Brick stitch bracelet

Here is another piece I created during my beginner's beading course.

I had never attempted brick stitch before and gee what a great stitch... so quick and easy but the results are just gorgeous!

I created this piece with these gorgeous sz 8 hex beads in delish metallic colours - browns of course... my favourite colours!

I had a bit of trouble with the clasp in the sense that I created the loop before adding the button and of course then discovered my loop was too small... sooooo I added a freshwater pearl to that loop to fancy it up a bit and then made another loop to fit the button... problem solved!

Me thinks I'll be making some more of these bracelets as I have already stocked up on more hex beads!

Loom work bracelet

As you may already know I've been doing an 8-week beginner's beading course. I've learnt a lot of new stitches in the course with one of these being loom work.

I had attempted loom work in the past but for some reason just couldn't get the hang of it so I was quite pleased to see that this was one of the techniques we'd be learning as I hadn't parted with my loom!

I created this piece using Toho size 11 galvanised beads as well as Toho black beads for the body of the bracelet as well as the edging.

I am pretty pleased with how this piece turned out... considering it was my first proper attempt at loom work.

As you can use cross stitch patterns for loom work I am now in search of some great cross stitch designs... if you have any feel free to throw them in my direction!!

Looking back...

I was looking through my old Photobucket album tonight and found this photo of my very first attempt at peyote way back in 2007.



I really struggled with this little square of peyote... until someone suggested I use better quality seed beads... at that time I had no idea that better beads would make such a difference to the stitching. Now.... well now I know better!

Looking back at this picture I am a little embarrassed to remember that I actually posted this photo on one of my beading forums... I was very proud to be able to show my humble attempts at peyote but looking back I now have to wonder what the other members thought of my efforts lol!

I guess we all have to start out somewhere and I suppose the good thing is I stuck with it and am now a wiz at peyote!

Dog gone it!

At least once a week Spencer pretends to be a dog... ok he THINKS he is a dog. He can crawl around the house for a good hour or so barking and making little dog noises.

During this time he will not speak and will not answer to his name... only to "doggy". If you ask him a question he answers "woof woof" and will crawl around on all fours... which is a mean task in itself seems we have hardwood floors!

So this morning he wanders up to me and says "mummy, doggy wants a carrot". So I said to him "well doggy knows where the carrots are in the fridge so you tell him to help himself". At this point in time I am thinking to myself "here we go again...Spencer the dog strikes again".

So off he crawls to the fridge and comes back, still crawling on all fours, with a carrot in his mouth like a dog would carry a bone.

As I type this post he's still eating his carrot and has been for a good half hour now.

Now I know it's probably not ideal to let my adorable little man eat a carrot off the floor but what can one do when their son insists they are a dog!

Hey - at least I vacuumed and mopped the floors on Monday!!

Oh dear......

The Karma Award

I recently received another wonderful little award for my blog.

It is the Karma award and it was bestowed upon me by a wonderful beadie friend, Belinda, who also granted me with my "I am fabulous" award recently.

Here is a description of the award.

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

It's always an honour to receive an award of any kind, but to receive an award acknowledging me for the type of person I am is even more rewarding... and to receive such an award from such a kind, talented and beautiful soul makes the award even more special.

So I would like to pass this award on to the following bloggers who provide me with my weekly (ok sometimes daily) blog fix:

Traci - Our gang of Six
http://ourgangofsix.blogspot.com/

Belinda - Bead Fetish
http://www.beadfetish.blogspot.com/

Sally - Happily Every Artist
http://www.happilyeverartist.com/pages/MyBlog.htm

Nellie - Nellie's Treasures
http://nelliestreasures.blogspot.com/

Margie - Marlier Designs

http://marlierdesigns.blogspot.com/

Cynthina - CND Jewelry Tales
http://kerrieslade.blogspot.com/

Kerrie - Kerrie Slade
http://kerrieslade.blogspot.com/

Vicki - Dragonflycreations

http://dragonflycreation.wordpress.com/

Guess who got Origin III tickets!!

Yep you guessed right... ME!

Alan and I got tickets for Origin III today... the final game of the series.

So on Wednesday 15 July we will be heading to Suncorp Stadium... home of the Maroons... with me proudly decked out in my NSW Blues jersey and carrying my Blues flag!

All I can say is GO THE BLUES!!!

BRING IT ON BABY!!

Time to play

I got some new beads today and can't wait to play....

.... that's all I have to say!

My 'oh' My

I named this piece My 'oh' My as that was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I finished this piece today...

I've been working on this piece on & off since Christmas so I'm very relieved to have finally finished it.

This piece contains a lot of firsts for me... fringeing, bead embroidery, Magamatas not to mention the dreaded bail that I had no end of trouble with.

The piece consists of a gorgeous Chrysanthemum cabochon adorned with delicas, sz 11 & 15 seed beads, rice pearls, red Tigers Eye at the top and bottom of the cab with the fringe containing seed beads and triangle beads.



The edge row is Magamata beads and I have to say although they were a bit fiddly to attach I am really happy with the effect created - I tried using a regular edge and even a picot edge but they both just didn't seem quite enough.



I'm still not 100% happy with the bail so I'll wear it a few times and see how it goes :D

A special THANK YOU to my beadie friend, Chanel, who listened to my frequent rants and raves of frustration whilst making this piece. She encouraged me to try new techniques and to basically just keep going... as she said to me a few times "you can always unpick it" lol... thanks Chanel ♥

Please excuse the rain drops on the bust... we are predicted rain all of this week so I took the pics whilst I could...hee hee