Beading Bracelets

I pulled out my beading tray this weekend and got busy.. have you ever heard of Larimar?  My sister Denise found a pair of earrings and a necklace on one of her travels and she wears them all the time.  She found them in a jewelry shop on the main street in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

Larimar, also called "Stefilia's Stone", is a rare blue variety of the silicate mineral pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Its coloration varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue.

So.. I'd been admiring the stone and found some rondelles online and ordered some to make a bracelet for me and when Denise saw them she wanted one too. They finally arrived and I first made Denise's and then mine.  Here it is next to my Ethiopian opal bracelet I made.  Have you heard of Larimar?  

Another shot of it.

I also re-strung a turquoise bracelet I'd made for my sister and she wanted a different kind of clasp.  

While I was at it I restrung the watch band for my Apple Watch using the clear recycled glass beads from the 4Ocean bracelets I've ordered.  Some of the recycled fishing line cord they were strung on broke.  For each bracelet you buy they will pull 1 pound of trash from the ocean.. I've bought many and given them as gifts.

I really like how the band turned out.

Our weather has turned cold!  Dayle cleaned out the wood pellet stove and lit it yesterday and we're enjoying the lovely radiant warmth emanating from it.

I was given this photo of me from 1987!  We were taking the kids class to visit Chief Lalooska's long house.. we got to attend a performance of the Chief wearing hand-carved masks and telling a story in front of the roaring wood fire in the center of the great hall.

Lelooska Museum is a Native American Kwakwaka'wakw cultural museum in Ariel, Washington, United States. It was established in 1977. Collections include baskets, parfleches, corn husk bags, dolls, spoons, cradles, moccasins, tomahawks, pipes, pipe bags, dresses, a 15-foot birch bark canoe and a replica fur trade store.

I'm wearing 2 necklaces in this photo of trade beads from my collection, these are called "Russian Blues".  Russian explorers traded Blue Russian Beads to the Native Americans in Alaska and Canada starting in the 1700s. Their appeal lies in their Cobalt Blue color and their faceted appearance. Blue Russian Beads likely originated in Czechoslovakia. Russian traders may have purchased them directly from traders in Europe, or possibly from the Hudson Bay Company.

Our two grandsons asked to spend the night last week and Kristi suggested we bring them home on Saturday and she'd make dinner for us all.  This is our "grand-dog" Ozzie.  He loves to cuddle with Dayle and I.  Isn't he cute?  Kristi made a roasted whole chicken in her new Instant Pot, corn bread dressing and baked acorn squash with butter and brown sugar in the cavity.  YUM!

Our son Shawn and grandson Michael have moved into their own home as of last week.  We're now down to the two of us living here.  :-)  Here is their new home.  Now we will begin turning the two bedrooms upstairs into proper guest rooms.  

The new operating system on my phone that I just downloaded informed me I could make my own emoji.. I got the pick the hair color and style, eye color, skin tone and all.  Fun, huh?

That is pretty much my news.. how are things going at your end?  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)