More projects on the go ...

Here is the second attempt at Lu's necklace. I know it will be big enough now ... it even fits me. I just hope she likes it. A couple friends dropped by and just loved the piece ... however, not the price I quoted them as I didn't get any orders. I've added quite a few Czechoslovakian lead crystals which make it very glittery in certain lighting. The amethyst color will go with most of the black outfits she wears. These are fun to make once you get used to them flipping around on you and getting all tangled up.. They're really pretty up close. 

These little blue flowers are made with some very inexpensive glass beads I picked up at a discount store. That was a mistake, as they are a mixture of three colors: sapphire blue transparent, dark aqua transparent and green metallic lined. The metallic coating comes off the inside when you're working with them so they aren't much good for jewelry. They are also very inconsistent in size, which makes them a bit frustrating for most things. I had quite a large bag of them, so decided to turn them into these little flowers, which will eventually become part of a wool sculpture featuring a blue jay. My plan is to have the flowers light up with tiny bulbs in each, attached to a hidden battery compartment, with an on/off switch. The rest of the piece will be wool and sit on a pine base. 

Don has been busy as well. Here is the completed cabinet for the Legion. It will sit behind the bar, where there is now an opening into the meeting room. It is planned to hold the canteen snack items. It's a custom piece, of course, as it has to fit perfectly into an existing opening. It has been trimmed with some very nice oak, which was donated by another member. The stain and finish brought up the grain really nicely and it is almost a perfect match to the bar top. 

Lacy Beaded Necklace ... First Attempt

This is the necklace I made for my friend.  It was a bit too small so I'm enlarging it for her and have acquired some crystals that will go nicely in this piece. I've also decided the stringing material is a bit too stiff so I can now change this to a lighter weight as well. These things tend to evolve, so when I'm happy with the next attempt, I'll post another picture. She loved the piece, by the way. A big hello to Deb digging out of the snow. Check out her blog for a fantastic work of art using found beach wood. It's amazing. http://wardroomgallery.blogspot.com/2010/01/spring-in-air.html

A Milestone Day

Mortgage free! Yessiree, today, the house is ours and nobody else's. It's a great feeling. It's been a long 22 1/2 years, but finally, finally it belongs to us and the bank is out of the equation. This is cause for celebration, but that will have to wait until Wed. because of Don's work schedule. Then we're going into Halifax to see Avatar at the IMAX in 3-D, after which we'll be dining at Montana's. I got the express tickets online this morning as it's been selling out and some folks have been disappointed not to be able to have the 3-D experience. They're all raving about the movie though, so I'll let you know. 


I must apologize for not posting a pic of the mystery gift I made for my friend, Lu. The gift is a lovely beaded choker in amethyst colors. The beads are strung in a lace design. What happened was a computer failure during the time I was working with those files. The pc is currently out "being looked at" by a friend so I currently don't have any of my files as I'm using a loaner. Since I was on to photographing Audry II, I had deleted the files from my camera, leaving me without access to any pics of the necklace. However, the necklace is a bit too small, so it's coming back for adjustment, during which time I will be shooting it again, and posting it here, of course. So sorry for the confusion. 


Don is still working on a cabinet for the Legion, doing the finishing touches and I'll be sure to include it here as soon as he deems it ready for public viewing. Working full time at the bar doesn't leave him as much time for his projects as he used to enjoy. He's also acquired a used table saw that is a much better model than the machine he's been using. He's been tuning and tweaking that as well. Very time consuming, I'm told. 


It's such a dark and dreary day out here in the country. Very chilly too. We're expecting a couple centimeters of snow today and it looks as if it may begin very soon. Don has to work in a couple of hours, so we just had an early supper of some lovely stuffed Cornish hens, Dauphine potatoes, carrots and turnip. Not exactly on the low-cal, but absolutely delicious. Don did all the cooking today so I have scullery duty, which I must now attend to. I hope you all have a great day. 

Audry II

I've been a bit neglectful with this blog lately. I've gotten some work done though. Here is the finished piece, "Audry II" from Little Shop of Horrors. She is a gift for a friend who is a book and movie nut. He has already seen this and is very excited about it. She was fun to make and I love her teeth, which are painted toothpicks. The wire inside allows for positioning the tendrils to support her, as her head is a bit top heavy. She is embellished with glass beads and false eyelashes. I've also made a few more bracelets, which were custom orders for size and color. They all turned out nice and the customers were pleased. Other than that, we've been glued to CNN watching the horror that is transpiring in Haiti. Since I used to go to Port-au-Prince when I worked on the container ship, it is especially shocking to see what used to be there reduced to rubble. I will never forget the extreme heat and humidity in that city and I can't imagine what rescuers are facing. It's the most awful natural disaster I've ever seen and I fear things will become much worse there in the very near future as disease begins to spread. The city had deplorable sanitation to begin with, so all those nasty bugs are already there just looking for a chance to multiply. That has now happened and I imagine the country will need to be quarantined. My heart goes out to those people who's history has been tragic for the last 200 years. Between corrupt governements, slavery, hurricanes and now this awful earthquake, they haven't had much of a chance in life, yet they continue to stuggle on and survive. You have to admire their strength. It is, however, a bright point to see nearly every other country in the world rally to help. They have alot of challenges ahead of them.