Category Archives: General

Bead Soup Blog Hop 2014

The important link first: 2014 Bead Soup Blog Hop. If you want to see some really cool beadie stuff – go there and click around.

For those of you who aren’t “beaders” the gist behind Bead Soup is for people to exchange a bunch of beads/findings and making something with it. I believe Lori Anderson started it with the odds and ends that were left on her table after projects. Then started trading with friends and now it has grown to an international, fueled by facebook, annual event. This is my second time around.

My partner this year is Mallory Hoffman of For the Love of Beads. Please visit her blog and see what she did with some Twisted Chicken Beads! I knew we would connect when I saw her pink sparklie shoes!

So – from here I received:

 

picture 1

then I added a little from Annette Fisher’s stash:

 

picture 2

 

and then worked during open bead night at Free to Bead in Peoria, IL and made:

 

final picutre

I had sent the following to Mallory:

bead soup

 

 

 

Sunday, February 3, 2013

I’m busy procrastinating on my book work — stuck in April, 2012!  So, my web store hosting bill came (via e-mail — thanks to Tammy Finch at Web Services Inc).  So I sent her the new pictures I received from Tim Lester (applying for some art shows out of the area and wanted fresh pictures).  She instantly put them on my site (shameless plug).  I sent her a thank you and asked if there was a cheetah taped to her back . . . apparently she hasn’t seen that commercial (have no idea what it’s for . . . ) and almost spewed tea all over her computer.   In another time/day this would have taken much longer to transpire than the 10 minutes it took today!

I also threw myself into the Bead Soup Blog Party . . . and seem to have gotten the link on the right side of my screen . . . I tell ya – the things I have to learn!  And Lori Anderson, bless her soul, is the one that coordinates this huge blog party and keeps apologizing for not getting things done quickly.  Really, LOOK – a chicken, I don’t understand why she would feel that way — LOOK, a really pretty bead that I need to do something with RIGHT NOW.  I mean, I’m getting my book work done (see note above about April — have been stuck there for . . . LOOK — KNITTING!).  You get my drift.  Even planning coffee with someone can seem to be a huge deal these days.

And why is that — I’m pushing spring to come as soon as possible — I brought in some seed starting mix and planted about 20 little pots of spinach seeds . . . (see note about book work and April, again!).  They have begun to sprout and today started three more little pots of cilantro.  If you can imagine, the cilantro in the hoop house (yes, some nights have gotten down to zero finally) is not looking too bad for this time of year.  Apparently, tho we want it to be a warm weather herb (tomatoes anyone?) it is more of a cool weather lover.

So, now to procrastinate some more – I’m gonna go get something to eat and check out the pregame action on tv.  My darling daughter was born right in the middle of the Super Bowl 19 years ago . . . I was sad when the date was changed to February, though that year I understood.  She’s at college and I’m busy trying not to work!

Crazy, Monday, October 22, 2012

Well — I’m not much better about posting that I have been in the past. Things around here have been crazy.

Finally, it has rained here. There was 1.5 inches and a really BIG spider in the rain gauge the same weekend as the Spoon River/Knox County Drive. Yes — I was at Walnut Grove Farm for the Drive. It was wonderful as usual to be in the barn — especially the days it rained and blew . . . .

Those two weekends followed a great trip to Southern Illinois to the Rend Lake Art and Wine Festival. Last Friday I was at the ICC Green Expo where someone said that Wine Festivals are the in thing this year. As long as they are paired with art, I’m good.

Then this weekend I was the Bishop Hill Fiber Guild Spin In as it moved to the East Peoria Events Center. That was a great event — it’s always fun to see old friends, meet new friends and, yes, buy more yarn . . . . like I need it any more than I need more glass.

Sunday, Todd and I went out for a motorcycle ride. Ended up in Beardstown for lunch as a very nice Mexican restaurant and home through Canton (and the grocery store!).

In the middle of all that I have been working at ICC three days a week, except for the week before and of the Community Celebration. Stephanie pulled off a dinner for 1040 scholarship recipients, guests, and scholarship sponsors. It’s great fun and a huge sigh of relief when the night is over. Next year is the 25th Anniversary . . . . I think the dinner date is on the calendar already!

Monday, September (really!) 19, 2011

Wow – August did just whiz by — even without me pushing it along!

Most of the outside garden stuff is done producing . . . now for the clean up process!  But in the hoop houses — there are peppers still blooming, and spinach and lettuce sprouting.  Now, if I could only get the lights to work correctly.

Another sign of fall — one morning, while sitting on the deck enjoying a quiet moment with my coffee/book I heard a strange noise coming from the barn . . . finally decided that it is one of three new roosters trying out their voices!  Imagine a teenage boy shouting with all their might and the strange cracking that would go along with that.  They are just beginning to crow – not consistantly, not the same one – not even every day.  So hopefully the hens will start laying in the not too distant future — eggs, anyone?

In the mean time – while it has been cooler I haven’t gotten to the torch as much as I would like to — I have new tools and some more coming soon.  Saturday I took a good portion of my inventory to the Galesburg Civic Art Center – I am the October Artist of the Month!

 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Thanks to Kay — it is now August!

But this really is about Thursday or Friday last week — my short-term memory is so bad.  I went out to feed/water/turn loose the chickens and discovered a fairly young opossum swimming around in my rain barrel.  I told my mother that in the spirit of my Uncle John (a REAL farmer) I fished out the possum and took it, by the tail, into our wooded area and tossed it over the fence!  John and I found a possum in his corn crib once while checking the cattle.  It was larger and had something to say the whole way to the creek that we pitched it over that day.  The recent one I think was happy to not be swimming any more and didn’t complain a bit.

In other farm news I have a complaint — all the forecasted rain either didn’t fall at all or fell someplace other than my house!  For instance, Saturday morning I was in Morton at the bicycle race/fine art fair (that part was very small!) and it rained for about 20 minutes — a nice gentle, straight down rain – thank goodness for those of us under tents, but it didn’t happen at my house where I would have danced in it!

Sara went to school on Friday — and Tyler started back at ICC today . . . he had to ask me for underwear today because I folded last night (it’s his month to do that) and put all his clothes in my room . . . . he swears he’ll fold the sheets that have been in the living room for two weeks tonight . . . . next time his underwear disappears for good!

Monday, 08/15/2011

Well, that didn’t last long did it — it seems that gardening season just takes over everything — every good intention I have of keeping up with anything just goes right out of my head!  But things are slowing down — some!  I have fought the battle of the weeds, and again, have lost.  But there is always next year.  Next year’s list has already begun:

Buy more black plastic:  while I hate the black plastic in theory I love what it does to the weeds . . . for years I tried landscape fabric, but if it’s not weighted down properly (which I never got to) the weeds just come up underneath it.  Some of my plastic is on it’s second year and is doing quite well — inspite of being left outside all winter long.  So, the plan is to pull up the plastic and store it in a hoop house for the winter and move it around for next year.  The tomatoes did wonderfully planted in the plastic — next year I’m going to plant eggplant and squash on the plastic so I don’t loose them in the weeds!

Decide what to do about the first two hoop houses and ventilation — would love to add roll-up sides to them, but it’s about $1,000.  Not sure I want to invest in that . . . . not sure how much the alternatives will be, so — may just go along as we have been.

Negotiate with the spouse unit about moving some of the black raspberry plants around . . . . again with the plastic.  The plants on plastic are doing very well — whether that is a function of the plastic or more sunlight (mostly in the morning), I have no idea.  Not to mention that I could turn the current raspberry area into a larger asparagus patch that just requires mowing and mulching . . . . not to mention – MORE ASPARAGUS.  Thinking I won’t get too much flack on this one.

Not order so many seeds.  And pay better attention to what I’m ordering (coulda sworn those mountain magic tomatoes were cherries — alas, too large . . . but beautiful and plentiful!).

 

In the mean time — I have lit the torch a couple of times — yesterday’s are still in the kiln . . . and have two day’s worth at the sink ready to be cleaned.  I have printed out two art show applications . . . . in Iowa for September — think I’m going to go for it!

And have some more stuff photographed and put on etsy . . . . and in March when my phone contract is up I’m gonna get a touch screen and a square for the credit card thingie . . . . and – hmm, I’ve started looking for employment for the winter . . . when will I squeeze that in?

 

Wednesday, July 6, 20011

I have a really good excuse for not keeping this up . . . . it is now officially green bean season!  30 pounds for the Good Earth Food Alliance yesterday . . .  and lots of others out there yet to be picked.  I took squash blossoms with little zucchini still attached to my friend Jo — she sent me a recipe from epicurious.com — zucchini blossoms stuffed with tomatoes and parmesan.

Today is Maisie’s first vet appointment in Elmwood — I so had forgotten what it was like to have a puppy around.  This morning, while I was pulling all my garlic, she ran over some black plastic (tomatoes) and I thought some large ground animal was about to eat me . . . . we have critter issues here at the farm.  Thank goodness, it was her playing!

So, I have a huge tub of garlic/walking onions on the deck that need to be taken care of . . . have decided to bundle all for my customers and give to them at once to hang in their space so I don’t have to remember to deliver some here and some there (vegetable delegating at its finest!).  Save some of the larger heads for replanting in October (suppose I’ll know where they are by then?), and have Tyler mow the whole patch down.  Andrew said he would work in the barn this weekend and some of that chicken manure could go right there!

Annette, Janet and I went  to the National Women’s Music Festival in Madison WI last weekend!  We snuck out and went to the Madison Farmer’s Market — WOW, was it packed with farmers and shoppers both.  I don’t know why Peoria can’t have/support such a wonderful market.  All the booths were staffed by the farmers and the prices were a little lower, and some tables were empty!  You could barely walk and certainly not at a fast pace through the crowd.

Wednesday, June 22

Now the sun is out — I headed out this morning (notice “early” was not part of that statement) to pick black raspberries and it started to MIST . . . heavily.  So I came in, washed dishes so I could wash eggs . . . . still misting, sat down at computer did some fun bookwork — and now the sun is out.  Sara, of course, is still in bed, but I think I’m headed back out to the raspberry/weed patch . . . . By the time Tyler gets out to mow the grass between the bean rows he could probably bale it and sell it . . . ok, we’ll use it for mulch.

I lost a chicken yesterday — think it was to the heat — which won’t be a problem for the next few days – thank goodness!  The new chicks are growing by leaps and bounds already — they are mostly feathered out and look like miniature chickens.

Think I will head back out to the torch today and make some more stuff.  I had promised Amy B a “bitch, bitch, bitch” necklace for the next fundraiser (her husband, Tracy, was recently diagnosed with ALS and they are working on chasing down alternative therapies that will help him) in July.  I made a couple of “bitch” beads, but want to make some more.  Am also headed to the National Women’s Music Festival in Madison, WI.  Am going with Janet Hill from Free to Bead (Peoria Heights, IL) and Annette (partner in crime) for the 4th of July weekend.

Never a dull moment here — Angie reminded me this morning that this Friday — June 24, is Art on the Boardwalk at Junction City in Peoria, IL.  Remember — support your local artists — buy  your gifts from local people — support your local economy — shop farmer’s markets (it tastes bett,er too!).

Friday, June 17, 2011

I promised to do this more often! 

This Sunday, June 19, while also being Father’s Day is Snake Alley Art Fair in Burlington, IA.  Annette and I will be staying Saturday night in Mt. Pleasant and then heading over early to set up.  The show begins at 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.  Hope everyone comes out to see us . . . the forecast has gone from 94 degrees to 84 degrees to 84 degress and storms — I hope we are being moved in to the local community college!  Gotta love the midwest in the summer!

Speaking of that — Mom and I cruised the garden this morning — things are looking pretty good — the squash are blooming, the deer have not eatten off my tomato plants – tho they seem to love the soy bean plants . . . . I pulled some potatoes yesterday so that tyler can wack those weeds and i can put more beans in . . . .why not? but there is still a flat and a half of tomatoes looking for a home . . . i have no idea what i was thinking!

So — the other night, after dark, I made beads!  It was so relaxing — and they are still on the mandrels!  Pea green and a funkie coral pink that i had just a couple rods of — with clear — core in one color or the other and dots on the clear and striped under clear — they turned out cool.  See them in Burlington first!