When Creativity Sparks...

While everyone else was celebrating our independence day, I was in creative mode. While everyone else was grilling, putting together bowls of potato and macaroni salads, and getting ready for the fireworks shows from shore to shore, I was frantically putting together beads. It was frantic because I was fighting the sun setting and losing daylight. I needed to bead.

Now for those of you who aren't bead junkies, this doesn't seem like a bad thing. But for those of you who are bead junkies--and I'm proudly in those ranks--the need to bead becomes an obsession. The more you aren't able to bead, the more it fixates in your brain. The more you look at beads, the more clever ideas you could put together--if you only had: 
1) time 
2) didn't have these papers that needed to be graded last week  
3) and a gazillion household chores weren't insidiously chanting your name and begging to be done and 
4) you didn't have other depending on you for their needs...in my case...the cats and students. 

So while you all were out celebrating our nation's birth of independence, I was beading. 

A sample of what I put together...

 Yep--that's 11 pairs of earrings. But I wasn't done yet...

 There's three more pairs of earrings. But don't hang up the phone just yet...

 The two on the left are added to the count. I added the two pairs on the right to balance out the shot, but I beaded them back in late May or early June. So look but don't count them in the total--which we are up to 16 pairs of earrings.

 Seventeen, eighteen....

 Nineteen pairs of earrings! 

And it didn't stop there...I had to finish this necklace for my sister-in-law, who is remarkably talented herself.  

Later that night, while I watched a movie to help keep the cats calmed during the fireworks display booming across our town, I discovered I was still in creative mode so I finished this for my newest grand-niece--her baby poncho. Last night I finished the cap. I fondly remember Paddington Bear and loved his hat...I tried to style her little cap in that fashion.

 I'm good for now.  I think. 

Bead Party Number Two!

 

You might remember the first Internet Bead Party I joined back in February.  I went ahead and joined the second one that happens next month. My partner is Dana James. She has some amazing talent and a unique perspective. I have just started visiting her blog and I encourage you to do the same. 

Speaking of beading, despite the tremendous time pressure I was under this last semester, I did get some beading in. I must confess--it was the sort of beading that happens under extreme stress. It was the kind that all beaders will recognize--that frenetic, nearly hyperactive beading that helps relieve stress. One doesn't do this kind of beading unless one is trying to de-stress. One doesn't voluntarily do this type of beading unless one will implode if one doesn't do SOME beading. This can be with any addiction/crafting. Think to yourself how many times you snarled out, "If I don't do some ______________, I'm going to SCREAM!" 

So here you go: Some of my frenetic, frenzied, insanity-moments of beading of trying to off-load some stress. Some of these turned out surprisingly well. 

 The necklace set I made for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. Yes--those roses are Mary Ellen's from BeetreebyME on Etsy.                       

                                            

The necklace set I made for my mother for Mother's Day. And yes--the flowers and the corsage bead came from Mary Ellen as well. 

 The earrings I made for my son's aunt.  I'm still collecting business cards to use as earring cards. A great way to reuse these pretty works of art that I can't bear to throw away. 

  

 The earrings I made for my aunt, her daughter, and granddaughter for Easter. They didn't want any Easter cookies.  The earrings on the left are made from Terri Stone's beads. 

 

 This set was made while I was waiting for my last three students to take their online examinations. I wanted something special to wear for my husband's graduation and he loves these burgundy and grey. The focal came from Ivy Koehn has stores on Etsy and eBay. 

I'm So Excited!

The Bead Soup Party is tomorrow! I'm so excited that I just can't hide it! 

*Ahem*  Sorry for the Pointer Sisters recap there....*Breaks out the Neutron Dance* *coughs*

I'm really excited! I can't wait to see what my beading partner, Elizabeth of Turquoise Sky made with the beads I sent her! If you are curious as to what I sent her, just click here and it will take you right to her blog.  She took a neat photograph of all the beads I sent her! It's a better job than what I did with the beads she sent me...but I also had the Little Rascals watching my moves so they can run off with a packet of beads--which they did! 

Anyway--I'm really, really excited! I want to show you what I created from Elizabeth's beads and I want to see what she made from mine...AND I want to see the other 80+ bead designers and what they did with their bead swaps! 

Stay tuned! 

*Does the Neutron Dance*  



 

Yesterday, I realized that I was going to have to re-evaluate my life just a bit more. It seems like I'm constantly "re-evaluating my life just a bit" these days. It seems getting up before sunrise is not going to happen the mornings after I teach at night. I can't do it. As much as I love getting up that early, watching the sun rise out of the night's darkness to light up my world, I'm going to have to reserve that habit for the other days. 

Yesterday, I was so exhausted and couldn't seem to get my mind and my body energized to work on housework. I figured I'd better get a head start on next year's holiday gifts, but that didn't happen either.  Instead, I read a few chapters of the novel my husband got me for Christmas. It's a sci-fi fantasy by Patrick Rothfuss called "The Name of the Wind." I've been reading it chapter by chapter instead of in one or two sittings as usual. It's very good and I'm glad I'm taking my time through this book. Yesterday was a good day to read. 

Then I decided I needed to do something else for me. So I looked through my beads and settled on one or two sets that I've had and began.

 

 This is going to be one of my favorites, I can tell already. If Terri had more of these, I'd snatch them up and make one of those long necklaces to go with it. 

 I've had these beads for a long time. It was time they quit sitting in the case, looking pretty. It was time they did what they were created to do--become a part of a jewelry ensemble.  

The other thing I did yesterday was scope out cookie recipes. I decided I wanted to send out Easter/Spring cookies this year. You know what that means---I have to test them out before I bake them up. I'm looking at lemon cookies, lime cookies, and orange cookies. I found a great recipe for making thin mint cookies--not that I could eat them, of course, but I can make them for the choco-holics in my life. :D 

I also have been bombarded with requests for more of my German Chocolate cakes that I baked for a few lucky recipients over the holidays. I'm rather surprised since all I did was follow the recipe on the box of German Chocolate. So I'm looking for a good German Chocolate cookie recipe that doesn't involve a boxed cake mix. If you have one, I'd be grateful! 

   

Totally and Happily Addicted

I had intended to bake yesterday. I still have biscochitos, mini German chocolate cakes, mini carrot cakes, zucchini and pumpkin breads all to bake. Not to mention the cookies! I really meant to get down to the baking business. Seriously!  I had my recipes lined up, the kitchen was relatively clean after making the spaghetti dinner for the people who keep me connected to my students and was even in the mood to do some heavy duty baking. You know how being in the mood is important!

While I was waiting for my coffee to finish percolating, I sat down to peruse some of my favorite blogs and I glanced over to the beads left out on my desk. I had some beading to do for holiday gifts and I set some out the day before to go through them. You remember reading about my other vice? Well, all it took was the glance. 

The addiction began whispering seductively in my mind--telling me that I just needed a fix. After all, I've been really good about not letting it interfere with my classes or teaching. Really, really good. One little bracelet  and earring set wouldn't harm me. It would only be just one--a simple reward for finishing the semester. I began to see hallucinations of completed beaded jewelry sets, of book hooks, of the necklace I wanted to make that went with my Earthy set. The voice kept whispering and I was lost!

I made up this bracelet earring set for a special young lady. 

 "Summer Colors" beads made by Terri Stone of TLSClayDesign. 

After finish the first bracelet, I figured this young lady was was so special, she should have two!

 

"Ballarina Pink" beads were also made by Terri Stone.

 

My Earthy Set 

 

  This is the Earthy Set I made for myself. I made the earrings and bracelet awhile back. It's made with amazonite, fancy teal green jaspers, copper cubes, and sagey-green life symbol beads.  I wanted the necklace but had to get the life symbol beads first. The life symbol beads must have fallen out of a favor because I can't find them except through Gretchen Lima and she offers them once in a great while. It's one of my favorite sets to wear.

By the way, Gretchen is one of my favorite bead dealers. Can I say that?  It's meant as a good thing, I assure you.  She's always got a fantastic selection of beads. I've been buying from her for a while now and have always received excellent customer care. In case you are interested. In case you are a bead junkie like me. 

Bead dealer. Bead junkie. It brings to mind of dark corners and surreptitiously exchanging cash for beads. Or exchanging beading favors in musty roach motels. Will it make 20/20 News Investigations? Will Geraldo interview the bead dealers and the bead junkies with their voices and silhouettes disguised, trying to get to the bottom of this addiction that's hitting our nation in epidemic proportions? ? Will Sally interview the bead junkies and the men who love them? Will we read in our local newspapers how bead junkies are loitering just outside of craft stores, bothering honest customers?  

Ok reign it in, girl. We've had a little too much beading and way too much coffee this morning, I'd say.  

 

"Drama" beads by Terri Stone.

 

 I also made this set for someone on my gift list. She's a talented and hard working person who is just amazing. I love her dearly. 

When I finished that set, the voice came back. It was only 10 in the morning--there was plenty of time to bake.  One more thing would not hurt me. It would ease most of the semester tension away. And I found myself reaching to finish another....

 

Copper Crystal Earrings. The crystals are Crystal Copper by Swarovski. The copper rings which are just precious and I got those at this little findings shop, Brie's Boutique. She is a delightful lady that's also talented. Brie offers a variety of findings and vintage cabochons and stones. She offers excellent customer care as well. 

 "Swirls" beads by Ivy Koehn

 "Sugar Beads" by Mary Ellen at BeeTreeByME. 

"Goddess" beads from Gretchen Lima. 

Scarab beads from Gretchen Lima 

By this time, I started justifying my addiction. I was creating! How bad can an addiction be if I'm doing something productive, creative, and making things for other people in my life?!?!? I haven't beaded in so long! I've been good! I can always bake tomorrow. I need to take my walk. Tomorrow. I should....and the voice whispers "Tomorrow." There's always tomorrow but today is for beading!

(If you have an addiction/vice, you understand this internal dialog and wanting to break into song.)  

 

Close up of the scarab beads. Love these!  

I made sets for the in-laws and the out-laws. I was happily beading. I didn't look at the computer. I didn't talk long on the phone and I beaded the whole time I did. The baking went undone. The house still is not ready for Christmas, but I didn't care. I was beading! 

My Other Vice

We all have vices, habits, addictions that we find it difficult to break. Naturally there are vices, habits, addictions that we are just not going to attempt to break because we enjoy them so well! That's where I'm at in my journey. I've given up a lot of my favorite foods, disgusting habits (like smoking) and have sacrificed convenience for quality. I've formed new habits, spend hours--literally, spend hours reading labels on my foods, doing lots of research, and I let my 80-year old neighbor drag me around the park every other day. I've even stopped doing chores in the most time-saving and efficient manner so I'm that much more active. 

I have two vices--I call them vices. Whether or not you do is up to you. But I call them vices. These two shall not be touched. I won't give them up. Not now. Not ever. Don't ask. 

My first vice is my coffee. I was willing to give up smoking just so I could have my coffee. Seriously. Most smokers think I'm a total headcase because I was willing to throw away the cigarettes but not the liquid. Don't ask me to give it up. I won't. You don't know the pain I went through just cutting back from 2-4 pots (and mostly drinking that by myself) down to three measly cups per day. I made others miserable. It ghastly. It was difficult. Giving birth to my son was easier and less painful than cutting back on my coffee. 

(And here comes Harley as I type this. He has to "neck" when he feels traumatized. I mean do the nursing-mama-thing and suck on my neck--complete with kneading. I'm guessing he's feeling my pain at giving up a lot of my coffee and it's traumatizing him. He wants to neck. It should make me feel better. It works for him. But I digress...)

My second vice is beading. Don't ask me to give it up either. The need to bead is strong within me, do you hear?  And please don't ask me which one I value most--my coffee or beading. It's no competition! I've got to have both.

The need to bead goes back to my first real release from the hospital back when I was sick in 2008. I was hospitalized the first week in March and had four more hospitalizations by May. In June, although still pretty frail, I was feeling somewhat stronger. I still had the last vestiges of the suicide ideation which was caused by all the medications shoved, poked, and needled into my body during the past two months.  (Yes, being allergic to medication can cause suicidal thoughts.)  I decided that if my time was limited (and I felt at the time, that the end was fast approaching), I couldn't leave without first making some sort of memento for my sisters. I have two younger sisters. Middle Sister and Baby Sister. Despite all the fights, bickering, slap-downs (verbally--not literally) and miles between us, I still love my little sisters. 

I had seen this Sisters pin of three female figures-each figure done in silver, copper, and gold. Well at the time, I couldn't afford it and at the time, none of us would ever wear a pin. But I loved the idea of symbolizing the concept of "sisters." So I used silver, copper, and gold metal plated seed beads. I wanted a stone that would represent women, sisters, bonding. I found some beautiful rhodonite. I didn't want to make the necklaces exactly alike, but make them to reflect our differences despite us being connected by blood. I chose different colors of 6/0 seed beads.

That's Arby's paw in the upper left, holding down the shot.

  

The concept began growing in my mind. I realized there were several women in my life that I recognized as my "sisters." I wanted them to have a necklace too. So I made one for the special women in my life.  Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to mail out their jewelry, I didn't take the photos I should have. I wasn't quite thinking that clearly yet. 

Beading helped me get my life back into perspective. It gave me purpose. It helped me to get my brain functioning again. I temporarily lost the ability to read, count, do simple thought processes. It was a scary, scary time for me. Beading helped me by giving me something to focus and concentrate on and work through logistics of putting a piece together. It helped me burn the last of the medication effects out of me. 

The first piece I put together that helped me to start functioning again.

 It also gave me my new vice. My other vice other than coffee. I may not be able to drink coffee all day long any more, but I can certainly bead all day long! Well, when I can. When students are demanding lessons and graded papers back. When I don't have to clean the house and plan dinner. Or shop for food. Things like that.

 

I found I could make my own funky but stylin' earrings. I found these beads on eBay, created by Terri Stone at TLSClayDesign. I need to finish the bracelets. Did I mention I have a bunch of her beads?  







Middle Sister's birthday is in December. Last year I decided I wanted to give her something special. I found these beautiful clay shields on eBay, designed by Linda of NKDesigns. I saw one that would be perfect for Middle Sister. When it arrived, I discovered that I really liked it. I kept telling myself that once I made it up, it would look like it BELONGED to Middle Sister and I would be happy. Which reminds me, I need to visit her shop and pick up a few more of her beads. It's an addiction, I tell you!

   

Naturally, this set didn't make it to Middle Sister. I LOVED it when I was finished the necklace. I loved it so much, I had to make earrings and a bracelet that can be worn with the necklace or separately. Yeah, I kept the set. Couldn't part with it. Which meant I had to find new beads for Middle Sister's birthday present. But that was ok since I'm up to the challenge of finding new beads. It's like getting a daily fix. It's rewarding. It's thrilling. It's an addiction to put it simply.

This is the set Middle Sister got for her birthday last year. The flowers came from a very talented artist, Mary Ellen at BeeTreeByME.  I told her she could have the clay shield set after I die. 

 

A close up of Middle Sister's birthday necklace.