BEAD CROCHET OR KUMIHIMO

I spent a couple weeks teaching myself to bead crochet.  It was very cumbersome at first but I got the hang of it.  This was my first necklace and I've done 3 more since then but lost interest.

About 4 months ago I decided to teach myself how to do Kumihimo (thank goodness for YOUTUBE and the internet).  First I tried just doing cords on Kumihimo and I really liked that.  They make wonderful places to hang polymer clay pendants.  I bought a couple Kumihimo books and they used beads to make beautiful necklaces.  Well, I'm hooked.  I just finished my first full beaded Kumihimo necklace and decided to embellish it with daggers.  This goes much faster than crocheting and I'm a really fast crocheter (with yarn).  This is going to be the necklace I'm wearing to my nephew's wedding next month in Chicago.  I need to make earrings and a bracelet to match.

  This is a view with the magnetic crystal toggle that I put on it.

There is a pattern for daggers that I'm going to try also and I'll post that if and when I finish it.  I finished the necklace itself in one night and added the daggers the next day so it didn't take long.

POLYMER CLAY BEAD GOLF STROKE COUNTERS

I found a big bag of polymer clay beads that I had made so I put together some golf stroke counters that I'm putting in my Artfire and Etsy shops.  They can be used for purse blings or to count how many times you walk around the block.

The beads slide up and down the cord so you can count how many times you hit the ball or how many times you walked around the mall.  I had a lady buy 4 of them and I thought she was giving them to friends for golfing but she said she was buying them to put on her purse as a purse bling.

I was going to do clay and Kumihimo this weekend and all I've done is watch golf.  DUH.  Will be glad when it cools off in Arizona so we can go golfing again.

FRIEND AT THE WINDOW

Friday I was getting out of the shower and I heard a strange noise in the kitchen.  Husband wasn't home so I was a little nervous.  I tiptoed around the corner to see where the noise was coming from and there was a mama quail pecking at our kitchen glass door.  She had 7 babies out there with her.  I think she was looking to come in and get a margarita.  I would want one if I had seven babies.  She was back again yesterday pecking at the window.  I don't know what to do for her.  I feel so bad.  I bet those kids are driving her nuts.

LIVING LIFE UNZIPPED - THANK YOU MARIE AND MORE TOYS

I've always felt I lived my life "UNZIPPED".  I'm a Leo and I think most Leo's that I've met could be categorized as being "UNZIPPED".  Most Leo's are very open with their lives and their thoughts and their everything.  I saw this piece that Marie Segal www.mariesegal.blogspot.com/  did about a week ago and I fought with myself about buying it.  I love steampunk, I've been following Marie's work for years and when I saw the open zipper, the nails, screws, locks and keys,  I knew I had to have it.  I got it in the mail today and it's so much cuter in person.  She's a great artist and a genuine lady.

CROCHETED BEAD ROPE

I finally finished my second crocheted bead piece.  It's a long rope.  Took me a long time too but I'm done.

It's slinky.

MORE TOYS

Today my friends Judy and Evelyn came over for a clay day.  Judy ordered some miniature cutters for us from England.  They are adorable.  I can see a lot of earrings being made with these.

Now I just need a teeny tiny case to keep them in. :0)

SHIMMERING GOLD MOKUME GANE

I mentioned before I was doing the Barbara McGuire Mokume Gane.  I have quite a few pieces done but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them (I want to keep them all myself).  Anyway, I bought some cord necklaces at a bead show not too long ago and I like the necklace but not the cord used to attach pendants so I took that off and added chain.  What do you think?

This also has Magic Glos on it.

GIRLFRIEND'S GONE WILD

Not talking about the trashy ones on TV.  I'm referring to Rose, Judy and Evelyn.  All three have been busy with clay and Viking Knit.  Here are some of the latest pieces from them.

This is Rose's bracelet she did with a French Knitter.  Her first one.  Came out awesome I think.

This is Evelyn's disc necklace.  The disc's were made with 2 canes and the litle balls were made with scrap clay that she rolled over some spongy thing.  It's really light and very pretty.

This is Judy's bracelet.  Since we took the Debbie Anderson class, Judy has made at least 6 of these bracelets and they are gorgeous.  Too bad my little Sony camera doesn't want to take good pictures today.

ANOTHER TINA HOLDEN MASTERPIECE

I'm really excited.  I just purchased one of Tina Holdens new tutorials.  It's called "STEAMPUNK TILE BRACELET"

You can get this at Tina's Artfire shop at http://beadcomber.artfire.com/ or on her Etsy shot at http://beadcomber.etsy.com/ .  I hope to get to this tomorrow since it's 112 here and a good time to play with clay.

I know this has been a long blog today but I think I got my brain UNZIPPED.

Anyway, one thing I really want to do is:

Wish everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July.

Don't drink and drive.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA