happy leap day

It’s kinda weird to think that this day didn’t exist last year.  I didn’t have to be at work, watching the clock tick tock until the wonderful hour of 3.  We woke up this morning with another layer or wet snow, this weekend is supposed to get up into the 40ies so that should melt a bunch of whats left.  It’s also good timing b/c we plan to do some of the wood work around the house, and staining can get stinky.  So we should be able to crack the windows a bit and get some fresh air. 

Here’s another flower to help bring happy warm thoughts.  It was taken last June from a flower pot on Mom’s deck.  I like this one, I need to find a way to make a center like this in beads.  Not much bead wise has been going on.  I’m hoping some inspiration will hit me soon, my hands want to keep busy. 

making my own spring

This is my best attempt at bringing a little spring to my life…I dug through my pictures of flowers and will post them here to bring in Spring.  It was fun flipping through all my older pictures.  This was taken early last summer.  Mom and Dad brought me some potted annuals, dahlias, in a cool pot.  This was one of the flowers that did really well.  So pretty. 

Yesterday Chris and I talked about my blahness…what is causing it etc.  I came up with what I posted yesterday, winter blues, and after the big project blahness.  I’m not in the mood to do anything, but I’m craving the satsified feeling of accomplishment.  I really don’t want to feel either, so my flower picture idea is my defense for the winter blues.  And to combat the blahness I decided to work on putting together our Jamaica scrap book.  It is a source of creativity, and needs to get done.  I worked on it the majority of last night and have everything in it from Jamaica.  Now just have to add the pics from the celebration party.  This will hopefully give me the sense of accomplishment and fight off the blahness.  We shall see how it goes.  This weekend we’re planning some more house stuff, stripping and staining some wood.  That’s been a chore I’ve been putting off for close to a year.

In the evenings or between coats of polyurithane I plan of working on some flowers.  Small ones, to get my color juices flowing.  I already have three hand bouquets put together, but they need leaves.  And I’m just not in the mood for greens. 

not much

Not much has been going on to blog about recently. I seem to be in a sorta funk, I think it’s brought on by the persistant dreary days of Feb. I also just finished two fairly large pieces and am experiencing the blahness that occurs after the excitement of finishing. Good news is this morning while shoveling the 3 inches of snow I heard a cardinal singing, it’d been a while since I’d heard one. That has to be a good sign.

eclipse

Last night was a total lunar eclipse, sorta fitting with our two kitties with celestial names.  We remembered it around 9pm and each took a kitty outside to see it.  We didn’t get to see the total eclipse but saw it while it was partial.  It had been years since I’d watched/seen one.  It was very cool, and even more frosty outside so we didn’t stick around to watch it long.  Although I read in the news today that if we had looked at it through some binocculars we could have seen Saturn and the star Regulus which is part of the Leo constalation.  That could have been neat.

Last night we spent a long time at the Vet.  Mira went in for a check up and to start a file at the doc’s.  We discovered she has issues like Orion did, only her’s are permanent.  Mira has a grade II heart murmur, right now that doesnt’ require medication but if it worsens it will.  Also means she might take longer to recover from colds, and may have less energy.  So far she’s doing ok keeping up with Orion.  She also has some worm/mite issues that she’s being treated for, which means Orion also has to be treated for.  It’s a process getting the kitties healthy again, but we did it with Orion and Mira will be so happy once she’s healthy.

Tonight and the weekend should include some much anticipated beading.  I have ideas that are wanting to come out of me.  Tonight is also a big episode of Lost.  Last weeks episode was great…I was so wrapped up when it was over it took me a while to be able to go to sleep.  And Miranda and I finally agreed on something….Sayid cleans up good!  =0)  This weeks episode is supposed to be about Kate, I know from the preview that she and Sawyer tend to hook up when they’re locked in a room together.  But I’ve heard we’re supposed to learn if Kate is preggers and who the future “He” is.  I’m guessing she’s not pregnant, but I don’t really think that the “He” is Sawyer. 

productive

Last weekend was one of those weekends that makes up for all those that we were lazy bums and did nothing!  We did everything over the weekend.  Adopted Mira Saturday morning, and started the getting to know you phases that continued on through the weekend.  Last night was the first night her and Orion were not separated, not sure how much they slept, but they didn’t wake us up.  While the kitties were getting used to each other through a screen door, Chris finished writing his newest song.  And I broke out of my flower funk.  It wasn’t a bad funk, just a little one caused by finishing two large projects and not knowing where to go next.  I’ve made several bangles now, so I have been beading, just not flowers.  Well Saturday I went into the bead room took out some colors that I hadn’t seen in a while and just made small simple flowers.  Then color combos started popping out and I started making more.  I ended up with the petals done for 3 and a half more flowers.  And ideas for two or three more, and the next bigger project growing in my noodle.  It felt good!
Sunday was more getting to know Mira.  I spent part of the day in the spare room with her playing, and then taping the walls to get ready to paint.  I figured might as well since I was in there, I talked to Mira too so she’d get used to my voice.  That evening we watched a movie together. 
We had Monday off for Presidents day and this was the real productive day.  The kitties got to play loose in the house, they play pretty rough, but we’re pretty sure its just play.  The little hissing we had is mostly gone, except when someone play’s a little too rough.  We started the day by doing some shopping and bought a couple small things for the house, which made us think of what we wanted to be working on.  So we decided to hang up some shelves that I got for Christmas.  That wasn’t too bad so then we took down two of the three dividers between the kitchen and the dining room.  They are very retro 70’s themed dividers, and kinda neat.  So I left one up, although Chris really wants it taken down.  Finally we hung up some pictures from Jamaica that had been put to the side.  Those little things made a big difference in the house.  Which made us real excited to do some more.  Not sure how much will get done this weekend b/c I want to spend a bit more time making some flowers.  But maybe I can get something started.
Its not often we have weekends that we accomplish so much, but it sure feels good!

meet Mira

Yesterday we went out to a shelter and met the newest member of the family, Mira.  Pronounced with a hard I. She’s a female and definitely plays the part.  Only a couple months younger than Orion she doesn’t seem the least bit phased by him.  She’s more interested in exploring and claiming territory and all Orion wants to do is play.  He’s already gotten on her nerves a couple times, so for now that are separated by a screen.  They can see each other but have their own space.  She has a very strong personality and tends to already get a bit queenly.  Her chosen spot to nap is the highest spot in the room on top of a blanket looking out the window.  Orion’s normal napping spot is under the couch.  I think we might have our hands full with these two until they figure out how to get along.
In keeping with the celestial theme of names we got the name Mira after watching a show on the History Channel about the Milky Way.  There is a star called Mira A that can be see by the naked eye from earth.  Apparently it is important b/c when viewed in ultra violet light you can see the trail it is leaving behind in its wake.  It’s one of the first stars where scientists can study where it was in the past instead of predicting its future path.

too close to home

It’s never ever a good feeling when you open up a cnn.com and the first thing you see is home.  Last night I opened the page to learn there had been a shooting at Northern ILL University.  Not my home town, not my college, but damn close enough.  I drove through Dekalb regularly when taking Chris home from our college.  Of the kids that went to college that I graduated with the majority either went to community college or Northern.  I know kids that probably sat in that hall at one time, that took a class with that teacher.  Granted they are probably graduated and long gone by now…but thats not my point.  I don’t know what my point is…I don’t know what the point of this disaster is.  What is the lesson to be learned?  What was accomplished?

to escape from reality we’re going to look for a kitten to adopt this weekend.  we want to get Orion a friend to play with.

beadin in bed

Sunday night I picked up some of the beads I bought on Saturday and tried something new. I’ve been wanting to try to make one of Shelley’s bangles for a while now, and her new one in the February Bead and Button looked simple enough for me. I’d never really worked in right angle weave so it was a learning experience. At first I had a hard time figuring it out, but once I was able to see the tiny diamonds I was forming it became easier. And then I actually got better at it. My stitches were tighter and I was really having fun. Last night I picked the bangle back up and finished while laying in bed. I’d forgotten how good it feels to accomplish a piece in a short amount of time. I could probably make another in an evening now that I don’t have to figure everything out.

It was also nice to try something new, and be successful! The bangle has a wonderful feel to it, more solid than I thought and with a really wonderful weight. The base beads are nickel, so the metal definitely helps with structure and the weight, then I embellished with swarovski crystals and grey glass beads. I’m not a very blingy jewelry person so I mixed up the swarovskis with the glass and it’s just perfect for me.
Now that I feel more comfortable with the RAW I have an idea for a combo of RAW and wire bangle. I probably won’t work on it until next time I get together with Mom. That’s when I tend to do more jewelry work, and I’d have to “borrow” some beads from her stash. =0) haha I guess I don’t have enough beads to keep me busy, I have plans for hers!
Tonight I will either work on another bangle or play with some flowers. We’ll see what my mood brings.

class, laziness, busy again

Saturday’s class was a great learning experience.  I met 3 new beading ladies and I think they enjoyed learning this new technique.  I know I learned a lot, in how to teach, what to teach, and how much I like teaching.  I did enjoy it, and as I left Shelley mentioned possibly doing it again in a couple months.  That really makes sense because I think the classes would do better two or three times a year as opposed to monthly.  And I don’t want to become a full time teacher.  It’s nice to meet new people, and always fun to spend a day hanging out at a bead store, but I love making the intricate flowers.  Right now teaching is not my full time goal.  Good to know I can handle it though.
For the rest of the weekend I was lazy.  Everyone at my house was lazy.  I played video games with my brother who came up for the weekend.  And watched bad sci fi movies with Chris.  On Sunday night I finally did pick up some beads and played around with a pattern I’d been wanting to try.  It’s weird right now though.  I have a sorta clean slate.  I’m aching to bead again, to play with colors and make up some new flowers.  I kinda enjoyed the pattern last night and came up with an idea for something that could be really cool.  I should do it now while the idea is hot…but I think it would something fun to do with mom.  I finally have some time to play with the PMC that I got last month.  And maybe some wire work with the torch soon too.  I can only do all this during the week, because Chris and I have dedicated this long weekend to housework.  We haven’t done much to the house in a while, so we have a list that is probably too long to get done.  But we’re going to start on it this weekend.  I’m excited for that as well.  Lots to do, lots to do…good thing I’m looking forward to all of it.

Final Frost

Between two majestic mountains surrounded by their brother mountains for miles lies a glacier. Deep in a crevice on this glacier grows a small cluster of flowers up out of the ice. Sparse green leaves are the only color coming from these plants. Their blooms are various shades of grey and white. Some of their petals drip as begin to melt toward the end of this final frost.

I had two main inspirations for this piece. The first was Barbara Grainger‘s Willow Winter. I loved that she could create so much depth and detail using just one color, and a color as blank as white. My other inspiration was the up coming winter in the Midwest. Although white is often considered the winter color, grey is much more predominant during our winter months. The sky is grey with clouds, the roads grey from dried salt, fields a frozen brownish grey, sidewalks a blueish grey. Everything is muted and dulled with grey, which can be a source for the winter blues. My goal was to see if I could use this color that can depress so many and use it to make some beautiful flowers.

I decided not to make the bouquet very full. They grow out of ice from the glaciers, they aren’t going to be green and lush. They were meant to me petite and hopefully somewhat elegant. The complete piece stands 12 inches tall, and with the icicles about 9 inches wide.