beadworkbybetsy

I am going to Paris very soon.  With my sisters.  Brandi (the oldest) and I are traveling to Munich to visit Brooke (the middle), who is living there for about 9 more months.  From Munich we will fly to Paris, see lots of sights, then take the Eurostar to London and see more sights.  My lovely British friend Sharon will spend a day with us.  Then we will return to Munich to see the opening day parade for Oktoberfest.  A trip to see some of Austria is also in the works.
I made these pendants using some collage sheets of Paris pictures and magic gloss by Lisa Pavelka.  I let Brandi choose her favorite.  She picked the only one that has a crack or bubble that formed while the resin was hardening.  I attached some dangles to the pendants when I wire-wrapped loops to attach them to chain.  I have one pendant left over, so I will list it at etsy.

I just finished making a bracelet (a paid job for which I am very thankful) for Lisa.  Two years ago I gave her one for the birth of her third child, and each child was done with their birthstones.  I made it in gold and silver to go with either type of jewelry she might wear.  Some friends pitched in to help buy the beads.  The one I just made for her is all silver with black and clear crystals, per her request.  Lisa wears a lot of black and wanted a mother's bracelet that matched more of her clothing.




This is a picture of my bracelet, which I made 3 1/2 years ago.  You can find pieces like this on-line here or here, but the cost is pretty high.  If you are ever interested in having one for yourself or to give to someone else, let me know.

You should try making this lovely Blueberry Lemon Cake. I first made this cake six years ago for a Memorial Day party. The recipe is from Bon Appetit. This year I made it, with some help from Ruth, as our contribution to the Wilson family July 3rd celebration.

 I also took my children to a blueberry farm in June.  We had a great time picking blueberries in the fields.  We had no idea they grew just like grape clusters.  I highly recommend going to the farm next year.







I also have a great recipe for Blueberry Bread.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (we just used a whole lemon)

For the glaze:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan; set aside.  By hand (or with mixer), whisk together softened butter and sugar; beat in eggs.  In a separate bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Add to butter mixture alternately with the milk.  Mix until just combined.  Fold in blueberries and lemon zest.  Pour bread batter into prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes.

While the bread is baking, heat lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan.  Cook until mixture is the thickness of syrup.  Pour glaze over baked bread while it is still in the pan.  Allow bread and glaze to cool before removing from pan.

Pete and I have yet to get the glaze right on the bread.  It doesn't harden.  We think the portions in the recipe are wrong.  If anyone has suggestions about the glaze, please comment.  Even though our glaze hasn't worked out, the bread is still fabulous.