Beading on the road

Driving the back roads, through small towns and visiting local thrift stores
turns up some real treasures. I found this man's beaded wallet in Oklahoma for $5. You can see that the beadwork was hand applied over a store-bought leather wallet - neatly, but not professionally. It has some wear at the fold, but is a beautiful example of someones beading labor.

The center design would make a great bracelet design.


I'm fortunate to be able to bead crochet in the car, however I didn't prepare enough to keep me busy the whole trip. I finished my 3rd Urban Stripes necklace. It's only a single length as I ran out of the gray background beads. I like the bead color, but I don't think I'll buy any more for quite awhile.

I looked all over the East for these #10 Bell Ends for ball chain and couldn't find them. I remembered seeing them at a hardware store here in AZ. I had to make a small detour when making the first pantry re-supply trip and sure enough, they were still there. I bought all of the nickle ones and a few of the brass ones. I'm going to use them as bead caps (with a short chain between) on the 3rd Urban Stripes necklace. They fit perfectly over a 6-around 8/0 rope and have an industrial look that I think will work perfectly.


I tested some colors in 8/0 seed beads for the Native Stripes String-Along. Doesn't it fit right in with the colors on the wallet? I have an older necklace done in the same Czech beads, size 11/0 and I'm now sure that the designs will work for either size. Now I can pull together the stuff to do the next one in January. Be forewarned, this will be a paid String-Along Workshop.



I finished the trip working on this bracelet that had been lurking in my traveling case for a year now. The daggers are difficult to hang onto while crocheting and I can't put up with more than a little bit at a time. It is going to be a heavy, but oh-so-supple feeling bracelet when done.... almost a decadent feeling piece.


Now I have to finish putting the road weary beads away and get enough chaos out on the work table to feel like getting back to beading. I have a to-do list that seems a mile long and am wondering how to fit it all into my 6 months here in Arizona.

Thanksgiving on the Road

The beads got packed into their new trailer, the NH house winterized and we hit the road a couple of days later than we had planned on. Dealing with 22" of snow on Halloween weekend didn't help the check list one bit. I actually had to go buy closed shoes to be able to survive. Flip-flops were just not the thing in that much snow.



I think this trip from NH to AZ was one of sunsets.

First evening on the road gave us this fantastic view of the setting sun.






I always like driving through Vermont and seeing the native wildlife.








We laid over in Memphis and spent time with some good friends, cats and parrots. We also took the time to unload and redistribute the loads between the trailer and the car. As this was the first trip with this vehicle combination, we had a few things to sort out.






Instead of interstates, we drove the older US Highways from Hot Springs, Arkansas west. I love looking at the brick downtown buildings in the smaller towns that we drive through. There is so much detail to see if you look up.




Thanksgiving in Wichita Falls, TX was an adventure as finding something open, still serving food, left us a choice of iHop or Denny's.

Finally back in Tombstone AZ, we stopped for just enough pantry supplies to get us through a day and unloaded essentials. The moon, Venus and remains of the sunset lit our way.

Now to put things away and clean up after the spiders that had moved in over the summer. Just how can an unoccupied house dirty itself in six month's time?

Try Something Different - SALE

I'm packing for Arizona and don't want to take these remaining kits with me. Between now and 8PM Eastern Time on Sunday 11/13/11, the price has been dropped to $35 each (regular $38) and shipping within the US is Free. My last trip to the Post Office is going to be Monday, then I'm heading West for the winter. This pictured kit is quite different as the variegated thread will show through the transparent beads, giving the bracelet another level of uniqueness. It is a one-of-a-kind kit. It will be a gift to one of the buyers, selected randomly.

Each purchase will also include a pattern card for this alternate design, "Climbing Scales"

The Details:
Email me with your choices (by number) and I'll let you know if they are still available. Pay me with PayPal by Sunday night and I'll mail the kit(s) First Class Mail on Monday. This offer ends at 8PM EST Sunday night.

Major Scales Bead Crochet technique with Magatamas

....was$38 per kit, now $35 per kit. ....

Intermediate to advanced bead crocheters.

1.- Peach transparent matte Maga w/ yellow matte 8/0 (1 kit)

2.- Peach transparent matte Maga w/ blue Iris 8/0 (1 kit)

3.- Pale green transparent matte Maga w/ green Iris matte 8/0 (1 kit)

4.- Pale green transparent matte Maga w/ cobalt matte 8/0 (1 kit)

5.- Pale green transparent matte Maga w/ gold flecked pink 8/0 (1 kit)

6.- Lime Iris matte Maga w/ gold flecked pink 8/0 (1 kit)

7.- SOLD-Bronze Maga w/ green Iris matte 8/0 (1 kit)

8.- Bronze Maga w/ Dk raspberry/brown Iris matte 8/0 (1 kit)

9.- Green Iris matte Maga w/ green Iris matte 8/0 (1 kit)

10.- Green Iris matte Maga w/ blue iris matte 8/0 (1 kit)

Sidetracked

I need to get cracking......

I need to be packing......

These trays of stuff

need to get into these cases....

so I can leave for a warmer winter place.

But....


Nikia puts the most tempting bits and pieces of vintage things on sale and this gem came in the mail today. It has my mind totally sidetracked. I had an idea for a bead embroidered, hinged cuff and I so want to start on it.




But if I start a project now, the car won't get packed and I'll end up having to wear snow boots instead of enjoying Arizona's sunshine.


Drat!

Count Down to Arizona

It's ten days to estimated leave for Arizona time. You'd think that after 11 years of doing this I would have it all down to a science. When I put my huge schoolhouse slate board up in the hallway I finally wrote down a check list. Last year we were a couple hundred miles into the trip, wondering if we had forgotten to do ________? At least it wasn't turn off the iron as it's been a lot of years since I've ironed anything!













Now I have to sort and put away all of this.........








....and figure out how much of this I'll need.....














.... then make the beading stuff all fit into these canvas bags.










....so we can pack it all into this for the trip West.



The life of a snowbird beader can get daunting at times, but I am not ready to give up my winter sun in Arizona just yet.