Mirrix Loom For Sale

Hi ho, everyone!  I hope all of my friends out there in blogland are doing well.  I have an Ebay listing up right now.  I have an 8" Mirrix Lani Loom that I have never used that I am selling.  If you are interested, please click here to go to the listing.  There are about 3 1/2 days left to bid, or you can buy it outright now for 50% off the current list price.  The opening bid is $50.00.  There is only one bid right now, but there are 8 people watching it, so I expect there will be bids close to when it ends.  Here is a photo of what will come in the box:

On beady news, I've got nothing.  I strung a necklace on beading wire with just a mix of beads and there 2 beads on it that are making me not like it.  I need to restring it and get those beads off.  It's on a stand on my kitchen counter and I wrinkle my nose and make the icky face when I pass it by.  Other than that, nothing really.  Ever since I worked on and finished the book projects, things have really quieted down for a while.  I think part of it was because I was so intensely working on those things that I got a little worn out and now need a break.

What is on your table?  Share with me.  Or drop me a note and just say hi.  Anyone is welcome to email me at anytime at indigosbeads@live.com.  Hope to hear from you!

would you like to see something?

I have good news for those of you who read my last post.  Matthew's blood work came back with  no problems!  Yea!  Now we're just waiting for word on his ultrasound.  Praying that turns out ok too.  The confusing part is, if those two things are normal, what could possibly be causing the blood in the urine?  It will be interesting to hear what the final diagnosis is.  But, first we have to get good results on the ultrasound.  Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming for my little guy!!!  (And thank you so much to those of you who have already been doing that for us.)

As for the book, I've got 3 projects completed and ready to send out.  I was working on a 4th, but it just wasn't coming together smoothly, and we are going to scrap the idea.  I'm going to brainstorm some other ideas.  In the meantime I beaded something just because I wanted to, and I thought it would be perfect for this month's Bead Journal Project.  As you may know, my projects each month are to learn at least one new beadweaving stitch and make something pretty with it.  This month was a little different.  I didn't take an idea of a basic stitch and create my own thing around it.  For this month I think I may have created a new method of my very own.  At least I've never heard of or seen it done this way.

I was just playing around, letting my subconscious take over.  I had an inkling of an idea on making something with lots of fringe.  So if I had a lot of fringe, I would need a base to make the fringe come off, right?  I thought about just a string of beads as the core, and I also thought about a narrow square stitch band.  My fingers didn't do either of those.  I don't even know how to explain what I did.  The core twists and curves throughout the core, sometimes peeking out, sometimes staying hidden, while the beads just mix and mingle all around it.  And there is no fringe in the final piece.  Funny how that works.

After I finished it I reflected on it for a while.  The only word that came to mind was "abundance".  This bracelet looked to me like a cornucopia of beady yumminess.  Then it made me think of all the abundant things I have in my life, despite hiccups and struggles that I sometimes tell you about.  I have an abundance of love.  I have an abundance of joy.  I have an abundance of blessings in my life.  Therefore, this bracelet is called "Abundance".  I would have loved to make a necklace, but that would have taken about a gazillion beads which I just don't have.  Here are two pics of my bracelet...

Abundance

You can click for a larger view.  I just love the mixture of colors, textures, shapes and sizes.  It just makes me feel happy when I look at it.

So there you have it.  I finally have something done that you can actually look at and isn't book related.  I hope you like it!

Say some prayers, light a candle, have good thoughts...whatever it is that you do.

I've been pretty worried about my son, Matthew.  He went to the pediatrician on August 1st for a routine physical for football, some booster shots and an asthma check up.  And he peed in a cup.  I got a call from the doctor's office that they did a paper strip test and it showed positive for microscopic blood in his urine.  They had us go to the lab for a better test, and it came back with the same results.  They want to find out if he's got any kidney disease or abnormalities that would be causing the blood.  We had to go yesterday to get 3 vials of blood drawn for a blood work up.  I am happy to report that I got a call from the doctor's office today and those tests came back fine.  He had one more test this afternoon.  He had an ultrasound of his kidneys and bladder.  Of course the ultrasound tech won't tell you squat, so we have to wait until next week to hear anything about the results of that test.  He's concerned.  Questions like, "will they have to cut me ope?" and "what if I die?" don't make me a very happy mommy. 

So, whatever it is that you do to get out the good juju, please do it for my little guy, Matthew.  He's such a good kid and deserves good vibes.

At the same time, Jeff got laid off again on Thursday.  The fortunate thing was that he worked just long enough for our insurance to kick in on August 1st to help pay for all these tests.  Bad thing is, our savings won't hold out much longer.  Put out some good juju for my big guy, too.  We need him to get back to work quickly.  The jobs are coming in through the union quicker now than they were 6 months ago, which is a very good thing.  I get nervous when I hear talk about a double-dip recession and worry that the work will dry up again.

Please keep my family in your thoughts.  Thank you.

Been in hiding...is anyone still out there?

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last posted already!  Is anyone still out there paying any attention to my little corner of the world?  Raise your hand and say, "Here!"  I heard something faintly, so maybe there are a few of you left.

I have not been hiding.  I've actually been very very busy.  I am getting my projects done for the book, and that has taken up all my time.  One project I did and redid 6 times to get it just right...whether it be something not quite right in the beads or not quite right in the photo.  If it was a problem with the photo I'd have to redo the project to get to that point to retake that particular photo and get it right.  Another project I had to take 4 inches out of (and that was A LOT of work!)

In addition to the beading I take all of the step by step photos and correct them all in Photoshop to get them as ready as possible for publication.  One photo takes 20-30 minutes.  That equals out to approximately 5 hours per project just fixing photos.  Then I had to write all the instructions, pass them back and forth to the author for edits and tweaks, and then do the final copy in the final formatting. Oh and then put them on CD. Whew!  There's been a lot to do for 3 projects!  And I still have one more project to do.  But this one is a little tougher because I need an extra set of hands to take photos.  In one of my projects in the book you'll see my son Matthew's hands!  :)  He was being such a good hand model for me.  :)

On top of all that, it's about the end of summer and I've been getting the kids ready for school to start.  They go back this Monday, the 8th.  Matthew has been soooo bored and can't wait to go back.  Sara is somewhat excited, and Sami just wants to stay home.  I think she'll enjoy this year a little more than last because she was able to take a couple of electives that she is really interested in...photography and intro to psychology.  So maybe it will offset all those Honors classes she has to work so hard in.

Had to take the two little ones to the pediatrician's office.  Matthew had to get a physical for football, get his asthma med prescriptions written, and get two immunizations that are required for 6th grade. Lots of money has been emptying out the past couple weeks!  ugh!  We try and try to get a little ahead, but there's always something.  I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.

When I was in high school we got our schedules in the mail and we showed up on the first day.  Now it's an entire production and huge ordeal...and expensive.  I never had to pay for anything in high school.  Now it costs a fortune to go to public school.  In order to register for school you have to show up on registration day, go to the library and take a number.  Take a number.  Really?  I don't want to go to the school and take a number and sit.  oh well.  When your number is called you have to go down the line and hand in certain papers to specific people out of the packet we were mailed and told to fill in ahead of time.  Then you had to go get your schedule.  Sami was a lucky one who got a blue paper, which meant there was a problem with her schedule and we had to take do an extra step and go see the guidance counselor.  After we dealt with that we went to the lecture hall and guess what we did!  Took another number.  And sat and waited.  Then we had to pay all the fees, get a locker assigned and then take the photo and get a student ID.  Then, finally, you got in line to get your text books checked out.  What an ordeal!!!! 

On the beady side, I got something in the mail today!  Do you remember the Picasso Jasper cab I got a while back? Here is a pic of it again in case you forgot...

Gorgeous, isn't it???!!!  Well, I got something in the mail today from over at Believe Jewelry Supply on Etsy.  She has amazing beads, some very pretty finished work and FABULOUS prices!!!!  Go check her out!

Anyways, I got a fantastically beautiful string of Picasso Jasper coins to go with the cab I got.  What do you think of these?

And the other sides of all of them...(click for a larger view)

I am SO excited to work with these and make something stunning very soon.  I'm still in book mode, but soon I'll switch gears and get back into create for myself mode.  I'm very sorry I can't show anything I've been working so hard on, but of course I can't ruin the surprise of the finished book, right?

Drop me a line and tell me what you've been up to.  I know I have been neglecting a lot of blog reading and commenting, and I apologize for that.  I will get back into the swing of things very soon.  Hope you all have a super weekend!  Bead Happy!