Happy New Year!

OK...so I'm a little tardy with my Happy New Year wishes...but they are sincere...I wish you every happiness in the coming year.


So why am I so late?


Well...for one thing...I've been trying to clean my house...what an ordeal...I made myself a 12 item list...you know...things like: my closet, under bathroom sink, my dresser drawers, my craft closet...etc...wow...I'm actually almost done...only 4 of the original 12 left...I did my closet yesterday...it's amazing what you can find in a closet...ha...still have a few things that though they ought to be tossed or sold in a yard sale I'm just not ready to part with...but that's alright...you should see the stuff I've either thrown out or is crammed in my garage to wait for the condo association's yearly garage sale...I had even more...but gave it to the local senior community center in their rummage sale...which I was going to participate in...but had grandma duty (what a shame...spend time with the grandkids instead of sitting around in a rummage sale...ha...it was a very easy swap to make)...


Which brings me to the second reason I've not posted...my dear son-in-law had emergency surgery a couple of weeks ago...gave us all a bit of a fright...but he's now home after 10 days in the hospital...and is resting and healing...praise God...


Other than that...well...I've been working on a couple of things...one being a bracelet that will be auctioned on ebay/MissionFish in the fall when we do the "Pink Ribbon Turtles" Project...it's nearly finished...and I really like the way it turned out...I'll post a picture when it's done...

I also finished a piece that I am going to hang in my bedroom above one of my dressers...might also enter it in the contest for the Space Coast Art Festival...which if it wins it will be used as the design for the coming year's festival on the shirts, bags, and promotional posters...that one I can show you...I haven't named it yet...so if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them!

Living on the beach, and a barrier island (ocean on one side and river on the other), we have all manner of aquatic flora and fauna...so I tried to incorporate as much of it all as I could...if you look closely you will see a crab, fish, mermaids, birds, manatee, coral, freshwater pearls, seashells, turtles, and sandollars.  It was fun to make...it's at the framer's now...and is about 14"x15"...I can't wait to hang it up in the bedroom...

I have also finished my January project for the Beaded Journal Project...this year I'm doing feet...inspired by a course I took in reflexology...you've seen the hands I've done...so I'm doing matching feet...

Today is a day of rest...then I will tackle one of the other items on my list...but wanted to stop and share the blessing of my son-in-law recovering nicely from his ordeal...and a few of my newest projects...

Have a happy day!

Here is hand #2...what fun this has turned out to be...at first I thought I might do the hands for next year's Beaded Journal Project...but I found out quickly that I enjoyed doing them too much and knew I'd finish before the 2010 BJP ever started...SOOOOOOOO...I decided to modify my hand idea for next year's 2010 BJP...which will start in January...and what will I do??? The feet (foot) of course! I finished sewing on 12 hands and 12 feet to certain fabrics...as you can see (second row the last two feet) are the same material and colors as my first and second hand...and there is a hand to match each of the feet below...(though I've only finished two of the hands)...when I get started on the feet in January 2010...I'll have them all ready to bead...the applique of the foot and five toes has already been accomplished...this is going to be FUN!

There really is a foot/toes on the white one...you just can't see it because it's also white...not sure which had I'll do next...but you can find gifts and apparel with the two hands that have been completed at www.cafepress.com/atawhisper/6858407 ...

Beautiful here in Florida...hope you are having a wonderful day!

A Tad Late

Here he is...his name is "Patriot"...he's my July (a little past due...he was celebrating the 4th of July and partied just a little too much...hahaha) Beaded Journal Project turtle...hard to believe there is only August to go!
Gotta jet out of here...things to do...places to go...people to see...and all that...
Have a lovely day!

Caliopie

Meet Caliopie...her bright colors remind me of the music from a merry-go-round...and she begged me for a meaningful name...don't you just love the colorful waves she is swimming in? Caliopie is my June Beaded Journal Project turtle...a little late...and July is in process...but she'll probably be a little late as well...and of course...thinking already of what the August turtle will look like...then this year of BJP will be over...already...it's hard to believe it's been a year since I started these turtle friends...
I've been working with all of the BJP turtles and have some great designs on my cafepress site...you can get all sorts of lovely gifts there... www.cafepress.com/atawhisper ...so if you have a turtle lover that has a special day coming up...that would be a great place to start looking!
Hope you are having a lovely day!

IT'S MAY!

Meet "Belle"...named for my mom...mostly because of the yellow roses in the background...her favorite flower..."Belle" is the May Beaded Journal Project entry for me. Finding just the right color green for the body wasn't easy...since I started doing bead embroidery I've discovered that there are at least a zillion different shades, tints, hues, and finishes of nearly every color...a bit overwhelming at times...but always great once you find just the right one!

On the golf course the other day...hole #2 of the Dolphin Course in Cocoa Beach...we spotted this momma turtle heading back to the pond after laying her eggs...see the sand on her back? She had been digging her nest to lay. The turtles come out this time of year and lay eggs under the trees and shrubbery all around the golf course...then hope that the scrubjays and crows don't come dig them up and eat them before they can mature and hatch...I would venture a guess that the back of this turtle is at least as big as a turkey platter...she was lovely...

At the corner of Brevard and S. 2nd Street here in Cocoa Beach you can sometimes see Manatees...these pictures were taken one afternoon when I had gone down just to see if they were around...and there they were...four adults and a baby...they eat the algae I think...sometimes folks will feed them lettuce or cabbage...which they really aren't supposed to do...but the manatees love it...you can see some of the scars they've received from motor boats...manatees are an protected species...and you aren't allowed to touch or feed them...but they are also very curious...so if you are still and one comes up to you and touches you...it's very special...I'm hoping to go out on a kayak tour in June with some of my friends from Curves...and we're hoping to see manatees and porpoise (dolphins)...I'm sure we'll see plenty of birds and maybe even an alligator! We're using a tour group that leaves each morning Mon-Sat for a 2-2.5 hour kayak tour of the river islands around Cocoa Beach...if you are headed to Cocoa Beach for a vacation you can find out more about the kayak tour at http://www.cocoabeachkayaking.com/ .

At our library we have a "musical season" where every Sunday afternoon for several months there is a concert of some sort...not long ago there was a steel drum band called the "Pan Sharks" that were there...I love steel drums...so naturally had to go to that one...this video is of them playing "Yellow Bird"...which you may recognize as a Harry Belafonte' song from a while back...to see more of the "Pan Sharks" you can go to their website at www.pansharks.com . You may have to turn off the music player to the right before you can hear them play...otherwise you will be hearing two different things at once!

So...that's about it from Cocoa Beach today...the weather is lovely...headed for a swim here shortly...just got back from a 40 minute walk...and if the weather holds I might just head out for a round of 9 holes of golf...hmmmm...at some point I have to go to the grocery store...or maybe we'll just have sandwiches for supper...ha...

I was reading one of Marianne Williamson's recent books...I love her work...it embodies the greatest defining spirit of God...LOVE...two things I read in this particular book were about forgiveness and miracles...Forgivness involves faith in a love that is greater than hate...so true...and a prayer she has for forgiveness...

Dear God, Please forgive me the mistakes in my past. May neither I not anyone else be bound by them...Please God...may I begin again...Amen

...and she gave this as the definition of a miracle: Nothing that happened before this moment has any bearing on what's possible now, except that what you learned from it can be fuel for a magnificent future...

The book is "The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife" and is an excellent and easy read...a very uplifting book...I'm sure the bookstores have it...and I'll probably go buy one...I found it at the library and have to take it back...but some books are worth reading more than once!

Off for a swim...may you be forgiven as you forgive...and may your day be full of miracles!

March...and twin...

Well...decided to "redo" the curtain swag in my bedroom...which is two really nice shades of blue...and "beachy"...I decided to use the BJP turtle pattern to make the decoration on the swag holders (I am sure there is a word for that I just can't bring it to my brain)...anyway...the things I use now are round...so instead of buying new ones I decided to just cover them...Here is one of the March turtles...it's twin is nearly finished and a mirror opposite of this one...the material for the curtain will be the same you see here...the offwhite with white paisley...I'm just waiting on some blue beads I ran out of and had to order to finish the twin...
So...meet March's turtle(s)...there will be two...haven't named them...but I really like how they turned out...
Off to swim laps...then maybe to the golf course...
Have a happy day!

April

I've changed her name to "Blossom"...she is a turtle that I drew a few years ago...and when it came time for me to do the Beaded Journal Project for April I immediately thought of her...and I'm so tickled that she's come to life in beads...

Yes...I admit I'm a little behind...even though "April" is done...I still haven't even begun the turtle for March...but I'm working on it!

Pearl

Well...I sat and thought about a name for this little turtle and no matter how many I made up she kept putting the name "Pearl" in my mind...so I reckon this is "Pearl"...probably because the center piece is mother of pearl (dyed blue)...and she has pearls on her feet, head and tail...whatever her reasons...she just wasn't going to let me name her anything else...she is the February entry for the Beaded Journal Project...she was finished in time...I'm just slow with her debut...
This little fella and his friend always seem to know when I'm playing the River Course when golfing...they seem to pop up everytime I am on #5...so I always try to have something for them...they come pretty close...but I don't get too close to them...they are sweet but they are still wild...he's eating a peanut butter cracker...and yes...I used a zoom...
I'm off to get my dad from the rehab place he's been in since his hospital adventure a couple of weeks ago...he will surely be glad to be home...and we'll be happy to have him back in Cocoa Beach! Have a lovely day!

Garnet Turtle

Here she is...the January Turtle for the Beaded Journal Project. Her name is Garnet...after the birthstone...three garnet colored glass beads surrounded by silver and other garnet beads make up her shell...her body is made of green and pale mauve seed beads and some pale mauve glass beads I had in my stash. She is sitting with the rest of her crowd...waiting for February's turtle...who is just a sparkle in my eye as of now.
Happy Beading!!!

Is it November yet?

Wow...was October ever a doozy of a month...a 5 day ordeal in the hospital and two week recovery put me way behind on all things October...but now I'm feeling better...and am caught up with October Projects...

First...thankfully...I finished the October Challenge for the Beaddreamz group early...the peyote bracelet was fun and turned out to be quite eyecatching. I called it "Autumn Leaves"...my dad bought it from me and gave it to a friend for her birthday. I've since made a few others in Christmas greens, reds and whites, and a couple of them in pinks...the bracelet is not a pattern...which is what makes it fun...you just put a bunch of the same size beads in a dish and pick up whatever you pick up...the effect is really pretty neat...I have discovered the wider ones are actually prettier than the narrow ones...but they do take a little longer...

Next...the October Challenge for the Beaded Art Dolls group...I found a wonderful picture of my daughter when she was about 4 or so...it was Halloween and she wanted to be a clown...so I got out the trusty sewing machine and made her a clown outfit...she was adorble...of course...being my child...she always was...ha...here are the two pics...one of her...and one of the doll I made...I am sad to say she and I have been estranged for the past 4 years (prayers are always most welcome)...but this made me feel close to her...and remember all of the wonderful years of her childhood...as well as watching her become a woman...as a parent there were times I wanted to shove her in a closet and not let her out til she was 40...but I knew that wouldn't help her grow...so I...right or wrong...gradually allowed her to make her own choices...but was always there...and listened...and as gently as possible...guided her...and did a LOT of praying...here she is...the "Little Clown Doll"...

And finally...my Beaded Journal Project for October. As you saw in September...my design will always be aturtle for the BJP. In October...the month of my daughter's birthday...I decided to do a turtle that had opals...I had a cab that to me looked very much like a fire opal...so tried to find all the colors in it and go from there...as it progressed I LOVED the body...but the turtle's shell was not satisfying me as I thought it should...but now that I've got it finished...I think it turned out nicely. The body...the "opally" greens and white...the shell...all the colors I saw in the fire opal cab. Once I added the gold...it came together and I like the final product.

So...now October is over...and I'm about a week late finishing...BUT...I am finished with all the October challenges...and it's on to November...hmmmmmmmm...wonder what I'll do now???

DON'T FORGET THE "PINK RIBBON TURTLES" DRAWING FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH IS FAST APPROACHING! IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN YOUR DRAWING TICKETS...BE SURE TO GO TO www.atawhisper.com/prt.htm AND MAKE YOUR DONATION!