Saturday night ramblings

A bead is a bead is a bead, and a bed is a bed is a bed.
So when has my brain become so onesided that it can only think of beads?

(This happened to be the first picture of beads I found in my files ;-))

I'm going to bead ... erm, bed now.

Saturday night ramblings - and wax crayons

Lately I have been watching English crime series. Lewis, Inspector Morse, Campion, and some others. I watched them find clues, wonder over letters and mysterious notes, and it made me think about my own notes that I tend to leave lying around.
Let's take this one for example. What would you read into it or try to deduce from it? Ok, so you are at an advantage because you know I'm a jewelry artisan.

On the other hand the detectives wouldn't take long to find that out, too. I'm almost certain that the jewelry, the bead stash and the fact that I have a little loom, crochet hooks and pliers on a pillow in my bed (don't judge me) would give me away. Who knows, they might have to pry my trusted 1.65 mm crochet hook from my cold, dead hand.
It's pretty obvious that it's not a code for my safe, simply because I don't own one, but what is it?

Now let me show you what I did yesterday and today and tell you what inspired me.
Do you remember the pictures we used to do with wax crayons? First we used all colors we had, big spots, small spots, layers, stripes, and then we covered that with black crayon. Afterwards we scratched a picture into the black, making the colors come back out. I remember that in elementary school we did the deep ocean, with colorful plants and fish.
It would have been interesting to create and loom a panel in that kind of look, but while waiting for supplies (that haven't arrived yet) I went a different way.
I used bead soup on a black background. Just imagine I took off the black in circles. And here's where the note comes into action. It's the size of circle I decided on. Since I'm old and my brain can be weak and lose information while just moving from one room to the other, I wrote down the numbers of beads.
Count for yourself (don't forget you'd need to rotate the picture first, though).

For more color and a bit of fun I added a happy irregular bead soup and wooden beads fringe.

I'm not keen on experiencing this detective thing, by the way. It's just one of those train of thoughts my brain comes up with in the middle of the night or very early in the morning after only four hours of sleep (&/§%$§&/ those greedy cats). I'd rather prefer to stay alive and bead. Although I'd dig a visit by Sergeant Hathaway.

P.S. I know it's not exactly night, actually it's afternoon. Let's call it artistic freedom.

Saturday night ramblings

I have just been sitting here eating little pieces of "meat" (vegetarian) with horseradish. I love horseradish. It makes almost everything better. Except chocolate pudding. I'd really like to have some chocolate pudding right now. Close to midnight is probably not the right time for preparing it, though. Pity.

Today has been one of those days you know. One of those weird days when you end up eating horseradish in the middle of the night because you didn't know what else you wanted to eat during the day. And of course you have a purring black cat next to you who keeps lifting one of her paws hoping you'll share your food with her, but who would be very disappointed if she had to taste fake meat (ok, that killed my own appetite now). One of those days when you keep looking into the fridge hoping your favorite food has materialized in there and only needs to be warmed up. Now I want potato pancakes. Tomorrow maybe?

At least my mind was not all that confused about what else to do today. I did a little spring cleaning in my shops and more items will be on sale eventually, stay tuned. I moved some items from one shop to the other (because I'll close my VonDir shop soon), I took some pictures, and when I really didn't know how to sit straight at the computer anymore, I indulged in a creative break and made this bangle. I wanted to list it today, but then again I wanted to list the agate earrings yesterday and haven't done it yet. I need more time, more arms or the cats will have to learn how to take good photos when it's rainy and grey outside.

Still the day was not unproductive. I did move some things to the cellar - with help - something that has been planned for a long time, too. Life tends to get in the way.

Do you wonder what kind of post that is? Well, I really wanted to share with you how my days go sometimes. It's so much easier if I can fully concentrate on my creative ventures instead of having to deal with real life, too. Oh. I forgot that I wanted to send off a few laters today.
Tomorrow is going to be really full. Maybe I should start the Sunday with a creative break? ;-)

I bet you have days like this as well. Please tell me I'm not alone!
And no, I didn't have anything to drink, believe it or not.

Saturday night ramblings or Plans

This month the Jewelry Artisans Community was asked for their plans for the new year.
It's hard to believe that almost a quarter of this "new" year is over already. I had made a few vague plans, not all of them worked out yet, but that was to be expected.

Maybe I'll let some more dragons into my life. They might nag less than Ponder is doing it behind me right now which is not helping my concentration.
Where was I? Dragons, right. Here is the first batch of dragon scales. Which one do you like best?

I'm still toying with the idea of an own website, but that won't happen until my head is fully clear. At the moment it's more empty than clear. I think I can hear the wind rushing through ...

I did learn something new that has been on my list for a long time, Viking knit, and turned my first sample into a piece of glamorous Barbie jewelry. So another plan coming from that is to 1. unpack and set up my Barbie collection, 2. make some more jewelry for them, 3. try a wire knit outfit for one of the dolls eventually.

Another plan is to clean out my inventory and take the chance to take some new pictures. I already ripped a few small pieces up, changed them or turned something finished back into a WIP because I wasn't fully happy with it for too long. I did find however that I can't do too much of that in one go because it is as much of a frustration as a relief.
One part of this plan is that one of my shops will go. I tend to overdo things sometimes, and it's just too hard to keep up with it all, so my Von Dir shop is in the process of being emptied now. As long as there are still pieces in there, you are welcome to have a look and even to make me a offer, who knows, I might just take you up on it ;-) I wish there was a way to get to the English descriptions that I typed in so carefully, but I'm always getting a time out, so if you have a question, just contact me.

Something I already did was re-organize my supplies.

I'm sure there will be more ideas or plans along the line, but I'll take it step by step, it's better that way. You will of course be the (almost) first ones to know about important developments ;-)

If you want to know what the other JAC members expect from 2013, you should have a look. I know I will because there might be some inspiration or maybe just some good kick in the a** for me in there!

Bead Sophisticate
N Valentine Studio
Jewelry Art by Dawn
Ponder the Cat

Saturday night ramblings

Just a minute, I need to get a cup of chai first. Can't do the ramblings without my chai, can I?
Now, here we go, that's better.
Some ginger cookies would be nice with that, but I expect the cabinet that's my pantry and my fridge to come up with tumbleweeds pretty soon and maybe one or the other roadrunner.
I keep opening the fridge because a little voice inside my head is telling me that this time something edible which is also something I'm craving at that moment will have materialized. That little voice is a dirty liar, let me tell you.
I have been told that grocery shopping is supposed to help with that problem, but what is going to help with the problem of me hating to go grocery shopping?
No, Ponder, you needn't worry, we'll never run out of cat food.
 

If I can't eat, I have to bead. That almost rhymes. And beading was what I did today. I ignored the fact that the mirror is not showing me my face anymore, but some kind of evil distorted monster. I ignored the blankets in the dryer, of course only because they made such a great bed for Meffi and not because I was too lazy to take them out.
I had DVDs running and beaded.

For this set I actually had to search around to find the last four golden beads. It sounds easier than it was. I almost had to take the whole place apart and for a bit I thought I wouldn't be able to finish the pendant because of the last elusive bead. Of course two hours after I finished it I stumbled upon the amazing treasure of three more golden beads.

After contemplating some household chores for about 45 seconds, I decided to start another wire knit rope with seed beads. That would be a nice chance to finally use my bead spinner. Yup, that did not go so well. I'll spare you the details, but for that one time I decided to do it the old-fashioned way.
This is what the rope looked in a warm light after about two episodes of "Rumpole of The Bailey".

This is what the rope looked like quite a while later. I seem to be in a twisted ... twisting mood lately. There will be more beaded knit ropes, though. They are so beautiful.
I still need a bigger lobster clasp for this one.

Maybe you have wondered about what happened to the Fusion Beads Challenge. Well, I knew from the start I wouldn't be able to participate every day, for one reason because I can't think about a new beadweaving stitch after work or because I don't have the people around to do a bead party.
I did make the first three days so far.

Day 1 - Start by making earrings

Day 2 - Make a simple strung piece

Day 3 - Make jewelry to give to a friend

It's not bad for a start, is it?

Saturday night ramblings

Again it has been a while since I showed you what I was working on, so I'll turn today's Saturday ramblings into a show post.
Aren't you happy? Just pictures and not so many words! ;-)
Have a great weekend.

More twin beads from Preciosa Ornela (much better than my first attempt and just a little selection)

I admit I'm proud of this one, not just because it's different techniques combined.

There are more of these "Dragon Scales" to come, in different colors, but these metallic rainbow Twins have really captured my heart.

 

 

I love this cuff, it makes me want to put flowers in my hair, sing "San Francisco" which is one of my favorite songs or dance to the songs from "Hair"!

My classic rope bangles are back, but I'm still working on more colors!

 

The classic ropes, braided up

Lately I have felt a bit like a child in boarding school on my blog, forever promising to write, well, not home in that case, but you get the idea.
Now that I try to participate as much as possible in Fusion Beads' 30 Day Challenge, it might be easier to keep that up and show you the pieces I have actually made, so stay tuned!

Saturday night ramblings or maybe just a little fun

Just a bit of harmless fun.
I was hanging out in my armchair and suddenly felt the urge to check out the Preciosa Ornela Twin beads that I have in so many great colors. I have practically never beaded off loom except maybe two or three times, so I kept it simple for this first time. 
I used wire, the Twin beads in a light transparent green and yellow and some crystal drop beads that I mistook for regular seed beads at first. Reminder to myself ... I really need a better lamp next to my armchair, the other one is cozy, but not a lamp for beading.

In the end - meaning the end of the wire and the end of my DVD which was very good timing, ok, coincidence) a tube which I will probably put on a keychain.
Not too exciting, so I played with the camera and the tube instead ...

Saturday night ramblings

That was an epic fail, huh? I dropped out of the advent calendar challenge like the apple onto Newton's head. I'm sorry, but I got overwhelmed by life. As a matter of fact I still am overwhelmed by life, but it's getting a little better, let's say, every other day.

Today the gerbils moved to the new bunny room. I don't quite trust Ponder yet, he gets so excited when his favorite TV program moves that I decided to lock the door again.
My comics are on their shelves, so are my love stories, the Shakespeare collection, and the Patrick Star figure signed by Stephen Hillenburg. And I'm up-to-date with my laundry. Actually I'm feeling pretty good right now.

I also created one or the other thing. I made a few wire knit pendants with crystal trees of life ... lives ... crystal bonsais. I loomed, I told Ponder a lot to stop whatever he was doing (sometimes it involved claws, sometimes his act as the black screen of doom), I gave Esme her meds, kissed Meffi on the head and brushed Greebo (suspecting by now that he's really a Yeti with all that hair) and I watched loads of DVDs giving me more ideas ... if I only knew how to realize them yet ...

I ate too much around Christmas, I rarely check my mailbox (can you tell I'm not expecting a bead order?), and I just turned on the dishwasher.
I still need to pack up a swap piece and the giveaway prizes from the 1st of December (no, I wasn't lazy, but the first two winners I drew never got back to me, not even after several messages).
I fed my chai addiction with more chai.

And right now I'm staring at a bag full of shells, nope, update, I just picked a piece out ...

*elevator music*

.... two hours later ... 

Saturday night ramblings don't really have to make sense, do they? ;-)

Saturday night ramblings

Oh look, a bird! Oh look, a sparkly stone! Oh look!

Yes, I do tend to get distracted. Sometimes I wonder about my brain. With my brain. Wow, that's weird somehow. Oops, digressing. It's not that I can't be focused at all, it just depends a lot on what it is that I focus on. My brain is rattling, ticking, my thoughts are jumping back and forth.

The nice thing about beads is that it's allowed to do that around them. Unless I am working on a custom order I allow my brain to roam at free will when I create. As long as it just roams inside my head.

It can happen that things get lost in the overwhelming mass of ideas (not saying they are all good ones) which is why many people carry a notebook or have one on their various tables. I don't. I do have notebooks, but I can't remember when I put down a design idea the last time.

Remember Mabel, my muse? She has been working overtime for quite a while now. She takes me from the loom back to the hook and lately she has hidden the word "clay" in a cough a few times. There are several ideas for incorporating clay in pieces. Maybe I should put them in a notebook ...

Let me show you a few of my latest pieces to help you understand. I know I haven't shown much in a long time, but don't worry, I won't picture spam you now, I'll just try to illustrate the leaps and jumps my brain cells take. Obviously they are much better at sports than I am, they should have been at the Olympics ;-)

Wire knit is still a big subject. Since it's still a rather new technique for me, compared with wire crochet at least, I enjoy playing and trying what I can do. Tubes, flat pieces, layers, with beads, without beads, bezels for cabs, I doubt I found the end of the road yet.

Today I had warped the loom when I found this odd-shaped stone on my nightstand. It had been there for months because I kept hoping for a great idea. Suddenly it hit me what it reminded me of. A wire knit bezel and five crocheted toes later I had this - a foot.

This necklace featured one of Deronda O'Neill's gorgeous lampwork beads. I swear I have been sitting on them - metaphorically spoken - forever, caressing them and finally a design happened for one. The pendant wasn't planned like this which is why I say "happened". I was trying something with a wire knit tube ring, so-to-speak, and that's what I ended up with. A bead filled "chain" was obligatory. The beads can move inside the tube.

Another wire knit piece with an implosion bead by Deronda is this one in fine silver. Isn't it amazing how different it looks from the other pieces?

While not one of my favorite X-Files episodes, "Teso dos Bichos" spontaneously made me throw another project aside from literally one second to the other because I felt the urge to make a black cat. It's not finished yet, I want to add a chain, but hey ... there are so many things to do. Oh look, a bunny! Nah, not really which is a good thing because that would have meant that Buster broke out of his room.

If you think I have forgotten about wire crochet, you are wrong. Here's a sneak peek picture of a wire crochet and knit mix bracelet, the "Turquoise Turtle". You can't easily see it here, but it really does look like a turtle shell. As it happens to so many of my bracelets or necklaces, it's still missing the clasp, not because I'm too lazy, but because I haven't decided yet which kind to use.

And then there's the looming of course. I still haven't finished the lot for the local zoo's tombola in October, but I am at six now. You'll get to see a picture of them all together once I'm done.

Have a look at my rain cloud instead. I'm afraid if I want to control the rain with it, I'll have to sacrifice it somewhere in a cave or a wood, but it took too long to do that. Now that's a piece that is actually already available in my Zibbet shop - here.

The following is a cuff that I had lots of fun with and I really love the look of the galvanized seed beads (I'm a sucker for galvanized beads) against the dark blue AB beads. Just the base is loomed, the loops are done in brick stitch.

Is it a cuff at all? Who knows ... I thought I was being silly when I spontaneously took these pictures, but oh look, a new idea! "Unfortunately" a friend - thank you, Toni - gave me another idea for free. I'll need more time or more hands or a miracle.

Guess what. There's already a new project on my loom.

Well, I do have more news and I have more pieces, but I'll save that for another time, I don't want to wear you out now!

Saturday night ramblings

Let me tell you how I spent my day even if Meffi thinks it's terribly embarrassing and contemplates moving in with someone more decent.

I got up, I packed up stuff, I ate and drank something, I talked on the phone, I loomed, I did laundry and then ... let me try to bring some order into the story ... and try to blind out the vuvuzela people outside *eyeroll*

I said I loomed. That's true, but after I was almost done I ran out of beads and took it as a sign to change the design slightly. I felt a strange relief and satisfaction cutting up the middle part.

After ripping up the cuff, I continued with the laundry. I gathered the towels from the different rooms and because sometimes I tend to get distracted easily I decided to unload and reload the dishwasher first. Then there were the empty cat food containers that I had rinsed out to make them ready for the recycling bag (in this area we have yellow bags). The bag was almost full, so I tied it up and went to put it out in the hallway.

Maybe I should mention that I like to dress very casual at home, meaning I wore a long t-shirt and was barefoot, after all I didn't plan any longer trips.

I put the bag out through the door and it fell right into the middle of the hallway. Holding the door knob tightly I bent down to pick it back up, my hand slipped off the knob (don't ask, I have no idea why) and there I stood in the hallway and heard a soft click from the door. Let me remind you again that I was wearing a t-shirt and not much more. So I went downstairs to the neighbors to call my family and let them know I needed a key. Four neighbors and none of them in. I'll have to remember to tell them how disappointed I was in them.

After hitting my head on the wall a few times which unfortunately didn't change anything about the situation I tried to think of the best solution. It was absolutely impossible for me to go outside without having masses of people chasing me with pitchforks and torches after a short while. I had no idea how long my neighbors would be gone, I mean they could have spent all day somewhere else. So the best shot was to hang out of the window (that doesn't open all the way) and yell at some unsuspecting stranger hoping he or she would carry a cell phone.

Our street is pretty quiet. Amazingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon. It took more than 20 minutes in which I was freezing my feet and my tuchus off (our hallway is nice and cool even when it is hot outside) until a gentleman walked by on my side of the street. The window I looked out of goes out to the neighbor's parking spot, so you can only see a very small part of the street.

I yelled at him "Sorry, could you please help me and do me a favor?" He walked to the window giving me a strange look for absolutely no reason at all. It's not that unusual to be yelled at by a lady with a bad hair day. I asked him if he carried a cell phone because I had locked myself out and was not in the gear to be seen on the street and really needed to call my family. He smiled, reached up and gave me his phone.

I called my mother who of course wanted to know details when all I wanted was a key. She asked me why I waited for 20 minutes before calling. Of course usually I don't carry a key when I get stuck in the hallway, unplanned, wearing almost nothing (sorry for the image, but really, it was a big shirt, just not suitable for outside), but always a cell phone. She thought. Obviously. I told her that I was on someone else's phone and that I needed a key. Now!

I gave the phone back to the nice gentleman (I hope he had some success telling that story at home) and told him that he saved me and how grateful I was. He winked at me saying that things like that happen. Yeah, right, but why to me?

10 to 15 minutes later my sister arrived and said with a grin what a good thing it was the neighbors had books out in the hallway (reminder for myself ... do NOT try to read that one book again, boy, it was boring).

Another reminder to myself ... if you are not smart enough to carry your key, at least take beads and wire with you and deposit a pair of pliers in the hallway, so you can entertain yourself in some useful way.

Wanna know something funny? The last 20 times I put something out in the hallway I always carried a key and the door never got shut. I wonder if the snickering behind the door was just in my head. Was it in my head, Ponder? Was it?

Saturday night ramblings

1. Chai.

You know I wouldn't do a Saturday post without chai. The flavor of the day is Power Chai, stronger than the last one I had which was very creamy and mild. So if you feel I come across powerful, I'm sure it's because of the chai.

2. One Hit Wonders.

It's amazing what you find when you clean out closets. I would swear anything it wasn't me who put those 2 CDs in there, but who cares?

Right now I'm listening to this song which is from the same year I am. A great vintage if you ask me. Come on, ask me!

I remember buying this collection for just one song that I couldn't find anywhere else. AOL radio (oh yes, you got that right, AOL, and I loved my Oldie channel), thank you for that.

3. Broken earwires.

Yes, I managed to break the end off a marquise earwire. And it led to this. Because that's the way I roll. If life gives you lemonade, you ... eh ... put it in an amphora. Or something like that. You get the idea.

4. How to break an earwire.

It happened when I made these earrings. I have to tell you I'm pretty much in love with them. I might have to make more in that style, what do you think?

5. You are probably tired of my rambling now, so ... that's all, folks!

Saturday night ramblings

We didn't have those for a while, did we?

Let's make it short however.

I baked. You might think this is not exactly a big achievement, but knowing me ... well, it is. I'm amazed and stunned by myself, so much actually that I can almost ignore the knuckle I burnt in my usual klutzy way. It's not bad, it doesn't really show, it just hurts to remind me I'm a klutz.

What do I care? I got something to show and to eat, and mind you, even if I'm saying it myself, they are good, my "Seelen" which is what these bread rolls are called. It translates to "souls".

It's not the only thing I achieved in the last days. I won't bore you with stories of grocery shopping and folding laundry, but just show you the good stuff.

Do you remember the Gingham fabric pattern I made? With the beads that didn't want to play nice?

Well, I made two other patterns and am about to finish a more cooperative Gingham cuff. I'm having way too much fun with these.

This one is listed already - Houndstooth I

I took most of the pictures for this one and already edited them, I just need one more shot of the snaps, but you know how it is - Argyle (I love this one and would love to see it in different color combinations)

And of course a bad sneak peek pic of my Gingham WIP.

Ehm, yes. Not that short after all ....

Gas cooking and baking recipe calendar

Gotta hand him this. He's good at finding stuff I like. I'm talking about the tall guy. Today the "Gas-Koch- und Backrezeptkalender 1952" landed in our mailbox or for those who don't understand German - the "Gas cooking and baking recipe calendar 1952".

You don't know what to cook? Do not despair, your calendar brought to you by the Hamburg Gasworks has thought about it for you - well, not the calendar itself, but some smart people with gas stoves, I guess - and offers you a recipe for each day of the year. Now that does make planning easy.

And this is what you'll get:

Sunday .......... meat recipe

Monday ......... something simple for every day

Tuesday ......... supper or appetizers

Wednesday .... vegetables, prepared in many different ways

Thursday ....... sweet desserts

Friday ............ fish

Saturday ........ cakes, small baked goods and fancy cakes

In week 30 there are only recipes for preserving and in week 51 only recipes for Christmas baking. Boy, they thought of everything, didn't they?

And of course you get cute pictures with funny little captions, so you can hang up the calendar without having to look at recipes only. You think that's it? Wrong. There are also little stories on the back from time to time.

If you think I'm being ironic, you are wrong again. I love things like that and what I did first was to look up the recipe for my birthday (the day, I wasn't born in 1952 yet although I like to play the age card a lot).

Anyone for "Spanish sandwiches"?

You'll need

- 2 anchovies

- ½ gherkin

- some parsley

- 3 table spoons capers

- 1 tea spoon mustard

- 1 table spoon oil

- 2 table spoons vinegar

- 2 hard boiled eggs

- salt, paprika, white bread and butter

Chop up the anchovies, the gherkin, the parsley and the yolk, mix it with the capers, mustard and oil and season with salt and paprika.

Cut the bread into thin slices, cut off the crust und put butter on. Put the mixture on the bread und add the chopped egg white on top.

Wow. I do have a real 50s feeling now. Too bad I don't eat anchovies, but like always, if someone of you wants to go for it, let me know how it turned out! ;-)

Saturday night musings

What do other people do at - let me check - 11 on a Saturday night?

Hang out in a bar or disco?

Watch a movie in the cinema?

Have dinner at a fancy or not so fancy restaurant?

I bet I know what they don't do.

They don't eat veggie wieners from the package because they didn't have dinner (no pic, there were only a few left and they are gone now).

They don't drink cold chai from a Christmas mug with snowmen on it.

They don't ponder what movie to use for tomorrow's quote post (Peck or not Peck, that is the question).

They don't play lounge chair for the furry master over and over again (wait, that's probably not even that unusual ...)

 

They don't go through cooking leaflets from the 30s reading potato recipes while listening to a podcast teaching Hindi.

Aaah, I know I'm special. Aren't you glad? Cos that means I'll share an old potato recipe with you now.

0.55 pounds or 250 g boiled and grated potatoes

0.11 pounds or 50 g butter

1 table spoon flour

1 large egg

salt

grated cheese or nutmeg

Make a smooth dough from the ingredients. Form little balls which you boil in salt water and put into your vegetable soup or broth.

(Let me know how they were if you try it!)

P.S. I haven't been all weird today. I also worked on three projects of which I finished one now. And I finally listed this collar. There's hope for me, don't you think?

Wire knit collar with Miyuki glass triangles

Have a great weekend!