AAaaargh!!!

OK...so my husband was a pirate in another life! Here he is with some of his birthday bootie! I think he's trying to speak Piratese! Happy Birthday honey! Argh!

April Question

OK...so I've decided on my form for April's BJP. And I've cut it out and painted it. I didn't have the color fabric paint I wanted, but this will work. Can you guess what it's gonna be?

Coming to the Finish Line

Well, I'm almost finished with my March BJP piece! Yes! Here's a few pics of my progress so far:

Wanted to include a close up & a side view. I'm hoping when I edge this piece, it will give the appearance of looking into one of those fancy eggs with scenes inside of them! And yes, I know it's April already!

Hearts of Hope

I've just been having so much fun with felt & beads! I love the simplicity of working with such fun materials. I made a pin I'm going to add to my etsy shop. I'd like to do a series of these. This one is a Heart of Hope for Health! I decided to show the front & back. It's nice to see it all finished! And hope it blesses someone on their journey to health!

BJP Catch Up!

Well, I'm hoping I can catch up this month on my BJP piece. I got the image transferred finally! My transfer paper wasn't working on the Timtex. I found I REALLY had to press hard on it. You can see some dark marks where I actually came thru' the paper & transfer sheet!

Now I'm learning another lesson. I had been doing improvisational beading. This is my first planned design. What I'm finding is that I need ALOT of different size beads to pull this off really well! And colors! More shades! But it's still fun & a good learning process! I have no idea where I'm going for April...will just be glad to be caught up!!!

Gift for a Pal

There's a special amulet pouch I make for very special people. I first received one from a Native American woman in Washington State. Since then I've made up my own designs, & make each one specifically for the person who is to be gifted. It's really time consuming, but they turn out to be very attractive. I've had to remake mine several times over the years just from wear. Yet every time I wear it, people look at it instead of me! One guy told me "there's alot of mojo goin' on there"!

This one was for a pal who loves the ocean but also the forest. She can keep something special in it. I gave her a piece broken from one of my crystals so she'll always have a memory of me in it. I also tried to make the top a little more ruffly than usual to give the impression of waves. The colors & embellishments were chosen just for her. And she liked it! Have a peek:

Bead it Forward

Just a note to say that my little square made it up to Alaska for the Bead it Forward project. And you can see it here. Check out some of the other pages! There's some very interesting takes on the rose!
Hopefully will post more later!

Bead It Forward

I'm not sure if you noticed over on the left of my blog that I'm supporting the Bead it Forward project.
Each of us make a 1.5 X 1.5 " piece of beadwork that will be added to a beaded quilt. (Some of us have more time & can make more pieces.) The quilt is put together & auctioned off to help support breast cancer awareness. Here is my piece I'll be sending up to Alaska:

If you want to see some of the other pieces you can take a look here!
There are already a dozen pages! I hope mine gets there in time!
Have a great weekend all!

March Start!

Off and running with March! Whew!
I had decided that my shape this month would be a pot of gold...BUT, I changed my mind. I decided to do an egg shape in honor of Oestara, Spring Equinox. I know alot of people believe that Easter, a Christian festival, is about resurrection. Well, pre-dating Christians, there were many that celebrated the vernal equinox & the tradition of celebrating the return of the sunlight of spring. I did a little research & found out so much! But it's all about the triumph of Light over Darkness! Yes!
Some believe that Oestara is the spring Equinox and the festival of Ostara/Eostra the Norse Goddess of Fertility and Spring. Being 1/2 Norwegian, I decided it was time to celebrate that part of my past! I discovered that this is the time for rituals of fertility of all kinds. A time to start new projects. Yes!
The colors of Oestra are yellow & fresh spring green...the colors of daffodils & spring growth. So I drew my egg, sketched in some daffodils, left a bit of dirt at the bottom & some bare branches at the top to remind us of the dark winter we've just come out of...even here in Hawaii! (Yes, we have winter!) And I'll probably edge it in white to represent snow, freshness & purity.

This is a first for me in this BJP project. All of my pieces have been improvisational. I decided this one would have more than a subconscious meaning to it. So here's the project so far:

Now here's my problem...when I try to transfer a drawing /sketch to Timtex, using transfer paper, it doesn't seem to turn out well. I'm not sure if it's the humidity here, or something else. Do any of you have any ideas/hints on how you transfer your drawings to material like Timtex? I'd appreciate any insight! Thanks & happy spring!

Catching Up!

Yes! February's BJP is done! I made it a little simpler so I would be able to catch up, but it will still go on it's own board with text & danglies! Here's a couple pics:

I really felt just sweet & frilly doing this one!

In the Pink! And Happy Leap Year Day!

If this wasn't leap year, I'm not sure I could've started February's BJP in February! Whew!
So since I was so far behind on January, I decided to make February a little smaller! Duh! ;) In these pics you can see I've painted the Timtex, decided on the focal charm, & checked to see if I have enough of the certain color heart sequins that a special friend here gave to me! I'm feeling really frilly about this one...kinda like those paper hearts you can use under food. So we'll see what happens!
Here's a peak at February:

January BJP finally emerges!

Well, it's been catch up time, but my January BJP is completed...well the focal piece anyway. Gotta remember these are all going to be put on boards! So here's a few views:

Pay it Forward

There is a blogger Pay It Forward going on, & since I love the concept, I decided to join in. The idea is this: As part of the PIF venture, I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment here on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange. I am not sure what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days! That is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is to pay it forward by making this same promise on your blog.
I really love that this supports the random acts of kindness philosophy, & gives a boost to handmade, all in one. I saw this awhile ago on someone's blog, but forgot who it was! Then I saw it again on a fellow BJP blog, KV, which you can check out here.
I also want to tell you about another person who is so generous! I buy some of my face molds from The Enchanted Gallery. You can check it out here.
Kimberly, of The Enchanted Gallery, has some beautiful stock photos online that she lets us folks use. That is how I got the background for the picture at the top of this post. I just added the text. I will keep this graphic on my blog under projects I'm involved in...just as a reminder to myself to give back, since I've been given so much.
I'm looking forward to see who the first 3 people will be to comment! I will have to be able to contact you to get your gift to you, but we'll deal with that once you comment!
So, on your marks, get set, go!

January BJP

Well, I sure have learned alot about painting with beads!!! Using watercolors, acrylics, etc., I had no clue how many beads you'd need to get the shading, tints, colors and texture that I'd want as a painter! I just don't have the money to buy every single bead there is, & by gosh, ya just can't mix 'em like paint! So, what to do...I guess become an impressionist, abstract artist, something! Anyway, here's my work tray:

Not sure if it shows my limited palette & size of beads, but I'm learning to make do!!! After all, this is just my "feeling" of emerging from a cocoon into the new year, so it doesn't have to be realistic!
Here's a couple of close ups to give you a better idea:

Hopefully I'll be done with January soon so I can finish February before it's over. That is one benefit of not feeling well! I have a wonderful, relaxing project to do while I'm getting well on the couch! :)

The Flu, The Computer & Me!

Yikes! I don't know if any of you have been hit by the flu/cold season this year, but it sure seems that everyone I talk or email to either has been sick or knows someone who is! That little bug hit me this last week too! So here's hoping we all get well soon!
On top of that, the day I got sick, my computer had a break down! So it's off to the Computer Hospital for it!
And then...I had to borrow my DH's laptop which has updated graphics programs on it...so I've been spending time trying to learn how to use them! I'm pooped!
So I didn't get a chance to work on my etsy shop this week...just alot of moodling going on. I will be adding some things to my shop once I get my computer back. Of course all my pics are on there! So I took a quick pic of one drawing I may add when I can. Here it is:

I think I've just realized that all of these resized pics are gonna be pretty dang small!!! Well, just in case you can't tell what it is, these are Bean Poles! ;) It was done during the 2006 Daily Devotions project. Hopefully I'll get better at this new graphics program for 2008!

Beachcomber's Cuff Finished!

Whew! Finally finished this one! Had alot of family stuff going on & wasn't sure I'd make it by Friday! But I did! So it's posted on my etsy shop if you want to check it out here! Here's a preview!

Happy Aloha Friday to all!

Setting up for Catch up!

OK...I'm setting up for catch up! Got my January & February BJP pieces cut out, February painted & beads, charms, etc. starting to get picked out. Here's where I'm at so far!

Hopefully I'll get caught up by the end of the month! Oh, & BTW, ACEY guessed right! The very first one to guess! January's symbol is a butterfly cocoon!!!

The Beachcomber's Cuff

Decided to make a cuff for my shop...I have other things to put into inventory, but just had to start this! Here's a couple pics to show where I'm at with it!

It's actually forming as I bead it so I know it will fit over the brass blank. However, I've noticed one thing. I really need some help with photographing my stuff! Or at least with photo editing. None of these snapshots really show the true colors of the bead & shells. They all have different shades in each picture, yet I took them in the same spot under the same light! So I guess when I get caught up, that will be another thing I need to do!

Aloha Friday After All

OK...so I REALLY wanted to do my regular Aloha Friday update....SO...I left the computer on all night so I could get to it this morning before DH wakes up & wants to fix things! :)

This first post will just be a catch up for BJP. I'm behind, especially now that it's February already, but I do have my patterns cut out and ready to bead. Here they are:

Now I know you can tell what the symbol for February is, but can you tell what January is? Here's another pic:

So what do you think it is? :D Click on it for a bigger pic!

Computer Problems

Don't we all have them? I mean, I love my computer, when it works well! :) But sometimes, like now, it can cause a few problems. I normally blog on Aloha Fridays, but my DH is gonna try to get some of my info over to his laptop so I can continue with business. So...I'm not sure that I'll get my blogging in tomorrow. Hence this message today!

I did get a new item up on my etsy shop, but don't have pics of my BJP so far for January or February! So I'll just put a pic here of the new item on my shop! It's a Wealth Talisman.

You can check other stuff out in my shop if you want. Just click here. I'll be blogging & posting again as soon as these computer issues are resolved! Thanks for checking in!

Etsy Shop Makes Sale in First Week!

I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I set up my etsy shop & on the first day I sold a heart!

Here's a pic:

Also added another today, so check it out here if you get a chance!

December is DONE!

OK...it's finally done! I sure learned alot on this one...that the 2 back stitch is kinda slow going, & that it's difficult to do a random variegated piece when you don't have all the shades/tones you need! Ah, well, NASA did a much better job, but I still like it! Here's the pics:

On to the new year!!!

Announcing CC's Shop! Online Now!

OK...I did it! I bit the bullet & opened my own online shop! The last year, in my spare time, I've been making some inventory to sell online. I've just opened my shop on Etsy. It's called CC's Shop, & the address is: HRHCC.etsy.com! So come check out the items I have listed so far. It's a HUGE learning process for me! Now that I have a few items listed, it should get easier! So look for new things to be added...hopefully daily...or at least weekly! Here's a little preview of a couple of the items that are for sale!

I have tried to have a little something for everyone, while still maintaining my own joy in creating my art projects! From jewelry to talismans to A Little Bit of Love hearts, I hope you enjoy checking out my creations! They all have been made with loving intentions! Woo hoo! Here I go!

Still Working on December BJP!

Wow! Doing a handmade Christmas sure put me behind on certain things. But I know I'll eventually catch up! One day & step at a time. Here's where I'm at with my December BJP:

I'm thinking about what I want to do for January, and hope to get to it soon. I'm not the sort of person who can work on 2 journal pages at once! Other art projects I can, but this is more personal. I sure am learning alot thru' this whole project! I can't believe it's over 1/2 a year already!

READY, SET...

This is just a notice that there will soon be an announcement here on my blog that will be the beginning of a dream come true! Stay tuned! (No, Mom, I'm not pregnant!) :)
Magical blessings for a creative & joyful New Year!

The Hurrieder I Go....

...well, you know the rest! I've been behind on my BJP for December, & haven't started January! Ah, well...it all will get done in time. I originally was gonna make the snow globe all in whites. But then I saw a picture on NASA's picture of the day & totally changed my mind! Of course I will never be able to capture the beauty of our galaxy, but it pushed me to try some new things. So instead of all white, I am now backing my white with various blues. I am trying out Margie Deeb's instructions for irregular blending transitions, & am trying Sherry Serafini's Backstitch 2. Both are new to me, so it's taking some time. (Azlina, do you recognise the tiny sequins you sent me? And Nancy, the stone you sent me?) I think I'll make January's something I know! Here's some pics:

If you want to see the NASA picture that inspired me, check here! Hope it comes thru'!

As Promised...

Here's a couple other Christmas gifts I made this year...a beaded pen for a pal to compare bead types, an ornament for another pal, & a fancy scrap crow doll for my sister. (The pattern for the crow came from the Cloth Paper Scissors Nov/Dec 2007 issue, and was designed by Kelli Perkins. I made some changes to make her special on the back!)

Hope you all are having a great new year!