Mini Bead Retreat

  This past weekend I was lucky enough to be with some wonderful friends who share my love of beads and beading. We had a mini retreat at Carolyn's house. Wendy was there as was Carolyn's daughter, Sherry. Genny was on a whirlwind tour of the Carolina's that included a stop at her daughter's. Since she was so close, we grabbed her for a couple of days to teach us some new wire tricks. We talked, giggled and admired each other's newest creations. 

Genny taught us how to make a Tree of  Life Pendant. They are going to be like potato chips, can't make just one. 

 

 Wendy's Tree of Life

Sue's Tree of Life

Sherry's Tree of Life

Carolyn's Tree of Life

Genny made a pendant as she taught us, but I didn't get a picture of it. Genny also taught a chain maille bracelet called Olivia. It is based upon the Byzantine weave. Below is the example Genny brought to show us and Wendy's bracelet. I didn't get pictures of Carolyn's or her daughter's.

Genny's

Wendy's

While they worked on chain maille, I made earrings by the pattern Antique created by Nadine Dedefleh.

 

It was a fun weekend that ended too soon.

Beading through the Summer

I have finished a few pieces this spring and early summer. I think the hardest part of beading is taking and editing the pictures. 

This glass pendant was made and wire wrapped by Annette. The only thing I added was the spiral necklace.

I love the colors and design of the pendant.

I choose silver seeds and black fire polished crystals to make Jaycee's Camelot bracelet. There are some other color combinations that I want to try in this pattern.

It is a fun, slinky bracelet to wear.

This is another bracelet that is slinky on the wrist. It is simply a Peyote stitch.

 I first saw this combination of bugles and seeds at a bead retreat.

This is RAW Beauty from June, 2001 Bead and Button magazine. It is a fun, easy bracelet to make. I love thinking of possible color combinations. The crystals along the center add just a bit of bling.

I love the combination of dark aqua and black. It is a great color combination for this bracelet called Pulsera Paris from the blog of Quienlodira Creations.

The pattern called for crystals in the middle diamonds of the bracelet. I liked this one without the diamonds. I think my bugles were a bit bigger than what the pattern suggested.

Mom knows how to fix it

There is a web cam on an eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa. It has two eaglets. Someone managed to record and post a short video of some drama that occurred one day. Dad was on the nest watching the bobble heads. He bends his head down close to the little ones. Thinking food is coming, one eaglet reaches out and manages to bite dad's face around his eye. The sharp bite startles dad and he shakes his head causing the eaglet to fly out of the center of the nest. The center of the nest is a small, deep bowl perfect for brooding the young eaglets. These eaglets are too young to be able to wander around the nest and they still need the warmth of the parent. Dad is at a loss. He really doesn't know what to do. The eaglet is out of the center of the nest, and he is too to small to climb back into the center. Fortunately mom comes back fixes everything.

Ready for a close up

Eaglet pile up in the nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. The three range in age 13 to 9 days.

New season of Eaglet watching

It's spring and Bald Eagles across North America are laying eggs and raising eaglets. The nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden has three eaglets that are keeping mom and dad busy and I am having fun watching them on their live cam. They were hatched March  13 15,  17. All three are thriving and growing each day. Right now mom spends most of her time on the nest with dad bringing in fresh fish and occasionally relieving her. As the eaglets get bigger dad will spend more time on the nest.

The images below are screen captures taken from the live feed from the cam at the Norfolk Botanical Garden nest.