My Mom's Wish List

Because I was so sick last Christmas and also for my mom's 85th birthday she didn't receive gifts from me. Once I started feeling better she put in her request for a yellow as well as an orchid piece. She loves necklaces so that is what I set about to make. I finally surprised her this past weekend with them. The yellow one was for christmas wrapped for Christmas and the orchid one was for her 85th birthday. She loved them both and it made me feel so good to see her so happy.

Here are the other pieces I wanted to share with you. I thought I had uploaded them but somehow I did something wrong. I guess I have to learn all over again how to do this blog thing LOL.

Spring Flowers

It's been quite awhile since I posted anything and I apoligize for that. As you know I have medical problems with my legs and last fall my doctor put me in the hospital. I thought I would be there for 3 or 4 days but not to be, I was there for 59 days. I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years there in isolation. I had contacted a bacterial infection that they could not identify. I did take beads with me and I managed to bead a little but really I just didn't have the energy. Well I am finally well and feel the best I have for several years. I am back to beading full time and creating new pieces.

Here is my latest necklace! I had originally design this Sunflower for a bracelet but I had a request for it in a necklace. I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Bead Challenge

The Bead Society of Central Florida which I am a proud member of had their 3rd bead challange on July 14th, 2009. There were 4 categories Bead Weaving, Bead Stringing, Wire Work and Non-Wearables. I am thrilled to let you all know that I placed 1st in the Bead Weaving Category and received BEST OF SHOW. Our inspiration for the challange was a picture (see previous post). The thing that caught my eye in the picture was the colors! Next was the bare trees. My fringe represents the branches of the trees with the buds at the tip of each branch. Flowers because of the several small plants, plus I just know that a meadow would certainly have "Wild Flowers." I used a beautiful polymer clay bead by "Klew" that my cousin (who is also a bead weaver) gave me for my birthday a few years back. I am very pleased with the way my "Serene Garden Bouquet" turned out. I started working on this back in April and was really going to town with it but then I had some health issues and didn't bead much on it until July. I was working away on it the day of the challange and I managed to finish it 4 hours before I had to leave for the judging.

Here in hot humid Florida it is just too hot to be outdoors so I have been getting alot of beading done the past week. Until next time Bead Happy!

Valley of Lily's

I just wanted to share the latest piece I've made. This is one of my most popular designs, I call it Valley of Lily's. I have made quite a few of these in all different colors. They usually have 5 gemstone leaves in them and approximately 49 little flowers. This particular one has only 3 leaves and 38 flowers. I have kits of this design and have sold many of them at Bead & Button and Bead Fest shows. If you would like to see other pictures of some of the different one's I have made or are interested in a kit please email me and I will be happy to send you pictures and information on the kits. This one was made for a friend who loves Turquoise so I chose Amazonite leaves and various shades of Turquoise beads.

I am still working on my challange piece and it is getting down to crunch time. Only 9 days left and I have so much yet to do on this piece of jewelry art, So I really need to get busy on it. Till next time Bead Happy!

My Latest

Here it is only the middle of June and here in Orlando the weather feels like it is August! It is just too hot to be outside much so I have been beading up a a storm here in the comfort of the Air conditioning. I have been working on several commissioned pieces and finally finished this one. I used Coral gemstone leaves and some 4 mm coral round beads to embellish it along with the flowers made with 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads. The second piece is almost finished so maybe today I will get it completed.

In between I have been working on a challange piece. I belong to the Bead Society of Central Florida and we are having our 3rd bead challange. This one has been a challange too. This picture called "Serene Purle Lake" was to be our inspiration. I have been working on it for the past 2 1/2 months with our deadline being July 14th and I am no where finishing it. I keep telling myself that I work best under pressure and I will get it done!

In the mean time I have numerous ideas in my head for new projects but I don't dare start anything new until I finish up some of the ones I have started.

7/5/09 Here is a better picture of the necklace..the color is better and show a little more detail.

Icicles in Florida

This is a piece that a friend commissioned me to make for her. She wanted an Icicles Necklace full with plenty of sparkle. This was really hard to photograph and the colors are not true. I used 60 grams of a lustery silver grey bead for the main color accented with metallic silver beads for the tips of each fringe. Plus on some of the fringes are 3 mm czech firepolish in a crystal/silver finish, a total of 300 of them. The picture picks up pink for some reason but there is no pink in it. She loves it and that makes me extremely happy!