Have a Barking Mad Halloween

Free Image Friday

 

Vintage Postcards!
(click to biggify)

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend.

"Sometimes new love comes between old friends. Sometimes the best love was the one that was always there."

Facebook is a wonderful thing.  Back at the start of the year, my 50th by the way, I received an email (or was it a myspace message?) from my good friend since grade school, Susan Rothenberg Carey, that there was this cool website where a bunch of our old friends from Betsey Ross Elementary and Culver City Jr. and Sr. High Schools were members and that I should join in.  Join I did and it was been quite a ride.  Not only have I reconnected with friends from as far back as kindergarten (Melanie, Dana and Glenda), Jr. High and High School (too many to list) but over 100 members of the beloved youth group that I was a member of in my high school years, B'nai Brith Youth Org.  Those reunions on their own are remarkable but wait -- there's more.  In March, I stumbled upon the profile of my 78 year old biological mother, Anne.  I had been searching for her for 30 years.  Through that connection, I discovered that I have 2 half-sisters and a plethora of nieces and nephews.  Amazing.  The reunion with Anne has changed me in such a profound way, it's if my heart has wings and I've been set free.  The relationship itself has been difficult for me, but it's finding its way.  However, just knowing where I've been has made it possible for me to move ahead and see my past clearly for the first time all at once.  I feel reborn and am so thankful.  Now, just when I thought Facebook had done everything for me that it possibly could, low and behold, I am reunited with a dear friend from my teens that has held a special place in my heart for all these years.  Am I blessed or what?

The picture is of me, this very morning, taken by my son Jonathan, simply to record this day and my smile.  I have always had every reason to be happy.  It has not always been so.  Lately, I am happy.  Happy, joyful, bemused and blessed.  Susan, I will always be grateful for that initial invite to join Facebook and for everything that your friendship has meant throughout the years.  Whether you realize it or not, my dear, you have helped me to find this happiness.  I don't know what the female version of a mensch is, but that is you. 

Woot Woot!

Thanks to Heather Powers and the other wonderfully talented ladies at the Art Bead Scene blog, my name was drawn from the hat to win the wonderful book at left Beading with World Beads.  

Hop on over to Heather's site for some wonderful polymer clay beads that are truly one of kind and visit Art Bead Scene for fun monthly challenges, gorgeous art bead eye candy and terrific tutorials.

Thanks again, Heather and ABS.

Monday Movie Madness (or lack thereof)

Fall Swirl Focal
Originally uploaded by SandiLeeDesigns

One of my weekend mainstays for years has been watching a video or two. With the advent of "on demand" viewing, I have been depending upon HBO and Cinemax for my weekend movie fix. Lately I have been disappointed. This weekend I could find nothing that I was interested in watching. Last weekend I watched the HBO mini-series "Angels in America" and I more than highly recommend this beautifully moving series to anybody who has ever loved anybody. In otherwords, devote the 6 plus hours and watch it. Beautiful.

The beads I've posted here as an example of my early work in polymer clay. The three larger beads are hand-formed (the green beads, glass). The colors hand-blended.  I had just started making beads when I made these fall inspired beads. The shaping has a lot to be desired. However, when I look at these beads, I feel proud and happy. My first beads ... sigh ... I believe I've really grown.

Have a wonderous Monday.

Free Image Friday

This is a fun one!
Enjoy!!!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you all again on Monday.

Hugs and Kisses,
Sandi

Two for Tuesday?

I was going to post a two for Tuesday post, but unfortunately I've been sick with some sort of un-named plague (which is better than a named plague as far as I'm concerned -- read: a cold) and haven't felt like posting at all.  Instead, I'm going to break my twofer post into two and post this bracelet that I made as part one.  It is crocheted silver wire with gemstone and pearl bead soup, an antique silver and shell button closure.  My first bead crochet project.  I think it came it rather nicely. 

Stay tuned for the necklace that made way for the bead soup.

Stay well, my friends.

Free Image Friday

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
(click on image to biggify and save)

In My Dreams

This morning during those minutes right before the alarm went off, I dreamt that I had made these earrings to go with the outfit that I had planned on wearing this morning.

So, instead of hitting the snooze button, I got up, got ready for work in record time (who needs mascara anyway...) and put these earrings together.

The donuts are Carnelian and I believe from Rings & Things the findings and seeds are brass from my LBS.  Picture from Alyss and her trusty iphone.

The Kindness of Strangers

 

I left a comment on one of my favorite blogs:  Artsy-Fartsy and was very surprised to receive an email from it's owner, Cheryl.  What a sweetie.  You may have noticed the change in appearance of my blog, I couldn't have done any of this without the direction of Cheryl.  Go visit her blog, it's very "caute" and she's a doll.

Thank you, Cher!

Risk

Aztec Tiger Pendant
Originally uploaded by SandiLeeDesigns

And the day came
when the risk
it took to remain
tight inside the bud
was more painful
than the risk it took
to blossom.
... Anais Nin

I made this pendant about 2 years ago and turned it into a necklace abundant with beautiful tiger's eye. I gave it to Anne, my biological mother at our first meeting.

Monday Movie Madness

With financial times being what they are, I find that I am spending a lot less money on tickets to the local Krikorian and more time with my remote and cable t.v. I watch a lot of movies over the weekend. Welcome to what will likely become a weekly feature of my blog, Monday Movie Madness, where I will review a movie that I've seen over the weekend. This week I will be reviewing December Boys.

December Boys is a coming of age picture set in 1960s Australia based on the novel of the same name by Michael Noonan. The film revolves around four orphan boys from a Roman Catholic orphanage located in the Australian outback who were all born in the month of December.

The boys (played by Daniel Radcliffe (Maps) of Harry Potter fame, and three unknowns (at least to me), Lee Cormie (Misty), Christian Byers (Sparks) and James Fraser (Spit)) are sent on holiday by the sea to stay with a middle-aged couple. While there, they meet Fearless, a man who claims that he is the risk motorbike rider in the nearby carnival, and his wife, Teresa. Having all but given up hope of ever being adopted, the friends are on a seaside holiday one winter when they hear a rumor that a seaside couple are looking to adopt one of the orphans, friendships are tested and new alliances made as the four boys compete for the chance to gain a real family.

I enjoyed this film, but I’m not sure why -- it could have been a number of reasons. The scenery of the Southern Australian coastline was breathtaking. The ensemble acting was good enough, and Daniel Radcliffe is well-practiced at playing an orphan. I think for me, it was that I could relate of all of the characters. There was just something in each of them that touched my heart.

December Boys is a feel good movie, with a melancholy twist. On the Movie Monday scale from 1 to 5, I give it a 3.5 and recommend you all add it to your Net-Flix list.

Free Image Friday

As a mixed-media artist, I just love free images that can be printed out and used in my art. This will be the first of many "Free Image Fridays" on Do Be Do Bead Do. These images can be used as transfers onto polymer clay, as collage elements, for scrapbooking or where ever your creativity takes you. Enjoy and have a happy weekend!

Cupid's Arrow

Cupid's Arrow
Originally uploaded by SandiLeeDesigns

This is one of my favorites, which landed with one of my good friends, Amy. An earlier creation from about 3 years ago, I wanted to post it first, so that I can show the progress I've made in my polymer work. The piece got it's name because this was the bead that shot it's arrow into my heart and made me fall in love with polymer clay.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Why "Do Be Do Bead Do"?

Easy: Think "Strangers in the Night" and Frank Sinatra.

Welcome to My Blog

I have been pondering over where to start with my blog. I know that I need some pictures of my work and those are coming shortly, but I wanted to start before that. I wanted this blog partially to document my progress with the Bead Journal Project, as well as my feelings about reconnecting with my biological family, a place to show my work, -- there's my desire to share my bead addiction with others and then there's the polymer part and, probably most importantly, my quest to just share myself. What am I getting to, you may ask? (Look, I tend to ramble in my thoughts, my speech, my art. It's no surprise that I will have a ramble of a blog.) Anywhoodle, my idea for my BJP is to do 12 pieces the size of ATCs (artist's trading cards) which are 2.5 x 3.5". My plan is for each card to describe a different aspect of myself that I like. In making my list, I have come up with 24 words to describe things that I like about me. Since I am working on loving myself and getting to know myself, I found this to be amazing. I also thought, what a great start to my blog!

Here goes. I am (in no particular order): sweet, lovely, tall, smart, sassy, strong, brave, silly, warm, adventurous, loyal, kind, honest, handy, pretty, loving, tender, comforting, caring, artistic, and I am a helper, dreamer, idealist and a believer.

So, welcome again and stick around. I'm pretty cool!