Well I finally got around to making those softer colored flowers. I really like these too but I think my favorites are the poppies.
with some color combos. It is really fun sometimes to make just one of something so I made these Kilara beads that can be used like small focals.
the worst of the storm by any means. There is a porch under there some where.
You can tell the wind was more trouble than the snow as it made much bigger piles than it would have if the snow had just come straight down.
This morning was the third time that the driveway got cleared out. We were afraid if we left it till the storm was over that the drifts would be too deep to get the snow blower through. Course it did not help that as soon as this was done this morning it started snowing again.
these dotty disks are. Thank heavens too as it is as gray as can be around here. The governor has already closed all the state offices for today and tomorrow because of this storm. All we are getting so far is nasty sleet and rain but with the snow that is supposed to be coming we are hoping to just keep our power. Fire wood has been brought in and groceries have been stocked.
to think about on this cold winter evening. I have made this kind of flower before just not in a long long time. I just love them done in oranges and reds they look like poppies. I think though that I need to do some in some softer colors too.
Well the one Christmas gift that I was making got finished up this weekend. This little hat goes with the scarf I showed you several weeks ago. There was just enough yarn left to make the hat and put fringe on the scarf. Now to wrap a few more little things and I will be done. Yeah!
These are spikes to fill up my tray, but while making them I had an idea for a multicolored necklace with them. So I guess I am making more next week because if I use these the tray will be empty again.
This is the beginning of a new tiny animal. That is if you can tell what it is. Any guesses? If you guess right I will refine it and make some more in better colors.
would freeze to death around here today. It is supposed to get up to a whopping 6 degrees today. I am headed to the studio to play with the torch right next to the nice warm kiln. What better way to stay warm.
These are lumpy spacers. They are small a fourth of an inch or a little bigger and they are just fun little lumps of color. This is my test batch and I have a kiln full of the little guys in all sorts of colors now. I have a necklace idea where I wanted a small bead every couple of inches and a plain smooth spacer just seemed a little too boring. Now to get around and make the necklace.
Well my son did not get to come home for Thanksgiving day but he made it home for the weekend so we had our big dinner Saturday evening after the guys spent the day in the barn working. Then Sunday they took the Jeep out to see if they could find some places to 4 wheel which I guess crossing a stream counted. They for the most part just found rutted farm roads so they did not even get it out of 2 wheel drive most of the time. Yesterday the cat found Brandon was a nice warm bed so slept on him a good part of the afternoon. And today of course the kid had to leave to go home to Omaha. He has been off work too long and needed to get back so he did not miss another day. I am really going to miss him again.
to Winterfest in Aberdeen SD in just a little while. The show is Saturday and Sunday at the community center off of 3rd St. So come and visit us.
I have had an idea in my head for the past couple of weeks, ever since the new issue of Beadwork came out with Kate McKinnon's new bracelet pattern. I wanted to make glass sequins for that bracelet and for a neck piece design I have. So the other day I sat down to make some. They are just really tiny disk beads and my friend Jodie has been making little disks for a while now.
I have been working this week to get all my special orders from my last show finished up. So far lots of bright colors. Seems that is what I did not have near enough of.
this scarf has been fun this past week it is so soft and fluffy. There are two different yarns in it. Now I want to get it done so I can work on the hat. Thing is I do not have the needles for the hat so will have to get in an order some where. Living in the boonies has it's problems. 
with the last of this mess. This is what that tree we had taken down turned into. Jeff had done most of the work while I was at my show last weekend but I helped Monday split the last of it and get it stacked up so the neighbor could have his splitter back. There is still a pile of odds and ends in the yard but it looks much neater and picked up. Had a nice toasty basement today while I was working on one of the many special orders I have from that last show.
I know I have been away too long. There has been lots of stuff going on but most of it pretty boring stuff. Hubby and I did have our 25th wedding anniversary this last week and I got these pretty flowers. Then toward the end of the week we took a couple of days and went to Sioux Falls to go to all the little galleries and shops that we never have time for when we are on our way through there and doing our chore type shopping. The last couple of days it has been sunny out and pretty warm so yard chores and such have been getting done. And as always I am still trying to find the kitchen table under the pile it has on it.
Hubby working so hard can you tell.
And Jodie working her booth.
I was real pleased how my booth was looking.
to think of orange and black beads. I figured that since I had two more shows this month I needed some orange and black beads as Halloween is coming. My hubby of course would say no those are Harley colors. 
These beads are simple clean lines and such a delicious color. The bright Spring Green is in total contrast to yesterday's wintry set.
is what I have decided to call these beads. I know I showed you some of these beads but I played with this color combo some more and really liked the shapes in the front set so wanted to show them off. These are headed to the bead show in Lincoln this coming Saturday.
what I get to do this weekend? That is if it does not rain all weekend. We have been trying to get this tree taken down for about two months now and the tree guy finally got here today. He of course said he was surprised it had not fallen it was so brittle. Now we get to cut all that wood and get it split to use this winter. The chore for the next few nights and weekends as I need help from hubby to do it all.
if these beads make me think of a summer sky or a crystal clear winter one. One way or another they are much brighter than the nasty day we are having around here. It has rained the last two days and now it is actually getting cold.
that I made to go along with the "With a Grain of Salt" series of beads. This is a big lentil shaped bead a good inch and a half across.
is what I am calling these new beads. They started out as frit beads but the raised stringer just needed to be added. Lots of different shapes in the 5 different sets. 
Thought you would like to see a close up.
Thought I would show you what I have been knitting these last couple weeks. Granted I am not making much progress but I am ready to make the heal and I sort of have a fear of that part so am working up to it. I got the yarn while I was in Florida this spring. I did not realize that it was going to stripe so nicely but am really liking how it is coming out.
We are headed out to Sioux Falls first thing in the morning for Saturday's Sidewalk Art Festival. And these are some of the beads I am taking with me. 
Why are we headed over there so early you might ask ? Well it is to go shopping. The book store the yarn store and anything else that might suit our fancy. Although after hubby buying the jeep he does not get to drag me to the Harley store any more. I said one toy was enough.
is the name of this new series of beads. They are black, transparent gray, and opaque gray. And they are the hardest things to take a decent picture of. The transparent gray is just dark enough it does not want to photograph as transparent and makes the beads look solid almost. 
This picture of a single one of the sets seems to show off the beads better. I am glad as they are headed for Etsy in just a little while.
Flower rings to be exact. I have been meaning to get these done forever and finally made them up the other day. A customer bought a bracelet from me where I used one of these flowers as the clasp and she wanted a matching ring. I did not realize just how hard they are to make a specific size.
I spent this afternoon finishing up my Art in the Bag project. I started this bag way back in May and the knitting has been done for some time although I have to admit I left the shoulder straps for a long time as they were pretty boring to knit. The bag itself was a lot of fun. 
Today I got the silly thing lined with this nice floral fabric. There are even pockets on the inside. Now to get the box addressed and it shipped off for the auction.
This week I have been playing with frit. Frit is just crushed up pieces of glass that you roll your beads in. I really like this combination it is so fall like and with the cool cool weather we have been having it seems just the right timing.
These three sets have the look and feel of beach glass or sea glass. I just love that soft velvety surface that the etching leaves. The very back set also made me think of ice cubes. Must be because it has turned decidedly fall like around here in the past few days. It is only supposed to get up to 70 degrees and oh how lovely that makes sleeping at night.
is happening around here. I make beads and take pictures of them and not much else gets done. Of course why would anyone want to clean house and do laundry. :-) 
Both of these sets were etched and man are they hard to take pictures of they look like they feel though all soft and silky.
I am still working on getting good pictures of my beads. I think I am getting better. Look at last weeks and this one and tell me what you think.
