I am still alive...

I swear, I am still alive! We are all moved in and our tiny new house is busting at the seams. All of my fabric, art supplies, beads, sewing gear and crafty things are put away and ready to get to business; Etsy stuff is being sorted and readied for photographs, and beading will ensue tonight. Which means, with any luck, that I should be able to post pics tomorrow of some wrapped-up projects!!! I hope!

Also, I've been considering subscribing to Netflix so that I can have some form of entertainment for the countless hours spent working on jewelry. I've tried listening to music, but sometimes that's just not enough. "Watching" (really just sort of looking up now and again) movies helps me spend more time happily beading, though it does mean it probably takes me longer to do the work. The issue is that I'm a multi-tasker. I don't like to do just one thing at a time, and I like to be doing something with my hands almost constantly. This means that I try to read books while cooking and eating, read books in bed, read books while beading (don't even try, doesn't work) and listen to music while painting and drawing. I really do read a lot! Aside from movies and music, though, are there any other ways you keep your mind and hands busy at the same time? I feel like artistic purists out there are going to say "just concentrate on what you're doing! No distractions!" -- but really, that's so much easier said than done.

Ideas are welcome!

A Brief Hiatus During Which You Should Enjoy This Puppy-Sized Entertainment

Well, in all of four days we'll be moving back to Oklahoma (we've been living elsewhere for a summer internship); until then, we'll be packing, cleaning and cross-country driving! So I'll be away from beading and blogging for a bit. I thought I should do a quick update before we leave and I am incommunicado- but mostly I've just been dabbling. The image above is the start of an experiment in raised beadwork, inspired by Lynn's (BeadingHeartArt) Tuscarora Tuesdays.

I also went bead shopping, where I clearly was stuck on cool colors, although that was entirely unintentional. The ropes of beads were a gift from my very sweet Mother-in-law. I've already started putting these beads to use as:

BAM! Beadweaving trial-and-error. I've never tried this before, either, and it's been fun- I'm definitely not doing it super-perfectly by-the-book, though. I just wanted to see if I enjoyed it by trying a simple project first! It's been very different from bead embroidery. I don't like following directions! I actually have a fine arts degree with an emphasis in printmaking, and that was the one thing that caused me so many problems. I'm not very process-minded or orderly and I hate prep-work. I don't even like to follow recipes exactly! So beadweaving may be a serious challenge.

Also- the gradations in that photo are what the necklace really looks like, it's not the lighting. It goes from bluey-purple to pinky-purple.


NOW! On to the puppies!

(Handsome) Henry
Henry is really more my baby than my husband's. He basically acts like a toddler. I have no idea if he'll outgrow that as he gets older.

(Dangerous[ly adorable]) Zilla
Zilla was named after Godzilla- I realize that this photo makes her look like a sweet little darling baby, but she is completely insane. She plays rough, isn't scared of anything but precipitation and treats Henry like any older sister treats their younger sibling. She's a daddy's girl.

Now I know you're thinking, Oh my gosh! Are they always that adorable and normal-looking? And the answer is no. They are hardly ever normal-looking or -acting, even. And they love to fight (they really are like kids, biting, nap time, sibling rivalry and all). Let's look at some of their scarier faces.

Devious

Terrifying

Note the demon-fire in her eyes
(click photo to enlarge)

I especially like Henry's dumb face in this photo

That's right! Even with her leg in a cast, Zilla is vicious. Don't underestimate.
You've been warned.