Eureka Springs, Arkansas

On our way out of Hot Springs we knew we wanted to get through Ouachita National Forest but didn't have a plan beyond that drive.  I had picked up a swanky looking pamphlet about the art in Eureka Springs and decided to look into it.  I booked a hotel, but in retrospect if I go back I really should look into booking one of the cabins or bed and breakfasts in the Historic Loop around Main Street and Spring Street.  

After checking in to the hotel I went out to a restaurant/bar.  The restaurant side is the Pied Pipers Pub, the bar side is the Cathouse.  There was great live music!  I can't remember the opening act (Amanda Mae maybe?) she sang a few songs, one of which was called Sewing Machine.  Then the main act was Lou Shields.  Not only quite the entertainer, but all of his guitars/instruments are handmade by friends, many of which incorporate his old skateboards (including his foot-percussion pieces).  Most notable was the "Shitar" (instead of Sitar) which he showed off well.

I was excited to explore the downtown the next day. I parked way up Spring Street because I kept stopping to look at all of the interesting details of the old houses and the immaculate shape they've been kept in.  I walked down street lined with houses perched above the sidewalks and rock gardens inset along the path with stairs and springs in them.  

(I love they way they decorated hanging baskets with colored icicles and ornaments in the basket)

Along with a number of galleries Eureka Springs has a hat shop (Hats, Hides and Heirlooms), bead store (Cresent Moon) and yarn/needlework/weaving/knitting shop (Fleece & Flax).  I could settle down right here and stay!  

Lunch was at Local Flavor.  I followed the Foursquare suggestions to get the Sesame Goat Cheese salad and was not disappointed.  Also the French Lavender Martini: (vodka, lemon, calendar syrup, champagne) was amazing.

I didn't want to leave, but I eventually have to get back to Lansing so back on the road and landed in Springfield, MO for the evening.  Other birds we saw today: blue jay, black vulture. The bird apps just aren't the same as flipping through Petersen's bird guide.  I have also gotten a bit more beading done.  I imagine there will be a significant more to do tomorrow. 

Hot Spings National Park Hike

The first hike of the New Year was around the Hot Springs National Park.  I didn't bother with the observatory tower since it's been foggy and rainy.  There wasn't much rain this morning so it was perfect to venture into the woods.  There were wonderful pops of colors through the fog and rock formations.

There were also some areas where we saw many different birds flitting around.  Most interesting were the Brown Creeper (a bird I've never seen before!), Titmouse, Junco and the Downy Woodpecker.  Adding to the 2015 bird list are the Sparrow (not a house sparrow, need to look that one up), Robin, Gold Finch, Crow and the Cardinal.  

I love the coloring of these mushrooms growing off of dead-fall.

After the hike I got cupcakes from Fat Bottomed Girl Cupcakes (great name!) and headed toward Ouachita National Forest.  By the time we hit some trail heads it was raining pretty hard so I drove on toward Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  

I also have been getting beading done.  On the way down I finished a purple bangle and earring set for New Year's Eve.  Then I started in on a bangle bracelet idea that I had sketched out and have picked the colors that I'm looking at for Spring 2015 (above).  More on this bangle later!

NYE Earrings

Happy 2015!!!! I posted yesterday with the bracelet and a small pair of earrings that I had made to go with the dresses that I packed for our New Year's Eve Gala. I had been looking at Pinterest for some inspiration for a larger pair of earrings and I ran into a number of lacy crocheted and tatted earrings and thought maybe I could go with that look with my 15/0 seed beads. 

On the drive from Missouri to Hot Springs, Arkansas I started looping off of a St. Ptersburg chain base and I was really pleased with the above results.  I want to play with this style a lot more now!

I had my hair styled at the salon at the Arlington Hotel which came out really poofy. Different for me, but fun.  I didn't realize that my hair could go that big really.  So I decided on the full length (senior prom) dress and the earrings were big enough to show from under my hair.  The Gala event was wonderful and we danced to a live big band at the Arlington's Crystal Ballroom.  2015 is already off to a better start than 2014.  I'm ready to do this!

NYE Beading in the car, Bangle and Earrings

I booked a formal Gala Ball for NYE in Hot Springs Arkansas so I packed some beads to make something to match my dresses (I'm  still not sure just how formal I'm going, I packed 2 options, both blue/purple).

My drive from East Lansing to Potosi, MO took about 8 hours. I set my timer while beading.  I finished the purple bangle in 6 hours and the little purple earrings took about a half hour.  Not bad, I thought the bangle would take longer, I have been working more on the Pattern Play Bangles, as they get wider they're slower to stitch, but keeping these smaller certainly cuts the time down.

Since I was making these bangles particularly for myself I decided to make them 4 seed beads smaller around than my usual bangle size. They are snug to slip on but work perfectly.

These photos aren't bad for my cell phone-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-hotel photo shoot.  Hopefully I'm happy with how they look with the dresses! And Linda thought that I wouldn't be able to whip something up in time :)  I may work on a larger pair of earrings on the next leg of our drive.

Merry Christmas and a Bead Store: Bead Haven

Merry Christmas from Danielle! 

I hadn't been to Frankenmuth since 2006 and I keep hearing about a fabulous bead store there.  Frankenmuth is the place where us Michiganders go to see "Bronner's Christmas Wonderland". If you need something Christmas-related, it's, well, a sight to see.  When I first drove into town the place was nuts, so I decided to hit the bead store and have a traditional family style German chicken dinner first.

Bead Haven is the bead store and the rumors are true!  Being someone who is specifically looking for seed beads, an entire room of tubes and baggies of seed beads covering the walls is very exciting.  I really didn't need any more beads, but I have had a color palette for spring floating around in my head so I purchased a few tubes for that and some filler of a specific purple shade that I am low on (tubes below).  You can see that I bought two tubes of a greenish turquoise seed bead.  I had originally bought this seed bead in Marquette at Bella Beads  on my way to the Porkies and I used almost the whole tube while I was living in Dan's cabin. So I was happy that Bead Haven (a mere hour away rather than 6-7 hours away) carries Toho, which I don't usually order (I lean towards Miyuki seed beads).

I also have to say that Bead Haven not only is a really put-together store (with lots of room so you're not bumping into other shoppers and knocking beads off of displays) but their website is pretty thorough, beware, it could be dangerous.

I hope everyone enjoys their holidays and hopefully there is beads or yarn or your favorite fiber involved! 

Holiday Jewelry Trunk Show Deals

I have my second and last holiday sale tomorrow, Wednesday, at the law firm that I work part time at.  It's open to the public and you're welcome to swing in and see our office in Lansing over towards the Hall of Justice.  The address is Speaker Law Firm 230 N. Sycamore Street, Lansing MI 48933  There's free two hour parking on Ionia Street and the office is an old house on the corner of Ionia and Sycamore.

I have been going through my jewelry stock and there are pieces that I have had for much too long and are taking up valuable space.  SO I'll have some steeply discounted pieces on Wednesday, here's a few examples:

No additional discounts will be applied to these pieces, no bartering and as usual, all sales final.  If you can't make it or are not local, you're welcome to contact me via email or by leaving a comment below on Thursday or after to see what I have left and I can ship it to you for flat shipping, whatever you're looking to purchase.

If you want to join the event via Facebook, feel free to HERE.

Weaving Yardage....possibly never again....?

I have been trying to finish off some projects that are long-started and neglected for one reason or another.  This feels good to have it off my loom and Delilah folded up for a little bit to make room to finish other projects that are growing issues in my mind.

Back in August of 2013 I was taking a class with Mary Sue Fenner making a jacket out of our handwoven.  I'm not very good at prepping for classes (as I certainly discovered here!). I had decided maybe two months before to use up my hand-dyed rayon leftover from college and lord knows what other projects to weave yardage for this class.  Clearly, I did not get this fabric woven in time and then it sat and I picked at it. Over a year later I got this darn yardage off my loom.

I am constantly inspired by other weavers who weave beautiful fabric and then make it into wonderful clothing pieces.  Daryl Lancaster has been a source of inspiration since she spoke with the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild a number of years ago and she has been to the Michigan League of Handweavers Conference & Workshops....maybe this is ready to go for one of her workshops?  Or I'll find the perfect Vogue Pattern and be ready to go? Also, a Kalamazoo weaver Helen Duffy of Axtell Creek Designs is always making something cool. Bonnie Kay and Ellen Wilson of the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild create amazing pieces with their handwoven....just to name a few I can think of this morning....

This fabric is hand-dyed rayon woven in a weave pattern that involves breaks or recesses in the cloth, which is giving it's springy feel. (page 164, figure 757 in A Handbook of Weaves)  I wanted to use all 6 shafts on my loom...because I can. Its set is at 20 ends per inch.  

I now know that I could do this, I have the knowledge to go forth and do so, but all I've been thinking about is my next double weave pick-up wall hanging and the tapestry that I started in the Porkies.  This may not be for me, not right now anyway.

Confession:  I hated the idea of hand-washing 7.5 yards of fabric and I have a new washer that has a hand-wash setting.  I stitched the edges of this fabric down like Mary Sue had taught us (since I don't own a serger), crossed my fingers and threw it in the machine.  I decided not to put it on spin, so it came out sopping wet and I hung it.  I mean, if I do make this into clothing, I will be putting it in the machine, so it better hold up, right?

It held up, whew! After washing it, I love this fabric even more....maybe I will weave yardage again one day.  The light soft give to this fabric is already begging to be made into something. I'm already perusing the Vogue patterns I own and some online.

Older references to this yardage: Weaving it in January  &  a Video of this being woven