So I’ve been on maternity leave for a while, but I’m still beading up a storm. You can tell because my studio looks like a tornado hit it. Since I’ve had all this free time to make whatever I want, I sat down and made a list of all the new flower designs I wanted to make for Spring. There were over 10 different types of flowers on that list… guess how many I made? Two… yeah, just two. Big plans, but life gets in the way. I should just stop making plans. Then I won’t get disappointed when I don’t get to do it all. Since my last post my oldest son has had eye surgery (they cut on my baby’s eyeballs!!!) and almost everyone has had the flu (except the baby, thank heavens). So I’ll just blame my adorable family for not getting to test out my really cool grape hyacinth idea.

But… I did get to make a couple flowers, so I’ll just be happy with that. Here are my French Beaded Crocuses!

I don’t make small flowers like these very often, so it felt kind of strange making such small petals and leaves. I did just publish my Crocus pattern in my Pattern Shop! It is a beginner level pattern, but it does teach a brand new technique – Basic Row Extension on the Bottom Wire.

I also made a couple Roses. These were not on my Spring Flower to-do list, but they were on my Stock-the-shop to-do list. Honestly, I’ve had a stock-the-shop to-do list running since the beginning of last year and I never got to it. So I promised myself I’d add some new flowers or else. Roses are always popular, so I figured I should make a couple of those.

The first one is a redesign of an older Rose pattern. I used some absolutely beautiful 2 cut satin beads in the petals and leaves. I love these beads, but they are much harder to lace as the beads have sharper edges. The beads fit together closely so it’s difficult to get the wire between them, and sometimes the edges break the wire. Very frustrating. But look how sparkly!

The second rose I made is also made with satin 2 cuts, this time in a coral pink. However, it’s a different style of rose – a remake of my older wavy rose.

Last but not least, my new Tulip design. I am currently working on finishing a pink set like these, and then I want to attempt a Double Tulip if I have any time before I have to start my next project.

I am going to try my hardest to get this pattern listed, too. I have most of the pictures taken already, just need a few more and then editing and the write up. But with the way life is right now it might take me longer than I’d like to get it finished.

I’d like to blog more often with design tips and whatnot as well. I just don’t get to sit at my computer very often.

I’ve just opened back up to custom orders again, and my queue is already almost full. I *might* have one more space available in May, depending on the size of the project I’m currently planning with a potential customer. After that I will be closing again for June to try to knock a few projects off my ever growing idea list… then I have a custom wedding bouquet in July. I’m not sure how many more custom orders I will take this year as I am also working on a Christmas Pattern booklet, but feel free to contact me with any ideas and I’ll see what I can do.

Before I start on custom orders though, I will be making a few flowers that will be donated as fundraiser auction pieces for my husband’s nephew’s preschool. I will be making a Peony, another Rose, and I’m thinking a stem of yellow lilies, or maybe one large super ruffly Day lily. We shall see.

Got some fun stuff coming up!