - back to my old routine already...I did (finally) make a Tour de France bracelet in honor of everything...its not fancy, I could make tons more beads (maybe I will) representing all the various memories from the past 7 years...Nike worked with an artist to come up with fabulous icons representing Lance's life, but I didn't want to copy them..so I came up with my own little homage..pic in a bit...

Time for some shipping, these bracelets and beads have backed up on me so quickly...that's a good sign, right?

Got a groovy email from Paula Best yesterday, here's a small portion: Hi Donna....I know I have told you this before....but your site....WOW...it is becoming one of my favorites to check in on.....those beads you posted are amazing....really.......
I like it cause she uses the same ellipses that I do in my writing...I like the 3 dots cause it means (to me) that I'm still thinking of something to say...putting a period at the end of a sentence seems so permanent and I feel like my life is just one big ramble...nothing is ever permanent with me, there's always something interesting or fun around the corner...Isn't Paula the coolest? I need to place a big order with her, but maybe I ought to play with the stuff I got from B&B..its still in its ziploc bag..is that any way to treat cool stuff? Is there enough time in the day to do it all??

Hurray for Lance's 7th Tour win..!

Just posted a couple of bright, happy beadsets that you might enjoy...especially since Summer is still in full force right now...We're going out for some ice cream in a bit...mmm...

I am happy and sad at the same time...It's been a fabulous 7 summers watching Lance trounce the competition, nailbiting at times...and now its over and time to watch a new competetor take over the reigns...Will Basso step up? Does Ullrich have another win in him? Wasn't it great to see the 3 of them on the podium...and to see Lance's kids all over the place..Basso's daughter is so cute...And good ol' OLN's coverage completely fell apart at the end of the race and we didn't get to see Vino win the stage or Lance cross the finish line...just like last year...what is up with that? Ugh...

All is well here, I need to start getting to bed earlier than 2:30am, I've had a headache both days and I think its from lack of sleep..d'oh...

Whew! The Tour is almost done...

Today's time trial is very exciting, although poor Rasmussen - crashing twice and changing bikes 4 times...the top 3 spots on the podium tomorrow will be Armstrong, Basso and Ullrich - the 3 classic 'big guys' of the race...Like Cindy says, next year will be fun to watch, but we'll miss Lance...It was so great to see his kids with him, hanging around and Luke trying to show Dad what was in his goodie bag, right after Lance finished the race...'Look Dad, look what I got'...!

Brian is making BEANS today while I make BEADS...well, at least that's the plan...Nothing new yet, but I did pull a new color and some encased Fall stringer last night and can't wait to play with that...

Hope you're having a rockin' good Saturday..and be sure to read Harry Potter 6 as soon as you can, I've seen and heard too many examples of people revealing the surprise deaths of major characters, and ruining the book for folks...there's a video of a guy driving by a Barnes and Noble yelling out who dies to a group of kids who were waiting to buy their books that night...and a banner that was hanging on a bridge in England that said "BlahBlah DIES!"...it was taken down after a few hours...So - I've been telling Brian he better finish the book before someone wrecks it for him...you should do the same!!

The Bead Fairy comes thru...

If you still see the old Harry Potter bracelets on the Pickin' page, then you need to REFRESH your browser page...you have an old cached page loading...if you don't know how to refresh your browser page, well, I spent 14 years doing computer troubleshooting, don't get me started on the crazy things folks did with their computers...using their Mouse as a foot pedal like a sewing machine ranks right up there...

its 1:00pm...the beads are Ready for Pickin'..GO!

And check out what Brian wants to do for his birthday...looks like fun!

"The Peleton" is what's being offered today...5 strands of beads, 2 squeeze bracelets, I anticipate the buying to be frenzied, even tho I'm going to price these a little higher than normal cause they took a little longer to complete...See you at 1:00pm...

Well, I was up till 2:00am with the dog, and then up early with the Tour, then fell asleep..i'm finally in the studio and will see what's been left for us...Gimme some time to get everything situated, I'll post times when I have a better idea of where I stand..the good news is that at least 4 strands are already cleaned and waiting...but there's more to be uncovered...dust off that pith helmet and lets go...

I see her buzzing around my backyard, I think she's playing Quidditch with a June Bug and Grasshopper...I think she's been hit in the head by a bludger or two...silly Bead Fairy...Lets bust into her bag of schwag tomorrow and see what she's got in store...see ya then...

I'm workin' on a series...

Yep, you heard me...I do have beads, but I got sidetracked and didn't finish all the beads in my head, so I'm working on them today...Look for beads tomorrow...Just before the weekend! I think you'll like these, I haven't worked in this color scheme in awhile...and I already like the bracelet I made this morning, I want to keep it..what else is new...heh...

If you're looking for something interesting, check out the Unclaimed Baggage website...located in Alabama, they are the last stop for all your lost luggage and valuables - sold to the rest of us at amazing prices...

This is GOOD stuff -stuff we pack and WANT to take with us, but gets lost by the good ol' airlines..amazingly in all the travel I did with my previous job, I never had any lost or damaged items, although one of my bags did make it to Newark when my plane could not, and I had to wait a few days for it to come back (it was delivered right on my doorstep, how very cool was that)...the luggage was brand new, I just knew it was gone forever, but nope, I still haul it around to this day, it even went to Italy with me...

I was flipping channels while watching the Tour this morning and there was a show on Fine LIving about how to get good bargains at outlet malls and auction houses/flea markets...The Unclaimed Baggage store was shown, all the women fighting over new bins of goods being wheeled onto the showroom floor, the poor sales girls running for cover while these 'ladies' (old crones?) had fingers flying over dessert trays and sansabelt slacks...all rather amusing...I think I'd rather poke around for watches or jewelry from the website, thank you..

Speaking of jewelry, Brian said he'd help me get my diamond rings posted (they aren't spectacular, just a collection of neat old rings that I've had for awhile and now its time to pass them onto new owners), so I hope those are up and posted shortly...No Hope Diamonds in the collection, alas...but I did take 2 of them to Antiques Roadshow when it came thru Austin 5 years ago and Berj from NY looked at them for me...that was a very cool day, the Twins were there checking out furniture, but overall Austin isn't really known as an antique headquarters the way New England or even San Francisco is...it was a fun day regardless, and if they ever come back I might just go again...seeing everyone's junk was the best part of it...

I dunno what to say today...

I've been sitting here with the blog window staring me in the face, and I don't seem to have anything exciting to share with you today...I did make beads, but they were some remakes I needed to get done, and I did play with some new stuff, but there's not much of it, so I think I'll keep it until I refine it...it was 2:00am before I went to bed (am I back in my old time habit? I hope so!), so I got up late this morning and have just finished all my work...today is gonna be 'one of those days' where at 4:00pm it's gonna feel like noon and I'll wonder where the day has gone...

But - all is not lost...the kiln is warming up and its been raining outside, so its great beadmaking weather...I think I'm ready to start a new color scheme or start pulling some new stringer for some new direction I'll head off in...I was watching QVC last night and they said that Pink and Orange were 'must haves' for Fall...and of course I just worked in those colors...but they are mentioning 'fall' already...Course, we have 'back to school' advertising on our tv right now, kids go back to school in a month...which I think is ludricrous...I would never go back to school before Labor Day (well, until I moved to Texas, anyway) and it still seems weird to me that kids are in school in August 15...there is some legislature trying to change that to after Labor Day, but since I don't have kids, I don't know why I should really care...I guess I am just regressing to my growing up days when I used Labor Day as a 'shutting down of Summer' time...Seeing crayons and notbook paper in Target in July just seems weird to me...but I do love school supplies, I'll buy a new box of crayons every year if I could...my house would be covered in colorful wax sticks...and glue..and pink pearl erasers...remember those? i'd always write on them with my blue pen...and I'd never use one up, I'd end up breaking it into chunks before the year was over...that weird brown glue never did stick anything together, tho, did it???

I feel better today

so that's good...while feeling punky yesterday I finished the HP6 book - it was pretty good, more info than the last, but still kinda 'airy', like we haven't learned much...I was 50-50 on who the Half Blood Prince and Who was going to Die quizes - my guess for who the HBPrince was was WAY off, but I was correct in guessing who would die...what kind of points do I get for that? a yellow jersey???

Today is Shipping Day! if you've bought something from me in the past week or two, they are going out today...that's gonna take a few hours at least, but i'm ready to get it done...look for a confirmation email from me today w/ a tracking number...

Not much else is new here...I've been listening to your requests and mostly they are mixed - fall colors, summer colors, do what you want colors...so that's cool..at least I'm not going in the wrong direction...I've been watching the Tour for some color inspirations and even found some neat 70's colors mixes (yellow, brown, olive and aqua - ewww) from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood curtains..go figure...i dunno if those have a chance of seeing the light of day, but they were SORDA like the Donatella Versace beads from the past...hmmm...

Ugh...

well, 'beadmaking Sunday' turned into 'getting sick Sunday'...I managed to pull some stringer, but I started to feel achy and get very cold...I did get to sleep, but tossed and turned...so today I'm loaded up on Aleeve and orange juice...I do feel better and I hope to get some work done today...Sorry to disappoint ya'll, I was hoping to have stuff for ya, I did try but I kept feeling worse as the evening went on...

not much to update then...hope you're feeling good today!

Sunday, beadmaking day...

It feels like its 4:00pm and its only just after 11:00am...probably cause I've been awake since 4:00AM waiting for the Tour at 6:30...what a great day, although yesterday was probably more exciting, cause I think today they were all just tuckered out...still in all, good job to George for winning his first stage of a Tour in the 10 years he's been riding them...wow...

All the bracelets are now spoken for, thank thee...Will have more beads soon, the kiln is ramping up now as I speak...

Some of ya'll have asked how I'm doing with Harry...well, I'm on a chapter titled "Half Blood Prince", but I haven't learned the identity yet (I wouldn't spoil it for you either, that would be mean)...I'm enjoying the book, the kids still seem young to me, even tho they are 6 years now...I like the joke shop the Twins are running (no surprise there)...But for today, beads it is..the book stays in the front room where the dog can guard it...

Its a rainy day here, which is perfect for staying inside..course, sunny hot days I stay inside too...then why don't I have more beads more often? good question!

I do have a question for ya'll - its now July - are the Fall colors coming into fashion now? are ya'll looking for fall related stuff..my buddy Lori made some cool Halloween beads and I was wondering if that's what's 'out there' now...? She wasn't sure, neither of us poke around eBay much, so lemme know if ya'll still want Summer colors or if you've moved on (in your heads anyway) and are looking to Fall stuff...I know folks make Christmas beads in September, but I can understand why that is, getting geared up for the holiday...I'm here to suit you, of course...and if you are sick of bright colors by now, well, you just lemme know...You know how much I enjoy working in the muted tones..(just look at the bracelets from yesterday!)...

Alrighty, gotta finish vacuuming (6 cats and 1 dog does take a toll) and the kiln gives me some time to do that before its ready for the first bead...rock on and go read HP6 if you haven't already finished it by now...ha!

Do I have beads today?

Go see what's on the Ready for Pickin' page!!

Well, yes I do...4 Squeeze bracelets, so if you're not into those, then never fear, you won't be tempted to part with your coins...But I won't be posting them till later today, I need to go pick up my Harry Potter book and go get some lunch...I was good and didn't hit the midnight parties last night so I could wake up early and catch the Tour today...and boy was it a great day of racing...Tomorrow's stage has 6 mountain climbs in it and is thought to be the toughest day of the race..as if each day itself isn't tough enough...

Don't tell me anything about what happens in HP - now its time for me to stay away from the spoilers and not find out who dies and who the Half Blood Prince is...Check out the cool shirts I bought for Brian and me: Mischief

I'm thinking maybe I should go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today...the local groovy theatre (Alamo Drafthouse of course) is offering a meal like Violet tastes in that piece of gum - tomato soup, roast beef, etc. etc...plus they are giving out free candybars and such...I love this theatre!

What's on tap today?

Well, I have good news and bad news...the bad news is I don't have any beads today, due to thunderstorms that came thru and knocked out power (and thereby to the kiln) a couple of times yesterday...once power was returned, I did try to make beads, but Brian and I are trying to get Lady and the cats situated so we spent last night letting everyone become more familiar..

lots of scared faces and big frightened eyes, but Bagheera was really good, and Lady was really well behaved, so things are coming along...when we put Lady in the studio, even tho I'm out here working, she still paces and barks (thus screwing up a bead I was trying to work on - stringer control and barking dogs don't mix)...

but today, I have the cats gated off down their hallway (but the can come out of their rooms if they desire - mostly they'll just sleep the day away, tho) and Lady has full run of the house, so hopefully - hopefully - no barking and scaring the nice lady behind the torch...

Does anyone know if giving your dog a beef bone will make it have diahrrea? just wondering...phew...good thing I don't have a sense of smell...its narstee in the studio, time for the power washing crew to clean up the joint..oh, that would be ME...

The GOOD news (yes, I'm getting to that) is that with Lady settled down and the whole day ahead of me, I have the kiln firing up and hope to have some groovy rockin' beads for ya...maybe tomorrow, maybe MOnday, depending on what i can get done and how many thunderstorms roll thru this afternoon..can't complain about the rain, its been amazingly hot and humid (110 here yesterday, how about that?) and its only 77 outside right now, so rain rain all day if you want...I just prefer the power staying on, thank you...

Last year when I made my yellow and black pendants in honor of the Tour, the first few emails I got were "yea, those are nice, but nobody is gonna want to wear black and yellow, good luck selling those'...how very cheery of you...thank goodness ya'll snatched them up pretty quickly and made my ego bounce back...i'll try to put together something so Beth can buy a strand before she leaves for vacation..where ya goin', Beth??

The Bead Fairy Lives!

3:45 - everything is sold, ya'll always make my life easy and I appreciate you more than you know..the other day I got a cute email from someone saying 'I can't find where to buy your beads, your website shows sold beads but where are you hiding the beads you have for sale? its very frustrating'...

I told her that I just can't seem to keep enough beads on a page for sale cause they are sold so quickly - I think she might have thought I was being really sassy and full of myself, but I was just being honest...Ya'll are the best customers and friends out there, and you make it all fun for me...I hope you enjoy the beads you got today, or tomorrow or whenever...Group Hug and Pinches...

3:30 - it took me a while to get everything ready, but I think it is...go see it up close and I hope you find something you can't live without...beads are fun...

2:38pm Alright, here's a Sneak PReview of what I have to offer..this way if you don't like what you see, you don't have to keep checking back, right? and for anyone else who might have a hankerin' to come back, look for these to be posted by 3:30pm CST...rock on...

2:10pm I'm back from running errands...whew! A/C rules my world...
I've already cleaned and strung the beads (doing some homework before I left) and so all that's left is to shoot photos and post...gimme at least an hour, maybe 90 min..I'll know more once I see if the pics I took are decent..sometimes they go bad and I have to reshoot...there are 3 strands, a bracelet and little earrings..enough to cover everyone's interests, I hope...Back in a minute...

Hooya, she left a cache of goodies in the kiln, but I need to do all the work now - clean, string, shoot, you know the drill...Looks like she used the summer heat as her influence of colors too...I hope you like what she left...the only downside is that I won't get to them until later this morning, so look for Pickings later this afternoon...I'll post a time when they'll be ready...so relax and check back later this afternoon...

Who else got up at 5:30 this morning?

Chain "Bling Rings" - I made these the other day...a combo of a 'woven ring' kit from Kriss Silva I bought at B&B, and the top is full of crystal bling from a ring I bought from Wendy Witchner at B&B...One is full of crystals, the other is mixed with some pearls that will match my new Shag Carpet bracelet, if I ever complete it...
(sorry for the creepy hand shot, you know I hate those!)...

Viking Knitting Update: Anne Mitchell (who taught VK at B&B this year) has put up a kit or just instructions (only $10!) on her website...if you like chainmaille, you need to see her kits...Thanks to Kate McK for posting this on her site first...Love the internet...

Besides my buddy Jill who told me last night in class that she got up Sunday at 5:30 to watch the Tour and knew that I'd be the only other crazy person to get at that time too...ha...and she was right!

My Tour Bud Cindy, who's been following the tour as long or longer than me (she lived in Italy and watched it on Italian tv over there, a bit difficult to follow, but she said she understood what she needed to) came over at 8:30 with bagels and Chantico chocolate from Starbucks (have you had that stuff yet? its like a bag of chocolate chips in a tiny cup - decadence at its best)...We talked the whole time, but we watched Vino take the win, but didn't do any damage to Lance...

then we spent more time going over all the B&B stuff I bought and classe stuff I brought home with me...met the dog, who was super to her...Lady is really a good kid...she still thinks gnawing on ankles is ok, gotta work on that one...

I made some neat 'bling' rings yesterday, and worked on some other behind the scene stuff, so didn't get any beads made today, but that's on the agenda next...Look for some new stuff tomorrow in the shape of ROUND, which as we all know IS a funny shape...(Raising Arizona fans - unite)...

Pics of the rings in a minute...I just kicked a cinder block with my little toe and its bleeding all nice, and I think I cracked the toenail in half, so I must tend to it first...such a mess I make...

Whew! Did you see that?

1:30 - The Ready for Pickin' page is ready, go see the bracelets if you dare...

The finish of today's first Alp stage was fantastic...Lance and 3 other riders were the final group to ascend the top, Discovery Team having set a strong pace and shredding all the main rivals back on the side of the mountain as so many bird droppings..(they'll be back tomorrow for an even HARDER climb)...I do love the mountain stages so...

Lady and I have to go take a walk in a minute, she's shredding all the new toys we just spent lots of money on...maybe giving her the old crappy tshirts was a better idea..i have plenty of those...!

Today is a workin' day

I'm still troubleshooting my generator issue..next up is to try and replace the O2 hose and see if there's a leak there...or pop the hood on the unit and make sure everything is connected properly...the kiln is warming up, i do plan on getting on the torch even if i have to use the other generator to do it...

Viking knitting is a very old style of wire weaving..I don't know the history and there isn't much for tutorials on the web, and I have a book that gives instructions, but I can't remember the name of it...its in the house and I'm in the studio, so I'll go get it later...Once you make the chain, you draw it thru a plate and that creates the neat finished look...HGTV had a lady who made one and filled it with pearls too...

I'm still working on the folks who created the Beaded Brooch and Bloomin' Crystal patterns...but they both work at the local beadshop and I'm not sure how much time they'll have to put together 'proper' (re: nice) instructions for sale, but I'll keep pestering them until they kick me...

Harry Potter - this Saturday! the Alps - the next 3 days (today is a rest day)...Its a busy July, indeed...Lady is getting used to the cats, she was fine when they came out into the living room, but she got really excited and wanted to play when they had wandered into 'her' space in the studio...so we're taking this slow, so no one has a heart attack...which is why the cats are in the main house and Im in the studio with her today...I also don't want Lady to end up with a big sliced nose either...so she and I are hanging out today...and tomorrow...and...

Time to go check on this green hose...what's new in your world? anything exciting that I'm missing?

Sunday Sunday...its not Monday...

We ran errands most of yesterday so I didn't get much done at the house, but today is a quiet Sunday and I plan on melting some glass..the filter is changed on the generator, and I've moved a box that had been put in front of the air-intake slots, so I think it should work better now...

Lady and I went out for a walk, it went MUCH better than in the past...she works very well on her pinch collar, and I took her favorite treat with me and rewarded her for sitting when I stopped moving...she's in the studio with me today while Brian cleans the main part of the house (what a sweet deal - I get to make beads while he cleans the house - how can you beat that???)...

We also put up a dog gate in the hallway and the cats got a good look at her, but didn't seem too phased, which is good..she was great, she didn't bark or try to chase or scare the cats...in fact, Clem kept coming up to the gate, seemingly oblivious to this giant black thing in her face...but she used to live with a large chocolate lab years ago, so she's used to dogs...I'm most worried about her cause she's the only 'unarmed' cat in the house...She has still claimed the dog bed as her 'fort' (Fort Clem we call it) and I can't wait till she and Lady start sleeping together there...its rather a hoot...We'll do some more introducing today - Bagheera saw Lady through the door and didn't hiss or freak out like he's been doing..he will definitely be Top Cat in the house, we already know that...he actually chases Lady to try and scare her out of the yard...he's a very strong cat...

And what else..Oh - I have some new things to show you, the finished pieces I have and the viking knitting I learned to do...back in a minute...Barefoot Contessa is cooking on the TV right now, she's so cute...

And now it gets interesting

If you watched the Tour this morning, you must be asking 'Where was Team Discovery?' Lance was left alone to go over the mountain - I'm sure Johan will have something to say (as well as Lance) about THAT...tomorrow is another 'small' mountain stage (mostly cat 4, but a cat 1 that looks tough), then Monday is a rest day while they motor to the Alps...Tues, Wed and Thur will be VERY interesting...i'm already nervous...

Yesterday was a great day at Lydia's...we had a blast, I learned Viking Knitting and finished my Bloomin' Crystal and Shag Carpet bracelets (pics later)...Last night was another Lady Training day and she's SO smart!...we are going to have a private 6-week training session here at the house, so we can make sure she knows her places and WE know how to handle her...I've always said that she knows what to do and we are the ones who need training...

today we are going to get some new leashes for training (longer and shorter ones) and some new toys and a gate so we can start bringing the cats into her world...She saw Bagheera through the front door and she was very excited, but didn't try to attack him...I think she'll be thrilled to have some kitty companionship...I doubt they will be as thrilled, but they'll all put her in her place..she's gonna be low dog on the totem pole, no doubt...

I need to look at my generator before I can make beads today..I'm not getting the air output I'm used to, so I need to troubleshoot it - perhaps there's a leak in the hose, or a loose connection or I need to change the filter...once its up and running, I'll be on the torch, indeed...I had a great time making those beads the other day and am itching to make some new stuff...

Alrighty then, back later...hope the Hurricane isn't freaking out Florida too much...

B&B play day...

just a quick update, as i'll be out at Lydia's doing a Play Day with all the chicks who went to B&B...show and tell, updates, catalogs for stuff to order, we need to buy hammers and make our own texturing faces...its all good...this weekend we attempt some cat/dog integration..will keep you aprised...we finally got RAIN after 6 weeks of none (and tons of 100+ days) so everything has sprung back to life...my yard is green and not brown...see ya'll later twisted sistas...

Corpse Bride looks AWESOME!

I dunno if you are a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, but if you're a Tim Burton fan, or enjoy his dark humor ('Vincent', 'Frankenweenie') then you are gonna LOVE this movie, Corpse Bride with Johnny Depp...coming out in September...I saw the trailer for it last night and thought it looked outstanding...

I'm slowly but surely making some beads...they are really all over the map, some are bright, some are black and white, some are squeezed..i'm kinda gettin' back in the swing and can't decide what I want to DO, but i have an idea from the smattering of beads sitting here next to me, so I'm gonna attempt to get a cohesive strand made today...the kiln is warming up, the Tour stage is done for the day (great crash at the end, eh?), and all is good here in the studio...maybe some pics later today, but regardless - rock on!

I'm here!

Okey doke, here are the 3 bracelets currently in construction at Camp Blackberry...the bottom shag is from my Kate class, the fringe is going very fast, I hope to finish it tonight...the other shag bracelet is wider and packed with more pearls, so its going slower, but i'm using 'my' color palette of cranberry, gold and sage pearls...i found these in Houston last year (remember that road trip?) for a whopping 1.80/strand...I hadn't used them, and look at this - a perfect fit...wiring them is the most time consuming, but its fun and mindless...And finally, the green bracelet is what I started last night in class, the Blooming Crystal bracelet, except I'm using Czech firepolish beads instead of Swarovski..its a long story, but the bracelet needs round crystals, I bought bicones and they didn't fit quite as nicely...but I'm REALLY happy with this result, so I'm not complaining..besides, I can use the crystals for stringing beads when I offer them to ya'll...so we're all the better for it...Finished pics coming as soon as I can get these things done...

I need to shoot some pics of the bracelets I've been working on...my shag carpet is nearly complete, i'm starting a new one and I have half of my bracelet from last night's class completed...Lady is settling down after a quick rumpus around the back yard (my leg is gonna be bruised again, oh yeah) and I even took beads out of the kiln...nothing exciting mind you, I have plans to make more and put together a 'proper' strand for sale, but at least things are moving along again..slowly...but I need to pick up the pace and get in the groove again...get some replacement beads made that snapped during shipping - if that ever happens to you, PLEASE email and let me know and i'll replace them of course...no sense in having beads you can't use, right? Back in a few...

Hey, I made some beads!

Oh, and for those of ya'll following the Tour, I've put up a bit of fun for you while watching or listening to the telecast (for you Jenn!)...click on the Phil and Paul Bingo pic and print the Bingo cards...I've heard 'cross swords' and 'live to fight another day' as well as 'cracked' and 'yosheeba beloki' but haven't filled up any cards yet...but we have 3 weeks to try!! These guys are fun, even if over the past 6 years, Phil Liggett has been as snarky about Lance as he's legally allowed to be..oh well..I still enjoy the commentary...

We are trying to get Lady settled in enough so that I can get back on the torch, starting today...so over the holiday weekend, we gave it a trial run and while Brian was busy working in the studio, I was able to get a few beads made...course, Lady was sticking close to him, he was keeping all her attention on him, so we'll know more today when she and I are together alone and I'm the only one who can give her attention...yesterday was a really good day for all of us, though, she actually started going to her bed to lay down and chew toys, and she was actually a lot more subdued than she has been in the past...we are closing the cats off and giving her full run of the house...

and perhaps that's making her less anxious...I know some of ya'll wonder what is going on - but you can't just take a dog, plop it in a house and expect everything to be smooth...there is adjustment time for everyone, and that's what we've been going thru...and then she was sick, and we still have the cats to work on, so it's still going on, but at least its starting to get better...I've had help from a lot of ya'll 'dog people' and that's been really great because Brian and I think we must be 'cat people'...we LIKE dogs, but our lifestyle is more suited to cats, or at least that's what we've had forever, so that's what we're used to...But, we've started carrying around treats in our pockets and will work with Lady in 5 minute sessions, working on 'sit' and 'place' - things she knows very well at the trainers location, but is unfamiliar with at our house..she's getting really good at figuring it out, tho, she goes right down in her bed, awaiting her treats...(isn't it amazing how food can get you do to anything!)...she's very smart and wants to do what we ask her...she's been gnawing on our ankles and forearms, and we're having to work with her on that...we do have a behaviourist that we're going to contact to help us know what WE are doing wrong, how we can adjust to her and help us learn to think like a dog...but the 5 little beads I made are a good start, and as soon as the Tour is over this morning, I'm heading to the studio for more work...lets hope its all good...!

Happy 4th!

Boom Boom...Ooo...Ahhh...Go watch some pretty fireworks and don't let your pets out - they get scared and run away and end up at the animal shelter...keep them inside...(Bagheera was inside last night and protested for hours and then peed on Brian's keyboard...ah, the fun of the 4th)...

Having a good weekend?

A good holiday weekend for you? I hope so..I've been planted on the sofa watching OLN while Brian has been mowing the lawn and foraging for our meals...Lucky Charms are always welcome in our home...We spent yesterday with Lady in the main part of the house (she's been sequestered in the studio while fending off her Girardia, so she doesn't infect the cats), and it was fun to have her in with us...she's full of energy and our next step is to get her acquainted with the kitties...Brian bought a muzzle and we're gonna give it a try...should be interesting to say the least..she really likes cats, more than dogs, so I think she'll be ok, but the cats don't know what they're in for...Hope you have a great day, and I hope to be back at work today or tomorrow..I'm gonna give it a try - and hope the dog doesn't cause too much commotion (she likes to be right next to me or Brian at all times...)

The Tour has begun!

I'm up...its 7:30am...I was up till 1:00am working on my Shag bracelet (and guess what...its almost done! I'll be working on it this morning during the TT)...For the next 23 days I'll be up early watching the Tour and hanging my yellow flag outside...my 'flag' will be a old 2001 yellow TShirt that says "Hey France, Who's your Daddy?" after Lance won the 3rd Tour...I'm decked in my denim TdF2004 shirt today...Bring it onnnnn!!!!!

Random Thoughts...

I took a class Sunday and made Freeform Wire Chokers...check out the goods...

Did you see that Bo Bice got married...sigh...I bought a groovy shirt that I call my 'ode to Bo Bice' and wore it at B&B...kinda hippy style..lots of compliments, tho...

Harry Potter 6 comes out in 15 days (July 16)...Can you believe its July 1 already? Did we have a June? I don't seem to remember where I was...

Oh yeah, Karla is right - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp..looks weird, wild and fun...smuggle a huge chocolate bar with you to the theatre and snack away! July 15

Annette has told me she's got a wholesale account with the Bead Girl company, so if you're interested in placing an order, email ME with it and I'll gather them all up...We need at least 7 folks in the order, and right now I think we have 2...so no rush, just email me when you're ready...(we'll need to get a few bucks from you for shipping from Annette's house to yours)...

I've been rummaging through my jewelery box and found a bunch of old rings that I never wear any longer...I think I'm gonna put them up on eBay soon, so be on the lookout for those auctions, if you're interested in rings...(I'm a ring girl myself)...

How did Lady do with her 'go home' training last night???...

Well, she did GREAT...once the training collar went on, she became an entirely different dog...she remembered all the commands she learned previously and she performed great..we were at the trainer's house from 7:30-9:00pm and Lady was tuckered out by the end...its obvious that Brian and I have a LOT to learn, cause Lady has already learned it...We were given clickers and have to get some frozen dog food as her reward (she loved this stuff, she tried to steal it from our hands cause we weren't paying attention and got the entire mass close to her face - boom!)...We're supposed to train her 5-10 min three times a day...that's not too bad...after that, she'll get bored or lose interest...Looks like we may be going out to the trainer again next week...The most difficult part of the entire process was keeping her in the back seat...one of us drove, the other stayed in the back with her, and she was doing everything she could to crawl in the front...but the car is brand new and we didn't want dog hair all over it, nor did we want a 55lb Doberman crawling in our laps while driving on the freeway...so my lower back is sore from wrestling with her, but she's a good girl...We haven't introduced her to the cats yet, her last day for meds is today so perhaps we'll start that process over the weekend...still need to get a muzzle, tho...I'm not taking any chances...the cats are gonna be spittin' MAD too...should be interesting...