Back from LA

I have the best sister in the whole world!! 
I just spent a week with her in LA on Redondo Beach. My nieces and nephew had school but we all got to have quality time together and I really enjoyed every minute. 
Favorite moments:  
hearing the ocean at night as I fell asleep,
walking on the beach barefoot ,
finding ocean treasures, (wait til I post a picture of the welk shell%*!)
hiking in Santa Monica with the whole family, 
boot camp workouts on the beach, 
the outdoor market, 
the kite festival 
seeing the dolphins
walks and heartfelt sharing with my sister!!! 

I had to drag along McElligut's Pool (the largest quilt I have ever made, may not happen again!) to finish it up for the Quilt show here this coming weekend. I learned so much about the need for more planning as I tried to finish it.  It was too wide and heavy to get through my sewing machine so I managed to hand stitch the "big" fish onto it with embroidery floss using my jewelry pliers to pull the needle through all the layers.  My fingers were getting red and raw!! Thus I am enjoying time off from sewing this week and looking forward to a trip to San Antonio Texas with my husband.  

I do have some photos from our hike out at Redrock a couple weeks ago.  We actually have waterfalls in the desert due to the snowfall this winter. 

My Little Mermaid...

This is my beautiful daughter Jessie modeling the mermaid jewelry I finally finished. 

Remember the soap commercial about the mothers and daughters hands? I didn't buy that soap so  I am sure you can figure out why I didn't take pictures of the gauntlets with my hands in them!    Mermaid not sea witch!!! 

My original design was going to have the gauntlet pieces on the back of the bib necklace but I didn't like the way they hung so they morphed into the gauntlets.  I burned the organza since this photo so it looks more like seaweed and there is a pair of drop earrings that mimic the tassels coming out of the conch shell in the center of the necklace.  I live in the desert and it is winter so there is no oceanic background.    - LOL- use your imagination!! 

Art Bead Scene Blog: Sundays with Cindy

Art Bead Scene Blog: Sundays with Cindy

On the tails of my aquatic voyage..

I seem to be off to another land.  I am inspired by all the Archaeology shows my husband has been watching.  There is something very intriguing about hieroglyphics.  I saw a really nice necklace  and want to create some molds or stamps with an Egyptian theme.  We will see where that leads me... In the meantime I have a really funky necklace, almost steam punk.  I made my first attempt  with polymer clay at faux turquoise a week or so ago and decided to wrap the bead in coiled color coated craft wire.  Here it is- I think I will call this technique 

"Streamed Funk".   LOL !!!

Here is one of my new favorites, they all are for awhile.  I love the combination of red/purples and copper!!!  

Now I need to make a bracelet and earrings to go with. It is really hard to get the true colors of the faceted glass beads.  They sparkle with many colors, purple, gold, green...... So precious..

I

It is time for some jewelry...

I was thrilled to take first prize in the Desert Quilters annual Challenge last night.  My fish, still nameless, was number one in the "Off the Wall" category.  All the entries to this show were amazing and colorful because the fabrics everyone had to use were purple with bright green dots and red orange with yellow dots.  The rules were to use a noticeable amount of each and embellish with beading.  I wish I had photos to show you all the diverse entries.  The Walls of the convention center came to life with bright colors and everything from flowers, fish, abstracts, traditional patchworks to aliens and germs!!!  I love this group of talented and creative people!  They are so inspiring!! 

So on to jewelry.  Here is my newest most favorite design just added to my Etsy shop. 

Winter Dragonfly Set.

Here is a close up of the focal beads

The set includes earrings and a bracelet

It's finally done!! The Fishy just needs a name...

Here are photos of my latest greatest funtastic project.  I have been wanting to do some 3D fiber sculpture.
Ideas have been milling around in my brain for months.  Well here he is complete with his passenger and habitat.  I even had enough time to make the clams, sea urchins and a hermit crab that live in the rock piles. 

Do you ever feel kind of sad when you finish a project that was so fun you lost all track of time.  I have no idea how many hours went into this but every minute was fun including enlisting the help of my handy husband to design the stand that holds him up.  Now I need to peruse my theasaurus for a name.
I would love it if you sent some suggestions.  Feel free to put ideas in the comment box here on my blog!!

Another monday and what shall I share?

I need to take more pictures today. The fishy has totally come to life and has a passenger of a mermaid nature.  I have started his habitat/stand with lots of quilted stones and will be making large blades of grass and kelp today.  I am very excited to see this all come together and my wonderful husband was the master mind for creating the stand that will suspend my fish in the airy ocean of my imagination.  Hope to have time to create some urchins and hermit crabs too, maybe out of polymer clay.  The big deadline is Thursday night!! I feel like I am going to make it.

Here is a peak at my studio where most of these crazy creations are started.  They do travel down to the family room for beading while listening to TV with my hubby.  Often the entire dining room table is covered in supplies too.  Creativity can get very messy!!!