The Baby

It's been a cold, blustery day...we had snow on the ground this morning!  It melted away well before noon, but when we decide we're having a snow day, some of us really know how to make the most of it.  

Fear of Snow

Here in Portland, we have an odd relationship with snow.  We do get snow, but only occasionally.  And while the higher elevations receive quite a bit of snow (again, only occasionally), here in the city proper it is quite an event.  We begin receiving dire warnings from local news stations, advising us that it's coming, and showing all sorts of vehicular disasters from past snows.  (Some are very entertaining, actually, but only for those of us who were not in those vehicles at the time.)  And then sometimes we do get snow, which literally shuts down the city, and sometimes it just passes over the lower elevations. 

Yesterday was a Fear of Snow day.  I bundled up in fleece and decided to sit cozily in my comfortable chair, add to my yo-yo stash, and watch marathon episodes of The Tudors.  Here's what was going on at my house:

It's a terrible blurry picture, isn't it?  (I keep hoping that my skills will improve with each picture I take, but I'm beginning to think that I should read the instruction manual.)  I actually have quite a lot of this project joined together, with a king-size coverlet in mind.  A COLOR-BLOCKED coverlet...I saw a very small version on Flickr and was so impressed that I had to make one for my bed.  I've already completed two tablecloths, but something for a king-size bed is quite an undertaking.  Here is a picture that shows more of this project...

I had to plot out the color sequences before joining the yo-yos...each section contains a total of 12 in one color group, and I offset the groups by one as I added on below.  My first "row" (which is actually 4x4) starts with blue, then with purple, pink, green, yellow,orange...and just below, for the second "row", I started with purple, pink, green, and so on...it gives a diagonal stripe effect as the coverlet grows. 
It is portable, soothing work that satisfies my need to multi-task while watching television.  For some reason, I feel lazy and unproductive if I actually sit down to watch with nothing in my hands.  In reality, it was always a real bone of contention for my family to watch television with me, since I was frequently saying "I missed that, will you please rewind?". 

And by the way, I did see snowflakes for about 10 minutes...but nothing stuck, and all the fear of snow came to nothing (for me)...but I did get a lovely day out of it!

Secret Snowflake Challenge Reveal

Michelle sent each of us the most beautifully wrapped box full of pretties with which to create one, two, or many pieces of jewelry (or whatever!) with the purpose of revealing what we've done with the beads.  Here's what came in the mail:

I was a little overwhelmed...so much potential...so many beads I might never think to use on my own!  At first, I was tempted to do what I did in the previous challenge...make a whole bunch of charms, basically, and attach them to a large-link necklace.  But I remember that I wasn't really thrilled with the final outcome...it just didn't feel like "me", and I ended up taking it all apart and making several different items, using one or two of the components in each.  Much, much better.  More streamlined, less cluttered, more ME!  So I moved pieces around on my bead table and chose a few to make these earrings:

They were fun!  I used some pretty baby blue petal beads from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Diana at Mountain Shadow  Design, found here  Additionally, as you can see, I used some of Michelle's small frosty blue glass beads, and some silver spacers I had on hand.

Then I found myself drawn to the frosty white long teardrop beads, and one thing led to another:

First I made two sets of dangles (three dangles per set) using the small frosty white glass beads.  I attached the dangles to the eye pin holding the teardrop beads topped with the tiny silver daisy spacers, and another of the small frosty white beads. I attached the earrings to a pair of silver lever-back earring wires.

Still feeling the need for frost, I rummaged in my bead stash, and found some frosty white hearts.  So I did this:

They were the simplest of all...a simple stack of the frosty white glass hearts, topped with tiny silver daisy spacers, glittery pale blue oval crystals, another set of silver daisy spacers, and topped with those sweet little frosty blue glass beads. 

Feeling as if maybe I'd gotten earrings out of my system, I moved on to a bracelet.  Frankly, I'm loving the bracelet.  It's dangly without being all over the place, and full of turquoise and white joy:

However, it was a little hard to photograph, and I never did end up with a satisfactory picture. 

I can tell you that it was really pleasurable to create all the sets of baby bell dangles...three pressed glass bell flowers for each dangle, in three different blues.  I used silver headpins with paddle-shaped ends for the flowers.  And I was able to use all six of the freshwater pearls with offset holes; I think they added a lot to this bracelet. The turquoise colored druk beads were discovered in my stash.

Then I moved on to the necklaces.  Remember, I had a hard time with my necklace last time.  I wanted to use the ceramic snowflake pendant and beads, and I also wanted to glam it up a bit, but the more I added, the less I liked the result.  So I really kept it simple.  I added some bead dangles to rest over the hole of the pendant, and I actually thought they should stay...they made it through the removal process.  Here's what I ended up with:

Not a great picture...I need so much more practice!  Moving along...I recently got all enthused about the types of wooden tiles made by Marie Cramp (find her here).  They are so beautiful!  She is such an inspiration, and I have to say, it's not easy to make these!  It took me quite awhile to figure out how I could make similar wooden tile pendants, using digital collage images from various Etsy sellers, and to decide which finishes to use.  Finally, through MUCH trial and error (and error and error), I think I succeeded.  See?

There, that's the detail of the wooden tile pendant.  I glued it to a silver filigree blank, added some more of those little baby bell dangles to the bottom, and worked up from there:

By the way, the heart bead that looks chipped?  It's an optical illusion...a shadow.  Truly, it's a perfect heart.  Initially, I wanted to keep the original "snowflake" theme in mind by using bright silver chain and findings. However, coupled with the butterfly tile, it just didn't look right.  So naturally, having serious issues with foresight and forethought and (to be honest) impulse control, I decided to use liver of sulphur for the very first time, to darken all the shiny stuff.  Bear in mind...this necklace was completely assembled.  That is a WOODEN tile, with a (basically) decoupaged image.  Into the horrifically stinky bowl of liver of sulphur it went...and not 10 seconds later, out it came...this dark.  It's, like, INSTANT!  Who knew?  Please, take my advice...darken your chain and findings before assembling your pieces.  The tile is perfectly intact (sooooo happy that I coated it and buffed it with some waterproofing glaze...), and the chain and findings are fine.  But I had no control over the situation, and it could easily have gone very wrong.

So there you have it...all my items for Michelle Mach's Secret Snowflake Challenge!  I hope you enjoyed my blog post, and please check out the others here:

Alice (Alice Dreaming)

Chris (beadjewelry.net)

Christa (Adventures of One Beady Woman)

Crystal (Here Bead Dragons)

Cynthia (Cynth's Blog)

Dawn (Morning Glory Beading)

Donetta (Simply Gorgeous)  (that's me!)

Erin A.

Jennifer (JenniferJW)

Jennifer (Jewelry, Art and Life)

Kari W.

Kate (We Can Make That at Home)

Kay (Palm Coast Art)

Linda (Lindy's Designs)

Lisa C. (A Bead a Day)

Lisa (Inspired Adornments)

Mary (MLH Designs)

Michelle (Beads & Books)

Michelle B.

Millie (AMM Jewelry)

Norma (Moonlit Fantasies)

Pam (The Crazier Sister)

Rebecca J.

Renetha (Lamplight Crafts)

Rosemarie (Gem Rose Designs)

Shannon (Falling into the Sky)

Susan (Bead Inspired)

Therese (Therese's Treasures)

Therese (Domestic Goddess Enterprises)

The Blues

It's true indeed...I'm a victim of a serious case of the blues.  Life happens to everyone, and I guess it beats the alternative, but sometimes things just seem to come at me from all sides, and that's when I do the unhealthy thing and just retreat.  Vegetate.  Try to escape. 

Even good things...GREAT things, really...involve change that I know is going to rock the world as I know it, and I'm notoriously bad with change.  I like the idea of it and all, but the reality is different.  Which doesn't mean that I've quit wishing to win the lottery, in case you're wondering.

I've been gimping through life at half speed (less than half, to be honest) for a long time, trying to deal with a "condition" (I will not call it a disease)  that I never actually believed existed before my physician ruled out everything else.  It's called fibromyalgia.  See, I've only known a few women...and no men...who claim to have this "condition", and I confess I formed a negative opinion about the whole thing.  Women who take to their beds, who almost PROUDLY proclaim that "Fibro is my new normal" and use it to avoid doing anything they don't really want to do.  Women who have NICKNAMED it ("fibro") like it's an old friend!  Women who seem to my critical eye to be quite fond of their pain medications, and positively joyful at the thought of opting out of life.

So you can see that I've resisted this type of diagnosis...which isn't really a diagnosis, because it's all figured out not by any definitive test, but by "ruling out" everything else.  Dear friends, it's a terrible thing to be grabbed by something you don't want to believe exists.  To be the one who says "I just can't do that today" and "I don't know why I'm so miserable".  To know that although you don't have MS or something degenerative (although I can say for sure that it's degenerated my spirit and my peace of mind), there's something awful going on.

So when I was contacted by the Social Security Administration (yes, seriously...they contacted ME!) to be told that my ex-of-20-years-husband had died, and that I was able to take early retirement and collect his full benefit, imagine how thrilled I was to get the news.  Not that he had died, of course (which I knew, and had done some serious grieving over...we do, after all, have three grown children who were in fairly close contact with their dad until the end), but the idea of not having to force myself to show up to work most days and do an almost decent job - after years of recognition for doing a GREAT job-it just seemed like his gift to me!  So I made an appointment and spoke with an agent at my local SS office, and discovered that yes, indeed, this could really work.  The joy!

So now that it's all out there, notice given at work and so forth, I'm seized with terrible fears.  Will I be the one who stays in bed all day?  Will I become completely unproductive and unable to create a single thing that pleases me?  Will I, like my mother and her mother before her, soon be unable to leave the house except for essential groceries?  Will I withdraw from friends and family, and become a recluse?  In a nutshell, will I take this opportunity...this GIFT, really...and throw it away? 

I really hope not.  As holiday time approaches, and everything I hold dear is right here in front of me, my Christmas wish is to be able to take this gift of time...such a precious gift...and create an entirely "new normal" that has NOTHING to do with my physical woes, whatever they are named. 

Bigger pictures

While at work today, I asked my friend Dawn, who is a veteran blogger, how to add pictures to my blog in a less cumbersome way than "adding a gadget" for each...and...every...single...picture.  So inefficient!  So freaking time consuming!  And the pictures are, as you all noticed, quite wee.  Who knew it would be so easy?  I'm going to test it right now!  Watch this!  Oh, wow...

And really?  Just because I can?  An absolutely gratuitous photo of one of the loves of my life, Bella.  The title of this photo is "Bella's Boudoir".  She looks happy, doesn't she?  But, really?  This IS a picture of Bella's happy face.  It's a Persian thing, I think.

On that note, I can't wait to preview and post.

Yikes...

I'm new to this...please forgive!  I forgot that I was supposed to link to all the other Very Vintage posters as well!  Here's the list...check them all out...they do such beautiful work!

Andrew
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton

Cat
Boo Beads

Chris
beadjewelry.net

Cilla
Tell Your Girlfriends

Cyndi
Beading Arts

Cynthia
Cynth's Blog

Dawn
Morning Glory Beading

Donetta (this is me!)
Simply Gorgeous

Heather
As I Bead It

Holly
SilverRose Designs

Kate
We Can Make That at Home

Kristina
Wild Roses and Blackberries

Lauren
Laurel Moon Jewelry & Beads

Linda
Lutka & Co

Lisa
Lucid Mood Studio

Lola
Bead Lola Bead

Mary
MLH Jewelry

Melinda
Melinda Orr Metal & Clay Jewelry Designs

Michelle H.
Firefly Visions

Michelle M.
Beads & Books

Salla
Blog by Salla

Shannon
Falling into the Sky

Shay
Shaiha's Ramblings

Shel
MiShel Designs

Shirley
Beads and Bread

Stephanie
Pixybug Designs

Tari
Pearl and Pebbles

Terry
Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Tracy
The Bead Junkie

Michelle Mach's Very Vintage Fall Challenge

Michelle always offers the prettiest bits and pieces for her blog hop challenges...I've entered two so far, and each time I've been comPLETEly impressed by the gorgeous little goodies she sends.  Try as I might, I simply couldn't use everything...my first effort (a charm bracelet) ended up looking like I was trying to use up my stash.  NOT the effect I wanted!  So I hemmed and hawed, and moved stuff around on my work table, and finally came up with a design that actually was quite pleasing to my eye(s).

I made a long, long necklace (no clasp, just over the head and there you go), and it "wears" beautifully.  Um, if I do say so myself.  (I do.) 

Here's what I did: I picked an antiqued brass chain with great big alternating rectangular and round links.  I created my focal piece, gluing one of the filigree diamond links to the largest Lucite piece...try as I might, I can't label it with one of the descriptions on the supply list.  It's large, oval, and a beautiful tortoiseshell color.  Anyway, I used it as a base for the filigree diamond, and popped a rhinestone into the center.  I found two really big decorative antiqued brass ovals, and added them to the chain (making them part of the chain), near the focal.  To the ovals, I attached charms.  On one side, the charm is comprised of the Lucite carnelian teardrop Deco hoop, to which I attached the second filigree diamond and the brown vintage Lucite "bauble".  Onto the other oval, I attached a rusty little key, as well as a charm I made using the leaf-shaped metal blank as a base, and attached a sienna Lucite poplar leaf and a wee antiqued brass ladybug charm.

Since I'm taking Deryn Mentock's "foundations" online class, and have been practicing my wire-wrapped loops, I made a total of six (three for each side) wire-wrapped baubles, using some vintage amber-colored fluted glass beads, and very tiny daisy spacers on each end of each bead.  I connected them with jump rings, and added them to the chain...kind of in the middle, where they will be very visible (I like them...so pretty!).  Then to one side of the chain, just below the wire-wrapped beaded baubles, I added a little "bunch of grapes" I made some time ago, using top-drilled amber glass beads, a Lucite leaf, and some curly wire grapevines. 

To balance it out, a bit higher than all that on the other side, I added a really rusty old key that I glammed up with a thick silver spacer and a raw brass bird. 

I'm thinking that I used about half of the "ingredients" Michelle sent.  Actually, I made a pair of earrings as well, using some of the Lucite heishi beads and Lucite leaves.  Swingy little earrings, molto cute.  Alas, I left them on my desk at work...no photo.  My mind...

At any rate, I really did enjoy the process, although the charm bracelet gave me pause.  Thank goodness.  But I'm happy with the finished product, and hope all of you are, too!