new material = new inspiration

Yesterday morning the DH and I decided to head off to Denver to visit the Gem show that is here this weekend. I had in mind a specific item that I was looking for to start a design that I've been fiddling with for a while
of course I also found a few other things while I was there

these pieces of glass, for instance

hand made by an artist from Washington

she and I talked for a while about bead work and sources of supplies

I already have a design idea forming that will use these three pieces in a necklace
then there were these pieces of jasper

for a while I've been thinking about creating another piece that has open work as well as beading around some stones

I love the colors in these pieces of jasper

and I have a couple more pieces of stone that are similar color that will go with these





these are what I went looking for

actually, not exactly these items, but I have a design that I want to do and I needed focal stones and accent pieces

the stones are very nice turquoise cabs and the two strings of beads are 3mm crystal bicones which will be perfect for the use I have in mind

nice when I can actually get what I went for!

I could have picked up a lot more goodies if I'd had the funds, but not this time
of course going to Denver means some time in the car

and on a Friday afternoon, quite a while in the car

got this afghan square finished and another one over half done






once we got home I did some more work on the projects already in process

the beading on the tiger bracelet is slowly moving along




and I have made some progress on the sweater I'm making for Mr Cute

those are size 2 needles -- and cables are not so easy on those as they are on a size 6 or 7!




as I was taking pictures of the projects I had been working on I noticed the dog

she's laying on the couch -- sound asleep

but she looks like a cartoon of a dog

crazy critter


time to get some breakfast and get busy working on stuff