All in the Family (and some beady things too!)

What is more wholesome and family-oriented than little league baseball on a spring evening with families all around rooting on the kids playing the all American game?  Nothing in my book.  It's about as good as it gets.  Just some highlights from Monday's game.  Matthew pitched a great game, as usual.  He doesn't have the strongest arm and fastest pitch yet, but he is very accurate and gets them swinging and missing.  Sara plays 2nd base and when Matthew isn't pitching he plays Short Stop.  So the batter hits the ball - a pop fly - and Sara catches it for an out!  Then she is quick enough to realize the kid on 2nd ran on the pop fly so she turned and threw it to Matthew who ran over to cover the bag.  He caught it and made the out at 2nd for a double play by the Criswell kids!  woohoo!

As the game was winding down, the other team had the last at bat.  We were already ahead by 6 or 7 runs, so there was no way we could lose the game.  In our league at this level you can't score more than 5 runs in an inning to prevent anyone from getting completely crushed and dominated.  So even if the other team scored all 5 of their runs, we'd still win.  So Jeff, my DH and the kids' coach, decided to have some fun out there.  He switched everyone's positions and told them where they were going to play.  All but Sara.  She asked where she was going.  He said, "You're pitching!"  She had a serious heart attack and you could hear her panicked scream, "Noooooo!" in the bleachers.  He whispered to her, put one hand on her shoulders and one hand on her chest (which he said later her heart was racing like crazy) and gave her his vote of confidence in his calming daddy way.  So she went up to the mound and gave her first warm up pitch. (Mind you, she's never ever pitched before.)  It went straight down the pike!!!!  Let me tell you, once those kids got up there to bat she really held her own.  I think we have another pitcher in the family.  With some practice I think next year she's going to be pitching and striking a whole lot of boys out.  We were so proud!  So much fun, let me tell you.

We also got their baseball photos on Monday.  Here is Sara (9) and Matthew (11)...

And this next photo is pretty special.  It has 3 generations of Criswell's participating in Little League.  Jeff is the head coach, my fil is an assistant coach, and our two kids...grandpa, daddy and little ones.  How neat is that?!?

I'm so proud of my family, and I love them all so very much!

On to beady things to give you an update.  I worked on a new necklace for two days, thought it was a horribly ugly monstrosity and ripped it apart and resorted the beads today.  Started working on another new stitch, once again inspired by Mandy over at Beads for Brains: 365.  Maybe will have something new to show in a few days.

Also, I am going to formally start promoting myself as a teacher and work on getting together some small groups to teach stitches and techniques to in my home maybe once a month.  Won't that be fun?!  If you live in the Phoenix Metro area and want to take some very affordable classes and make your own beautiful custom jewelry, please contact me.  If you haven't beaded before, don't be afraid...I'll make it very understandable and enjoyable!  For those of you who have done some beading, maybe you'll learn a new thing or two and have some good company for a girl's afternoon.  If you know people who live in my area, please pass along the word.  I will provide a kit in their color choice to include beads, clasp, etc., a set of written instructions to take home and a link to a private youtube video showing how to finish off the clasp if they don't get to that point by the end of class.  All that for a mere $25!!!!  A screaming deal!!!!!  So please help me out and spread the word.  I would really appreciate some help in the blog world network...remember...sunny Phoenix!  (Actually I'm in Scottsdale, but easy access from anywhere in the Valley.)

I hope everyone is having a very happy week!  Getting kind of bored and lonely all day here by myself...drop me a line!

Same set, different pic

I really didn't mess up the bottom loop of my necklace.  I retook the photos and decided to post them so that everyone could see it is super pretty all the way around.  Thank you again to Artbeads.com for having such a great theme...Winter Enchantment.  To read full details and all the info on the products I used, please read the previous post.  Thank you!

I posted this to my Etsy site.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

February BJP and Winter Enchantment Artbeads Project!

It's time!  I've been telling you that I've got some pretty things to show you.  I got them done today...both sets...and I can't wait for you to see what I've learned!  I've got two sets to show, one for the BJP for February, and one for my Artbeads.com Winter Enchantment themed project, so stay tuned in for all the pics.  Here we go!

First up, I'm going to tell you about my BJP project for February.  If you read my post on last month, you'll remember that my goal this year is to learn at least 1 new beadweaving stitch per month and make a jewelry set using that stitch.  Last month I learned wire crochet.  This month it is the flat spiral.  I just adore this stitch!  I can tell that it will be one that I use quite often in the future.  I watched a video many times to get the idea of what I was going to be doing.  The video suggested 6mm bicones for the center and 4mm bicones for the edges, along with 11/0 seed beads.  I found a mix of seed beads I like called "Witche's Brew".  It's pretty and not at all witchy.  The seed beads are considered 11's, but they are smaller than Tohos or Miyukis and they are not real regular.  That meant that I had to adjust the number of seed beads I used in my set as compared to what the video said to do.  Then, I didn't want to do just bicones.  I found at that same store by me some strands of what I think is Hematite.  The beads are 6-sided, so they have a very interesting cut to them.  Although they are 6mm, they are actually a tad bigger than bicones, so again I had to adjust.  But, no problem!  I just played for a little while until I got it right.

I actually had some problems with this when I first started.  Ok...a LOT of problems. lol.  The first two times I started the side loops weren't laying correctly.  It took the third try to get the hang of it.  The first bracelet I made was entirely too huge, so I took the completed bracelet apart and started over.  Then on the necklace when i was just knotting off the final end on one of the sides, the string got all wonky and the whole thing was ruined because I couldn't get out that half-hitch knot.  I had to take it all apart as well and start THAT one completely over.  As you can imagine, I gots TONS of practice with this stitch! :)

Sometime last summer I was at a store and found a dragonfly pendant that I really loved, but I had no idea what I was going to do with.  Isn't it amazing how the perfect thing just jumps out of your stash to complete a project?  I love dragonflies.  For some reason they cause me to stop and reflect when I see one buzzing around.  It's amazing to me that here in the desert where there's no water for miles I'll just suddenly see a dragonfly.  It's seems so special that this dragonfly showed up just for me to see its beauty that I just stop and admire it.  It's almost as if they try to whisper something to me with their wings fluttering in the air.

This set I call Dragonfly at Midnight.  Things have been a little dark these days for me...personal problems that I'm sure you would have no interest in.  But what this set says to me that even in the darkness their is a glimmer of beauty and magic.  Here are some pics of what I have created for the February BJP...

Dragonfly at Midnight

I was so very excited when I finished up this set!  I think it's probably my favorite things I've ever made.  They look so gorgeous on.  The Hematite is heavy, so it's got a great feel to it...slinky but not flimsy.  As soon as I finished this up and took a step back and looked at what I did, my mood lifted and really made my day.

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On to round 2!!!  I was super excited today when I finished my Winter Enchantment project for Artbeads.com.  You all know how much I love Artbeads, so any time I get new orders from them is a good day for me.

I realize that much of the country is bound tight in the grasp of terrible storms, and most of you are probably sick of snow and ice.  But for me in the desert, thinking of a winter wonderland makes me happy.  When I got the email saying what the theme was, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I used the same flat spiral stitch, but I used my favorite seed beads...Tohos.  In this project I used 11/0 Silver-Lined Crystal, and boy do they sparkle!  To compliment the side loops I used Swarovski 4mm bicones.  I searched and searched until I found the perfect focal point...a Swarovski  30mm Cosmic Ring, also in crystal.  I have always wanted to use the cosmic rings, but didn't know what to do with them.  This was the perfect necklace!  And I tell you, I was certainly not disappointed when I opened it!  It's thick and weighty, just feels good.  And the glimmer of it is gorgeous!  I have to say, though, that I'm super afraid of dropping my necklace with my clumsy hands I have and cracking that thing right apart.  I don't know how easily they would break, but I definitely don't want to find out!!!

Now, I thought about using Swarovski pearls, but I have to admit that I just couldn't afford them this go-around.  After searching for something else I came across Druk 6mm beads in Crystal Luster.  They really worked out well!  For the clasp I thought the logical thing to do would be to go with a silver one.  But something just kept nagging at me and told me to go with gold.  I just think it adds a little extra pop right there at the end.  Some people may differ with me, but I think the TierraCast Antique Gold Leaf Clasp set really did the trick.  I also used simple gold-filled ear wires for the earrings.

When Michelle put on the set I just grinned from ear to ear!  It looked so pretty on her.  I think this set is so versatile...with a little black dress for a night out on the town, dressing up a casual outfit for some real bling, and I think it would be beautiful as a wedding set.  Artbeads never lets me down.  Here are some pics for you to see.  I can't think of a name for it.  Was thinking of "Crystal Shimmer", but that sounds kind of boring.  Michelle and her sister Malissa thought the name should have something "sparkly" in it.  Do you have any ideas?

oh, bummer.  i just realized my bottom loop was pushed to the side.  guess i need to retake that shot!

Do you see how the sun just really gleams off the beads?  I love that!  I hope you all have liked what I had to show you today!  I am going to put these sets in my Etsy shop and see how that goes.  Hoping to fund some more beads.  :)

Do you like the jewelry sets I've been working on?  I hope it was worth the wait!

FTC Disclosure:  Artbeads.com has supplied me with the beads highlighted above.  No compensation has been made for my true and honest opinions of their products.

Hand Dyed Dominos

Here is another fun thing that I like doing...hand-dying dominos.  They make awesome pendants for necklaces.  You can put a glue-on bail and then just a strand of leather with a simple clasp to make a cool, unique necklace.  Or you can use them as cabochons and bead around them for fancier designs.  I have used a domino in my bead embroidery before and it turned out really neat.  Although my camera couldn't pick up the shades of red very well, so I was kind of bummed about that.  Anywhere that you can use a stone cab, you can use a dyed domino.  The colors are permanent and won't rub off or anything like that.  Here are pics of some that I have done.  If you would be interested in having one of them, let me know here or contact me offline.  I will sell them for $12 each, including shipping.  They measure 1" x 2".  Either way, leave a comment and let me know what you think of my designs.

As always, you can click on the pic for a larger view.  I am still working diligently on the embroidery piece that I showed the sneak peak of beads for.  I am about 2/3 of the way done.  I am hoping that I can get it done by tomorrow or the next day.  So stay tuned for that!  :)

I hope everyone is having a fun holiday weekend.  Please stay safe!