MaryLou's time2cre8

I've been beading a LOT lately. It must have something to do with all those Delicas I ordered recently from Fire Mountain Gems. Couple that with the fun I've been having experimenting with designs using the freebie bead pattern software that Carol Dean Sharpe told me about, and it's easy to see why I've become obsessed [again] with beads.
In addition to the beadwoven tulip ACEO that was created for the Etsy BeadWeavers challenge, Spring Break, I created this wide beadwoven cuff which I named The Cream in My Coffee:

I was so carried away with those spirals that I've since created three or four other bracelets that are variations on the same theme. They're in different colors and widths, and I don't have pictures of them yet, but they'll wind up in my Etsy shop soon.
Not too long ago I created this pendant for PurpleHug, the person who won my blog contest during one of the EBW Challenges. I'm thinking of making more of these because they're such fun to create and they're such a cute design.


Here's a closeup view.

I also tried my hand at making spiral ropes. I'd seen some that I really liked in the magazines and books I have, but I'd never tried one until about a month ago. One of the first attempts was this Passion for Purple necklace, which is in my Etsy shop. I absolutely positively no-bones-about-it LOVE the beads I used for this necklace!!!

I was still playing around with spiral ropes when I created this little blue bracelet, which I gave as a thank you to Mary, the instructor at Making Glass who gave me my private lesson in glass fusing.

It's a simple design, but I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out; and now I know that I can do spiral ropes!
One of the other pieces I designed took me in a direction I don't usually go... abstract! I'm much more inclined to create geometrics and pieces that have defined shapes and structures, but I was playing around with BeadTool and came up with the design for this bracelet almost by accident. Ever heard of a 'happy accident'? That's how I'd classify Fresh Paint.

If only there were more hours in the day for beadweaving, listing things on Etsy, posting to this blog, cleaning my house... Oh never mind. I don't want to do that last one anyway!