New Years

2013 was a year of great fear and joy in my life. This time last year I was deathly sick with morning sickness. I had this great little human growing inside me. The first half of the year was spent being sick and scared of what August would hold. No one or no book can ever prepare you for what birth is like. It's amazing how you can be in the worst pain of your life and then that all goes away once you see your childs face.

The second half of the year was spent in great joy. Gayson has brought so much happiness to us and our families. Our parents couldn't be any happier and Sammyand I are enjoying parenthood. We had 13 years to ourselves so now it feels like such a blessing to have our new "family."

With 2013 in the rearview mirror it is now time to look ahead to 2014. This year I have a few goals:

1. To try 52 new recipes. That is 1 new recipe a week. I feel like our food / eating habits have gotten into a rut  and that it's time to try something new. I will share my new food experiences with you guys along The way.

2. To get back to pre-Grayson weight.

3. To finally read through the entire bible

Well goodnight. I wish you a Safe and happy new year and look forward to our adventures in 2014!

More projects are rolling in and you guys are doing an amazing job!

Caron Bailey,  Austin TX
Czech 4mm bicone crystals-Lt Amethyst; Tila beads-I don't remember the color name and purple iris 11/0 seed beads

Yvette

11-Opaque Butterscotch Luster

15- Metallic Golden Olive Luster

Tila- Cream Ceylon

4mm Indian Pink Bicones

Diane Clark

Placerville, CA

On the St Pete's I used Ant. Bronze M/MA/R tila's, Delica's Golden M/L/R, and 15/0 ar SL RB Lt Gold.

the tila colors are TL2035 Ant. Bronze M/MA/R, and number 316 Lt Amethyst Gold.  11/0 seed beads are silver lined crystal, 15/0 seed beads are Amethyst SL/R. 

Jan Crosthwaite

Wallasey UK

used 11/0 & 15/0 seedbeads in silver lined gold and silver lined crystal for the band and red lined topaz 4mm magatama drops for the embelishment.

Josephine Lareza 

Milan, Italy

Peanut beads - Metallic olive

Peanut beads - Matte olive

3 mm drop beads - Matte metallic khaki iris

3 mm bicones - emerald

15/0 seed beads - Matte metallic khaki iris

lobster claw clasp

6 mm Fireline thread

6 mm Lentil drop beads - Coated Marea peacock/gold 

11/0 Miyuki Delica beads - Metallic earth batik gold iris

15/0 Seed beads - Matte metallic khaki iris

1.5 mm cube beads - Opaque-frosted terra cotta (can be seen slightly under the lentil drops.

Tila beads 5 x 5 mm - Dark bronze

4 mm bicones - Crystal AB 2X

11/0 seed beads  Metallic light bronze

15/0 seed beads Metallic dark bronze

Gold colored chain with approx diameter of 9 mm

Gold colored magnetic round clasp

Pat Jones

Black tila beads, size 11 bronze seed beads, size 15 silver-lined yellow seed beads, and 4mm  gold bicones

Priscilla

Ring: Drop beads: Gunmetal mix

            Cubes: Metallic amethyst gunmetal

            Delicas: Metallic Eggplant

Necklace: Berry: Noir-lined crystal

                       Drop: Gunmetal mix

                       Bicone: ?

Bracelet: Berry: Transparent Light Steel Luster Rainbow

                    Drop: Opaque Turquoise Blue

                     Becone: Same as above, don't remember the color.

I have also included an additional project from the Shaped Bead book: Perennial Path Bracelet.

Seed beads: Toho Marbled Turquoise/Ceylon Grey

Berry: Transparent Amethyst Luster

 I used purple iris 3mm drops, peanut bead A- opaq black AB, peanut bead B-Matt opaq black AB, 3mm bicone- Thunder Polish purple light, and finally for my #15 seeds I used metallic opaq eggplant iris. Had a great time beading with you all, God Bless, Debbie 

I'm sorry I got behind on posting pics of the bead along but we moved the shop last week to a new location so I spent the week moving. Hopefully I can stay on top of things for the remainder of the bead along. Everyone who has sent pics so far has done an amazing job! I am loving the colors everyone picked out!

Mandy
For the Marvelous Mosaics earrings I used:
Tila - Metallic golden rainbow
Delicas - silver lined gold
15/0 opaque black.

For the St Pete meets tila bracelet I used:
Tila - metallic golden rainbow
4 mm bicone - jet
15/0 metallic raspberry
11/0 amethyst lined pink

Jan Crosthwaite - Wallasey Uk 

For the earrings I used tila beads in metalic dark blue iris with 11/0 & 15/0 in purple lined purple. I added an additional componant as I like more of a dangle. I also made my own earring findings.

For the bracelet I used the same tilas as the earrings with size 11/0 & 15/0 silver lined crystal & jet black bicones.

Helen Verhey From Cleveland Queensland Australia .

Project 1

Matte Black Tila Beads -  inside .

Galvanized Grey Lustre Tila Beads  - outside 

Silverlined Crystal Delica 10/0

Medium Blue Iris  15/0 .

Project 2 .

Matte Black Tila's 

Opal 4 mm Bicones .

Amethyst Gold lustre 11/0 

Lined Aqua AB 15/0 

Square Antique Toggle Clasp 

Priscilla

 Messinger, Holden, MA

Josephine Lareza

Milan, Italy

Cylinder beads 10/0 Violet/Green or Miyuki Delica DBM 869

Tila beads Matte Metallic Dark Raspery Iris and Opaque Antique Rose Luster

Seed beads 15/0 Matte Metallic Khaki Iris

Robin Peterson

his bracelet I used Sea Foam Tila's with silver lined Emerald 11/0 Toho, and 4mm Jet Swarovski bicones. 

Gale Lynch from Illinois.

I used Opaque and Black Tila beads

11 Silver Lined Crystal Clear AB Rounds

15 Metallic Dark Silver Seed Beads   

Kathy - SC

I used Miyuki Green translucent tilas and Garnet translucent tilas for the earrings and Delicas Paladium plated for the cylinders and Gold luster cranberry for the 15's.

I also used the Myuki Green translucent tilas and Garnet translucent tilas for the bracelet with Swarovsky 4mm bicones in crystal copper. I used SL Rosaline  #11seed beads  and Miyuki Fancy Garnet #15's.

Pat Jones

All in browns and gold...no ear wires yet.

 Maybe could have added more color but was intended for Fall!

Yvette

Opaque black Tila beads-outside

Matte clear Tila beads-inside

Mettalic blue iris size 10 twisted cylinder beads

Clear ab 15 seed beads

Mary Van Spankeren

Tila Beads:  Matte Met Khaki Iris

                    Matte OP Red AB

11/0 :  Dk Red AB

15/0 Galv. Yellow Gold

Karen - New Zealand 

My Ring-a-Ling Ring is made with:

* 4x6mm Preciosa drops in Black

* 11/0 Delica seed beads in Medium Blue Iris

* 15/0 Frosted Metallic Iris Purple seed beads

Karen

My St Pete Meets Tila Bracelet is made with:

* Metallic Green Iris Tila Beads

* 4mm Swarovski Crystal AB Bicones

* 15/0 Frosted Metallic Iris Purple seed beads

and sterling silver parrot clasp & extension chain :)

My Marvellous Mosaics Earrings are made with:

* Matte Metallic Copper Tila Beads

* 11/0 Metallic Blue Iris

* 15/0 Frosted Metallic Iris Purple

and attached to the earring hooks with a handmade oversized bail :)

    

Easy Earrings!

I sat down last night while Grayson was sleeping and made the current Bead Along Project. I couldn't believe how quick the earrings were to make! All I need to do is add my ear hooks and I'll be ready to wear them. I used Matte Metallic Gold and Met Gold Iris Tila Beads, Opaque Cream AB 11/0 Delicas, and Green Patina Bronze Size 15/0. I know the pattern calls to use a 10/0 Delica but I didn't have any at home and the 11/0's worked fine. So if you don't have any 10/0's, no worries.

Bead Along Submissions

Debbie Hinklin from Texas
(Project 1) marvelous mosaics earrings. Tilas- metallic malachite green iris. 11/0 delicas- opaque luster olive green. And my own silver 20g wire for ear hooks. (Project 2) St. Pete meets tila. Tilas- met. Malachite grn. Iris. 15/0 seeds-met. opaque. eggplant iris. 4mm bicones- amethyst AB. with a gold plated lobster claw clasp. (Project 3) Ring-a-ling 11/0 delicas- opaq luster rainbow midnight, 1.5 cubes- # 926 ? color name, 15/0 seeds- met. opaq eggplant iris. 3mm purple iris drops. What fun!!!

Caron Bailey

Tila Beads: Transparent Aqua AB & Met Varagated Blue Iris

10/0 Delica: Transparent Light Sea Foam

15/0 Seed Bead: Transparent Frosted Cobalt

My how quickly life changes!

So as many of you know, I gave birth to Grayson on August 22nd. Sammy and I waited 10 years before we decided that we were ready to have a baby. After having 13 total years to ourselves our lives totally changed overnight!  I'm not going to lie...the first 3 weeks were HORRIBLE!  Grayson hardly slept at night and I couldn't get much sleep during the day because we had so many people coming in and out of the house. I felt like a zombie for those first 2 or 3 weeks. Thankfully though the last week or so he has slept a little better and I feel like I can at least function a little bit. We are starting to get out and about a little bit and we are finally feeling like "real" parents. It amazes me how you can love someone so fiercely so quickly! He came into our lives and BAM! love.

I am still trying to figure out how to function on a daily basis. It seems like it is so hard to get ourselves up and ready to be on time to go somewhere. I got up 2 hours early this morning and was still 25 minutes late for church lol. I'm sure it will get easier over time but right now it's a challenge just to get out the door. I know many of you who are parents have been there and know what I'm talking about. You wouldn't think adding a 10 lb person would add so much time and car space.

All in all though we are happy and I look forward to getting back to work. Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Even though the first project for our bead along is not due until October someone has already sent in a picture. Here's the first pic. Great job Robin!

Robin Peterson
I used Robin's egg blue, green patina tila's, with Turquoise 11/O and Gold 15/0. An antiqued gold toggle to finish it off.