• Happy Halloween to any of my peeps who visit. My neighbor asked me to make her a card for her grandson and I just love these stamps by Inkadinkado. So fun. Go forth, Eat, Drink and be Scarey!
  
  

It seems a lot of my friends are sick with colds, flu or just plain malaise. Today I made some homemade chicken soup to take to my grandkids who are home from school sick.

I wish just looking at the picture could bring wellness to anyone out there who is feeling under the weather. Take care and have some chicken soup.......for the soul.

OK, so I deleted my post about ending this blog. I really missed it even though I hadn't posted in some time. It was like a loss and I've had enough of losses.



And then I went on vacation to Richmond Virginia to see my Gary and he was finishing up his business there and coming home. This was one of the streets in the old section full of mostly pubs and restaurants, but very nice with that small town feel to it.



While away I started thinking about Gary being back home with me and what is it that I wanted in my life that I didn't have. My blog was one thing for sure and yet I don't seem to want to go through all the frustration of figuring out how to get all the bells and whistles. I decided that the bells and whistles are not as important as the art itself or the journaling of feelings that we as bloggers sometimes need to put out there. So, I also decided to forget the extras, keep it simple and just post what I'm working on, which quite frankly is art and figuring out my true passion. It's amazing you can get to be 62 and still not know what your passion is. I mean I like art a lot, really a lot, but I don't get really excited too often unless I'm looking at someone elses. And so it makes me wonder.



Well, following this post you will see I got busy and decided to participate in as many swaps as I could get done. I think I did enough for 3 swaps, a gift and a collaged mitten for a swap that is up and coming. I'm ahead of that game for now. My next project is to get out the canvas and work on a piece for a show. No more info there.



I can see that all my blogger friends have been busy creating and it just was driving me crazy that I wasn't, so thank you all for the motivation, inspiration and getting me in my studio.

I have been collecting beads since I was a child. When I played with my grandmother's buttons, I would also find beads in the tin and she would give them to me. When my grandmother taught me to sew she gave me her button box and the rest is history. Since I am 62 years old and been collecting all my life, I have literally thousands of buttons. Beads too. I thought I would make jewelry but not too many things I have made ever held up even though I thought I was buying good gold plated findings. They are often too weak and open easily.

I decided to take a beginning course in beading and learned how to use crimp beads. It couldn't be easier and I can't believe I couldn't figure this out myself, but after 5 minutes in class I had the trick down and so I made this necklace and have since fixed a vintage necklace I had that was broken and am on my way to fixing many more that I have found in thrift stores over the years.

This may very well be a Christmas gift for someone. I know it will hold up and I am quite pleased with the look of it, even though it is rather traditional.

Here is my group of Christmas Inchies to be sent into a swap hosted by my friend Fran. We send in 6, get 6 back and then use three in a card to be sent back for another swap. How fun!!.

Have been very busy with swaps and this one is for our Little Fat Book Club swap for this Tuesday at Stampassion. Of course those who know me know my bats are my inspiration and so I found it fitting for our Halloween swap.

Here are my atc's for Stampassion this month. The theme was Occupations and I chose a Writer, a Botanist and a Judge. I think it may have been too challenging for some participants as I only have three (including mine) in our swap this month and I am trying to get more supporters, not less. If anyone has any suggestions how to increase our membership, would you let me know?