Saturday, August 28, 2010

Seedbead 911...hello old friend!

I've been called in for some seedbead repair work.  Looks like the wine bottle that I covered in seedbeads for my dad, FIFTEEN years ago, has some age spots.



This bottle was a gift to my father for his 55th birthday. He turned 70 this year.  It took me about 30 hours to make it. I covered the whole bottle using single needle right angle weave stitch, yellow size B Nymo thread and light green transparent size 11 seedbeads (oh and yellow ones at the top). I picked the beads and thread color to match the color of the wine in the bottle and the color of the glass. 

It is a joy to be fondling and working with this old friend.  This project has a comfy spot in my heart.  I have done maybe 3 or 4 projects like this....ones that have taken a nice big chunk of time.  This particular one is my favorite, especially since it is so loved and sits on my dad's desk.  I remember loving working on this bottle.  It was very zen.  There wasn't much to distract the mind, it was more engineering than design.  No crazy thread path or color variation, just the same bead and the same stitch for hours.  It was a bit of a challenge though, to decrease the stitch to fit the beadwork snug on the bottle.

Fifteen years later, I still have the beads and I still have the thread.  Time to stitch this bad boy back up :)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Incoming ...must get my hands in shape!

I am so excited, Lindstrom has come up with a new plier series.  I got to play with the Flat Nose a bit at the Bead&Button Show and they were really really nice.  I just got confirmation that a full set are headed my way so I can test and review the line before they go into full production. 

I plan on bending every wire I can get my hands on.  I am doing my hand exercises...stretchin', finger squats, hip hop cardio finger dance and hand jumping jacks.  I have almost perfected my hand balance handstand like this guy.

 

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

10!!! Really!?

Today is my Izzy's 10th birthday...ten?  Did I say 10?  Can that be right?  How can I have a child who is old enough to beg for a cel phone for her birthday (boy, she is gonna be disappointed!).  Yep, I just did the math, she was born in 2000, she is ten...wow!

This was then.....





...and this is now!

On days like today, I kinda long for that big, chunky, cloth diaper butt baby! Ok, maybe not the diaper part.