Cooler Days

Finally the heat has left us and we are having cooler days! Guess I will tackle the garage today because I need to stock the shelves and place orders for beads. I am so behind from my surgery I hope to catch up some day! It's been 3 months since my knee replacement and I have not felt like beading. It's OK I have been making beads with my new press and reading. Last night I got out a project that I have been working on for a long time and it felt good to be beading. I feel like I am finally getting back into the groove of things. It really felt good to be beading! Well off to stock and order beads!! I will be getting in some new beads in a few weeks so be watching. Love, Kandra

Starting to feel normal

It's been a long 2 months and I am finally starting to feel better. I was even out in my glass studio for about 45 minutes, just cleaning until my knee swelled up and I had to come in and ice it. Having knee replacement is not for the faint of heart. I must say it kicked my ass! I always thought I had a high tolerance for pain but I guess I am a baby because it hurt like hell. As I try to get caught up with my business I will also try to start blogging again. I will be at the Central California Bead Society Show selling some of my beads if you can make it come by. The day is September 20, 2009, time is 9 am to 5 pm the cost is $3.00 and the parking is free. There will be at least 32 vendors there and it will be a lot of fun, we are going to have a raffle also. I really feel out of the loop so if there is anything going on I need to know let me know, I lost a few months. Ha-ha

Cleaning

Trying to get things cleaned up and in order. It is so much easier to pull things out than to put things back and dusting lets not even go there! ha-ha All I have been doing is quilting, I have 4 quilts going right now one is for Zoe my granddaughter and one is for Jack a new beautiful little boy. The other two are for me and Jenny she gets the fall colored one. I will have plenty of time to work on my journal pages the next few months, I'm having a total knee replacement July 1 and will be sitting a lot so I will finally get caught up with my pages. The problem is I need to pull all the beads I want to use for my 4 projects and that will take at least two days. I fill a tray with beads then look at it for a while and then I add or take away. I hope everyone is doing great and I will try to post one more thing before surgery. Love, Kandra

Finally adding something

I have been so busy, I finally finished my daugther-in-laws baby shower and now I feel like I can do some of my own work. I am working on four quilts and of course my bead journal pages, always behind with that project. I am also out in the studio making beads again! It feels so good to be doing glass again, I forgot how much I love making beads it had been over three years. Hope to get so pictures taken of the quilt tops and then I will post them on the blog. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Love, Kandra

Another Face Done!

I want all of you to know how much I love doing the faces. Each one takes on its own personality, guiding me along as I bead. I know this sound crazy but with me it is the truth.

She is done is shades of green and silver, with keshi pearls in the fringe. I can't wait to get them framed. I have to decide if I want each one in its own frame or if I want to put multiple faces in one frame.

Open to any suggestions out there about framing them.

Now to start the next face I already have three more picked out and attached to the stiff stuff. I need to pick out the beads and get started. I think the next one will be with purples and teals with a touch of gold in it.

A Tip About FireLine

This is a tip about FireLine from Cecilia Gast. Don't now if you are like me, but I love FireLine, mostly #6 and #8 lb, because of the body it lends to beadwork. However, I hate, loathe and despise the gunk on my hands and around the holes of seed beads, crystals, etc. I have tried just about every printed and suggested method of getting rid of it, even some of my own. Most were just okay. I kept thinking there had to be something better. Then I thought of baby wipes. I figured if they could clean dried stuff off a baby, they'd clean anything. They WORK! Method-- Fold the wipe in half. Place doubled thread or a couple of lengths inside the fold. Hold between forefinger and thumb with one hand and pull the end with the other. Repeat a time or two. You will be amazed at the amount of gunk that comes off. Condition with wax or whatever as you normally would. Drying time isn't necessary. Two other uses (Cecilia's) for wipes-- 1. Clean the dirt from sandals with baby wipes, clean the inside of those that are made of vinyl rather than leather. They look like new. 2. As odd as this sounds, wipes clean skin oils off of banisters and wooden chair arms beautifully. You know how the stuff builds up, making the wood look dull and dirty. The wipes take it right off, leaving a nice shine. And finally, the new fused Fireline (as opposed to the braided) is super. It kinks and knots even less, if at all. Sorry, one more finally--I used the cheap wipes put out by WalMart called Parent's Choice, but feel certain any will do. So here you have it and thank you so much Cissy for your great tip of the day!

Open House with Jenny Friske-Baer

We had so much fun! I love Jenny's beads! We had good food and wonderful beads and wonderful people at the open house.

It had been so long since I had seen Jenny's beads, but they were just as beautiful as always.

Becky from Beads Etc in Clovis was hogging the table, if anyone came close she would elbow them. Just kidding, but she did buy a lot of beads.

When everyone went into the garage for seed beads there was a lot of oohs and aahs. Becky managed to get into my personal stash and tried to buy them. I told her no way and to back off! We love trying to take other peoples beads if we can get away with it.

A nice quiet day

I feel like I have been going nonstop for days and I have. Today I mailed out some orders and then took pictures most of the day. I even watched some old movies tonight, what a joy. I just bought The Thin Man collection, what wonderful movies I wish they made movies like that now. Tomorrow I will put the new items on my website, those are the pictures that I took all day. Then off to the camera shop with Sandy, always on the look out for something new. I hope my spree bead presses come soon, I have the new glass and frit now I just need the press so I can try and master it. I love the look of the spree shape, when I get some made I will post them on my blog. I think I enjoy doing to many things, but I can never say that I am bored or that I have nothing to do! ha-ha Hope everyone has a great evening and a good day tomorrow. Love, Kandra

Diane Mahan and Her Necklace

Here is another bead artist from the Bead Society, her necklace is just beautiful. She was inspired by Sue McKechnie and her beautiful bead work.

Pat Potter and Her Grape Bracelet

I am upset at myself because the picture of her bracelet came out a little blurry. I still think you can tell how pretty it is and a job well done Pat.

Central California Bead Society

We had our meeting at the new location - Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center, 5340 North Fresno Street, Fresno CA, SE corner of Fresno and Barstow Streets.

We had a good time and Rhonda taught us how to make a beautiful braided looking bracelet, good job Rhonda!

We would love to have new members come to our meetings, if you are interested please come and check out a meeting, we meet on the 4th Saturday of the month at 9am.

Here are some photos of a few of us at the meeting.

Trip to Harbor Freight

Off Sandy and I went to Harbor Freight! What a fun day this was. First we stopped at Sweet Tomatoes for lunch and planned what we would look for. Walking into Harbor Freight was wonderful! I love that store, it has so many things to look at and I love tools, so does Sandy. We managed to buy a lot of things for working with our Art Clay. Jonna was here and taught a class and that got me fired up again and Sandy is now hooked on Art Clay. She bought her first kiln (note I said first kiln) a few days ago, and can't wait to play with it. Jonna will be back the first part of June to teach another class, I can't wait. We will be working with leaves and twigs, what fun! I will try to get some pictures taken of the Art Clay pieces that Sandy and I have been making.

Another one done!

Funny me thinking when I sold my shop and just had my online bead store that I would have all this time to do my art work! I need another day inside a day to get everything done that I want to do.

I started another face and I really like the why the colors are coming out. Yes I am hooked on beading the faces right now but I have always loved faces, they can say so much without even talking.

I went to a wonderful tea shop in Clovis the other day. I can't believe I had never heard about it, I took pictures and will try to get them into the computer so everyone can see how nice it is.

Well another one down and only 7 more to go!

Working on my new page

I'm working on my new page and this is where I am at so far. I want to add more pearls, I like my pieces to be organic looking with a lot going on. Maybe some flowers hanging down off her or some grapes. We shall see.

Work sure does get in the way of having fun! I have been busy taking pictures and adding new beads to my website. I hope to take pictures tomorrow of some new faces that I got in because so many of you have wanted faces now.

Wish me luck on having time to bead.

Love, Kandra

Faces

I just love beading the faces! I have always liked faces and doing this one has made me only want to do more. I have picked out more faces and will be beading them soon.

The next face looks like a Fairy and I can't wait to get started with her. I think I will be starting tomorrow night.

Love Kandra

Off to the yarn shop

I seem to have an obsession with socks right now. I just finished 3 pairs of socks and I just started my fourth pair. I'm telling you there is something about making socks that is great, maybe it is that they are fast. So off to the Ancient Pathways I go today to knit and gab. One pair of socks that I made have beads in the cuff of course. Started them 2 years ago but was afraid to do the toe without my knit group that I left in San Luis Obispo. Thanks to Meg at Ancient Pathways I have made 2 pairs and finished the socks with the beaded cuffs. www.ancientpathways.net I will be teaching a class on the beaded face this weekend at Beads Etc. in Clovis CA. This is a two day class and will be a lot of fun. I just love Becky, the owner she is a sweetie! I'm also thinking about having classes at my house this year and have some guest artist come and teach classes the first one will be with Jonna Faulkner, she does the most beautiful Art Clay work I have ever seen. She is also one of the best teachers I have ever taken a class with. I will let everyone know the dates as soon as she gets back with me. Have a great day! Love, Kandra

First Day of Blogging

I need to thank Arline for helping me with the blog. I did not know how to set this up or what to do.

I have my September, October and November pages done but I haven't even started my December or January pages. I sure need to get my tush in gear!

Today is a overcast day and it feels like I should be making soup and some bread.

I had to put my Cloud on because every cloud has a silver lining.