Monsters are so fun to make!! They can be whatever my imagination will let them be. Course, they probably won’t be too wild. I’m constricted to making them without any fragile parts so that means no arms or legs or thin antennas. Still, it fun using any colors I have on my table and they still turn out pretty cute, don’t ya thing?
Four More Copper Cored Beads
I’m having so much fun making larger beads. I hardly ever make focal type beads and while these really aren’t focal beads, they are bigger than my norm. Guess I was kind of in a green mood when I made these. Kind of strange since I don’t like green.
Skull Bead
Still working on beads for boys for the Beads of Courage program. Here’s a not so scary skull bead that I made. It shows both sides of the bead.
Aliens and a Flying Saucer
These are more Beads of Courage beads. I just love making the aliens, they can look whatever way they turn out. It’s a great way to use up rod ends too.
Beaded Necklace
Seed beaders are insane!! I’m telling ya, they have to be out of their minds. I bought this kit: Vineyard Jewel Necklace by Laura McCabe from http://www.beadseast.com to work on in the mountains. It took me four days to finish it while wearing my +5 magnifier glasses. These beads are teeny!! It was fun to make even though I won’t be making more. It takes some organization to keep all the beads separated and too many distractions at home to concentrate on a project like this.
Beaded Tassels
I just got back from a vacation in the High Sierras. It was beautiful there, as always. This trip gives me a chance to work on things that are different from my usual stuff. Here’s a few beaded tassels I made using Robin Akins finger weaving technique.

BOC Beads
Since I make beads, I can make some for a wonderful organization called “Beads of Courage”. This program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen the protective resources in children coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path. The program helps to decrease illness-related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, helps children find meaning in illness, and restore sense of self in children coping with serious illness. The program also provides something tangible the child can use to tell about their experience during cancer treatment and after.
Recently, there was a call for beads more suited for boys. Here are a few that I made using images my friend sent to me.

Sticking With It
Since I’ve been coring beads with copper bead caps and copper tubing, sticking with the bead stick theme, I’ve make these bead sticks.
I love working with copper. It’s affordable and adds color to my pieces.
More Cored Big Hole Beads
I finally got these cored. I used copper bead caps and copper tubing.
First bead is DH Clio, second, third and fourth beads are make with a clear base, then rolled in silver leaf and frit, then encased. The green one has silver dots randomly on it. The last on is another DH Clio bead.







