Maybe because I’ve been dabbling with beads to make earrings and bracelets, I remembered the other day that I brought home a bunch of sea glass from our trip to the Abacos in 2009. But I couldn’t remember where I stowed it. I guess you can find sea glass along the shore of many beaches. But, I had heard ahead of time that there are certain stretches of beach in the Abacos that are covered with it. It’s kind of sad to think that this is all trash – bottles broken up by the tides over many years. But for some reason the currents deposit a treasure trove of it along the islands.
Well, I found my stash! Can’t wait to go back for more.
Yesterday afternoon I was pulled into a critical situation with a client (aka a “crit sit”). This usually means 24/7 phone calls with a dozen or more people from all corners of the planet to diagnose what caused a problem in a client’s IT environment, and then fix it. So it’s been a long day or two… and will be a long weekend.
I really don’t intend to re-purpose this blog to be a beading blog, but since it is a photoblog showing various moments from my day…. and since I’ve been thinking about and doing a lot of beading lately..this is what you get. 🙂
This is a pair that I made today, inspired by this pin on pinterest. The noteworthy thing about this pair is that they are my first attempt at making a wrapped loop at the top of the headpin. A little rough, but I’ve got plenty of time to practice.
These are a few shots of the Full Wolf Moon from last night, shot from Nirvana. It’s challenging to get a photo of a full moon, with a point and shoot camera, from a boat. 🙂 But it was beautiful!
Since the water is too cold, noone will be taking the usual photo-from-a-distance of the boats on the raftup. This one from the cockpit will have to serve. Port to starboard: Zen, Nirvana & Sapphire.
I bought some turquoise stones and some brown round beads a while back. This morning I pulled out my bead box and strung together this bracelet and earrings.
I have lots to learn about making jewelry. My loops are basic and unornate. My strung beads are looser than I would like. But I’m having fun learning!
Now, if i could just learn how to photograph them properly…. 🙂
As for my post yesterday, my friend had the best possible case during her surgery last night, according to her doctors. Thanks for your prayers. Now fingers crossed for good news from the lab next week.
We’re off to the lake this afternoon. Have a good one!
We rafted up tonight with Kurt & Wally, on Zen, and Rory & Greg on Sapphire. We were all anchored up before sunset. So we amused ourselves by feeding the seagulls that were flying around the cove. These birds must be migratory, because they are not here when the weather warms up.
Well, we started with one or two flying around. Kurt was tossing them pieces of bread. Before long it was starting to look like a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
This is one of the shots I captured as they were swooping down to pick up the tidbits.
I am up most mornings very early. I like to sit down and drink my coffee while tending to my email, blogging, pinning, etc, before the day’s grind begins. Monte gave me this antique candle holder for Christmas. It sits next to my morning chair now. I love the glow of candlelight…
Monte, Julie and I hit the lake today. It was a nice day, no wind to speak of, but sunny – temps in the low 70s. We motored to Arky South, anchored and played rummy for a bit.
I finished yet another pinterest-inspired project today: a board for hanging my jewelry. The inspiration pin can be found here.
Wanna make one, too? Read on.
I bought an inexpensive corkboard, about 18″ x 24″ or so, from IKEA. For future reference, you should note the thickness of the board material (not the frame part, but the field part of the bulletin board). You may need to trim the screws that come with the drawer pull hardware, like I did. The thickness of my board material was 1/4″. When the screws were screwed all the way into the hardware, there was 3/4″ of an inch showing. Which meant I would have to cut off 1/2″ from each screw (with a hacksaw) so that they would fit my board. You’ll either have to do that, or look for screws that are the right length.
IKEA corkboard
Then I bought some miscellaneous drawer pulls. I also picked out some hooks and small chain and some push pins. Yes. This would have been less expensive if I had this stuff laying around already…
Laying out where the hardware will go.
Then picked out some fabric and ribbon from Joanne’s.
Pretty bits.
Cut and hem the non-selvage edges of the material big enough to wrap around the bulletin board leaving several inches.
Sew on ribbon to add some accents.
Put the fabric you’ve just sewn aside. Now using an awl, poke holes in the corkboard where the screws for where you want each piece of hardware to go.
Poke holes where the drawer pull hardware goes.
Using a drill, with a drill bit no bigger in diameter than the fasteners for the drawer pulls, drill all the way through the corkboard and its backing board. My corkboard had a thin, fiber board backing. So, when I drilled through it, it sort of made a hole with rough, fuzzy edges. After I drilled each hole I scraped away the debris from the front and back of the board around each hole.
It’s a good idea to do a dry run and screw the hardware to the board, to make sure the holes are all in the right places. If not, make adjustments, then take the hardware off again.
Testing to make sure the holes match the hardware.
Now it’s time to wrap the board in fabric. I did this using a stapler, into the back of the board. Wrap the fabric tight, working your way around the board.
The back of the board.
Again, using an awl through each pre-drilled hole in the back of the board, poke a hole through the fabric on the front. Be careful not to snag your material. This will allow the screws to go through the fabric without twisting it or tearing it. Then, place the screws into each hole, through the back of the corkboard, using a screwdriver to turn the screws through the holes you’ve just pierced into the fabric.
Pierce the fabric for each screw-hole, to make way for the screws.Turn the screws through the back of the board til they are clear of the fabric.
Now you just need to place the hardware over the screws and tighten them down.
I added some chain fastened with push pins on either end – more space to hang earrings.
Monte went to the blood center the other day to donate. He came home with a(nother) t-shirt, and a bouquet of flowers that they were giving away to donors. It had a bunch of these little green button poms. Cute as a button….
I like how the shot looks like a little burst of sunshine on an otherwise grey day.
I’ve been going in to my office at work this week – a change from the work-from-home mode I’ve been in for the last 18 months or so. In my desk drawer I found a handful of coins from our last trip to the Bahamas – a bareboat sailing charter through the Abacos. A fabulous trip.
I’ve never really looked at the art on the back of the coins before. They capture the nautical life of the islands … fish, sailing, starfish.
So, it’s stuck in the 30’s here all week, and I’m now dreaming of the islands.
We took friends out for a sail today. Chris was visiting Irene for the weekend, and after a lovely breakfast in Central Austin we headed to the marina. Irene took the helm for most of the sail and did great. The winds were light so we were able to set up the cockpit table with nibblies for the voyage while we were underway.
Lori and Dave came out, too, on Camelot. And we crossed paths with Wally and Kurt on Zen on our way back.
The day was overcast, and a front was on its way, but it was a really nice day on the lake.
Back at the marina we saw a bunch of our slip neighbors. Wally, Kurt, Lori and Dave joined us for a cocktail. Then we packed it up before the front dropped in.
Our resident ducks stopped by to say hello. They’re all grown up now.
My meetings this week have been running from early AM to late PM. It’s tiring. I took a break today at lunch to walk around outside. These geese are only about half of those that were hanging out in the lake on the property. Before I walked up, they were pointing in all different directions. By the time I got up close to take a few shots, they were all lined up, staring at me, giving me…. the goose-eye. 🙂
Sheila365 