This is Spinal Tap!

I'm not afraid to dye.

These are some t-shirts I've done recently. When I say some, I mean I've dyed like 25 shirts in the last few weeks and a small heap of onsies for my co-worker's new grandson. Tell me the one on the left doesn't look like a spine. SO FRIGGIN COOL. I love to dye. It is like a surprise every time you unfold one and rinse it out. I am highly upset with the blue from the Tulip Carosel color pack. It faded from a nice cerulean to periwinkle :( Here are some more cool ones...

I'm trying to expand beyond the basic spiral, which always looks great, butdoesn't give me the variety I want. I also need to get away from pre-packaged color kits. If I went back to the soda ash then dye I could do smaller batches because my dye wouldn't have a shelf life of 45 minutes and I wouldn't get as many stinkers. Gotta run Peace! By the way, the pics are clickable to see the other shirts. there are 3 per photo...

Stupid blogger...

I have 3 posts that I haven't been able to make now since the end of Feb because I can't load the photos :( I feel like I'm neglecting everyone. I'm not, blogger is just a butt. I'm still reading everyone's posts though, just can't make my own

May you stay Forever Young

The Challenge of Music is here!!!

And my piece is done on time! (its kind of a big deal 'round here)

For my inspiration, I picked a Joan Baez cover of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young"

I can't think of a more beautiful song, or a more beautiful voice to carry it.  Have a listen...I'll wait

Beautiful right? And the words are beautiful too, in case you missed them, have a read:

"May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young"

This song means alot to me.  My dad's friend who passed away last year taught me to play it on the guitar.  He believed in me.  Alot of people have believed in me since I was little.  I hope that I have done them all proud, and I hope that I will always stay forever young. 

My piece is an embroidered cuff, on white felt.  The central focal is a My Little Pony magnet that came in a book my sister bought me for Christmas.  I have an enourmous collection of Ponies...its a bad habit that I'm really not willing to break.  Its a habit I've had since I was really little.

I have also used two pink AB 8mm rivolis to accent the pony, because they are in the same colorway and because they are kindof glamourous and all grown up.  I've also used some purple-y margeritas

I used LOTS of seed beads to try to make this bracelet convey the feeling of joy in this song.  There are no hard angles, and I tried to make things flow. 

So have I done Joan and Bob proud?

(yeah I totally took my photos waiting for a plane in the Knoxville airport :) )

You've heard my song and seen my work, now go see theirs!
Erin Prais-Hintz

Marcie Abney

Christine Altmiller

Elisabeth Auld

LJ B

Lori Bowring Michaud

Shannon Chomanczuk

Cece Cormier

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Malin de Koning

Beth Emery

Michelle Escano-Caballero

Erin Fickert-Rowland

Therese Frank

Amy Freeland

Tanya Goodwin

Stephani Gorman

Amy Grass

Beth Hemmila

Kristina Johansson

Jennifer Justman

Tari Kahrs

Susan Kennedy

Ema Kilroy

Kathleen Lange Klik

Kirsi Luostarinen

Paige Maxim

Beth McCord

Natalie McKenna

Alice Peterson

Cat Pruitt

Bobbie Rafferty

Johanna Rhodes

Cynthia Riggs

Sally Russick

Sarah Sequins

Amy Severino

Staci Smith

Kristen Stevens

Lola Surwillo

Stefanie Teufel

Sandi Volpe

Holly Westfall

Shaiha Williams

Happy beading everybody!!

My quilt is done and the bead tray is almost empty ready for new-ness!

Remember this quilt?

Well it is done. And, I didn't even have to holler Moooooooooooooooommmmmmm! Fix this.

That is a resolution, resolved :)

Here is the finished product...

And here are few highlights from the embroidered blocks. 

This was before he went to Trader Vic's...

And a One Eyed, One Horned, Flying purple people eater

And a witch and a ghoul...

I also finished my OTTBS entry for January, granted it's late, but I did finish it, and got to use some triangle beads that I've had in my stash since 2007 :) and those o-rings that I abslutely had to have...and alot of other beads. 

This is from the December 11/Jan 12 issue of beadwork.  The pattern is called Beaded Bubbles by Ann Gilbert.  There is a note in the corner of the page regarding tension.  It is absolutely true.  ANY tension makes the components hump up in the middle.  I stretched the O-rings themelves and got them to flatten out a bit, but your mileage may vary. 

And...after looking at the photos, I seem to have forgotten the all-important clasp. Crap-tastic.

Also, I'd like to introduce you to my model, Onslow, the blue lobster...

This is a great pattern.  It almost makes brick stitch pleasant, and it makes me wonder what else I could do with this stitch.  I'm starting to thing the mark of a good pattern isn't what you make with the pattern, but what you make in the future with what you learned from it.

I also found time to make some Peruvian String Earrings. These are super, super, simple.  If you can make a basic coil, do a simple wrapped wire loop and wrap some thread around stuff, yu can make these. And they look friggin awesome!!!!

These are actually neon pink, orange, and yellow.  They remind me of this picture of a ship that my parents used to have hanging in their living room. 

I used the tutorial found here.  I used embroidery floss, whose 6-strand skeins I split, then split the 6 strings into (I think) 4 smaller threads-I did use metallic sewing thread to great success on another pair. I used 24g wire for the coils and 18g wire for the frame.  Other supplies were a piece of 14 g wire that I used as a coiling mandrel, clear nail polish, wire cutters, and pliers as necessary.

Yay! for productive weekends!!!!



And there was that sporting event...right? :)

The music in me!

I have joined a blog hop.

Kinda silly, you know, with all the crazy hours (seriously, 80 hours each, the last 2 weeks =0P )

And with my bead tray still housing my very nearly finished January OTTBS entry.

And that quilt that is only lacking borders on 2 sides and binding sitting quietly on my kitchen table...

I can't pass this one up.

I love music.  I have everything in my iTunes, from Ricky Skaggs to Megadeth, AC/DC to the Zac Brown Band, and everything in between.  With 4500+ songs, and growing, I am going to catch hell trying to pick just one. 

Do I go with the obvious?

This has been my favorite song by my favorite band for like...ever.

Don't Look Back in Anger-Oasis

But then there was my first celebrity crush(es-Mike, Peter, and Mickey will always live close to my heart, never cared for Davey) ...

You Just May Be the One-the Monkees

I can't lie to you, my good people.  My real first celebrity crush was Ricky Skaggs

Highway 40 Blues-Ricky Skaggs and the Boys in the Band

Or my favorite singer/songwriter?  I'm talking Bowie

Ziggy Stardust-David Bowie

Or something that reminds me of the odd duck I dated that time?

Break Your Heart-Barenaked Ladies

Or something I think would make a pretty piece of jewelry?

Violet-Hole

Or the first song that popped into my head when I read about this challenge?

Boom Like That-Mark Knopfler

And the others shelved neatly in tiny files waiting for their chance for me to hit the play button?
Dr Hook? Old Crow Medicine Show? Derek and the Dominoes? Dierks Bentley? The White Stripes? The Black Keys?  Jeremy Jarvis? Lou Reed? Phish?

What song sings my soul?  I could spend a lifetime debating (or at least 12.6 days listening!)

Better make up my mind and get beading...  :)

Resolution 2012

Well lets see a re-cap from last year's
 get taller. .  Yeah-still holding steady at 5'5.75
study for my PE and pass my PE in April. Yes! I passed it! got my own embossing seal and a stamp to prove it!!
Is resolving to never get another address wrong a resolution? Not this year
Can I resolve to finish at least two of the five quilts I have started? I can, but in reality, I'll probably just start one or two more...Umm...finished the quilt for my BFF, and my mom quilted Grandma's star, and the Hallowe'en quilt is nearly done.  And I scrapped one that I had started, but replaced it with that damned storm at sea...so check.
de-stash some beads-not really. not at all.  i had some major sprees this year that were not followed by destashing of any magnitude. FAIL...I do resolve to cut apart everything in my "to cut apart" pile and finish 2 things in my UFO pile. Nope...

I also resolve to 'boop' Marvin's nose, at least once a day :) I think I got that one :)

For 2012,
I resolve to get taller...again

 I resolve to bead at least 10 ornaments, throughout the year or all at once doesn't matter, either way. 

I resolve to blog at least once every 2 weeks, preferrably more, but 70+ hours of work doesn't leave much time :(

I resolve to finish one quilt completely on my own without having to say Moooooooooooom! fix this?

I resolve to start an OBW quilt. And piece no less than 30 sets of triangles OR start my friends' quilt involving circles in a fractal design.

That's reasonable, yeah?

Better late than never right?

Six, Seven, and Eight, respectively

I made number 6 on the way from Tennessee to my home near Pittsburgh. 

I used clear Tilas, magatamas, 11/0s, and some dagger beads over this super deep purple semi-matte ornament. 

 The pattern was loosely based on a project in Beadwork involving Tilas, but I didn't have the magazine accessible in the truck, so I went by memory.  This one is for the husbeast, whose favorite color.


Number seven was made while I was at home.  This one will eventually make its way to my parents-in-law.  I used some beautiful deer antler buttons that I found at the Powder Horn Trading Company in Kalispell, Montana. 

I also used peachy-ish colored pearls that I found there.  The idea with the buttons came from Bead and Button (I think...) there was a pattern using vintage shank buttons.  I altered the 2-hole style of the buttons with a bit of wire to work the pattern.  I covered the wire with a few 11/0s.

I used 4mm pearls and 6mm pearls, buttons, 11/0s in dark matte brown, silver-lined blue 11/0s, transparent blue 8/0s (in place of the 3mm beads)

I made number 8 on the way back from Pittsburgh.  It happened after a failed herringbone attempt at a rivoli bezel, then a failed netted bezel, and a failed peyote bezel.  I don't know what was going on, so I gave up and did other things with different beads.  I seem to have forgotten to take photos of number 8.  Crap.  Well next time, I'll tell you all about it :)

Then I got sidetracked when I got home and startd back on the Hallowe'en quilt.