A New WIP and Blog Prize Received

One step forward, two steps back.  I was determined to finish my WIPs (works in progress) before starting new projects.  How is that working out you ask?  Not so well.  I have a new WIP.

While browsing through some of my bead magazines recently I came across this necklace I had tagged as a future project.  I thought maybe I would go through my stash of beads and see if I had what I needed on hand.  I pulled a combination of one of my favorite color combinations - turquoise and copper/brown - and selected beads I could substitute for some listed. We all do that, right?

I even had some back-up options.  I followed the first three steps.  I didn't have any bead tips (wasn't even sure what they were?) for the ends so I decided to just supplement an 8mm gold bead and try to figure out attaching the closure later.  I finished the 16" length for the base of the necklace.  The colors and beads worked beautifully together!

Then it was time for the dangles.  It was then that I realized I had drops in a nice color but the holes went across instead of down through the center.  I would prefer the latter and now also decided I would like a turquoise drop rather than brown like I have, so I am in search of the perfect teardrop bead leaving me with a WIP until I find exactly what I want.  Do any of you do that? 

I have been anxiously awaiting a blog prize I won from Annamaria over at her blog (http://manya72.blogspot.com).  I have been a huge fan of her beautiful work for quite some time but her stitching is even more stunning in person.  Everything about this eyeglass case is sheer perfection.  I feel so fortunate to own one of her stitched pieces.  Among other things she also does some lovely (gorgeous!) Hardanger embroidery as well as some very charming pendants with tiny ribbon embroidery flowers.  Some of these are offered in her Etsy shop.  Thank you Annamaria.  I love it!

Finally, I am convinced this is an eternal UFO, my genealogy project.  My dining room table looks like an explosion of notes and papers no matter how hard I have tried to keep it simple and under control.  Like I would assume most of you, our ancestors had a bunch of kids.  I even have one family that had so many kids, when he married his second wife their offspring were given the same names as a couple of children from the first (wife) marriage!  I've noticed too that when a baby passed on, a later child was given that baby's name as well.  Also confusing the issue, my great grandfather married a woman with the same first name as his sister leaving two Adelheid's to distinguish who were born in the same area of Germany and born about the same year.  Don't forget also the offspring given the same name as their father's and their father's father and their brother's children and...well, you get the picture.

We are heading back to the KC area soon and spending some time with our daughter and her family at a condo in the Ozarks.  Unfortunately it appears the weather is not going to be very warm while we are there, but we will at least be in good company.  I'll be taking some of my naked blocks to work on during the wee early morning hours before the rest of them wake up.  Stitching and a cup pot of coffee lakeside.  Ahhh!