Two more squares - yay!

Here's two more Bead Quilt squares I did this morning.

The one on the right is a design I did for the Blue Ridge Beaders group. I am going to their meeting this Saturday to help spread info about the Beaders Against Breast Cancer, Pass it Forward Bead Quilt.

The blue waves are the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the star is the Big Star that sits up over Roanoke. And of course there is a heart.

Three more Bead quilts squares

Here's three more bead squares I finished this morning. That makes five so far, for me. I hope to do several more in the next couple of days. I found that I average about three hours a piece for these little boogers. I know I am also a bit slower than, so that should discourage others from knocking some of these out.

I wish I could have gotten them to show up in the scan as well as they look in person. Sigh. That seems to be true for a lot of bead work. Hopefully I will be posting more soon.

Black cats watch us in the night!

Here's a trio of black cats to keep watch on us this friday night! Be sure everyone who goes out trick or treating is safe! Make sure you are visible to others - especially drivers and that little ones are heavily supervised. Most of all don't get a tummy ache from trying to eat all the candy at once!

bright blocks with pumpkins bracelet

I like the blocks of changing back ground colours on this one. I also like not having just fall colours, but a touch of bright blue and purple.

steppin' out skelleton

Mr. Skeleton is ready to step out for his big Halloween night. You will be too with this on your wrist!

More pumpkins!

Here's more pumpkins! I love Jack-o-laterns. We always have a porch full every year. One of the fun things about jack-o-laterns - we let the kids plant the "guts" every year. Most of the time, a pumpkin will grow the next year.

Harvest witch

Here's a witch that's all grown up and flying over the crops of corn at night. I'm too sleepy to say much more - except sweet dreams!

Cute Wrist Witch!

She's cute and she's fast! Here another Halloween Pattern to get you ready get you ready. I really had tooo much fun making a bunch of halloween patterns, and now I'm not sure I'll get them all posted!

Creepy Cuff

A perfectly creepy cuff to wrap around your wrist this Halloween.

harvest bracelet

Here's something bright and bold to carry you over into Thanksgiving, without being too much about the turkey! This is great for anyone who loves to do veggie gardening. The drought got most of mine this year, but I'm still going to try again next year!

Finished a small amulet bag last night

Last night I worked up this amulet bag. I say "Whipped up" - It was more like messed up the first time I strung the necklace part -- It was getting late and I was all the way to the last crimp, when I saw one green bead that had been missed near the crimp, on the other side! Augh!

I got up and walked away. Then returned this morning to redo the neclace part this morning. That's what I get for staying up to try and finish a project. : )

Your vote Counts!

It doesn't matter what your politics are. It matters that you participate!

Here's a badge to remind people to vote. Just work it up in Brick stitch - I left the empty squares around it, to help with counting rows. (I find that I like having the blank ones to mark off with tick marks as I work)

more stuff finished!

I finished a few more things for the gift shop re-opening.

I have a couple more that are really close to finished - I hope to post them in the next day or so as well.

Ten bead quilt squares by Ronit !

I wanted to share with you a pic of ten bead quilt squares by worked up by Ronit.

She shared this pic with me, before sending them off in the mail. I hope this gets everyone excited about making one or two. I have to admit I've only worked a couple so far. I need to get working myself!!

A few more Bead quilt patterns

Here's a few more patterns to play with for the Bead Quilt. I really can't say often enough how important a cause this is. A close friend and beading buddy of mine is still fighting the battle - She discovered the cancer two years ago, and she's still trying to get back to her everyday work and health that she had before. I want to help so that treatments can be better, less debilitating and more thorough. I want to help with early detection, so that the cancers don't have a chance to get too bad. Last year, Ihad a bit of a scare and it made the cause even more personal. There was an awful time of not knowing and worrying. Thankfully I had benign cysts, that are bothering me less now. I'm really lucky. But I also know too many people who weren't as lucky. Please help with this cause. Jeanette Shanigan's website: http://shanigansbeadshenanigans.homestead.com/

link to all my Bead Quilt patterns: http://picasaweb.google.com/yardchicken2/BCQuilt2009HeartPatterns#

I'm teaching a class later this month in peyote, with the goal of creating more squares, as well as donating all of my profits to the Bead quilt cause. The classes are October 25th, at the Bower Center, Bedford Art Academy. For more info on Bedford Academy of the Arts go to http://www.bedfordartacademy.org/

Reminder to self check every month

Remember to self check every month - you know your boobs better than anybody!

row of skulls bracelet

Here's to more halloween! Show a row of skulls bracelet on your wrist.

cool blue skelly-skull

Since Halloween is sooo much fun I went all out and have done several patterns. Here's one of the larger ones - great size for an amulet bag.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! To help out make a bead quilt square, or wear a piece of jewelry that helps promate awareness in others. Here's a pattern you can use. It would make a nice amulet bag. I will be teaching a class at the local art Academy at the Bower Center on October 27th, from 10am-2pm. The class will focus on how to do peyote stitch, and each student will have a finished Breast Cancer Quilt square at the end of class. Students are encouraged to donate their square to the bead Quilt. All of the profits from the class will be donated to the Bead it Forward Bead Quilt project. More info on the project can be found at Jeanette Shanigan's web site

http://shanigansbeadshenanigans.homestead.com/

All of the patterns I have designed for the bead it forward bead quilt are located here: http://picasaweb.google.com/yardchicken2/BCQuilt2009HeartPatterns# Here's an extra pattern for the Bead Quilt I did yesterday.

Skulls for Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Here's some skulls for your wrist, to help get you in the mood for spooky.

Another Halloween Pattern

Here's another couple of Halloween Patterns. This is a matched set for a bracelet and amulet bag.

bracelet pattern to match "Winter Doldrums"

Here's the bracelet to match the project, "Winter Doldrums," I did earlier this year. I hope to work this one up soon.

More Earrings

I thought it would be nice to put a 4 mm crystal on each point where it shows the diamond shape of four beads, or just put a picot of three beads through the end of each point.. I thought I would post some more earring patterns. This time I focused on making them a bit smaller, just to see if I could. I hope you all have fun playing with them. I'd love to see and share pics from anyone who makes these up.

Read a Banned Book!

Here's a bookmark to help you.

Read a banned book this week! This week is Banned Books Week. To read more about banned books, and what books are currently being banned, go to

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.cfm

Support Intelectual Freedom. Once People are allowed to dictate what other read, it is a very short step to telling people what they must think, wear and say. Intellectual freedom affects everyone. As a designer and artist, I want to have the freedom to design as I wish.

Here are more links for info on banned books.

http://books.google.com/googlebooks/banned/

One of the things that stands out most for me: Of the top 100 books books, I have read over 85% of them. I find it ironic yet perfectly predictable that Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451, a book about the dangers of banning and burning books is on the list.

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlists/TOP_100_in_2000_2007.pdf

So read a banned book, and express yourself with your art, no matter what your medium.