I had hoped to be able to post a new stash tackler today I've been working on for a while now, but after finishing one part, there weren't enough beads for the second part anymore. So I had to "bite the sour apple" as we say it in German and put in a bead order, what an ordeal! 🙄
My February has definitely not been frugal. A new furnace, a new TV after my old one broke, vet visits, I needed a bit of retail therapy just for fun.
Seriously, though, I hadn't ordered beads in over a year and I have been keeping track of my expenses for years and reacted accordingly, so I didn't feel very guilty about it although my bead drawers and boxes aren't exactly empty. Isn't it amazing how you can have a pile of beads and still none of them work for a certain project?
Ok, so I did not only not feel guilty, I was delighted. You see, whenever I put in a bead order, I indulge in reduced surprise mixes if they have them at the time. I even wrote a post about those before and how they can inspire me, challenge me, and sometimes leave me completely clueless about what to do with them.
The mixes consist of full tubes or leftovers and they make me happy. I love surprises (I never fail to say that the way Jim Broadbent does in his German accent as Prince Albert in the Blackadder Christmas Carol)!
This time I got a tiny cube mix, a general bead mix, and a Delica mix (I like the pure seed bead mix, but they didn't have it this time).
And my brain already started ticking ... I might try to combine the blue cubes with each other and maybe blue and green seed beads because I like the texture that creates.
The bugle beads and large seed beads are usually the most difficult ones for me to use, also the opaque seed bead soup which I may actually be taking apart eventually.
I love the variety of colors in the Delicas and a vague idea is starting to form.
Of course all of that can change quickly, but my WIP comes first, anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to show it to you next Friday!
P.S. Just now I noticed there was one kind of bead I wanted to order and forgot. Figures, there's always something I forget. They are not urgent at the moment, though. Maybe next year!
I can’t wait to see all the cool things you create with these little tubes of imagination! When I was a kid, seed bead chokers and bracelets were all the rage. I remember making them and then spilling them all over the place. Seeing those tubes still gives me a little rush!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
It's funny you say that, I remember it, too.
DeleteOnce we met at a friend's house for a school groupwork thing and while we talked, I took a dive into her seed beads and made a long necklace for her. Kind of like in 20s, just seed beads instead of pearls. Took me forever, no bead spinners then!
I get the vet visits. Lily has to have four teeth removed early this month. Luckily the vet bill isn’t nearly as expensive as my surgery which I’m still paying on. Retail therapy is always helpful. Not ordering beads in over a year is quite the achievement! It’s hard not to spend on hobbies for that long. Looking forward to seeing your design!
ReplyDeleteYes, we still got the dental for Gundel coming, so the March won't be off to a very frugal start, either. Poor Lily, I hope she'll be okay.
DeleteI was very proud of myself! Granted, I couldn't craft as much last year because of my thumb joint, but I have really been trying for quite a while now to use what I have first.
I am very familiar with having tons of beads and nothing right for a project. I love seeing tubes of beads. If I could afford it and the import duties weren’t so high for you, I’d love to send you all my beads.
ReplyDeleteDo you plan to give up on the beads completely? That would really be a pity.
DeleteI'll send den Dekan over to pick them up ;-)
I think I take one unfinished project with me. The skull pirate. We will sell (or giveaway) everything and start over in Albania. It’s just too expensive to ship anything. I made a mistake in taking on the beads of a woman who had passed away. It doubled my stash, which made it next to impossible to find anything. It was just overwhelming. So I am actually looking forward to starting from scratch.
ReplyDeleteWho would have been able to resist those beads?
DeleteI'm sure you won't have a problem finding someone to take them off your hands.
P.S. I’ll be expecting Der Dekan! :D
ReplyDeleteI hope he'll be able to carry the bag!
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