1:13 PM
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Bento
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I have been an admirer of Bento since I first found out about them. Today I mustered up the courage to give it a try. THIS is my very first Bento!
The first picture shows the 'bottom layer'. There are two rice triangle things... which have a name and I don't know it yet. I shaped them myself :) There is also a portion of palm hearts. I put the rice an the palm hears in a silicon baking tray (rectangle) and put it in the bottom of the make shift bento bot. Next to that is about a cup of mixed field greens. for the second photo and the 'second layer' I added 10 blackberries in a cupcake paper and six turkey meatballs. I also added in a packet of soy sauce. I don't have a proper container for it yet, but I am going to check out dollar store for a little squeeze container that would work for salad dressing. Not pictured is a little surprise I added for my wonderful hubby. I took some wax paper and folded a no-glue envelope. Then I wrote him a little note, tucked it in the envelope and then tucked it in his lunch. :) I think he'll be thrilled! This was so fun. Now I just need to add up the calories of the lunch so I know if I am giving him enough food for his lunch. I am really pleased with myself. :)Information on Bentos can be found herehttp://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basicshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_hbPLsZvvoNifty no-glue envelopehttp://www.metacafe.com/watch/1026491/perfect_diy_envelope_video_instruction/
3:35 PM
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Beads
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I am about to start a new project. I have some beautiful acrylic cameos that I want to use with a necklace. So yesterday I bought the size 8's I need to go with it. Now I need to pick the size 11's to compliment it. I picked out a silver lined orange... but in case that doesn't go well I also picked out some gold colored seeds. I plan to use a gold tinted drop to embellish the cameo when it's finished. I'm just not sure on the orange. I have another orange seed, but it's pretty blingy.. almost neon and shiny. I thought it was too much. Thoughts? Does the orange I picked compliment the cameo and the 8's?
3:29 PM
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Beads
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My niece is going to Prom on Saturday. When her older sister went to prom, I made her a necklace and bracelet to match her gown. I really wanted to continue this tradition with my younger niece. I had very limited time to make this piece as I only found out what color she was wearing YESTERDAY!!!!
However, I happen to think it came out beautifully. My niece is lovely and quite spunky and a little funky. She reminds me of me. :) So I wanted to make her something that was pretty, but a little bit funky and that she would be able to wear to more than just Prom. So I think this will go beautifully with her dress (crossing fingers as I haven't seen the dress) and I also think it's suitable for dressing up some jeans. What do you think?
The necklace and bracelet were made with teeny tiny bugles in a silvery white color. I think the finish might be called Ceylon? I am not sure though. They are really lovely in person though. The seed beads are size 11 silver lined. I simply adore this color. I might have to find my way back to the shop to get more. :)
12:22 PM
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Beads
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So life here in our little house bounces along as always. Yesterday was a most awesome and wonderful day. Roger had a doctors appointment in the morning. She told him she is very impressed with him and he is doing very well. So that was wonderful happy news.
From there we stopped at the publix and bought a large bowl of fruit for breakfast. It was so fresh they weren't even on the shelf yet. We went to the fruit lady and got the first bowl she made. It was absolutely delicious! Fruit for Breakfast is AWESOME. 
Then we drove out to Gainesville. My wonderful hubby took me to two bead stores while we were out there. We spent a bit more then we intended but had so much fun! I picked up beads for several projects that I want to be working on. They were mostly size 8 seed beads with a couple of cabs I couldn't resist. I also bought a beautiful... BEAUTIFUL Czech glass button which will become the focal point of a new necklace. I also bought beads to match these gorgeous acrylic cameos that I have. I am very excited. 
After the bead shopping we stopped at TCBY for a treat. I had forgotten just how wonderful they are. I also discovered yesterday that they make the best waffle cones I have ever tasted. Oh my goodness! I was so tempted to walk back up to the counter and ask them how much they wanted for just another cone. :grins:
After that we headed home. It was a wonderful fun day out but it was INCREDIBLY hot and we were happy to be home. We hopped on the computer together for about an hour and played some WoW until about 5:30. Then we headed over to Mom and Dads for dinner. Mom just got a new stove and she made the most delicious roast chicken. It was so tender and the meat just fell off the bone. It was quite a triumph. 
After dinner we headed home and played a but more WoW. Then we headed off the the living room where Roger was finally able to get our surround sound working. We have all the right pieces now thankfully. :) And I started beading while we watched a film. For our first movie with the surround sound we chose Independence Day. I really like that movie. It was very fun with the new sound system and we're excited to try Jurassic Park next. Well thats pretty much it. That was yesterday. Today I am hard at work trying to finish that beading project I started yesterday. It is for my nieces prom which is TOMORROW... UGH! But I asked them ages ago to let me know what color she was wearing for the prom and when it was. The info was finally givem to me YESTERDAY... Good grief! Well here I go back to work. :)
Oh, edited to add pictures of the beady goodness peppered throughout the post.
10:05 AM
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Beads
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I am a day late in posting these pictures. This piece was finished yesterday in time for my once a week project, but with the holiday I didn't have time to post pictures. My mommy does take precedence. I finished my very first Russian Spiral. I think it came out wonderfully! I have not recieved my book yet, but I found these directions on line from a PDF of a Bead and Button project. It has made me so excited to recieve my book that I am having a hard time not standing down by the mailbox waiting.
But on to the project. It is a lovely russian spiral using size 6 blue transparent seeds and size 11 seeds in a opalescent dusky purple grey color. They are very hard to describe and I got them in a bead swap at one time so I have no idea what they are called or where they came from. The size 6 beads are from 7 echoes. I also bezelled my very first SQUARE cab. This was much trickier than a round or oval cab. However, I am very glad I tackled the rivoli first. I used the exact same technique to bead around this square. I am not sure what this square is. At first I thought it was a stone, but after working with it, I think it might be painted porcelain. Whatever it is, it is BEAUTIFUL. It reminds me strongly of looking down into the water and seeing the sand and rocks strewn about the sandy floor in patterns only nature can do. The square is bezzeled in the same two seeds. I added a picot decorate element using the hard to describe purplish grey seeds and then added a row of drop beads. They are mostly clear excelt the hole is lined in the same blue as the size 6 seeds. I think it looks adorable. I finished it all off with a magnetic clasp.
Also, I promised pictures of my gift to my mother when she had opened it. So here that is also. And naturally, one cannot use a bookmark if one has nothing to read. We also bought her a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Oh! And two baloons as well! Who doesn't love a balloon!
1:12 PM
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Chatter
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So upon receiving some much appreciated good news this afternoon, hubby spoiled me by ordering me a new beading book.... THE WHITE BOOK... it's a Russian beading book that is pretty hard to get a hold of. I've had my eye on it for quite the long while. Well I finally found it in stock somewhere so hubby went ahead and ordered it for me. I can't wait!
6:07 PM
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Chatter
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This odd term came to my attention via the All About Beads forum on Delphi. It stands for Bead Art Trading Cards. I signed up to the do the BATC swap this year. The cards are not due until October. However, my muse has been a little quite lately since I got sick. Well I am better now but apparently the muse is still recuperating. So in an effort to get the juices flowing a little bit, I sat down and started on one of the cards. This is only the very beginning but I already had a ton of fun. I am really enjoying this whole concept of combining paint and beads! There are no beads added to the piece yet, but there will be. So here is a a picture of my starting efforts. I don't actually know yet whether or not I am supposed to show pictures before the swap is finished. If it turns out that they are to remain secret until the time of the swap, I will simply gift this one to someone else and make new ones for the swap. :)
The first picture shows the 'bottom layer'. There are two rice triangle things... which have a name and I don't know it yet. I shaped them myself :) There is also a portion of palm hearts. I put the rice an the palm hears in a silicon baking tray (rectangle) and put it in the bottom of the make shift bento bot. Next to that is about a cup of mixed field greens. 
