Bead Contest Winners

The Bead contest winners are: I have 1193 in my Princess House Brandy Sniffer.

1st place:

Karrel with 1187 how close you were, I just could not get over it when dh told me what was in my bowl..Congratulations Karrel.

2nd place:

Linda Bouffard with 678

3rd Place:

Paulette Reed wtih 540

Congratulations to all and it was so much fun. I just loved getting all the emails with your guesses. I had a lot with 300's. When I decided to do this contest. I filled my brandy sniffer with all the beads I had on Mother's day and asked my sons and dh how much they thought was in there. I had guessed over 2, 000, I made so many of them, lol. I told them that and all of them said no way. they all three thought it was about 6-700. I just knew I had more than that..well they were right, at that time I had made only 682..boy and it was half full..so I started to make more till the glass sniffer was full.

I have made a lot more since I have fill this bowl and I am curious of how many I totally have. I have enough beads for an army of quilters to use, lol..and for a life time..lol..

I will get your addresses and mail your winning package out tomorrow or Monday. Enjoy!

My felted pcs with new machine

I call these my "Wild and Wacky Wildflowers". lol They were so much fun to do. One is black as I cut them larger with the first one and it shrinks more than a that in areas that I worked with a lot. The big headed flower, afraid I got a bit carried away and ended up with a large head flower with little stem. I used scraps of fibers, Angelina fibers, stamped Angelina on one of them. (I have quite a few of these for future art pcs or quilts already done up with the stamps I have.) I added beads here and there and a butterfly..Now I will challenge myself with the use of other fabrics and embellishments. Practice, Practice!!

My Viking HuskyStar ER10 has arrived

Here it is, finally after a little over two months waiting for it. Has 11 pages of directions..so simple. I will be working on it tonight. I had other experimenting to finished up first. It came in at 3pm yesterday. My youngest was going to pick it up at lunch time but it wasn't in yet..and dh did not call me or he could have after work. My son picked it up at lunch hour and my dh picked it up at son's place this evening..what an ordeal..Anyway it is here and that is all the matters today.
I worked all day one post card felting it by hand and kept taking it apart..now I can whipped it up on my machine.

Clay Beads and Charms made today

This is tissue paper I cut into strips of a quarter of inch and weave them together and made two beads. To much work for beads for me and every time I breath it blew away..lol These are so pretty and will do a collage and than make more..lol
Kato clay beads, I finally got to use my pasta machine and clays today. Polymer clay, Fimo and Kato..also worked on paper clay. The Pasta machine was fun to do and see all the colors come together. Will do these again in the near future. I still need to paint the face and seal them

Paper Clay, not as hard as I thought it would be and every time I pick them up I feel as if I am going to break them. I will do some other stuff with the left overs..maybe an elephant or something.

More Tyvek beads

I did these off and on all day yesterday after doing the marbleizing watching all the war movies on tv. These are bit more fancier than the others and I love the colors of them. Some of my girls do not doing these but told them that is just fine. I wanted them to try different types and to experiment and they did. I will post photos of the beads they make and send to me.
Today we will pick mom up and have dinner as both sons will be on their way home from camping. Both went opposite directions in TN too. lol. I do not do camping. Do not like bugs. Do not like the dirt and all that stuff, I have tried with my sons and dh when they were younger only ended up going home and leaving them to do all they want..In Hawaii we did camp on the beach and I did not mind that at all.

Shaving Cream with Inknet inks

These are done with ink jet inks. the only trouble I had was my orange, after the blue. I mixed the yellow and red pretty good but the yellow wanted to take over the red/orange color. The coffee filters came out so bold and love them..the fabrics as you can see are bit lighter but all in all I had fun and now on to other techniques to do.
** I wanted to add that I wet my fabric with these above, they came so much better than dry. Also on the video on Utube Trish Stuart http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=VJaFykdSL8A
she did it in a small area so it does not look like much ink. I found out if you wanted to do an eight of fabric it takes more shaving cream and a lot more dabs of inks. I say for about every inch put a dab..or you will end up with a very spaced out marbleizing. Hope this helps anyone trying to do this. There is another way to marbleized and did that a long time ago. I like this way a lot better. I have more control where I put my inked shaving cream on the fabric.

Bead contest

The bead contest if you want to view it is on an older post. thank you for looking.

Shaving cream attempt

I did four of these in various colors of the blues. This is the first one. Than I mixed it more for a bluer effect and added more ink and the background is on the blue side instead of the white..I did not bother to post them as they are all about the same. It was fun, but dh only Old Spice shaving cream, it was alright to work with as I love the smell of it..but when I heat set it, thought I was going to die..lol..the scent was so strong..I just hopes it goes away..I will for sure put them on my deck to air out..lol
Tomorrow if the sun is shining I will do some sun printing as I have been wanting to do this, it has been awhile..and have used up all that I had..

My attempt at gelatin printing

You can only load 5 photos at one time so this is my 6th try at the end of the gelatin printing..I just added more black to one side and spread it out. just playing.

This is my first try at the gelatin printing. I had fun doing this. I cut up some 1 inch squares, like it was going to come out perfect, lol..and also used a stencil of a boat and moon. I could not get a very good detail so for sure I need more practice.
Oops. this is my first try, I took some string and was going to make all kinds of designs but every time the string moved it also move the ink..so I just left it as it is..
I wanted to change the color of the ink so I just took my fingers and did some swirling on my third time around.
I was really hoping this would have turned out and it did not..apparently I am having problems of maybe too much ink as I do not have a decent rolling thing to use. I have a plastic roller for my clay but it was to large for these pans. Here I used whatever I thought of..forgetting that it should be something porous as the keys, charms and other stuff just did not want to work for me.
I wanted to do both the negative and positive gelatin printing

I just got a call from the dealer and they shipped my machine, Huskystar ER10, out today and it should be here Tuesday but they close at 5 pm so that means I can not pick it up till Sat when dh is home to drive me..horray..boy did I change the subject quick..lol
What have I learned?

1. do not use tin pans, they warped on me. I will use Pyrex. or even try to make one out of Plexiglas and clay.

2. have more colors of inks to play with ready.

3. make more the one batch to play a bit more.

4. Have all you patterns of what you want to use already available..I did not and had to go searching..I thought the gelatin would only last for 3 printings but I really got 6, before I could see it deteriorating..it gets this funny feel to it but maybe next time I will put it back in the fridge..who knows, I know I don't.

5. My dh bought Kroger brand gelatin and my ratio was 3 pkg of gelatin to 2 cups water..with 2 pkgs, and two cups water it was very runny even when I put it in the fridge for a bit..but I worked it out. I had fun and it only took very little time to make the gelatin printing and 2 hours in fridge..than it was play time..I will try one more time..so hope these printings will look much better.

Kimberly Baxter Packwood video clips on gelatin printing

Today and yesterday was one of those blah days and did not feel like doing anything.
I wanted to do some gelatin printing but had no idea what I was doing so I have been checking all searches on goggle to find out. There are some wonderful sites..but a lot of them also mentions silver gelatin printing and won't get into that..
I will get brave and do this tonight.. I have viewed about 4-5 video clips from Kimberly Baxter Packwood. Here is her blog http://www.prairiefibers.blogspot.com/ and here is where her video clips are on gelatin printing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5h7Bw8Fh2Q Now I feel safe enough to try it. I am going to use just the water soluble inks I have and than purchase what I need later. Also if you do a search with goggle you will some wonderful sites too.

New Book and chat

My pre ordered book came in last week. Alzheimer's Forgetting Piece by Piece
Ami Simms Curator. I haven't read it yet but will today. I have know two people that had this disease and now have to worry if my mom does. I did ask her the other day to please go and see her Dr. to see if she has it..She has been forgetting a lot of information..so far not the bad stuff, like cooking something on the stove or any thing like this..just info. she is 78 going on 79..so this might be just something we all will go through just forgetfulness..I hope..and pray..

I haven't done anything but put things up in my working studio. Dh redid it and had no choice but to follow through..took a vacation and ended up working for it!! lol..

Anyway, I will be able to remove the containers under my studio and also in my closet floor which holds containers...this is going to be great not having containers all over the place but in only area..I will know where everything is for sure.

I was going to do some gelatin printing today (a discussion on the quilt art digest group) only to find out I do not have any..what happened to them..probably through them out because they were so old..lol

Tonight dh and I are going to NEX, Navy Exchange, and put on pre-order Harry Potter's dvd so I will get some Knox gelatin and do it tonight. looks like so much fun.

Oh made more beads while watching tv last night..CSI, Dancing with the Stars, Yeah APPOLO!! He is just awesome..

I am going out side today to get some sun and will read my new book.

Questions about Bead Contest

Okay, so you all do not want that many beads and something else..I can see where you all are coming from. If I was not crazy about something, like beads, I would not put a guess in either..I will answer all your questions here..
Yes, I can offer something else besides beads and I will. I love all types of beads and now making these are very relaxing and therapeutic, plus cut down on the cancer sticks..yeah for this..
Here's the new prizes:
First place: 25 beads, 3 fat quarters and 10 yards of yarn.
Second place: 15 beads, 2 fat quarters and 7 yards of yarn.
Third place: 10 beads, 1 fat quarter and 5 yards of yarn.
Does this sound good or not enough beads..lol email me again and let me know. I am glad you are emailing me but wish you all would post a comment here too..

Polygram, Lame and Twig Beads

This is the Polygram beads I made and just love them, the photo does them no justice at all.. I am working with all different fabrics till I finished with my girls on the beads lessons, May 31st. This week I will work with clay, Utee and whatever else I can get my hands on..
These are my twig beads. This will come under my Nature Beads. I have some rose petals, leaves and such drying to see if I can not roll them or do some other means to make them beads. The twigs have to be couched on either by hand or by machine. I will not let the flower petals or leaves completely dry so I can have some play with them..we will see if it works. lol
These are not in my contest as I did these after the bowl was full.

Charm Bracelet

I worked on this about 4 hours last night, not easy putting those round thingies together.. I have 6 charms from my swap in my group and 2 from Ellen in another group. It is pretty one.

Bead Contest

This is my Princess House Brandy Sniffer that is holding all the beads as off last week Friday. It measures 10 1/2 in diameter and from top of the lid to the tip of the pedestal. The top across measures 4 and half inches. This is for fun and there are prizes, if you like beads. I will run it till end of May, 31st. If you can guess how many beads I have in the crystal bowl WITHOUT going over the
prizes are:
First place: 25 beads, 3 fat quarters and 10 yards of yarn.
Second place: 15 beads, 2 fat quarters and 7 yards of yarn.
Third place: 10 beads, 1 fat quarter and 5 yards of yarn.
I have friends that do not have an account with goggle. you can email email me here alohagal@bellsouth.net . Others if you like you can make your guess in the comment area..either way will work.
Only one, please.

Here it is, now make your guess. Click on the picture for a larger view. My dh counted the beads and he knows how many is in this pretty crystal bowl. (I have made more beads since Friday last week but they will not be in this bowl.)

Chinese Lantern

This is what my son bought me from Chinatown in NYC. A beautiful Chinese Lantern. Isn't it beautiful..My mom and dil liked it too..He said he wished he had bought one for each of them too..He also bought me a Empire State building magnets. I collect magnets for my refrigerator..I collect every thing it seems like, lol..He bought my dh a key chain, which he collects..has quite a few of them too, with a bat, glove and baseball of the New York Yankees, I will put it in here later.

My Hand Dyed Fabrics

The above is 2 and half yards of unbleach muslin. Stuff and Dump in a butter dish. it is not tie dying. I have all 4 of dyes here, violet, lime, green and blue.
The top is the whole piece adn below is a close up.

The above threes pieces is my linen. The first one is the whole piece and the other two below are the close ups.. Stuff and Dump with 4 dyes. Not tie dyeing.

These 4 yards are stuff and dump, deep violet, dark green, lime green and dark blue. Stuff and dumps looks like tie dyeing but it is not..These are dyed in a very small bowl.. These I did 2 days ago but could not get to them to take photos. ..Hope you enjoy looking at them as I do. I could have dyed another 20 yards!! lol

WOMAN Challenge

I received my WOMAN Challenge package today. It came in a pink envelope. but ripped up and tapped by Federal Express. This is what came with it, my pedometer armband (for the handicap-I use a cane), My Physical Activity Tracking Log- I choose the Pacific Coast Route, Important Tests for a Woman's Good Health, it has what we should do and a way to mark what we have done, very neat, and a Guide to Staying Healthy. We start wearing the pedometer on Mother's day and it will let us know how many miles we have walked and than we go into the site and check in once a week. I am looking forward to this. As I do not get out much this for sure will let me know!!

Dyeing projects

This is over dyed fabric. If you closely you still the print on them. It was a beige fabric with curls on it. this is from what was left over in my dye pots..so grab some fabric to use it up. These are fat quarters and has the motted look. I am not a solid color fabric person so I do not do much of solids..unless I need some graduations in a quilt of some sort.
This is duck canvas, I have been wanting to dye this fabric for a long time. Same colors are used through out my dyeing today, violet, dark green, lime green and dark blue. Colors of fabrics that I am missing in my stash as I use them a lot and considering I love purple and lime green.
These are paper towels, recycled, for my swap..throw them in with the over dyed fabric..I luck out I get printed on one side and solid on the other side..
I have dyes 8 and half yards today but the other that I did stuff and dump need to be ironed but with the storm coming I could not get photos or even ironed them and I am doing this quickly as the electricity has gone off twice. lol..
Of course in between I made more beads..have to get out that brandy dish as I am getting tired of doing them..after three weeks of it any one would..lol..The beads I did today will have embellishments that I have not used on other beads just to be different..I am going to try some crystals, charms..I will sew this on by hand..very therapeutic..See you tomorrow with other dyeing projects.

Kool-Aid dyeing on cotton

Something I had to try. I know that when dyeing with Kool-aid you are to use wool/silk roving. I had to see why. I used 2 different packages of off Island Fruity Kool-Aid. The pink one was Slammin' Strawberry Kiwi and the green was Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade. To me this came out great since I thought it would be back to the natural muslin color. When I rinse out the pink hardly any bleeding. But when I rinse the Blue, most of it came out and was left with this very pale green. Both were very colorful in the water..Would love to have had the blue ice. I will try again but with the bolder regular Kool-Aid. I will be dyeing fabrics sometimes tomorrow as tonight I am very exhausted. Haven't been sleeping very well the last few days.

Silk Paper-Fusion and Contest to Come

A few of the couple of dozen beads of each silk paper I made from cutting the ends of the silk paper. Plain, floss wrapped and fiber wrapped.

I did these two silk papers on Sunday evening. I took photos as I went along so I can show my girls how to make silk paper. I learn this from Martine House class Fabric Pages at QU and further this by taking other classes. These have not being ironed yet.
I just haven't been able to do anything but beads since yesterday. But will get creative again soon. I will make more silk paper beads with these too but I made the warm colors for my son's quilt hoping to use it for fire shooting from the dragons on the top of his quilt. The cool colors are for my charms with 3 swaps.
I have made about 75 beads since yesterday, as if I need more but like I have said before it is very relaxing. I have a Princess House large Brandy dish that I want to fill with all my beads..and when it is full, I will run a contest for all to see if anyone can guess how many I have in this dish..and I will send 100 beads for the first one who gets closer, 75 to the second person and 50 to the third person. My dh husband will count them and keep it to himself till it is over..He does not look forward to counting them..lol so hope you will join in. Give me about another 2 weeks or so..I still have a lot to do..but hey, I will never run out of beads for anything I make. I did 2 crushed red velvet wrapped with twisting copper and gold wire together and it is just so pretty...

Farewell to my best friends

The saying says "If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever" I believe too. I went to see Fr. Rick's grave today on my birthday. Did I have closer, no, I will never have closer for Fr. Rick. When God made FR. Rick, he broke the mold, there could never ever be another Fr. Rick. It was wonder that God let you be in my life and an honored to have known you the way I did. I do not know what to have expected but thought there would be a photo on his grave of him and a larger stone. Doing genealogy, I found so many photos on graves. It is what Fr. Rick would have done anyway. He was not one to go fancy..miss you so much..

Fr. Rick died April 19, 2006. ..He meant a lot to me and one person that I had admired and worshipped a lot. He was another best friend to me.
Yesterday my best friend, ever, died yesterday, Donna.
Donna had a aneurysm and stroke last July. From what I understand is that she never recovered from this. I haven't seen Donna for about 4 months, as her family would not let any of her friends see her and would never answer the phone. I sent her cards all the time and the last card was her birthday card. I made sure that every card I sent I let her know that I loved her. I told her that I talk to her, prayed and thought of her every day. Told her that no matter what happened I was there in spirit with her. It hurts to know that we never got together again because others.
Fr. Rick, Donna and I would met for lunch about every 3 months. In August of 2005 in an email he wanted to meet for lunch, I had to tell I could not as I was having surgery on my knee and that Donna schedule was hectic. So we decided for September but then we all were too busy and could not..We never had the last lunch with each other. After Fr. Rick died, Donna and I would talk about every week and than in July I did not hear from her so thought she was extremely busy working and taking care of her family as she was the only one working. Now I know why, she had her stroke and aneurysm.
The last memory of Fr. Rick is when he came to see my Mom and DH when they were in the hospital in June of 2005 and he was back to being a priest and thought he was cancer free. We visit my dh first on the 5th floor and than mom on the 3rd floor..before he left he asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee and we did. We got to talk and laugh..so I had some wonder special moments with him.
The last time I saw Donna was when we went to visit her while she was at home..they almost did not let us in but then the door opened and I walked right in followed by my dh..She was in a wheel chair and she had the biggest smile on her face when she saw me. She still could not talk very well but she understood everything I said..I could not say what I wanted to as her husband was there and I could see her getting a little agitated as he was the one talking over us and we kept having to say things over and she did not speak very often.
About a week later I had heard she was going to therapy as she had walked about 15 steps. I tried to find out where she was going to be and they would not tell me where she was going and told me not to visit her. Why they were like this with her friends I have no idea. Donna only existed the last months. I know she would not have wanted to live the rest of her life this. She is now with her mother and Fr. Rick in heaven. I love and miss you both.

My New Chime-Chat

I bought this chime on Sunday at the NEX, Navy Exchange. It is called Sassy Girl. I have taken of the full length and a close up one. Hanging is bit of a problem right now, I have about 11 chimes and clowns hanging around my home and my dh being 6' 3", we are having a problem of where to hang it. He mentioned outside and told him no I wanted inside my home..so maybe I will hang here in my studio. I will have to take my clown down but maybe because he is small, I can find another place for him.

I will be dyeing fabric, making silk paper and doing some stamping. As I do these I will take photos and put up later.

I have washed my Hummingbird feeders and will put them out today. I have seen 2 so they are here..I used to put one on my tree out back so when I am sitting at the dinning room table looking out, I can see them but that branch went with the ice storm a two years ago and miss it very much. But I bought a metal trellis stake, made by some one from church, many years ago..now I put both of them on it in front of my studio window..when you hear them it sounds like a big bumble bee, lol I make my own sugar water for them, ratio of sugar and water, 4-1..or is it 3-1..I had forgotten so I did it 3 1/2 -1..lol..just bring it to a slow boil.

Still haven't found my Twinklings H20's- larger ones, 12, of them nor my foot pedal for my little felting machine. I found the adapter for it, anyway I think it is the one for this machine.

I will have, hopefully, my results later this evening or tomorrow morning.

More Beads/Son visiting NYC

The photo above is Tyvek, Spectra Art Tissue, and Cellophane. Some of the Tyvek have fiber and wire, just wire and decorator's thread. Tissue has wire and fiber. Cellophane has just been painted and embossed.
Here are all of the zapped with the embossing gun. what fun it is to watch the Tyvek shrink. Now I think my girls has them all but for the painted Lutador and a few more. Then again I enjoy doing these in the evenings when relaxing so more will be done later..I now have a very pretty collections of beads. Oh, I have a few up there that has a hoop at the end, I will put these on my son's quilt but it will more than likely may not be done for his birthday on May 13th. but most of it. I will start work on it tomorrow afternoon. Talking about my son, Terrance, he is in NYC and will be at the David Letterman show on Monday. So hopefully I will see him in the audience. lol

Red Peony-suppose to be Red

Had a hard time photographing my supposedly RED peony. You can see a tad bit of red but for sure it is not a red one. It has taken 5 years to get this one bloom with this plant. Maybe one year it will turn red. It spans over 5 inches round and has a very sweet fragrance and can not put my finger on it. These are the last of the pink one. they have a spice fragrance to them.
The only flowers, bulb type that I have not taken a photo of is my lilies and tulips..the freeze during Easter killed them as they were sprouting. I know the tulips will come up again in the Fall but not the lilies so will have to wait till next year. All that is left in my yard now is the Hydrangeas and Rose of Sharon's..have about 4 different colors of these. These will come later..

Finished Pin Cushions

Pin Cushions are done. I finished these while watching CSI..love those CSI shows..Was going to put this photo in last night but batteries were dead..I added the fabric beads around the bottom with the fibers and some on the tail.. Added some pins with a couple of fabric beads. Was going to make my own pins but could not find the pins that sis sent me, a whole mess too..Mine I left plain..no beads but for the pins on top.

Pin Cushions-3 More made

Added the fibers and now need to embellish with whatever, more than likely beads the I have already made and other foo foos.. these are so simple once you do one..lol..now I just might make my friends that sew some on my spare time.

Bottoms and tops done and now I will glue the them together. Than see what I can do with these..probably the same as the first one. I was told to watch what I put on top as the needles must be able to go into the pin cushion..so no textiles here, lol..Lorraine

I have decided I needed more practice so I am making 3 more, one each for my sisters, Mary and Patti, and one for me..can you guess which is mine, yes, the purple..lol..will finished the tops and glue them on later. I will embellish them later with foo foos..