On A Thousand Hills

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T20:08:00.001-05:00

Another band

2008-04-17T11:58:00.005-04:00

I really like the way this pattern came out. It looks like something from Greek architecture to me. Anyway, it's available for purchase in my etsy shop if you're interested.

A couple new bracelets

2008-04-10T18:33:00.006-04:00

This bright cuff-style bracelet is from a pattern I made of an African Daisy. The etsy BeadWeavers have a monthly challenge, and this month's theme is Flowers and Flame. I thought this flower very much resembled flame. I used a pattern for a Russian leaf for the clasps. When I saw a picture of them a while back, it struck me how like a buttonhole they were, and thought they'd make a great clasp. This cuff was done in gourd stitch (what most people call peyote) with Delica seed beads. It's available to purchase in my etsy shop. Click on the picture to bring you there.

Closed, with the Russian leaf and Swarovski crystal clasp.
Lying flat it really looks like a sunrise, but you can see that it is a daisy.
This narrow gourd-stitched band has a magnetic clasp that I am putting to the test. I have never used them before, and want to know how well (or not) they will work with this bracelet. This one is done in a turquoise-color Delica, with coral-color Delica diamonds running down its length. I made one of the diamonds into a cross to show my faith in Jesus. I will be offering more of these bands in various colors and designs in my etsy shop soon. I have one that is gold-colored, with a black stripe running down its length. Go here, for that listing.

Petting The Princess.

My first (2) etsy sales! And some new stuff I've made.

2008-03-15T11:15:00.009-04:00

It took me a while, now that I'm back to homeschooling my daughter, but I finally photographed my newest things and posted (most of) them on etsy. I haven't done much beading at all in the past few weeks, now that she's back home. But some things are definitely more important than others.

"Gold and Black Beaded Wrist Band" is done in gold-colored Delicas with a black stripe of them running through. Done in gourd stitch, which, I've just found out today, is totally different than Peyote - I'd always thought, as most beaders do, that they are one and the same. This narrow bracelet would look good on a man or a woman. I used a magnetic clasp on this one.
"Feather and Turquoise Earrings" have silver-colored Delica beads, with a few turquoise chips in between. Dangling from the bottom is a beautiful pewter feather. Earwires are surgical steel.
"Beachcomber" features a shell pendant carved into a flower, with wood and bone beads making up the strand it's hung from.
"Emerald Throne" in a royal combination of green and gold, has Czech glass beads in green, with some gold highlights, beadwoven beads in gold-colored Delica seed beads, and a couple of Czech glass leaves.

"Potted Plant" never made it onto etsy. A friend at church is buying it after I re-size it for her. Thanks, Trina! The darker, no-flash picture shows the truer green iris color of the Delicas I used for the ends. I love the iridescence of the iris beads.

"Shimmering Heart bead embroidered cuff bracelet" was purchased March 4, 2008. My first etsy sale! Thank you, Michelle!!
"Sleeping Gypsy Bead Tapestry Wall Hanging" was also purchased by Michelle in Australia. I hope you LOVE it, Michelle. It was truly a "labor of love", since I had over 100 hours of work in this piece.

The pattern was the first I've done on a bead pattern program I purchased a while back. Stay tuned for more, but smaller, pieces I am planning, using this program.

If you're interested in purchasing any of the items I have listed in etsy, you can go to my shop here - On A Thousand Hills. If you're interested in one of the above-listed items, you can just click on the picture. If it's listed for sale at etsy, it will bring you right to that item in my shop.

New stuff

2008-03-08T19:12:00.008-05:00

I have new stuff made, but I still need to photograph it, then put it up on etsy. Will post it here too, when I post on etsy.com.
There's been some trials for us lately, but I'm clinging to my DADDY's strong, sure hand through it, so I know I'll get through ok.
My first week of homeschooling my daughter went well. Gym class killed her leg muscles, but you know what they say, "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."
We got the dogs out for walks a few days this week. Poor things haven't had much walking this winter. They were very excited!

Saffron - Boring! Nothing to do...

Sinemin - Doxies know how to have fun anywhere... Sorrel - Ready to pounce "Sissy" (Sinemin)

So today was a big day for my daughter and me!

2008-02-27T22:02:00.004-05:00

After 4 1/2 years back in public school, she's coming home to finish her schooling. YIKES! I'm not sure I'm ready for this! I certainly won't have the time to devote to my beading, which has taken a back seat to my emotions because of other areas of concern at the moment. But I believe it's the right thing to do. My husband doesn't even know yet. Yup, making HUGE decisions without him... BUT... IDK, we'll see what happens with him this weekend (of course my daughter won't be around to help break the news to him).

Our planned text for her last year. Except we have the 2002 version without cd, but has five study books, one for the whole shebang, and one each for math, science, social studies, and language arts - writing. Also going to hone her Spanish-speaking skills (and mine as well), get her moving with walks and self-defense videos, get her computer skills, and homemaking skills a little better. She plans on becoming a police officer someday - preferably canine police, since she loves animals and mounted police are going by the wayside - at least in our area. Wish us luck!

P.S. - I home-educated my two kids for 7 years.

My latest piece

2008-01-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

"Break Forth" is a porcelain cabochon with a beadworked bezel and beadstitched Ndbele herringbone tubular "chain" with brickstitch sections, in pretty spring pastel colors.

My first bead embroidery

2008-01-04T16:46:00.000-05:00

I just finished a recent project that I had set aside due to the month or two I took to make Christmas gifts. I was having trouble getting the edging to look right. Finally sat down with it early in the week and got it! I think this may be a new favorite stitch - or a close second to peyote anyway. I like the way it came out, and because it's my first I kind of wanted to keep it, but it's really too flashy for me, so I put it up on etsy for sale. So here it is.

Christmas gifts

2007-12-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

Here are the gifts I made for a few family members and a friend.

A suncatcher made of thousands of little seed beads for my father-in-law.

An amethyst and Swarovski crystal necklace with a lampwork pendant for my mother-in-law.

A Native-American style necklace with a pendant of a bear (sort of her totem), for my sister-in-law.

A wire necklace with a pendant of a scarab, bead woven with the square stitch for our friend.

My labor of love

2007-12-21T19:14:00.000-05:00

This is a bead tapestry I made over a several-month period. Mainly because I kept getting called to work full-time, and would have to put it away for a week or two in order to keep up with daily necessities.

It has over 28,000 Delica seed beads in the body of the tapestry alone. There's about another 3,000-4,000 in the fringe along the bottom.

The picture is a painting by Henri Rousseau, called Sleeping Gypsy. I really like the way this came out.

It is available for purchase at my etsy shop.

This is a close-up of the tapestry.