Another Experiment with Orange...

After a very FULL day of substitute teaching, I needed a bit of fun tonight, so Bethany and I got out the Fimo and Sculpey .  I decided to play a bit with the bright orange colour and made this tiny pumpkin bead.

Next, I tried to take some of the blues that I loved and work in a strip of orange, just like I did with the friendship bracelet at the beginning of this exploration.

Once I had my strips, I braided and rolled them into a ball.

Next I pressed them into a firm ball to marbleize it a bit.

I took chunks off and rolled them into bead shapes with their hints of orange like lightning through the blue...

Then set everything out on some foil to bake.

Erin was so intrigued by the process that she made some beads of her own in her school colours.  Creativity really is contagious!

Tomorrow, I’’ll show off the two scarves that had the staff room at Erin’s high school asking how many projects I knit a year.  One pattern, created by Yarn Harlot , is incredibly addictive and was taught to me this weekend by one of the stitchers in a class. Yes, Jocelyn, this new addiction is YOUR fault!!

INHALE: Even after a demanding day, taking the time to be Creative instead of just  sitting passively to watch television can help recharge something deep inside each one of us.  When Life gets hectic, we are sometimes tempted to cut out indulgences, but those are often the things that help us feel more rested and grounded.  I actually went to bed feeling far less tired than when I began to make the beads.

EXHALE:  If you don’t feel like buying some clay to explore bead making, find another small craft that you could do to help you relax the next time you have a hectic day.  Tuck it somewhere in your kitchen cupboard or keep it close at hand so that you don’t have to go hunting when you need it. Don’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself when you do your craft... you may just discover other members of your family sitting down to join you!