The Blue Bird of Happiness!

Yes, the Eastern Blue Birds have descended on my Quiet Backyard in Southern Indiana....


Bringing lots of energy to the usual flock of characters..


Incoming!!!!!!!


Hanging out...with the 'peeps', so to speak.....


Very unhappy Carolina Wren --- there goes the neighborhood!  Hogging her suet!


Little Boy Blue.  Thinking hard about joining Red Bellied Woodpecker and enjoying some of that suet but taking a second look at that big and sharp beak!  
FEELING LUCKY, PUNK?
Sir!  No Sir!  No Mr Woodpecker,SIR!

Good.  Now go away, kid, you bother me....


A nice Blue Bird couple...
But having a bit of a bicker...

What an amazing addition to the Backyard Birdy Bunch! I hope they stick around for awhile.

For the Beady Eyed Bunch - moving on - flower pattern

I am getting faster!  I thought these came out well enough to consider the pattern a success.  I decided to add some 'flourish' to the ends of the petals.   I thought I would go ahead and post them and then move on to making the bracelet.   I haven't timed how long it takes to make a flower but, after having made 4 of them now, I think I am familiar enough with the pattern to do that today. 

Just a reminder - the beads she lists in the pattern are very shiny!  And hard to work with for a first attempt.  These went much faster and were more comfortable and fun to work with.

If the bracelet turns out as well as these did I will post that when I am finished.  If not, you may never see this pattern again!






Happy Beading!

For the Beady Eyed Bunch - my practice pieces are done

Very easy pattern, I haven't timed it yet but will see how long it takes me to make one flower  tomorrow. Starting off with shiny silver beads was a big mistake - very hard to work a new pattern and barely be able to distinguish between the beads! The set I am making now is much easier. But if you want to give it a try, the pattern is very well written and very well illustrated, you wouldn't have a problem.

For the Beady Eyed Bunch - starting a Garden

It's going to get cold again, we have enough pictures of birds....what else to do but post some beadwork for the Beady Eyed Bunch!

I have been following this bead artist for quite some time.  She has an amazing talent with bead design - from flat work to shaped objects - she has a blog, a website, and is on Facebook.  She has now placed a FREE pattern on the internet, one that I have been hoping to learn.....here are some pictures from her website of the piece:





And the beads in the center are new beads called - you guessed it - gumdrops!

A Beady Eyed Beader would want to cruise her blog:
http://www.kerrieslade.blogspot.com/

AND - her website:
http://www.kerrieslade.co.uk/

Maybe download her free pattern:


I started it last night and am 3 petals in! It isn't hard, the Beady Eyed Beader Bunch know all of the stiches I think. The only stitch I am not sure we have practiced is the 'brick stitch' aka 'Comanche stitch' but it is a very old stitch and if you google it you will find lots of examples. I can tell you this - it's much easier than Ndebele!!! Here is my effort so far:



Happy Beading!

Oh goody! I got a collage app

Trying it out with some of the Backyard Birdy Bunch pictures. I don't know what bird that is in the lower left frame. It looks like a wren/sparrow but loves the suet feeder and will hold on, upside down, to peck at it!  He/she has quite a pointy little beak on him/her as well!

Backyard Birdy New Year's Party!

Still not done with bird pictures!   I caught some good light and was able to capture the backyard bird party this week.    I got some good shots of individual birds, a couple of them new, but those will have to wait until another time....meanwhile, the party commences with Mr. Cardinal peeking out from behind the feeder and, apparently, acting silly!


Lots of zooming back and forth, birdy conversation.


Celebrating the New Year!


Even Mr. Red Bellied Woodpecker joined to get his daily fill of suet.