2nd BJP block and last "Faces" block....

New project... I sketched the quail for my second BJP as, along with the magpies, they are one of our favorite and most numerous year-round birds. Since they are year-round I'm choosing to bead in fall wheat and spring wild roses with it.

If you're able to watch them over a length of time, you'll be amazed at their rituals and group dynamics... The whole courting scene involves elaborate dashes and dances between sexes and skirmishes between males. Once the chicks are hatched they are grouped communally and maybe 40-50 chicks will be guarded by 3 or 4 females. When they are brought out to the feeding and water areas "advance" guards secure the area and take up positions and the all chicks are ushered out....

I am totally addicted to #15 beads and ordered a lot from Out On A Whim.com.

I was going to make a face for Rose Anne's star goddess but found this lovely face pin at the thrift store last Monday.. I used butterscotch alcohol dye to soften the harsh white and will add more color to the eyes. I've gathered ribbons, beads, cording and threads and will start tomorrow.. This is my last block in this series...

Oldest granddaughter turned 21 today and is celebrating her birthday in Las Vegas....When I turned 21 I was married and had a child.... her dad.

What's for dinner this winter!

You can bet if it's blue and edible it is long gone... Some of the favorite summer blues/blacks include black currants, blackberries, elderberries, mulberries, junipers, mahonia, bird cherry trees (prunus padus of which we have hundreds.) Tasty summer reds include red currants, early crab apples, early quince, apples, pie cherries and raspberries to name a few.

But to be around for winter requires that it be a little less tasty or not available until needed....First there is a huge English walnut that litters the ground with nuts in the fall. The seeds of our numerous lilacs are a favorite and of course the myriad of nutritious rose hips for a start ... And there is an endless supply of pine cones, acorns, and seed heads from perennials, vines, grasses and weeds. What has to be the least tasty must be the pyracantha because birds will exhaust all else before they eat it... Just a few of the trees holding fruit are below but I couldn't possibly get everything photographed... So even if we didn't put out sunflower seeds there's plenty for dinner this winter......and I planted it all.

Pass quilt and just go straight to crazy!!!

My most unfavorite part of CQ is making the quilt block and I am always threatening to give up CQ altogether every time I have to make blocks... At the very least least I may pass quilt and go straight to crazy!!! But here I am again making blocks for the encrusted DYOB RR that will begin in January.. I use a pattern when I make blocks...the same patterns over and over... Once I finish embellishing who can tell????

I made many more queens of hearts than I could use in the hearts RR so I plan on putting one on each one of these blocks.. Hmm pastel pinks.....definite comfort zone. I love encrusting so I'm really looking forward to this RR.. I plan to make at least of a couple of the blocks into small beaded bags for charity auctions in the fall. Next on my list is making the block for the 2010 challenge. Nicki sent me some very bright aqua blues..way out of my comfort range but here goes.......................

Bead Journal Project

Now I'm looking for two things.... UFO blues. I still haven't found the painted buttons to finish my challenge block and now I can't find the bag of black 11s to finish the BJP magpie wings... When this happens the only thing to do is start cleaning up my work areas. It's amazing what turns up.

I'm more conservative with the beading than I'd like and my goal is to loosen up over the year... I know I will be be doing much more beading and in many more ways on my CQI projects.

I love the size 15s but having a terrible time finding them even on line...anyone want to share a source??

I'm still finalizing my list of birds for this project.. So far I have magpie, quail , house finch, chickadee, grosbeak, downy, song sparrow, nut hatch, flicker, song sparrow, gold finch, and red-winged blackbird... the last two are only here year round in mild winters. It is hard to choose because we have so many because I have so much food and shelter for them....

Hardware added to garage techno!

I found a "ding and dent" rolling tool chest cheap and am moving in. I got it cheap because the door on the bottom bin is broken but I can fix it..Not a printers cabinet but is great...

I got some mismatched vintage hardware from the barn on it now.I did find some neat stencils at the craft store which will be the next step along with some gold detailing.

While searching for storage units I found this one on steroids at "garage toys for boys" It would take the most dedicated CQers to fill it..... The guy that would buy this must have one of those "monster" pickups!!!LOL