Disappearing 9-patch Tutorial

See what I’m doing with the Disappearing 9-patch… 

Fun Colors!

Spiral Rope Bracelet

Made this rather pretty bracelet…used a vintage button for the clasp.

Bracelet with Vintage Button Clasp

Mariner’s Compass Quilted Wallhanging

Rainbow Star -- Mariner's Compass

This bright star is a paper-pieced wallhanging that’ll brighten any corner!

It’s currently for sale in my Etsy store ColorMeCountry where it’s fun to buy all things handmade!

Please also see my Mom’s etsy store Ozark Quilter. She has listed some really cool quilts/wallhangings from her extensive stash to sell, and there’ll be a ton more coming in the near future.

…By the way, she is an awesome artist and master quilter!

Go to Mockingbird Bay Resort’s website.

Luscious Purple!

I love purple…

Here’s a nice little ensemble that I made over the weekend with some really cool purple “chicklet-shaped” beads and different shades of pink/fuscia Swarovski crystals –a set of matching earrings, too. Love these!

I totally mis-spelled fuschia, people! How could that happen?! Sorry to my pink/purple fans out there! I stand corrected.

Contact me, if you’d like to buy these bad-boys for somebody (or yourself) for Christmas! ($28 for the set.)

Mariner’s Compass

Camouflage Cat

Was taking pictures of a wallhanging to sell on Etsy, and look who got into the picture (MommyCat!) — although, it’s not so easy to see her.

Lake Jewelry

The Log House girls (future dancer and future pediatrician) came over to the registration deck yesterday and made some super cute beaded cell-phone charms, and then weaved their own hemp bracelets. We had a fun time chatting!

Thanks for teaching, Val!

Boro Bead Glass Class

What fun I had yesterday at a borosilicate glass class at Morning Star Glass Studio! I made glass beads on a lynx torch using boro glass (which is very different than the Moretti glass and Hot Head torch that I’m used to), and then we made pendant necklaces out of several of our beads using sterling silver chain. Sharon, the owner, surprised us with a delicious birthday keylime pie for me…and we all laughed as her two donkeys begged through the glass door just like pet dogs.

Boro Glass on Lynx Torch

Keylime Pie & Begging Donkeys

Lampwork Bible Bookmarks

Lampwork Bead Bible Bookmarks

Handmade on the 4th Floor — these lampwork beads are made by melting colored glass with a torch, winding the molten glass on steel mandrels, and then annealing them in a 965-degree kiln. These dangles, as well as earrings, bracelets, necklaces, other bookmarks, and car rearview mirror dangles are for sale in our Registration Deck. Looking for a unique gift for that special someone or a Mothers’ Day present? — Email me to buy!

Homemade Soap & Lampwork Beads

Beads, Beads, Beads

All-Natural Homemade Soap

Rainbow of Beads

Lakeside Soapers! That’s what we call ourselves on those days when we make cold process soaps — with rave reviews over the Peppermint/Oatmeal and Lavender. They sell for $3 to $3.50 a bar, depending. We’ve found that Pringles cans make awesome soap molds!

And as for our Lampwork beads, which are torched on the 4th floor — using colored glass rods and a torch with MAPP gas… Well, honestly, production has been slow with everything else going on around here. Hopefully, we’ll get up there soon to make some more beads. There’s a lady in Naperville who is wanting to buy another large quantity of our beads — so we’d better get busy!

Oh, so many fun things to make, but so little time.

Snowflakes

BRRRRRR!!!
We’re having a major cold snap!
Lows this morning were in the single digits, with high today at about 20 degrees. (Nothing compared to what the folks up north are experiencing, I know, with double-digit-negatives not including the wind chill.) A few snowflakes are falling; but, I could hardly see the snowflakes out my window, due to the snowflakes on my window… The girls and I made paper snowflake cutouts back at Christmastime. Aren’t they interesting? Each one really IS unique!