Sick Sick Sick Sick

Oh and did I mention, I've been sick.  Ugh.  At first, I thought the flu but it never turned into the full blown flu.  You know with all the usual liquid insult.  It would get just about there and that's it.  The body aches, pains, headaches, stomach ache, sinus issues, coughing, sore throat, light headedness, dizziness, etc etc.  All had been with me for nearly 2 weeks.  Finally most of the symptoms have disappated but not the sick stomach or headache or now a fever between 101  - 102 degrees every afternoon.  Such a sour stomach it's been a chore to eat.  Which you'd think was a good thing but believe me, it's not.  :(  Mind you, two weeks.  I actually KNEW what was causing all this.  I believed it yet had some doubt.  So finally I went to the doctor on Monday.  Did a test for virus - no virus found at all.  Did some blood work too.  Doc said, if this blood work showed negative then he didn't have a clue.  Geesh, that's reassuring.  The blood work came back the next day thankfully and told the whole story AND it's exactly what I thought it was.  I was right all along !  Drum roll please..........................it is a "sensitivity" to Crestor !  I had ALL of the side effects that drug causes !  All of them !  So fast and so strong were they even my doctor was surprised (he was not the one that prescribed it).  
Sad thing, the doctor that did prescribe them couldn't be bothered to read my file again before prescribing that nasty, horrible drug !  If he had, he would of found I shouldn't of been on it to begin with because of another issue. 
I had been taking the med for 11 days and it's going to take a little time to get it completely out of my system.  
So there ya go.  If your doctor prescribes Crestor for you, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read up on it.  Learn about it - BEFORE you take even the first pill. 
My husband takes it with NO ISSUES AT ALL.  None.
Did you know that statins are the #1 drug sold in the US ?  
Did you know this drug in particular was not fully tested on women over 50 ?

Please learn about any medication you are prescribed before you take them.  It's the only way to protect yourself.  

Hopefully I'll be back to "playing" with my new loom very soon.  In the meantime, enjoy a few pictures of past creations.  First one, beads that went to BOC.  Second one Fall Flower Girl and last one is Simon and Schuester !  lol ! 

Thanks for coming by.  

 
 

Beading With A Loom - A New Journey

No wasting time, I'll just get right to it.  :)  Playing with my new loom this past week was fun !  So VERY different from my first experiences with that cheapie loom.  Thing is, that cheapie loom is supposedly meant for kids.  I don't know.  Maybe a kid can manipulate it better ?  Whatever the case may be, it lead me to a search for a loom and so far, the one I got, is the right pick.  I don't plan on becoming a master at this art form.  I had an interest in it as I do with everything to do with beads so decided to try it.  I love a good challenge and the end result - good or bad.  :)  It's all a learning experience and I love the process and the outcome.  So onward and upward as it were. 
Below are my thoughts on this particular loom.  Hopefully down to the tiniest detail I myself find important.  Lots of photo's included.  :)

I've actually made a couple of lists - Likes and Dislikes.  These are ONLY MY opinions.  Please keep that in mind.   I'll start with the Likes.

- The 8x10 size is perfect for my needs.  Not too big and not too small.

- The top of the loom sits higher than the bottom of the loom which makes it a bit easier to work.  Photo below shows side view.

 

- Space under the warp threads- at the front of the loom (lower end) 4 3/4"  and at the back of the loom (higher end) almost 6 3/4".  There is plenty of room under the threads for my hands to fit easily.

- There are bead cups included in the bottom of the loom which is a nice little extra if needed.  This particular loom has 4.

- There are plenty of nails at both ends to tie off the warp threads.  5 to be exact for a total of 10.

- Tightening and loosening the threads for tension is fairly easy with the wing nuts at both ends of front and back rods.  I found you don't need to hold the loom or brace it to do either.  See first photo, side view.

- The wood on the loom is smooth.  No splinters, no cracks, etc.  Well made.

- Very sturdy. 

- The price is right ! 

Ok, the Dislikes List.  Remember, this is just MHO.

- Minor but irritating - came packed in shredded paper !  What a mess.  The loom itself was wrapped in a bit of bubble I think. 

- Directions that are included on how to use the loom are sparse and incomplete - for a beginner.  I realize there is tons of free info online but this was noticeable.  There are a couple drawings rather than photo's on those directions.  To be fair, on their website, they do have photo's of how to warp the threads and a few on how to bead.  There are better instructions on you tube.

- The loom itself is very well made however it needs to have the option of adding legs so it can stand higher if the buyer wants or needs that.  Here you can see I've added a roll of shelf liner to the higher end to bring it up even more.  I personally need this height and it really worked very well for me.  :)

- The steel warping bars on each end need to be removable so one may have the option to add other warping methods.  I know this might not be possible with this particular loom but it is a thought.  The reason I say this is because even though size 8/0 beads can be used, there is a lot of gap between them when adding the beads so one MUST pull hard to bring the threads and beads together.  Still the thread does show in between the beads.  See photo below of brightly colored strip.

- I found that as I was beading, my arms tended to rest on the steel bar at the lower end.  That is a problem I need to figure out myself.  lol ! 

- There should be something included in the deal to stabilize the bottom of the loom.  If using on a smooth surface, it slides ALOT.  I solved this problem by using shelf liner.  I bought a whole roll thinking I'd use the rest on my kitchen shelves.  Well as you can see in the photo above, it now has another use !  lol !  It won't go on the shelves afterall.  :)  The liner I got has holes in it.  The surface is not smooth which gives it better grip on both sides. 

  

- Warping the loom was nearly as hard for me as it was with the cheapie loom.  That said, at least it was somewhat easier to manipulate the threads to tie them off vs. the cheapie flat loom.  There needs to be a better way to tie off the ends of the threads on these looms PERIOD.  :) 

My overall impression of this particular loom -  It's a great loom - for me, as a beginning loomer (is that a word - lol !).   I would highly recommend it to anyone.  Let's face it, anyone can have any number of likes and dislikes about any particular loom but I feel this particular one would be and is great for the masses.  :) 

In the end, this is how I use my new Loom:  Yeah, I gotta use a magnifying glass and it's on a stand and it's adjustable.  Makes my life a whole bunch nicer especially when working with those darned tiny 11/0 beads !  Man, that was a chore but I did it !  :)

The photo below shows the two strips I made with this loom.  The strip on the left is 11/0 beads in drk bronze and cream soda.  I did not follow any pattern at all. Just went for it and that's how it ended up.  I'm happy.  :)  The bright colored one is a followed pattern using 8/0 seed beads.  Something else I learned quickly.  You gotta have the right needle for the beads used and the right thread to be able to pass through the beads.  All that will come in another post.  Lots to talk about.  lol !  As for the two unfinished strips, I have no idea what I'm going to do with them.  Maybe bracelets, maybe for a collage, I just don't know.  We shall see......................

 

I've decided to go ahead and add the name of the shop where I got the loom.  I figure I might as well because I'm quite happy with it so why not promote it publicly ?  The place is www.beadlooms.com  They have a special going on for this particular loom right now - $5.00 off.  Also, they pack it up and ship it pretty quick too via USPS.    

That's all for this week.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon !  Since I still can't torch, I'll be posting more of my bead looming escapades soon.  :)   

   

Has My Muse Re-emerged ?

I have wondered about that this week since I got going with several projects at once.  It's not my glass muse unfortunately .  Four of the projects were beaded kumihimo bracelets and one is the loom weaving.  So nothing new really.  Well, the loom weaving is pretty new actually.  So here we go..........

Pictured below are 3 of the 4 bracelets I made this past week.  The forth one, I had to take apart even after I was about to put the end caps on !  I found a missed bead and I actually KNEW it when it happened but thought no, it just looks loose so I'll tighten it up.  Yeah, right.  lol !  These are the 3 that did make it.  :)  So happy with all 3.  The red and black one is now in my Etsy shop & the other two will be there sometime over the weekend I think.  I had a lot of fun picking colors to work with.  The silver and gunmetal together is also in a necklace I made also in my Etsy shop.  Beaded Kumihimo is so much fun to do !  I'll ALWAYS enjoy making these little gems.

I used the magnetic clasps on all 3 bracelets simply because they make it soooo much easier to get the bracelet on and off.  They might not look as pretty as some of the other clasps but hey, in my opinion, what's easy is best !  lol !  Especially as we get older right ?  Yep.  :) 

 

The second part of my week began when my brand new BEADING LOOM (pictured below) was delivered !  :))  I FINALLY picked one out and ordered it.  It arrived Wednesday and I've been "playing" ever since.  Since I feel I need to devote a whole post about this loom and what I've done on it, I'll just show the photo's below and in the next post, I'll get into lots of detail.  You won't be sorry if you come back next week to check it out.  Lots to tell and I've only been working on in for a day and a half at this point !  lol !  

 

 

So, has my muse re-emerged - I think in a way it has.  Not for melting glass, it's too hot anyway to be at that torch right now. :(  But for other fun stuff - yep, it's here and I'm glad.  :)  I really needed a distraction this past week. 

Since I have a very early appt. this morning I gotta go for now.  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon. 

 

Yep, Still Here - Still Kickin' - Creatin' Again

I admit, I'm not the most creative nor the most talented but, I enjoy what I do.  :)  Isn't that the whole idea behind crafting afterall ?  So because I am a crafter, I have tried MANY, MANY arts and crafts over the years.  I have discovered there are some things worth coming back to afterall.  lol !  I thought I had left behind beading on a loom (that was not that long ago either).  Nope.  For whatever reason, I just went for it again.  Only this time, I used a much smaller bead - 11/0's !  Not sure what I was thinking when I did that but that's what's cookin'.  lol !   

I am "in process" now and am still discovering new things with this form of beading.  So I'll start from my beginning this go round. 

No photo for this part but part 1 of course is stringing the loom.  This particular loom lies flat so I have to hold it up in one hand to get the thread on properly.  I did NOT follow the you tube instructions like the last 2 times. I just did it "my" way and was done with it.  lol !  It's probably the wrong way but I didn't think I'd get into it like I am.  lol !  Figures.

Photo #1 - Part 2 -  This is my set up for now.  When I was "playing" with this the last time I said no more until I got a new loom.  HA !  Never got it.  The top part of the loom is leaning on a drawer from my jewelry making supplies set up !  lol !  At least my fingers can fit under there !  lol !  I'm still looking at what loom to buy !  lol !  
  

 

Photo #2 - Part 3 -   I'm making the same pattern I made on the very first attempt at beading with a loom.  Those beads were a huge 6/0 size bead.  These are the 11/0's.  Yeah, quite a difference !  lol !  What was I thinking ??  I guess I'm a glutton for punishment !  sigh.   Colors are  dark copper and cream soda. 

    

 

Photo #3 - Part 4 - This is basically what I work on.  My desk with a beading pad on it then the loom.  Well, it just isn't working that well.  The beading pad has a tendency to slip and slide especially when I have to put the magnifying glass on it !  That's the black oval shaped thing to the right.  Then when the pad slips and slides of course the whole loom slides off the plastic jewelry supplies drawer !  UGH ! Re-set it all - again !  :(  There has to be a better way !  I'll figure it out.  Oh wait - I NEED A NEW LOOM !  LOL ! 

 

 

The bigger picture.  This is my work space.  Yeah, lots of stuff to distract me.  That little guy to the left (my first grandbaby) being held by my oldest is the BIGGEST distraction of all !  lol !  Anyway, I must say the adjustable arm magnifying lens is FANTASTIC and a big help !  I have several projects in view that need to be finished or worked on and they ain't gettin' done !  lol !  When I need a break from looking at those darned tiny beads, I look at my bead porn on top of the drawers in front of me !  lol !       

 

 

Since these photo's are only showing about an hours worth of work, I still have a long way to go.  This one will hopefully be a bracelet.  We'll see how the ends turn out but that's what I'm shootin' for.   I am still learning, still in process.  :)  A few things that need to get better are:  Stringing the loom properly, getting the right tension, using beads that are a little easier to see and work with, working in a spot that is not so distracting !  lol !  

Oh, and I didn't get to that new thing I mentioned in the previous post.  That's coming next week.  :)

 

Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon !