Friday, September 16, 2011

Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal!

Today's the big day! It's Bead Soup Blog Party time!

For those of you who need a refresher, the Bead Soup Blog Party is a blog-hopping event, started by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things, where jewelry artists are partnered up together - they exchange some beads and then go to town creating something wonderful with some of the beads sent to them, and some from their own stash.

My partner this time around was Linda Inhelder, of Must-Haves Jewelry. She sent me a beautiful mix of silver and stones, some odds and ends that may be wood, a vintage looking flower component... all in my favorite color combination of blues and greens and amber. So many design options in that box.



And so many challenges: the focal choices were smaller than I usually work with... and most of the accent beads were really chunky.... what to do? The clasp even seemed larger than any of the focal choices... could I use the clasp as part of a focal design? All I could think of was treasure. A treasure necklace with layers of charms, maybe. But how? And... could I mix one of my own lampwork focals with it? Maybe I could!

I looked at these two combinations for quite some time:



But in the end, I chose another bead from my stash and never looked back. Here is what I came up with:



The sweet little handmade shell charm was my favorite, and it wasn't until I started putting things together that I realized there is (maybe?) a little cubic zircon stone set in the shell. Sparkly!



I was going to use the silver links on the side next to the viking knit, a kind of asymmetrical design... but then I bunched them all up and added them to the treasure collection, kind of like rings on a chain. And if I could do that, then I could do the same with the big chunky handmade ring Linda sent too. And so I did.

Now... I started adding the stones on to the viking knit.... and I had every intention of using the clasp she sent me... but in the end I just kept going, and going and going and just added my own clasps. There's two, actually. One to put the necklace on with, and one to add more treasure to the viking knit part. Or to rearrange it. Or just play with it. But maybe to add to it. It's kind of hard to see in my photos, but there's a larger ring between the two clasps that keeps the treasure from falling off the chain when putting the necklace on or taking it off. Pretty clever, I think! But I feel bad about not using Linda's clasp.



I also feel bad about not getting to a second piece with the wonderful amber chunks. I had every intention of it, but got stuck trying to figure out how to use the silver clasp with the amber and sunny copper ideas that were floating around in my head. So I put it down and never got back to it in time. Oh well! Maybe I'll have something to show for it in the coming days. Something to look forward to?

But never mind that, you have lots and lots of jewelry to go check out - more than your eyes can take in - just follow the links and see what you can see! Thanks for looking!

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson
4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner
6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins
8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen
10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare
12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps
13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka
15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy
6. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price
18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John
19. Anna Sabina­­­­ and Erin Siegel
19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel

21. B.R. Kuhlman and Deanna Chase
23. Barbara Blaszczyk and DaviniaDesign
25. Barbara Lewis and Cathie Carroll
27. Becky Fairclough and Jana Tarhala
29. Beth and Evie McCord and Erin Prais-Hintz
31. Beth Emery and Cassie Donlen
33. Candice McGinnis and Sally Anderson
35. Cathy Khoury and Molly Alexander
37. Carrie Tahquechi and Cris Peacock
39. Charlene Gary and Doris Stumpf

41. Claire Maunsell and Cherrie Fick
43. Chris White and Norma Turvey
45. Christie Murrow and Dana James
47. Christine Brandel and Elizabeth Woodford
49. Christine Hendrickson and Debbie Goering

51. Cilla Watkins and Johanna Rhodes
53. CJ Baushka and Cory Celaya
55. Cristi Clothier and Kathleen Robinson Young
57. Cynthia Tucker and Kitty Durmaj
59. Davinia Algeri and Janet McDonald
61. Diana Ptaszynski and Kristy Abner
63. Diane Hawkey and Jen Judd Velasquez
65. Doris Radlicki and Heather Goldsmith
67. Elisabeth Auld and Jennifer Justman
69. Erin Grant and Julie Jones
71. Fiona Christie and Michelle Heim
73. Geneva Collins and Jana Haag
75. Heather DeSimone and Karin Slaton
77. Ingrid McCue and Jennifer Pride
79. Janna Harttgen and Joanne Tinley

82. Jenni Connolly and Jennifer Heynen
84. Jennifer Geldard and Lisa Liddy
86. Jess Italia Lincoln and Lori Greenberg
88. JJ Jacobs and Karen Tremblay
90. Judy Glende and Karen Sinkowski
91. Judy Riley and Kelly Morgan
93. Julianna Cannon and Julianna Kis
95. K. Hutchinson and Shea Zukowski
97. Karen Williams and Kimberly Roberts
99. Kari Carrigan and Laura Twiford

102. Kathleen Lange Klik and Maria Clark
104. Kay Thomerson and Loretta Carstensen
106. Kelly Ramstack and Sally Anderson
108. Kristi Harrison and Mandy Williamson
110. Kristina Johansson and Sue Hodgkinson
111. Kym Hunter and Laura Sanger
113. Laurel Steven and Mary McGraw
115. Lesley Weir and Liz DeLuca
116. Linda Djokic and Tracey Weiser
118. Linda Landig and Lori Dorrington
119. Linda Murphy and Lisa Hamilton
120. Lisa Lodge and Monica Johnson

122. Lola Surwillo and Therese Frank
124. Lupe Meter and Norma Agron
126. Malin de Koning and Susie Hibdon
128. Marcie Abney and Patty Miller
130. Margot Potter and Suzann Sladcik Wilson
131. Maria Grimes and Wendy Blum
133. Maria Rosa Sharrow and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp
135. Marianna Boylan and Sandi Lee James
137. Marsha Neal and Miri Agassi
139. Mary Elliott and Tamara Soper
141. Melissa Pynn and Michelle Buettner
143. Michelle Mach and Moira McEvoy
145. Molly Alexander and Poranna
147. Nadezhda Parfyonova and Stacey Curry
149. Nancy Boylan and Natalie McKenna
151. Natasha Lutes and Pam Ferrari
152. Noemi Baena and Penny Ilagan
154. Pat Haight and Mary Shannon Hicks
156. Penny Neville and Sandi Volpe
158. Raida Disbrow and Rebecca Watkins
160. Regina Santerre and Rose Binoya

162. Rochelle Brisson and Teri Baskett
164. Sandra McGriff and Shay Williams
166. Sarah Elder and Salla Small
168. Sharon Palac and Shannon Chomanczuk
170. Shiraz Biggie and Tammy Powley
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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I'm Running LATE

I'm late, I'm late! I'm late for a very important date! Oh my, how time flies. I have two days to get this done... and honestly, I have not even started, other than to wonder what my own lampwork beads might look like with the bead soup mix I got from Linda.

Should I make two necklaces? Should I make just a big chunky charm bracelet? I just don't know... so many choices, so little time!

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Homeschooling 2.0

This year is starting off much better than last. Now that I know what I'm doing and had time to research some more interesting resources, plus the ability to enroll the kid in more than two classes at the resource center... we're already rolling along.

So far, I've got a happy, interested, busy kid learning things and enjoying life. There is no comparing the kid I have now to the kid I used to pick up from school - I like this one SO much better.

Drama, vocal lessons and clarinet have all begun and are rolling along smoothly. Much better than guitar lessons, he seems to really like the clarinet. I have not even had to remind him to practice... yet. Spanish, math, writing, history and metal arts start up next week. PE too. Yesterday was the first day of Capture the Flag with kids he already knows - such a change from last year... it took us a couple of months to even know about the capture the flag game at lunch-time at the resource center.

Their new playground is going to be built soon - remember when I was asking people to help us vote to win the Pepsi challenge? Well, we won that! And this will be what the new playground will look like:



So... it's all good. So far. Next week's schedule really picks up and we'll see how busy it really is - I've got 36 official hours planned with the state, but there's really more than that. (The state only requires 25 learning hours).

Both Luke and I like the books I chose for our "home" portion of school. Except... I'm running into a few things here and there that I'll have to be better about filtering. The history book I picked, which I think, so far, is really pretty great - and Luke agrees with me... is "All American History" - it's a text book, a work book and a teacher's guide - the first time I've gone that route, and I have to say, I like the teacher's guide. Except... a bunch of the books it suggests for further reading keep showing up with a religious bend to them... not all, but some, and I know religion played a huge hand in shaping history, I just don't want the history being told from one religious point of view. So... I'll be reading a lot of history myself this year to make sure that isn't what is happening. It's ok, though, I like history, too.

Science, this year, is historical too, and the book we have, "The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way", starts out with the Bible's story of creation. Which... put Luke off right away. He wants science, not Sunday School. As did I, when I ordered it. But again, I think that is just a comparison of how people thought - before science, and how scientific thought evolved... to where we are today. Again, I'll be reading a lot of science it turns out, just to make sure this is series I want to continue as well as field all the questions. Oh well. Not my favorite subject ever, but it's not like we'll be dissecting frogs or anything. Our "fun" science books are by Bill Nye, The Science Guy - and I'm pretty sure there's no dissecting in those either.

Even Math is historical this year, the stuff we are doing at home - he's got real number and word problems in his class at the resource center - "Mathematicians are Poeple, Too" is where we are starting with that. Plus daily word problems and some logic and creative thinking puzzle books.

There will be lots of reading of literature and biographies too - we have a huge stack of those. King Arthur and Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. And something called "Word Ladders" which is a fun way to learn vocabulary. I was going to skip spelling this year, but Luke wanted a spelling workbook, so he has one after all. And some other language arts and writing books.



And ART. Art always takes a backseat to everything else, doesn't it? Why is that? In this house it should go first. But it never does. Why? I don't know. But for art this year, we have season tickets to the Seattle Childrens Theater. And studio time at a glass fusing studio. And trips to museums, and hopefully some painting and drawing here on the dining room table. I've been collecting some fun project ideas on Pinterest - this is my idea board - not all are for Luke, but he's welcome to join me in any of them if I ever get around to doing them. (do you do Pinterest?! You should!) Art is the thing we save for last, and then almost never get to. At least that's how it worked out last year. It's the same with my own art... melting glass and painting always comes after the house is clean, the yard work is done, and the schoolwork and internet work and soccer is done. Which is why I don't make much these days - that work never gets done. I will have to work on that... for both him and me.

But first, I've got a bunch of work to do... see how that happens? Perhaps I need to add "housework" and "yardwork" classes to our curriculum? Now, that's an idea!
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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Two Eggers!

Pippi and Lulu are both laying every day now! Pippi goes first and is very noisy about it, and Lulu is very quiet about it.


Pippi's first egg:


And there have also been a couple of double yolks from Lulu.





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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Walk to End Alzheimer's

We walked this weekend in the Walk to End Alzheimer's - it was a beautiful warm sunny day for Seattle and a very emotional event for us. Thank you to everyone who donated to our little family team - every bit helps, I hope.



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Saturday, September 03, 2011

Goodbye Sand Between My Toes





























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