An eclectic blog about beads, beading and beyond



Tuesday, September 18, 2012

A glistering beading UFO and handy words for beaders


To expand my vocabulary I often have a ‘word of the day’. It may be a word I don’t know, or a word I want to know better or just a word that intrigues me. I challenge myself to use my ‘word of the day’ at least ten times that day.  Most often I find my word of the day finds me – something someone says or something I read brings me it to me. Most of these words in what I hear or read and but sometimes I turn to dictionaries. Last week one of those words was ‘glister’. It is a synonym for sparkles and glitters.

Sat surrounded by beadwork UFOs I realised it was one of my easier ‘word of the day’ challenges that week. Most of my UFOs were glistering at me.  Here’s one of them full of glistering crystals.

A glistering beading UFO
Like many of my UFO’s the word glister has a long history. One of it’s most famous uses was in William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice in a line that is often misquoted – ‘all the glisters is not gold’. The line is part of a stanza that explores the puzzle of Portia's boxes (Act II - Scene VII - Prince of Morocco):

All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old
Your answer had not been inscroll'd
Fare you well, your suit is cold.

I wonder if I can fare you well to any of my UFOs. Back to their glister after my blogging distractions.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Threatened species on the mind and in the beads - a special offer for this week

It's National Threatened Species day on Friday in Australia (http://www.ecocitizenaustralia.com.au/national-threatened-species-day-2012/).

The day is intended to draw attention to the plight of Australia's threatened and endangered species and prevent the further loss our unique flora and fauna.

To help draw attention to this I have a special offer for all my Facebook Fans and Blog Followers - any two of my Endangered Series patterns online for the price of one. Just buy one and in the message to seller indicate the second one you would like. I'll then forward both to you.

PS: no-one guessed which is my best selling pattern in the range - its Giraffes at Sunset.

Link here to the online pattern shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/daxbeadartpatterns

Kangaroo Dreaming - celebrating Australia's unique fauna



Dax Designs - now on Byhand.me Artisan Co-op