Fishtank update

Here is some of the beading that I've gotten done. Each of those coral clusters are woven first and then sewn on. I think I need to do a couple more of them. I thought three was enough but I want it to be lusher. The coral clusters are from the book The Beaded Garden by Diane Fitzgerald. I modified it - made it smaller for the cluster.
The seaweed beaded up easy enough. I want to do a bit more at the top and of course the other plants. The blue anemone type thing had definitely got to be fuller - I need more blue flowers for it. I want it to look like that fish is nibbling on it. This is a fun project!




Cheers, Denise

Finished Sampler

Can you see the differences? I still want to bead on it but I have to let it go. The quilt shop would like it and I have to remember that it's for teaching beading techniques. I want people to be able to see the different flowers they can make and the different stitches around the inner green circle. I find the red is more balanced now and the inner circle of flowers is fuller. I did go back to that larger circle line it with size 14 purple beads and I like it, although I've already been told that not everyone does.
This is my middle daughter who will be turning 9 on Saturday! She was still half asleep when I asked her to hold the sampler. She liked the idea of being in the blog though and I promised her I would let her help me with the finished sampler - and not cut off her head in the process!
Cheers!

works in progress!

This sampler is almost completely done. I knew that I wanted to do more, that it wasn't quite done. I consulted a friend of mine who has a great eye for colour and balance etc and she suggested where I should make the changes. I've got to get it finished and over to the quilt shop because they are missing their samplers! I'll be curious to see what you all think of the changes and where they are made. It's amazing what it will actually take to achieve balance on this piece. The darling little girl holding the sampler is my youngest, Emerald. She is almost 7.






This next piece is really not scanning well Light penetrates through this piece but you can't see that with a scan.. I used the new technique in Quilting Arts and this is created by ribbons and lace etc sandwiched between layers of organza. It was really fun to make and has lots of depth. I've started beading it and will add a lot more beads before it's finished. I like looking at works in progress because it's fun to see how things come together, so I'm sending this out very unfinished with the promise for you to look at it again.
I want to do this technique again and make leaves. I love the idea of sewing the leaves on just at the tips and letting the leaves flutter. Oh the ideas!!!
Thanks! Denise

My cuff bracelet

I just love this bracelet! It was my first cuff and it turned out great! I used a piece of raw amber as the main stone and those are toho triangles that are woven over it. I really love the pearls with the amber. One of these days I'm going to make a necklace with amber and pearls!
I'll be teaching this bracelet in March and I'm looking forward to it! I really enjoy teaching.




It's been a heck of week. The phone went on the fritz and it took hours for the guy to find the problem. The dry went on the fritz too and it cost me over a hundred dollars to be told that really, the belt was good.
The kids were home all week and I think we had a good time. We went to the local zoo and it was fun to see the animals so active in the cold weather. The lions like the cold weather! And of course so do the Siberian tigers!
The kids are snowboarding with dh and I've had some quiet time! Tomorrow, I get to catch up with the laundry!
Cheers, D

Fish Tank Art Quilt

Isn't it great! There was a challenge at my local quilt shop to quilt with this cool lava material. I didn't make this! When I saw it, I decided that I really wanted to bead it! So the owners got in touch with the maker of the fish tank and her and I got together and discussed me beading it. She thought it was a great idea and now I'm off! I've started the seaweed and I'll post as I go along. We want to enter it in the local quilt show in May. It's fun to bead and I've got some good ideas for it. I love the lava material too. The quilter thought the challenge was cool too. Of course the fact that I had a huge fish tank for years probably has a lot to do with me loving this piece!
Progress pictures to come!
Cheers, D

I passed Math!

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

And I'd be happy no matter which grade it is! I'll definitely have to pass this on to my engineer husband who teases me all the time about my math skills!
Cheers, D

How many projects can a person have going at once?

I must have at least half a dozen projects on the go and wait, okay, I'll be honest - even more than that! And, I want to start another one! See the link that I put up? It's to an amazing bead artist whose work I've admired for a while and on one of the forums I visit, the women can't stop talking about the workshop that they did with Thom Atkins. I can't get his link working right now though. I'll try later or try clicking on the title to see if it comes up. The retreat was in Vegas! Oh I wish I could have been there! So the women are talking about the techniques and the thrills they are getting and my mind is raising and my fingers are itching to play!
I've also got two more no wait, three chubby books to do, two atc swaps, a fabric postcard swap, a quilted fishtank to bead, my hand to finish, a couple of dolls ...no I just can't bear to list them all!!! Someone might actually say something about my mental state!!!
But I love it and I love to play and expand with these challenges. I haven't signed up for anything else, does that help? I think so!
The weather is freezing rain and my children who rarely get a snow day because they are close enough to walk to school actually stayed home with me today. I ran out early and got the new Harry Potter movie and all our favourite potato chips. We curled up in our favourite blankets and pillows and tucked in for a good movie! It feels wonderfully decandent! They promised they would all get along and they are!!!
Have a good day,
D

I've been Tagged! Things you didn't really want to know about me!

The first player of this game starts with the "6 weird/things/habits about yourself" and people who get tagged need to write a blog about their 6 weird habits/things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end you need to choose the 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read yours.

1. I like to nap. I try to do it every day, and I always have to read to fall asleep.
2.I don't like drinking pop out of a can. Bottles I can do, can's not so much. Everyone in my family knows that if I ask for a pop, they have to pour it in a glass for me.
3.I really don't think I'm weird!
4. I like to do art at dinner time. As a matter of fact, I get down in the art room at about 3 in the afternoon and I don't want to come up!! I'm forced to stop and think about dinner and by then the kids are so hungry that it's easier to do nuggets and fries! I personally think that most of the work is done when you have decided what to make! If I ask my dh to make dinner and I tell him what we are having, I've done more work then him!!
5.I like going to the dentist! I like having my teeth cleaned and I like it when the dentist sighs and realizes that he's not going t make any money off me!
6.I honestly think my friends would have more fun making up this list then me! And they would probably have more interesting things to say!

I tag Kim, and Helaine. I don't have six names on my list yet so I can't just going around tagging people!
Cheers you two!
D