Blogging from A to Z Challenge

O.K, so call me nuts, but I have signed up for the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2012".  http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/   If you are wondering how someone who can't even post once a month is going to pull this off, you are not alone. I am wondering the same thing!!! 

There are many reasons why I decided to do this. The main reason is, of course, the fact that I really should be blogging much more than I do.  I also love a challenge and although it certainly will be challenging, it also seems like such a fun blog hop to take part in. 

So today being the first day, the letter to blog is A and I have chosen the word "aspire." -  (to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value). 

Not to leave you pictureless, here are some pics of the type of beadwork I aspire to create. 

This is a cuff by bead embroidery guru Sherry Serafini. Her work is absolutely amazing.

I am also inspired by the gorgeous and whimsical work of Laura McCabe.

So now you know what inspires me. I hope you continue to follow as I work towards my aspiration of creating gorgeous beadwork. 

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." Louisa May Alcott. 

What are your aspirations and how are you working towards achieving them?

TTYL and make it a great night,

Debbie

 

Invaded by UFO's

Hello there bloggy friends, hope all is well where you are. As for me, I am ok, but am currently being invaded by UFO's. Yes, you heard me correctly. I did say UFO's!!!  But don't worry, I am not talking about spaceships piloted by little green aliens. I am talking about unfinished objects of the beady nature.

If you read my last post, you may remember that I said that there was a lot of stuff I wanted to try to do with my beading and that I was going to get motivated and just do it. Well, that is exactly what I have been doing. In fact, I have been beading my little fingers to death.

Since my last post I have finally started a project I have been wanting to do for a long time and I have also learned a whole new stitch. As for the UFO's, both projects are nearly complete, but waiting for clasps. I am so excited about one of the projects, that I decided to share it, even though it is incomplete.

For the longest time, I have been admiring the peyote cuff patterns of FDEkszer, so I finally decided to purchase this one and "Just do it". Like I said, it needs a clasp, (which is on order) but I just couldn't wait to show you all the completed beadwork.

I am loving the contrast of the snowflakes done in opaque luster white and the background (sky) done in metallic midnight. When you move your wrist, the way the light catches this bracelet, it looks like the snowflakes are actually moving. How cool is that?  Now I can't wait to bead up another of FDEkszer's patterns. Perhaps some flowers for spring? Here is a link to her shop if you want to check out all the gorgeous patterns there. http://www.etsy.com/shop/FDEkszer?ref=ss_profile .

So, now that you've seen one of my many UFO's, here is a little project I actually completed in between all of that peyote stitching. Just in time for valentines day, too.

Well, I guess that's it for show and tell for today. I am really on a roll with the beading and I've been sitting at this computer for much too long. My beads must be missing me, because I can hear them calling.  I hope you will stay tuned to see what I have been doing with the new stitch I am learning. Hint: the name of the stitch is also the name of a place.

TTYL and make it a good night,

Debbie

A Time to Grow

Wow, its hard to believe that it's already the 15th day of 2012.  Time certainly does fly. Anyhow, I finally have some free time to reconnect with my poor, dear neglected blog. I am surprised to see that I still have followers here!!! Thanks for sticking around. So, you may be wondering what I have been up to lately. Pictures speak louder than words, so this pic should explain why I haven't had much time to blog lately.

No, she is not mine, although I wish she was. This is my niece, Isabelle. Isn't she adorable? So anyhow, my little Sis is a young Mom and needed a lot of help with her new Bundle of Joy. I was more than happy to pitch in. Now baby and Mom are settling in quite nicely and I can spend more of my time beading and blogging and less of my time changing diapers ;)

So what to do with all this new found time on my hands? Well I decided that 2012 will be a year full of growth for Abracadebra Designs. There is so much more I want to do with my beading, my Zibbet shop, and this blog, too. What little free time I have had has been spent on Pinterest (which I have become addicted to) and I am amazed at all the craftiness and creativity out there. I am truly in awe of the beautiful creations posted there daily. So for 2012 my resolution is simply to stop looking and start Learning and Growing and DOING. It is absolutely amazing how much can be accomplished in a short time, and  if you don't believe me, just ask my niece, Isabelle.

And yes, I have done some beading, nothing too new or creative, but inspired by the white and gray of winter.

So there you have it. Your latest update from the absent blogger, named Abracedebra.  I am hoping you will stick around and watch as I learn, grow and create in 2012.

TTYL and make it a good night,

Debbie

I'm Back in Black

Hey there Bloggy friends. Hope all is well. As for me I've been keeping a very busy schedule, but all is good.
So anyhow last time I posted, I mentioned that I was getting bored with summer colors. I was also very excited to start exploring color again. Well, after sorting through my bead stash, my excitement lessened. Too make a long story short, I really need to hit up a bead store or two, or three.

So what I ended up doing is busting out the black beads. I also found some metallic peacock beads to accompany them. I had been wanting to try making one of these flowers from an old Bead and Button magazine for a while now. I think it came out pretty good, and I have lots of ideas to make the design my own. Maybe smaller, with only five petals and a Czech flower bead in the center. I am also seeing a smaller version as the focal point of an asymmetrical necklace. So anyhow, here it is.

This was really fun to bead up, and like I said, look forward to seeing more of these from me in the future.  When I was going through my stash I also found some peacock metallic bugle beads. So of course I had to whip up some brick stitch earrings.

OK, So now that show and tell is over, I've got to tell you about my new addiction. I always seem to be a bit behind on the social media, so I just recently began exploring Pinterest. I'll share my link with you in another post, once I've added more boards. Anyhow, when I say addiction, I am not kidding. The other night, I was up pinning 'til three a.m!!! ;) So who else is addicted? I'd love to see your boards.

TTYL and make it a good day,

Debbie

Princess Abracadebra?

Hey there bloggy friends. I'm still here. Just been busy doing staycation stuff with the teenager named Miss Thang Tammy. Its been a little harder than usual to find some quality beading time. But I have managed to finish two pieces. If they were part of a collection, It would have to be named the Princess Collection.  With just a quick look at the pics, you'll see what I mean.

See, like I said princessy looking, right?  Not that there is anything wrong with princessy. In fact, I happen to love both the necklace and bracelet. They are my idea of the perfect summertime designs. I remember last year, right after I purchased like 5 strands of pink glass pearls, I immediately went to work on two bracelets. I got really tired of looking at the pink pearls after completing the bracelets. Well I am happy to say that both of the bracelets were sold to a friend at work, so I recently decided that I needed to dig out the pearls again and add another bracelet to my shop. Mission accomplished.

I would never describe my personal style as princessy. In fact, I prefer to dress in black and red. I think I will be glad when summer is over and I can start designing for fall and winter. I was glancing through a Harper's Bazaar magazine the other day and was literally drooling over the fall accessories.  Picture a box of eight crayons and take each of them colors added to a backdrop of black. Lots of primary colors mixed with black, kind of color blocked. And then there is the blue, green and black snakeskin. It was everywhere from shoes, to bags, to belts. I am really looking forward to designing jewelry in these color patterns. Good bye Princess, Hello black. I am so excited that I gotta run, right now, and start going through my bead stash. As usual I hope you'll stick around to see what I come up with.

TTYL and make it a good night

Debbie

My Favorite Holiday

So today I want to talk a bit about my favorite holiday. And no, its not Christmas, although Christmas is my second fave holiday. Coming in at third is my birthday. Wait, that's not a holiday.  Well I think it should be ;)

So by now you must be wondering what it is. Well here is a clue - Only 18 more days. Yahoo!  That's right, the best holiday ever enacted is the Fourth of July. I love everything about it from the colors, to the fireworks, to the parades, to the picnics, to the music, to the very meaning of Independence Day.

Every year on the Fourth of July I get all dressed up in red, white and blue and proudly celebrate my independence.  In honor of  this fabulous holiday, I finally got off of my butt and created my very own flag brick stitch earrings. I will be wearing a pair, and so will the teenager named Miss Thang Tammy, and I even made a pair for my shop.

I really enjoyed coming up with the simple pattern and they were very quick and easy to work up in brick stitch.  I know I will have as much fun wearing them as I did creating them.  Now back to the Fourth of July and something you didn't know about me- Since about the age of four, I have never missed the local fireworks but I still  tape the Boston Pops Fourth of July Spectacular every year, and I cry like a baby during the whole thing.  Don't tell anyone, o.k.?

TTYL and make it a good day
Debbie

My kind of Garden

Hi there Blogland. I hope all is well. I am just happy that the World didn't end on Saturday, like it was supposed to ;) Although if it had ended, at least I could have stopped worrying about that big stack of bills that keeps growing on my desk ;)

Oh well, talking about things growing, I can't wait to show you my flower garden. Now you should know that I am Not the gardening type and there is Nothing green about my thumb at all. In fact, the teenager known as Miss Thang Tammy recently spent a whole day picking on me because the flowers she bought me for Mother's day didn't last very long due to dehydration.  I felt so bad about the flowers, that I swore I would plant a flower garden that would last forever, so that is exactly what I did. And I even have a picture to proove it.

Now, that there is my kind of garden.  A handful of lucies, some accent beads, seedies and a couple hours of beadwork, but most of all no maintenance. This baby doesn't even need to be watered and it will last a lifetime. So, Miss Thang Tammy, "How do you like me now?"

I have been wanting to make a flower fringe bracelet for a while now and had fun making this.  It was really neat to watch it grow with each fringe I added. I hope you like it.

TTYL and make it a good night,
Debbie