It's the little things...

If you are a parent then you would know that there are times when you just dream of having some time alone, time to do the things you want or need to get done without the interruption of a little person.

There are times when you may even think back of how easy life was when it was just you and your partner, free to do what you wanted to do when and where.

Why is it when we have this opportunity to have some time to ourselves we crave the company of our children?

Spencer is on school holidays at the moment and for the past 3 days has been staying with his grandmother.

I haven't had to pick him up from school, have come home to a quiet, empty house and even been able to take a shower without having him coming in to ask me ''watcha doing''.

I've been able to have uninterrupted conversations with my husband as well as watch TV programs that don't involve Ben 10, Sponge Bob or learning your ABC!

But in saying all of that I have dearly missed my little man.

Whilst dishing up dinner last night I even got an extra plate out for him, without even realising.

I feel guilty craving time away from my child...I worry it makes me a bad parent...but I guess at the end of the day we all need some ''me time'', as I am sure he does at times.

I am so looking forward to seeing my gorgeous little man this afternoon and feeling the warmth of his cuddle and the sweet smell of his hair!

Ahhh it's true... it's the little things in life that make us happy!

♥ 

My Creative Space

I've been working on this cuff for the past few weeks and finally it's starting to take form.

I've used an Eagle Eye Agate cabochon as the centre piece and then some gorgeous 

Desert Picture Jasper tear drop and oval cabs.

These cabs have such an earthy, dare I say, organic feel to them. 

I've used an assortment of seed beads including cube beads, delicas and wooden beads as well as some gorgeous tigers eye czech beads.

The decision I have to make now is whether to attach the piece to a metal cuff base or keep it as a softer bracelet style cuff.

This is my first attempt at a beaded cuff so not sure what the better option is but am leaning towards a softer cuff ...for the time being...until I play around with some cuff bases.

Don't you love the way the sparkle of the beads showed up in this out of focus shot I took...

♥

Time flies

Gosh time is just flying by at the moment.

The hours at work seem to drag by yet my time at home passes too quickly!

I haven't been beading as much as I'd like to be as I have slipped out of the habit of beading on my lunch break at work.

Anyway I just wanted to let you all know that I am still about and promise to be more active in the coming weeks. I might even have a few bits and pieces to share!

Heck I even hopped back on my exercise bike yesterday!

♥

Eye of the Tiger

Firstly, please excuse the corny title.

I couldn't think of anything else remotely imaginative for a post relating to tigers eye!

This pendant is a piece I started some time ago and finally managed to finish.

The focal piece is a Marsha Neal ceramic cabochon and it is surrounded by tigers eye cabochons, tigers eye rounds and seed beads.

I was originally going to string the pendant on a beaded rope but decided the chain simplified the piece and drew more attention to the pendant itself.

I also beaded two tigers eye cabochons to match the cabs used in the pendant which I was originally going to turn into earrings but I decided a ring was in order instead.

I have never created a beaded cabochon ring so am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Only problem area was that I didn't have the right kind of ring base so I ended up having to sew the cab to the base which was quite difficult so will remember this for next time!

I've also learnt that a hand model I am not!

♥

My Creative Space

I've wanted to create a bead embroidered cuff for as long as... well as long as I've been beading!

I have always been inspired by the exquisite cuffs designed by the likes of Sherry Serafini and Heidi Kummli and since becoming the proud owner of Sherry's latest book, Sensational Bead Embroidery (and yes.. it IS sensational) I have been even more inspired to get cuffing!!

I've decided earthy tones are in order so I couldn't go past this gorgeous 40mm x 30mm Eagle Eye Agate cabochon as my focal piece surrounded by Desert Picture Jasper tear drops which I have had in my stash for a year or so now but have not wanted to use because I l♥ve them so much
(click on the photo if you want to see these gorgeous stones up close...sooo pretty)!

I can't wait to get stitching.

The tigers eye beaded cabochon in the background is in the process of transforming itself into a ring!

Watch this space!

♥

The Slow Cooker's Corner

Do you have a slow cooker?

If so then join my newly formed group on Facebook

The Slow Cooker's Corner

I love my slow cooker.

I love the delicious, heart warming soups I can create.

I love seeing the meat fall off a lamb shank that has been cooked for hours and hours.

Mediterranean Lamb Shanks cooked by me

And best of all I love being able to enjoy the finer things in life whilst my dinner is slowly cooking!

The group will be a way to share recipes, hints and anything else related to slow cookers so pop on over and say hello by clicking

HERE!

♥

Another day older

Well as you know, it was my birthday on 22 May and I am now officially another day older.

Yep...only a day older...not a year older...because let's face it - we have spent 364 days working towards being a year older that really...on our birthday we are only one day older.

Good thinking huh?

I had a very quiet day at home with my hubby and my little man, Spencer.

I received a beautiful pair of channel set diamond earrings from my husband which were a complete surprise. I had given him a long list of things I'd like...not being greedy but purely offering him many options!

They were even simple things like hand cream and a foldaway umbrella to fit in my handbag!

So you can imagine how surprised I was to open my present to find a sparkling pair of diamond earrings!

My little man gave me My Booky Wook by Russel Brand. Probably not the most appropriate book for him to read which is why it's MY book!!

My husband has also kindly offered to pay for the items in my Fire Mountain Gems shopping cart which is an assortment of silversmithing tools such as hammers, mallets, ring mandrel, tripod & mesh, tweezers and a few other bits and pieces.

I am so excited as I've dreamt of trying my hand at silversmithing for some time, as you might recall by some of my previous posts, so the dream may soon become a reality once I get my work area set up!

Thanks so much to everyone for the lovely birthday wishes sent to me on Facebook.

You are all champions!!

♥

There's always next year...

Well I wasn't originally going to share this news but I decided I might feel better in myself if I share it with everyone.

I received my letter from Fire Mountain Gems today to inform me that I didn't qualify as a Finalist in their Seed Beads, Glass or Acrylic Competition.

I entered 3 pieces and not one qualified.

I'm not ashamed... just disappointed...so I shouldn't feel embarrassed to say it out aloud.

I kind of knew what the letter was going to say but I guess a teeny tiny part of my was hoping I would see the word congratulations in there somewhere!

I honestly did not expect to win...but thought it would be nice to at least earn myself the title of Finalist.

I am very a little disappointed but I guess we need these hurdles in life to keep us striving to be better right?

Right?

♥

Nothing else to report

I've been on a bit of a roll with my birthday posts...

Yes if  you haven't noticed by now...my birthday is this Sunday. 

I feel my posts about my birthday nearly have a Juls feel to them... you  know it's true Juls!!

Well sadly I don't have any other exciting news to report leading up to my birthday.

I've actually been feeling pretty crappy since Friday night after I had a fall at home and have bruised my coccyx rather badly.

Hint: don't search "ouch" in Google images unless you are prepared for a lot of rather disgusting injury photos... oh my!! 
I know you are now searching "ouch"... don't say I didn't warn you!

Anyhoo... I've been really tired, aching all over and generally grumpy and moody. My hubby keeps asking me what's wrong and why I'm so grumpy.

Ummm HELLO...

I fell flat on my back, have bruises on both butt cheeks (ok too much info - but hey I am amongst friends here), bruises on my back, feel like I've been hit by a bus so I feel I am entitled to be a bit moody!

Ok... rant over...

Sorry Lisa... I don't have anything exciting to report other than my sore butt!!

Hoping I feel better by the weekend as I might just be feeling like I am turning 68 not 38!

There... I said it... 38!

♥

What's just as good as beading? Beading books!

It's my birthday on 22 May.

I'm not ashamed to admit I will still be a year or two shy of 40!

My dad always asks me what I want and oddly enough I can never think of anything I "need". As he lives interstate it's easier for him to send me some money rather than have to post a gift.

After thinking about what I needed I decided a few new beading books were in order
so here is what I have just ordered from 

The Book Depository, 

my favourite online book store!

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The Art of Beaded Beads 

by 

Jean Campbell

Beadweaving with Cabochons 

by 

Marie Geraud

Sensational Bead Embroidery 

by 

Sherry Serafini

Bead Tube Jewelry 

by 

Nancy Zellers

Creating Glamorous Jewelry with Swarovski Elements 

by

Jean Campbell

I can't wait to get my hands on all of these beauties. 

If you own any of these books then feel free to post a review! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Do you have any book recommendations?

♥

A little something for me...

I decided to spoil myself.

My birthday is on 22 May and as you know it was just Mother's Day.

So what better way to treat myself than with a gorgeous pendant made by the beautiful 

Belinda of Belinda Saville - Handcrafted Jewellery

I fell in l♥ve with this beautiful Sonora Sunrise Chyrsocolla cabochon as soon as Belinda posted it on her Facebook page.

I just knew a custom order was called for!

So, then began the beautiful journey that is a custom order with Belinda Saville. 

The design, to be honest, I left mainly up to Belinda other than telling her that I wanted a bail large enough to enable the pendant to be interchangeable with something as fine as a silver chain or as chunky as a strand of coral beads.

Belinda suggested we leave the back of the pendant open so as not to cover up too much of the beautiful cabochon.

Which she complimented with her beautiful hallmark stamp.

Do I feel spoilt? 

ABSOLUTELY!

If you haven't checked out Belinda's beautiful blog be sure to drop by and say hello and be sure to tell her I said hello... 

...or even better visit her Etsy store and spoil yourself too! 

Her pieces are as gorgeous as she is and who would have thought that she has only been working with silver for a few months.
Pure talent.

Belinda, thank you for being such a beautiful soul and spoiling me with more than just my beautiful pendant. Your talent is an inspiration and that in itself is a true gift.

♥

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Speaking of Mother's Day here are a few shots of Spencer and I taken on Sunday...

...wearing my new pendant of course!

Thank you Spencer for completing me.

I love you now and always.

♥

Winter Enchantment

There is an old saying "better late than never" and that certainly applies to my latest piece created as part of the Artbeads Design Partner Blogging Program.

I have to confess that I should have blogged about this at least a month or so ago but life has it's ups and downs which doesn't always allow us to meet our deadlines.

The most recent theme for the Design Partners was "Winter Enchantment" and as previously mentioned I had decided to use a Eucalyptus Ironbark Gum blossom that blooms in Australia during winter, as my inspiration.

Aren't these the most divine blossoms you have ever seen?

I was originally going to be making a necklace constructed of gum blossoms created using Melind Barta's addictive "Sparkly Wheels" but there were a few bumps in that road

so a gum leaf and blossom brooch was born!

The leaf has been embroidered with size 11/0 seed beads and Czech fire polished beads.

The blossom has been stitched using Czech fire polished beads and size 11/0 seed beads and then fringed with size 11/0 and size 15/0 seed beads.

The leaf is life size measuring approximately 6.5 inches (15cm) long and around 1 inch (1.5cm) wide.

My little man, Spencer, actually said "mummy this looks like a real leaf but with sparkly beads''... ahh an honest critic!

Unfortunately I still need to add the brooch backing as the only ones I had included a loop so it could be worn with a necklace but in the mean time it looks great sitting next to my computer!

As my original design idea had not come to fruition I decided to use the left over beads to make a bracelet to kind of match the brooch!

I love this bracelet as it is so colourful and just has such a happy feeling to it...not to mention you could wear it with just about any outfit!

It's just a pity I will be giving it to a friend for her birthday...

...but hey I can always make another!

♥

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Disclosure: I am a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program. I received all the components free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.