The Lighthouse Tale by Nickel Creek

Here's a sweet video featuring Nickel Creek's music.

Lighthouse Tale Needle Case Pattern

On a roll!!!! I can hardly wait to bead this one up. I wanted to call it Under the Sea, but so many beaded patterns already share that name. So, because I love Nickel Creek, I named it after one of their hits. Lighthouse Tale.
As usual, you will have to wait until I bead this one up before I offer it for sale. Just can't help but tweek up until the last bead. In the mean time buy your beads. This one has 16 different colors. That makes this one a little pricey if you do not already have these colors. Sorry but it is worth it. Even the slightest change in contrast makes these tiny little designs pop. That's part of the secret of making designs fit in such a small space. I love the challenge.

Meanwhile I am working diligently on Santa's Ho Ho Ho! The background color I picked for this one made all the difference. I can't wait to show it to you. Here's a sneak preview!

What a great discovery. I looked back on my clipboard and realized that I had made 3 needle case patterns during the early summer months. Remember the Peacock, the Hummingbirds and the Kokopelli? So that puts the count up to 6. I only have a half dozen more to go before I can offer another dozen needle case patterns.

Gotta go. I have lots of beading to do!

Until We Bead Again, Beth

New Book Of Needle Case Patterns In The Works

Already I have three new needle case designs.

1. Santa's a Ho Ho Ho
2. Breast Cancer Awareness
3. Under The Sea

Just 9 more to go. The Beaded Needle Case Marathon has begun. What fun!!! I love the challenges I set for myself. Santa of course will be first. Here's a sneak preview of the bead graph. As soon as I can get him beaded up I will sell the pattern on my website. Here's a little look see. Only 5 colors.....YEAH!
If you just can't wait to buy this one and get it finished before Christmas shoot me an email.
beth@UntilWeBeadAgain.com or visit my website and fill out the contact form.

I know what I did this Summer.

I have finally dusted off my computer. What a nice Summer it was. I really strayed away from the internet. My website has started getting really busy again. Time for a face lift and new look. I'll get to that later.

Blogger has been a bit of a pain. I lost that gorgeous background I had and I have had an awful time logging on. Just when you get things the way you want them...crash...burn....ugh.

My biggest project this Summer was covering the sick looking knotty pine wall in my living room and staining the floor. Not sure why it took me so many years to cover that eyesore up. I was just impressed with the fact that after 50 years no one had painted it. Then it was onto resurfacing my kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Wow! What a difference great paint can make. Very happy with the new look. The kids say it has a Tim Burton feel to it. I say it has a northern feel to it. Oh how I wish I could have brought those birch trees in Maine home with me.

Here are some before and after pics.

Whoever thought you could paint ugly ass Butcher Block counter tops? So much better.

SOON I WILL BE BACK TO BEADING!!!!

Big beading plans for the Winter. Needle Case fans be looking for a dozen more patterns. I also plan to make several more How To Bead videos.

Until We Bead Again, Beth

The Craft Fair Fall 2010

Thank You to everyone at the Craft Fair. It was so much fun!

Craft Show

I know, I know. I have not posted in way too long. I have been busy preparing for a craft show and working around my home. I will post some sneak preview pics of the craft show soon!

Beaded Needle Case Patterns

 

Three new needle case patterns I have been working on.

Peacock, Peyote Feathers & Kokopelli

Peyote Feathers Beaded Needle Case

 Peyote Feathers needle case 

I always go back to beading!

Until We Bead Again, Beth

Hitting the Road!

Busy me! I am taking the show on the road. Right now I am planning for an upcoming craft show. I thought I could get by with just one table. Nope. I am going to need at least two & a dog kennel!

UPDATE ON GRACIE'S PUPPIES!!!!!

All still alive and wiggling! 

I estimate these pups to weigh around three pounds when grown!

 Twenty One Days Old Today.

 This is the Runt. He was the first one to open his eyes!

 

Four boys & Three girls

Mortar & Pestle by Beth Murr

Sometimes you open the kiln and that one piece just grabs you. Now if I can only remember how I did it! 

My new airbrush. Harbor Freight just $9.99  Love it!

I have been staying off the Internet and getting tons of work done.

I moved the Clay Cave. Huge improvement.

Pottery is my new love.

 Until We Bead Again, Beth

Problems with the Clay Boss Pottery Wheel

Heartbreak set in when my Clay Boss Pottery Wheel stopped spinning. What was the problem? Long story short - rusty magnets in the motor. I wish I had taken pics along the way but I didn't so I will explain. I had not used my pottery wheel all winter. Finally, the clay cave warms up and I throw a bowl. It turned out great. I leave it spinning for a few minutes. I walk away and when I returned the wheel had stopped. What the heck!? Did I blow a fuse? No. I spin the wheel by hand in the reverse way, it catches, spins a couple of revolutions and then stops again. I'm sick. I can not afford to replace my wheel right now. $500 + if I'm lucky. I call Creative Industries. I spoke with Debra. She was really nice and helpful. We come to the conclusion that my circuit board needs to be replaced. $75.00. Not bad. I'll take one. I wait patiently for it's arrival. It gets here. Feverishly I take off the old circuit board and replace it with the new one. No change. The wheel is still doing the same  thing. I can spin it in the opposite direction, it finally seems to catch and then only spins a few turns, then stops. I must have appeared really pitiful because now my son has joined in to help me. Together we decided to just go ahead and take the motor apart. I have nothing to lose because this is the next thing I am going to replace. I do not claim to to be an electrician, maybe I should have gone to school for that instead of nursing because they charge $60/hr for labor, but it really was not that hard to see the problem once I had the motor apart. There was a fine layer of rust on the magnets. I take a toothbrush and clean off the rust. Then I carefully put everything back together. It runs like a champ! Apparently there is much more humidity in my basement than I realized. I will be moving the pottery wheel to a much drier place today. I hope this article helps others who have had this same problem. Just be careful and remember to unplug your wheel before you work on it. A  $2.00 toothbrush could be all you need to keep from replacing a $500+ pottery wheel.

Chihuahua Ties World Record Seven Puppies!

                                         Puppy Soup!
My Chihuahua, Gracie, tied the World Record for the most Chihuahua puppies born in one litter on June 25th, 2010. They are teeny-tiny!! Four boys and three girls. If anyone is interested in owning a new puppy contact me on my website. http://www.untilwebeadagain.com/index.php?p=1_72_Contact-Me
I will begin to help Gracie wean these pups at 2 weeks old. If you have the time and ability to care for a very young puppy I will let them leave their mother before they are six weeks old.

Face Jugs

Has she gone off the deep end? No. If you have never heard of face jugs you may be a little alarmed right now. Let me explain. History states that face jugs originated in North Georgia and Western North Carolina. Well I live in Flintstone, Georgia and that is in North Georgia. So, why wouldn't I make face jugs? Makes sense to me. The story goes that face jugs were made to keep stuff in that you wanted the kids to leave alone. The scarier  the face jug the more potent it's contents. You might say this was an early form of childproof bottles. Some say that potters traded jugs with the moonshiners. Another story is that slave communities placed face jugs (devil jugs) on their graves to keep away evil spirits. If the jug broke within the first year the deceased was thought to be wrestling with the devil. They are so fun to make. I like them because they are very forgiving. The uglier it turns out the better! Please enjoy this short You Tube video about a talking face jug!

Other things going on in the Clay Cave. I will soon be able to check off something on the Bucket List. My cabinets will be filled with nothing but my own pottery. These leaf plates are just the beginning. Last year I planted sunflowers. They reseeded themselves, much to my surprise, and I used one of the leaves to make these plates.

Here's a sneak preview at some bisque and greenware I am working on. I'll get back to beading soon. Right now I have to take advantage of the weather and play in the mud!

 

The woods are calling me. I'm going on a nature walk to find things to incorporate with my clay beads to make jewelry and other needful things.

Sometimes a girl just gets lucky!

Sticker on the box $199.99. Price at the register $40.00. Died, gone to heaven and I see the light! This is the only type of light I can bead by. I have had a very small Ott Lite for many years. Moving on up to the big league. It has been a great day.





  

Earlier I went to see Debbie Baker at Clayworks studio. She had some pretty new pieces on display. Of course I had to get pics. I also picked up 50lbs of clay. I am going to make my own dishes. Pretty soon nothing but my own handmade pottery will fill the cabinets. That has been on my Bucket List since I was about 13. Dreams do come true if you sleep long enough.

Beaded Stethoscopes

Being a nurse it is only proper that I bead my stethoscope. Right? Right. I have done several. Here is my latest. I modified my Blackbird bird house needle case pattern to make this one. If anyone would like a beaded stethoscope please go to my website and fill out the Contact Me Form by CLICKING HERE.  There is no set price on these. Cost will depend on the pattern and type of beads used. This would really make a nice gift for a Graduate Nurse or even an Old Timer like me!

 

This is special. I have always wanted to do bead therapy at our local Children's Hospital. It is on my Bucket List. This group takes it one step further. Children are so brave, and so are the nurses that care for them. It's hard for me to watch this video without tearing up.

Returning to the Clay Cave.

It's hard to bead with mud on your hands.

Finally finished the sea turtle necklace.

I heard Turquoise is the color now. Happy to hear that. Brown was the color for a while. Man I LOVE brown. So, I am sure everyone has a ton of brown. Great! Because Turquoise and Brown look so great together. By the way, I am still searching for those brown beads with a gold speck that can only be seen under bright light that go swooshy when you rub them together.

Kate Boyan's Gallery of Beadwork & Blog

While I am busy in the Clay Cave I thought I would share some amazing bead work with you. This is Kate Boyan. She lives in Alaska. I would refer to her as an artist that paints with beads. I love her style. Be sure to view all the older posts on her blog. She is simply amazing. Click here to view her work.

My Kind Of Guy

Go To Kevin Richardson's Website

Raku Turtle Cabochons & Pendants

Yeah! Success! First test fire is a good one. 

Buy these turtles by clicking here.

The above Frog On A Leaf sold to Robbie. Check back often for more Raku Cabs & Beads.

Loaded The Kiln - Raku Test Fire

 
Wish me LuCk!
Okay I admit it...I tried to light the kiln but I guess I am too scared. Must wait patiently for the brave flame master to return.

Raku Beads & Cabochons Coming Soon!

Just waiting for the mud to dry!

Raku Kiln Blows Off Lid !!!

Do NOT try this at home. This video shows you how NOT to light a garbage can Raku Kiln. Learn from my mistake. We were very lucky no one was injured.

The Raku Kiln

Finally, one year after purchase, I am firing up the Raku kiln!

 

Mike, my son, lights it for me because I am too chicken to do it.