Hanging baskets

Hello dears,

Last week, a friend who is also a miniaturist, invited me to go shopping with her.  There is a big department
store with a small craft corner where we sometimes find items that can serve as raw material for miniatures.
I get bored working on one project and  put it aside for a while to do other things.
Finding these large bead caps made me think of hanging flower baskets and this is what I've been up to.

The silver color metal was covered with linen color acrylic paint.

I had some laser cut wooden corners in my stash. I cut two ends of the long wooden
stirrer and covered he fancy laser cut piece, drilled a hole and installed an eyelet in it. Now
it can be fixed to a wall and a flower basket can be hung from it.

Geranium filled baskets.

Now that Halloween is almost here and pumpkins are so popular, I'd like to share with you these amazing photos of pumpkin curving art. These are done by Ray Villafane, an incredible talented young artist.

Happy Halloween to you who celebrate this day.

A warm welcome to Jannet.  Jannet has a new blog, worth visiting.

Hugs and blessings to all my frieds.

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October Bead Stash Favorites

Although the biggest crafting season is now upon us, I find that inspiration for fall and holiday designs have yet to cross my workspace. I’m skipping way ahead and looking forward to next year’s beading challenge, and just making lots of old favorites with new colors and textures. This month my favorite beads are all about shape and color.

One of my favorite things about making netted collars is adding just the right accents to the outer edge for a fun trim, and the beads I look back on most fondly for this job are wood heishi. I recently treated myself to several strands in jet black and turquoise from Happy Mango Beads. They’re perfect for Egyptian collars, and they‘ve really been calling to me of late.

While shopping around for accents that I needed for a custom piece, I came across a great little shop with lots of lovely Czech glass called The Dutch Tulip. I couldn’t resist grabbing several strands of these gorgeous multicolored lustered 3/o seed beads. They’re not that much bigger than Japanese 6/o’s, and I hope to find lots of fun ways to use them - the colors are so cheerful.

I’m not sure how just yet, but I’m determined to incorporate a few of these Czech glass tubes into some Egyptian designs. The blue hues and bold shape are just what I’ve been looking for. I picked these up on sale at Fire Mountain Gems - one of my new favorite bead sites for general beading supplies.

What kinds of beads are you working with right now?

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The Bead Tray is Back in Business

It’s good to be back! I recently wrapped up some really incredible custom work that’s been keeping me busy over the past few weeks. Now that things are back to normal, I have a lot of catching up to do. This means more posts to come soon, as well as new jewelry designs in the near future.

Before I can get back to the Egyptian Gods challenge, I’ve got to play catch up on my inventory prep for this year’s craft fair. I’ve got about two weeks to make oodles of rings and bracelets, so I’m going all out for the next several days.

I’ve also had to make some changes to my plans for the remaining Egyptian Gods pieces. I was planning to make a new collar for Ra this month, but I’m going to put it on hold until I get a few other designs out of the way first. I’d like to have at least one more chevron lariat, and Set is looking like a great source of inspiration.

What are you working on this week?

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Kitchen ChairsCompleted

Hello dear readers

A little progress on my kitchen project.  I am a slow with this work, busy with family matters.  But, I did manage to finish weaving the chair seats and what was more fun, decorating the shelves and table, with
lovely items donated by generous friends.

Everything you see on and under the table, except the soup tureen and green onions, was Jane's gifts.
The green onions were a gift from my friend Goldie.

The plates, oil can and jelly dessert are gifts from Carmen.  The coffee grinder is Tatiana's gift.
The red and white striped canisters as well as the blue and white teapot, I created from beads.
The mug and creamer are ceramics I made.

The vegetables on the lowest shelf are Goldie's gift. The beautiful hand made china (or cold porcelain) basket is a gift from my friend, Gloria.

Now I am making a kitchen oven.  I'll show you when it's finished.

I really don't know what is happening with my email.  Someone pretending to be me is sending out emails to
my friends asking them to follow websites in my blog.  Please accept my apologies and ignore these strange
emails. I'm going to see what I can do to solve this problem.

A very warm welcome to my new follower Victoria.  Thank you for reading this blog.

Hugs and blessings to all my friends

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Revamped Bookcase for a New Home

My sister and brother-in-law just moved into their brand new house. It is beautiful and just right for them. They downsized from a four story home to a rancher, so they needed to also downsize their furniture. This bookcase caused a little bit of contention. He said is was a piece of junk (and should just give it to me to revamp & sell), she loved it and new just where it would fit in the new house. Well you know who won this one, of course. I held on to it through the summer until she decided how she wanted it refinished. Her new decor is leaning toward the peacock blue & green tones, and she also has a large brown leather sectional. She wanted this painted an aqua or teal to go with everything. I suggested that we leave the gorgeous front pieces and the top stained to tie in with the couch. I didn't get the before shot, but here is some during pics.
Read more »

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Kitchen Shelves Units

Hello dear readers

I am not sure these units are exactly what I want for my kitchen but I've already made my mind up with regards to the color. Blue, my favorite.  There was very little time I could spend on miniatures this week, I haven't yet started weaving the chair seats.  Like I mentioned before, this is going to be a very long project.

This is a smaller table which will better fit the size of the box room. I'll paint the top white and the legs blue.
This shelves unit is the second one I made this week.  The other is too wide and won't leave room for a cooking stove and sink unit.  There are so many kitchen accessories to be displayed.  I hope there will be room for many on the shelves. Tatiana's flowers on the table make this country style kitchen quite elegant.
They are there for demonstration only. I plant to make it a work table with food preparation (Gifts I received from very talented and generous friends).

Here are the two units together. One will be for maybe a future shop.

Have you noticed the many giveaway raffles on my sidebar?  Reminds me that I too will have to prepare one (or two or three).  My 3 years blog anniversary will be on the end of next month.  How time flies.  I never dreamed there will be over 500 followers and that blogging and reading what friends have to say will be so interesting and inspiring.  I am so involved, I care and love my friends I share your joys and sorrows, I worry
when you stop blogging and wonder what happened.  I love it when I see photos of your tables at the miniature fairs and what a good time is held when you meet.  I feel part of it although I am not there in person.  I am grateful to take part in this miniature-blog-land.

Here is a warm welcome to two new followers, each with a beautiful blog.
Esther
Esthig

Hope to have more to show next post.  Blessings to all

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Halloween Table

Happy Halloween!  

I'm already into my first big bag of candy and am sure I will need to get a second before the 31st.  Of course Halloween is just an excuse to have candy around the house since we don't get any trick-or-treaters up here in the styxs. 

 

A couple of months ago I revamped a great mid-century modern table, you can see it here two very different tables.  I mixed up some homemade chalk paint in Behr's "glowing firelight" and finished it with a satin poly.  My husband thought I was nuts and didn't think it would sell.  Boy was he wrong!  Not only did it sell fast, but I had quite a few people in afterward wanting to buy it, so I new I had to find another MCM table to paint orange.  I picked up this little cutie at a garage sale for cheap.  Sorry, I didn't get any before pictures, but the table tops were in that 60's veneer that looked more like wood grained contact paper, and the legs and spacers were pretty scratched up.  I started sanding it and realized the legs and spacers weren't veneered and the wood was pretty cool, so I refinished them with Minwax Jacobean.  I primed and painted the tops and then finished the whole thing with a gloss polyurethane.  I don't usually use a gloss finish, but everyone loved the finish of the other table even though the shine was the glass tops.  So what do you think?  Sorry about the fuzzy picture, you're probably wondering what the little sign says.  It says "You say I'm a witch like it's a bad thing".  Cute huh.

Linking up at:

a stroll thru life 

coastal charm  

diy by design  

savvy southern style  

miss mustard seed  

funky junk interiors  

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Sculptor’s Lariat

It’s hard to believe that this year’s beading challenge is nearly finished - it still feels as if I’m just getting started. I’ve got 9 more Egyptian Gods to work with by the end of the year, including a few of my favorites.

Last week I put the finishing touches on a new chevron lariat for Ptah, the patron of artists and craftsmen. With his distinctive blue skull cap, I couldn’t resist using an abundance of cobalt white-hearts. To represent both gold and pottery, I added some terracotta and Autumn Tucson for accents, and the trio worked out really well. Since white hearts often have smaller bead holes, a stitch with few thread passes is ideal, and so I went with chevron chain once again. The beadwork comes out so slinky, it's definitely among my favorite techniques for necklaces.

I thought that scarabs would make great accents for the god of art, as well as a few carved bone tubes. The tribal motifs and patina finish bring to mind pottery shards, or ostraca. I also included some marigold yellow white-hearts for bumpers, which almost perfectly match the Autumn Tuscon seed beads. With so many bold accents, I decided to go easy on the fringe this time around, and I like the more lightweight look for this piece.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Wood Pilates and a Desk

Wood Pilates?  I'll get to that, but first let me show you my little desk.  Last February I revamped this desk chair that you can see here the rusty leopard.  I brought it in to sell and it is still sitting there, so I thought maybe if I could bundle it with a desk it might go.  I found the desk at a garage sale for $10.  It needed some re-gluing, one of the drawer spacers was completely off, and it was missing a pull.  It had a kind of weird paint-stain job on it that needed redone (sorry no before pictures).  I thought maybe I would paint everything but the top, but my hubby got to the sander before me and ground down a little to much on top.  What he did reveal were these great drawers.  See the dark detailing and distressing, I didn't do any of that, it was already there.  All we did on the drawers was wipe them down with about 3 coats of MMS hemp oil.  The rest of the base I finished the same as the chair with a soft black paint, and Martha Stewart dark coffee glaze.  Oh yeah, I also put some casters on the chair (probably why it hasn't sold).  I think they look pretty good together, I have them marked as a set, not sold separately so hopefully someone will love them.

Now for the wood Pilates:

Who needs a gym when God gives you all this!

Linking Up at:

coastal charm  
savvy southern style  
miss mustard seed  

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Kitchen furniture

Hello dear readers

This weekend was spent on carpentering.  I still haven't chosen what colors the furniture will be.
Maybe a shabby chic white paint or a sunny color which will suit these crudely made dresser and chairs.
Personally, I love blue and use it frequently.  I am not sure how it will go with the large table.

For the dresser I used a wooden domino box and wood scraps. I hope the end result will look better.

Well, here is how they look now. Any suggestions about suitable colors will be most welcome.

If anyone is interested in making a chair like the ones shown below, here is my step by step tutorial. You can't go wrong  if you follow my instructions.

These two finished chairs, 1/12" and 1/24".

I hope to be able to show more details in my next post.

I wish you a wonderful Sunday and blessings to all.

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Jane Cherie's giveaway

Hello dear readers,

Lucky me won Jane Cherie's  very special giveaway, a Japanese fast food tray.  I confess the only Japanese food I considered  fast was sushi.  Thanks to Jane I am learning more about Japanese dishes.  Jane is going to host another giveaway next month, if you want to take part go visit her interesting blog.

THANK YOU DEAR JANE FOR MY GREAT PRIZE!!!

This tray set is larger than 1:12" scale.  It will be perfect for a Barbie doll.  My grand daughter will
be thrilled to get it.

By the way, I plan to use the table you see in the photos for my kitchen project. This table was sent to me a long time ago when I subscribed to a dollhouse magazine.   I still haven't decided
what color to paint it.  This project is going to be a very long one.  I have two chairs and a dresser to make, not to speak of a range and sink. The chairs and dresser are no problem, I already produced similar ones for box rooms. The others will be by trial and error, a real challenge. Sometimes I am glad that I cannot find miniature furniture and accessories here.  It makes me use my imagination and limited skills and do it myself.

This is a good opportunity to welcome new followers and say thank you for following:

Angeles Sanches Ruis.  
Rossana.
Shelly
Creatief in Minis
Susan Korman
Stasja Z
Maria Carmen Bolanos de los Reyes                     -  "  -
Esperanza
Dorota
Sylvie
Hayatduruyla
Sarah

I couldn't find links to many of your blogs.  If you have a blog please let me know. I'd love to follow back.

Again I have trouble getting readers' blogs and am late in making comments.  Please excuse me.

Blessings my dears

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Book Spotlight: Bead Simple

When you think of the phrase bead bible, what comes to mind? Perhaps a large tome filled with page after page of beading tips and ideas? The trouble with all-in-one beading guides is that they can be frightfully dull, like a textbook – all theory and no fun.

Not so with Susan Beal’s book Bead Simple, which teaches everything you need to know about the basics of making trendy jewelry, and is one hundred percent interesting from cover to cover. There are 150 designs for everything from earrings to ornaments, incorporating all of the most common beading techniques and almost every bead style imaginable. Full color photographs show every finished piece – each one stunning in its simplicity and style.

Bead Simpleincludes a very thorough basics chapter that features clear diagrams for techniques such as using crimp beads, making wrapped loops, and even a little beadwork in the form of crossweave. There’s a quick primer on materials, tools, and beads as well as a design guide to help beginners get into the art of jewelry design.

Then it’s on to the projects. There are six chapters: Earrings, Necklaces, Pendants, Brooches and Barrettes, Bracelets, and finally Embellishments – which includes a variety of wearables and home décor items. Each section features projects with a particular design element that is fully explored with several variations. Unlike many other beading books, the variations all include step-by-step instructions and a full materials list. Many projects are provided by designers such as Jennifer Perkins and Jenny Ryan.

Even experienced beaders will love to flip through Bead Simpleand admire the tastefully designed jewelry, using a variety of materials in perfectly balanced combinations. This is an excellent title to keep near your workspace when you need a little burst of inspiration.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
Susan Beal and Taunton Press
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Work in Progress: Interim Rings

My bead tray is looking a little crowded this week, as I juggle several different projects. I’m still working on making new herringbone rings between designs, and I’ve also added St. Petersburg bracelets to my list of items to stock up on. Even with three quick pieces to make after each major project, I’m still looking forward to wrapping up the Egyptian Gods series at the end of the year. Next up is Ra, and I’m planning some new netting experiments that will work great for the sun god.

I’m also working on samples for some custom work, and I’ve got lots of colors shuffling around as we search for the perfect palette and pattern. I really need to get around to putting away beads from my last few projects so that things feel a little less frenzied in my workspace. Sometimes it's nice just to have lots of beads to gaze at, though!

Last week’s lariat is finished, and turned out great!

What are you working on this week?

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