on Friendship

I have to say that I am beyond lucky that in my beady travel I have the great pleasure of meeting...surprise...other beaders!  And so it was that I met my friend Gabriella a few years back in Atlanta.

I suspect I may have told you the story at the time.  Gabriella is Dutch and so I had a chance to use my very rusty Nederlands Talle, or Dutch language skills.  I lived in Holland for een jaar ending in 2004.  Returning from Holland and ending my corporate career I began teaching beadwork, I had travel opportunities which have been fantastic.

Gabriella and I managed to stay in touch and I am happy to call her a dear friend.  We've beaded together often and she has been instrumental in helping me on this last book, Beads in Motion.

Image by Kate McKinnon Beadwork by Gabriella van Diepen

You may also be familiar with her if you are following Kate and Jean's Geometrics book.  Not only has Gabriella presented an exquisite body of work for the Geometrics book, but she was the model who Kyle shot beautiful photos of in the Tucson desert, holding out the stunning beadwork.

I write this because I don't want you to miss out on Gabriella's blog.  She is quite an accomplished artist and has recently blogged about the journey she made creating a beautiful art mask.

You will want to read that, but beyond that you will want to keep checking in because the blog is co written by husband Jeroen (thus the Gabroen) and provides a wonderful insight into  American living by a Dutch national.  I always enjoy his posts from his unique vantage point.

So have a read, I suspect you will enjoy it.  And while you're at it, leave a comment for them....us bloggers like to know some one's reading!