Aloha! We have a new family member....

Well, 2012 was quite a year. Dear hubby participated in the WBRC, blind rehab program for three months. Then, it was off to dog school. I am so proud of my hubby. He has over-taken this latest obstacle with patience, humor, and the endurance of a soldier.

John and Rocky's Graduation Picture

I have linked to the Western Blind Rehab Center and Guide Dogs of America. I cannot thank them enough for giving me my husband back with a positive view of our future. The programs and people that work there are absolutely wonderful. If anyone has vision that limits their daily functions please contact those facilities. I believe you must be a veteran to attend WBRC although GDA has their own admission requirements.

Also, a special thanks to the puppy raisers. Your love and dedication has enabled Rocky to transition into our furry clan which includes, our adopted children Mickey, our dog, and Felix, our cat.

While John was away I worked on turning our second bedroom into a dedicated studio. We got lots of ideas from houzz.com. I am completing the process of adding the sewing items to the room. Next I will add the jewelry making supplies.

I have gathered the fabric for a baby/toddler quilt which I will work on this afternoon. I also found this great fabric store. They have a design wall feature so you can see the fabric choices together and get an idea how they will work in your project. Check it out! Till next time, be creative, love what you do!

Mahalo!

Knot your traditional pearl jewelry...

I recently attended a pearl knotting class.  The evening prior to the knotting class I created two crocheted bracelets. One would think that pearl knotting would be a fairly easy process compared to a braided crocheted piece.

My thoughts went to the history of pearl knotting. To a time far away when women would get together and create beautiful pieces to adorn themselves, family, friends, and others. The men of the village would brave the deep water of the ocean to find the ocean gems. Weddings, gifts, and heirlooms are gracefully created with this simple technique.

I was slightly embarrassed when I realized I was in the bottom of my class. As another student stated, we were the "special ed" corner of the table. Frustration grew as my fingers fumbled when I attempted to hold the silk cord while guiding the tweezers to just the right spot above the pearl. The technique seemed to "click" after a few words of encouragement from the instructor. A few knots later, I was confident my next knot would go smoothly and I too would be on my way to creating beautiful pieces.

The cord is draped around my fingers, I turn my hand to bring the tweezers to the right spot, and NO PEARL! What's this knot doing there? In my excitement of, "By George, I think I've got it!" I forgot to bring up the next pearl before starting to make the knot. Now my hands are wrapped with cord and the tweezers are suspended like a high wire acrobat swinging to grab the hands of their partner who is missing.

The pearl knotting class is is actually my attempt to keep busy, socialize and learn new skills while hubby is off to college on the mainland for three weeks. Okay, no harm done. Let's untangle this and start over. I continue along as the other students finish their pieces. The bracelet is finally finished. Whew!

I used Swarovski pearls and crystal accents. It actually came out okay. I will post a picture of it when I perfect my jewelry photography technique.

Black and white bracelet; Swarvoski pearl and crystal, hand knotted, sterling silver findings.