Sand Fibers: June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Finally!

I had received several requests for a pattern for my Totally Turquoise Architecture cuff but had always declined them because I knew I wouldn't be able to "just" graph the pattern for this piece.

This would require photographs and written instructions, resulting in a pattern unlike any I have published to date. This would require lots of work.

Something (not quite sure what or if it qualifies me for the loony bin) in my thinking changed, however, and when I was asked by a customer if she could complete her 3 for 2 pattern order (which, as you may recall, is a permanent program in my Etsy and ArtFire stores) with Totally Architecture, I said "okay!" but that it would have to wait until after I returned from Bead & Button.

My beader friend has been very patient with me. Thank you!

The first thing I realized when I set out to write these instructions was that process photographs for the one-color version of this cuff would not be at all helpful for the reader. Time to bead a two-color version! And so we got

Totally Tropical Architecture Peyote Cuff

It uses the same wonderful matte turquoise AB delicas for the base, but then tops those with equally delicious matte cherry AB in the embellishments.

I took over 80 photographs while I was beading this cuff. Lesson learned: while I use Fireline (in either smoke or crystal...and in this instance crystal) for creating most of my work, that particular thread does not show up well in photographs, especially not the crystal version. I didn't realize the error of my ways until I uploaded the photographs to my computer and started editing them.

I had to redo the photo shoot with a new sample, this time using bright yellow C-lon thread instead. There went another day in the process. My new motto is: Live, Learn, and Bead (or should that be: Live, Bead, and Learn?)

Yesterday I spent the entire day at the computer. My husband and I joked that we had both had 12-hour work days, just that he actually had to shower and get dressed for his! It was a productive day, however:

3 for 2 Program - Totally Architecture Peyote Cuff - For Personal Use Only PDF Pattern

I hope you have a wonderful day today, so be well and get going, my friends!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Bead & Button - Part Two

Wednesday, June 9

Over the course of the last year or so, I have had the great fortune to develop online friendships with the oh-so-talented German beaders Sabine Lippert and Martina Nagele. When they decided to travel to the States for B&B, the prospect of this trip became even more exciting for me. Amazing! We would get to meet in person, something I had not dared to hope for.

Sabine and Martina had often mentioned their friend and B&B traveling companion, Petra Tismer - owner of Das Perlament in Bonn. Petra and I did became Facebook friends last month, in time to find out that she had lived in this part of the country for a few years. It's a small world.

Terry and I got on the elevator shortly before 7am on Wednesday. The plans were for him to get to the station to take the train to Indiana, where he would visit with his brother and nephew until Saturday and for me to have breakfast with my German friends. On the way down to the lobby, I overheard two women with (what I thought were) German accents. The woman to my left was not really in my line of sight, so I addressed the woman more directly in front of me with, "Martina?" Her reply, "no." Oh well....an honest mistake, right...I may have imagined her accent.

Then, the woman to my left turns towards me with a big smile on her face and says "Carol!" It was Petra :D Yes, strangers DO hug in elevators! LOL I introduced her to my husband, who then left on his own adventure. Petra and I found a table in the lobby part of the restaurant (despite having made a reservation, we were told that the restaurant itself was full). We hadn't been there long when Sabine joined us. More hugs and laughter and joy, which was then repeated when Martina came to the table a few minutes later.

Oooo-ing and aah-ing over beautiful jewelry. Conversation that jumped from one topic to another. Women having fun, getting to know each other better. Blessings. We were NOT strangers. And I fell in love. ;)

But we all had places to be and beading to do. After promises to, at a minimum, meet up with each other for breakfast every morning of our stay, we went our separate ways...

My very first beadweaving class EVER--I am entirely self-taught thanks to wonderful books and the internet--was scheduled for 8:00am in the Hilton hotel, which was two skywalks and a convention center from where we were. That took a "few" minutes and at one point I felt rather like I was walking a maze.

I finally located the classroom, a few minutes before the scheduled start. From the hallway, I heard Marcia DeCoster telling someone that "any minute now one of my facebook friends will..." and as I walked through the door -- "...walk through the door" "Carol!" "Marcia!" Hugs. Laughter. What a welcoming way to start a class!

Everything about that class was wonderful: the amazing instructor Marcia DeCoster, her patient and lovely assistant Liz Thompson, the project - Ripplestiltskin, my "neighbor" Erica Cessna of ReedsBeads.

This is how far we got with the beautiful cuff in this project:

Please note that we ENDED the class by using size 15 seed beads to create a bezel for the gorgeous rivoli. Can we say, "eyestrain"!? LOL I think the photo of me on Marcia's blog was taken before we began work on that bezel, but I already looked pretty tired..hehe.

This is what the cuff looks like finished, by the way:

Wednesday was a super long, extra-ordinary day, and you will have to wait for Part Three of this tale to hear about meeting Lisa, Jennifer, Donna, Shelley, Linda, Shirley, Janice, Mak, Nanette, Tali, Kelli, and Kelly.

At this rate, it will be the end of July before I finish telling this story. LOL. Be well and get going!

Saturday Window Shopping with Sand Fibers

A few years ago, Saturday mornings at Casa Sharpe meant getting up super early, loading the station wagon, driving to Las Cruces, and setting up for the Las Cruces Farmers and Craft Market. There are so many things I miss about that weekly experience. Among these is the opportunity to purchase various, always delicious, local honeys. Since I'm daydreaming about honey, it seemed appropriate to search Etsy for some. Enjoy!

Baklava Pecan Honey Lemon Cookies, 1/2 lb

YummyAffair

BFL spinning fiber hand dyed MILK AND HONEY 4 oz.

wildhare

Natural Sweet Honey Scent Beeswax Rolled 4 x 3 Pillar Candle - Eco Friendly Candle

GreenLeafCandles

Honey and Milk -- 8x10 print

Emmalynne

Honey and brown ceramic sculptured love birds

orlydesign

Honey Lavender shortbread cookies

whimsyandspice

Honey Pot/Sugar Jar - Shino

sierraclayart

Summer Sale - 18K Gold Handmade Ear Wire Honey Quartz and Citrine Earrings

SkyDreams

2 Handrolled Honeycomb Beeswax Taper Candles

beesandme

Aunt Lucys Victorian Fabric Bundle

reginasstudio

A Drop Of Honey

countingstitches

Tea Tree and Honey Facial Soap

karenssoaps

Honey Corriedale Wool Roving 2oz

cjkopeccreations

Organic Dark Cocoa Honey (4oz)

Anchasta

Honey Amber ring - Raw Amber and sterling silver

Jealousydesign

Milk and Honey - 5x7 Fine Art Print

WhileWandering

Honeycomb Soap (Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey)

WonderTurtleSoaps

Pure Noe Valley Honey - 16 oz, September 2009

PollenPrincesses

Golden - brown bracelet with 5 sea glasses

astash

Made to Order.... Nesting set of 5 Poppy Bowls in Honey and Red

clearmountaincraft

Honey (Signed Limited Edition)

JohnManno

BEE HAPPY Honey Almond and Lemon Hand and Body Lotion

bnoelaromatics

Bronze Beauty - Frilly Oglala Bracelet (3110)

time2cre8

1/2 Pound Powdered Honey

layla

Necklace - Brown honey

azulado

Honey Dipper 4x6 print

SprocketsArt

On that note: be well, get going, and have a honey-sweet weekend!

Friday, June 25, 2010

BAO Item of the Week (June 25-July 1)

Happy Friday, everyone! Earlier this month, before I left for Bead & Button, I played with one of my many Lisa Peters Art cabochons to create this pendant -

As I was working with it, I realized that a pattern I had designed several months ago but not yet beaded up would provide the prefect "go with" piece for the necklace.

My Fashionable Circles "ensemble" received many compliments in Milwaukee. While it will remain in my jewelry wardrobe for years to come, you can own part of it with my (made-to-order) Bead Art Originals Item of the Week.

Fashionable Circles in Turquoise and Metals Peyote Cuff

Purchase and pay for this by midnight on Thursday, July 1, AND mention "BAO" in the Notes to Seller, and I will include a surprise gift in your package. You won't be disappointed ;)

To see details on the other seven BAO Items of the Week, check out the Bead Art Originals blog.

I hope to have the second installment of my Bead & Button report up later today. In the meantime, be well and get going on this last Friday in June.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Thursday's Treasur(i)es

Why is it that, as we age, time goes from "are we there yet?" to "where did the day go?" I can't believe it's been a week since my last treasur(i)es post already. Wow. Well, this past week, Sand Fibers showed up in four wonderful treasuries. Would you please help me in thanking the curators by visiting their shops?

In a New Mexico Minute

Alchimiste included my New Mexico Skies cuff in this collection.

Silver wire, garnet and lapis necklace with fallen wood pendant is only one of the treasures you will find at Alchimiste:

Mystery Bloom

trinitydj included my Red Satin Ribbon Dance cuff in this collection.

PCP4823 - Polymer Clay Pendant is only one of the treasures you will find at trinitydj:

Sarah Jessica Parker - Inspiration

trinitydj also included my Truncated Eyelet - The Fire Within cuff in this collection.

Cherry Blossom - T2722 is only one of the treasures you will find at trinitydj:

Happy Summer Everyone!

nanouke included my Some Like It Hot, Red Hot cuff in this collection.

White Leaf Earrings is only one of the treasures you will find at nanouke:

Thank you so much to the wonderful Etsians who have singled out my creations for their beautiful treasuries! I get such a thrill every time I see a list with a Sand Fibers item. :D

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Bead and Button - Part One

Has it really been more than two weeks? Here it goes, some of my Bead & Button adventure.

Monday, June 7

Monday afternoon I delivered the dogs to where we had arranged to board them. The pups seemed almost happy to return to where they had had their first (trial) over-night stay only a week earlier. I had opened the hatch to the stationwagon to air it out, and all three jumped straight in and waited there excitedly for almost 5 minutes before I came out with their bedding and food for the stay.

Since our flight was scheduled to leave around 6:30 Tuesday morning, my wise husband went to bed at a decent hour. I, on the other hand, could not sleep after getting my bags packed and spent the evening, the night, and part of the early morning beading this cuff to wear on the plane. Silly me. LOL

The Line-Up

Tuesday, June 8

I must admit that I was more nervous on the ride into El Paso to take my first commercial flight in 15 years than I had been on the way in to have surgery to remove my gall bladder. Pathetic, eh? Did I mention that I have a fear of flying?

We arrived at the airport by 4:30, only to be told that our United Express flight had been canceled. It seems our plane had suffered a lightening strike the night before and had to be taken out of service for mechanical reasons. With the help of United and Delta representatives, my wonderful husband managed to get us seats on Delta.

Since we were taking Delta we were among the first to see and sit in the newly remodeled (we're talking handsome yet comfy sofas!) waiting area at the Delta gates which the airport had just (seriously - only minutes earlier) opened. Here you can see some of the stained glass panels the airport had commissioned for this and several other areas in the terminal.

Rather than our original El Paso/Chicago/Milwaukee route, we had to fly to Atlanta

from where we connected to a Delta flight to Milwaukee. It took a "little" longer (in both miles and minutes) than our original itinerary would have, but Delta got us where we needed to be at a decent hour. And I survived only slightly worse for wear.

It was drizzling and the temps were gloriously cool when we arrived. On the drive from the airport to the hotel, I was struck by how many churches could be seen along the route. It seemed there were spires every which way I looked.

We checked into the Hyatt,

where we were offered a $50/night downgrade (from a room with a king size bed) to a room with a full size Murphy bed and a sofa sleep and we took it. (Heck, the savings on my room took care of almost the entire dog boarding bill.) After getting up to the room and unpacking, Terry (my brave husband) joined me in the (sky)walk over to the (truly impressive!) convention center to pick up my registration packet.

The lines were long already, but time flew as I chatted with a few lovely beaders (and my husband found a safe place--out of the way of all those women!--to wait for me). After an early dinner (of bratwurst, of course!, and two delicious beers for me) in an almost empty sports bar, we returned to the room...Terry to watch the NBA finals and I to konk out. I was spent.

...to be continued...soon...

Now be well and get going, my friends! ;D

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

An Amazing Bead Give-Away!

Oh what a lucky day July 2 will be for someone! Denise Yezbak Moore of Rusty Roxx Jewelry is having a massive give-away on her blog: 7.5 POUNDS of beads will find one or six lucky new owners. One or six?, you ask. Correct. Find out all about it on her blog.

Here's a glimpse of the prize(s) -

Good luck! Now be well and get going :D

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Saturday Window Shopping with Sand Fibers

I've spent the past two days working on a kumihimo braid in aqua and browns. It will become the necklace for a Lisa Peters hexagonal cab that I bezeled earlier in the week.