And Afternoon Again

Indian summer here...I think we were the warmest spot in the state this morning and close to 80 this afternoon...shoot, it didn't get this hot all summer, lol!

And Evening

Sometimes we drive over to one of the parks and watch the sunset...this was last night's...today we visit the beaver creek area and check out a couple of the trails...there may be photos.
I'm nearing the finish line on the october bjp and am really enjoying the different fabrics this month called for.

Lovely Afternoon

Despite a dark and gloomy morning, this afternoon the sun came out and as I was on my way home from a trip down south to a sunday farmers' market, I stopped at the new park at beaver creek...loveliest visitor center I've seen and the view from the deck is wonderful. Next week I may try one of the trails down to the wetlands...I'm so happy our lottery dollars made this park possible!

October BJP

Gallery tags are done so I've had time to finally begin the october journal while gallery sitting today...

Three Finished

The last three (for now) hand pin/pendants are finished and I'm working on the gallery tags and prices.
I tried out our new little heater on the porch yesterday and it worked well, since there was no sun to heat it up. It was certainly a lot brighter out there, with the fiberglass ceiling than inside the house, so it will be a great place to bead on cloudy days this fall.
No jury duty today or monday, just gallery sitting this weekend, so I may finally get this month's bjp started...

Pretties

It always amazes me when people disclaim their artistic abilities....this was a simple class and I mostly just guided them in the structural aspects of making the cel case and just look at what they all did! Each and every one is a treasure...each and every one is different and I see an artist behind every one...well done students!

At Last

Don't know if you remember, but back in july I was going to be teaching this class at our local gallery but it got cancelled.
This month it was rescheduled and I'll be teaching it this afternoon...I love teaching but am very glad the classes are only two hours long...just about perfect for my energy level and enthusiasm!

Two More

Two more of the small pins finished...both have turtles, one is abalone and one copper. I'm thinking of calling them spirit guardians since my earlier pieces based on the hamsa hand (you can see a few them in one of my flickr sets) were called guardian spirits.
I've been making these small protective amulets since my first diagnosis of breast cancer and they've become even more meaningful to me since the breast cancer metastasized to my bones a couple of years ago. I have sold some of the guardian spirits and I've given some away to folks with cancer or other medical issues.
I'm considering a gallery now, but if that doesn't work out, I think I'll put them in my etsy shop and see if that does.
My thanks to so many of you who have left such kind comments here...they mean a lot to me.

Oh, and one more photo of my sun porch...I know I talk about it a lot but that's because it helps me so much to be out in the light, especially in the darker months which are coming up. But right now we're still having some hot sunny days and I was so excited to find this neat beach umbrella that works with my little table that has a hole in the middle that just fits...and it was just $5 on sale! Woo...that's a red letter day for me!

October

New month, new banner, more photos of the framed hand pins and later today photos of the fabrics for the fall wall piece (Herbst) and the october bjp...luckily I'm free today, although I'm on jury duty this month. This is the first time I've been called, so I'm a bit excited.

There's a discussion going on at the Bead Journal Project about continuing for a 4th year. Robin Atkins, who began the project in 2007 wants to step down her involvement and we're looking for volunteers for a committee to carry on the BJP for another year. If you're interested in joining, I'll be posting here if we continue....and if you're already a member and are interested in helping out to make this happen for 2011, please comment on one of the BJP blogs!

Tiny Pin/Pendants Go to the Wall

A friend suggested making my tiny hand pin/pendants even more attractive to buyers by framing them so they could be wall art when not being worn. This seemed like a good idea so I found some tiny frames I like (5.75x4.5) with a 3x4.5 inside dimension that works so well with the small size of the hands. I used some more of the amazing non-woven metallic paper to cover the background and some foamcore to support the piece as it hangs.
I'm really liking the looks of them and an working on a small gallery tag to go with them.
What do you think?

Edited to add a small earring I also framed...

September BJP

Finished and hung on my studio wall with the other eight...wow, this year went fast!

And more....

A bit further along with the pins, plus a photo of the sunporch this afternoon and a pair of cases I did...one for scissors and one for a package of needles.
I'm also working on some simple frames for the pins and some earrings I've made, but more on that tomorrow.
Seems there will have to be some more mowing done this month!

Bits and Pieces

I've added a few beads, bugles and charms to the three pins and finished the september bjp, except for the framing.
I think this description of one of the things the dragonfly symbolizes is the one I most love and thought of while finishing the piece....

Focus on living ‘IN’ the moment
The dragonfly normally lives most of its life as a nymph or an immature. It flies only for a fraction of its life and usually not more than a few months. This adult dragonfly does it all in these few months and leaves nothing to be desired. This style of life symbolizes and exemplifies the virtue of living IN the moment and living life to the fullest. By living in the moment you are aware of who you are, where you are, what you are doing, what you want, what you don’t and make informed choices on a moment-to-moment basis.

This ability lets you live your life without regrets like the great dragonfly.


It's raining today but supposed to be sunny next week, so I'm waiting until then to take some photos of the clean and warmer sun porch.
I'll also be starting my autumn piece, Herbst, and the october bjp. Photos next week on those as well.

Fantastic Giveaway

I don't usually go for give-a-ways, but this one is too fantastic to miss...and if you do any kind of fabric work, especially quilting, this will rings your bells too! The blog is Millie's Quilting and she is giving away a GO cutter, a die cutter for fabric. For me, I could cut out circles en masse and they'd be perfect to use with my bead embroidery. The winner also gets 3 dies, so you can start playing immediately...what fun!
Thursday was my sweeties birthday, so we drove over to the valley and had lunch with a friend...we were also able to have our little place pressure-washed and we've about finished weather stripping the sun porch (maybe I'll start calling it the sun room if I can use it longer in the year!), so we hit the ground running this Fall season!
Gallery sitting this weekend, so I'll have some more progress photos of the little pins I'm working on and I'm looking for the fabric for my autum wall hanging (haven't got a name yet) and finishing the september bjp so I can cut out the hands for october's bjp....whew...I hope I have enough energy for all that!
Did I mention it's sunny?

Slow Indeed

I love the slow cloth movement...gives me permission to go slowly and not feel I have to put out so much all the time...and this is the first time I've worked on three at the same time...not sure it's working, but will see how it ends, I guess.

This Weekend

The weekend has been all rain and wind, which tends to make me sluggish, so I am starting two more small pin/pendants...they don't take as much time as the larger pieces, so are easier to get going on.
Next week we're going to add a bit of weatherstripping to the porch and then see if the small space heater we bought will keep it warm enough to work out there until it gets really cold. I'd sure like to have the extra light to work by and with the end wall being all glass, I feel almost as though I'm working outside...

Edited to add: Since bloglines (which I used to follow blogs) is closing at the end of the month, I'm moving as many as I can to google follow, which is the one I have in my sidebar for following this blog.

September BJP Begun

This month is started with a tiny face given to me by a friend who makes them out of clay and then paints them, plus a dragonfly I made of freshwater pearls and artistic wire...I found this wonderful site that tells about the symbolism of the dragonfly and it really speaks to me as I feel myself drawing closer to death and whatever transformation that may bring.

Finished and Done

I think they're both finished...the little hand pin/pendant is for sure...the summer piece, verano, probably is but I've got a couple more weeks to look at it and something else might speak up...you never know...;)

More Summer

Today was one of those special summer days where it's sunny but the wind is just a breeze instead of a force that blows tons of sand in your face, lol...
So I did a bit of mobile beading and took a few photos while I was out and about...
A photo of newport from yaquina head and a photo of yaquina head from newport and then a photo of a blue heron in the bay earlier this evening...
I'll post the beadwork when it's done...

Rain, Sun and Sweetpeas

Well, the weather is still up in the air, lol....skies cleared up late yesterday and this morning I see blue again, but it's not as warm yet. The sweetpeas have outdone themselves this year and are still growing...the window to our dining ell is about 6 feet off the ground and the flowers are a couple of feet higher and would probably be covering the window except that the wire they're supported by is only 5 feet high.
The bracelet is finished and the fabric cut out for the september bjp. I still have the summer wall piece to finish and I was playing with some paper clay and have to paint those pieces too before I start on the journal page.