Isn't this perfect: A log cabin, a stone fireplace with a roaring fire, a precious dog in front of the fireplace, Christmas tree and Christmas candles, and looking out the window to see gently falling snow...with even a deer in the background. Can you feel the warmth? Merry Christmas!

Do you know?

This movie marquee appears in a popular Christmas movie.

"The Bells of St. Mary's" is playing at the movie theatre on Main Street. Do you know what Christmas movie it is? And, the actor who played a key role in this movie also starred in "The Bells of St. Mary's". Do you know the actor's name and role he played?

Do you know?

Do you know the name of the above Christmas movie ?

On the way to South Dakota we love to stop at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota! The above are a couple of photos I took when we were recently there. That's my sister Anita in the dark blue jacket (bottom photo) getting us some of Wall Drug's famous 5 cent coffee. Have you had their donuts? They are huge!(and delicious) Can you spot them? The top photo was taken in another room displaying a classic Americana Christmas scene. Wonder how cold it is in Wall tonight? It is -1 degree here in Cedar Rapids and we are under a blizzard warning...

Snowboarding Anyone?

Here's Matt on a chairlift going up Deer Mountain! This is at Mystic Miner Ski Resort outside of Lead, South Dakota.

Oh my, scroll down and click on the Daily Pup photo for today - right column of this page! There you'll meet Summit the pup! What a cutie!!! (...but everyday is cute.)

No, this is not Cedar Rapids, even though it did snow 4 inches today. It is actually a photo I took the Friday after Thanksgiving of Main Street in Deadwood, South Dakota. It was beautiful! "Silent and soft and slow, descends the snow." ~Longfellow
What a nice time we had! I will try to post more pictures later...

On This Day...

December 15, 1939 - "Gone With the Wind," produced by David O. Selznick based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

This is what my sister and I encountered on the car windows when we came out of the coffee house this afternoon. The temperature today went from 55 degrees, to what is now 5 degrees. The wind speed is presently 30mph. Burrrrrrrr, Crazy!And yes, I am back! My sister and I went to South Dakota over Thanksgiving. My son, Matt, flew into Rapid City and joined us! What a great time we had-more about our trip later. Also, I have not posted online since I was without a monitor for a while. But I am now back...cold, but back.

The above are bracelets I recently finished.

The above is a hammered "Metal Swirls Pin" that I made yesterday.

Here are some things recently created that will be going to a gallery. I have a thousand ideas going in my head and I just can't do them fast enough. Today and tomorrow are serious work days to get things done before Friday evening. I have one class to teach this late afternoon and then I will come home and get back at it. I have not taken any substitute teaching jobs this week so I hope all this creating will pay off. With the present economy who knows what people will be buying for the Holiday season. I hope they will still value and purchase local art whatever medium it may be...

Iowa's Derreck Robinson celebrates with fans after the Hawkeyes' 23-21 victory over Purdue Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. (...and we beat Penn State last weekend!)

The above are from Wednesday's Fibula Pin Class. The origin of the Fibula Pin comes from ancient Rome, where such pins were fabricated from wire and used to hold cloaks closed. The Wednesday class created their own modern day Fibula Pins. Starting at the top and continuing clockwise, are beautiful pins created by Michelle (blue), Valerie (Mom pin), my Jingle Bell pin, Valerie (teal), and Cindy (brown and blue/green). Great job, ladies!

This is a dangle necklace that I finished yesterday. It features sterling silver, copper, and gold-filled metals

along with assorted beads.

I'm working tonight on a new class for December. The above is part of it. I am naming it "Midnight Snow." Click on the pic to see detail...it has Czech glass, Miyuki seed beads and Swarovski 4mm crystals.

Deadwood, South Dakota-45.7 inches!

The above pins are from last night's class, created by Cindy (moon) and Valerie (wreath). They were made using the great mesh screen findings available at Bead Haven in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. What great Christmas presents can be quickly made using various mesh findings sold at the store!

To quote the front page headline of the Cedar Rapids Gazette... Yes, He Did!

Mystery person of the day...

Born on this day in 1933, I was the Democratic candidate for president of the United States in 1988. Who am I? (No googling allowed!)

The above are stunning snowflakes done by tonight's class. Starting in the upper left going clockwise: Sara's, Valerie's, Sandy's, Alice's and Kelley's! I am so proud of how well each and everyone of them did! Beautiful beaded snowflakes, ladies! (I hear we may even get a few of the real thing this Sunday.) Make sure you click on the picture to zoom-in on their creations!

This is a new necklace I recently designed and created for a class I will teach called: "Choir of Angels." It will be offered in November at Bead Haven in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (It really does make a beautiful sound.) Thanks for the photo, Cindi. Click on the photo to see more detail.

Today: Oct. 21, 1879, Thomas Edison invented a workable electric light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J.

The above are the beautiful Sidewinder bracelets done in the Saturday class. From the top of the photo are bracelets created by: Becky, Kathy, Bonnie, Linda, Sandy and Diana. What a wonderful array of color combinations! Click on the photo to see greater detailing!

Burrrrrr it's cold this morning...right now it is 34 degrees. It will be a cool one at the football game in Iowa City. Stay warm! Bundle up!

Luka...will you be there tonight????

The above "wire wrapped formed cuffs" were made in class tonight by Rosa (left cuff) and Mary (right cuff). Aren't they beautiful? They did such a great job! They first formed the thick gauge wire by hand to form the cuff base, and then wrapped the cuff with a finer gauge wire & beads. Click on the picture to see more detail...really nice work ladies!

WHO AM I? I was born on this day. In 1987 my album, Graceland, won a Grammy Award.

The above is an asymmetric bracelet I recently designed and created for a new class called "Lovely Lentils." The focal bead is a semi-precious flat stone that is connected to sterling silver chain via wire-wrapped loops. Czech glass lentil beads were placed on sterling silver rings and positioned in the chain. Four different colors of Czech glass lentils were used to reflect the varied colors found in the stone. The bracelet has lots of movement which I especially like! I will teach this class at Bead Haven in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on October 22: 5:30-7:30. Click on the photo if you'd like to zoom-in on the detail. Thanks for the picture, Cindi!

Lookin' for Luka,

Lookin' for Luka,

Lookin' for Luka...

Snowy Evening...

Congratulations, Ladies! What beautiful snowflakes you created on this last day of September! Starting with the top white snowflake is Sandy's, then continuing clockwise is Valerie's, Alice's, Rosa's, and class sample. I am sorry that we didn't get a photo of Dawn's before she left-it was also a beautiful snowflake of light violet with purple crystals! How many of these beauties can we create before the real thing is upon us? Thanks Cindi for the photo!

I just have to take a break from writing my handout for tomorrow night's class! No, it is not these wrapped bead earrings pictured above. These earrings were done this weekend along with other pairs that you may see posted this week...Back to tomorrow night's class--I designed a new snowflake for September and I have been working on re-creating the design and writing directions all evening since I got home from work. I much rather create a new design with each snowflake than try to reproduce the same thing over and over again. But alas, I must write my handout and stitch the various steps in order to come up with the very same design every time I write and test it again and again. I don't think most people realize how much time it takes to prepare, write, re-write, test and re-test a design. So many variables; for example the beads themselves may vary slightly due to finishes and or weight...the threads are many times tested to see what beading medium is the best to use for the project, the thread tension is tested to see what gives the best effect...etc. etc... Well, I best get back to the snowflake-I have a full class tomorrow- and I have, as Robert Frost would say in his poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", "....miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."

"Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" Montage

I have always loved Paul Newman, simply one of the very best.
Above photo: Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy.

The above is an adjustable sized bracelet that I finished today. It features: one of Melissa's "Sea of Glass" Lampwork beads, Czech glass leaves, Czech faceted glass, Czech Glass donut beads that slide on the sterling noodle bead, freshwater pearls, and a single Austrian Swarovski crystal. Can you find it? Click on the pic for a close-up.

FYI: September 26-27, Marshalltown, Iowa - 6th Annual Bead Bash Best Western Hotel, Hwys 14 & 30.

This is a wrapped pendant that I just finished. I like these colors and the simple lines of the design. Less is more...

(I got a nice small oval shape, by wrapping the thick gauge wire around the narrow end of my steel wrist mandrel.)

By the way - it's now Thursday and Luka is 18 hours away.

Oh yes Luka, I am also counting the hours!

A little more than 24 hours till we meet again. It's just been too long.

Same time...9:00pm...same place...

The above is my "Chained Melody" necklace. (Thank you Cindi for the picture!) Chain and a vintage-look seem to be very popular these days, so I combined the two mediums in this piece. Double click on the picture for a closer look. Can you find 3 metal swirls, foreign money, vintage jewelry components, antique buttons, an antique Mother of Pearl buckle, a dime, and a partridge-in-a-pear-tree? (...kidding about the partridge.)

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Help, please...

I bought these beads last year because I just had to have them for "the coolest pumpkin pin" project ever -- of course I have forgotten what that project was or how it was put together! Can anyone out there please help me? It was featured on the Internet somewhere... Email me please, or post a comment if you can help...

I'm watching the 60th Primetime Emmys show-Tina Fey just won another. She is just too funny! Of course, here she is as Sarah Palin on the season opener of Saturday Night Live.

The above are two beautiful bracelets created by Mary Lynn. The top one is called "Falling Leaves"--today's Saturday class at Bead Haven. It is peyote stitch with size 8 Delicas and Czech glass beads. I'm sorry I didn't get a pic of Kelle's-it was also beautifully done. (Kelle, let me photo it when I see you.) The second bracelet pictured above was also done by Mary Lynn at an earlier time. The center is a great antique button used as a focal piece in a three-strand bracelet! Stunning work!

The above is a photo of Phyllis' crystal-crusted Caterpillar bracelet. The picture does not do it justice. I believe Phyllis said it had over 100 Swarovski leaded crystals! It's so sparkly, it glows! Click on the photo...

Alice started a stunning Caterpillar bracelet this evening! Do click on the above picture to see the beautiful combination of beads and the cool button closure. Great job, Alice! (Thanks for the photo, Cindi!)

Sidewinder bracelet beauties created by Sharon, Michelle, Rhonda, Phyllis, Marian (left photo) and Kelle (right photo). Make sure you click on the photos so you can zoom-in and see the colors and details. Really great job, girls!

The above are two beautiful wire-wrapped split cuffs done by Rosa (blue) and Jan (gold & silver) in tonight's evening class at Bead Haven. What a great job both did with their creations!