Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Emerge From the Cocoon



















My neckpiece is a white butterfly and daisies done in seed bead
embroidery with flower glass beads and sterling silver ladybug
enamel clasp.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

International Gem Show


Water Garden at Chicago Botanic Garden


I did not take pictures on Sunday, we went to the
International Gem Show at Rosemont, Ill. We saw
Loretta Swit, TV star M*A*S*H and jewelry designer.
Dean got her a 8 x 10 print with autograph. I bought
alot of sterling silver lobster clasps, earrings, eye pins
and beads.

Monday, August 29, 2005

Chicago Bead Show


Saturday morning we took the metra train to Chicago from
Evanston. It took about 24 minutes. We walked about 6
blocks to the Whole Bead Show at Holiday Inn Plaza Mart
on New Orleans St. I bought alot of wonderful beads. The
backpack weighed about 18 pounds. Dean walked about 7
miles to Michigan Avenue, Buckingham fountain and John
Hannock tower. When we came back from the train to our
hotel, I had a very delicious Mexican dinner at the Little
Mexican Cafe. I ordered Chile Rellenos chorizo and had
roasted Poblanos tossed in batter, stuffed with chorizo
( spicy sausage ) cheese and veggies, tipped with tomato
sauce served with black beans and rice.

Chicago Botanic Garden


After lunch we walked to the gardens. Chicago Botanic
Garden has 23 beautiful gardens and 3 native habitats
set on 385 acres of rolling hills and tranquil lakes. I
took about 100 pictures. They turned out great, sharp
pictures. We went back to Evanston that evening and
we went out for Asian dinner at the Thai Sookdee.

Jean's lunch


I had a Green Leafy lettuce salad with vinaigrette dressing
and I took a picture of it before I ate the flower. I loved
the dressing!

Dean's lunch


After the craft show we went to the Chicago Botanic
Garden in Glencoe, Illinois. We had lunch at a outdoor
dining. I took a picture of Dean. He had a Caesar's
Chicken salad. It was so pretty at the background.

Painted bicycle


I saw a painted bicycle at Northwestern University
in Evanston, Illinois near Henry Crown Sports
Pavillion.

American Craft Exposition


Friday we left very early for our Chicago trip. We
stopped at Evanston where we stayed for 2 nights.
We were planning to take metra train, but it was so
late in the afternoon. We went to the American Craft
Exposition at Northwestern University. Most of the
artists are from the East Coast. I met a beadwork
artist and author " The Art of Beadwork. " I took a
few pictures of her as I already had bought her book.
The book is about historic inspiration and contemporary
design. It is wonderful.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

2nd part of the project


I think I will name the project "Turquoise and Carnelian "
coral reef neckpiece. I promised that I would update you.
This is the 2nd progess report. I added dagger beads and
used delicas with peyote-stitch. Stayed tuned.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Job's Tears

Job's Tears are probably the oldest bead known. Job's Tears,
in use for beads date to at least 2000BC. Earlier claims have
merit, but remain unproven. It is not clear where these plants
were first domesticated, but it is definitely one of the oldest
agricultural crops, along with beans, corn and rice. Food was
its first and most important use. The edible fruit is shaped
like a tear drop. Legend has it that no one shed more tears
than the biblical Job, and this is the name by which it is
mostly widely known.
When dried the fruit has a hard outer shell, but a very soft
inside. The flower end of the seed has a tiny natural hole,
through which a needle is easily run through, and out the
bottom end. Necklaces are perhaps the most common use for
Job's Tears, but they are used by a wide varitey of artisans
for all types of embellishments.

Barbara's Job Tears beads


Today I got a package from my bead friend, Barbara
from Green Bay. She gave me a string of Job Tears
beads. She has grown Job's Tears in her gardens
since the 60's. She remember making " Love Beads "
and wearing them with her India print dresses to
concerts in Grant Park, Chicago. She said " Those
were the days."
These beads were grown in her home garden. She
said the plant looks like a corn plant...interesting."
Her Junior Gardeners in the children's garden
alway grew Job's Tears and made jewelry with
them.
THANK YOU, BARBARA!

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Pam and Steve's vineyard


My neighbor, Pam and Steven have Endelweiss grapes in their
backyard. Thanks, Pam for letting me take pictures of your
grapes! My mom made delicious grape pies and I miss her pies!

Saturday, August 20, 2005

My mom's necklace


We went to see my brother in Richland Center on
the way home from Stoddard. He gave me my parent's
silverware and crystal drinking glasses and dessert
cups, my dad's 35mm camera and supplies, etc. I
found my mom's necklace that I made and gave to
her for a gift. I took a class to learn how to make
fimo. It was about 12 years ago. Did you see pink
and purple flower buds and green leaves? I am going
to keep it for my collection. It was my favorite fimo
beads.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

An artists work is never done


I wasn't able to finish Moss Garden yesterday, today I decided
to put extra flowers on the piece to make it seem brighter,
here is the finished product.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Moss Garden bracelet


I made a 2nd flower centerpiece bracelet that I named
" Moss Garden." I used carnelian cabochon, pearls, poppy
jasper, green aventurine, amethyst, leaf glass beads and
seed beads.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Flower Centerpiece


I made a flower that will be used as centerpiece of
a bracelet or necklace. I used carnelian cabochon,
orange leaf glass beads, jasper beads, bronze glass
teardrops and 3-cut seed beads.

Visiting my daughter

Yesterday we went to visit Jenni and Bill
in Stoddard as they are going to Seattle,
Washington on a vacation soon. We had a
very good lunch of grilled sweet corn and
bratwurst with sauerkraut and green beans.
Bill did all the cooking.

We walked the dogs to the Mississippi River.

I took a picture of Bill, Jennifer
and Bear.

Jennifer took a picture of us
and Jasmine.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

State Fair


We went to the State Fair in Milwaukee. Dean is
a fan of the Green Bay Packers. Here is a picture
of Paul Hornung and Dean. We bought his book
"Golden Boy." It was 72 degrees.

We stopped at Turtle Island Beads in Baraboo
after hiking at Parfrey's Glen. I was out of
fireline braided bead thread so I had to buy
more and I bought a beautiful large shells with
ribbon on sale, some 6/0 seed beads and 13/0
Charlotte seed beads. I am going to use aqua,
teal and blue seed beads to make more coral
reef embroidery someday.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Purple Loosestrife


This is Purple Loosestrife that I took last
Sunday. I thought they were Blazing Star. I
blew up my picture and found out that they
are not Blazing Star. I did not have any
wildflower books here but found pictures at
the website. Wisconsin DNR said that Purple
Loosestrife are an attractive but SERIOUS
THREAT to the wetlands and waterways.
My sister said " Apparently it is an alien
which crowds out natural plants and once
introduced is hard to control. She has seen
Blazing Star and it is very similar in color
but much rarer and petals are finer as she
remembers."

Merikay's earrings


I made Merikay's earrings. She bought a
bracelet that I had to fix and she wanted
earrings to match.

Monday, August 08, 2005


Parfrey's Glen waterfall

Close-up of blackberries

Dean picked blackberries.

A road trip to Parfrey's Glen

It was nice to get out of the house yesterday.
Dean and I love to hike and I am a nature lover.
I took almost 100 pictures.
I saw a landscape of pink flower all over the
wetland at the end of the county road access to
Devil Lake Park. Saturday I surfed Wisconsin
wildflowers and never heard of blazing stars.
I was so happy that I found them!
We have been to Parfrey's Glen many times. We
hiked a new hiking trail. It was a deep slope
and we found some blackberries. It was hot about
90 degrees. We thought we were going to the gorge
but we went back to the old trail. There is a creek,
beautiful gorge and a small waterfall. It was cool
at the gorge. Found some flowers, plants and
mushrooms at the end of the trails.

Saturday, August 06, 2005

My front yard


It is moss and clover.

New project


This is what a project looks like in the
very beginning. I used turquoise and carnelian
nuggets, pearls and 13/0 Charlotte Metallic
Anthracite seed beads that I stitched some
branch stitch in a bola rope. I worked on it
last night and this morning. I have two hours
in already. I will update the progess.