Showing my work desk

Before I tell you about my photos...I have to make a couple of confessions...
First this is not my actual work DESK!  It's my dining room table where I really do most of my crafting.  I am fortunate enough to have a small craft room, You can see my craft room on my side bar...but another confession here...It rarely looks as neat as it does in the picture.

Second confession...the idea of showing my desk is not an original idea of mine...
I sometimes like to peek in at the desks from Julia's blog found here...

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com.au/

I really enjoy seeing every one's work area and see what they are working on...

but I have never actually added a link to their Linky...mainly because I would feel guilty if  I did not get

around and visit everyone else's desk that week.

Third Confession...I am NOT an expert beader.  I am a newbie and only started beaded about a year ago with the help of my crafting buddies.

I'm adding the above pictures because I thought that there could be some of you out in blog land, like me...who had wanted to learn to bead for a long time...and did NOT know even where to begin.

The above bracelet that I'm showing in the picture is the first bracelet pattern that I have made...

(stitching with jewelry wire)

and so far the ONLY pattern that I have made...  (but I have used this one many times)

I found the free pattern here

 http://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/Tutorials/

The above link has some free patterns that you can print out

and had links to YouTube videos for some more help with beading...

The first photo shows you everything that I needed to make my bracelet...

Jewelry wire

and tape measure/ruler to measure out the needed thread

A Collapsible beading needle

A clasp (for closure)

My beads

For this bracelet I needed

tile beads/or Tila beads

Brick beads

Super duo two hole beads

seed beads

The second picture shows how the  superduo two holed beads come in a package...

Sometimes they are in a tube all the same color...

Or they come in a mixed color tube

In my pic, I am obviously, separating the beads into different colors...

Yes, maybe some of you think I am crazy for doing that...

It is a bit time consuming...but for me...

quite therapeutic...

I'm usually doing that while watching TV.

Hope you enjoyed the pics...

Thank you for visiting by blog today

Blessings,

Jill

PS.  This also explains why I have NOT been making as many greeting cards

these days.  smile.

Back to School

 I made the above card using a stamp from Serendipity Stamps!  and a  "Thanks" die from Stampin' Up. I also added a ribbon and brads.

I made this  for a young girl who acted as our guide when we visited a local school near us.  It's a school that we have driven by, and walked by too many times to even begin to count...
I had never been on the school campus, and I always wanted to see what was behind the gates.  I called the school to see if we could have a tour.  

Our tour was an hour long, but it seemed like 10 minutes...I so enjoyed it and would have liked to see even more.  Many of the buildings at this school are almost a 100 years old...  Such wonderful, beautiful architecture.  The grounds are immaculate and so beautiful.   It was indeed a treat to have a tour and our young student was very informative and gracious.  She made the day so pleasant so I wanted to send her a thank you card.

I made the above necklace and bracelet at craft night with the help of my neighbor.  I did all the stringing of the beads...but she had to help me with the clasp.  I think I am getting more and more addicted to beading.  The beads were from a kit that I purchased at Walmart...A LONG TIME AGO...I'm just so happy that they finally got used (thanks to my neighbor.)

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
~J.M. Barrie

Thanks for visiting my blog today,
Blessings,
Jill