A Finished Object (at last!)

It seems like I've been working on this project FOREVER!

Yesterday afternoon I glued down the last of the flowers and proclaimed it FINISHED!!

This was an interesting excursion into new ways of mixing medias.

I've done wood projects for quite a while, and beads are my old friends. The needle felting, however, was a whole new deal.

And while I had a "vision" in my head of what I wanted this to look like, I was just not sure I could make it happen in the "real" world.

That is perhaps the biggest challenge of any artist --- to make the visions in our heads become something tangible for others to see.

I am very, VERY, pleased with the way this came out. So now it's on to the next bird house --- probably the green one with a yellow bird. Yes, and possibly orange flowers (which means there will be more wool washing!)

After much fusing and counting I have finally gotten the "netting" between the malachite/azurite/turquoise stones completed.

Yesterday I started on the beadwork that will be the necklace part of this --- across the center (to support the stone "structure") I'm using size 11 beads and from there to the back, including the toggle clasp, I'm using size 15 beads. All of them are the same shades of blues and greens as the stones, and I'm working the famous uber-flexible right angle weave.

Once I get the necklace part finished and the stones attached I'll start on the fringe. There will be a lot of fringe. It will start on the sides at the top and "flow" off of every stone down the sides.

(picture isn't great, but there are little pencil lines on the paper behind the stone that give the general idea)

This will not be branched fringe, but it will be made up of seed beads, bugle beads and stone beads to give it some "weight". And I'm expecting the fringe will take as long to do and the whole rest of the necklace (mostly because as I do the first side I need to count and record so I can refer and count to make the second side match).

Just have to show off one of my birthday presents.

The DH got this for me

It's a BIG mug (for a cuppa whatever while I'm at my computer in the mornings)

It's nice pottery with a great handle

And don't you love the puppy paw prints?!

Oh yes, and that would be my grandchildren are dogs --- I have TWO grand dogs and they are adorable (most of the time).

Yesterday we went back to the doctor for a follow up on the DH and the wound on his hand. She was pleased that he has so much feeling in it, but still concerned about infection given that it was wounded with a circular saw. So, he has another course of antibiotics to take. The up side of this? She gave him samples so we didn't have to pay for another prescription. I LOVE this doctor!! We'll keep an eye on it, and if it still looks "icky" after these anitbiotics are gone, we can go back for another "look see".

Being that it's Spring, we had another snow storm blow through here yesterday afternoon -- and now everything is covered with ice -- I'm just going to work indoors today!