Do Over Challenge

I love the idea of mystery boxes and the anticipation of what could possibly be inside.  The do over challenge from Jeannie was totally up my alley and I'm thankful for my dear sister-in-law and fellow jewelry designer/enabler for hooking me up with the link.  It's also a treat to get some fun mail and not all the political crap-o-la that is filling my mail box, but that's another rant.

I received a sweet three piece set of pink and white pearls with a pink and silver foil heart.  After taking the before pictures and taking all three pieces apart, I honestly just stared at the beads.  I'm not much of fan of the sweet, pink pearls and my first instinct was to recreate the beads into a bracelet for my one year old niece.  Unfortunately, little miss is going to have to wait a while for auntie to make her another bracelet.

Standing on my chair to reach my bead stash above my desk (to keep little busy hands in my household away), I started pulling out random beads.  Not sure what my color scheme was going to be, I just pulled beads out until I had at least 6 colors to choose from.  Once I saw the pink and brown ceramic beads, this was my jumping off point.  At first, I had planned a necklace, but the number of beads needed and my design wasn't cooperating.  I set it aside for a couple of days and when on with my life, wife and mom duties.

As I was sitting in bible study this past Wednesday, the design came to me - three stand bracelet.  Cha-ching!!  I drew out my design and then came home and went to work.  The third strand with the chain and aqua beads went through a few color changes before I felt the piece sang.  The only pieces I did not use were the white pearls, one of the claps and the earring wires.

I do love wearing multiple strands of bracelets, but rarely were a multiple strand piece at one time.  This was a good challenge for me and even though pink is so not my color (mom of 3 boys...) it was fun to play with and be challenged.

Feel free to do a little blog hopping with the other participants of Jeannie's 4th Do Over Challenge.

Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Miranda Ackerley http://mirandack.com/

Patti Vanderbloemen http://myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com/

Marlene Cupo http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com/

Mary Govaars http://mlhjewelrydesigns.com/

Kelli Jacobson http://www.creativemoonjewelryandthings.com/

Dagi http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/

Gerry Nickerson http://gersgems1.blogspot.com/

Charlene Jacka http://clay-space.com/blog

Birgit Klughardt http://www.gitesbeads-gite.blogspot.com/

Mowse Doyle http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com/

Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/

Debbie Beechy http://beetique56.blogspot.com/

Cilla Watkins http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com/

Carolyn Lawson http://carolyncreationswa.blogspot.com

Micha Sorensen http://tulipsandpine.blogspot.com

Emma Todd http://www.apolymerpenchant.com

Donetta Farrington http://simplygorgeous-donetta.blogspot.com/

Tracy Stillman http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com/

Rita Avila http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com/

Fall has arrived

I suppose it had to happen eventually. Yes, after 80 days of sunshine, the rain has returned to Western Washington.  While I am happy in some ways to pull out my sweaters, boots and my new warm, fuzzy TOMS, I will miss the sunshine.  Mornings are already hard enough for me trying to get out of bed in the dark and made even tougher with the dark, grey clouds at 8 am when it's time to scoot out the door for the day.

I did manage (finally) to put up the wind chime my mom gave me.  There is a large craft show outside of Wichita, KS each fall and last year my mom had bought this super cute coffee pot wind chime.  My dad hates it.  So my mom gave it to me last Christmas and yes, it took my 10 months to go outside and hang it on the hook outside my kitchen window.  Sheesh!

I am happy for the rain that has come to clean the air and water my sad, sad yard.  Though soccer in the rain isn't all that great either, God has been very gracious and held off the rain for last Friday's walkathon at school and the soccer game on Saturday afternoon.  Today, though, the street is covered with branches, pine needles and debris from last nights little wind storm, but the sun is shining and peaking through those pesky clouds.  Time for a little jewelry photo shoot.

Have a great day, y'all!!

Weekend of sewing

Last Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning, I was able to get away with a few ladies from the quilting group at church for some uninterrupted time with my fabric stash, sewing machine and ironing board.  It was a sweet time of fellowship with these ladies whom are all older than me and have come alongside me as I've been a young married woman to a new mom.  Some of the ladies I only see every once in a great while, so to get away for a weekend is special.

One of the gals brought along a quilt she just got back from the longarm quilter and showed off her quilt.  The bird pattern is just too sweet.  The gal's friend has a computerized long arm quilt machine that you can put in a pattern and the machine will quilt that pattern without too much guidance from an actual live person.  The ladies also gave out guidance as to which fabric choice should be used for the binding.

One of the projects I wanted to finish was my buggy barn quilt top.  A couple or so years ago, our group decided to learn a new way to piece a quilt.  This specific way of cutting and sewing a block together comes from a couple of gals outside of Spokane, Washington and one of the gals from our group had fortunately been to their studio/shop.  I started my top, but with little ones, I wasn't able to finish the last ten blocks needed for the required 30 blocks.  

I have two nieces whom are my brother's girls and of course, auntie wants to make them a baby quilt.  I did manage to complete one quilt top for one of the nieces using the same flower pattern.  This one was a lot of fun to put together but also tough because I was only using 9 fabrics.  I used the small remaining black to make cornerstones and then added sashing from the other 8 fabrics.

I did make another easy baby quilt top for the church baby dedications but I don't seem to have a photo of that quilt top.  Once it's all put together and quilted, I will have to get a photo of it.  Of course since being home, life has been running full tilt and my sewing gear is still all packed up from the weekend, but I'm so thankful I was able to get away for some time to sew and pray in a beautiful place and to see all the fall colors.

linking up with Carina

Off to quilt retreat

Today I'm off to quilting retreat for a long weekend of no kids, no diapers, no tantrums, no drop offs, no pick ups, no "I'm hungry."  After a long week of the kiddos and I as hubby had his golf vacation in some place warm, tropical, I get to have a little getaway with a few ladies from my quilting group at church and my sewing machine.

I still need to pack my clothes, but my projects and all my gear is ready to go.  I have way more projects to work on than I will be able to get finished, but rather be a busy bee than napping away my time.  Well, maybe that doesn't sound so bad....napping....