Bracelet and Earrings June 2012 Design - 5/29/24

May 29, 2024--This is another Deb Moffett-Hall bracelet and earrings set I've just finished beading from her 2012 monthly series.  It has lots of sparkle and will look great with just about anything.  

Bracelet and Earrings June 2012 Design Finished

Santa Snowball - 5/23/24

May 23, 2024--Finished the stitching on my 18th Santa designed by Janet Zickler Casey in 2005.  This one, called Snowball Santa, was stitched by the designer with eyes that gave him a very mischievous look (see the project photo below).  However, I felt they looked too angry, so I redesigned the eye shape and eyebrows for a kinder, more neutral expression.  I like it.

PS:  The thread for the nose doesn't look very well laid, but in person, it looks just fine.  The window light shows every shadow of the thread strands.

Santa Snowball Completed

Santa Snowball as Designed by Janet Zickler Casey

Star 3D Five-Pointed Peyote Beaded - Updated 5/20/24

May 20, 2024--And now there are two.  I loved the pattern to this 3D Peyote Beaded Star so much that I just had to make another one--this time in navy blue with white bicones.   I'm amazed at how different it looks even though everything except the colors is the same.  Same size beads, same pattern, same size bicones, etc.  I suspect it's because the gold Delica beads surrounding the bicones are so light and pale, they don't show up as much on the white star as the do on the blue one, making the triangles on the blue star look so much larger.  Interesting effect.

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading in Blue - Finished

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading, One in Blue, One in White - Finished

April 2, 2024--After working up the 3D 5-pointed mini beaded stars, I just knew this beauty would be next.  It's a larger 5-pointed 3D star designed by Phyllis Zunte and I found the pattern on Etsy.  You can see the back of the star through the center opening.   It has lots of dimension and sparkle.  As you can see in the photos below, the star is made up of five "warped" squares that are zipped together.  I'm discovering lots of patterns using this technique, but for now, I think I'll stitch this one again with dark blue seed beads and pearl colored bicones outlined in gold seed beads.

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading - Finished

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading - Finished Side View

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading - 5 Sections

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading - 1 Section

Star Beaded Peyote 3D - Strictly Beading - 4 Sections Stitched Together

Diamond Painting Coasters - Updated 5/1/24

May 1, 2024--Ta da.... done!  This project couldn't have been easier.  I've even placed the cork backing on each coaster.  Now to figure out how to "seal" them so they aren't stained by red wine, coffee, tea, etc.    See the blog posting below dated April 28th for more details about this project.  

All Eight Coasters Done

All Eight Coasters in their Metal Carrier

April 28, 2024--Recently I was at a friend's home where she showed me a diamond painting kit she was working on.  She found it akin to using adult coloring books except you are coloring with faceted, flat backed diamonds or "drills".  It looked more like "painting by numbers", but I could appreciate the Zen-like feeling you would get when doing this.  Sooooo....purchased one of these kits from Amazon and I must admit, it is very relaxing!!!  For $9.99, the kit included 8 different patterned coasters, 8 cork backs, 1 metal holder, drills in individually numbered/lettered packages, a tray, holding wax and a pen-like device to pick up the drills.  So far, I've done three of the eight coasters and don't want to stop until they're all done.  

Included in the kit:  Metal Holder, 8 Coasters, 8 Cork Backs (Drills are in separate envelopes)

Information on Side of Box

Below is a photo of a coaster before the drills are placed on it.  The surface is very, very sticky or tacky, so the coaster has a thin plastic film on it that you can keep placed on half of the coaster portion you aren't working on while exposing the other half of the coaster's sticky surface for drill placement.   The surface is color coded as to where to place which drills--easy peasy.   The pen like device used to place the drills is first filled with a waxy substance which holds the faceted side of the drill while you place the drill's flat side onto the coaster.  The positioning doesn't have to be exact, just cover up the number or letter.  

Here's an example of one of the coasters beaded so far. 

A coaster fully beaded, photographed top down.

A coaster fully beaded, photographed from the side.

I will probably coat each coaster with something that will make it waterproof, but not sure what yet.