"Goose bumps happen when your soul comes close to you, breathes lightly on the back of your neck, and wakes you up." - Sue Bender
A narration of moments of my daily life as an artist, a woman, a fiance, an aunt, a daughter, a sister, a friend.
Friday, April 29, 2011
BJP March Piece
I finally finished my March BJP piece. Now I'm only one month behind. There isn't much of a story behind this one. I started it a long while ago, didn't love it, but a friend did so I finished it up for her. It ended up turning out better then I expected. I used my favorite german flower cabs that continue to show up in my bracelets. Love those thing :) Speaking of which I am down to my last two so I need to get online and order some more.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I need some recommendations from my blogger friends, please!
So, I want to start playing with chain in my pieces. What I want to avoid, is doing the same thing I did when I first started beading, which was waste a lot of money. For example, when I started beading I bought any wire, after playing for a while, I discovered, to make a nice piece, you really need to invest in a nice foundation, and after a lot of playing around I discovered SoftFlex.
Now I want to play with chain, and I don't want to waste my money buying the wrong stuff. I want to be able to open the links, add beads, do stuff like that. So, probably want to buy it in a bulk roll so I can cut it to what ever length I want. I'm assuming that is the way to go.
So if anyone can give me some recommendations, tell me what you use or what you like, or what you think is a good versus bad product. Any suggestions, hints, help would be hugely appreciated!!!
Hope everyone is having a super creative day. (Hugs) to all.
Now I want to play with chain, and I don't want to waste my money buying the wrong stuff. I want to be able to open the links, add beads, do stuff like that. So, probably want to buy it in a bulk roll so I can cut it to what ever length I want. I'm assuming that is the way to go.
So if anyone can give me some recommendations, tell me what you use or what you like, or what you think is a good versus bad product. Any suggestions, hints, help would be hugely appreciated!!!
Hope everyone is having a super creative day. (Hugs) to all.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
on a lighter note...
I made another bird charm. This one I added a birds nest made from a wire ball, and eggs from lil pearls that I painted to match the necklace. The nest is an idea borrowed from my aunt, who learned it from my cousin.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thank you all
Just wanted to thank everyone for their support. We asked my brother if he needed anything, he said the only thing we could do was say a prayer that they find their wedding rings. In all the loss, they are just happy to all be safe, but they are sad about losing their wedding rings.
Thanks again everyone for all of your kindness. I haven't slept in two days just being worried about my family. I feel so far away and helpless.
(HUGS)
Thanks again everyone for all of your kindness. I haven't slept in two days just being worried about my family. I feel so far away and helpless.
(HUGS)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
another fire update
Here is a Video of the fire. You have to watch the advertisement (bunch of faces), and then the video of the fire starts. There are a few online from different news stations, but this was the clearest one.
The firemen said that the entire neighbor hood heard the "boom". When the lightening bolt hit the fireplace it's exploded at that point. Apparently it blew little holes all the way down causing the fire to ignite. Had it not done that it wouldn't have blown at the fireplace it would have continued to the gas tank and the entire house would have been blown throughout the neighborhood. Thanks god for what ever angels were watching over them that night.
They are doing good. The community has been wonderful. They have received many gifts from complete strangers. They are all still pretty numb about it, but they have the ball rolling to get their lifes back intact.
Here is an article from one of the newspapers:
A few minutes later, firefighters were on the scene of a house fire at 16700 Pond Creek Court, located in a subdivision off Hemlock Street near Rycenga Park in Spring Lake Township.
Homeowners Matt and Alanna Clarke said they were settling in for the night, despite the storm raging outside, when they heard a loud boom.
“We sat up in bed and looked at each other, then heard a big ‘pop,’” Matt said. “The fire alarms went ‘beep beep beep beep’ and (Alanna) said, ‘The power is out.’”
Matt said that wasn’t surprising because the power had gone out before during a storm, so he wasn’t concerned. Then his 8-year-old came running into the main-floor master bedroom crying and jumped into bed with his parents.
“All of a sudden, the fire alarm is going off upstairs where the two other kids are,” Matt said.
He said he ran upstairs “and smelled a hint of smoke.” Matt said he walked around, checking the rooms and didn’t find anything. He even opened one of the bedroom windows to see if the smoke was coming in from outside.
Still unsure of the source, he picked up his 2-year-old child and went back downstairs where his wife and 8-year-old were putting on their shoes. They were smelling more smoke, but still didn’t know the source.
Matt said Alanna and the two kids went out into the storm while he ran back upstairs to get his 6-year-old. Back downstairs, he pulled the manual switch to open the garage door, and piled his family into the van and got them out of the garage. At this point, something else interesting happened, Matt said.
“I hear someone yelling,” he said. “I look up and see three kids and a woman running across the yard in their pajamas. She’s yelling, ‘There’s a gas leak in my house and we need to come into your house.’”
Matt said he replied, “You can’t come into my house. It’s on fire.”
By then, firefighters arrived and smoke was visible coming out of the open upstairs window. Matt said the smoke just started building until thick white stuff was coming out.
Spring Lake Township Fire Chief Rick Nuvill said the fire spread rapidly throughout the house once it got into the walls and floors.
Firefighters knocked down a fire in the basement, then went upstairs where there was a lot of smoke. Nuvill said when the floors started becoming spongy, they pulled the firefighters from the interior and extinguished the blaze from the exterior.
Because of the size of the fire, several area fire departments — including Grand Haven city and township, Ferrysburg, Crockery Township, and Norton Shores — was called in to help. Coopersville and Allendale fire departments assisted by filling in at the Spring Lake and Crockery fire stations.
North Ottawa Community Hospital ambulance, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department and the Norton Shores Canteen were also on the scene.
Firefighters battled the blaze for about four hours before going into a mop-up stage at 3 a.m. today. They were still putting out hot spots at 5:30 a.m. when only Spring Lake firefighters remained on the scene. At 9 a.m., firefighters were still on the scene to make sure there the fire did not rekindle.
The house, valued at about $500,000, was a total loss, Nuvill said.
Matt Clarke said he guessed they had at least “a couple hundred-grand” worth of contents in the 6,000-square-foot house.
“There was all kinds of furniture and clothes,” he said this morning. “It’s everything we owned.”
Clarke returned to the scene this morning in hopes of meeting with the insurance adjuster and the possibility of looking for some belongings.
“The stuff that was in the third floor bedroom is on top of the baby grand piano in the basement right now,” Clarke said as he gazed at the still-smoking ruins. “It’s in 3 feet of water.”
The firemen said that the entire neighbor hood heard the "boom". When the lightening bolt hit the fireplace it's exploded at that point. Apparently it blew little holes all the way down causing the fire to ignite. Had it not done that it wouldn't have blown at the fireplace it would have continued to the gas tank and the entire house would have been blown throughout the neighborhood. Thanks god for what ever angels were watching over them that night.
They are doing good. The community has been wonderful. They have received many gifts from complete strangers. They are all still pretty numb about it, but they have the ball rolling to get their lifes back intact.
Here is an article from one of the newspapers:
Spring Lake Township
A family of five is safe this morning after a loud boom alerted them to a possible problem in their house just before 11 p.m. Tuesday.A few minutes later, firefighters were on the scene of a house fire at 16700 Pond Creek Court, located in a subdivision off Hemlock Street near Rycenga Park in Spring Lake Township.
Homeowners Matt and Alanna Clarke said they were settling in for the night, despite the storm raging outside, when they heard a loud boom.
“We sat up in bed and looked at each other, then heard a big ‘pop,’” Matt said. “The fire alarms went ‘beep beep beep beep’ and (Alanna) said, ‘The power is out.’”
Matt said that wasn’t surprising because the power had gone out before during a storm, so he wasn’t concerned. Then his 8-year-old came running into the main-floor master bedroom crying and jumped into bed with his parents.
“All of a sudden, the fire alarm is going off upstairs where the two other kids are,” Matt said.
He said he ran upstairs “and smelled a hint of smoke.” Matt said he walked around, checking the rooms and didn’t find anything. He even opened one of the bedroom windows to see if the smoke was coming in from outside.
Still unsure of the source, he picked up his 2-year-old child and went back downstairs where his wife and 8-year-old were putting on their shoes. They were smelling more smoke, but still didn’t know the source.
Matt said Alanna and the two kids went out into the storm while he ran back upstairs to get his 6-year-old. Back downstairs, he pulled the manual switch to open the garage door, and piled his family into the van and got them out of the garage. At this point, something else interesting happened, Matt said.
“I hear someone yelling,” he said. “I look up and see three kids and a woman running across the yard in their pajamas. She’s yelling, ‘There’s a gas leak in my house and we need to come into your house.’”
Matt said he replied, “You can’t come into my house. It’s on fire.”
By then, firefighters arrived and smoke was visible coming out of the open upstairs window. Matt said the smoke just started building until thick white stuff was coming out.
Spring Lake Township Fire Chief Rick Nuvill said the fire spread rapidly throughout the house once it got into the walls and floors.
Firefighters knocked down a fire in the basement, then went upstairs where there was a lot of smoke. Nuvill said when the floors started becoming spongy, they pulled the firefighters from the interior and extinguished the blaze from the exterior.
Because of the size of the fire, several area fire departments — including Grand Haven city and township, Ferrysburg, Crockery Township, and Norton Shores — was called in to help. Coopersville and Allendale fire departments assisted by filling in at the Spring Lake and Crockery fire stations.
North Ottawa Community Hospital ambulance, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department and the Norton Shores Canteen were also on the scene.
Firefighters battled the blaze for about four hours before going into a mop-up stage at 3 a.m. today. They were still putting out hot spots at 5:30 a.m. when only Spring Lake firefighters remained on the scene. At 9 a.m., firefighters were still on the scene to make sure there the fire did not rekindle.
The house, valued at about $500,000, was a total loss, Nuvill said.
Matt Clarke said he guessed they had at least “a couple hundred-grand” worth of contents in the 6,000-square-foot house.
“There was all kinds of furniture and clothes,” he said this morning. “It’s everything we owned.”
Clarke returned to the scene this morning in hopes of meeting with the insurance adjuster and the possibility of looking for some belongings.
“The stuff that was in the third floor bedroom is on top of the baby grand piano in the basement right now,” Clarke said as he gazed at the still-smoking ruins. “It’s in 3 feet of water.”
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
More on fire...
Thank you everyone for your sweet support. I'm getting a care package out for the kids, stuff they like, and my neice Amanda is gathering clothing. Just enough stuff to get them through until the insurance gets around to helping. financially they will be fine. Emotionally...it's never easy. I can't imagine how it feels to stand and watch your dream house disintegrate before your eyes, and lose everything you own.
I've been through the aftermath of a few fires, my childhood house burned half way down on christmas eve about 20 years ago, and a couple years after that an apartment I was in my neighbor fell asleep with a cigarette and our apartment building went on fire. The emotional aftermath is tough.
Last night my mom said to me...oh the smell. Strange thing is after the shock wore off that was one of my first thoughts also. The smell . There is nothing like it. It is an awful smell. Anyone who has been through a fire, knows what I mean. For those who haven't. The smell is indescribable. It isn't like the smell of burning wood. it's an awful smell, and it sticks to you.
My brother sent a few pics. I will share them. It's interesting. I was just reading an article on blogging that talked about getting real. Not just sharing the happy stuff, and pics of your work. But letting people in, even on the stuff that isn't glorious. Well, can't get anymore real then this, right? LOL.
Again, thanks everyone for your love and support. I know some have asked what they can do to help. they will be fine financially. They can absolutely use your prayers, and your good healing energy to help them get through the emotional. So, guess I'm saying.. if you feel moved to do so, sending your prayers, and love would be wonderful.
Thanks again. (HUGS). I am so fortunate to have wonderful supportive people in my blog world.
I've been through the aftermath of a few fires, my childhood house burned half way down on christmas eve about 20 years ago, and a couple years after that an apartment I was in my neighbor fell asleep with a cigarette and our apartment building went on fire. The emotional aftermath is tough.
Last night my mom said to me...oh the smell. Strange thing is after the shock wore off that was one of my first thoughts also. The smell . There is nothing like it. It is an awful smell. Anyone who has been through a fire, knows what I mean. For those who haven't. The smell is indescribable. It isn't like the smell of burning wood. it's an awful smell, and it sticks to you.
My brother sent a few pics. I will share them. It's interesting. I was just reading an article on blogging that talked about getting real. Not just sharing the happy stuff, and pics of your work. But letting people in, even on the stuff that isn't glorious. Well, can't get anymore real then this, right? LOL.
Again, thanks everyone for your love and support. I know some have asked what they can do to help. they will be fine financially. They can absolutely use your prayers, and your good healing energy to help them get through the emotional. So, guess I'm saying.. if you feel moved to do so, sending your prayers, and love would be wonderful.
Thanks again. (HUGS). I am so fortunate to have wonderful supportive people in my blog world.
Breaking news: Fire leaves family of 5 out in the rain
So, it's midnight...i am working on a graduation gift for my neice Kayla, searching frantically through all my bead drawers because I know I have the bead I need, and can't find them, totally involved with my own plight of the missing beads, when my phone rings. It is my brother, who never calls this late, but I don't think much of it as I'm a night owl, and I hear a lot of noise in the back ground so I assume he is at an airport as he travels a lot for work...he asks what I am doing up so late, and then he says...well me and my whole family are awake because our house just blew up. I can't help but thinking this puts things into perspective...the whole time was upset about beads, his family was standing out in the cold rain watching their house burn down.
His family moved from AZ to Michigan last summer. He has worked hard at his career and has 3 children from age 3 to 8 with the eldest taking her first communion in two weeks. He was so excited as he bought his dream home. A pond that all the kids skate on. A office that allows him more time at . home. They have been in this new home for probably about 6 months.
Lightening struck the house, and caught the gas lines on fire. After some time, as it wasn't evident the house was on fire, the alarm finally goes out and they get hte kids out. They are outside in the rain when they see the neighbors running toward their house with there kids. The neighbor is crying we need to get into your house, we smell gas in our house, which my brother responds, ours is filling with smoke.
The fire department comes. They are on all three floors. For a few minutes, they still can't find a fire.Then the second floor calls out they found the fire, so come help. The team on the basement floor responds floor responds we have the fire down here. The first calls and says the floor is turning to mush, and to get out. So they leave, the top blows up, the roof calapses onto each floor. Everything is ash. Nothing is salvagable. No wedding rings, no photos, no cloths.
My nephew is crying for his blanket, the eldest niece crying she doesn't want her house to burn down and she hates Michigan, the middle child...sound asleep. LOL. Just like her. She is so tough.
I can't even think about how close this was to a devastation.
Well I will write more tomorrow. i took s a sleeping aid so I keep falling asleep. Again, everyone is safe, but distraught. Talk to you all tomorrow, please send your prayers, love, and healing energy.
Thanks everyone!Will send update tomorrow.
His family moved from AZ to Michigan last summer. He has worked hard at his career and has 3 children from age 3 to 8 with the eldest taking her first communion in two weeks. He was so excited as he bought his dream home. A pond that all the kids skate on. A office that allows him more time at . home. They have been in this new home for probably about 6 months.
Lightening struck the house, and caught the gas lines on fire. After some time, as it wasn't evident the house was on fire, the alarm finally goes out and they get hte kids out. They are outside in the rain when they see the neighbors running toward their house with there kids. The neighbor is crying we need to get into your house, we smell gas in our house, which my brother responds, ours is filling with smoke.
The fire department comes. They are on all three floors. For a few minutes, they still can't find a fire.Then the second floor calls out they found the fire, so come help. The team on the basement floor responds floor responds we have the fire down here. The first calls and says the floor is turning to mush, and to get out. So they leave, the top blows up, the roof calapses onto each floor. Everything is ash. Nothing is salvagable. No wedding rings, no photos, no cloths.
My nephew is crying for his blanket, the eldest niece crying she doesn't want her house to burn down and she hates Michigan, the middle child...sound asleep. LOL. Just like her. She is so tough.
I can't even think about how close this was to a devastation.
Well I will write more tomorrow. i took s a sleeping aid so I keep falling asleep. Again, everyone is safe, but distraught. Talk to you all tomorrow, please send your prayers, love, and healing energy.
Thanks everyone!Will send update tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Journal Project
Okay, I finally finished another month's project. I've only finished two and it's April. This is not a good way to start out! I hope to get caught up soon.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
SBS Challenge Piece
 |
| Scottsdale Bead Supply Store March Challenge Kit |
 | |||
| This is the piece that I made with the March Challenge Kit |
 |
| This is the April Challenge kit. |
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)