Yep, I finished my necklace a few days ago, but just got around to taking photos and posting them.  Here they are.

So there it is.  Tah Dah!      How I worked this up is like this.  I did a peyote band, then hung the shell coins on the bottom.  Then I just took some assorted colors that went with the shell coins, and attached them spike style.  This one took a few hours, but believe it or not, I think I got the spiking done in about 6 hours total.  Probably about a 10-12 hour project for me.

Now to show you what I started two days ago.  First it is a double spiral rope.  This is from a design in Bead and Button Magazine by an artist named Alicia Shems.  You can go to Bead and Button and find this in their designs to download.  So I just started it on Thursday Night and I did some work to it just to get a good start for Friday night.  Here was my first hour of progress or so.

I just wanted to get my colors together, and try a little trial to see how it would go.  So for Friday, I think I added about 6 more inches to this one.  Total of about three hours after Friday.

Now that it is Saturday, I’ve finished about 11 inches of it.  A few more inches to go.  At this rate maybe I will be able to get some Christmas presents done after all.  This is only the second spiral rope that I have ever done.  I really like how they come together.  This is a little different version of it for sure.

As for now, I think I’m catching a cold.  I’ll see you guys later, and thanks for dropping in.

C

Just wanted you guys to see the necklace I’ve been working on.   I have been adding spikes to the peyote band of the shell coin necklace.  Here is my progression so far.

See 2/3 done, or is it 4/5ths.  Anyway, I am glad.  This necklace has been on my work table for a little too long.  But that is okay.  I’m loving how it is looking now though.

I just love this style of free form.  It works so well for me because I have so many random beads, and I love to put the colors together and just have fun with all sorts of beads.

Love those tight shots too.

See, my one loop didn’t work and the necklace was a little tight, so I added a couple of more loops to it.  Each time I added a loop though, I made sure to go through the loop several times, as many as would allow to firm it up, and keep it as strong as possible.

And here is a couple of my earliest projects.

Obviously when I was still putting clasps on my bracelets.   Don’t do that anymore.  My hands can’t take it.

Plus, I was always getting the tension wrong on the ends, or exposing threads, or using too much thread that I couldn’t go through the path that I wanted…..you all know.

And another one, using 4mm druk beads, right angle weave, and 8’s cylinders for the dangles.

And I put this cute vintage button on the end of this one.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by again folks.

We will show you the end results soon.  Hopefully later today.

Gotta go jog first though.  Beautiful day today!

C

I’ve been adding spikes to my necklace.  I wanted to cover my simple peyote band with loops of beads or some such, so I went for spikes.  I haven’t done them like this before as a 3-d structural layer.  But this is how they look.

So I as you can see I’m using a variant mix of coloring, using glass pearls, and czech glass beads.

I want to do this all the way across.

Now for some close ups.  Love my macro lens.

This is the loop end.  I had to add a couple of loops for adjusting the size.

So that is what I’ve been working on.  I have to stop though soon as I have some christmas projects I have to get going on.  I have about 6 weeks after Halloween to get my stuff done.  Obviously I save these projects for times when I can.  This one has been on my tray for about six weeks already.  Though I’ve probably only put about 15 hours in it.   I found Hulu…dang it.

Thanks for checking me out.  Come back soon.

C

Here are some beautiful dogs we saw in Hannibal two weekends ago:

I have a few more photos of these guys.  Aren’t they gorgeous.

Here is the latest necklace I’ve been working on.  I still have to add stuff to the peyote band.  Those photos will be next.

A little bit of a close up.

Thanks for checking up with me.  I will post more photos when I come home from work.

See you later.

C

Yep, it was homecoming in Columbia yesterday.  I took my happy little body to the parade early in the morning, instead of staying in my warm house under my bed covers.  It’s a rare thing for me to stay up these days.  So I grabbed my camera and headed downtown.  This is what I saw.

I realized that you can’t always get vantage points like this so I started walking in the middle of the road and taking some shots of some of the stores that line the streets.  Some views are from behind the crowds, and as I get toward 9th street I was able to be in the middle of the street shooting photos.

This building started out as the Daniel Boone Hotel and Tavern, it was converted several years ago for use as Columbia City Council space and other Columbia City business uses.  This building saw such dignitaries as Harry Truman and others from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.  It was probably used as a hotel until the 70’s.   I was lucky enough the get a piece of furniture from this place.  It is a portable bar that they could discreetly roll into patrons rooms if the wanted to have their drinks.

I digress.

This is one of the old theaters in town.  The Hall Theater.  They saved the building, and I think it is still intact in there, but in the front part of the building has been converted to a Panera’s Bread store and bakery.

This building, currently called City Centre was once the Montgomery Ward store of the 40’s and 50’s era.  It has been restored, though I don’t think the interior was saved, but it is beautiful inside the main lobby.

I ran into my old school mate Carl and his son Max.

Carl’s  beautiful wife, she is a teacher at Oakland now.

And Carl’s older son Vince.  So I parked myself with them and helped the kids, scoop up candy.  I have to say there was not a lot of candy throwing going on though.

And the parade begins.

Missouri Mules!

and then my battery died.  Oh how I need a back up battery.  I should have grabbed the other camera.

Either way, lots of folks, fun had by all.

I hope you enjoyed the post.   Next up, more Hannibal shots, and the latest necklace I’ve been creating.

Take care and see you soon.

We went to the Hannibal Folklife Festival.  Quite the turn out as usual.  It had  been four years since we had gone there….it was an anniversary for us, as this is where we spent out honeymoon…and there was this festival going on.

four blocks, 100 or so vendors and a few thousand folks all jammed together…sounds like fun!

See, tons of people all crammed together….good food, good music and ancient buildings….well 100 year old’s anyway.

Of course I took my macro lens which I figured would look great, but unfortunately you have to stand pretty far back.  Though the lens is a killer lens, which is why I usually have it on the camera.  Besides I love portraits.

Okay,  I made my husband hold the camera, he got about eight of me before I walked up to the camera….But see the quality…excellent.

It’s the Mississippi River!

Anyway, back to the festival.  Fell in love with this old building.  It is now the Drug store museum…built in 1839 and one of the oldest buildings in Hannibal.

Here is the other side of the Drug Store building.  They were putting a new coat of paint on the back side of this building.  Directly behind that is the Justice of the Peace where Samuel Clemens father worked as a Lawyer.  This is all the “historic square of Hannibal”.  Come on I’ll show you more.

This building is one the same street and almost directly across from Samuel Clemens boyhood home.

I love this old building.  Mainly because it is so short and small, before building requirements made things so uniform.  It is elegant inside.  Across the street from this home is the “Becky Thatcher” house, were the little girl lived that inspired that character for “Huckleberry Finn” and “Tom Sawyer”.

See my issue with the macro lens….this was standing all the way across the street.

I actually got a shot of my husband!

Well, I took lots of pictures, as did my husband…so I have some good things to show you in the coming days.

Thanks for checking with me.  I will put on some beading posts soon. I took a picture of my progression with my white necklace with the shell coins.  I will upload those tomorrow.

Thanks

C

Okay, Dad shots.

He probably thinks I’m a freak.  Every time I come over I take a few pictures of him.

This is is the “no you can’t borrow 20 bucks” look.

He’s looking……

at the maps feature on my phone.  He’s showing me his boyhood home in St. Louis, and showing me around the neighborhood.

I usually take pictures of him in the kitchen because I visit at dinner preparation time.  The light is better….but my macro lens means that I can’t stand back too far, but the close ups are nice.

I also took these photos.

This is the new kittie that showed up at our house a few weeks ago.  He had a flea collar on….If you know of this kitty, please write to me in the comment section.

Thanks for checking with me.  I will take some more pictures of my current beading projects coming soon.  I have finally finished the dangles, but am adding the border.  Now I want to fill in the rest of the band.   Then it is time to concentrate on my Christmas projects.

Thanks

C

So I will show you a little more craft show pictures, because that is what I have lately.

folks brought out the dogs!

Oops, I got spotted.

Now he acts like a shy dog.

This little beauty got all dressed up, then covered by a brand new blanket!

and then my camera battery died.

Goodnight friends.

See you soon

c

So two weekends ago was the Roots and Blues Festival where I brought my camera along. Unfortunately we got there fairly late on Friday night and a little earlier on Saturday night.

See, very dark.

This couple was dancing on the sidewalks.

I actually found Angie, who was with John.

And I turned around and there was Dave and Anita.  I had not seen them in years.

Then came Saturday!  I’ll post more tomorrow.

thanks for stopping by

C

this weekend in Hatton.  My first time.

Just some of the things I saw.  Unfortunately my batteries were not as charged as I thought! Dang.

See you next time.

C