New Beads!

I got a package from my daughter today. In it were some new beads. She sent me some size 8 copper seed beads (real copper, not the kind that the color wears off), some green size 11 seed beads and some green size 15 seed beads, but the best of all were these vintage pressed glass two hole discs that she got at Bead Heaven in North Richland Hills, TX where she lives.

I don't know yet what I'm going to do with them. My daughter, Wendy, owner of The Bohemian Heart, loves to find beads like this and send me some so she can see how drastically different the designs we make with them are.

I still haven't finished the Lilacs credit card holder. It seems there are just too many other things to be done. The wind has been blowing for the last week and the house is so full of dust I feel like I need a dust mask to even pick anything up.

I have done a little more on the spirit doll I started quite some time ago. I finally got the body all beaded and made her a crown of quartz crystal chips. All I lack now is the fringe.

I Finally Did It

I finally made the Mechanic's Soap I've been putting off for 2 weeks. It's the best looking batch of hot process soap I've ever made. Still need to work on the top. I've been making soap for nearly 10 years and still have trouble making the hot processed soap look good.

Looks isn't everything though. This soap has a rich luscious lather, lots of ground oats to scrub you clean, spices to cut the grease (not to mention it smells good). My "grease monkey" customers couldn't agree more. It's one of my best sellers.

Blustery Warm Day

It's Monday and the wind is blowing. I've got plenty to keep me busy in the house so I guess that's not too bad.

I'm still working on the credit card holder. I'm about half way finished with the back and am holding my breath hoping I have enough beads of the right colors to finish it.

Several weeks ago I started on a Spirit Doll. She has butterfly wings to signify she's a Fairy. I'm almost finished with her, but she seems to have a mind of her own. I've been very scattered mentally lately, and every time I start to pick her up and work on her I either get distracted, or my thread ends up in knots with every stitch, or I can't make a move without sticking myself with the needle. I did manage to pick her up and work on her a little yesterday. That seemed to bring my mind a little more into focus at the time, but I'm still not getting much done.

The stevia and lemon balm I planted in a pot on mother's day has been whipped by the wind so harshly that I thought surely it was dead, but when I went out to water it this morning, there were new green leaves beginning to show on the stevia, and the lower leaves of the lemon balm were still alive.


For the first time since I've lived here, my wild roses don't have thrips on them. I used to keep them pruned back into neat bushes because it was so hard to mow around those long arching limbs. The blooms were always a deep almost black red and the scent was a deep spicy one that just didn't smell like a rose at all, but I loved the way they smelled.

I haven't been able to take care of the yard much the last year or so and they were pretty ugly in January, so I got out and trimmed all the dead wood out of them, but didn't cut back the live branches because these roses bloom on old wood. The first blooms were a pretty fuschia, with a rich rose smell. The more they bloom the deeper the color gets. They are now producing rich, deep red blooms not quite as dark as usual. The scent is definitely rose! I've even managed to harvest a few petals before the wind burned them. Maybe I'll have a few rose petals to put in pampering preparations this year.

Bad News

I've been having trouble seeing my bead work and my computer screen. This has resulted in tension headaches. I went to the optometrist today. He said the fluid wasn't draining off my eye and there was a tiny cataract growing in my left eye. He did extensive tests and set up another appointment two weeks from now to do another test before he refers me to a specialist to have it removed.

Time to break out the Dr. Christopher's Eyebright formula and use it regularly. I've heard it can remove cataracts as well as take care of glaucoma and macular degeneration, ease eye strain and so much more, but it is verrry uncomfortable. I think I'd rather do that though, than have the expense of cataract surgery.

I'm still working on the lilac credit card holder. I'm doing the back in netting. I didn't have very much of the purples left so the back is just sort of a dappled shade effect using mostly the green beads.

I sold all but 1 bar of my Mechanic's soap a week ago and have been saying I'm going to get another batch made today. Here it is a week later and I still haven't gotten it made. I also need to get some shaving soaps ready and do a little work on my SilverMist Garden website, but I'm having to just work short periods on the computer.

In addition to working on the credit card holder I've decided I needed to learn to do micro macrame. I ordered a kit from The Knot Gypsy, thinking it can't be that hard. I know the knots. I do know the knots, just have to really think about which way they should go to make them lay the way I want them to. Practice Practice Practice. :). That's always the key to learning something new or re-learning something you haven't done in 30 years.

Time to get off here. It's been cold and rainy after being hot and windy for a few days. I have things to do.

Happy Thoughts on a Sunny Day

The sun is shining today. Hooray! All this year our rainfall has been below average. In the last two days we've gotten about 2 inches, throwing us above the average. My heart goes out to those who've been devastated by floods. In this area there was no damage beyond a few trees and gardens shredded by hail.

I finished the lilac panel that is going to be a credit card holder. I still haven't decided how I'm going to make the back.
If you'd like the pattern for this you can find it at The Bead Coop .

I had a last minute order for 18 felted soaps last Thursday. I still haven't recovered completely from standing long enough to felt them, but the order was ecstatically accepted. ;)

Random thoughts scattered by the wind

The wind was not supposed to blow today. It is! Well this is West Texas, what can you expect.

Today is my first blog. I'm here to meet other beaders, promote my business and maybe have a little fun.

I'm working on a credit card holder from a pattern I made from a picture I took in my yard. It is even count peyote and is looking good! I'm about 2/3 of the way through with the front. I haven't decided how I'm going to make the back yet. It'll be a surprise!

Working in the yard is a definite need to, but I have so many other things going on, I think I'll just wait out the wind. ROFL I keep reminding myself "this is West Texas!", but the wind will slow down a little.