The Wigglebutt Blog

Fall is definitely in the air. I will spend the next couple of weeks clearing out the remainder of the  "crops" from the garden, storing all of the planters and pots and trying to keep the greenhouse warm long enough for some more of the tomatoes to turn red. Over the last few weeks, we have had almost non-stop rain so I have had plenty of  'indoor time'. Time to get all caught up on The Year of Jewelry Project . I was determined that I would follow through when I signed on and I am happy that I am back on track after the busy summer months. In my last post I showed you Week 32. Well, we technically just started Week 36 (finished piece due by Sept 7) so I have weeks 33, 34 & 35 to show you today. I think I may have to keep these☺ The main pic shows what I meant to be the front of the pendant  but I almost like the back better. So it's reversible☺ Lampwork beads by Juls More viking knit ....and lampwork by Juls   ...

I've been so busy this summer with the new garden (who knew we would have record temps and more sunshine  than I have seen in any one summer I have spent in Alaska since moving here in 1992. Two hours of watering. Everything. Every. Single. Day. Not including the grass☺) that I haven't had nearly as much time to spend "making" as I would like. Now that the rainy season is here, I feel like I have a little more free time while I wait for "harvest time". With fall quickly approaching it will be time to start canning all of the  goodies I have been able to grow this year. I'll post more about that when the time comes. For now I hope to spend more of my time creating. Hopefully accomplishing more than 'just' the one piece of jewelry per week that I committed to for The Year of Jewelry Project . I am almost completely caught up on those postings though☺ Here is Week 32 I am seriously in love with viking knit! ...

I have fallen behind, I have hopped around, (I have done a TON of gardening) but I an almost caught up on this commitment I made at the beginning of the year. I am only two weeks off schedule in the group but I am several weeks behind on posting here, so this is a catch up post ......again☺ ****  Very picture heavy☺ **** On Topic ~ "Cuffs for All" On Topic ~ "Circles, Squares, Triangles" On Topic ~ "Twins" Off  Topic ~ (Trying a wire weave tutorial ~ I think I'm in LOVE) On Topic ~ "My Favorite Color" Yeah Baby, I love the color RED☺ On Topic ~ "Unusual Techniques" Not necessarily an unusual technique, but new to me ~Viking Knit~ and I love it! On Topic ~ "At the Beach" A very nice man gifted me some sea glass that he picked off a beach in Nome and I finally got around to making something with it♥

My posting has been rather erratic lately but I'm OK with that, cuz 1 .  It is summer.  The nicest, warmest summer I have spent since moving to Alaska 21 years ago, and I have been loving the hell out of it☺ (psssst ~ I have a tan♥) 2. I have eaten fresh broccoli (from my garden) dipped in ranch everyday for a week straight. Seriously KILLER flavor☺ 3. I have baked zucchini bread (from my zucchini),  made refrigerator pickles with my fresh grown cucumbers and dill, eaten beets with greens and numerous salads made with my lettuce. I have wanted to put in a garden for years, but figured it was going to be a huge undertaking, until I finally had the DUH! moment and realized I could do the raised bed thing. And since we couldn't get the grass to grow under those spruce trees, it was a win~win. The best part: No weeding☺ (Oh, and some awesome veggies) but this came across my facebook newsfeed and I thought I would share. Over the...

Got gutsy and ordered some sterling silver wire☺ I want to make about a hundred variations of this♥ This one, I think, needs a little tarnish☺ Got a ~free~ tutorial, which is also very, very entertaining and humorous from a lovely lady named Angelina Krell. Used it to make this Not liking the 'shiny' so I did a little heat patina in other words, I hit it with a torch☺ and got this. No.... your monitor is not screwed up... The bead is "dyed" howlite  (the tutorial called for a 12mm bead and there wasn't alot in my stash to choose from) and when I torched the piece, apparently it burned off the color. Who knew? But I like it much better! lol! I am almost finished with Week 29 & 30 and then I will be all caught up, for awhile☺

This was my offering for Week 26. Once again...not following the prompts,  which are just suggestions..... if you are stuck for inspiration... so it's OK☺ I love the colors in this and I will absolutely be keeping this for ME! This is my first wrap bracelet but I don't think it will be my last, these are fun!  (just a little difficult to photograph☺) I am currently about three weeks behind on the YOJP but now that the yard work pretty much consists of watering,  I think I can make some progress towards catching up☺ With the record setting temps we have been having this summer (I love being able to wear shorts and flip flops more than three or four days a year...seriously...no kidding) my new garden area is happy ~ happy!! Left side ~ Strawberries            Right side ~ Jalapeno peppers They are happy in their little house. Can you tell which ones got munched by the moose babies? Left side ~ Bush ...

Ok - just so we're clear;  I know my last YOJP post was for Weeks 19 & 20. I am still playing catch up. (I did Week 21 also, I just neglected to blog about it. My bad) AND, as you know, I don't always follow the prompt for the weekly theme, but I am actually skipping 22 & 23 (for now) to post for Week 24. The theme is "Commitment". This seemed to fit the theme on so many levels☺ lol. The pendant was actually  my entry for   Week 11  "Rescued From the Scrap Bin" I was determined that I would actually DO something with the pendant so that it didn't have to spend another two years waiting. ~Commitment~ I had seen a necklace design in the February 2013 issue of  Jewelry Stringing. The design was a winner of the 2012 Bead Star Contest for the "stones" category and was designed by Darcy Alice. As usual, I didn't follow the pattern exactly, (do I ever?!) I re-did the side on the right TH...