ZEBRA FLOWER BEADS, BEADED CABOCHON CLASS

BEADS SOAKING IN BLEACH

A friend of mine asked if I would make two bracelets and two pair of earrings for her friends and she wanted them in black and white.  How convenient was that since I just made a black and white flower cane. Last night I sat and made beads from my black and white flower cane and the pieces of black and white clay that I made a modified Zebra cane from.  Baked  them as normal last night and they were very nice when they came out of the oven.  I HATE SANDING.  So, I thought I would put them in the tumbler.  Had the tumbler out in the garage where as you know it's probably 110 degrees.  When I took the beads out, they were yellowish and black.  I almost cried.  I think the rubber tumbler was getting too hot and the heat in the garage and the rubber caused the beads to change color.  I had a friend who had a new tumbler and her white beads turned green.  Another had a smelly tumbler and her beads smelled.  I am soaking my beads in bleach right now and hope they turn white again.

BEADING AROUND A CABOCHON

My friend Lupe from Mirame Creations (who by the way was mentioned on Tina Holdens Blog today) and I took a class together.  The beading place is A2Z Beads in Peoria, AZ on 60th and Bell Road.  The class we took was how to bead around a cabochon.  I've done it before but I knew there were shortcuts and someone out there could help me with that.  The lady that taught the class was Kay Smith and she was wonderful.  And yes, Kay had shortcuts like how to tie a knot without using up all your thread, how to put a backing on without it looking like old stretched out underpants (guess I gave that one away).  She was great.  The class provided the cabochon, the backing, the leather for the back, the beads, the thread and the needle.

That's a real turquoise cabochon.

Love the back of this.  No loose leather this time.  Thanks Kay.

Check out the A2Z Beads website to see when Kay is teaching classes.

This is my polymer clay cat cabochon that I made and beaded around it with larger glass beads using peyote stitch.  I lost my book about right angle weave that has my favorite bail directions in it.  As soon as I find it I'm going to make a bail and figure out what kind of necklace I want to put it on.

I'm sure the book is hiding somewhere just like my Prisma Color Pencils that disappeared a week ago.  I know as soon I replace both of those things they will show up. I think the cat hides them and laughs at me behind my back.  Tee hee hee.  Couldn't be that old timers disease could it?