Slowly

Tweaking

Tweaking...I just love that word!

So, I've been tweaking the blog...I thought I'd add some of my fiber work to the header and since the holidays seem to be heading toward us at a high rate of speed, I also decided to highlight my Etsy shop...several of my students asked where I sold my work and I gave them my business cards with the etsy URL. I've also decided to remove the work I have in the local galleries that carry it and put it in my shop...I've never given the online shop a lot of attention and I want to change that. Plus, so much of my time is spent online, it feels like a second home to me...one with a portal through this funny little machine, lol!

And if any one of you is looking for a small stocking stuffer and like my work, I'm offering free shippping to my blog readers....just be sure you alert me ahead of time, so I can set it up for you...

And, thanks so much for stopping by!

BJP Unknown Month

Well, I don't know which month it is...but I like it! I had lots more fabric I was going to add, but can't figure out where it might go now...this is all new territory for me and it's very exciting! Fabric applique and bead embroidery....nice combo!

Almost Finished BAD

Black Magic Woman is almost finished...for now.

Hmmmmm....

I think I may have to switch october and november...or maybe it's september and november...or maybe I'm confused...;)

Another Slow Week

It looks like this may be another slow week...it's supposed to be sunny all week, through the weekend and early next week as well....grace is flying into portland today....she must be bringing good weather with her!
Anyhoo...here they are, a bit further along...

More Memes

Well, I apparently sat still long enough for gypsy to tag me...I'll have to keep moving next time!

Okay...so 7 unknown facts about me...then tag 7 friend/bloggers I'd like to know more about and link to them all....that's a toughie since I've seen this meme all over and most of my tagees have already been tagged by others!
But here goes....

Tracey of A Beadiful Mess
Lisa of Pursuing Art...Life and Dreams
Susan of Bead Inspired
Helene of Le nid de Colibri
Julie of Jules Beads
Denise of Bits of Beads and Fiber
Heidi of Heidi Beads and More


And seven unknown facts....hmmmmm

1. When I got too short to be on the track team (actually, I didn't shrink, but I did stop growing at 5'2" and got overrun and outjumped by the 5'8 gals) I joined the gymnastics team in HS and specialized on the vault....I still got to run and jump, with a few nifty moves at the end, lol!

2. I dropped out of college to follow the love of my life to Oregon...my folks were not happy and predicted dire consequences.

3. A year later we took a 2 month trip to Mexico...one we'd like to repeat someday.

4. After the mexico trip we came home, got married and moved to San Jose, CA.

5. After 9 months in San Jose, we moved back to portland and 9 months after coming home we had a darling baby boy.

6. Then I went back to college and got my degree.

7. We've been married almost 37 years (in december), our darling boy is 35 and that degree only qualified me for one job...the rest I've gotten because of skills I taught myself (like computer graphic design)....dire consequences indeed!

The photos are us in portland, mexico, portland with jaime, jaime, and chuck & I a couple of holidays ago...;)

BMW for BAD

Apparently, I love acronyms....

Face Pin Swap

I participated in carol strand-siebers face pin swap again this year and got these three delightful face pins back...the face in the middle is done in the palest blue matt beads and is by gretchen coats and the two on either side are the more traditional bead embroidery and are both by barbara souza...thanks so much gals for your unique little pieces of art I'm lucky enough to add to my collection!

Mostly Finished and Barely Begun

Well, the living/dining room rearrangement is almost finished....a few more books for chuck to decide on (they're in my throw away pile so this will be his last chance to save them, lol) and some plants to move around a bit and we'll be there.
Black Magic Woman, on the other hand, has been sadly neglected and today won't bring her much further along. This afternoon the survivors class will meet for the last of the six classes...this one will be drumming and dancing and everyone is invited, so I'm taking my small drum and joining in, but I won't be dancing until my back gets back to normal, whatever the heck that is these days, lol!
Tomorrow we get to meet the 3 final candidates (there were 12 applicants) for the VAC director's job and I'm working during the reception, so I'll get to really meet them....I wonder if I know any of them....their names have been kept quiet and my usual grapevine hasn't been any help...;)
So this is a "big" weekend here...don't we lead exciting lives! Wahoo!

Fall Changes

I never know when a burst of energy is going to hit, but I have learned to take advantage of it! So, I stopped by staples yesterday morning and they had a router on sale...I've been eyeing them since july when I got the laptop and yesterday turned out to be the day I bought one. It didn't take too long to install it and I flipped open the laptop in the livingroom and wahoo! We now have wifi at chez beadbabe!
Well, that little success gave me a hit of energy, so I decided this was the day I was going to rearrange the living/dining room....in our little mobile, the two "rooms" make a single L-shaped room that's always been an interesting challenge to arrange. My first thought last spring when I first got this little bee in my bonnet was that I'd need a sectional to do what I wanted to do with the room...but I couldn't find one I either liked or could afford at any of the summer garage sales, so I'd put it on hold....then the other morning I realized I could do it with the furniture we have and I was just waiting for the right moment. And to give my DH a heads up....he likes to have a little advance warning (and a pretense of input) on changes to his living space....so a week or two ahead of time I start dropping hints.
Anyway...got it mostly finished except for a bunch of books we've been needing to sort and a ton of CD's (where the heck did they all come from!) to find storage space for. They turned out to be easy...we found a tower CD bookcase for $8 at the salvation army that was in perfect shape, so they're almost all sorted after DH's hard work all last evening!
Here are a few before and after shots....and when the books are all sorted I'll do one final shot before we start messing it up again with all this daily living stuff, lol!
Oh...and a bit of beadwork got done too but the photos will have to wait on that!

Further BAD

I like her so far but I am sure having trouble making decisions....must be time to start on another couple of pieces so I can bring myself to a dead stop, lol!
(her face is really matt black, but I had to overexpose the photo so you can see it.)

BAD

I've begun to gather bits for my Bead Art Doll....the theme is songs and santana's black magic woman just popped into my head the first time I read about the challenge so that's what I'm going to use as inspiration ....I've got the fabric and the face...and some black charlottes from size 8 down to 15's as well as some of my black and antique silver finish nailheads...I may add a few black or crystal swarovski crystals as well as a few other surprises...this one has got me intrigued! What will she embody?

Green Meditation

And Green Meditation is online at the Mixed Nuts online exhibit...

Art Quilts

We have a show of art quilts from the Rogue Valley Quilters in our upstairs gallery this month and I thought I'd share a few....it's my understanding that these were all the result of challenges. A number of them have beads on them...used sparingly, but to good effect, I think.
The black on black one is just stunning, but difficult to photograph well, I'm afraid...

Earrings

I've been playing with some earring designs while waiting for the muse to return to the bjp piece...these are made with a metallic paper and eyelets...the top left pair also have added MOP pieces...tomorrow I work at the visual arts center and on sunday we're doing studio tours in the valley...holiday stuff already!

Safe

Our son, jaime, is living in portland where he has a day job to live on but also works as an actor and dancer in his "spare" time. A few months ago, he acted in a "trailer" that was done to pitch the idea of the movie to producers in california...he plays the major bad guy in the trailer and he does a fantastic job...but, being his mom, I have to point out that he's really a sweet, tender, sensitive guy who can look and act very scary!

October bjp begun

I wish I had some idea of what I'm going to do next, lol!

The Winners Are...

thanks to a random number generator (and thanks to the 13 gals who left such wonderful comments!), we have our three winners...

Arline of Shared Stuff by Arline

Bobi of My Little World

Pamela and Edward of From the House of Edward

If you three would please email me with your snail mail address I will send your piece to you this week...and if anyone has a particular preference let me know and I'll try to send you your choice...

thanks again to everyone for visiting, commenting and for making your blogs such great places to visit!

Celebration!

I'm celebrating today....this is my 500th post....whoo hoo! It's also just a month away from my 59th birthday and two months from our 37th wedding anniversary, so I'm giving away three gifts today. (the hand and house are pin/pendants and the face is a pendant you can add your own necklace to)
If you'd like to be considered for one just leave me a comment today and tomorrow I'll pick three names and send you each a gift.

I started this blog simply as a record of my days' work and it's become so much more thanks to all of you who visit here and leave comments....(and the shy ones who visit but don't leave comments, that's cool too)...and a special thanks to my fellow BJP'ers (you know who you are), who have made me feel like I'm part of a wonderful community of like-minded creative women and men who spend at least a part of their days making their (and our) world a bit more beautiful and filled with the Light.

Bless you all and thank you for visiting!

The Star

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Past

The class is past and done and it went very well...the students had fun and the dolls were terriffic! Unfortunately, due to a pulled muscle in my back I wasn't quite on top of everything and I didn't get any photos of the finished dolls. We are all meeting again in a couple of weeks for a final session that includes all the teachers and drumming and dancing and some of the dolls might show up and I'll be sure to take photos then!
Right now I taking it easy and hoping this muscle pain will ease off soon....I don't usually have this kind of problem, so I'm not sure what the timeframe is for getting better! Sooner rather than later, I hope...

Ready to Go

Got all my kits and paraphanalia ready for tomorrow's class and I've even got a few things gathered together for the october bjp...have to decide among a number of faces first...I think this year's theme will be "The Elements"...last month was certainly the wind and this month may be about water....and next month and the month after that and the one after that....hmmmm...wonder how many ways I can depict water...;)