More fiddly beading...

I added this little daisy chain after I had already posted the piece below. The colours are not true, it's the most delicate pink and pale green. It would make a very pretty seam treatment.

It takes a lot of practice, a good magnifying glass and my Ott-lite. I did try a more complicated one and didn't have much luck with it, so I'm going to keep making the simplest shape until I know what I am doing! The multi-coloured star is pretty, but even more important, I could learn the pattern and check for errors easily by using the different coloured beads.

Beading.....

I bought a new book...... and this is my first attempt at a beaded flower. I used 11/0 Delicas which the book recommended for uniformity. It only measures 5/8" across! I see mistakes in the photo, but I did it without using a magnifying glass, which I think will be necessary for me when I try more.

The book is full of wonderful designs - pansies, orchids, daffodils, lily of the valley, iris and ...... I want to do them all!!!

Marie's "Beaded Bits"

Marie Alton's niece Amy is riding 200km from Toronto to Niagara Falls in June in the Ride to Conquer Cancer and Marie has made a bunch of lovely beaded bits to sell towards this good cause. The whole story is on Marie and Amy's blogs which are on my sidebar. Anyway, these are the two "bits" that I chose:

Amy's Ride to Conquer Cancer

Marie Alton's creative mind and busy fingers have produced 50 different beaded fobs that she is offering for $5 each. Funds raised will go towards her niece Amy's 200km Ride to Conquer Cancer from Toronto to Niagara Falls, on June 13 and 14th. There's also a really special draw for those who participate!

My Bead Stash

I've done a bit of beading in the past but not to the extent that I am using beads on the CQ blocks. Which means I need lots of beads - all the colours, sizes and shapes, so I am always on the lookout. In Canada, at least Ontario, we have some really good dollar stores, one chain Dollarama sells everything for a $1. I shopped at two dollar stores today and a thrift store and this is what I purchased: Total $10. Red and blue seed, brown barrel, green bugle (all have 60 grams = approx 2ozs.) and pink sequins. Middle row has a mixed bag of metalic maroon glass beads and a bag of uneven shaped shot green glass. The bottom two were from the thrift store a metalic green/blue bead necklace and tiny woodden beaded bracelet and a sea shell necklace. The other two photos are a practice run at fishes for my Under the Sea block. The middle green guy doesn't make it as a fish, I think he will turn out to be a turtle! The silver slitherer will probably end up on some black velvet in the deepest part of the "ocean".

My newest endeavour

I recently joined an online group called Crazy Quilting for Newbies. I had been fooling around with a square just for practice and it seemed like a group that would be very patient with new Quilters and I've found that is true They also have "round robbins" (RR) where one member makes their CQblock and then it gets passed around other members who add a bit of decoration or seam, and it finally comes back to the original member with lots of interesting stuff. Members are all over the world so you might get some very different embroidery or beads or other decorations from what is available to you. I've just joined two RRs one is an Under the Sea block, and the other a Summer Flower Garden. I've also joined a Newbie Baggie Swap where I made up a baggie of a certain amount of fabric pieces, ribbon, lace, embroidery thread etc and sent it to the hostess and in returned I receive a baggie from someone else