AutumnGirl

August has come to an end…. And days are shortening really fast. I came to realise this weekend, that I am more of a Autumngirl than a Summer-type. Don’t get me wrong, I love the long days, the Sun, and the mood Summer seems to bring people in. But I don’t like the high temperatures and the fact that friends leave the country for a couple of weeks, for their vacation. My birthday is on the 4th of July; when I was younger this sometimes meant that my familymembers were on holiday, and my birthday wouldn’t be as big of a party as I hoped for. My 16th birthday was great, everybody was there because the summer holiday was late that year. But my 17th, everybody was away, and I spent my birthday (which actually was on Saturday) going out alone….. I felt so sorry for myself…. My 18th birthday made up for it though, so all was well again. But to get back to my point: I am an AutumnGirl. I don’t know many people who like the fact that Summer is over, but I am one of them. I love a lot about Autumn;
1. You can finally wear the clothes you bought in August,
2. You can pull your boots out of the closet,
3. Cosy nights indoors with candles,
4. The food,
5. The approaching of the holidays,
6. Planning a nice weekend in the country
7. And since this year; our anniversary…
We got married on 12 September 2008, so this year will be our first. We haven’t planned anything yet, but we’re both taking the week before it off, to do some things in the house. Maybe we’ll go away for the weekend, we’ll see...

I need a little headrest!

I am in a weird state of mind, it truly is going crazy (my mind, that is). I can't get my attention to focus on anything longer then 10 minutes. I've got a beading table full of WIP's to show for it. And if this state of mind lingers on me a little longer, I swear, all this WIP's will become UFO's, and who likes UFO's on their attic? I'm sure I don't. I've tried a lot to get my mind tuned down, listening to all kinds of music; from Linkin Park to K's Choice to Norah Jones, Joss Stone, Nickelback and so on. Nothing helped. My mind just bounced along with the uptempo (it didn't get tired, whatsoever), and wandered along the downtempo music...

My beading table, just the way it is....

I've pulled out the Wii Fit, off course I didn't recognise it at first because of all the dust on it. I had to search for the Wii remote, had to change the batteries in both the remote and the board. Then I had to search for the cd, because it wasn't in it's tray. Had to search for the nicest training pants and finally, after 35 minutes of setting up I managed to do an hour of Wii-fittingthingies. I even broke a little sweat. After that I hopped into the shower, to relax and unwind. Put on my pj's and went to the attic for another go. Results: 3 more WIP's. I've given up.

Some firepolished glass beadies

Maybe I'll just have to let the beads be for a while..... But I'll miss them..

Some of my crystal beads....

August endings...

Time just flies by! Again a fabulous weekend. Yesterday we went to Antwerpen in Belgium. We did a little shopping and a little sightseeing. There is a store that sells more than 7000 magazines, from all over the world. I allready got subscriptions to both Bead & Button and Beadwork. In the past I had subscriptions to Step by Step beads and Beadstyle, but ended them because they weren't interesting enough to me... But when I stepped into this store I saw so much more magazines. I picked up Beads (a UK magazine), Bead Unique and Handcrafted Jewelry (special issue). I couldn't wait to get home to dive into them! Beads is a totally different magazine than the ones I've read so regularly. Really refreshing. I also like that, when there are announcements for shows and such it doesn't require a worldtravel to go to them. (Not that I think it's likely for me to take the boat to go to a beadshow in the UK, but it is easier to accomplish than a trip to the States!) Bead Unique is also different than the mags I have, and they had some lovely interviews and projects in it. I would actually consider to subscribe... The Handcrafted Jewelry is more focussed on making your own pendants, with stamping, claywork, resin, fabric and metalwork. I really like the projects in it, but it requires a lot of new tools and stuff to try them out. I'll keep them for later....

Dull bought new inlineskates. I really love to skate, but he had never done this and was a little scared to try it. But he did want to try, so that's why we bought them...

When we drove home, we stopped by my sister in law, and watched their holidayhomemovie. We had a nice time, but I was really tired, so we went home at a reasonable hour.

Today I've worked on my kit. I am nearly finished and planning on making it in Dutch for a local store, and jewelryparties, and I'll make an English version to sell trough Etsy/Artfire. I love doing this, this first kit will be a beginner-kit, but I guess I can try to make some advanced kits later on.... Also, Dull tried out his skates today, I had a bit of a laugh, but he looked adorable with his arms all around and the unbalanced positions he got himself into. But he's getting there...

I harvested some tomatoes today! They taste just like the sun... Lovely! Next year we will try and grow some more vegetables in our backyard.

Well, this is another collection of loose messages, but it gives you an idea about my weekend, I hope yours was as wonderful as mine!

Hot! And awaitment rewarded...

Finally, my beads arrived yesterday! The shipment was checked and billed by customs, so I had to pay extra. Not fun! But the beads are fun! I didn't take a picture of them, because they are seedbeads, so nothing much to see there.

As always, new things make me want to clean up the old ones, so the attic is one explosion of beads. I decided to switch the tubes that hold the beads, making one giant shuffle-hassle-fuss, and making me wonder why I started doing it in the first place. So I decided I could continue tomorrow and left the attic as I created it: One giant beadsoup!

Wheater is extremely hot, so I took the afternoon off to enjoy it. When I sat in the garden I wondered why I did take the afternoon off, because we got airco at the office and our backyard is south-oriented, so extremely hot! And I am not really a sunbathing-type of gal... Oh well. It was a good afternoon, and I got the chance to read some backissues of beadmagazines, so I am up to date again.

I got some orders from a co-worker who is going on a cruise in 3 weeks. She wanted some basic designed chokertype necklaces in summery colors. I love getting orders with a bit of freehand. I find it easier to design something with the person who's going to wear it in mind, than designing from scratch. I've started a couple of things, but haven't finished anything yet. And with the beadsoup-explosion-attic warmed up by the sun, I guess it will take a couple of days for me to finish them up.

Last night I went to the gym with my sis for a Zumba-lesson. It's a fun lesson, with a lot of bootyshaking. And that booty has a lot to shake nowadays.... Don't know yet if we're going to make it a weekly thing though... I am going to take a course in Bookkeeping in September, and I don't like to have my week entirely filled up with things-to-do.

Well, nothing more to tell here, I am off to bed.

Okay, this pic has nothing to do with my post, but I love looking at it when wheater is this hot...

Planning on making a kit...

A lot of people around me are starting with or picking up all sorts of crafts. I don't know if it's got to do with the ending of summer, the financial situation in the world or just because they feel like it. Now, I love my crafts! I have been beading for ten years, almost non stop, and in addition I have put some attempts at sewing, knitting and crocheting (all with and without beads). I find I can empty my mind while beading a repetitive structure, or while sorting my beads, it gives me the chance to order my thoughts. Because of the effect it has on me I have tried to put other people to the crafttable, sometimes with lovely results.

My sister however, hates beading. I have tried to put the beadingvirus on her, and sometimes I got her to sit down with some beads and wire. She has made a charmnecklace once, but all other attempts results in a lot of sighing and in the end she would go watch TV. My mom does love beading, so I can sit down with her and bead, but I am really disappointed that my sis won't bead with us.

Now, about spreading the beadingbliss... I have found that a lot of people don't know where to start, there are so many beads, so many stitches, so many supplies and so many styles. Well, you've got to ask yourself: Am I a teeny-tiny seedbead person, or the chunkybead kinda gal? I have given some workshops and found out that working with seedbeads scares the most of people. So I have written instructions for a pretty basic bracelet and am planning on selling it as a kit. I think that a kit makes it easy for people to try a new craft without buying a lot of stuff to find out that it's not for them...

The bracelet didn't do well on the pics, because I used a white background... But you'll get the idea.

So what do you think? Is this a good idea? I am making the kit in different colorcombo's, with the needle and conditioned thread in the package. So when you get the kit you can start straight away.

Waiting and anticipating

I am waiting.... waiting for the mailman to bring me some goodies! But he isn't running fast this time. I am waiting for some beads and a book. The beadorder is a result of a previous bookorder; I received 'Shaped Beadwork' a couple of weeks ago, and it's packed with things I want to try, but I figured I needed some delica's. So I ordered them a little bit over a week ago. And now I'll have to wait. And wait. And. Wait.....
I am not very good at waiting, can you tell? But do you know what the thing is about waiting? While you wait for your stuff, you make up in your head how it's going to be. F.I., when you are little and know that your birthday is coming up, you just can't wait. I literally counted the days until it was The Day. The Day always was a great day. However, when I got older it shifted. The waiting was sometimes better then the fulfullment of the anticipation. I have ordered books, waited and waited, dreaming about all the things I could learn. And then the doorbell rang... And the books were a disappointment... But I like the dreaming, and okay, the waiting as well. A wee little bit that is....

A winner!

Allright everybody, 10 people participated in my give-away.... My First Give-Away! Not bad... not bad at all, I think. I thank you all for the great replies. The winner is:

annaelizc said...
I love that turquoise/purple combo!A personal fave combo of mine is lime green and chocolate (!) think it must come from the sweets! LOL!I have linked you on my blog roll :)Anna

So Anna, please mail me your adress and I will send you the pendant!!!

For the ones who didn't win, please keep folowing me, because I am planning to do another give-away in two weeks or so! And now I am off to see if I can make anything in limegreen and chocolate. Beaded, that is... However, I would love a piece of chocolate...

Augustweekend

Welllllll, I just came out of the shower, realising our house needs a big clean-up. But I really don't feel like scrubbing, vacuming and mopping.... I think I'll go blowdry my hair, put on a nice outfit and go to the market with mom. Cleaning up can wait, right? RIGHT! Well, it's not that bad anyways.

Dull is working today and I really need some new ribbons and buttons.... Don't know for what, but I do need them, I sometimes wake up with such a feeling: I need it. And as long as it doesn't involve Manolo's or Porsche's I guess it's okay to give in. Ribbons and buttons are cheap, so a few bucks to make me feel happy are well spent bucks, right? RIGHT!

Weekend will be laid back, since soccer has started again and the first game was not a bad one, guess we will stay home to watch the second game on the television. Nice and quiet, NOT!

I got inspired by the banglebracelet I made, and took the design to make a choker with it. I like how it turned out, don't think I am a warm-metal kind of gal (copper, gold and brass). I like the cold metals better (silver, steel). But maybe it's just a getting-used-to kind of thing....

Have a good weekend and get back tomorrow for the drawing for the Give-Away!!

Another weekend...

has passed. Boy, time goes fast! As I said: I had dinner with my best friend on Friday, we went for Tapas. We had reservations at eight, but we decided to go a wee bit earlier, because we were really hungry. It was a fabulous night. The tapas tasted great, and I guess we ate enough garlic for the rest of August... We didn't make it late, I was in bed by eleven. Which was nice, because I haven't been sleeping well recently.

On Saturday we continued our search for good thriftshops. It seems like we found one! It's a real big one, and it doesn't has that paticular smell you seem to find in a lot of thriftshops here. We bought some stuff of course... A black chair for the bedroom, some books and this little thing:

It wasn't cheap, almost 10 euro's, but since we both liked it really much we decided to take it with us. Guess it will end up in the bedroom as well. On the top of the coffeepot there's this bangle I made this weekend:

I made it with copper wire, which has been lying around for ages. And since copper seems to be the new hype (I know, it's around for some time now, but when it comes to trends, I am a tad slow...) I thought I would give this a go. I used some fallcolored jeweltoned firepolished glass and I really like the way it turned out!

Talking about turning out nicely; this is something I really don't know what to do with:

These flowers are made with glass dagger beads and copperwire. I started to make a wirewrapped link chain with it, but it really doesn't work out well, the flowers keep turning the wrong way, and I guess the 4 wired links won't feel nice on one's skin, so this one will end up in the do-over box. (Which is totally cleaned out by mom, so she would have some beads to play with.)

And then there was Sunday. The soccerseason has started again, which means that Dull will be at De Kuip every other Sunday. Usually I will do something with friends, or my sister. Yesterday I stayed at home. Doing a little household chores, laundry and off course I listened to the game on the radio. Bailey was laying around on our bed all day long and everytime I entered the room she would strike a different pose. She was really being a Mata Hari! Even when I got the camera she was still rolling around. Silly little thing!

We bought the bedspread in Thailand, maybe there's something in it that makes here feel all cosy and comfy?!