Friday morning coffee and muffins from scratch!

I really don't like my 1pm - 9pm shift but today I love it because it allowed me to wake up early and make chocolate chip muffins and a cup of coffee, catch up on my podcasts, and post some pictures here. By the way, if you're a creative person, the CraftyPod podcasts http://www.craftypod.com are a GREAT source of inspiration and encouragement.

My latest set of projects have been beadweaving projects. I am certainly a beginner and I have only conquered one type of stitch but I've found this to be a very fun and portable craft. I purchased the book 200 Beading Tips, Techniques, & Trade Secrets by Jean Power that has the best illustrated instructions I've found. I have also used the assistance of videos on YouTube. The combination of these two have been most helpful to learn stitches.

This is a peyote stitch bracelet. This is the second one I made. Good materials are essential. Fireline is a must for the thread you use and invest in quality seed beads. I've quickly found out how cheaper beads are not always uniform size and it makes your bracelet uneven and you waste time trying to pick out bigger or smaller beads to use in a particular area. Also JoAnn Fabrics is not a good place to buy seed beads. I bought some shiny blue ones and it turns out the beads were really clear but had just been coated with the blue and it ended up coming off all over my fingers and now it just looks clear anyways! Hobby Lobby has a better selection. I'm sure a bead store would have the best but if you don't have access to one or don't want to wait and pay shipping by purchasing online, Hobby Lobby has a much better selection.