On the bead mat

I don't think I'm alone in having several (many) projects on the go at the same time. A recent poll on a Facebook group gave the following options to the question ':

- Only one, it's all I can handle
- 2 to 4. I'm pretty good at multitasking.

- 5 or more at a time. The more I do the more I can get done!

- I work on 1 at a time but I'm embarassed to say how many I have in a box undone.

 

Option 2 seemed most popular with that particular group. I can't actually say how many I have, but I usually find at least 4 things if I try to clear my beading table! Then there are the other projects in different parts of the house... Partly this is because I only have about 2 hours beading time a night, and if I'm tired I need to switch to easier things or I'll end up frogging most of what I do. On Wednesdays I take a small project to work as we have a small and select craft group (2 knitters and me with beads at the moment), and the others like to see progress so I stick to one easily transportable piece for a few weeks. Then there are the 'stuck' pieces where I have run out of beads and/or inspiration, I tend to have a couple of these usually larger pieces going on.

Last but not least there are current 'challenge' pieces. I try and participate in at least one challenge a month, but this month I have 3 on, two are blog challenges where the reveal date hasn't come up yet, and the third is the monthly Operation Tackle That Bead Stash colour challenge. This month the colours selected are Blue and Copper. I didn't think I had much in the way of blue, let alone copper, but I delved deep into the bead boxes and came up with quite a good selection: 

I've begun a freeform brick stitch bracelet, based on a design in either Bead and Button or Beadwork from several years ago, I've made a couple of these and I'm working from one of those at the moment, but I've lost the original pattern so cannot credit the designer. Any ideas anyone? I don't think I can use the lovely lampwork beads as the blue is between the shades I have in seedbeads, and the pendant has too much topaz in it to be within the rules. I'm quite fond of the blue buttons but they don't fit with the freeform. I might have to make ANOTHER project! Anyway there is plenty of scope for some different ideas and that is (for me) the joy of beadwork. and the reason I have sooooo many projects at one time!

Oh and I won the random draw prize for last month's OTTBS challenge (woohoo!), so have more beads on their way from Bead Shop Liverpool (I asked for some more blue beads, possibly they will be better for use with the lampies)

Edited to add: I found the design I used for my original attempt at this kind of freeform and it was 'Jungle Gems' by Tina Koyama in Beadwork Feb/March 2007 ( how long ago??) I see you can buy the pattern from Interweave if you are interested and don't have access to this issue.