This was the summer....

I had one of the best summer's ever - a lot of good friends, many good beverages, and a lot of U2 concerts. Over the course of the summer, the pile of tickets, wristbands and goodies really added up! I've been a fan of the band for a while, but it wasn't until I went to Vancouver two years ago that I discovered what was really possible in getting to see the band. The last concert of the tour was in Moncton at the end of July, and it was a great time. It was sad to see all of the people I'd hung out with for a couple of years depart for the last time. All of the other times we'd said goodbye, I'd always been able to say that I'd see them in the next town, or in a few weeks. This time, it really was goodbye for a good long while. As sad as all of that was, I am so greatful that I was able to do it, and it felt like a new part of my life had begun.

So to celebrate, the August BJP is a butterfly, in bright beautiful colours. I love the fact that the colours remind me a lot of those used in a lot of native beadwork, as to me, there was a really spiritual element to the summer. I am enjoying doing the BJP again - it's nice to get a chance to stitch and just bead, without having to think a lot.

New Beads

I entered an exchange over on Lampwork Etc., where each participant has to make 5 beads for each of 5 other people. This is the first set of 5.

What I've Been Working On

Necklace (chain, lampwork beads, plus silk cord, not yet finished) and BJP for August (with many months in-between not yet started or unfinished)

Knitting

The new scarf is getting there! The yarn has a very, very short bits of each colour, and the pattern (The Prismatic Scarf - free from Ravelry) promised to make yarns like this not look like clown barf. I'm rather fond of it, and am sure that I'll get good use of it in the winter.

New set

Stitched - Egyptian Garden Update

Progress as of September 6th

Tribal

I'd had the silver beads forever, and recently paired them with some garnet red lampwork hollows and disks. I'm rather fond of the result.

Inspired!

I haven't felt like continuing on with the Bead Journal project for months, and suddenly inspiration hit me today. Here's the colour scheme, and I'll post more when I'm further along the project.

Beads!

A new set from me:

Hairsticks!

I was approached by a lovely woodworking friend of mine to purchase some beads. Since I knew she wanted to make hairsticks from them, I asked her about a trade. She came up with these fabulous hairsticks, with perfect teardrops for beads in them!

Melanie Moertel and More

I've been travelling a lot this summer, but was fortunate to attend a Melanie Moertel workshop in Edmonton. She's super sweet, and we all had a great time at the class. She also drew names for the beads she made in class (again, super sweet!), and I ended up winning her fairy bead. It's been strung, and is now resident on a lovely chain for wearing!

More

Just Pictures - New Beads

Happy 5th Blogiversary to me!

It's been such a busy couple of weeks that I totally forgot about updating the blog, including annoucing that Heather won blog candy. I also totally forgot about my 5th blogiversary. I've never kept a journal, diary or other record of my life for this long, so it's pretty interesting to look back and see what's gone on.

I also have new beads to share - I cracked out the tumbler this weekend, so I have lovely smooth, satiny beads. Tumbling with fine grit is the only way to etch some glass, and it leaves most of the other glass with the most wonderful sheen and texture - sort of like ivory, but not really.

One for me... and one for blog candy

Thanks to all for the lovely comments on the scissor fobs! It's been one of those weeks (ok, months) where it's hard to push yourself to do anything except work. I'm glad I made the time to get the packages together. Several of the recipients blogged about the receipts, so the full packages are with: Kathy , Erica and Jo.

I did manage to get torch time in over the last few weeks, and these are the result - cute, funky heart pendants. I've earmarked the green heart for myself, and as much as I love the lavender/blue/green heart, I'd like to give it a new home. If you adore the heart as much as I do, leave a comment, and I'll draw for something at the end of the week (April 1st).

More here.

Admittedly, I haven't done much lately. But now that the four recipients of my stash packages have all received theirs, here are the four scissor fobs that accompanied the packages.

Still Here....

All four packages from the giveaway are now in the mail and on their way to their new owners.

I've been on a knitting streak lately, and am over a third into a new pair of socks. I had some Kureyon Sock Yarn in the stash, and so when the knitting bug took, I decided that it would make a great new pair.

New Ornie

The February ornament, plus its friends. I've (hopefully) purchased more of the vintage buttons for the centre, but they're still on the way, so they're not really finished yet.

Pattern - Floss Box Mini Biscornu Pack 1 with zig-zag border
Floss - DMC Blanc
Fabric - Christmas Red evenweave.

Giveaways!

I posted a giveaway of some silk thread and lampwork buttons at the start of the week, and Erica, Jo, Kathy and Stitcher entered. Since there were only 4, and I didn't want to dissapoint any of them, I thought I'd make-up 4 packages instead.

So, without further delay, here are the four colours schemes are: Vikki Clayton's Earth Dragon (on its way to Jo), Week's Dye Works Celebration (on its way to Erica), Vikki Clayton's Midnight Rainbow (on its way to Kathy) and Vikki Clayton's Slate. I'm looking forward to seeing what they all make!

Sigh - Another LNS Gone...

I stopped by my local cross-stitch shop to learn that they were closing at the end of the day for good. They were the last shop left in town, although there is a mail-order store that ships out of the city, as well as another shop in the next small town up the road. I'm not that surprised, as every time I went in, their inventory looked dated, and they didn't really have many classes and projects to keep people coming in.

Still, I will miss having a LNS nearby. It was nice to pick up one or two things, and know that if I ran out of something, I could get it reasonably quickly. Or, like my errand today, be able to pick up a few things to match what I have already in my stash. And it's sad to think that this will be the 6th shop closing that I can think of in the city - maybe we just can't support a LNS after all.

So - goodbye to the local needlework shop - I guess it's online shopping only from now on.

Feb BJP - On the wild side

Welcome to this month's BJP - I'd been doing a monochromatic colour scheme for the past 13 months, and figured it was time for a departure! This colour combination was put together by my favourite bead store. They have an awesome staff member who's excellent with colour, and this was a mix of colours that came in a package. I substituted out the bronze beads for a similar shade, so I'd have enough to do the background, and added the matte white delicas to compliment the matte square beads. The buttons are from a charity shop not far from my house.

Blog Candy - with a twist!

I have to admit that I love making exchange packages, pay-it-forward gifts and putting together blog candy. There's something about putting together a package in and hearing their reaction to the package that I really enjoy. I used to do quite a few stitching exchanges for this reason, but it seems like the energy has gone out of the exchange boards in the last few years. I've also been inspired by the BJP project as a chance to use colour, try new things and just generally think outside the box when it comes to making new things.

So... here's what I'm proposing. I'm putting together a blog candy package, which will contain at least the skein of Vikki Clayton's "Slate" thread, plus 5 tiny (and unique) buttons, which should fit perfectly in the centre of a biscornu. By the time I put the package in the mail, there might be other goodies in there too. I'll pick someone who comments on this post by the end of tomorrow (Feb 14th) at midnight MST.

Within 3 months of receving the package, the person getting the package agrees to use some (or all) of what's in there to stitch something of their choosing, and then send me (or post) a picture of what you've made from it. You get to keep whatever you make, plus all of the extras in the package.

New Stuff

Made for an upcoming charity sale....

TUSAL and new earings

I'm participating in the "Totally Useless Stitch-a-long" hosted by Daffycat this year, and have my February progress to post. I also have a cute pair of earings - the local bead stores have been having sales in advance of the big Tucson market later in the month, so it's been a good time to pick up some new beads and findings.

Since this is intended to be a monthly post, it's also probably a good time for goals!

1) BJP January - Complete!
2) One ornament - Complete, except for the buttons, which are ordered
3) Part 4/5 of St. Petes - I did stitch on this, so complete!
4) Finish Egyptian Garden - I also stitched, although perhaps not as much as I would have liked.

January BJP Finished!

Here's the finished January Bead Journal Project - a 3" by 3" square, with lots of green on it. I like the organic grassy-ness of the project, and am still getting used to the new beading material. After picking buttons last year, which had their own challenges, the 6" wide interfacing has it's own characteristics, which I'm still getting used to.

Almost a finish....

I decided to try completing a Christmas ornament a month again this year - there was quite a bit of energy around it a few years ago, mostly fueled by the Christmas Ornaments blog, and I thought I would give it a go again this year. I picked a similar design to one I've already completed, hoping to make a little collection at some point. I have more of the little antique buttons coming for the centre, just like the first one, but they haven't arrived yet. Since all of the stitching's done, I thought I would show it off anyways.

Pattern - Floss Box Mini Biscornu Pack 1 with zig-zag border
Floss - DMC Blanc
Fabric - Christmas Red evenweave.

Sneak Peak - BJP - January

The 2011 version of the Bead Journal Project has begun, at least in my house. Each of the participants creates 12 beaded pieces to commemorate, journal or represent each of the months of the year. I quickly realized last year that the beads had a way of taking over, and even when I wanted to represent something, it didn't always turn out that way.

For 2011, I have no plan, except to create 12 3" by 3" squares each month. The first one is green, and here's a sneak peek.

Beaded January

Olive, turqouise, blue and apple green.

Baby Biscornu

My first finish of the year! A tiny biscornu, pattern is a freebie by Indigo Rose, thread is "70" by Minnamurra, fabric is "Southern Sky" by Country Stitch, and tiny, tiny glass button by yours truly. The second pic is the button against my hand, just to show how tiny the button truly is.

St. Petes Update

I've not posted an updated picture for ages, so here it is:

Egyptian Garden - Again

Out with the old

This is the 2010 "ort" jar I'd been using. I moved over to the 2011 version, but thought I would take a pic before finishing. I've been working on Egyptian Garden a lot, so there's a lot of brown in there.

Because it is the new year, and I feel like I should make some goals for the year, here they are:

Goals for 2011:
- Finish Egyptian Garden
- Finish Part 4 & 5 of St. Petersburg Garden
- Stitch one Christmas ornament a month
- Complete one Bead Journal Project a month

Possible Starts for 2011:
- Chatelaine's King's Vegetable Garden
- Mirabilia's Midsummer Night's Fairy

BJP - 2010 Finished

I thought I would take one last pic of the 2010 BJP, so I can make room in the side bar for the 2011 versions.