Winter Project...Done and Over!

Well, I downsized the winter project just to stay sane. Making thousands of beads could drive a person crazy. This is one bowl. I had about four bowls worth of beads.

 

Instead of making a door archway bead partition, I made a "where-the-dishwasher-would-go-if-I-had-one" curtain. It's always been kind of ugly and unfinished looking. Eventually I had planned to remodel the whole kitchen so I waited. But I hate dishwashers. Besides the toxic detergents one must use with them, I prefer the relaxation of my hands in warm water sudsy with Planet Dishwashing Liquid the Miracle Soap. I keep my garbage can and the plastic bag receptacle in the space. If I put the house up for sale, I need to camouflage the ugliness. Isn't it odd I didn't finish painting this until I was ready to get rid of the house? You'd think I would want to beautify it for ME!

So rather than bead enough beads to cover an archway which would take me until the next millennium to complete, I made a bead wall to cover the dishwasher space. I painted the inner walls so they are prettier and currently have a raging headache from the fumes. It reminds me why I wanted a non-toxic winter project this year!

Now I want to buy a new, brightly-colored rug to match. My old one looks faded and worn when next to these shiny, bright beads.

Now the fun begins. I get to clean up and put the house back in order....



 

 

The Bead Production Center formally known as "the Desk". What you can't see is the dried glue all over those white desk protectors. Icky. "The Desk" reborn:




 

 

The Varnishing Center

 

 

 

 

I love having winter projects to keep me busy, but they are always so messy. By the end of it I am so glad it's over. With the varnishing table gone, I have my aquariums ready to plant my indoor starts for the garden. (See the archway to the right in the photo below? Yes, it would have taken me years to finish enough beads to cover it. I tried.)

 

 



The Stringing Center



 

Stringing sounds very easy. Maybe it is for a patient person. I had to re-string nearly every one of these strands because I kept making them the wrong lengths. In addition, one must make very good knots in the fishing line so the beads stay put. 

 

 

I used 50 lb. fishing line for this. The heavier weight line helps the beads hang almost straight although the end of the strand wants to curve from the weight and the elasticity. Damn fish tails. Why can't they just hang straight like a $20 beaded partition? I tried thinner line, but they hung very crooked with the weight of every bead bending the line. 

The dining table is back to normal.

 

 



 

 

After four months of production, it's so nice to have the house back to normal! Now with indoor gardening starts, I'll mess it all up again and feel very relieved when the plants are finally transplanted outside in June. I'll enjoy the clean and wait a few days before messing it up again.