New Adventure

I just started an encrusted crazy quilt class on line with Joggles and thought I'd just share my first block. This is lesson one - create a block. I assume we'll be adding lots of embellishments in the next 5 classes. Maybe I'll add each step here.

The colors are off. I started with the offwhite with a lavendar hue brocade center, added lite blue, yellow, pink, green, purple a green and gold brocade a darker purple and a sparkly purple. I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses. I can see many trips to the thread shop for silk thread and embroidery floss. I'm especially looking forward to adding beads and buttons but I think that's last because everything else will get caught on them.

I've Been Tagged

Robin, from Beadlust and Bead Journal Project (see side lines for sites) just tagged me to do this mere. Just 5 interesting questions. It’s kind of fun learning about other friends out there that I’ve never met, so I’ve done my best to answer.

• 1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
  10 years ago, I had just quit my job after 17 years at the Hartford Courant to raise my son. We were doing the playgroup thing, the nap thing (I miss this), and just keeping a 2-year-old busy and out of trouble! Reading children’s stories and watching children’s movies, visiting museums, playgrounds and all those things kids do.

• 2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?
  Oh, I live such an exciting life! Grocery shopping, clean the house, write some emails to my boys (I am a boys scout merit badge counselor), write a thank you note, plant some herbs and veggies. box up some books to donate to the library, take my son to TaeKwonDo (he became a black belt at age 10, he’s 12 now and going for his 2nd degree black belt soon). There must be more but it’s still early.
  

• 3. Snacks, I enjoy?
  That’s a tough one! Hum, it would have to be cheese, a really good extra sharp cheddar! I am choosing to eat right and have stopped eating sugar and white flour. I’m following the Atkin’s program and have lost 33 lbs in the past 3 months. Before this I’d have to say anything with chocolate.

• 4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire?
  Wow, there’s a lot I could do with this amount! Pay off the house, get a new car, put my son through middle school, high school and college. Bead, sew, oh, have someone clean my house and then I’d donate, donate, and donate! I have a soft spot in my heart for Fidelco Guide Dogs. We were so lucky to be the caretakers of a retired Fidelco dog, Jordan. He spent his retirement with us and he was the BEST dog ever. We had Jordan, a beautiful German Shepherd, for 5 years. He was so fun to have. He was gentle, loving, vocal (not in the barking way) and protective without even doing anything! He was really big!! So I’d donate to them. I’d donate to other organizations, too but right now I can’t think of any.
  

• 5. Places I have lived?
  Groton, Mass
  Fort Devens, Mass
  Newington, CT
  Verdon, France
  Atlanta Georgia (Atlanta Army Depot)
  Fort Ord (Monterey, CT)
  Williamsburg, VA
  Newport News, VA
  Heidelberg, Germany (Graduated HS in the Castle)
  New Britain, CT
  Newington, CT
  Manchester, CT (I’ve lived here since 1991 – longest time I’ve lived anywhere)
  I think that's it - just don't ask for dates - that's almost impossible. Can you tell I’m an Army Brat?

• 6. Peeps I want to know more about.
  

beadin'gram at http://beaded-creation.blogspot.com

Williamsburg Beader at http://williamsburgbeader.blogspot.com

http://sacredartist.blogspot.com/
http://nightbeaderatlarge.blogspot.com/
cc at: http://hrhcc.blogspot.com/

Not knowing many people on line, I'm tagging the above cyber-friends for this meme and hoping you’ll be willing to do it. By the way, “doing it” means you get to answer the same 6 questions as I have, and then tag 5 or 6 more people. Of course, you don’t have to do it. But if you do, please let me know so I can be an appreciative reader!

Finished 2007 Bead Journal Project

Here are a few pictures of my completed book. The pages are 5x7 and it's about 6 inches thick as you can see from this picture.

Just a few of the pages. Funny, the book stands on it's own! I just realized that.

I used peltex as a stabilizer with cotton as a fabric or painted the peltex as a backing to the beads. I then sewed each page to felt and used grommets to loop them all together. I planned each page to have about an inch more on the left hand side. I didn't know at the beginning what I'd be doing with all the pages but I did plan ahead just in case by leaving the extra on the left. Good thing!

May Bead Journal Page

I can not believe that this is the last page for the 2007 - 2008 Bead Journal Page quest. This is May. The face is a polymer clay face I made, painted with gesso and then used water color paints to drip all over it with my favorite colors. I really like this page because I used a bunch of different beads and used some in different techniques that I haven't used before.

I know that I'm really early with the last three pages but, I quit my job and have been using beading to "run away". I am happy that I actually finished the journey. I was afraid earlier in the year that I wouldn't finish and I really wanted to in the worse way. I proved to myself that I could make a year long commitment and do it. Best part is that I enjoyed the whole thing.

I have also enjoyed watching everyone else's pages. They are all so wonderful and creative. I have seen my own growth along the way especially in the beading ways. My favorite part is just letting the page create itself. What fun! Thank you to all for your sharing.

April Bead Journal Page

April showers bring May flowers! That's what went into my head when I did this one. I'm hoping for lots of flowers since we had lots of rain. Wish the shine came out better with the sequines I used for the puddle.

March Journal Page

March Bead Journal Page is celebrating the GREEN! I didn't catch the shine of the whole piece which started with the great cab in the center that has flakes of silver in the green. I don't know what it's called but I built around it.

Pay It Forward

This is Milo.

There is a blogger Pay It Forward going on. The idea is this: As part of the PIF venture, I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment here on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange. I am not sure what that gift will be yet, and youwill not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days! That is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is to Pay It Forward by making this same promise on your blog.I really love that this supports the random acts of kindness philosophy, & gives a boost to handmade, all in one. It's popping up everywhere - Pay it Forward. Are you in?