Category Archives: beads

Monday Rambles ~ 8 October 2012

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Big sigh of relief…Autumn weather is finally making an appearance here in Reno. I’m glad the summer heat is waning.

I even greeted the cooler weather with making a pan of lasagna yesterday! I’ve been wanting to try a sauce recipe that I saw on Jennifer’s blog THE MUDDY KITCHEN…Make Sauce like a Sicilian. Holy Moly…was that a simple yet tasty sauce! I followed the directions to the t…except I added pine nuts to the garlic and olive oil stage.

Sicilian Sauce

I had enough for two pans of lasagna (froze one for another dinner)…that yummy sauce with Italian turkey sausage, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, crookneck squash, fresh spinach, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and shaved parmesan.

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A while ago I bought a book off of Amazon ~ Making Wire & Bead Jewelry: Artful Wirework Techniques by Janice Berkebile and Tracy Stanley. All I can say is WOW! I’ve never seen a how-to book with so many awesome photographs to help you along.

I tried a pair of copper paddle drop earrings for my first project.

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I made ear wires in sterling silver, like the copper ones, for April’s earrings…they are off in the mail to her.

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Friday was the return trip of Union Pacific’s steam engine #844…she’s on her way back to Cheyenne for maintenance before heading to Texas to show off.

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Saturday we drove down to Carson City and visited the Greenhouse Project at Carson City High School. What a cool place! And great project! We toured the greenhouse, raised beds and a hoop house that a student was working on for his senior project. We watched as the manager showed how to propagate herbs from cuttings…took some oregano and sage home with us.

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We found an great bamboo chair (rocks and swivels) for our balcony at the SPCA thrift store in town for $15…on the lookout for another one.

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Show and Tell ~ My First Wire Wrapped Class

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Ok…after seeing the pictures up-close, I see some adjustments needed and a few mistakes I made…but all in all, I like it. 🙂

Classes at Mill Street Beads & Rocks, here in Reno, are only $25 AND all the tools and supplies are included. Unfortunetly, they are retiring and closing up shop soon. Anyhoo…there were four stone beads to choose from, I picked a pretty olive green one since we were using copper wire.

Fun! Fun! Fun! I bought a few packets of copper square and half-round 21 gauge to play with it some more.

I’ll be using some liver of sulphur on this pendant to antique the copper…it’s way too bright for me. 🙂

I need to scoochie the wraps closer together and get rid of the black mark.

The front.

The back of the piece.

Here is a piece of petrified wood I’m going to try next! I just don’t know which side to make the front. What do you think? I bought this for $3 up in Chilcoot, CA on our way to Portola after class…it was Train Days (will post pics on Monday).

Which side should be the front?!

Finished Nevada Quilt and Leather Bead Wrap Bracelets

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Well…I finally finished the quilt I designed for someone my sister knows. I’m pleased at how it turned out, even if it was a bugger to put together. 🙂

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Am taking a break from quilting now…dug out my leather cords, beads, buttons, thread and needles!

And making a bunch of these:

New Stitch ~ Twisted Herringbone

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Another new stitch down…using Donna’s tutorial of the Twisted Herringbone that she made for me, but shared with the whole world! LOL!

I used 11/0 czech seed beads with Fireline thread.




For Today ~ 7 December 2010 ~ Simple Woman’s Daybook

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FOR TODAY … 7 December 2010

Outside My Window… Hee! I HAVE A WINDOW TO LOOK OUT NOW! Cars driving along McCarran. An area under a newly planted tree where I’m going to put a bird feeder. 🙂

I am thinking… How the heck did I move such a big office into a 10×10 office and a 8×10 cubicle?!

I am thankful for… Uniteds States military (for that matter…all of our allies, too!). My friends. Kitty hugs.

From the kitchen… Carnitas tacos for tonight!

I am wearing… Jeans, tennies, warm cozy waffle henley, hair up in pony-tail.

I am creating… I’ve dragged my beads up from the basement and have been learning the flat spiral stitch. Donna (from my ebay crafting group) has posted a tutorial for us all to try. I’ll link you to her blog, This Year’s Dozen.

I am going… finish putting away my office…it’s a mess.

I am reading… Nothing at the moment.

I am hoping… a lot of people show up with homemade cookies for tomorrows cookie exchange.

I am hearing… NO LIQUID NITROGEN TANKS! Hee! Just cars driving by.

Around the house… I put up my small Christmas tree…it’s about 4′ tall. Next year? I’m going to pay the $10 for a USFS tree permit and go cut my own down.

One of my favorite things… the feel of 11/0 seed beads running through my fingers.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Bead. Cookie Exchange. Make fudge.

Here is a picture thought I’d share with you…

Two eagles at the SF Zoo…both had broken wings and can not fly anymore. The American Bald was not a happy camper. Sierra, the Golden, she has a beautiful soul.

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The Simple Woman is the original home of The Simple Woman's Daybook.

How I spent my May furlough day…

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Had a furlough day yesterday…didn’t tell my husband (he’d have things lined up for me to do if I did tell him), and since he doesn’t leave for work until 8:30 a.m., I took myself and my laptop over to my sister’s house. Visited the kiddos while they were getting ready for school. IM’d my friend April while she was at work. 8:30 a.m. went home. 🙂

Fiddled around with the computer’s modem for about an hour…that included a very unproductive call with AT&T’s internet tech help, finally I said listen…maybe I’m just not asking the right questions, but I can’t understand you and you are not understanding me so I’m just going to hang up now and go to an AT&T store here in town. Bye-Bye.

Then I went to our community center and voted early for the Washoe County and State primary race.

Met my sister and her boss over at Qdoba for lunch. To the Reno Bead Shop to look for two items…didn’t find them but found something else. 🙂

Made two pairs of earrings…I have two birthdays coming up this weekend.

Finished putting together 9 more Crazy Nine Patch quilt blocks using a pattern from OH, FRANSSON!, for total of 18 8″ blocks.

But 18 blocks is not enough to make the quilt as she made it, so I’m just going to make it this way ~ maybe…probably…unless I change my mind.

Ate a bowl-full of these, the most evil nuts on earth…the California pistachio! Why oh why can’t I just stop at a handful?!

Got two new magazines and one quilt book…I love Hobby Farm Home so I picked up a copy of their URBAN FARM: Sustainable City Living magzine. I’m liking it a lot…may subscribe to it too. Haven’t opened up the MOTHER EARTH NEWS yet. And I’ve only flipped through the patterns of PINWHEEL PARTY by Ellen Pahl…I love all pinwheel quilt blocks!

I noticed that the Hawthorne tree is starting to bloom!

And I think that was about it…for dinner I made a tri-tip, salad and dinner rolls. Wrapped up the night with Antiques Road Show.

All went to bed…except Lucy, who woke up from a nap to commence ‘ripping around the house’ time.

Perpetual Plum ~ My Friend, The Artist

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I’ve had the immense pleasure of knowing Sue, Perpetual Plum, on-line for many years ~ and a greater pleasure of meeting her and her lovely family for a day when they passed through Nevada on vacation.

She is an artist that recycles and repurposes items into beautiful artwork.

I’m just all ah’giddy as I received a package from her out of the blue yesterday! Inside was a grouping of Christmas Ornaments that she has been making. I absoultely love the red mica trees and the wire wrapped light bulbs…the altered domino is beautiful too.

If you are looking for the PERFECT recycled art Gift ~ then go visit Sue at her ETSY SHOP ~ Unique Re-tiques ~ Recycled Art, Art and Craft Supplies for the Recycled Artist, Crafter and Art Lover. HURRY! Go SHOPPING!

Here are some of her gifts on my Feather Tree here at work…