I've signed up for two knitting classes for today and tomorrow...fun things, really, today we're gonna start on a big fair isle felted tote...tomorrow, I'm gonna dip my toes into the continental knitting world...I like to do things quickly and that method seems to move fast, so perhaps I can learn me how to do it right, ya'll...Even if I don't figure it out, I do love taking classes, so it'll be fun...I need to get my yarn wound and gather up my needles and such this morning...One of the things about living where we do - I have to give myself at least an hour's drive to get anywhere in Austin...traffic, accidents, weather, stop lights, all factor in...so I haveta get ready long before I really need to leave...
I'm hoping Brian might take pity on me and put the little plants in the yard that I picked up a few days ago, but if not, I'll prob do that Monday...
I've also been talking to a friend of mine about my lack of bead making and she thinks it boils down to two basic needs...my change of studio space (i'm in a much smaller, cramped space than I was previously) and my change in schedule (I work better at night, but I've been trying to make stuff during the day and its just not my best time to be creative)...SOOOO...with those things in mind, we're gonna work on changing those situations so I can get more beads made...I can change my sched pretty easily, the location will take more time to figure out, but hopefully we'll come up with something...and the end result will be more beads for ya'll...I'm already excited about it...I feel like my mojo hasn't had a chance to work for awhile and I'm ready to get back into it...staying up till midnight and all...
Clem is lookin' so cute...she's pretty much back to her normal self now, crawling on me and purring like always...I woke up with her at the foot of my bed...she's REALLY got the dog interested in her again...the dog doesn't recognize her look or smell and is very enamored with her, in a good way...its very funny...
Alright, I need to go dig up those skeins of yarn and needles...enjoy your Spring Saturday!
All the kids are back home and doing fine...Clem came home drowsy and would not stop stumbling around...I corded her off in the living room, but she just kept stumbling...eventually she got some of her footing back and now she's going up and down the stairs, but still seems to be a slight bit wobbly...she's a sight to see...they were nice enough not to use the ultra-close shave, so she has a teeny amt of fur left...it feels like velvet...She's not what you would call 'happy', but I think in a day or two she'll feel better...I'll get pics...Amelie is fine, she's 12 lbs, which surprises me...she feels like an 18 lb bowling ball...she's so big, she can't clean herself properly and that's what's going on at the base of her tail...so all we need to do is get a flea comb and give her some good grooming...AND - apparently, she was all sweetness and nice at the vets...what did I say? I'm the one w/ puncture wounds and dried blood, and they are gettin' all the love...still, she's pretty happy when you just pet her and don't force her into a cat carrier...alls well with her too...
I didn't get much done, I had a headache all day yesterday, I think from the weather...its dark and stormy and the pressure was making my head hurt...I feel better today, but have to make a run into town to pick up some paint for some frames...
Hey - if you have a good book or website where I can find copyright-free designs, lemme know...i have some celtic knot books, but am not sure where they are...send me your sites please...
And I would like to say 'thank you' for all the comments of late...I always enjoy them and try not to beg for them, cause I want ya'll to comment if you feel like it...So thank you for adding to the fun, I do appreciate it!!!
Class pics from Bronwen's class are posted...
Cats are delivered to the vet, I suffered only minor injuries...Amelie has some mean front claws and I think she's claustrophobic because she goes bananas when I put her (wrestle her) in the carrier...she gave me the wild eyed, 'why are you doing this to me?' look...and then cried the entire way to the vet...but I'm sure she's just an angel at the doctors, don't you think so? I hope they have their oven mitts on when they try to put her back in...Clem is there too...I am kinda worried about her, she's so little to put under the meds...I had to hide her in the bathroom because once word gets out that people are being forced into cages, the rest of them all scramble to safety and it takes me an hour to find them again...I've gotten smart in my old age - hide the cats in small rooms where I can easily grab them...
Its a dark and stormy day...I hear the word 'hail' but I really hope they are kidding...rain, wind, I don't mind..hail - not so much...it'll destroy all our new plants...I'm not rooting for the hail..I heard that West Texas has 65 tornadoes yesterday...on one day! I heard someone on the radio say 'that was just God's way of redecorating Odessa Texas'...I dunno if anyone was hurt, I haven't turned the tv on today...
I've already made it to the nursery for some add'l plants (just a few, some bronze fennel that we need for the swallowtails) and some stepping stones so I don't keep walking thru the dirt/mulch...I need to go kick Bagheera outta my red chair so I can work...more later...
Now that I've finished (again) Harry Potter 6, I'm getting more and more interested in the final book...its coming...soon! Here's the cover art for the US release..and I think I've posted this before, but here's the Wizard Challenge...I get a lot of these wrong...I think the books start to melt together and I can't keep them apart...
This is my quick flash of an update, with more to come tomorrow...My goal today was to get more of the equipment/supplies from BlueMoon so that I can make more painted beads at my house, and that has been accomplished...More enamels, more glass chips, necessary oils, boards and other various assundries have been procured...I did manage to make a few drawings today, just silly ones, nothing in the Da Vinci style, but I like what I drew...and now I can use my kilns to dry and anneal the pieces as I make them...I have loads of colors mixed with more to make...and more drawings to come up with...I really should take some time and do something interesting...
I didn't get home until late, we had some margaritas down the street and watched the last ep of Veronica on our Netflixed DVD...I had to lay down, I guess one drink is enough for me...tomorrow is the Big Day, I had to bring out the cat carriers and put them on the kitchen floor to 'neutralize' them so the cats won't go scattering when I try to load them...they are not fond of the whole cat carrier/vet scene...I'm sure I will lose some blood during the whole thing...wish me luck...
Pics of my Bronwen class beads tomorrow, I promise...see ya'll then...
I'm posting some of the garden pics today because I won't be updating until late tomorrow...I plan on spending the day with my new Bronwen Heilman kit, drawing, painting and hopefully creating loads of glass pieces from which to create beads...its a process, and the most time consuming is the creating of the glass chips...I've got paint to mix, colors to create, drawings to do, glass to anneal, all before I can make any beads at all...my goal is to get a bunch of paint made and a bunch of chips done, so making the beads will be done quickly...So, enjoy the flowers and all till we meet again...
We had the best rainy day yesterday...dark, stormy, wet, rainy...we desperately need it, as we've been in a drought since 2005...it amazing how much recovery can occur in just one good day of rain...we need more, and that might happen Thur-Fri this week...I'm hoping...! I spotted a visiting kitty taking refuge on our porch last night, but she zipped away when I opened the door....hope she came back and slept in a dry spot...
I'm gonna strap on my high waist waders and venture out to take some pics...I have a couple of strands of fun beads...
I am REALLY excited about the movie 'Grindhouse' opening on April 6...looks kooky crazy...
I guess we've officially given up on '24' this year..instead of watching a new episode last night, we put in disc 3 of Veronica Mars and caught up on that instead...I enjoyed last years season of 24 so much, but this year we just aren't that interested in the weasels being weaselly...but that's ok...We've also successfully weened ourselves off American Idol...I watched one or two audition shows, but decided long ago that I wasn't interested anymore...I did the same with "Friends" - I just tuned out after season 4, even though I think they went, what, 8 seasons or something? I guess I hit a point where its not interesting to me anymore and move on to something else...I really need to get tv out of my life more in fact...I should listen to audio books while making beads or knitting...accomplish two things at once, right? That's what my iPod is for!!
If the movie "300" looked too gory for you, check out the PG-13 version...candy canes and cupcakes..."Brush Your Teeth!"...
Laundry is washing, phone calls are gettin' done...Clem is going in to get shaved on Thursday...her winter coat hasn't come out neatly as it has in past years, and she is simply covered (on her chest and tummy) with knots...and its driving her a little mad...so since she won't let me near her with scissors, she hasta do the next best thing - let the vet shave her...we've never gone this route before, our cats have had parts of them shaved for surgery and such, but this will be interesting...our neighbors had Persians that they would shave and they looked...rather..hilarious...I expect the same..but it should make her a lot happier...
I have pics of the new yard, but haven't pulled them off the stick yet...so in the meantime, here's a shot of our compost pile...we tossed our Halloween pumpkins in, I mean, why not? And now they are growing in the compost pile...I mean, why not? Its rich, fertile grounds for growing...I don't have the heart to remove the vines..maybe i'll transplant them instead...I'd still like to have a worthy compost pile...we add plenty of banana peels and gnarly lettuce to it...(along with leaves and such)...we don't have grass for the 'green' matter, so we use the kitchen waste...I thought I saw some small orange tree saplings trying to take root...
Its a stormy rainy day-week...I'm hiding out in the studio, making beads for the 'Save Our Clementine' fund...ha...the pics of her are gonna be priceless...because she's 10, she has to go thru the various tests to make sure she is ok going under anesthesia...did I spell that right? so it's gonna be a slight ordeal for her...but in the long run, she'll be happier for it..
I'm gettin' stuff done...clean clean clean...vacuum, wash, rinse, repeat...pics and beads to come later...
And the French Fries can leave their container and explore their new home? Where do you think they'd go? To visit Mr. Banana and his bunch? To squeeze in a day with the Tomatoes? To play tennis with the Lemontrees? Such an exciting time, being a small fry...
Same story, different day...We planted the rest of the roses we brought with us from Austin...they've been in their pots since July/August of last year and amazingly I only lost 1 of them in the move...it died for some unknown reason right after we got here...the others weathered the ice and cold in their pots and are going great guns...the Maggie rose has four massive blossoms on it right now...the others are putting on new growth for the Spring...I found a small 'Hermosa' rose for the vacant pot on my front porch..its a miniature rose that's pink and cabbage like...should do well in a pot...
We planted TWO morning glory vines and the one that survived from the move...one is a traditional bright blue, the other is the most amazing deep purple with fuchsia stripes...I've never seen one like it (granted, I'm not well versed in morning glory varieties either)...I hope they go bananas on our fence and climb the pole and create a great wall of glory...the grapefruit is planted and bees are already buzzing around it...Brian pointed out the first Black Swallowtail of the season and I've seen the Giant (yellow) Swallowtail three or four times now (could be the same one, could be 3 different ones, who knows)...There are some white and yellow sulphur butterflies and these teeny weeny black ones flitting about...Brian found two bronze snakes, little guys, hiding along the fence..I was sorry I missed them, I do love snakes and have yet to see one in the yard...but I'm glad to know they are here, that's a healthy garden...now all we need are TOADS! I've seen more and more ladybugs around, which means that thrip and aphids are just around the corner as well...Its been raining on and off, not enough to make a difference, just enough to make my car look a mess...geez...the nice thing is, tho, the trees are nearly all filled in (the pecans are the last, but I see leaf bud swells, so they'll be in full leaf in the next 7-14 days) and it feels like Spring here...I think we're gonna eat dinner on the porch, in our rocking chairs, with our new fan, watching our new trees/plants grow...(before the mosquitoes drive us off the porch and the humidity makes it unbearable to be outside..heh)...
I....am.....soooooo...tired....and sore.....Up at 6:00am to hit the road by 7:00am to get to the nursery by 8:00am when it opened so we could pick out our new fruit trees before the crush of customers arrived...Brian was at the nursery yesterday at lunch and there were so many folks there, he couldn't find a place to park...so we knew today would be hell...we were in and out in an hour, by 9:00am there was a line of cars/trucks coming thru the front gates as we were leaving...such a crazy nutty time of year...But we scored a gigantic Meyer's Lemon tree, a Key Lime tree and a Grapefruit tree (for Brian)...along w/ soil, mulch and a few misc butterfly plants to start our garden going...
We made it home w/ out any flat tires or disasters (soil is heavy...we live far in the boonies...long trip w/ heavy load always = disaster...but not today!)...Then BACK into Austin to take in a load of cross stitch finished work from 10 yrs ago (some from 1989!) to have it framed...that took hours to pick mattes, frames, take measurements, write quotes...Finally home by 3:00pm (only the hottest part of today, of course) and proceed to Start The Planting!...Two of the trees got planted in their whiskey barrels (these are authentic Jack Daniels whiskey barrels our grocery store was selling...Brian said when he used the paddle bit to drill the drainage holes, the shavings smelled like whiskey)...new roses bushes got planted, new butterfly plants (mexican sage, lantana, verbena, another type of sage, more butterfly weed) were all put in and mulched...and it only took a few hours instead of a few days, because we had already tilled up the soil last fall...Tomorrow it might rain, so that's perfect weather for the new plants...
Our neighbor had their horse out, their new baby goat was bouncing around and our dog was hanging out in the street...all in all, a very countryfied day in the dirt...Amelie liked the smell of my toes and rubbed her little fat cheeks all over them and tried to bite them, they smelled so good...mulch, compost, soil, its all dirt to her...
Tomorrow, we finish the roses, the morning glory vine, the last fruit tree and I need to go get more mulch to finish half the front yard...I snapped pics, I'll see if they turned out decent and post if they did...
rock and roll, I'm going to bed...zzzzzz...
I took a little time yesterday and decided to embellish the bracelets that didn't sell...I went thru my bead box, and pulled 5 left over beads that I thought went well with each color scheme...then I pulled about 5-6 different color crystals and emptied my misc metallic beads onto the working mat, and set out to sew things up...Amazingly I was able to get all three of these finished in about an hour, from start to finish...I think they turned out really groovy, they're what I was looking for, and now that I've had a chance to think about it, there are SO MANY other possible things you can do to embellish these bracelets...I've posted pics on the Knitting page...and feel free to send me your pics of your embellished bracelet so I can add them to a new column in the Designer Gallery section...why not?
I've been busily watching the Chefography of Nigella Lawson...She is so wonderful, I like how 'real' she is and how she's managed to live such an interesting life with lots of heart ache (Mom, Sister and Husband all dying of cancer - sheesh)...She looks like someone who you'd wanna hang out with and have dinner...Loves her...
The torch is fired up, I'm playing and having fun...we'll see what comes of it...my horoscope said I should take things lightly, be silly, have fun...my first thought was to make silly beads w/ big googly eyes and look weird...ha...
I took the 3 remaining unsold felt bracelets (coincidentally they were MY faves, so I'm more than happy to keep them!) and just decorated them with stray beads, crystals and metal beads...I'll post some pics either tonight or tomorrow...Stay tuned scoobies...
Brian found one of these in Austin...
So, perhaps you were wondering what arrived in the mail yesterday...Well, there it is...yep, its what you think it is, and more...When I saw Kim's bead was broken, I wrote and told her to glue it together and wear it herself! I mean, that's what I would do (and have done in the past)...But I also told her I would LOVE to take it off her hands for her, if she didn't want to look at it any longer...So she sent it to me! Rock and roll...and not only that, she included another bead that wasn't cracked to keep it company on the long trip to my house...I must admit I am completely blown away to get both beads...I will be coming up with some means to wear them, perhaps one at a time, so they don't clink together..I wasted no time gluing the pieces back together...freakin' rocks...
Its another one of those days where I have too much to do and don't want to do any of it...the bathroom needs attention, the stuff I didn't do yesterday needs to get done...I did vacuum and its amazing how that makes the house look better...I do it at least once a week because of all the cathair floating around and it always looks so nice when its freshly vacuumed...I need to take Clem to the vet, she's just full of rats nests that I've been trying to clip out of her, but she just knows what I'm doing and will have nothing of it...and lately she's been very vocal, normally she's quiet, but now she yells when I just LOOK at her...its weird...I think she's going bonkers...
I can hear the cats using the new furniture as scratching posts...the second I hear it, I go all bonkers on them..its actually only two cats - the two sisters - who are causing the problems...one of the two sisters is who completely destroyed our last furniture...I told Brian I'm gonna punt them outside if they don't stop...I'll probably just put some kind of barrier up so they won't be allowed in here...we are keeping the dog out successfully so she doesn't use the sofa as a bed, now its time to keep these two out so they don't destroy this before we're able to enjoy it...why is it only a few make things bad for everyone??
I started to optimize my Bronwen class beads, but I need to dock the computer and use my mouse and such...its hard for me to cut/copy/resize using the keyboard on the laptop...plus I still need to post that groovy thing that arrived in the mail...sweet...
Its that time...I need a volunteer...anybody? This article says messy is 'creative' and neat is 'wasteful'...Frankly I'm a bit of both...I prefer neat and clean houses, but my studio is a bit of a mess...but I have a plan...don't like clutter...but I have stuff hanging all over my studio desk...go figure...
Braille TShirts...Awesome!
I'm tickled that ya'll like the felted bracelets...they are quick and fun to make...I made those in a few days and will have more soon...I like them because they are 'mindless'...they are also the thing I'll take with me to movies because I don't have to worry about counting or following a pattern...I can't knit w/out looking, but I don't want my charts to fall on the floor of the theatre (or on the floor of a plane - hello...). I've got lots of other colors I can cook up too...
I'm glad they found the little lost Boy Scout..so many times those stories end up badly, like the poor family who got lost and the father went searching for help...the family was found in the truck, but he was in the mountains lost...And did they ever find the three lost hikers on Mt. Hood? I thought they called that search off...You can't get me to go on adventures like that...too dangerous even for experienced climbers...
I just received something fun in the mail, I'll have to show you..I haven't even opened it yet, but I know what it is...you'll be surprised...I need to get some work done and have some breakfast...I've already been up and at an appt. and to the PO, but I've got loads to do (like shipping!) and cleaning so I'll be back later...rock on kiddos...
Ding ding ding...Mandy got it right! Those are I-Cord felted bracelets and I'll be posting them shortly...Bah...I decided it was easier to post them on my own site...
I'm here, just doing behind the scenes things...like scooping cat poop off the floor...how pleasant you say...one of the cats (maybe more, I haven't seen who the culprit is yet) has taken to pooping just outside the catbox...they can't be bothered to actually enter the box..and before you say 'well, maybe the box is full and smells bad', they did this right after I changed the box and it was completely clean...whatever, at least the poop is hard like Tootsie Rolls, so I just swept it up and tossed it in the backyard...what...?Its no different than if they were outside going poop, right? And it keeps the box from getting overloaded...I need to change them anyway, its about that time...
Harold and Maude - TCM - this Friday at 6:15PM ET...check it out!
The last Harry Potter will be the biggest - at 784 pages...I'm gonna hunker down and read it w/ all the televsion/radio/internet OFF so no one spoils the outcome for me...with the last book, people were riding around bookstores shouting out "So and So kills Whats his Name" and ruining the outcome for all the kids in line...boo..(I won't even link to the YouTube video that shows it, just in case you don't know who dies in book 6...aren't I thoughtful...). I'm ready!
A bracelet that's also used as a row counter in knitting...how does it work? UPDATE: Katie always bails me out with her superiour knowledge about knitting, beading and all things cool...Check out her tutorial and make these for you and your friends...awesome...
Some silliness from the Muppets...
SxSW has come and gone, for another year...20 years to be exact...I remember when they started the festival..and I've never attended it..not once...isn't that always the way? I'm sure there are beaders in Tucson who've never been to that show, or local NYC folk who've never been up in the Empire State building (we've done that!...such tourist ho's)...I don't feel bad about not attending Sx, I don't like crowds, or drunk cavorters or music so loud I can't hear myself speak...I never go down to 6th street (where most of our bands/bars are located)...I did a little of that in college, just to say I could, but one time I was there, I picked up a dime I found on the sidewalk and was verbally acosted by a drunk homeless dude who yelled at me to give it to him...such fun...my friend kept saying 'keep walking, don't turn around'...i probably shoulda given it to him, but I was afraid he'd hit me...there are other places in Austin to have fun besides 6th street...but I'm glad folks come in and enjoy it, I just don't have to be one of them...
I am glad its as early in the morning as it is, I woke up in the middle of the night and stayed awake too long, and so this morning I was afraid I had slept till noon...thank god I didn't...I've got tons of stuff to do today, it all centers around my studio...the lawn is cut, the plants are watered, the bird feeders are refilled (the finches are officially gone, so I took in their finch feeders till next year)...the living room is clean and its early in the day...time to get some laundry going, do some vacuuming and get the kiln fired up...
I'm almost done with my book, I enjoy reading before I go to bed...I rarely have dreams about what I read, which is probably good since the book is about contemporary vampires in San Francisco...its a funky, weird, silly, fun story and I'm glad I'm reading it...I should check out his other books (not vampire related) and see what else the author writes about...I hear they are just as funky/silly...
I've been working on this all morning, it feels like 5:00 to me now...I'm glad its still just after Noon tho...Brian is mowing down our collosal weeds and I'm posting beads...I also have the pics of the Bronwen class, I'll post those later..I'm gonna go try to plant something in the ground while its nice out...I'm not sure all our plants survived the freezes this year...I'll find out soon, tho...
And if you click on the dandelion pic and wonder, that ladder is 6 foot tall...
We have been in Austin all day, looking for that last elusive curtain, and we found it! plus some new curtain rods, since the existing ones were too thick for the curtain casings to slide on easily...the front room is coming together nicely, its still not painted a new color, its kinda a pale yellow w/ an accent wall in cinnamon, but it'll do for now...Brian took all my samplers downstairs, I might have to do some hammering tomorrow...
Tomorrow - take pics, post beads, make new beads...in that order...we aren't leaving the house...Brian is gonna mow down the gargantuan weeds that have sprung up from the rains...I wanted to do it, but he said I should play instead...how can you argue with that???
Yesterday I put together that cute little list of 'what I am' doing and then proceeded to break my code so that my blog would not publish an update...Brian fixed it this morning but then we headed out to go pick up some curtains and a rug for our new furniture...now that we've returned, we've been loading the curtains and run into the room...its all rather formal looking, I must admit...it kinda surprised me, actually...I'm so not a formal person in any way, shape or form...but I chose lots of dark cocoa colors in shiny silk looking fabrics and now the room has a rich, regal, formal look to it...the next thing I need to do - take it all apart and paint the walls...ha...I have pulled cocoa and deep burgandy colors that might make it look more like a cave...I better go lighter than I think I need...
And after the walls are painted, I'll hang up my sampler collection...the colors will match perfectly and frankly I haven't hung anything up (except the funky IKEA lights upstairs) because I want to paint before anything goes up...now that we have some furniture and colors to work with, it should be easier to pick a wall color..sure, am I doing this backwards...probably..but so what...
I've scheduled a day to work on my glass painting, but it won't be for a couple of weeks...while I did buy the tools and some enamels, its not enough...(Dodie knows of what I speak)...plus, I need to get the sheet glass and some kiln shelves and they aren't in stock yet...its all on order...and should be here by the end of the month...so no new painted beads till then...course, I REALLY really need to take the pics of the class beads, but I've been tied up doing other stuff (like shopping) to get it done...on a good note, I FINALLY got time to take the organic beads off the mandrel and make 2 bracelets from them...I have officially moved onto a new (old) bead style and am not making any squeeze for a while...so all of ya'll out there who are sick of the squeezes, get ready for some old familiar faves that you might find more flexible in your design plans...
I'm still feeling the organic vibe, even tho some of the ones I've been dabbling with haven't made me happy..you know what? I need to go back to my roots of organics and pull out familiar (known) glasses that cause reactions...I have success with those...when I try to force a reaction, I don't always succeed...trial and error are such an elusive couple...
I hear that the new iPhone will be ONLY distributed thru Cingular/AT&T (which is who we are with) and should be out sometime in June...I am looking forward to it, and I think if it does what we hope it'll do, that we'll both be picking it up...Brian told me that the next computer I get should be a Mac as well, and I think I agree with him on that...I love my Dell, there's nothing wrong with it, but I also am familiar with Macs, having used them for years at the computer game company...I had a blue one a few years back, bought it JUST because a $60 beading program (how to chart brick stitch, peyote, loom, etc using Delica numbers) was Mac-only...a $2000 machine for a $60 program...alas, I sold it after awhile and kinda miss it, actually...I think Brian wants me to go Mac because he's tired of all the tragedies that seem to befall me and my Dell...who knew that plugging my iPod in would cause the screen to go black w/ a blinking cursor? good grief...
I'm thought I'd try a new column on this homepage...some simple things about me that give you some insight as to what I'm up to...folks tell me they like the links that I post, so I'll update it and keep it interesting...at least that's the plan...
Oh yeah, we caught '300' yesterday at a matinee...it was fantastic! we LOVED it!!! Its not for everyone, but its exactly what we wanted...awesome!
I can't believe its Thursday already...I've spent the past 3 days in Austin and today I get to stay home...our furniture was just delivered, a sofa/loveseat is all we ordered because the room is small and we didn't want to overdo it...its a good thing, cause these two small items still seem HUGE in the room...when Brian gets home we'll arrange it...it looks good...I took the threads off the pillows that hold the fringe together..I wonder how many people leave that on, and live w/ weird looking pillows...
My computer would not boot up this morning, no matter what I did...took the battery out, rebooted, nothing...once I removed the iPod USB connection, it worked fine...go figure...I think I'm 'one of those' people who just can't get electronics to work properly...my phone won't receive signals properly, even outdoors...bah...
I'm gonna try to recharge it right now...we'll see what happens...
I picked up all my beads yesterday and am really happy with some of them...I knew others would be weird, since its a new technique and thats to be expected, but overall they turned out pretty nice...Pics as soon as I can get the camera outside...
I hung up the two torch lights from IKEA..its like a little tree house up here with all the funky lighting now...loves it...
We've Netflixed the first season of Veronica Mars...such a great show..I heard rumours that the return of the Gilmore Girls is not looking good, I dearly hope they don't cancel Veronica too...I like both shows, but GG has had 7 seasons and w/out their creator writing the scripts now, the show has suffered...VM is still sharp and fun and we really like it...but its on the CW and no one watches that (except to see skinny women in high heels yelling at each other to 'work it' and 'be fierce'...sigh)...
I've got loads to do today, so I'll be back as soon as I can...groovy!
That time of year - 2007 Best of the Blog Awards (scroll down past all the hoodly-do)...
I cannot wait to get to the shop and pick up my beads from yesterday...I made 9 beads I think, if I remember correctly...I have some pics of 'before' and I'll get some 'after' once I pick up everything, which I plan on doing here this morning...once I wake up fully...I'm tellin ya, this week is kickin' my ass...ugh...anyway, class was truly awesome and what was so fun about it is that it didn't rely on your ability to do stringer or dot placement or if you could make a hollow or not...it was all about the design, painting and color choice...so everyone's beads turned out really groovy...its a long process, tedious and slow, but the end result is so cool...
It rained all afternoon and night last night...and I was stupid and left the dog outside...it was gorgeous on MOnday, when the weather dudes said it'd be rainy and ugly, so I left the dog inside...Ha, I thought...on Tuesday, I shant be fooled by weathermen who know not of what they speak...so she had a mini-bath yesterday, playing in the rain...but she's ok now...the worst part (for me) was driving home in my low-to-the-ground-car...and the wiper blades on my side weren't working very well, but the passenger side was clear as a bell...but even after crawling home, I managed to get here...we need the rain, I can't complain, I just shoulda taken the truck, but I didn't think it was gonna rain...bah...
Brian picked me up some flame lights from IKEA the other day...to hang up with my seahorse and ladybug...I can't wait to get them hung...they pulsate and flicker because they are torches...I tell ya what, I'm gonna wanna start hanging out up here in the loft on a much more regular basis with all the cool things we've got going..I just need some organization to get my stuff put away and out of sight...
Class yesterday was quite the blast...Normally I get tense/exciting/wound up before a class because I have all these expectations and excitement involved...with Bronwen's class, it looked SO HARD to me, that I didn't allow myself to even get wound up because it would make my head 'splode...so I remained calm and didn't really think about it too much...as it turns out, (so far) the class has been fun and interesting...I've even decided to try my hand at it myself...These beads are VERY complex with lots and lots of little steps to complete one...Yesterday we spent the day learning how to mix enamels, how to apply the black lines onto the piece of glass and then decorated the chips with color, having mixed our own palette from the basic red/blue/yellow colors...
It was a lot of paint a little-let dry, paint a little more, let dry...when it was 6:45, I realized I should probably hit the road and come home...it was a long day...Today we are learning how to apply these glass chips onto core beads...I can see why her face beads run about $350...(some I've seen as high as $600)...they are extremely time intensive...anyway, the technique is interesting and fun and tedious, but worthwhile...I only hope I have some decent beads to show when this is all done...
I've read emails, and have replied to a few, but not all...so if you haven't heard from me, you will...I expect today to be another long day...maybe tomorrow...
Even the cats and dog are having a hard time with this time change...they are all asleep while I'm up here typing away...how funny...maybe their little body clocks are synched with the sun...its kinda nice to have a quiet house in the morning...its normally quite hectic with lots of running around and hissing...
Pics to come...beads to come...show and tell to come...stay tuned!
I've actually updated this site, going on 3 times now...but my host provider has been up and down all day and none of the other posts have managed to survive the trip down the cable and go live, so I'm gonna be quick like a bunny before this 3rd time doesn't fly...
I'm here, we've installed a new sink, with new faucet, and I've been hammering and hanging lighting in the upstairs loft...new lamps, new lights, its quite bright and has a nice ambiance up here now...not the dark pit it once was...and for that, I'm grateful...thank you Smila the Smiling Seahorse from IKEA...i'm hanging the green ladybug next...
Its a thunderstormy next few days here...our power was out yesterday and who knows, it might go out again tonight...all the lamps w/out electricity...the horror...
I'll be back later this week w/ beads...I've got some exciting things going on the next two days, and loads of pics to post of our sink installment (I say 'our' when really Brian did all the heavy work and I just suggested things like - you should probably install the faucet now while its easy to access and not on your back, upside down under the counter- and he agreed!)...
I hear that "300" made over 70K at the box office this weekend...we REALLY need to go see it, maybe next weekend...I'm ready to go!!
Yeah, baby...its still winter, but its 85 here today...awesome...its actually quite beautiful and the bluebonnets are out in force on the highways...last week, they hadn't popped up yet...
We spent the day in the Land of Home Repairs...that would be Lowe's Home Improvement store...we ordered a new groovy, modern fan for our upstairs to replace the one that just mysteriously stopped working...we've decided we want our upstairs to be 'modern' while the downstairs will be 'old fashioned country farm house'...I'm kinda liking this modern thing, I don't naturally gravitate toward that design, so its fun to shop for it...good thing IKEA is just down the road...
We also found two art deco style floor lamps...and then we shifted gears to the kitchen and bought a new sink and faucet...for all the really neato repairs/upgrading that has been done on this house, and its been extensive indeed, the kitchen sink and faucet are pretty bad...I hate them...the faucet isn't even installed properly...so that's our project tomorrow...we've put together the two art deco lamps and they are glowing upstairs, and I've just put together the 3 IKEA lights and am getting ready to hang them on the wall...I still need to paint, but I'll get to that upstairs after awhile...painting will be a big project that happens all over the house...inside, anyway...the outside seems to be fine for now...our new furniture arrives sometime this week, I think...we've been roughing it w/out furniture in the front room and so it'll be nice to start living like real people again...
And while in Austin, I stopped by BlueMoon to pick up some glass and just hang out and ended up signing up for the Bronwen Heilman class on Monday/Tuesday...I had signed up for her previously and had to cancel, so this is gonna be fun...and WAYYY out of my comfort zone of familiarity, so I expect to learn a bunch of stuff that I'd never know how to do...and I think I need a class, I haven't taken anything in over 18 months and I always enjoy classes so...this will be good...I also found some neato navy blue glass, so I'll see what I can do with that...
I made some more organic beads, but am kinda not sure that I like some of them...I dunno...I have some ideas of how to use them, but I need to keep practicing..I'll have beads for ya'll next week sometime after Tuesday, tho..I'll be tied up pretty completely for those first two days...
The weather man is saying we'll have some showers tomorrow...figures- I finally washed my car and it looks so pretty...
I found this article about eBay hacking fascinating...and from all the comments listed below it, it seems that hacking is quite rampant on eBay...
And if you aren't familiar with Etsy by now, you ought to be...I see it becoming the next big place to sell wares...
I like this dragonfly necklace...This drunken carrot cracks me up...I really like these knitted purses...check out the geek squid and his laptop...oh man, these little guys are cute!...ha! if you hit a page that isn't working properly, this is the error message that comes up...funky bag lady...custom wood bangles - oh I like these!...I like this chick's work, she's here in Austin AND, she has the same birthday as me! wow!!...hedgehog pin cushion...
Sunday we spring forward on our clocks...and I am not ready...I hate this week of time change, sure it makes the days longer, sure it means Spring is here, but it has always wrecked havoc on my body...sure, I don't HAVE to get up at a certain time in the morning, but I DO like to because otherwise my day is shot...
I have a system, I rhythm, a plan and I don't like to sleep the morning away...even on weekends...even tho I'm a night owl and don't 'do mornings', I don't like to sleep thru them either...I like early mornings when its cool outside (if its ever cool)...the early colors, the fresh new day...and this next week is going to kick me when I'm down...poor Brian, he'll be waking up at 3:45 instead of 4:45 because he's a morning person...that's like the middle of the night to me...I don't stay up that late very often, I am too old and brittle (ha), but I know I can't get up that early either...course, he does go to bed at 8:30 or 9:00 so he's got a full 6 or 7 hours of sleep in him...I like to stay up late...always have...we'll see what happens next week..good thing I don't have any committments to be somewhere at 8:00am...
We want to go see the new movie "300" that opens today...mostly because it LOOKS gorgeous, who cares about the story, right? Well, we watched the History channel last night and they had the entire backstory on what 300 is all about..how Persia and Greece used to have battles and how the Spartans of Greece learned to fight...its like a really really old Braveheart, and how you use your mind before your sword...I'm even more intrigued now...can't wait...and I don't even like battle movies, but I do like movies where people outsmart one another...
Speaking of movies, who's excited for all the sequels coming this summer? Harry Potter 5, Pirates 3, Bourne 3 (yes!), Spider-Man 3...I'm lookin' forward to ALL of those...there are probably some good original movies on the way as well, but I'll be chewin on some pizza and snackin' away for these guys...maybe Alamo Drafthouse will do another Feast for HP or Pirates...Brian brought home the DVD's for Borat and 40-yr old Virgin...awesome...
I've found this article about online blogging and how its in transition (is it really dying? I dunno...perhaps...I've found a few beadmakers that I used to read are gone)...One of the points is that its hard to write a blog every day...I can attest to that...my life is just not that exciting and so I struggle with things to write about...I was thinking of going more to an 'every few days' update...I've been trying to update each day, but with smaller content, just cause I feel like I should...I'm curious to see how this all plays out in the blogging world, tho...
I love mysteries...especially old movie mysteries like Sherlock Holmes...last night I watched a few old Basil Rathbone Sherlocks and laughed at how stupid they made Watson to be...I watch the Sherlocks on Biography all the time, and while Watson isn't as keen as Holmes, he's not a complete boob as the 1946 movies would lead you to believe...I've never read the books, perhaps he was that dumb, but he was a DOCTOR...and you can't be all that dumb to be a doctor, right? I also like movies set on trains, from the 1940's...whether a mystery or comedy, there's something funny about people squashed on a train, trying to out-run one another when there's no place to go...
I also enjoy Poirot and will watch those episodes on Biography anytime they come on - even tho I've seen them dozens of times...one of the nice things is, I tend to forget who the culprit was (maybe on purpose, or maybe cause I'm only half paying attention while making beads or knitting), so each time I view it, its a suprise...brilliant!
I finally finished a clog in progress that I gave up on when I realized I would run out of the fuchsia yarn I chose..there was only 1 skein of it, I bought it and now I can't find another in town..and to make matters better, I lost the paper tag w/ the identity number on it...so, my solution - make the second clog in another color combo...and then add decorations to both to tie them together...I mean, who's gonna see them except me...I'm cool with colorful clogs that don't match exactly...maybe I'll start a new trend...
As for beads, i actually have quite a few, but am not ready to post anything yet because I'm still playing in the lab...I'll letcha know when they're ready, tho...I need to work in some Spring colors and get out of the browns...
Have you noticed that the 70's are back in a big way? Orange, rust, brown, tan, beige are 'new' again...I am even sporting an Avocado green purse, and knitting tote, plus remember my iPod - olive green...I wonder how long these colors will last before we all get sick of them...I love my new purse, I don't see getting rid of it anytime soon...I wonder what the new color scheme will be...remember when grey and pink was so popular?
I worked a lot yesterday and am happy with some things, and am not sure about others...that's one of the things about working in organics...some experiments might not turn out the way you anticipate...still, I'm gonna give it another try here again...
I've been out of the house all morning, and now I'm packaging up a torch to send to a new owner...the car is semi-washed, all the dust is gone, and most of the bird do, but I need to do more work on it...it'll look GORgeous tomorrow...
and that's all I have to say about that...
Its Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
The Chicken Police take care of bunny business...
How well do you know the banana? Take a quiz! (no banana theme was intended here)
Check out these shoes...They are like something you put together in your backyard workshop with a welding torch and some rivets...still, I think they are kinda groovy...
If the Spiderman 3 movie interests you, go see a new trailer here..
This is a cool blanket/throw...I don't think I know how to knit one, but i'd like to get good enough to learn one day...
Perfect days in Austin...we don't get that many, really...its normally too hot and humid or too chilly and windy to be a really 'perfect' day...but today is one...March is the nicest month in Austin, I've always felt that way...temps in the 70's, low humidity and the flowers and trees are coming back into bloom... the native wildflowers bloom all along the roadways and countryside, and there's many a road trip to the Hill Country to be had...and we have like 70 wineries in the hill country, so you can stop and have a taste, buy some bottles, eat some cheese and desserts and hit the road again (I typically drive the Miata, and Brian does all the taste testing)...While we need the rain, I am going to enjoy today for what it is...
I've already done my house hold chores (Our Christmas tree has been in a plastic tub waiting to go outside since December...I've moved it outside today...finally)...I've eaten my oatmeal (good for you!) and even clipped loads of Clementine's rats nests out of her fur...she tends to get them and they are down deep near her skin...she doesn't like the scissors (she is very aware when I have them in my hand) but today she was tolerant...and I got quite a bit removed...so I tucked all the hair into the tree bark, where the titmice can come take it for their nests...the hair I put there on Saturday is gone, so I think they are using it...I hope so...
Didn't find a fan yesterday, but we did hit IKEA and Brian got more bookshelves for his office...its looking really neato in his office...we're looking around for various things we can do and install into the upstairs so that I can move my studio up here...but a lot needs to happen before that can take place..we're still in 'research' mode...
I think I'll settle in the studio today and go for a drive later this week...I have some errands to take care of, so maybe Wed will be my day off...and then again, when I start to think that way, I end up staying home and working some more...its not such a bad thing..I like my job...
I thought you might enjoy some sweet sweet pictures...but because everyone has different tastes, I offer you a variety to choose from...heck, who wants to choose, just enjoy them all...
I think we are going for a 'fan run'...time to replace the loft fan which has just abruptly stopped working..not that its a great loss, its a generic fan that does (did) its job but I'm eyeing a sleek silver thing w/ cobalt blue light covers...why not? funky...
Go enjoy your Sunday...I've already changed the litter boxes in the house, its 'one of those' days here...sigh...I think we are working on the budget next...numbers...somebody help me!!!
I've had a great couple of days at the torch, I've made over 100 beads which I used to do all the time way back in the day, but haven't done lately...I feel kinda guilty when I sit at the torch for 8 hours at a time - when I see things that need to be done around the house, but the past two days I've just blocked it all out and worked...and now I have 8 bracelets on my dresser and I feel pretty good...
Today I've got a class in the afternoon and so I doubt I'll get anything done at the torch...but ya never know...
Winter has blown back into town, its chilly and we need coats again...still, ya'll are dealing with much worse than I am, so hang in there and stay warm...keep knitting more mittens and hats...!
I just watched how gold chains are made on "How It's Made"...fascinating...they take loads of gold pellets, mix with copper and brass (the ratios depends on whether it is 14K or 18K) and melt those suckers into large rods that are pulled into tiny tiny fine gold wire..then machines cut and loop them together to form various styles of chain...I've seen handmade chain being made, and I've done a bit of that myself, but I've never seen those tiny fine gold chains being produced...I love that show! (I also saw how lawnmowers were made - very cool indeed)...I love manufacturing plants...
I didn't take Texas history, so I'm not well versed, but I think this state gained its Independence over Mexico on this date...I'm just glad there's a Mexican food restaurant at the end of our block that we can walk to for good strawberry margaritas...Gracias!
From the comments field a few days ago- "Donna, you cannot be serious about that couch!!PLEASE tell me you were only joking. If you weren't ~ then I apologise, but I shall look at your beads in a new light henceforth!"
So, someone is worried that I am serious about that purple couch!?!?..i'm flattered that anyone would be worried about what furniture I would or wouldn't sit on in my house...I suppose if I posted pics of leather furniture all the PETA folks would get on my case? What if I posted a bean bag chair and a Nintendo Wii as my only furniture on the living room? That sounds like a party to me...Don't worry about my furniture, I promise not to embarrass you darlin'...Well..maybe I will just for fun...ha...
Yeah, I started the You Suck book last night...against my better judgement, not cause it won't be great, cause I stay up too late reading it...must...use...restraint...
I've been having fun at the torch making some beads for me lately...I rarely keep anything for myself, which isn't so bad, but sometimes, as some of you have see in your notes in the package, I really really like the stuff I sell...I tend to make stuff that I like, and am happy to sell it, and never bother to go back and remake it again for myself...yesterday I made 4 bracelets for me from WAAAYYY back in the day...like from last year...who knows what will happen today...its sunny and warm out and I'm ready for a road trip...course, I keep saying that I don't ever go out...the car STILL needs washed...tomorrow I'm taking a class in town, and Brian is buying mulch and food for the roses...looks like that'll be my road trip this week...I think I'll stay home and see what I come up with today...
Its what happens when I get into a book that I like...I stay up too late reading and it makes me groggy the next day...my buddy Katie turned me onto Christopher Moore's books - Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story...its great! Vampires living in San Fran, bowling with frozen turkeys in the grocery store and shopping in the the Macy's that I shopped in when I was in SF on business...But now I've finished it and its time to move onto new things in the evenings...
I made some 'happy' sunny yellow and white beads yesterday...they are VERY yellow and white...I think I need to make some other beads to tone these dudes down...wow...
Someone saw my car in the driveway and offered to buy it yesterday...they thought it was neglected because it needed a wash...nope..it just needs a garage...gimme $10K for it and you can take it...ha..
And so there we go...its sunny and nice and the dog is barking, the cats are fighting and I need to get my rear in gear...things to ship, things to do, places to be...
