No babbles are good babbles

Not trying to ignore my reading public, just haven't had much to babble about in the last week or so - except my garden.  That's pretty much all I've been spending my time on, and where I love to be this time of year;  everything is so green, and new, and it's exciting to watch the changes everyday - the opening of a flower bud that you just discovered yesterday, the sprouts of the impatiens seeds you strewed in the big pot way out back.  GROWTH.  Renewal.  It makes me happy.

Many of the plants in this photo from a week ago are already larger - and flowery-er. :0)
So much to be grateful for in this garden of serenity.
A few more changes and additions yet to make - new 'seats' on the garden chairs for pots to sit on, and I'll be combing some yard sales in the next few weeks looking for the perfect lounging chair for my little nook space.  FINALLY got my hubby to clear some of his things out of it, so that I can use it for relaxing - as was intended.  I'm considering painting some simple flowers on the door - and I'm not even a painter!  But it's part of the vision I have for the space, so I may have to at least try....
Peaceful beading everyone, enjoy the gardens in your life,
TTFN

Catching that brass ring - Bead Table Wednesday

It's an old legend about good luck and fortune - catching the brass ring on a circus carousel.  Carousel horses were a favorite obsession of mine for a number of years, and I had (still have packed in boxes) a collection of over 100 of them.  Yep.  Over 100.  But some reason, the obsession waned, and I no longer collect them.  I do still believe in the beauty and the legend though, and so it seemed an easy transition to 'fix' the Laura Mears porcelain unicorn without his horn.  Of all the carpet in the room, the poor thing had to hit the chair leg on the way down.  It was a clean shear, and I think this will make for a much more meaningful creation.  Here are all the pieces and parts to start - minus the brass ring chain that will become part of the necklace.  Can't have that carousel without brass rings, now, can I?

This is my Bead Table Wednesday posting, and one that can only have a magical end result.  There has been a lot of magic happening around here this week - mainly in the garden.  Still prepping, and have more planting to do, but the faeries needed a garden of their own, so I made them this one:

And since the morning after I left it for them, I was rewarded with a hummingbird sighting - I think they just might like it.
Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Summer prep

Lots of prep work going on this week - not just for my upcoming summer shows and fairs, but getting the flower AND veggie garden spaces ready.  We haven't been able to have a vegetable garden for several years - the spot we chose for it, in a big sunny spot in the back corner of our lot, in reality was much too close to the HUGE black walnut tree that graces the back of our lot as well.  Things never grew well, so we tried and tried and TRIED tomatoes in pots.  Most were lost to critters - wild and our own - our old golden girl, Kaya, LOVED green tomatoes!
Finally, this year, we decided that besides all the other green changes we are making, we'd attempt another garden space - only this time in a different spot, in a raised bed with fencing to keep out OUR critters at least.  Started the veggies - tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, (and something else I think) from seed in our own home made greenhouse, and they are, for the most part (except for those silly peas) sprouting like crazy.  So now we've got to get their 'bed' ready, so to speak.  All this while also preparing my perennial path and patio space with canopy, arbor, and ALL my garden decor.  It's a several day job, and one that was going to take even longer this year because of my busy schedule, or so I thought.  I came home after working a long, hot, stuffy but profitable day at the bookstore, to find that hubby had planted all my new perennials, put up my canopy, and was busy scrubbing the patio furniture!  See what happens when you leave a man alone for a day!  And I thought he'd go fishing!  lol!
I'll have photos when we're done.  I never 'decorate' my garden the same way twice, so here's a little taste of what LAST years' garden space looked like.  I should have photos of THIS years by mid-week.

Looking forward to a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday full of beads.  YAY!
Peaceful beading, and WEEDING,  :0)
TTFN

What comes first - the chicken or the egg?

Or in my case - the outfit or the jewelry!  I can't believe how many times I make jewelry, only to discover I already HAVE the perfect thing in my wardrobe to wear it with.  Such was the case as I began creating this beauty today:

I realized about half way through that I had the perfect top (which it is being displayed on) to go with it.  Just have to add the suede and edging, bail and necklace portion.  It doesn't have a name yet either.  Since it's mine - I may not give it one.  This piece was a simple oval paua shell cab on Nicole's Beadbacking when I took it with me to open the bookstore this morning.  I expected it to be slow to light customers while working my 11 to 2 shift.  Well- NO phone calls & NO peeps until after ONE oclock!  Talk about a slow morning!  I was sooooo glad I had this with me to pass the time, but before I knew it - I had gone as far as I could go with the beads I had brought along with me.  And lucky for me to have my own little bead shop right there in the bookstore - because when it came to the perfect accent - I had to 'borrow' the turquoise rondelles and the pink pearls from my stock!  Glad I did though - really sets off those colors in the top.  I plan to wear the finished piece when I work again on Sunday.  If I remember - photo op!
The second part of my day consisted of a trip to HOMEGOODS.  I have a love/hate relationship with that store.  I love it so much, but hate that I never have the money to get ALLLLL the things I simply HAVE TO HAVE!  I was lucky enough today to have a bit of extra cash, and I went peacock box CRAZY! 

These will all become displays somehow for my tables at the shows this summer - especially the big one.  It's just as pretty on the inside.  I'm thinking of stringing and affixing some ribbon across it somehow, so I can stand it up and open it.  The small one is the same, with a slightly different color motif, and the oblong one IS a jewelry box - no creativity needed!  There are a few other pieces that go with these that I would LOVE to have - maybe next week.  Because one thing I've discovered about Homegoods - get it fast - or it's GONE!  They change their merchandise constantly!
Hope you all have a wonderful, beadiful, peaceful weekend,
TTFN

Beadless post

More of a vent or a rant, and definitely nothing to do with beads.  As I mentioned in my previous post, we found out early in the week that my husbands aunt, his mom's sister, has cancer.  We found out today that it is stage 4 lymphatic and lung cancer - probably untreatable.  The next doctor (or the one after that, or the one after that) will be giving her that information.  From the get go, Aunt Nancy was adamant that no matter what, she would just keep doing what she's doing - no surgery, radiation, chemo, treatment whatsoever.  Frankly - it's the same way I feel.  I would do the same.  IF I were ever to know.  Because that's where my rant comes in - not only does Nancy know, but it seems like EVERYBODY and their brother now knows, and is convincing her that it's the most dire of circumstances, and either calling her to do the 'Oh, boo hoo, poor Nancy" bit, or PREACHING.  For gosh sakes, people.  She's not in pain, she's not immobile.  She'd be better off NOT knowing, as far as I'm concerned. There is much to be said (and studies written) on the power of the mind and disease.  Many of the relatives are not happy with me and my attitude.  They think I am uncaring or unfeeling.  Not true.  It is sobering to know that someone I care about is in this situation, and there isn't anything that I can do to fix it. And yeah - I'm uncomfortable about what to say.  Kind of seems silly to say, Hey, how ya doin', Nancy?   But constantly calling her and crying about it, obsessing about it, is not doing anything for her state of mind.  NOW she's decided she thinks she wants to do all the radiation and chemo, at 75 years old (if in fact it can be done).  And if she decides to do that, we will support her.  But we don't plan to be a part of the decision, which is what everyone else seems to be doing with the phone calls. I do NOT want to be a part of helping her make a decision that could ultimately alter or change her life, and then be one who is blamed for a less than positive outcome.  SHE has to make the decision on her own.   Her son, who I am not a fan of, has finally decided to join the ranks of reality and accompany her to her doctor visits.  And as much as I am NOT a Nick fan - his feelings about this are much like my husbands and mine - once he realized that it was a reality, he's pushing alternative medicine, alternative energies, organic food, and POSITIVE thought.  It will go a long way - even if it's just for her state of mind.  I plan to do some Reiki healing,  IF she will allow it.  But if not - I won't continue to force the issue, unlike those that have been calling to preach, and preach and preach.  Give it a rest already. 
So thanks for giving me my space to vent today.  The beads will be back soon.   I'm going to start another cab project soon - when I'm not working at Coyote or in the yard.  One little teaser - IT'S PURPLE!
Peaceful, HEALTHFUL beading everyone. 
TTFN

Buddha full of joy

I don't know how many of you have been long time readers, but SOME of you may remember the saga of the Joyful Buddha.  He was, and still is, one of my favorite pieces that I've ever done, and I will never get to make another - the plated pewter buddha head is just no longer to be found.  Anywhere.  I've been looking for a couple of YEARS.  Anyway.  There is so much meaning behind this piece.  The word "joy" on the band portion, the oriental scroll designs that blend in the with whole 'joyful buddha' feel.  Even the amethyst and rose quartz lend to the energies being created with this piece - as a whole.

I placed it for sale at Coyote, and soon got a call from a customer, who was interested in purchasing the piece - provided that I would REMOVE THE BUDDHA.   HORRORS!  I blogged about it at the time, and asked for opinions from my then readers as to whether or not it would ruin my credibility, or hurt my business to refuse to change the piece.  I got (and felt) a resounding NO, that I shouldn't change a thing - and so I declined.  Within days of doing so, my joyful guy found his forever home with a good friend of mine (only I didn't know that at the time).  A very close friend of hers bought it for her for a gift - not knowing that she and I knew each other, and had past history, in fact. 
But my friend knew as soon as she saw it, that this was a one of a kind, Cool Moon Creation.  It needed a bit of adjustment, she being such a tiny little thing - and he's been back a couple of times for link replacement.    Last weekend he returned AGAIN - she's worn it so often that the links just aren't holding together.  So I reworked the join spot where it counted - and behold
The Buddha is again JOYFUL.
So glad she enjoys him - and so glad that I didn't give in to compromising my work.  Many of my pieces have meanings, and stories and specific energies that are MEANT to be in the form they are in.  Changing them just wouldn't be right. 
Peaceful, joyful beading,
TTFN

A little at a time

That seems to be how everything is going lately.  Our garden is coming together - a little at a time.  My newest bead project - "Plumage" - is going slowly - but turning out beautifully. 

Unfortunately, it's also how we're finding out about some serious family illness issues - a little at a time.  It seems that just one doctor no longer wants to be responsible for delivering bad news.  The first doctor has you contact a specialist, who then sends you to a special specialist, who then assigns his peon assistant the job of telling you what is wrong (poor assistant).  Then THAT specialist assigns yet one more....it's agonizing for the patient, to say the least, even before the grim diagnosis.  So we're a bit down in the dumps around here right now, hoping that things will be brighter with the next appointment for our dear aunt.  And coincidentally, her sister, my mother in law, has also been given the same song - she sees the guy that assigns the assistant to give news - on Wednesday.  We're ALL hoping her news is not so grim.
Anyway - trying to stay happy.  Hubby has taken a few days off to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary tomorrow.  I know there should be more pomp.  More circumstance.  More excitement and celebration.  Alas, it's not our style.  We'll be making a day trip to a few of our favorite places, and then a quiet dinner for two.  Back to the grind on Wednesday....

Have just one more oval turquoise piece to complete, and then add a bit more 'plumage'.  It will be done and ready to be revealed by Haslett Good Old Days in Lake Lansing Park on the 9th.
I wish you peaceful beading, and ask for a prayer or two,
TTFN