Blog Catch Up - and a SURPRISE!

Well this is what happens when you don't check your blog for a few days - BLOG CATCH UP!!!

The first thing I see is that my bead soup partner has given me a blog award!! - Woo Hoo I am special!

There are a couple of housekeeping rules that come with this award

1. Post a link to the person who awarded you 

2. Share 7 well-thought out random things about yourself

3. Award to 10 other deserving bloggers and let them know

 My award was given to me by Alicia - All the Pretty Things -and as I said she is my bead soup partner, she is from Canada and is an accomplished Trap Shooter as well as a jewellery designer.

7 Random Things about Me

I have a Bachelor of Science in Australian Environmental Studies

I can drive a Fork Lift

I am related to Lord Tebbit in England ( not sure if that is a good thing)

I have stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon - hoping not to fall off.

I have never touched snow.

I have never owned a Barbie Doll (that is child abuse LOL!)

I love stationary!

I will list the 10 bloggers that I choose at the end of this post.

This week I compiled my first ever Etsy Treasury List - It was compiled for the Artisan Beaders of Australia Page - so pop on over and check it out and even better still leave a comment. We have a lovely selection of artisan lampwork and our up and coming beaders would love the encouragement.

I did manage to get some beading and jewellery making done this week- here are a few pictures - I am working on uploaded them to Etsy this week

The past couple of days here at home have been wonderful, Sunny Queensland Winter Days!  Ella and I planted some flowers, some for her cubby, and we enjoyed the sunshine and then today while I write this post it is pelting down with rain.

Talk Soon - Cheers Tania

10 Bloggers I Award

Creative Arty Facts

Cultiver

I am the Diva

Jenni's Beads

Patty Larkinsmith

Kellie Chrisite

Pendragonfyre Tales

Jane Perala Designs

Something Sublime

Tree Wing Studio

Bead Soup Ingredients on their way to Canada

Well the bead soup has left the building, out of my little home town of Fernvale, Qld Australia off to Burlington, ON Canada.  Off on a little trip to Alicia - All the Pretty Things.

I visited Canada back in 1989 when I was still a university student.  I meet a young boy here in Australia "Kurt" who used to live in Canada and we went for a months holiday to go back and visit some of his old school friends.  It was my first time travelling overseas and it was wonderful,  We mainly hung out in Vancouver and Victoria Island, and I was always commenting on how the people there were very similar to people in Brisbane, happy, easy going folks.

Anyway back to BEAD SOUP - I had a hard decision on what to send Alicia as I have been making quite a few different beads lately,  I have got my mojo back at last!!!!

Now that the package has gone, I have a few things to get up to speed with,  I have to check out my Zentangle challenge for this week as I missed last weeks due to my little holiday with Ella.

I have to put together an outline for my one-on-one classes "Lampwork Bead Making Basics" that I am going to start offering very soon

I have to get some finished items down to L'abundance before they completely run out.

I need to also concentrate on those UFO's that I mentioned a couple of posts ago

And lastly (I am sure I will find something else LOL)  I need to keep working on the new blog for Australia Artisan Beaders.

I think that is enough to worry about this week - Phew! - that is alot!


Cheers Tania

PS - ok in the time is has taken me to rough draft this post - I have just joined another challenge - on the Lampwork Etc Forum.  Yes another one.  Anyway this one is not due to ship out until the 1 Oct - so I will tell you a little more about it later.

PPS - joined another challenge on the Lampwork Forum this morning - Reactive Twisties and also think I signed myself up to look after the challenges on an Australia Forum - haven't announced that yet.

OK TIME TO STOP!!!!!!!!

Meet My Bead Soup Partner - Alicia

Well I have just returned home from a little trip to Sydney with my Daughter.  We had a ball, visited Taronga Zoo, Sydney Aquarium, took a ride on the ferry and saw the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

While I was away my partner in the Bead Soup Challenge was announced, so now I am busily catching up on all the things I need to participate and get my soup package sent.



Meet Alicia from All the Pretty Things - from first glance she loves making jewellery - always a good thing of a bead swap partner.  So I am off to find out more - I know she is from Canada! ( I visited Canada back in 1989 seems like another life time ago).

Now that I am back I have a heap of blogs to catch up on, a Zentangle challenge to check out and some serious beading to do - just had good news that another couple of goddess have been sold at my favourite little shop L'abundance, so some goddess action will be on the list this weekend.

Zentangle Challenge #75

Ok, here goes for my second ever weekly challenge - this art form has got me totally hooked, I love the fact that it is a take anywhere type of art.  Will be packing my journal and pens when I fly to Sydney this weekend.

This weeks challenge was to use "Cadent" and variations of it - so this is my attempt.

Cheers Tania

Bead Soup Party, Birthdays & Addictons

About a year ago I broke my reading glasses (left them in a hot car all day) and I hadn't gotten around to getting them fixed as I was not needing them as much as I usually did. I was going to get the front of the frames replaced, and I think that added to the procrastination of fixing them. This week I decided that with doing my blog and starting the Zentangle that I would have to do something about it. I DID - Gorilla Grip Super Glue - you are my friend - It WORKED! - why didn't I do this a year ago I ask myself - I work in a hardware store - no shortage of glue. So now I have my funky glasses back Yeah!!

This week has also seen me working on my new blog for Artisan Beaders of Australia - so many ideas swimming around, so for once I am really taking my time with the process (so not like me).

Also Miss Ella had her 7th Birthday - she is very happy about being 7. I gave her her first real book, she seems to like reading at the moment so I will be encouraging it as much as I can. We made cupcakes for her class. I made 24 but when I dropped them off to school I was told that there were 25 in the class - so I was hoping that some little boy wouldn't want a girly cupcake, fingers crossed.

Ok before we finish the week lets just add another thing to the list - I am going to be joining in on the Bead Soup Party  (button link on the side) hosted by Lori Anderson at Pretty Things. Will be exciting to see what comes in the mail.

Already addicted to Zentangle - here is one I couple that I completed over the weekend.

Cheers Tania

Zentangle Challenge #74

Sometimes I just can't help but add to my pile of things to do, learn and accomplish.  I have been looking at Zentangle for a while and have done a little bit here and there.  I really like drawing or doodling in pen and ink and some of the imagery I have seen via Pinterest has got be under its spell.

So I decided to join a blog weekly challenge over at I am Diva - and my first weekly challenge (blog button on the side)  will be due on Saturday, I have had no classes, just learning by looking at online tutorials on the net and different blogs.

First Ever Challenge Entry (in pencil) - Zentangle Weekly Challenge #74

Second entry for #74 - in ink and bit of shading in pencil -
selected patterns by spelling out my partners name.

UFO's - Mosaics, Copper & Crochet

Well winter has finally arrived in sunny Queensland and whilst typing this post it has started pouring icy cold rain.  Just the thought of prying myself of the comfy warm couch to venture to my glass torch are the thoughts of a madman.  But what to do with this idle creative mind is the question?  My mind is one that is continually on the go, no sitting down and vegging in front of the TV for this girl.  I have got to be doing something or I go stir crazy.  Since I have not found enough glass mojo over the last couple of weeks to go and bead I have had to find other ways to let my creativity escape.


Since I am also a bit of a hoarder of UFO's (unfinished projects), I thought if I blog about them and their progress I might have a bit more incentive to get them finished - so here goes.


Project One - I have started a mosaic bowl project which is great fun.  The project got even more exciting when I realised that other night in the dark (searching for camping chair for a bonfire night) that some of the tiles that I have used were GLOW IN THE DARK tiles - who would of thought - they looked awesome, also scared me a bit as I thought what the hell - my bowl is possessed!!

Project Two - I have started a simple crocheted scarf for my daughter, the aim is to finish it by the 24 June so she can wear it when we have our Mummy Daughter trip to Sydney.  No real pattern just brushing up on my crocheting and a project that I can pick up and still be part of the family watching TV.  I must say I do get ribbed when crocheting in front of the family, I get called "Grandma" or "Old Nana"  but at 41 I am neither of the two, I just tell them than I am so frickin talented and that they all must be so jealous of me.

Project Three - Copper wire work - I am brushing up of those skills as well, making my own findings, playing around with oxidising and hammering.  There are also a few tutorials that I have found online that I want to try out.

That will do for my UFO intervention for this week.  I will post photos of the projects as they go.  I will also dig in those cupboard for any other UFO's that need my attention as I seriously need to declutter my crafty stash.


On the home front one of our three chickens started to lay eggs for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  Now with the cooler weather setting in, she has not laid for over a week now. These girls are well looked after so they better get their game on soon!!