Moment of Zen

Who would have thought curtains gently billowing in the wind could provide a moment of zen. 

Yesterday morning, I was sitting on my computer table typing away, my apartment was filled with the glow of the morning sun. I had opened the balcony sliding door to let the fresh morning breeze in. A family of larks has taken residence in a nest right above my balcony and they were chirping away. We've been experiencing strong gusty winds these past two days but this morning things have calmed down and only a gentle breeze was playing with the curtains which I had just installed last Friday.

I stopped typing, sat back and watched the breeze play with the curtains, took in the sunshine, listened to the birds chirp away. It was a good Saturday morning.

This mosaic is my project for the month of January 2021. Also inspired by a moment of zen. I feel peaceful when I look at it.

Beadweaving Calistenics

While I'm mostly a peyote stitch gal, it's nice to get into gear with other bead stitches. There's a whole encyclopedia of bead stitches, techniques, what have you, that one could spend a lifetime just exploring and learning them. Project #5 for my 2013 beading journey is this black herringbone necklace with onyx stones woven in at regular intervals.

The other stitch I exercised with is right angle weave (RAW). It's been years since I've done anything in RAW.  So I turned to RAW guru Shelley Pleines who does gorgeous pieces using metal beads. Her Baby, You're So Square bracelet pattern gave me the inspiration to create this cuff last December, as a gift for a friend of mine who celebrated her son's Barmitzvah. I had given her the bracelet but had forgotten to take some photos and she loaned me the bracelet so I could take this shot.

Hope you bead lovers out there are beading to your heart's content!

Beads and the Ladies of Downton Abbey

I've gotten into the habit of beading while I watch Instant Video on my iPad. You'll find an eclectic mix of movies and TV shows in my Amazon Watchlist. Among them is Downton Abbey.  Yes, I've caught the bug and have watched the Crawley family and their household staff going through the trials and tribulations of their very prim and not so proper English lives.

My 4th project of the year was done while re-visiting some of the past episodes in preparation for the start of the new season. It reminds me of the long thin necklaces that the Crawley sisters would wear to dinner - a beaded version, of course, but same long and thin design silhouette. I thought I might call it Lady Sybil since it's red and could represent her "radical" views. She's the youngest so I can clearly identify with that, being the youngest of 4 siblings myself.

So here's Project #4 for my 2013 projects journal. Hope you like it!

Busy Beading!!!

I'm glad to report that I continue with my projects for the year. Here's Project #2 and #3, titled "Pillars" and "Diagonals Stacks" respectively.  I've been playing with simple repetitive designs, re-familiarizing myself again with the rhythm of beading and finding satisfaction in completing projects.

I'm glad to be spending more time at my bead table, getting more and more into the habit of creating. My mind's been hopping from one design concept to the next! Just have to make a record of everything that goes through my head!

At any rate, I've started another project and this is a WIP photo. I'm going with the flow on this one, too. Not entirely sure where this one will take me. Exciting!

1 Down, 51 More Projects To Go!

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions but this year I'm making a commitment - I'm committing to create 52 projects this 2013. It doesn't sound like much but considering I've not created more than a handful of beaded jewelry these past few years, 52 projects is quite a big step up for me.

I'm not like most beaders who are able to devote their 9-5 day to their craft (lucky buggers!). I've got a day job that, fortunately, I love but it does leave me mentally exhausted at the end of the day. My evenings are left to gym time, dinner and family time which I'm also committed to keep. But I'm thinking if I can plan to squeeze in some beading time at night, even if it's half an hour sitting at my beading table, working on something new, my 52 projects should be doable. What do you think? Have you done your own 2013 resolution? I invite you all to enter your comments down below so you can share. Sometimes, shouting it out loud helps to keep you on course.

So my first completed project for the year is Strada Del Merlot - a free form beadwoven bracelet which I finished today, this first day of the new year. This piece will be on sale soon on my etsy store after I clean up the photos and work on the description for the listing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

50 Shades of Merlot

Last Wednesday, I laid out these beads on my beadmat to start another beaded project. This time shades of merlot with touches of purple, green and amber gold.  All I can say at this point is it's going to be another bracelet - at least that's my intention but there have been times I'd do a complete 180 on myself, un-assemble a project in the middle of it and start all over again on something new. One thing I've learned about the creative process, it can take unexpected turns. You're never sure what you end up with! Happy Beading!

Getting it Together, Bit by Bit

Two years. Two years since my last confession, I mean blog post! Where was I two years ago and where have I been since then? Let's see, two years ago I just started a new job in Bethesda after working with a company in Washington, DC for 13 year. There's about XX lbs difference between then and now mostly due to ups and downs in the pendulum swing of weight and slowing metabolism. Two trips to the ER, 4 more hospital stays, white belt to black belt, new pair of glasses, new car, driving lessons, stress of college admissions process which I chose in the end to ignore and "go with the flow," stress of continually solving problems at work and keeping a high bar in standards mainly due to my own performance. Long hair to short hair. Reluctant wardrobe upgrade. Getting used to high heels again. Not reluctant about that.

And finally, working to get out of the sabbatical mode as far as creating beaded jewelry is concerned. My "coming out" has been a long drawn out process, longer than I cared for it to take. I would like to think I'm getting better in terms of productivity. I've managed to find the time to create more pieces this past year so that should be a good sign!

Case in point, a friend of mine celebrated her son's barmitzvah this month. A couple of months ago, she asked me to custom make her jewelry to go with the dress she would wear for the special event. I ended up creating 3 different bracelets for her so she could choose which one she liked the most. Her dress was silver and bronze so the bracelets I made for her reflected the colors of her dress with some accents to it. Here's a shot of the 2 bracelets.

I didn't get a chance to shoot a picture of the bracelet my friend chose to wear for her son's barmitzvah, but she promised to lend it to me so I can take a photo for my library. Here's a work in progress photo I shot and shared on FB, in case you're interested.