No time to catch up

I wont be able to finish the Fusion Beads bead challenge, I just have too much stress and serious family illness going on.
I hope to continue working on other project ideas in the future, but for now, bringing my work to the hospital everyday just isn't practical. The first time I brought beads to my mother's room, I dumped half the container before I even completed a row of peyote stitch! I was completely mortified!
She has surgery to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm tomorrow, and my younger sister will have a cancerous tumor removed on Friday. My energy is focused on being there as best I can for both of them.
Thanks, KK

At least the weather isn't as depressing as I feel.

Days 7-10

Day 7: use a new metal. I think the only metal I've never used is platinum, and I wasn't making a special trip tp the craft store for findings I can't really afford, just for a challenge. So I used some green craft wire that id never tried, not a new metal, but a new form of it.

I skipped day 8, I didn't feel well, and there's another social day on the calendar, so I'll just combine them.

Day 9: incorporate beads in a non jewelry project. I was going to add a beaded fringe to a piece of silk I bought at the salvation army store a couple weeks ago, but I need a sewing machine to give it a finished edge first, otherwise it'll fray and come right off. I thought about just heming it by hand, but that'll give the edge bulk when I add the beads…so I made a beaded hearts keychain charm.

Day 10: use a found object in a jewelry design. Technically I bought it, but my nephew found it at the Indianapolis  Children's Museum and begged me to get it for him. The rock is pyrite, or fools gold, and I wrapped it like the shells. The wires are gold colored and I did the frame like the others, but the wire 'rope' is crocheted 34 guage wire…and it didn't hold even for a whole day. So back to braiding, it just looks better than plain straight wire.
Day 11: make a beaded gift. It's not the finished piece for today, but I have to leave it here and head to work in a few minutes, so instead of being behind on my posts again, I'll just post the prototype…I have baby ears, so I can't give that one away…and I didn't make it today.

That's me all caught up on my Fusion Beads 30 Day beading challenge. I posted the link in a couple other blogs if you want to follow along.

Day 6: make a color pallet

I cheated though.
I usually mix up my seed beads in the colors I want to work with using the old empty tubes. I had to restock and added new colors. So I mixed up a bunch of beads, and now I guess I'm ready for a new batch of beadweaving projects.

Days 4 and 5 of Fusion Beads' 30 Day Challenge

I've been participating in Fusion Beads' 30 Day Bead Challenge for National Craft Month.
I've been working more at my day job this month too, because I'm the only one there that doesn't get paid vacation :\ Yes, I'm that person that stays at a job I hate because it gives me more time for the things I love. More hours for me, but less hours for my love of all things crafty.

Day 4's challenge was to organize our work stations, as I keep mine portable, I don't have a station to organize, so I reorganized my bead boxes…good way to remind myself why I'm too poor to buy a new car…and why I don't NEED to use that coupon for 20% off.

Day 5 was to incorporate chain in a piece of jewelry. I do this so frequently I had to think about it most of the day before I settled on the most simple piece I've ever made. I had bought some beads from an artist at the Op Shop (Kokomo Opalescent Glass or KOG), and was disappointed to find that the holes were too big to use in the beadweaving pieces I'd been working on. And even making them wire wrapped links felt awkward and wobbly…but some of the chain I had fit perfectly. And I've decided to learn Viking knit to do the same with the rest of them. Maybe I won't feel so terrible about spending four bucks per bead if I can make something unique out of them.

Day 2: use leftover beads and Day 3: learn a new beading technique

Yesterday's post wouldn't publish, so now I have two updates.
Day 2 was use leftover beads. I think it's understood that all crafters hold on to leftovers, whether it's scrap, or samples, or fillers, we all have that box or bag or in my case, a little cookie tin, full of bits and bobs that "I'll find some use for, surely." I have lots of those to choose from, actually, being a craft addict, I have a whole 33 gallon tote of bits and bobs I'll find some use for, someday…surely.
Add my first attempt at a cuff that I'd tossed to the side. And well, my niece loved it, lol.

Day 3: learn a new beading technique. I had to work today, stayed up late working on something for work, and had to run errands this morning. So, I was really glad I hadn't gotten around to learning this one yet. It's called a bead wrapped cord technique. But the beads end up center of the cord. And keeping with the recycle theme, the organic cotton twine was leftover from a crochet project; and the butterfly button is actually a cord crimp that was originally attached to a hair elastic I used to pull my hair in bun with :)

March is National Craft Month

And I'm psyched. I'm going participate in Fusion Beads' 30 Day Bead Challenge.

http://www.fusionbeads.com/beadingfaq/InfoChart.php?bfid=161

And I'm not goin to stop there. I'm preparing to add my handmade items to a shop just north of the town center, and with that, I'm going to have my own giveaway and challenge on my Facebook fan page (if the link isn't around here somewhere, it's accessible through the galleries on the right).
And I'm sewing machine window shopping! At the moment I'm still on the fence about how much I want to spend and how much I need it to do. I haven't used one in a long time, I don't want to go wild with it and discover I could've made do with a simple one, you know?
These earrings are what I made for Day 1: