earrings

These are fun to make! Bright and colorful, and flashy enough to draw attention.
Habit forming to make. The original pattern was in an early Bead& Button and the design was taught by Alice Korach. I have more to show you soon.
Meanwhile I keep doing outdoor chores while the sun shines. Still picking tomatoes, cutting lettuce and chard. The honeysuckle, nasturtiums, dahlias and zinnias continue to bloom and I don't have the heart to cut them back, (yet.) But a fire in the fireplace, on the other hand, is a blessing!

Autumn thoughts

The last few days have been sunny and warm, indeed very lovely. Autumn making up for a summer that was scant and sparse. never-the-less it's autumness is apparent. I feel the Kore/Demeter aspect grabbing at my soul.

Suddenly two days ago, list be damned, I felt the need to examine and arrange cupboards. Noting duplicates, moving extras to the food and water storage area in the garage. I checked the fruit that I'd recently frozen and moved it to the back of the freezer with 06 and 07's produce to the front.

I remembered the message of mouse ad squirrel and smiled at the vision of their nearly frantic activities with that first hint of frost in the air. It's time to put the gardens to bed, to set up the greenhouse and move the still blooming tomatoes, chilies and eggplant pots to their waiting shelves. I'm getting ready for winter although I am very much a summer person. I feel the need this year, to slow down, to pull with in, to inventory the stack of waiting books, to change to the warmer bedding, replace the tablecloth and chair cushions. Summer is over whether it looks like it or not.

Hummingbird totem

I learned a lot from this little exercise. i made hummingbird for a young friend whose totem at this time is the hummingbird. It is unfortunate that the photo after uploading no longer shows the iridescence n the neck beads.
They are in blue/green/violet and catch the light beautifully. Next time: I will leave lots of room around the square (or circle) of fabric I am working with so that I can use a hoop to stretch the fabric and have edges to turn under and pull to stretch and stitch. In not leaving this allowance it was difficult to pull the fabric taut. I ended up using batting for fill to make the fabric fir better. I do like the way the little wing tip extends beyond the framing circle. The clear beads below the wings indicate the flashing, almost invisible movement.
The painting is 5 1/2" in diameter.