Today's the Day

I drive into the morning fog on my way to Tucson, where there are lots and lots of beads and lots and lots of people who love beads. I will get to visit with so many friends that I often get to see only once or twice a year. And spend solid time with friend Susan who lives 8 hours north of me, so we are usually communicating by phone or email but not today. Today we will spend 6 and one half hours together on our way to Tucson. This is our third or fourth Tucson trek together and this time we will both be teaching some classes at the Swarovski Create Your Style event, and fitting in shopping and visiting as time allows.

My friend Susan Blessinger will be there representing Wire Knitz, a product she has done some amazing designs in. And my friend Jeannette Cook will be there selling her eclectic colorful jewelry kits, and my friend Judi Patuti will be there with bead mats, assisted by my friend Susan. And I'll see friends Tracy and Janice the wired arts girls, and Debi from Beads of Colour and Kate, and if I'm really lucky Maggie Meister.

And I will shop for beads. Most of my kit needs are covered and I will concentrate on some things to use in the various book projects that are planned these next few months. Speaking of which Susan and I brainstormed some new designs last night. It's so wonderful to have another
beader in the studio to work through the engineering of design considerations.


Unlike the hard freeze of last year the weather is supposed to be days of 70 and evenings of mid 40's, perfect!



I've got the iPad so I'll keep you posted!

Entertaining

I have always loved having guests....and until this home I have never had a proper guest room, so here I really enjoy being able to have visitors. My friend Lynne just left, was that only two weeks ago?! and today Susan arrives...One of the things I've made tradition is to welcome my guests with their very own sign. And this one is Susan's.


Given our bond over Swarovski Crystals (The Beading Frenzy is a Swarovski recommended store), and I've been known to use a crystal or two...I thought this would be a fitting sign.



I love making and personalizing the signs for my guests.

And speaking of crystals, yesterday I had the pleasure of the Dixon Chick and the Crystal Ninja coming to visit.



Stephanie (aka The Dixon Chick) came from Toronto with a one day lay over in San Diego. She stayed with Kellie (aka the Crystal Ninja) who gave Stephanie her first experience on the Pacific Ocean. Stephanie's enthusiasm is infectious. We met 3 or 4 years ago at Bead and Button and again when I taught in Toronto last year. Stephanie and Kellie are both also Swarovski Ambassadors and so I will spend more time with them in Tucson.....speaking of which I leave tomorrow morning and I really should think about packing!

Will keep you posted on our Tucson outings!

Still keeping it simple

Here is the first of the three Beading by the Bay pendants I completed.



Only, as sometimes happens the button I originally chose was no longer available in quantity. I needed at least 36......so it was time to look for a suitable replacement. Well, not just merely suitable (suitable brings to mind, one that will do). I didn't want to compromise this design at all, with so many participants looking forward to this color way.

I sourced one I thought would work but it turned out the size was not right.

For the bezel to fit, it needed to be 1 1/4" so I knew it was going to be challenging. But I think I succeeded brilliantly with this custom painted button from Susan Clark Originals.



They have been a pleasure to do business with, going through potential options with me and finally coming up with this one. The bottom drop is a verde custom coated Swarovski drop and the pretty little closure bead is a Czech rivoli. Such a soft, romantic color palette.

sometimes simple

Sometimes simple is best.

The Aelia pendant is reversible with an encrusted medallion on one side



and a button on the other.



A bit of crystal swag supports a large Swarovski pendant in Crystal Silver Night.

The pendant is it's own jewel although I did want it to hang from a long necklace. Something simple that in no way competed with the main attraction. So I went back to a tried and true spiral rope. I like that it uses two of the pendant colors to compliment the piece, has some depth and texture, but provides a smooth backdrop.

The beaded bail is another study in complexity, and carries forward the metallic feel of this piece with metal beads from Tierra Cast in it's embellished center.



The pendant's medallion center is a large bali spacer also lending a touch of metal.



Since black and grey are my go to colors for apparel I expect to be wearing this one often!

Deadlines

What is it that makes the task expand to the time allowed? I probably could have finished all that needed doing to meet my first book deadline before the deadline arrived.....but I didn't, although the last book I did turn in a week early.

I suspect it has to do with the fact that prior to the REAL urgency setting in, we take more downtime, more leisurely strolls, or time outs, or days of less then optimum focus and then, the deadline looms and we take less downtime, get up earlier to walk, limit our time outs, and increase our focus.

That is where I'm at, the increased focus part.

I actually love the process of organization. For each project I have screen shotted (yeah, probably not a word), the visual supply list,


printed the illustrations, formatted a word file of text and three hole punched each copy into a notebook. The actual pieces hanging on a bulletin board.

My illustrator skills continue to improve and have gotten to the point where I don't start each new project in trepidation, which is a positive development.

This is one of the pieces I will be teaching at the Swarovski Create Your Style event next week in Tucson.



For now I will be heads down for the next couple of days!

Fresh perspective

As is so often the case, a fresh day brings a fresh perspective. Thanks to all yesterdays well wishers. I spent the afternoon doing some beading and finished up a focal for the new book, now how to work it into a wearable piece of jewelry.

Inspired by my friend Rachel I am walking, although not the 6 miles she completes every day, but I'm feeling good about the commitment to three miles per day. I do wish I had the beautiful West Cliff ocean to walk on. My San Diego ocean while beautiful is in the commute direction so an early morning walk there is difficult. I reserve that for weekends when Maya can come along to dog beach.

I took myself to bed early with an ibook, The Cookbook Collector, recommended by a friend. Since the story takes place in the 90's in both Silicon Valley and Boston, much of the setting is familiar to me and I am enjoying the read very much. I am however impatient for the ipad3 to be released, for it's lighter format. Holding the heavier iPad1 is a bit hard on my hands. I'd opt for a kindle but I want to keep my device inventory to a minimum and I use the iPad features for on the road blogging and when I finally get the 3 (I skipped the 2) I will use it to FaceTime with the grand baby.

I was presented with an unexpected challenge yesterday when I discovered the button I sourced for my Beading by the Bay project is just enough too large to not fit it's crystal bezel. So I will be adding a button search to my day's activities.

And more illustration.....

just a few more days and then off to Tucson where I will stay at the Westin La Paloma resort, teach at the Swarovski Create your Style event, meet with my fellow Swarovski Ambassadors, travel with my Beading by the Bay partner Susan, and shop for beads. That promises to be a good week! We leave Tuesday!

It's that kind of day

the self doubt kind....I know some of you may want to reassure me my designs are good, I've enjoyed success in the bead world, my first book continues to do well, and thank you, on a rational level I know all that. And still days come up when you question your abilities to produce a beautiful design. When you compare your work to others, and even then I know they do their work and I do mine. I'm sure I will banish the blues shortly, after all I don't generally share this part of my life. I know I am lucky to be doing what I love, living in a home that nurtures me, living with a partner who always stands in support of me. And yet...I am having one of 'those' days.

Do you have 'those' days? It's funny, I'm within hours of completion on a piece that I love, I have a bulletin board full of designs I'm happy with.....my illustrator skills continue to improve....some days are just like this. I think a cup of tea and a little rest are in order.

I'm leaving you with a happy image from a fabric produced by Tina Givens.



I want to bead this whimsical little house, go inside and take a nap.....