Twenty Five Years

Hard to believe, although I always knew it was a lasting relationship, twenty five years gone by is hard to imagine.  We were so young....We're off today to celebrate.  We were married on the 4th of July, so always a day off, and always fireworks, except for maybe this year when we'll be in Canada.

Some moments from 25 years...

Valentines day, clearly in love!  Look at those red suspenders, and that beard!

Our wedding, July 4th, 1987 White Bear Lake Minnesota. Dress by Jessica McClintock, cameo something  borrowed from Mom, and my handsome Mark.

Carribean Cruise, 1990 ish, notice one of my first beading attempts!

Our beautiful family, Santa Cruz harbor, 1993 ish, Brian, Casey, Lucia, Mark, Marcia and Ladysmith

Photo by Kyle Cassidy with Miss Maya

It's been an amazing twenty five years.  I couldn't have asked for a better life partner.  One who supports me in every way, makes me feel cared about and loved, gives me the freedom to pursue my passions, and shares my love of travel, and love of home.  I look forward to what our next twenty five will bring!  Love you honey.

Cassandra Bronze

Here is the Cassandra that prompted the prototyping question.  In the end I decided to use each of the prototypes and put together  one of the bracelets with every medallion different.  This will work well as a class sample, but not so well as a kit.

The differences turned out to be pretty subtle, not really something you can even notice, although each of the beads around the pearls are different.  My favorite turned out to be the 2 mm gold aurum with green seed beads.

The earrings I already had, which is nice because I like them together.  I'd like a pendant as well and perhaps today I all choose another component and create one, or perhaps I'll pack for the my two week vacation.  Maybe I'll even have time for both, we'll see.

Still Beading

Amidst the knitting and crochet that got accomplished this week, I also beaded.

I'm working on a series of pieces that are made up of bits of beadwork that I combine.  Here is an Aurelia with a Cassandra, a modified Cassandra at that.  It is not symmetrical, the accent beads were placed with 6 and 4 pearls between rather then the 5 and 5 of the original medallion.  It changes the shape quite a bit and I love it for dangling the black diamond oval from JP Designs.

I intend to explore this path of component combinations for some time....I'll share the journey as I go.

And speaking of JP Designs, she will be exhibiting at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show.  I've just made plans to go for my first time ever!  Also there will be JudiPatuti with her colorful bead mats, thread catchers and totes, and two of my favorite clothing designers, Jane Mohr from Dressed to Kill and URU clothing.  This could be problematic, as clothing is the one place I still fail on spending conservatively, well maybe not the one place, but the one that most reliably undoes my good intentions.

And here for Ellen, who asked about Miss Maya, is her appearing as one of the family at the outside dining table.  Inside she would never attempt this, outside her manners are a little less in check.

It's back to beading today, or at least collecting beads for our two week vacation, where I expect a lot of beading time.  I have a number of bead assignments, including new colors for the Southern Bead Retreat piece, Spirit Flight, the finishing up of the Beading by the Bay piece, unnamed as of yet,  and the beginnings of the next book, The Bead Within.  

Hand Knit

There are certainly times I just want to bead or knit, or read or illustrate (well not really, that is always motivated by need) with no deadlines on the horizon, but that is not the life I've set up for myself at the moment.  I've been knitting leisurely on the latest baby sweater when I realized I'd be leaving for two and 1/2 weeks, and the prettiest little lacy white dress that was bought for under said sweater would be going to waste in the height of summer if I didn't get it mailed off.

And I didn't want to mail it off without it's companion sweater.  Mornings and nights can be cool in Northern California where the dress is going, and so I set a goal.  With half of the sleeves done on Wednesday night I decided to be finished for Friday mornings mail.

So the knitting became a little more focused and then the sewing together, which I totally would have talked myself out of had I not had this goal, got done.  I think it is most peoples least favorite part, mine included, but it needed to be done if it were going to be worn...

and so this morning, I got up early and I finished!

I totally should have taken a picture of the dress, it is white on white embroidery, soft soft cotton with a little capped sleeve, very darling.  I'm sure there will be photos and I'll probably share...

The pink is a whimsical bit of rick rack I happened to have.  It's tied through a little loop I added to the edge so that it could be taken out for washing, or exchanged for a different ribbon.  Polka dots would be cute of course, maybe I'll keep my eyes open.  I love the lace.  It was a super easy knit and I'm pretty happy with it!

This ones for you Malayna, a bit of Grandma love coming your way.

Prototyping

Does color come naturally to you?  I find that I can even when picking out a palette which I'm clearly happy with, I mean who can go wrong with bronze, olive, gold and a touch of pink....it's just not that simple.  Placement makes a huge difference, even in a small component, changing out a crystal for a pearl, choosing the bright gold seed versus the dark metallic, pink on the edge or pink just below the pearl, they all make a difference.  And then I start to confuse myself...I like the top of this one, but the bottom of this one.....one more sample....but what if?  And the prototyping goes on.

Now I know because I've asked, that for some of us that the choices are clear, but it just doesn't always work that way for me.  I am highly visual and I often have to see how the beads are going to interact.  It's not always just color either, the size or shape or finish I choose all contribute to the overall effect.

So you know what I've decided for this one?  Each component will be different!  Makes it really difficult to kit, and to write directions for placement, but it makes a great sample for classes and I will love doing it.

I have an idea for a large piece with these, so keeping the tedious factor down will be served by changing up each component.

It's been a wonderful week with a mix of knitting, crochet, beading, friends and keeping up with the to do's of the business.  There are photos to send and supply lists for future classes, some ordering to be done and some kits to be shipped, but all in all it's a pretty low key week where I can steal some hours for puttering about.  The weather has been about as perfect as one could ask for, clear, low 80's but with a gentle breeze.  It's the time of year that we live on the veranda and as we watch the landscaping from last year fill in and the potted succulents and ferns on the veranda surround us with greenery, we feel very content to be at home.

Cassandra

The next Cassandra in the series.  This one the inverse of the one you see below.  Both beautiful soft palettes.  The one below features the brown pearl in the center surrounded by platinum pearls with accents of light gold metallic.  This one has a center of platinum surrounded by the brown and a sand opal crystal.  Interestingly they are quite a bit different.




























The first has already been sent on it's way as a sample so I can't compare them side by side as I'd like to.  It could be several months before they live together again, I may just have to remake the one with the brown pearl centers since I love it so much.  It is an afternoon of beading if I'm really focused.  Next up  on the beading table however is the fourth version with bronze pearls and fucshia accents.

And here is what happens when you're not paying attention to the count...the bottom medallion is asymmetrical, which is not a bad thing but doesn't work out so well for making a sample which will be the same as the directions....so I made it into a pendant.  The red in the photo is much more as I'd really like to see it.  In reality it is more of a brown red, but I do think it is set off nicely with the gold.  I suspect I'll string a choker length necklace of pearls and crystals and keep this in my personal collection.

More bead play today!

Breakfast on the veranda

Mark's famous waffles were on the menu for a day in the studio with my girlfriends!

  Look at these spectacular roses!

 and the long view

A perfect morning and now time in the studio with friends!