Day 3: Learn a new beading technique
I tried to solder a piece of beach pottery to make it into a pendant, but that didn’t work out at all — there were many extremely frustrated attempts at making the solder not go flying off the piece and spent an hour turning the internet upside down trying to figure out WHY until finding out I was using the wrong kind of tape. Even though it is clearly labeled as being for soldering. Anyway. I will get some proper tape and redo that later.
So I made a singed-edged flower and sewed a vintage-style cluster of beads in the center, then took a trio of ribbons, did some heavy wire wrapping at a couple points, then tried doing a wire-wrapped finding-end instead of using a crimp. I think I might take the flower off and stick it on a hairpin instead, I’ll probably get more use out of it that way.
Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge
Necklace a Day 6
I’m a little behind, trying to catch up tonight…this one’s just for me because some of the the petals of the vintage red flower earring I used here are coming loose from the metal rims and I don’t expect them to hold up real well. Hooked up to a knotted strand of red coral.
Use coupon code FEBRUARY12 for 15% off anything in my shop through the month.
I’m making a necklace a day through February. See all my daily necklaces here. Then stop by to visit per:cent blog, who’s doing it, too.
pink! [belated for Monday]
Summer Colour Week on poppytalk
Pink flower’s at Lily’s Café in Cambria, California. There is a whole little row of very cute shops there.
Tea tree lives down the street. they’re Australian natives but do wonderfully here in the Bay Area. So do the eucalyptus.
When you’re locked out
The other day, I met Chad for lunch and when I got home I realized my keys were missing! I lose my keys about once a decade, and it seemed about time, so I wasn’t too too upset. I called Chad and asked if he’d be able to leave work early to come let me in the house, sat on the porch for a bit, then realized it was probably going to be awhile before Chad showed up, because 1. he was in the middle of work and 2. he is slow like that sometimes.
So I decided to garden. I got my flowers put in out back and weeded the herb garden. It felt pretty good and it’s nice that when I glance out the kitchen window I see marigolds instead of waist-high weeds.
At about exactly the time I was finished, Chad showed up and let me in the house, where I found my keys sitting on my desk.
So my tips for when you are locked out are:
1. Keep calm! There are worse things than being forced to stay outside on a nice spring day.
2. Be patient and find something to keep yourself occupied. You will get in eventually and you can get some stuff done in the meantime.
Gardens on my block
There’s a house on the corner with a little white picket fence and the sweetest garden that I’ve been admiring since we moved here. I recently properly met the owner at a meet-up a mutual friend puts together — very random!
I sometimes peek through the knots in her fence — forgive me, her garden is so lovely and I am so curious! — and admired her magical little back yard — I’m envious of her green adirondacks that blend in like camouflage.
Her next-door neighbor has a spectacular tea tree, which is something I tried to grow a few years back but managed to kill within a few weeks. Maybe it’s time to try again.
More flower tutorials
I’ve been gathering a few more flower tutorials:
Zucchini and Me: Knitted flowers for dummies
CRAFT: Easy Ribbon Rosettes
Sumo’s Sweet Stuff: Zipper flowers
Mary Janes & Galoshes: Roses or Peonys and Petals
100 Layer Cake: DIY fabric flowers by Michonne
lilyella: Fabric Rosettes
BONUS — not a flower how-to but it includes flowers and is super cute and springish:
Joli Paquet: A Lark’s Tale Cuff
Look out weekend / unofficial flower week #3
I am thinking about this weekend, it is GLORIOUS out. I have some work to finish up, meeting a couple folks at the small dog park this afternoon and testing out the vintage floral sundress that had the split boob seam that I sewed up — hopefully it will hold, the fabric defines threadbare. I figure the park isn’t too far from the house to expose myself for too long riding back if need be, and I’ll bring along a cardigan just in case.
I am hoping tomorrow involves some more road tripping, Chad has been frazzled all week so I don’t know if that will happen. There are plenty of lovely outdoor spots around here so it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we didn’t make it all the way over to the ocean. Though I’d really like to. I cannot get enough of the Pacific.
What are you doing this weekend?
: : :
Two more for the end of unofficial flower week. Post yours, leave a link in the comments, and pass it on.
Does the juxtaposition of red and purple always make anyone else think of Flowers in the Attic? Or is that just me?
Bonus photo of my daughter’s cat, Casey. He is a giant beast and if you come over, you have to pet him the whole time you are here because any break you can give me from his constant, pathetic meowing for attention is desperately needed. Thankfully the sun finally came out, because warm pavement is about the only thing besides direct contact that that shuts him up.
Unofficial flower week, day 2
It’s unofficial flower week. Post yours, leave a link in the comments, and pass it on.
I realize my neighbor’s Japanese maple is not a flower, but it is quite spring-like so I say it counts.
Unofficial flower week
Abby declared it unofficial flower week. Post yours, leave a link in the comments, and pass it on.
![Blooming echeveria [?] at the Big Long's](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3969214105_3ba62f89f8_b.jpg)
Nada, nada, nada
Busy bee, lots and not much going on.
Tomorrow night is The Wizard of Oz at the local theater. Too bad the glittered shoes I made for Halloween fell apart, but I’ll probably throw on the gingham if it’s not too cold.
Which it might be, it’s been unseemly cold here lately — low 40s every night, my friend in San Jose had HAIL yesterday morning. Which is kind of getting me down, I am dying to wear my skirts and flip-flops and break out of all the constricting layers of sweaters and just let my skin BREATHE.
Also tomorrow is my return to painting after spring break, especially exciting after seeing Geninne’s The Process. How gorgeous is that? I’m going to water my acrylics way down tomorrow. I’m still working on the succulent flower, though if I was starting the project right now, I might work from my photo of some freesias I got at the farmer’s market last week, I really like how the bokeh here already looks painted.
