Angels

I stopped in Michael's the other day and a lady came down the bead isle where I was contemplating seed bead colors. "Aren't the beads so beautiful?" she said. I agreed. She continued, "Angels bring beads. They love beads. Where you have beads, the angels are there." I remarked that I had better pick my piles up then so that I can see which beads are gifts from the angels. "If you draw a star in your journal at the beginning and at the end of your entry, that will bring the angels too." I told her thank you that was good to know. It might be my pile(s) of beads. It might be that I actually began and ended my journal entry with stars, but I did get "the call" today. Keep your fingers crossed everyone because tomorrow Mr. Pearl and Pebble and I are going to meet our daughter and her birth mother. I might be quiet for a few days so be patient with me. And if you think of it, say a little prayer for us too.

Meet Kate

Main Ingredients: Wool, Glass, Stone. Marinate then string with a bit of pearl and a dash of metal.

I used a green gold wool with a bit of brown, black, and natural shades to make the felted beads. The colors made me think of a pretty bead that Kelley had sent me as a thank you gift with a previous order. Sure enough, the colors went really well. I was lovin it, so I asked her to make me some more. Which she did:)

Combined with some yellow turquoise, green pearl, and some brassy accents, "Kate" was born.

This was my very first submission to Stringing Magazine and I am just thrilled!!! I almost didn't make the deadline. In fact at the last minute I had given up. I had been determined for months to create something and send it in. And as usual, I was down to the wire. Like right there. With an attitude of defeat I posted a picture of my intended offering. Well let me tell you, Barbara Lewis said um um -mail her overnight! And so I did. And don't you know I am so happy I did. My next submission didn't make it in, but that won't stop me from future attempts. I love love love doing this!!! If you haven't ever sent your creation(s) in before, you really should go for it. Seriously. Why not? What have you got to loose? Click here to go to Sringing's webpage to get the skinny on deadlines for 2011. Click on the links to the right to visit other designer's blogs and read all about their fabulous creations! Make sure you leave comments, because there are some really nice giveaways going on too.

This And That

I think it has probably been a good eight months since I ordered these cafe au lait swirly glass beads from Kelley. And I just completed a design with them. YAY ME!!! I have had them sitting together with these other sweet babies knowing that I loved how the colors and patterns were working so well with each other. I have had the center bead for about ten years now and don't remember anything about it except that I got it in Charlotte. The two amazing beauties next to it I picked up from Andrew Thornton's shop. And the bigger faceted barrels toward the back were someone else's destash.... I like it. I like it alot. Don't know if I want to plop it in the shop or not.

The family is on their way back to Florida. I think I am a terrible daughter/hostess. I think I totally stress when my house/space is crowded. And the heat just doesn't help. It may have caused the "episode", I don't know. I had to pull over on my way to work the other day because my heart was beating funny, I couldn't catch my breath and I was quite light headed. Mr. Pearl and Pebble came and got me and we spent the afternoon in the hospital. EKG was normal, blood was normal. ???? So I don't know. What I do know is that I do NOT like IVs. I have those cute little rolling veins and it takes forEVer to find a keeper. Ouch. The other thing I know is that it is very hard to provide a urine sample when you have a tube stuck in the bendy part of your arm and monitor wires hanging from your chest and the gown you are wearing is open in the back. It probably didn't hurt to check out the heart. Ladies, heart disease is a HUGE killer of women. And our symptoms are different from men's from what I understand. Which is why problems probably go undetected longer.

We took a little camping trip over the weekend. The campground was soooooo crowded. Still it was nice to be in our little camper with yellow dog. It even has A/C and a pottie!!!!! WHOO HOOO! We got home yesterday and planned the next trip. I am really really really looking forward to that one! The colors will be peaking (hopefully) in Michigan's upper peninsula-which is a lovely place to be no matter when if you ever get the opportunity.

Tomorrow I will be posting about my necklace that is featured in the current issue of Stringing. I know! I am so thrilled!!! Have a great day everyone:)

Little Treasures

This beautiful beautiful work of art was found this morning on the driveway. Upside down and quite expired. But pretty much perfect otherwise. Look at the color and intricacy of his wings. Amazing. We also found two cicadas in a similar state. I have to say that was a bit worrisome. Is there a pesticide cloud surrounding my house? I have been a bit more quieter than usual and that's because I have had my parents and grandma staying with us this past week. And the computer is in the office/guest room. Went to my sis's yesterday for a family reunion. (I'm convinced that there is nothing more humbling than for one to be surrounded by his gene pool.) The parents and grandma will be back here with us again tomorrow for a few more days. Then they will head back to Florida. Hope you all are having a terrific weekend. What treasures have you discovered today?