Something Magical

There is something magical about Green Girls Studios beads. How else could I explain how this perfect bead ended up in my gift bag from Bead Cruise 2010?
Everyone knows a coffee cup is never far away from my hand. FusionBeads is debuting new beads from Green Girl Studio Treat yourself to a bit of magic and enjoy free shipping from http://www.fusionbeads.com.

September Bead Journal Page

My bags are packed, my beads are in my carry-on (large purse) and we are ready for flight in the morning. Las Vegas here we come. We are staying at the Flamingo Hotel. A perfect theme for my September Bead Journal page. Flamingo Carved Tagua Nut This bead holds so many memories for me of great trips with my friend Marcie. One of our many following Judith across country on her trek from Tombstone, AZ to Atrium, New Hamphsire. Beading together trying out new bead projects. Good friends, good food and time spent with friends. I finshed a few other bead projects this month. I realized when I put them all together there was a lot of purple. This sent me on a quest to find out what I could about the color purple. Not to mention a trip to the store to find something to wear with all this purple! Purple is the color trend for fall this year. To read about the color purple go here It's time to call it a night "Gracie" You got a plane to catch in the morning!

August 2007 Bead Journal Project

I decided I could not start or finish a bead journal page for August. It weighed so heavy on my mind I had nightmares about it. My son once told me cry a river, build a bridge and get over it. Well, I cried that river, I built a bridge but I can not get over it. What is IT? Living in New Orleans Post Katrina. Sharing my birthday August 29th with a devastating event that changed so many lives including mine. The center of my page is an procelian button of an eye. Representing the eye of the storm. In my mind I beaded eye lashes on the top and bottom. Storm are still brewing in the south and a dark cloud hangs over those of us living on the edge. On the edge of trying to rebuild. Living on the edge watching the next storms forming in the Gulf. So for now just like this city of New Orleans my page will be waiting....waiting for a rebuilding.

July Bead Journal Project

Like sand in an hour glass so are the days, weeks and years of my life in New Orleans. Captured in the stone an insect, which reminds me of the dragonflys that have visted me in the month of July. I wonder, will my beadwork be captured and passed down to the life that comes after me. Will that life see the passion I had for creating each piece of Bead Art? Will they feel the love that went into each stitch that sewed my designs together? Will they know how I treasured each friend I have made in my journay into this bead world? *Note* Supplies used: Fossil stone bought at the Gem & Mineral Show 2004. Black onyx and gold stone cabachons from Baldwin Taylor Hardware Store, Jefferson, LA. Steel cut seed beads, marcasite seed beads. The orange beads used as highlights in the stripes are from my sister Rosanne. I tried to tell her I would never use that color when we were sharing beads on my last visit. She knew. She told me take them you will see! Little did I know they would be just what I needed to complete my July page. **Second Note** Can you tell which soaps I watch in the afternoon?

Dragonfly in Progess Part II

This is the progress I have made so far on my July Bead Journal page. I am putting it up for the day. I worked so much on it last I poked holes in the tips of my fingers! How is that for commitment? I was going to blog about it last night but the band-aids on my fingers stopped me. I did not like the bugles on the sides and took them out. On to mondane things. Like putting the dishes away and making the bed. Must not forget to figure out what I am going to fix for dinner. The man of the house will be home soon.

Dragonfly in Progress

Today I got a few more beads added to my bead journal page. Along with the fossil stone, I have used gold stone, picture jasper heshi beads and black onyx cabachons. Filling in the back ground are twisted bugles, vintage steel cuts, large copper size 6 seed beads and size 11 seed beads. It is 12:28 and the temps are still the 80's. Tomorrow we have a heat advisory. 108 is to hot for Mom and beast. I worry about taking Cricket out in it. We won't be getting a Schnauzer cut but rather a summer-do at Bark Avenue. My poor baby is having a lot of skin problems. Tomorrow when I pick him up he will only have a beard left. We are going through the routine of trying to figure out the cause. We are on our second round of antibotics and steroids and eating prescription dog food. After 8 weeks if it does not stayed cleared up he will go through allergy tests. I hate to think it could be the enviroment we live in after Hurricane Katrina causing the problems. Cricket hasn't had much gumption to play these last couple of days. I find that very sad.

A Dragonfly has landed in NOLA

This afternoon a package arrived in the mail. My sister told me yesterday she sent some things. Wrapped up safe and sound was a wooden bead with a dragonfly carved into it. It's a sign! I am on the right track with July BJP. I held my dragonfly bead in my hand and made a wish. Maybe I will get to go home soon and have some bead time with my sister.

What happened to your BJP for July?

Tomorrow is the last day of July? Four days have passed and it now the 4Th day of August. Two more days have passed and it is Aug 6Th. Where did the time go? Why haven't I started on my bead journal page yet? For this month that was July, every time I stepped outside I would see a dragonfly. One stopped and stared into my eyes. Another one landed on my shirt. For the next week and a half I was on a quest to find a bead I put somewhere. The bead was a fossil cabachon I bought at the last show the Gem & Mineral Society had before Katrina. The time I am trying to account for has been spent beading away on special projects. I finished Garden by the Sea, Triton's Daughter and crocheted two bracelet using Blue Healer beads I bought on Etsy. Made a Bumps in the Road bracelet and taught a class. Sally and I took a road trip to Turquoise Coyote. Our next stop was Meme's Beads and Things LLC in Slidell. 143 miles later we made it back home just before the afternoon showers. I have bezeled six rivoli's and now need to the join them together to create a Laura McCabe dodecahedron cube. Let's not forget that twisted herringbone bracelet. Where did the time go? Beading on other projects.

This is the start of my July Bead Journal Page. The dog days of summer are upon in New Orleans with the index reaching 105. No wonder I am moving slowing along. One bead, one stitch at a time.

June BJP Complete

If I was psychotic I would count to sea, if I really used 5,000 beads. Summary of June's page. Sunset on Lake Michigan. Special beads I used: Nailheads from Mary Tofaya, Raku bead from my friend Tammye. Gold Beads from a previous trip to South Haven, Michigan. Gold bugle beads from my sister Rosanne and teal bugles from Dona A. What did I achieved with this piece? Getting the effect I wanted with shading and the movement of the beads. I got a very late start on my June BJP. From April to June I drove 5,000 miles. A trip to Phoenix AZ, a visit to San Antonio and back to Michigan to take my Mom home. My sister Rosanne and I also squeezed a day in at the Bead & Button show. I made it back home to New Orleans just in time to celebrate my 18th wedding anniversary. Time was running out but I had one more project to complete. A Garden by the Sea bracelet for Bead Cruise 2008. I started my June page on June 30th. For the next 8 days I worked on it non stop. If I were to write an entry in a journal page for June it would say how much I miss being so far away from my family. Tomorrow I start another project that has a deadline before I can begin July's BJP page.

2007 Bead Journal Project

Tonight I planned out part of the 2007 Bead Journal Project. The surface I am using to for the bead embroidery is e'tal paper. The size 3 X 5 inches. I choose this surface for the metallic color that will show through if all the space is not covered with beads. A little pazza or sparkle to shine through. I am using bits and pieces that have a special meaning to me. Either they were given as a gift or picked up along the way in my travels. The center Raku bead was a gift from my friend Tammye. As I worked on my project tonight my mind wandered to my family and friends. I miss Tammye. I had a dream about Dona A. this afternoon. I think about her everyday. My sister Rosanne have been in my thoughts and in prayers for the last week as she deals with medical issues. The beads are soothing bringing good memories and healing thoughts for those in my prayers. Last but not least the raku shells are a reminder of the great time I had last year in Costa Maya with my daughter Heather. Jelly fish on the shore, sand between our toes and the $10 massages on the beach! Once again I have stayed up to late as I let the beads comfort me.