On Wednesday of this week, the Kalmbach Publishing offices were closed thanks to a huge snowstorm that dumped 10–20 inches of snow on southeastern Wisconsin. Between shoveling excursions to clear the driveway so my husband could get to our garage, I spent some time beading. What else do you do on a snow day?

It was a great mental lift to be working on a project for the June 2008 issue (by that time there should be no snow in Wisconsin) — a beaded rose bracelet. The flower is an old-fashioned, shrub rose with wide-open petals stitched in pink cylinders, a gold-colored center, and large, flat leaves. The flower is attached to a wide, flat Ndebele herringbone band. You’ll be able to stitch this as a bracelet or a choker.

Watch for another flower-themed project in the April issue of Bead&Button. The necklace features beaded foxglove flowers hung from a spiral tubular Ndebele herringbone rope. Make a single flower or a whole string of them to make an I-love-summer statement.

While it’s still winter here in Wisconsin for two more months, I’ll look for other flower projects to help me think spring. One of these will be making my third flower square for Jeanette Shanigan’s 2008 bead quilt that will be auctioned at the Bead Social during the Bead&Button Show. Have you made a square yet? Click here for more information about the project.

Happy beading,

Lynne