This Little Rock

At the end of summer, I found this little rock in the yard. I don't know where it came from, but, one day, it was just there. I brought it into the house immediately and laid it aside for future inspiration.

While I waited for the inspiration, I kept looking at this little rock. The rock itself looks as if someone, somewhere, chipped out the shape. Was it a tool for a small child at one time? Did a mother or a father make it for their child so that this child could learn to grind corn, make other tools? Was it a toy for young hands to hold and admire?

I moved the rock around to view it from different sides. I stood it on its side. I tilted and turned it, then I saw it!

I had purchased Jennifer Geldard's tutorial on making The Bird. You can still find this wonderful tutorial here. Next step in the inspiration, autumn flying into winter. Snow Birds! (More to follow with the snowbirds on Etsy.) As Erin Prais-Hintz says, "Treasures Found: Inspiration is Everywhere!" This little rock has quickly become a treasure found, not only for inspiration, but for wondering.

Freaky Friday Challenge - on a USA Saturday!

My dear kiwi friend, Deb Batten, of Firebird Flamework and I want to improve our lampworking skills. We have been purchasing many of the tutorials that have been offered by lampwork artists in the lampworking community. We both have ETSY stores. You can find Deb's Etsy Store by clicking on this link. Deb and I both make lampwork beads. We want to produce better beads to feature in our stores. Even though we live thousands of miles apart. She's in New Zealand and I'm in Minnesota in the USA, we have decided to challenge each other weekly by using the tutorials we have purchased and, perhaps, words. (Deb hasn't heart about this yet.) We discussed the challenges and decided that we would have them weekly and report the results in our respective blogs. We decided that we would have to be disciplined, and as one mutual friend of ours state, "You two, disciplined?" Well that's another issue. The plan is now to challenge each other and blog about our results. Deb got to choose this week's challenge. Now, being the type of person who likes to figure things out by herself, Deb did not work with the tutorial I chose. I gave her some basic instructions. Gee, I sure hope I didn't leave anything out! hmmmmm? We shall see what she has produced. The tutorial we chose was the Window Beads Tutorial by Jennifer Geldard. Now, I really do need directions and photos to help me work. Deb will take a look or two at a photo, and go to work on what she wants to produce. I'm anxious to see her results. I made 7 beads. The best one is still soaking in water waiting to be cleaned. However, that doesn't mean that I don't like the results of the others. I genuinely do like the results. Each practice bead was a learning experience for me. I feel like I gained a lot of knowledge and skills are a result of the first week of this challenge. Be sure to check out Deb's blog to see her results. The link is above. Here are my window beads, the back and front, because each side is unique.








This is side one. My two favorite beads are the two beads on the right had side. The red bead I call, "Give Italy the Boot." and the other one, I call "In Utero." I do like all of the beads, but those two are my favorites.







Do you see how each side is unique and different from the other side. I honestly love this type of bead, and I plan to make it many more times. I want to perfect it, but I'm not there yet. Now, I want to see Deb's beads. I hear she etched them. I'm anxious to see her results.

Now, for next week's challenge! It's my turn to choose. This time I'm choosing a word for us to use. Deb has taught me a wonderful Kiwi term that, loosely interpreted, is similar to our expressions of "darn it," or "dang it." I absolutely love the word! I have integrated it itno my vocabulary, and that word is: Bugger! This coming week, I want us to work on "bugger" beads. Okay, Deb, are you ready for this? Bugger. This is next's week's challenge, and I can hardly wait to see the results, both hers and mine.