Silver Surfer Tenerife

Stories Of Captain Calum

2011-06-07T21:27:00.000+01:00

These are childrens stories of a Teddy called Captain Calum.

21st Centuary here she comes

2010-08-20T21:22:00.000+01:00

At last I have got Carol (link to her blog) to try her hand at blogging as she has been thinking about it for a long time now.

We have just spent a lovely two weeks holiday with them here in the beautiful island of Tenerife. Like last year we were out every day feeling very adventurous. This year we used the Titsa bus, a very useful way to get about the island just get yourself a Bono bus ticket and off you go. However we did invest in a couple of boat trips out to see the Dolphins and the Pilot Whales. The first boat trip was for Carol, her husband Jim and myself, the next trip was on a Pirate ship called the Peter Pan 1. This trip was for the princess and the wild child. Both these trips were fantastic of course the highlight on each was seeing the Dolphins and Whales. The trip to end all trips was a trip to La Gomera . What an experience that was.. the scenery was out of this world .

Included in the trip was the ferry over then a bus trip round the island with six stops our lunch and the ferry back to Tenerife . The bus that picked us up at 7:30 in the morning dropped us at the pick-up point at 7 :00 pm at the end of the trip. That was the best trip of our holiday.

The stash does it again!

2010-07-07T21:38:00.043+01:00

Again I came across these tucked in the back of a drawer where I had dropped them after going to my favourite Chinese Warehouse. What a find they are 1/2 inch discs of a cream coloured shell. They are so shiney, smooth and lovely to wear. The necklace is so simple. It just shows less is more.

Once again I am showing you one of the books from my library. This book is outstanding. I love Diane Fitzgerald's work. I have made a lot of thing out of this book.In fact before got the book I had a real dislike for peyote stitch but now that I understand it better I have no problem with it.

More Stash Treasures

2010-07-06T21:10:00.000+01:00

Here is a ltring of red cubes with little black glass beads between.
The red cubes are marbled with black. the chinese warehouse has been very good to me I find all sorts there. I buy them and they are deposited in the stash sometimes never to be seen again. Only joking ofcourse.

Here is a book from my library on beading. I have found this book really helpful. with the ilustrations and in giving me ideas.

Turquoise Delight

2010-07-05T21:01:00.004+01:00

This bracelet and necklace came from my stash yet again. I found the turquoise beads in a chinese warehouse here in Tenerife. The little black beads are small glass beads but the little black beads in the bracelet are black crystals again bought from the chinese warehouse.

I would like to bring this lovely book to your notice by
Kumiko Mizuno I had the chance to thumb through it and am hoping I get it for my birthday . If I dont it will not be for the want of dropping hints.

Playing with Doughnuts

2010-07-04T20:00:00.001+01:00

While thinking what I would like to make after the daisy bracelet I came across a string of these shell doughnuts. I could not think what to do with them and there sitting in the middle of my stash were these golden glass-pearls. Lightening flash what about puting them together. The pearls had been sitting in the stash for such a long time. the necklace is quite different.

Beaded Daisy Bracelet

2010-07-03T20:29:00.002+01:00

Here is the finished product. My golden daisy bracelet. This has been one of the first since my return to beading. I love the feel of the bracelet growing in my hands. I made the green daisy first and wanted to add something else so I just reversed the colours and wow it was just the thing.

I got the idea for the bracelet came from the
The Beader's Bible

Back to my Beading

2010-06-10T23:57:00.006+01:00

Just thought I would show you something I put together after looking through my beading books for inspiration. The 3 bead weave came from The Beaders Bible by Dorothy Wood I find this book great for inspiration.
The beaded button came from an article by Margaret Ross I found in the October 2008 edition 39 of the The Beadworkers Guild Journal. It is almost finished and I like the look and feel of the bracelet.

My Boy Teddy Koi

2010-06-08T10:11:00.003+01:00

Here is my pride and joy...Teddy Koi .
This has been like giving birth to my children and ha taken nearly as long..
He is worth it . Everyone loves him to bits.
I have been away to UK for a months holiday to see some relatives. I had a good time and was quite wrung out by the time I got back. Teddy came with me and loved all the attention he got.

Another Beading Disaster

2010-04-08T20:27:00.000+01:00

This my big boy so far. I am finding the belly part a bit finneky. If you get what I mean.

I have had another disaster. The Wild Child and the Princess came to see us the other day. The Princess was picking through my very small work table. Then it happened ALL the beads for Teddy Koi landed on the floor. I could have cried, so could the Princess needles to say. She was on her knees picking them all up in an instant. The Wild Child was helping her, they picked every one of them up.
I need to get stuck in and finish him before the third disaster strikes.
I am still so in love with him. My better half said he would like to hang him in the window of the car. Dont worry that will not happen ..

More of the beading of Teddy Koi

2010-04-01T23:30:00.002+01:00

Here is more of my lovely boy.
I seem to be staggering from bead to bead.. It is so intense. I can only do a little bit at a time. However every time I finish each new part I sort of hold him up and gaze in wonder at him. I really never thought anything could give me such enjoyment. Mind you he is not even nearly finished..
I have found the most difficult part is the back scales. It is a bit fiddly and my fingers are not so agile as they used to be. Also while the children are here they just want to pick him up and wooo and ahhh at him. I dare not try to do any of Teddy when they are here.
I had a misshap the other day. I spilled the tray of beads I dont have to tell you I was on the floor in an instant groveling around picking all the little things up. I think I got most of them.. My Wild Child picked up some that I had missed. What a Boy.

No Beading just Whales & Dolphins

2010-03-22T20:12:00.003Z

Yesterday, Sunday my D.D. and I took the Wild Child on a trip to see the whales and dolphins. It was wonderful .. The boat took us away out for what seemed a long way, when suddenly there they were!. Five dolphins tumbling towards us. It did not take too much imagination for me to think it was a whole family showing off just for us on the glass bottomed catamaran. I for one felt so honored to be treated to their show.
We were then told we could go below and watch the show from below the water line. The Wild Child was over the moon with excitement. I gave him the camera and away he went snapping shots of the fantastic dolphins. He let out a gasp here was some very large fish just hanging in the water. They were pilot whales, away he went again snapping more pictures of these lovely creatures. Eventually we went back up top to watch the show again.
What a wonderful day .
I do love this lovely island Tenerife

More beading Teddy

2010-03-20T23:25:00.006Z

Thought you would like to see how far I have got on with him now.He is such a lovely boy. The colors in my camera do not do him justice. It is like magic the way he grows. Each new step is such an adventure. I feel I need to hurry on to finish the piece I am doing to jump to the next step.

The beading of Teddy Koi

2010-03-20T13:29:00.005Z

I mentioned a beautiful embroidery called Fish Face . Well this is a distant cousin from Tenerife called Teddy Koi the golden carp. As you can see I have not got very far but I'm so excited about him..
I will keep you updated with my progress.

More Necklaces for Paris

2010-03-13T16:16:00.004Z

These two were the ones I had to make from scratch.The one on the left is a herring bone lariat. With two spinner beaded beads.
The other one is in a simple lace stitch with a black cord running through it it give it support.

Beaded Necklaces for Paris

2010-03-13T15:42:00.019Z

My son-in-law and the Princess are visiting his family in Paris.
These necklaces are the three that were in the UFO box, so it was an easy job to finish them off.
I would like to gift the blue one to my Son-i-law's mother. Blue is my favourite color.

Bead Embroidering Bunk-a-punch

2010-03-06T13:21:00.004Z

I think I have said it before I am a woman without much imagination. This shows you just what I mean. This is a nearly finished beaded bunk-a-punch.

Quite a while ago I tried my hand at bunk-a-punch. However it did not grab me. I tried a few things out but it was not for me. I know some of you out there will know what I mean.

Well I had finished the Poppy Thingy and was looking about for ideas. When I came across the bag ( under my bed) with the unfinished B-a-Ps. Thought to my self I will bead these for the want of any inspirations coming my way.

This is my first attempt not bad even if I say so myself. I know it is unfinished but it looks like it has some potential.

I have had to put it down unfinished because my son-in-law is taking the princess to Paris and she wanted to take some of my beaded jewelery with her. There will be his mum and 4 sisters. I was quite lucky with my U.F.O.s I only needed to make two full necklaces. I have finished three that were U.F.O.s they only needed toggles put on.

Rastro ( Car Boot Sale )

2010-03-05T23:50:00.004Z

This beautiful jacket was bought at a rastro in Tenerife. It is heavily embroidered and looks Chinese. That is the princess modeling it. The stitching is out of this world and looks hand done.

I love going to the car boot sales here in the south of Tenerife. We have a car boot sale every Sunday morning. Until coming across the little jacket it was always beads I would look for.

Actually it was my sister-in.law who found it. She is a great car-booter I love to watch her plough through all the things. There is a saying ' One mans rubbish is anothers treasure' well this is so true in this case. The jacket is nearly too small for the princess but even when she cannot wear it I am not going to put it into another car-boot because to me it is a real treasure.

Finished bead -embroidering the Poppy Thingy

2010-02-26T23:27:00.005Z

Here is the finished Poppy Thingy.. I have had a lot of fun doing this.
Learning something new has always been fun to me. Finding out how to do the padding On the petals was great. On the first photo you can just see the padding beads in the bottom petal. It was just so simple but so effective.
Now on to the next project. I have been asked to bead some necklaces for the mother and the sisters of my son-in-law. Be assured I will keep you all up to date on how I am getting on with them.

Michael Jackson the Dog

2010-02-23T15:20:00.003Z

My niece was presented with a lovely fluffy, golden puppy on the day of michael Jackson's funeral.. They thought to call him Michael Jackson and the name stuck.. He answers to it no problem although they do get some funny looks when they call the wee dog whils walking him..

In my sojourns through the web sites about pets and animals I came across this one called http://four-legged-friends.com/ It is worth a look.. It is obviously written by an animal lover.
We have two little dogs ourselves , we have always have had animals.. Cats and dogs are the animals of choice for us..

Beading The Poppy Thingy

2010-02-20T12:59:00.003Z

Here is the newest attempt at bead embroidery. I found some lovely stitching on the blog by Carol-Ann Conway. This is the lady who stitched ' Fish Face '. Now dont tell me you dont know Fish Face, he is the most beautiful golden carp you are likely ever to meet. Just click his name and introduce your self.
A very nice lady introduced me to FF her name is Elmsley Rose do go and investigate this ladies site also.
However back to my effort at the Poppy Thingy.. Carol-Ann demonstrated the puffy edges on the poppy petals.. I have tried to follow her advice.. my flower is nothing like the lovely poppy Carol-Ann did but I am quite pleased with it..
I like to find and try new things.. I felt it would not turn out anything like it did. As you can see it is not realy like a poppy but it is my interpretation

New Blogs + new finds

The End of the Snakey Thing

2010-02-16T12:40:00.002Z

At last I finished it. It was fun to do quite an adventure for me.

I have had some very nice things said about it. However I still feel I would like to try something more demanding..

I have long been an admirer of Robin Atkins Her bead embroidery site gives you enough eye candy to want to explore more.

This was my second piece in bead embroidery .

I am still getting pulled towards beading but I am not someone who can have two or more things on the go at once. What I mean by this is not a beading piece and a bead embroidery piece on the go at once.

As I have moaned about before my home is so small and my stash is taking over. When I started out beading I had three drawers. Not very big I have to say. Then came a free standing 4 drawer unit and the top there of . Now the beads and things are creeping up on to the serving counter!!! HELP please can I have more room.

Bead Embroidering the Snakey Thingy

2010-02-06T21:09:00.003Z

beads.

Here I am again trying a new bead embroidery. I am going to call it the Snakey Thingy. Again I got the idea from the little Anchor Book on crewel stitches. We shall see how this one comes out. I am still not too confident about my beading. I am having a lot of fun doing them and that is reason enough for me.

Beading My Leafy Thing

2010-02-04T01:03:00.003Z

Well now it is finished..My Leafy Thing. I love it I feel I have given birth in a kind of a way. Now I wondered what to do with it when it was finished, well it has been suggested I do a very fancey thing with an embroidery hoop. I am going to give it a try.. I will keep you updated as to how it goes.

Bead Embroidery

2010-02-02T20:18:00.003Z

Here is the Leaf Thingy gradually growing. I am really in love with this I can see it growing and developing into something I like. I dont quite know just what to do with it when I actually finish it..

Beading The Leaf Thingy.

2010-02-01T23:56:00.005Z

Here is my second attempt at bead embroidery. I am calling this one The Leaf Thingy. I have put the Paisley Thingy aside, I have decided I am not ready for freeform just yet. However I will try it again at a later date.

Now what will I do now?.I remembered I was given a little book called The Anchor Book of Crewelwork Embroidery Stitches it is one of a series all related to hand stitching. Looking through this wee book I found copies in black and white of the coloured embroidered pictures. These copies you could trace if you wanted.. great idea I thought but how do I get the tracing on to the material?. After much deliberation I wondered if I could use carbon paper. Yes good idea, then I set about transfering the picture from the tracing paper to my fabric.

I started by stitching round the picture with the colours I would eventually embelish with beads. This part was fun for I could see the picture forming before my eyes.

To be continued..

Beading Herringbone Watch Straps

2010-01-31T16:03:00.004Z

Here are two watch straps I made recently. The black one was for a watch I was given by my daughter many moons ago. I was very upset when the strap of the watch broke on thinking and looking at the watch face I felt maybe I could make a strap for it..
The blue strap I made for a watch face I bought with the intention of doing something original-
I made both of them in herringbone stitch..
I am very pleased with them.

The Princess Beading

2010-01-30T13:33:00.004Z

I thought you would like to see my little princess beading . Actually she is quite taken with the bead embroidery. I demonstrate how to handle the peice and she is away..

Trying Bead Embroider

2010-01-30T12:48:00.005Z

I have been having a very slow time with ideas recently. Just could not get going with anything.

While browsering I found quite a lot of people had gone over to embroidery with beads.
WOW maybe I could try this. It looked so beautifull . Have a look at Robin Atkins gallery. This is some really lovely eye candy.
http://www.robinatkins.com/gallery.html

However came to mind, I think I could give this a try for a little change. But all I can tell you at the moment bead embroidery is not as simple as it looks.

I wanted some thing in the style of Paisley Pattern. However (as you can see ) it did not turn out as I imagined. I am not going to rip it out or relegate the ufo drawer. I like it enough to try a bit more with it. I am calling it the Paisley Thingy.

2010-01-01T19:07:00.005Z

These two bracelets were made from two bracelets of jump rings I picked up at a car boot sale. The one with the jade heart I gave to my friend and she bought the heart to finish it off..
The other one I added some beads that were lying on my beading table..
I searched the web to find some chainmaille styles.
these are made from one I found called 'Byzantine.'
The bracelets were a lot of fun to do.

Here is a lovely story about the 'wild child'
He was in bed this morning chatting to his mum and he asked her ' How do butterflies say hello? ' This question made them all think. He is such a thoughtful wee boy.
He is looking forward to his 6th birthday on the 4th of January.

Beading Milk beads in Spiral

2009-12-30T15:54:00.003Z

This necklace is another spiral, but because it is chips you can hardly see that it is spiral. I call this milk stone but I know some people call it moon stone. I really dont care I think it is quite eye catching. What I should have done is saved enough beads and chips to make matching earings.
Never mind I will know the next time.

Beading by The Princess

2009-12-30T15:27:00.004Z

This necklace was made for me by my 8 year old grand daughter (fondly called The Princess) actually I think the stork made a mistake when it dropped in to my daughter's arms..
She loves doing beading . Funny enough she does not like tidying up her room !! We have some arguments about that. However none when I ask her does she want to bead with me.

More Beading from recent past

2009-12-30T10:00:00.005Z

This necklace was made while I was in my Spiral mode. I love this stitch I think it is my favourite.
What can I say. I thought I would try the double spiral. I loved doing this BUT found it difficult after a time it seemed to crush up and went very tight.So what I thought I would carry on in one colour at one end then the other colour on the other side. It turned out very interesting dont you think? I had seen this on a site in my web wanderings.. Sorry I cannot remember where it was. But when I do I will give credit where it is due.

beading in the New Year

2009-12-29T15:03:00.007Z

It is ages since I have done my blogging thing. My friends have been contacting me to say how sad they were because I have not been keeping my blog up to date.

This necklace was the outcome of the spiral necklace I told you I was going to try in the clear and royal blue mini bugles. I have never tried to cover a stone but as this my first attempt I hope you will forgive any mistakes you can see..

A friend of mine who lives in England does a lot for some very needy charities.. In November I sent her some of my finished UOF's. I have now started on the next bunch to send her. It is good to clear the decks (so to speak) .

Focus on Beading

2009-10-29T11:12:00.003Z

Well I have given myself a good talking to.
Things were going from bad to worse. The UFO's were piling up and I was getting nowhere fast. I could see the problem but I just could do nothing about it.
My answer was do something I really love to do.. well that was easy to answer 'A Spiral' I love the spiral I can do it with my eyes shut , so to speak. All I had to do was decide on the colors .
I went into the stash and found some clear seed beads and some royal blue small bugles and away I went spiraling like a mad thing..
Maybe this is not your way to deal with an over active brain but its mine .
I feel so much calmer today. I know I will get the call to do a wee bit here and there on the UFO's and as I take my time they will get finished..
Time is something I have a lot of. I just lost sight of this fact and lost my calm.
Hope you have a nice day thank you for visiting

The Beading Mixing Pot

2009-10-28T14:47:00.007Z

I find I have a lot UFO's kicking about. I cant seem to sit down and finish them off. My brain does not want to let me finish the one piece before it throws the next piece into the mix that is my ideas pot. At the moment I have two flower pieces on the go and a peyote bracelet cuff. Last night while getting on with the cuff I lifted one of the flowers and laid it on the cuff and it was really quite beautiful. . . The large flower and the 'Kind of a Passion Flower' were made from the tutorial on http://www.blisstree.com/jewelryandbeading/making-beaded-flowers
The small rose was made from a book 'The beaded Garden' by Diane Fitzgerald

By the way I made the passion flower, in a kind of a way, but I could
not make the stamens stand up so did away with them and am going to add a golden seed bead center.

It is a 'Kind of a Passion Flower' Can you see a kind of a passion flower?

I have so much whirling round in my head I wish I could slow it down just a bit...
At the moment I have a hankering to bead the edge of a scarf. It just has to be a project for the future.

A day in Jungle Park Tenerife Thro' Jim's Lens

2009-10-24T14:02:00.005+01:00

This was a smashing day. As a family we love Jungle Park there is so much to do and see. Also it is situated quite near where we live so no long bus journeys or car drives. The Wild Child and Princess Wat-A-Pong thoroughly enjoyed them selves as usual. We saw the Parrot Show and then later on saw the wild bird show.
How on earth do they get the birds to come back I have no idea. The birds set off from the tower and fly off into the distance and you think to your self 'Bye bye birdy' but no before the show is over there they swooping over the tower again and there they are safe and sound.
The children have been there so often that they were off showing CC and CJ the way to the next bit of the park. We had two very tired bunnies to take home.

Beaded flowers!!

2009-10-24T13:25:00.008+01:00

I started getting a hankering to try to make beaded flowers. Now I thought you could only make these lovely little things with wire. These are the kind of flowers I showed off in my last beading post. However doing my usual browsing through the internet I found this example of flowers in bead and thread http://www.blisstree.com/jewelryandbeading/making-beaded-flowers/ I was immediately tempted and here is the first of the finished article. Cyndi's tutorial is very well shown and if I can make this on my first attempt anyone can do it.
I enjoyed doing this and I have found a flower called the passion flower, I wondered to myself if I could try and make it up in this 'bead and thread' method. I will keep you posted how I get on.

I have recently purchased a book called 'The beaded Garden' by Diane Fitzgerald and I am working my way through it. The book is wonderful, full of detailed descriptions and pictures. I have tried the small tulip so far I am in wonderment at the lovely things she makes but it is mostly in the perky peyote.. enough said.

Holiday in Tenerife Thro' Jim's Lens

2009-10-18T22:19:00.006+01:00

On the Friday CC and I had a lovely trip to the supermercado ( supermarket) CC was suitably impressed. We also took a little trip aside to a Chinese shop that sells beads. We had a quick look round Iceland , yes I mean the same shop as in Britain. CC was gobsmacked.. Actually the prices are awful but if you want British goods you have to pay the price..

When we got back to Tagoro Park CC and CJ made their way down to the coast road in Costa del Silencio . CJ wanted to take more pictures .

Beading something new

2009-10-18T22:06:00.004+01:00

I saw this kind of beading on a web site and when I looked at the tutorial I thought 'I could do that' http://www.jewelrylessons.com/tutorial/victorian-beading-technique .. I am sure you all know this site.. There is just soo much on this site. I realy could not try something..
Ok so they are not too professional but I think you can see it has possibilities. Since finding that Victorian Beading Technique I have found another one for a rose I am now going to tackle that.

Holiday in Tenerife Thro' Jim's Lens.

2009-10-17T16:10:00.011+01:00

I want to take you all back to my wonderful holiday I spent with CC and CJ. On the first Thursday of the holiday we got on a bus and took a little trip to Los Abrigos we went for a walk down the harbour. It was a lovely day Plenty of sun with a little breeze, we appreciated the gentle breeze. These pictures although lovely do not do justice to this little village.

Our next stop on this day of gentle adventures was El Medano. This village is famous for the wind-surfing.. It is also known for the wind. There is almost a 'hippy' feeling it is such a laid back village. There is beautiful boardwalk that is a pleasure to walk along. We stopped off in a cafe for a bite of lunch and a refreshment then wandered on. CJ taking many photos and CC an I following on behind him .

Beading with 'Shaped Beadwork'

2009-10-17T15:42:00.010+01:00

I have an apology to make to all my readers. I have not been very well recently, nothing to do with my visitors, just a cold type thing I could not seem to shake . However I am feeling much better now. There seems to be a lot of this sort of bug at this time of year. (The change from high summer to a little cooler autumn). There is so many people going around with this infection you would think we would be prepared for it. But no we are all caught out every year..

Now I will show you just what I have been doing. I had another trip through Diane Fitzgerald book 'Shaped Beadwork' I do love this book. I said some time ago on the blog that I hated Peyote, well since buying this lovely book I have changed my mind. I have tried quite a few of the pieces, I need to tell you all ' I love Peyote '

Quiet day in Las Galletas

2009-09-25T15:44:00.004+01:00

Today was a walk down to our little village Las Galletas. Here we have a brand new harbor and marina. We stopped quite a few times to quench our thirst. We walked our legs off again. With CC and I trailing behind again while our very own David Bailey clicked away merrily. Thar shutter must have been red hot.

Tuesday Los Cristianos

2009-09-25T15:35:00.004+01:00

Today it was the turn of Los Cristianos for the sightseeing lark. CJ with his trusty camera and CC and I trailing along behind him.. mind you we were quite happy to do just that because we had not seen each other for 10 years so as you can imagine we had a lot to catch up on.. The weather was just glorious. We walked along the prom from one end to the other.

Los Gigantes Tenerife

2009-09-21T22:55:00.009+01:00

On Monday we took the auto-bus (la gua-gua) to Los Gigantes. The journey was quite an eye opener for CC & CJ and when we at last got into Los Gigantes the look on their faces was priceless. The first look at the cliffs of Gigantes is always breathtaking.

The hotels and complexes are just about aw-inspiring. We walked about seeing the lovely scenery. After a while CC and I sat in a cafe while CJ walked about taking lots of photos.

The holiday in Tenerife continues

2009-09-20T12:11:00.015+01:00

On Sunday CJ was up early to take pictures of the dawn from their patio.

About 10 o'clock the four of us bundled into the car and drove to Los Cristianos where there is a large tourist market that is on every Sunday . It is mostly touristy sort of things but then there are few quite crafty things also.

On our way home we walked round Las Galletas. Las Galletas has some very nice streets to walk through .

We stopped and had a refreshment and discussed what excursion we would venture Monday

No beading in Tenerife

2009-09-19T08:58:00.007+01:00

My cousin CC and her husband CJ came over to our island for two weeks holiday and I had an opportunity to see our beautiful island through fresh eyes. They loved Tenerife to bits. It was quite an eye opener for me..
The Friday they arrived it was not particularly warm . However they thought it was lovely and warm. I wondered how I was going to tell them just how hot it would get.

The next day we went to Westhaven Bay complex for a coffee and to let them see some of the scenery. While we sat beside the wall some cheeky little lizards came out for some breakfast of our cakes. We had placed some crumbs into the cracks in the wall.

The scenery is lovely from Westhaven and CC&CJ were gob smacked.

We walked down to the little village Of Las Galletas this is a small fishing village that is some what untouched by the tourist industry.
We walked down the new marina /harbor. This construction is very new it is only about a year old. From there we walked along the prom Here there is quite a few restaurants and bars.

The first pic is of the walk from Tagro Park to Westhaven Bay. The gardens are full of very interesting plants and cacti.
The next pic is of the little lizards and the last one is the veiw of Las Galletas from the patio at Westhaven.

A Happy Mistake

2009-08-31T11:16:00.004+01:00

I will tell you all of a happy mistake I made not long ago. On my travels through the internet I came across a book called 'The Beaders Bible' . Now I did not realise there is two Beaders Bibles.

Anyway I duly sent away for 'The Beaders Bible' from my old favorite Amazon.co.uk. I did not check that it was the right book. However when it came (Amazon has never let me down) It certainly was The Beaders Bible this book was by Claire Crouchley. The book has a fund of designs in Square Stitch. This stitch can be used on a loom as well as square stitch. This was great because I had not long before purchased a wire loom. the other stitch is Peyote Stitch or Brick Stitch.

Well if you have read my previous posts you will know I had no great liking for the pesky peyote.. I did try some of the simpler patterns in all the different stitches. I got caught up in some of them .

The stitches in the book are very well explained and the pictures make you want to try all of them.

I was trawling through the internet on Saturday and guess what I found another Beaders Bible.I now realise this was the book I had wanted in the first place. This book is by Dorothy Wood and is a Comprehensive Guide to Beading Techniques. It sounds good dont you think. When I recieve it from the trusty Amazon I will let you know how I get on with it.

Birthday instead of Beading

2009-08-29T13:39:00.003+01:00

It was the princess's birthday she is 8 years old. Mind you it must be true what they say that time goes quicker as you get older. I really dont know how she got to be 8. I feel it was just yesterday we were at the hospital to see our beautiful new grand-daughter.
She is quite the little lady now. She decided she wanted a pool party this year. I must say it all went well on the day. A friend of ours lent us a karaoke machine . What a wonderful invention because while some kids did not want to be swimming all day there was this machine to take there attention.

I feel so tired today I just want to get on with my beading. This week has been hectic with me trying to remember everything for the party. Between food, cakes, pop, balloons and all the rest of the things that make up a kids party nowadays.

Now I am back to my usual weekend things like tidying and sorting out my beading table.

Beading Books

2009-08-26T21:02:00.004+01:00

At the beginning of this month I turned 70 and on my birthday I decided to buy myself Diane Fitzgerald's book 'Shaped Beadwork'. One of the things that decided me to buy this book was the fact I could not get the hang of the Peyote Stitch and on looking at many web sites and beading blogs this book came up time after time when I found articles on the pesky Peyote.
I have loved working through the book. Her instructions and descriptions of the wonderful items she has made and shows in the book are amazing..
However there was another book I was very interested in and that was Horace R. Goodhue's 'Indian Bead-weaving Patterns' . I have always have been interested in the beadwork of the American Indians. Again while surfing the net I kept coming across this book. However there were as many against as there was for.. some people thought the drawings left a lot to be desired.. and on the other hand there were people that thought his explanations and stories on the subject of the American Indian beading refreshing. I am one of those people. Since receiving the book from Amazon.co.uk (wonderful web site, wonderful service) on Monday I have read it from front to back and loved every word and diagram.
As you can imagine I am working my way through this book too. Wish me luck..

Roadworks in Costa del Silencio

2009-08-17T16:27:00.005+01:00

I came to Costa Del Silencio in 1999. From then until last year the roads and paths around the town were deplorable. To think that I pushed my grandkids buggy up and down those potholed pavements and cobbled kerbs!

We were happy when work started to improve the situation but heavens what a mess they are making! And it is all taking soooo long.

The powers that be have now dug up a stretch of road from Coral Mar all the way to Calle de Te. Up till now they have not thought to cover it over with the tar macadam that constitutes what we could call a road. At the moment it is just dust blowing all over the place and bone-shattering pot holes. God only knows what it is doing to the car...

There have been a few posts on the subject on Tenerife Tattle if you want to know more about the CDS roadworks - just search for Costa Del Silencio and you'll get them in a list.

It is so obvious that the mayor of this small town is a man. No woman would let this mess go on month after month. It is a standing joke that just as it all looks to be finished they'll realise that they forgot to lay the underground pipes for water, electric and sewage. It is a kind of madness and all I can say in their defense is 'TIT' (this is Tenerife) in other words what do we expect.

2009-08-16T13:03:00.003+01:00

Here is my first finished project from THE BOOK.As I said Yesterday I run out of beads but managed to make a ribbon of the diagonal chain. I had to change the colors round on one of the bits because I saw I was running out of the pewter color fast. I feel really good about the ' The open Shapes Bracelet'.
I sat up till all hours trying to finish all the bits but I had to give in bed was calling. I got up and finished it this morning. I had to add the chain because of the lack of beads. I dont think it looks too bad.
More good news the kids are home so I will have then here tomorrow and they can play in the pool with all the other children.

Happily Beading in Tenerife

2009-08-16T00:02:00.003+01:00

I have had some fun today I have been beading away getting through this book. I love it..as I told you before it is the kind of book you have to work through from front to back if you know what I mean. I usually flick through the pages to see what takes my fancy. Not this book I tried that and realised I needed to really take my time and follow the instructions.
Well I am getting on not too bad ..I am on to the second chapter 'Open Shapes' . I got myself into a few twists and knots but now I have cracked it. At the back of the book I found a pattern for a 'Diagonal stripe chain' How do people think these things up. It is so simple but looks so lush.
Ah but there is still a problem I have run out of beads. This the curse of Tenerife. Sure I can get lots of beads but not the ones I want.. I am sure I could get some but not in the colors I want or not in the amounts I want. Well never say die I will just get on and finish what I have done . It will be a bracelet. I will try and post it tomorrow.

Not Beading just thinking

2009-08-14T17:31:00.003+01:00

We have got a big hole in our lives at the moment.. the children are away in Los Cristianos for the most of this week.. they are visiting relations that came over for a holiday from Paris.
I am usually complaining about having to be jumping up and down to their beck and call. Really I dont know what is wrong with me 'I DO MISS THEM' there I said it.
I have decided I will try not to complain about them at all next week..

Beading with 'Shaped Beadwork'

2009-08-13T21:03:00.004+01:00

I am sure you can imagine the excitement here when I opened the package yesterday. This is a lovely book. A joy to read and to follow the illustrations. I have pottered through all the basics in chapter one. Well I have never been able to get the hang of peyote stitch but Diane Fitzgerald's book has shown me I can do this stitch. Maybe I am not proficient just yet but I am getting there.
In the recent past I tried the chevron stitch then I found out it was one of Diane's. She has a knack of breaking down the instructions to make things simple. Thank you Diane

The photos in the book of her work leave me gasping for air. I have always liked the thought of being able to make simple 3D jewelery but, come on, in peyote stitch.. no way, well here I am attempting to do just that. I dont sell the things I make I just love the challenge.
I will keep you posted how I get on with THE BOOK

At last I have got the BOOK

2009-08-12T16:30:00.004+01:00

I received a book I had sent away for this morning. What a book! The title is Shaped Beadwork by Diane Fitzgerald. The book is all about peyote stitch. I never did get the art of this stitch . The illustrations are lovely and the photos of her work WELL Now! will I ever be able to make items like these?..
The book is like a continuous lesson it takes you from the simplest to what, to me, looks a lot more difficult. I have already started the triangle. I am going to try and make it 3D however we shall see.
As you can see I whipped up two sides of my tri-angle I will show you the finished article.Of course I have delved right in.

A Spiral Bracelet.

2009-08-05T15:49:00.003+01:00

I was looking for something to take my interest and found a 'different' Spiral on the Beading Daily web site. This spiral bracelet was made by Janel Gradowski is called Holiday Swirl and I feel well named.
It is a lovely swirly bracelet and I just had to attempt it. I like things that set me a bit of a challenge or 'using the old noddle'.
It was my birthday on the 3rd when I found the post by Michelle Mach, what a gift, on reading down I found the bit about spirals this was written by Jean Campbell. The blogs by Jean always have something of interest in them and I find all her instructions very easy to follow.
Now I love the spiral stitch, any spiral, I dont mind. I love finding new ones to try. My next challenge is going to be a bracelet in the Cellini Spiral.

Beading Table Clear!!

2009-08-02T18:41:00.002+01:00

I feel as if I have spent all day trying to sort out the mess. Well I have done it. I can see the little table once more.The only thing is I dont want to make a mess of my wee table. That means no beading lol. How could I make such a mess.
I am going to try and not mess it up again. I have to remember 'you cant make omeletes without breaking eggs' Well I think I must have made a lot of them to make such a mess.

Tidying up the Beading Mess

2009-08-02T12:51:00.003+01:00

Yes I am still trying to make sense of my very small work table. I just dont know how I manage to make such a mess. Every time I try to make some order of the mess I find something else to do. Always beading.
Since the last time I said I was going to tidy it all up I have made two necklaces , two bracelets and I am now in the middle of two other bracelets..

Just how can I keep focused on the job in hand. I want to try so many different stitches and colors.
My brain is tumbling over and over. The ideas just flow in and get all mixed up.
I think it is an age thing. Senior moments and all that. Still I enjoy the beading but not the trying to make sense and order of the mess. Wish me luck back to the wee table.

Beading : St. Petersburgh chain

2009-07-30T16:04:00.005+01:00

This my attempt at the St. Petersburgh Chain. I found a good clear tutorial in the http://www.beadingdaily.com/ ..
I have tried this stitch before but not with the success that I have had today. It is has very clear instructions It would be very hard to go wrong with them..
This was actually one of the first stitches I ever tried. That one was from this website http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/8782/beads/beadpatt/pattern07_e.htm
The usual thing happened I ran out of beads before I had the item finished.. It was quite a success, but the instructions were not as clear as the Beading Daily one.
I have also tried a bracelet in S.P. that was hard going too but I got there in the end. This was instructions from the bead and button web site. You had to do 6 rows of SP. and it took me a long time to do it.

2009-07-28T19:44:00.003+01:00

Here is the princess's newest effort. I think we have a budding beader in the making what do you think?. We have a couple of kids visiting their grand-parents for the summer. The Wild Child and the Princess play with them when they come to the complex. The little girl is very much into the beading lark and our wee princess thought she would like to try it. She is dying to try earrings I think that will be the next thing on the cards..

I have had a bit of excitement on the complex today the Wild Child let the dogs out on the complex. The dogs are not allowed to run about in case they have 'A little accident' I am the one who is so much against dogs running free .. So of course mine are definitely not allowed to run wild and free on the complex. The princess caught Zapa and the Wild Child caught Annie so all ended well..

Beading to keep the stash down

2009-07-27T17:04:00.010+01:00

Here is some of the stuff I have been making from my stash.

Top , started out as a double spiral but I could not get the hang of it. I found it was turning out as an ordinary spiral however it is turning out ok..

Left, is from a pattern I found on the Bead n Button web site. I have done this stitch before and I loved doing it and wanted to try it again. This one was made with the base beads just seed beads. The other on was made in delicas for the base row and the delicas made it more even and stable.

Right, is me trying to do peyote stitch I cant seem to get it quite right I keep showing the threads. I would like to try fancy beaded beads with lots of embellishments.. With this bracelet I am going to make three strands then softly pleat them together. I will keep you updated how it turns out. Hopefully the practice will help me with this stitch.

Neurotic Little Dog

2009-07-27T16:22:00.012+01:00

We have two dogs in this little house of ours. Both are mutts but we love then in spite of this handicap. Zapa the black one is a little laid back chappy. But the other one is a kind of ugly but beautiful ( if you know what I mean) she is a yappy kind of dog and drives us nuts with her barking.. However we cope with this as she is a wonderful little watch dog..

Now the next thing we have to cope with is she is terrified of the noise round the pool she shakes and pants at an alarming rate all we can do is shut the glass doors to the patio to try and keep down the noise.. she also suffers from separation anxiety .. Annie and I are joined at the hip at the moment and going to the toilet is fun she worries if I shut the door on her. When I am making the food she has to come with me in case I disappear into the pots and pans.

August in Tenerife is a quiet month if you need anything official done but not so quiet here on the complex with all the spanish having their holidays and of course the tourists from all over Europe..

If you look at the pics you will see Zapa looking after his neurotic companion. Wee Annie is the worried one..

Beading and The Problem with the Ever Growing Stash

2009-07-26T11:51:00.005+01:00

Boy! do I have a problem.. as you all know by this time 'I love my beading' BUT and this is a big BUT it seems to have a life of its own, the stash I mean. I am making a lot of things( thinking I am using up my stash) but no there seems to be even more .

Wahhh what can I do to make this lot go away.. NO I dont really mean that .. I love my stash even just to sit and fondle the beads gives me pleasure. The many ideas I have got from just sitting playing with my beads is surprising.

I have been trying to tidy it all up.. I have 6 drawers and they are all a mess. I have a small working table and that is a disaster.

I start tidying it all up and then I come across a lovely set of beads and I have to stop tidying up and test the color and the stitch combination my find has brought to mind.

On Friday I went to the new bead shop and I bought two lovely strands of beads.. I know what you will say to that but how could I resist.

2009-07-23T15:51:00.006+01:00

This is the Princess's first attempt at beading.. My photography does not do it justice. She sat and worked at it for well over an hour. I wonder what will be next in her beading challenge. She is thinking up something else I dread to think what it will be.

I made this effort yesterday it is quite nice I think.
Because this is Thursday I have the two children. the wild child goes to karate tonight. Someone left them a blowup boat and I can hear them giggling and squealing in the pool. Today I have asked them to stay in the shallow end of the pool .. each of them keeps coming in to tell me the other one is in the forbidden deep end.
They both can swim like fish but if they go to the deep end I cant see them and I have to sit in the sun. I am not good in the sun.

Having a quiet day. Just sorting the beading table

2009-07-22T14:02:00.005+01:00

I have been having a relaxing day. As I look around I find my little beading table needs sorting. I have to admit I am a very messy beader. There is all sorts here, there is thread that is rolled into a ball to throw away and odd beads lingering there too. But the funniest is a set of ear phones for my ipod , I lost them a while ago. Oh my there is even finished stuff hiding there too. I amnot going to show you the mess but I might show you the spiral bugle beaded bracelet I found. Lol

I dont know how I manage it I do hope you all understand..

Quite a day, NO BEADING

2009-07-21T19:51:00.009+01:00

This being Tuesday The Wild Child does karate this evening so that means the two of them, The Wild Child and Princess Wattapong , come to us and spend most of the day in the swimming pool with their friends. Me, of course am sitting watching them with their friends . I do love to watch them diving and jumping yelling and screaming with excitement while I am baking in the sun.
Princess Wattapong had a Belly Dancing class this morning. She just loves it, her and two of her little friends take the class together. This is her latest thing I wonder how long it will last..
My latest thingy a dangle for DD's bag

Beading in Tenerife.

2009-07-19T10:51:00.000+01:00

As I have explained to you before sometimes it is hard to find new beads in Tenerife. However a new Chinese warehouse has opened up and I have found a glorious treasure of beads sold by the strand.
Here is the selection I bought the other day.
I was so stunned with the variety and colors I just stood and looked and gasped. It was like christmas had come in July. However I am not satisfied because what I really need is seed beads size 11 or 8 mind you I could use some size 15 too.
So you see what I mean I am never satisfied.

Kids on holiday and me trying to bead

2009-07-15T15:05:00.000+01:00

I am valiantly trying to bead while the grand kids are running in and out for drinks, a biscuit and anything they can think of to get me away from my beading. This is one of the pieces I made while I was being constantly distracted.
It is lovely having the pool just outside the patio gate. All I can hear is the joyful screams and the over the top conversations. They yell from one side of the pool to the other.

Party Time in Tenerife

2009-07-08T13:00:00.000+01:00

No time to bead today. We have a kid's birthday party to attend. The lucky mother has two little girls who are four years apart in age but two days apart in birthdays. The mum just throws a party in the middle and BAM all the birthday craziness is over in one fell swoop.

I went down to Las Galletas with my daughter, the wild child and Princesa Wattapong to get birthday presents and have a wander. The kids played in the swingpark while Bampa (Grandpa) had a coffee and watched over them while my DD and I went shopping.

Believe it or not there is a new kids' toy out called Beados. Ridiculously expensive! In the end we went to two toy shops where I goggled at the price of things. Where do young families get the money? DD dragged me to a paper shop and showed me a well hidden stand stuffed full of arty-crafty kids' things and I ended up getting four different items (one of which is an old fashioned bobbin for knitting which just so happens to be part of a bead set!)

So half an hour of descanso and then it's off to all the madness of eight or nine kids running about like crazy, with outr two somewhere in the middle.

No beading this weekend

2009-07-06T21:04:00.000+01:00

I did not get any beading done this weekend. Time just ran away from me and my beading. Housework what a waste of time! I need more hours for BEADING. The motivation thing is kicking in again and my days seem shorter. My head is whirling with ideas, I know most of them are way beyond my capabilities. But I would love to have the time to try them all out. Isn't this the sweetest picture.

Car-Booting for Beads

2009-07-05T11:10:00.000+01:00

Just back from the car-boot sale. This is held the first Sunday of the month. For a while there it had stopped but today was the start of the local car-boots.
Actually I did not pick up anything, because it was the first for a while there was not too many people and so not much variety..
I am still finishing my colorful necklace. it is so full of color that it will go with anything. I do love this beading lark.

Another GOOD day

2009-07-03T13:56:00.000+01:00

We had the kids again yesterday. No surprises there but what was a surprise they played fine together.Hania as usual bossing Sami but he had no complaints. I got on and did a bit more of my colorful necklace. I tried to do a little bit of a covering for a stone but I need to go back to the drawing board. It did not look the way I imagined it would . Never mind I will try again.

Back to beading at last

2009-07-02T10:45:00.000+01:00

Had a really good day yesterday. Although I had the kids they played away with their toys (no fighting or squabbling ) I got a good bit done of the colorful necklace.
Now I am looking to try beading a stone. It seems a fun way to get back my mojo dont you think?

My trouble with Beading.

2009-07-01T16:56:00.000+01:00

As I informed you before I have trouble finding my MOJO (my motivation). Well there is still a problem but I am taking myself in hand and going back to basics. I have made a few things, in the last couple of weeks, but I am not happy with them. However I started a colorful necklace today and I do like it, it is in a spiral. It started as a bracelet but , no it is going to be a necklace. Once I have finished it I will upload a photo .. I really think this is my most favorite of all the beading stitches.

At last I have found my MOJO

2009-06-15T17:30:00.000+01:00

Well as you can see it has turned out to be a blue mood. I think I should call it a turquoise mood.
I must say I love the colour.
The bracelet was started to just to get me going, not for anything else. The ring is for a friend of mine who wears the rings on her toe and has lost the last one I made her.. ( funny girl, on her toe?)
And lastly the watch was given to me a while ago and had a chain on it but it was very uncomfortable so I changed it to this.
Lastly here is my little friend Mia again just looking exactly how i felt when I could not bead.. All hissy and jaggy.

Beading MOJO

2009-06-11T09:19:00.000+01:00

Another pic of my friend Mia

My Mojo has not quite left me I am happy to tell you . I made two small cute beaded cubes. Yes it is still there just went into hiding for a couple of days. I also attempted a wire pendant but this was not so successful as the cubes. However I will try again..

Still looking for my beading MOJO!!

2009-06-10T10:14:00.000+01:00

Here is a nice picture for you to look at.

I started fiddling about with some wire last night. ended up with some links and beads in between. No this is not what I am looking for. Surfing the net this morning I found a Beaded Cube I liked the look of. I found it on this page http://fables-and-reflections.blogspot.com /2009_05_01_archive.html
This is a very interesting blog indeed.

Well now I have found something to take my fancy how do I go about making it? Well off I went on my surfing way and found this web site http://3dbeading.com/guest_patterns/cubes/1.shtml
I know, I know it is not the same but it will do to start with.

Looking for the beading MOJO

2009-06-08T09:46:00.000+01:00

Another week starts and I am looking for inspiration.. Want to start a new project but I just cant make up my mind what to do.. Do I want to make a Herringbone bracelet ? or an easy seed bead necklace? or what about something in wire work?? I have no idea. I am going to make the beds and tidy up my work space then think again..

I thought maybe you would like to look at this lovely cactus rose..
isn't it beautiful..

Beading the broken bracelet

2009-06-06T07:45:00.001+01:00

This is the sad story of a bracelet.
I reclaimed beads from a beaded top. It was absolutely covered with these lovely beads. I set to work with beads, bugles, and seed beads (all from the beaded top) I tried to use a fine fishing line for threading it together but it did not drape well. Then I tried Nymo thread and got the look I wanted. I then fashioned this bracelet which I presented to one of my friends.
She then proceeded to wear it night and day. After about three months you can imagine what happened .. The bugles cut through the nymo even though I put a seed bead at each end of the bugle. When she gave me the bracelet back the nymo had been cut through in two places and one piece of the catch was off.
Well as you can imagine it was a complete remake. However I have not used the bugles again.. I have embelished it with kisses. Just to show my friend I still love her.

I used nymo double on the base of the new bracelet and single on the kisses. I got the idea for the bracelet on the Bead&Button web site. An Abby Cobb design.
This is the sad story of the bracelet and it now has a happy ending.

Holidays over back to my beading.

2009-06-03T18:43:00.000+01:00

Well here I am back again after a hectic month away on my travels. The holiday was smashing and seeing my friends and relatives was at times quite emotional.

This picture is the first of a set of three bracelets I attempted to do while sitting in the evening with my cousin. I am sure you will understand when I tell you the concentration was just not there we had so much to talk about.

I love the herringbone stitch and I really thought I could do it without thinking too much..WRONG I made so many mistakes that I have just brought them all home with me to finish off and i will post them off when they are ready.

My Vacaciones

2009-04-29T20:45:00.001+01:00

I will be away for about a month. I will be visiting my son and his family, in Sompting near Worthing, for a fortnight then moving on to Swindon to visit my cousin and her family. I am taking all the makings with me I could not live that long without my beading. I took more care packing my bead stuff than I did for my personal packing. LOL
There is lots of bits and bobs in my beading box. Everyone will get to dig through and select what they fancy.
If I get the chance I will post while I am away who knows.

Rod Stewart is coming to Tenerife

2009-04-27T17:18:00.000+01:00

What wonderful news I have to tell you ! Rod Stewart is coming to Tenerife.. His Concert is on 16th May. I have been an avid fan forever.. There is NOTHING like him on this earth or even this side of heaven.. Should you be interested at all there is a link with all the information about his concert.

Wild child sleeps over again

2009-04-26T23:03:00.000+01:00

As his sister was going on a sleep-over with her wee pal nothing would do but 'The Wild Child' stay over at my house. He is actually a smashing little boy. 'He is just going through a faze'. This is what I keep saying when he comes home with a sad face painted on the back of his hand. I am just like any fond grandmother. Frankly I cant see this bad boy at all.

Here he is on his fifth birthday in January.

Well last night was really funny he blethered all night. He talks all day when awake and talks all night while he is asleep. LOL

Simple Spiral Necklace

2009-04-26T15:35:00.000+01:00

This is one of the simple spiral stitch necklaces . Now this is a case in point about the beads . If you look closely you will see the necklace morphs from deep turquoise to pale greeny turquoise. I ran out of beads so had to buy another box of seed beads in the same colours.However I love the colours in this one and all the trouble has been worth it..

Trying to improve my Beading

2009-04-26T14:44:00.001+01:00

I have not been on the blog for a while, well at least a week, I have been getting on with three necklaces and could not think just how I wanted the finish of them to be.

One of the necklaces was one I had already finished and I did not like the result. It was in red and gold seed beads. I stitched it in Spiral Netting. It was very nice but the finishing off of it just was not the look I wanted. Anyway I took the ends away and just added a bit more length to each end and now I have a lovely plain lariat. ( How do I define a Lariat? )

Buying beads here in Tenerife

2009-04-26T14:40:00.000+01:00

I think I have told you of how I get my beads. Here in Tenerife , especially in the south where I am, there is not a lot of variaty. But I have found some Chinese warehouse kind of places and I can buy seed beads in some lovely colours. I have to be careful that I buy enough of the colour I require. I find myself buying two or three boxes for as you can see the amounts are quite small. The boxes are inexpencive so good value. I dont need the crystal or any expensive beads. I make only for my own enjoyment and I can see the effect with my little chinese beads just as well as I would making in crystal beads.

Beading and the WEAVER'S KNOT

2009-04-18T11:30:00.000+01:00

On the 27th Feb. I posted about the Weaver's knot I have now found the magazine in question.
The magazine is The Beadworkers Guild Journal number 21 dated June 2004.
The article titled Weaver's Knot by Jean Power.

Jean says ..

"This knot works best if you use the end of the thread coming off the spool. So I always attach the thread before cutting it off the spool to stop me forgetting which end is which.

Tie a slipknot in the end of the new thread and pull it until there is a small 'noose' to put your old thread end through.

Insert the end of the old thread and place the noose where you want knot to be. Pull the
ends of the new thread till they tighten around the old thread and make an audible 'click'. Sometimes you may get a smaller 'click' but check it's secure by pulling the old and new threads apart. If they slip at all re-tighten the new thread around the old thread until a louder click is produced.

When the knot is tightened properly it wont slip at all and you can start weaving the ends in.

Once you have used this knot a few times you will come to know its capabilities and limitations. You may find that when beading stitches such as spiral rope you have to plan where to put your knot so it does not block any bead holes. But the more you use the knot the better you'll become at using it."

I must tell you I have had nothing but success using this knot.
So sorry it has taken me so long to find and post this very useful article.

Beading is such FUN

2009-04-17T18:11:00.000+01:00

Here is more earrings for you to look at. These also are from my favourite web site ( there are sooo many Tutorials) I love these earrings the only thing is they are a bit too sophisticated. However I have a friend who loves them.
These are blue crackle beads and I added some seed beads.

Spanish earrings

2009-04-17T17:57:00.000+01:00

These wee beauties are from the Spanish site. So simple yet so effective. I used some acrylic bicones I had in my stash. Ok I know that they are not exactly the same but must agree you can see where I got the idea from..

Beaded Earrings

2009-04-17T17:49:00.000+01:00

Well I am trying my hand at earrings now I suppose this is an extension of the wire-work. I made these out of an idea I got after seeing some chandelier earrings. I used some seed beads and some glass pearls.

Beading the Russian way

2009-04-13T18:21:00.000+01:00

I made this bracelet for a friend. It is made with bugles and seed beadsThe inspiration for it came from one of the Spanish sites. the stitch is called The Russian Spiral. Click through and see it in the tutorial. A lot of you will have tried this stitch but until I tried with this tutorial it seemed beyond me..

From Beading to Wire-work

2009-04-08T23:46:00.000+01:00

Here is my first serious attempt at wire-work. I feel quite good about it. The wire is just galvanised wire from the hardware store. Here in Tenerife it is very difficult to get the proper tools.

Now look at the two photos and see the difference a flash makes ..
My enthusiasm for wire-work comes from finding a special web site This lady is a born teacher.

Beading from Spain

2009-04-08T20:41:00.001+01:00

This bracelet was from a spanish site I came across a while back when I first started on my beading journey. I was quite intimidated with all that Spanish. However as I got more confident I felt I could look at the site again. Since then I have made quite a lot of pieces from this site. Their whole site is one tutorial after another. I hope you get as much pleasure out of this site as I do.

Beading with a difference

2009-04-08T20:05:00.001+01:00

I made this bracelet from a tutorial that I found in Bead and button web site. This is a very elegant bracelet. The colours for this I found in a book I have called 'The Beader's Colour Mixing Directory'. This book is fantastic for giving examples of colour combination I for one would not have thought of. I hope you agree it all works well.

Beading the Ring

2009-04-08T17:57:00.001+01:00

Here as promised is the easy rings.
I love making them. I started making them quite a while ago for the kids but soon adults were asking for them. They are so popular.
When reading my friend Valen's blog the other day I got a memory nudge and I told her about the rings . She has embedded into her site a video from 'You Tube' go there and have a go.

How and where do you keep your handmade jewelry

2009-04-07T15:37:00.000+01:00

My friend Valen said on her blog

'How and where do you keep your handmade jewelry?'

Well Valen I have to confess to shoving it in a drawer.. Sorry. Now you have brought it to my attention I will do better.. I promise..
My principle is not to sell my pieces but to give them away as gifts.. I am making more than I can give away. he he
I need to find a way to keep it all tidy.. My earings are not too bad as they are all on a plastic stand and hang there quite happily ( at least I have not heard any complaints yet..) BUT the bracelets and necklaces are a disgrace I have to admit. Well confession time over need to get back to my beading to make more .. and more.. and more

Another Spanish beading website

2009-04-07T09:21:00.000+01:00

Here is another website for you to look at. Oh ! I know it is in Spanish but any beader worth her or his salt should be able to make head or tail of their tutorials

A Spanish beading site

2009-04-07T09:16:00.000+01:00

In my wanderings through the internet I found this smashing Spanish website. I just know you will agree with me. They are so generous with their tutorials. The ideas just flow.

Another RAW.

2009-03-31T16:44:00.000+01:00

Another two RAW. bracelets. Both were from the idea I got from Valens site. Click and see what I mean..