Jacket: Kalmbach Bead Soup
They asked bead stores around the country to donate the bead soup, and asked Lori's blog hop participants who wanted to play. Natch, I said, "pick me!" They did.
I received a nice collection of beads from Christine Ballas at Wicks & Stones in Wyandotte, MI. She sent me furnace beads, pressed glass beads, some black faceted beads, a couple short lengths of chain, and a big triangle toggle clasp. I had a lot with which to work.
My fav part of the design, is the added movement. I stitched on the triangle part of the clasp, by the loop so it hangs freely. Then I added a few bead dangles to it. They swing! You can also see the short length of chain I added at the bottom. The chain is attached only by the ends. Three small dangles of black faceted beads hang from it.
I had fun doing it, not worrying about design, just adding beads as I worked. I had forgotten about the lengths of chain in my soup. I thought I was finished and was cleaning up my work table when I found them. And it turns out the addition of one bit of chain is one of my fav parts of the design.
Thank you Lori, Kalmbach, and Wicks & Stones for all of the work that made this possible. Hope the book sells like hotcakes!
It is great to use your Vitamin C in a challenge!
Flowers for Beds
To begin raising some money for this project, I am offering some pins/pendants made by me. You will find them in my Etsy shop. Every cent you send me for these flowers will go toward the project.
I have made these flowers so you can pin them to your shirt, jacket, or bag. Or, you can string a cord or chain through the ring on the back and wear it as a pendant. I have attached several to a necklace chain and it is quite striking. When I wear it, people stop me on the street to ask about it.
I call them faux enameled flowers because they are made of paper but look like vintage metal flower pins. They are heavily glazed and are quite sturdy.
Maybe you could use one as a Christmas gift. Every dollar is going to this very important bedroom project.
Thank you!!
48202
I don't usually go off the creativity path in this blog, but this is firmly on my mind and I am hoping that writing about it will help me process some of it.
For the next 7-8 months, I will be working on a project that will give beds and bedroom makeovers to some kids in Central Detroit. So, on Saturday, I took a tour of inner city Detroit, thinking I should find out a little about the area and the culture.
The bedroom project will take place in the 48202 zip code. That zip code is the poorest one in the United States. Not just Michigan, but all of America. It is like a third world country. Unemployment is 66%. High school graduation rate is 15%. The first grade class at the elementary school has 69 kids in it. Little kids have to walk 4 miles to school and then sit on the floor on a mat all day with 68 other kids....while being hungry, after sleeping on the floor with a blanket the night before.
Some families live without furniture, their children have never slept in a bed. Some homes have no electricity or running water. I saw several with broken windows and blankets stuffed in the holes. Think about having no electricity and trying to heat your home with the gas burners on the stove.
We did a poverty assimilation exercise. We were given $1000 for our family of 6, to last a month. We priced food, transportation, clothes, and housing. We looked for jobs. It was impossible to even take care of the basics for a family. And then we were told they gave us a cushion and most families have more like $500 a month.
Now I am thinking about our lifestyle here in the suburbs. How many times have I pulled into McDonald's for a $1 ice tea? And how much could I have to buy food for someone if I had not done that for a year? And it just goes on and on from there. Sigh.
Yes, we have been educated and worked for what we have. But, don't we have so much that is not necessary? And we are sitting over here in the burbs with our miracle cell phones and computers and closets and pantries full, driving to get more stuff in our new gas guzzling cars? And not even thinking about the people over in 48202?
See? So much to process. It puts reality to loving your neighbor as yourself.
Hoping my Vitamin C will work here.
fruits de l'aiguille
Witchy Sister Beads
I had fun designing the witch bead. She is made on a cone. Instructions for making her are in this month's issue of Bead Design Studio. And then, I had even more fun making the sisters and writing their mini bios.
And, go here to find instructions to make this Trick or Tweet ornament.
Scary thinking about Halloween being right around the corner, but it is. Use your Vitamin C!
Funky Chunky and a Cute Clasp
The only suggestion I have for you, if you make similar chunky bracelets, is to use two crimp tubes on each end. Usually the weight of the beads is a little more than usual, so doubling up on the crimps gives an extra measure of security.
Use your Vitamin C!
Simple Yarn Wreath
I tried watching a Christmas movie to get in the mood. That so did not work. It lasted about 5 minutes. Then I just went to a Cary Grant film fest. Not festive, but so much more entertaining.
Changing the color palette on this wreath would give it a completely different feel.
Use your Vitamin C and see what you come up with!
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