Ramblings

Hello again!

Well it's been fairly quiet around here... extremely HOT though... the past weekend we have been hovering around 105 and HUMID. UGH. But we are starting to cool a bit now.. only in the low 90s.. still humid but more bearable.

I've mostly been trying to finish up projects that have been laying around for a while so I can feel good about creating something NEW!  So this week I have been able to finish up a third Nefertiti necklace, two wrap bracelets, a pair of earrings for the shop, and I've been working on my chain maille bracelet. I LOVE this bracelet!!! It's the Dragon Scale technique.. I have about 8-9 hours in it already and it's a little over half finished! Definitely have a great respect for the medieval armorers!! This is about 1/4 finished in this picture.

Since we were off work yesterday, we decided to go for a hike. The DuPont State Forest is only about an hour away from us. We recently started going there after living so close for all these years! It's a beautiful place with miles and miles of trails... hopefully one day I can say I've seen it all!! (maybe?)

 David and our 'children' on top of the smaller mountain, at a trail crossing. I really need to have my camera out all the time on these hikes! This entire area was rock with patches of low growing evergreen and tall grasses, and then here and there were some stubby pine trees. It was very cool and odd looking at the same time. The rock is worn smooth from hikers, mountain bikers and weather. Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains as well! We met some mountain bikers at the top and they asked us to snap a pic of them and then returned the favor! It's nice because we rarely have pictures of the two of us together on these hikes!

 This is coming off the rock and heading back into the tree line..

 Beautiful ferns were everywhere.. it was cool but still slightly humid down in the trees....

 The mountain laurel is still in full bloom and just beautiful!!

And there's our trail!! I simply love the MapMyRun app!!!

So that's how I've been spending my time these days, well, that and running and working out! My weight loss has slowed down with just running so I've started adding in strength training to build muscle and burn more fat!

Thanks for following my little blog :) I love reading when people post in the comments! It makes me feel loved ;)  I am going to try to kick it up and post more often!

Have a great day!!!

Project 5 Reveal!

So once again, I have neglected my blog for some time... but one sure way to get a blog post is for Karyn at Releases By Rufydoof to have a Reveal Day!!!

Project 5 included two patterns from Helena Tang-Lim at Manek Manek Beads. Echoes of Nefertiti and we were also able to purchase a pattern called 4 Leaf Clover cuff at a reduced rate once we showed that we worked on it. I have never purchased a pattern before and I have to say that I WILL be purchasing more of Helena's in the future. They are so well written and just work up so smoothly and the finished product is just lovely!!

I ended up with two versions of Nefertiti, and I'm currently working on a third! I will have to post pictures of that once it actually starts to be more than a pile of beads on my mat :)

Here is my first version, I just love the blue Tilas! I used Purple Zebra Jasper coins, they have a slightly rounded edge that does tend to let the fan slip around it.. I believe it's more of a 'too much tension' issue... which is present in the majority of my work ;)  I found the 4mm bicones in my stash and I think they are just perfect! I did have some issues with the toggle bar but I know what I did wrong and will fix it on my next one! :) 

 This is the second version I made, I'm not particularly keen on the bicones.. they are a bit too blue for the coppery purples of the rest of the necklace. Once I restock my stringing wire, I will change these out for another smokier blue crystal.

And here is one of the 4 Leaf Clover cuffs I worked up. I had my boss pick colors for me because I knew I would just go to black or greens.... this worked up SO nicely!! I just love the components and have been dreaming up other ways to use them..... I have one half finished in black pearls with a purple lined blue seed... but I left it at work yesterday! I will have to post a finished picture later in the week!

Thank you once again, Karyn and Helena for the WONDERFUL projects this month! I am eagerly awaiting our next challenge!!!

Silent Sunday

Beading Babes Reveal!

I totally missed my Silent Sunday post... so here is Miss Cheyenne... the cause of that... she went through the fence on Saturday night around 10:30 pm... so I spent most of Sunday repairing a fence and treating wounds... nothing too major thank goodness!!!

Well we had two projects and extra time this month.... and I managed to get one project finished... I swear the Ravishing Rosettes pattern was hiding from me ... at least parts of it were!! Here is what I accomplished... I really like the pattern and the colors but I totally missed several steps!! I WILL be reworking this in the future though!

As you can see.. I'm missing one part altogether and it is curving in the complete wrong direction!! Ah well.. back to the beading board with it!
This is the Runway of Pearls bracelet that was our second project... I really liked the bracelet! But as I was adding the embellishment I noticed it was getting shorter.... and shorter... I ended up with it almost 2 inches too short!! So, I stared at it for a while.... and then came up with this idea... which my wonderful boss helped me wire up.. (wire and I don't get along too well right now)

This bracelet called for embellishing both sides but as it was shrinking as I went along, I ended up only embellishing the one side.. but it still turned out fairly well.. at least I think so!

I can't wait to see what the other Babes have worked up with this challenge!!!

Silent Sunday

Time Flies!!

So, I had a blog post ready to go on Monday but evidently I never finished it and posted it! It's been one of those weeks!
I don't know if I've mentioned it (hahaha! YES I HAVE)  but I seriously LOVE my job at Obsessions!  It's not even 'work'... well it IS.. especially when I'm having to pack up and account for a trunk show of GORGEOUS stones... see? Even the paperwork is fun!!
I am working on a few projects, mostly getting things ready to teach at the shop next month :) We are doing a 'Back to Basics' course over the next few months to teach some basic stitching and I have a few patterns to teach that go along with the initial stitching class. Should be great fun and introduce some new ideas to our students!!
The sun is shining a bit longer every day and I can't tell you how happy this makes me!!
LOVE this picture I found online:

I'm so excited to start working in the garden!! I layered cardboard scraps under my compost this winter and it honestly looks like I won't even be using the noisy, smelly, noisy, noisy, noisy tiller this year! Did I mention it's kind of noisy? The first few years I felt I HAD to use it, good old Carolina red clay takes some time to get to a workable stage... but I have really decent soil this year! Thank you to my chickens :D

They have really made such a difference in the garden plot! Great fertilizers and great job of keeping the soil nice and loose! I highly recommend them! :D  Although I do think they will not be quite so pleased when I have to keep them OUT of their favorite digging spots.

What are your garden plans this year? Going all out and doing a huge garden or just containers on the back porch? Trying any new veggies?

It's been a few days...

.. since I've posted here! I've just been outside as much as possible enjoying the lovely weather we have been having... and I've also been working! YAY ME!  I don't know if I've mentioned it yet... but I LOVE my job! I really do!! Just too much fun to call it work. :D

This will just be a quick post since it's getting late and I need some sleep!!   

We have had two days this week of gorgeous sun and 60* weather! I absolutely LOVE it!! I am so ready for Spring and to be done with Winter!! Even though we have had a mild winter this season, I'm tired of the dark and gloomy days and the cold. I don't like cold. 
I can't wait to start working in my garden again! I long for the sweet taste of fresh baby greens and watching the little sprouts poke through the dirt and be continually amazed how a tiny seed can make such delicious food!!!
This is an older picture, but I did see this little guy poking his head out of the roots of the maple tree by our driveway :) Daffodils always make me happy!

Well, I gotta crash for the night, so I'll leave you with a few pictures of my late, lamented bulb garden which the chickens decided would make a nicer dust bath....

Hello Monday..

Today I say that in the 'Hello, Neuman" voice of Jerry Seinfeld. 

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! We had sunny days in the mid 50s-60s! I worked Saturday at The Spinning Bean and then worked on some house cleaning and, of course, beading!

I did forget something last week: Our pups passed their CGC test!! They are now certified Canine Good Citizens!  Of course, we still have to work with them more in public places but they are greatly improved on that already. Yesterday we walked up the road to the golf course that is behind our property and then came back through our woods. It's a nice little romp that takes about an hour or so depending on how many lovely smells they find! About half way through the woods we saw a flock of turkeys making their way through the neighborhood. There must have been about 60 of them!! It really made me wish I had my camera with me.

 As far as beading goes, I'm still working on my Uffington Cuff. I just love the design and can't wait to get it finished and wear it already!

It's hard to believe that I have about 12 or more hours in this already.... but when you are stitching bead by bead by bead.. it takes some time!

I am also trying to get re-inspired to work on my Beading Babes project for this month. The Runway of Pearls bracelet has shrinkage issues and I'm still not quite sure on my choice to fix that issue... And I basically have to re-start the Ravishing Rosettes necklace.. However, I think now that I have worked on it and found my error it should go quite quickly!

And now I must go get cleaned up and ready for work! Happy Monday everyone!

Greetings!!

Today starts a portion of my weekend! I'm off work tomorrow and then back at the cafe on Saturday. Then off again on Sunday!

Today was my Bead Store day! I love working at Obsessions!  I helped a lady that had never stitched with beads create a beautiful tennis bracelet today using seed beads and 6mm crystals. She was so pleased with it she bought more supplies to make another one at home. I really love being able to share knowledge with people and see their joy when they 'get it' with a pattern or technique.

I'm working on finalizing what I get to teach in February at the store.. one of the options is going to be a Start here, Finish at home project but it's one I LOVE and hope people won't be intimidated by it.

I have several projects on my table to finish up and few repairs to do and even a couple custom jobs I MUST get started on soon! But the other week I woke up around 3 am from a beading dream... yes, I dream about beads.... I sketched out my idea quickly and went back to sleep.. If I don't do that then it's gone by morning...
 So.. this is my inspiration:

I have always admired the Uffington Horse in Britain. I'd love to travel there and actually SEE it one day... Maybe if I sell enough jewelry... eventually...
Here is what I have sketched up and started beading on for making a cuff  :)   I don't think this one will be for sale though ;)

The horse is beaded in a matte bone seed bead and then I'm doing swirls of a matte green.. the celtic knots will be done in a brown iris charlotte for a little bit of pop and sparkle. I'm really geeked to FINALLY be doing a beaded cuff AND to make it using Uffy as inspiration! :D

Where do you find your inspiration to create?????

Decisions and the Great Egg Hunt

Hello Everyone!
It's been a few days I know.. I was just really enjoying those beach pictures!! And I've been a little busy keeping the assorted farm critters dry this past weekend. UGH. Rain is all well and good but we really don't need quite so much every day!
However, today was quite lovely and reached 66* F. Yay! Too bad I spent most of it at work indoors... there are some things I miss about working at barns.
Thanks to the rain, I feel I'm missing something ... ah yes, the eggs. I have 3 flocks of chickens, one stays in a smallish dog lot, one is free ranging but stays very close to their coop next to the barn, and the third and largest flock has a coop near my garden area and they free range the property. Which has been fine. Until last week. They decided that the old abandoned house next door looked like a lovely place to find some winter bugs and oddities... so yeah. Thanks for that! Now I get to spend what little daylight hours I have snooping around an abandoned house (that is rather creepy) on someone else's property, looking for hidden eggs. YAY ME.
It looks like I'll be spending some hard earned cash on fencing in the Spring. I would like to do it NOW but I am also on a vehicle hunt... but that's a story for another blog day....

So in the past week I've had a few choices come up jobwise and I'm trying to reach a few decisions... so I'm considering and planning and should have something finalized this week.... I'll keep you posted! Lots of thinking going on over here... can you smell the smoke??

Bead-wise... Lots going on there as well! I've been working on my Beading Babes projects.. I LOVE both projects..... but this month I've seriously had some mental issues with both of them! The necklace I just love and was SO looking forward to finishing it... just couldn't figure out what my issue was, took the instructions to the bead shop, sat down and looked at them and noticed for the FIRST TIME that I totally missed a Step! Really?!? So... I really WANT to finish this one but since I've already taken it apart twice I think I'm going to set it aside for a few days and let my brain rest with this pattern....

I did finish the second project for the Babes.... and was also disappointed!! But this time I DID read the pattern correctly.. LOVE the beads I chose... just somehow it's about 1.5 inches TOO SMALL! Not really sure what happened except that I probably used too much tension.. it's just what I do!

So, after that small disappointment I bent my mind to something totally different and did my first official chain maille piece! I simply LOVE it!!!

Tomorrow promises to be a looooooooooooong day: work at the cafe at 9:30 - 2:00 then off to the bead shop until 6:00 and then our final obedience class with the pups! We are going to do a test of some sort tomorrow.. I'm sorry to say that I am totally blanking on the name of it! It involves your pup obeying some basic commands and then there is a portion where you get to leave the room for a set time and your dog stays with the handler and has to behave. Ok.. so I THINK both of ours will do fine with that... but still.. it's a test... like in school... and even though we have been studying hard I still stress out over tests!!   

but hey.... I'm just happy that they are SO much better behaved and I actually enjoy walking them again!

So, until next time.. everyone have a happy Wednesday and I'll catch up with you again soon!!!

Star Pupils? Who knows?!

Hello everyone! Been a few days since I've posted but I have been a little busy and didn't want to just toss up any old post just to fill space :)

We are pretty much done with inventory, just tying up loose ends.. THANK HEAVENS! I know Tammy is ready for this to be OVER! Looking forward to work tomorrow and also to teaching my class on Saturday! I'm teaching the Wheel of Time pendant I posted about earlier. It's such a fun pendant and can be made in so many different styles! I bet you could use it as a brooch as well. Hmmm, I also just had a rather interesting idea..... *makes a note*

 Our highlight for today was our obedience class this evening. We enrolled our two pups in the Community Pet Center sponsored class Paws-A-Tive Training. Cheri & Ann have been wonderful teachers and are very encouraging! Chito, our little lab cross, has a head start since I was able to spend more time with her at home last year since I was out of work for a while. She will be two in April! The first picture was taken this past weekend.. the second one was taken the week we found her. She was approximately 3-4 weeks old and my sister had found her sitting in the grass on the side of the road...

We also took Guiness, a Lab/Boxer cross. He is just an adorable little monster. I love his chocolatey-ness!!

 This is our third week of class.. well actually OUR second week, we missed last week's class. But we were able to catch up quickly this evening. It really is fun to watch everyone progress! And comforting to know that our dogs aren't the only ones with issues!!
Both of them were very good in class, and only got really distracted once when one of the other owners had some more family members show up. But the pups refocused on us quickly and that is a GREAT accomplishment!!

Has anyone ever done any Agility Training? I am thinking about looking into it and Cheri gave me a flyer for a local trainer! It would be really fun to have a solid GOAL besides the I-want-a-good-dog goal I currently have. This just looks SO FUN!!!

From Sunny Sunday to Super Sleepy Sunday....

Good evening everyone..

Would someone please tell me WHAT is going on with the Packers tonight? YEESH! It seems like all the 'definite' teams are out already, Steelers... gone.   Saints... gone... Packers... come on Aaron!!!!  I mean, if I'm gonna watch the Super Bowl, I at least want to CARE who wins! ;)

Anyway, my bestie Kate, had car issues last night on her way home, so I was up late keeping her company on the phone while she froze to death in the cold at midnight. waited on the tow truck to arrive and take her safely home. Hoping that it's nothing major but will have to wait til tomorrow to find out from the mechanic.

So needless to say, on top of all the Earl Grey tea and M&Ms I had late last night, I was up for quite some time last night! And then the pups decided to wake up extra early ... on SUNDAY. I usually get to sleep in til 7:45 AT LEAST!

  I went to Obsessions today to help with the inventory. We have a TON of beads in that shop!!! :D I LOVE IT!  I actually am glad to be helping with this task since it really helps me to learn the store and what all we have there. I should be able to better help our customers find just the 'right' item to make a piece more special and unique! I must say, it's been hard NOT buying one of everything! SO many beautiful beads! And the ladies there are just AWESOME! I seriously can not say this enough! Just super fun and helpful and encouraging all the time! (and I'm not just saying that because Tammy reads the blog ) If you are ever in the area or if you live here and haven't gotten a chance to yet, be sure to stop in and say HELLO! I promise you will get a warm welcome!

I feel like I'm kind of bouncing all over the place tonight with this post.. but here goes... I'm addicted to PINTEREST! If you are on there, look for me: Christine Wessling. If you aren't on there, be sure to post your email in the comments and I'll send you an invite! (I'll set comments to 'moderated' for this post, so your emails aren't just Out There for everyone)
Pinterest is an online bulletin board. I've gotten SO many great ideas that I can't wait to try out!

Well, as I said, it is now Sleepy Sunday... and even though it's still early, I feel compelled to do my last check on the outside critters and get ready for bed.  Hope everyone has a Happy Monday.. (yeah, like that's possible)

Sunny Sunday!

Hope everyone has a happy Sunday! I'm working with inventory again at Obessions so will have to do my regular post later this evening!

Go PACKERS!!!!!

Ugly Bead Challenge

Today was a nice day at work.. the rain held off for most of the day and we had SUN!  Mostly worked on getting ready for inventory this weekend. UGH. But it's gotta be done!

 So, Tammy has challenged me this week... We call it the Ugly Bead Challenge...  These poor beads! They don't KNOW they are ugly! They are just little lampwork beads going about their daily business of sitting in a glass waiting for someone to USE them... but ya know.. the more I stare at them... maybe they are not SO ugly?

I'll admit that it's NOT the best picture either.... but it's not far off. The seeds are actually somewhat prettier than the picture... they are a matte transparent topaz color... I could do something with them.... The lampwork ones will be a bit more difficult.. thinking something earthy yet girly.... hmmmmmmm

Here are two of the projects I finished up this week, the first is a project for the store. It's called Standing Ovation and is in the newest issue of Bead & Button... I really liked how it worked up but I think I'd like to make it again and work with my tension a bit more..

And this bracelet is one I've wanted to make for a while! Tammy held a class on it last Saturday while I was working on the Ovation bracelet so I listened in and came home and worked this up. I really LOVE it and plan to make a few in different colors... and I have an idea on a slightly wider one as well.....

I have tomorrow off so after making a hay run in the morning, I will be working on finishing up some projects and cleaning my house! Anybody wanna take over the cleaning portion of the day so I can keep working with the fun stuff!?!?! Anyone??? Hello?????