Happy Solstice!

Well, after a half day's work, I came home to a functioning internet and am back at it, trying to update my website. Actual beadwork WAS done over the weekend, as seen in this picture of a cool bracelet done with lentil beads with offset holes in herringbone stitch, sewn to a brass bracelet blank, backed with a deerskin scrap. The original design is from the Oct. 2007 Bead and Button article by Carol Perrenoud. A really cool idea! Can't wait to make more of these.

Website? What website

I've been trying to get a decent website up and running and am amazed at the difference ten years has made in HTML writing and strategies. So far I've managed to get a little slideshow of pics of my beadwork working, and am now moving on to trying to update all my old pages from my ancient geocities site. Eventually, I want to have a bit of a store to try and see if I can sell some beadwork. Heh! I imagine if I were more industrious with my etsy site, I'd manage to sell more. Anyway, I have some pages of free tutorials up, and old patterns, and am going to add this new free pattern sometime today. (Our internet is 'down', and I'm blogging on a borrowed connection, but don't think I want to hang out and do actual html work.) If the connection comes back up today, I may get some more work done on the site, otherwise, actual beadwork may occur.
Happy Father's Day to any of you Dads that happen across this blog.

Ack! No post at all during the month of May! But actual beadwork was being done. My 'regular' job has turned out to be pretty fun and fulfilling (who knew being an office nurse could be so complicated?) but is eating more hours of my life than I'd intended. I come home more tired from a 10 or 11 hour day in the office than I would from a 12 hr. shift in the ER!
Meanwhile, though, I've been working on a 'possible' bag for my buddy Steve, and it's finally DONE! Dimensions are 8 inches wide by about 9 1/2 long, with nearly a foot of fringe. The front flap is home to my favorite deer dancing shaman, a piece I did for the Bead Journal Project 2 years ago, and the back has a water bird and deer tracks, don't know why but the deer tracks insisted on being included. The entire piece is made of commercial brain tan deer hide, embellished with green dentalium and other shells. It makes a lovely bell-like noise when moved. The strap is embellished with a couple of purple cowrie shells, some bone hairpipe and a bit of beadwork done in lane stitch.
All in all it was a wonderful piece to work on and I think it turned out great.
Now on to other projects...I have quite a few in mind, plus my son has promised to help me set up a 'real' website.
Happy summer!