I think I’ve mentioned before that while I used to be a great multi-tasker, age is taking it’s toll, and I now function best doing one thing at a time. I don’t actually hate it. I do think my focus is much better that way, and I don’t make as many mistakes.… Read More
Jill
Sluggin’ and Chuggin’ Along
Somehow I thought I’d be done moving back in the house by now, but I certainly should have known better. But massive progress is being made. Tonight I was up all night working on the monster known as The Bead Room.… Read More
Blues Clues
From June:
The day before we were having the laminate floors done in the house, Jill convinced me to paint the bead room. I’m not sure which of us is crazier. She picked the Tapestry Beads turquoise as the main color.… Read More
Picking a class for the Texas Bead Retreat
I need your help again! It’s time for me to pick a project to teach at the Texas Bead Retreat in January 2011. I’ve got a number of ideas, and I’d love to know what y’all think! So I created a poll over there <--- to the left. Please vote! I’ve been wanting to do my own gorgeous version of a grapevine bracelet/necklace for years now, but I never finished the sample I started in 2007. Yeah – really 2007. In all the house ruckus, I rediscovered it, sitting sadly in a box, waiting for some attention. And now I’m reinvigorated to work on it again – especially since there are more options for drop beads these days and I will be making the grape clusters with several different sizes and shapes for a textured look. Tila beads are all the rage at the moment, of course, and I’d love to have an excuse to play with them! I’m thinking of a layered 3-dimensional type of bracelet. One of my Austin students has been pestering me for an all-earrings class. What do y’all think?? It would be three completely different styles of earrings. I think we could accomplish that in the time frame allotted there. If you have something entirely different you’d like to propose, I want to hear it! Send me an email or a comment, okay? On a different note: a further update with photos of the house renovations is coming soon! I can’t believe what a change has gone on in this house in the last 30 days. Don’t pinch me….I don’t want to wake up if it’s a dream!
… Read MoreThe Tile Work is DONE
From June:
Jill is still asleep (anyone surprised?) But she had a very stressful day yesterday. She had to deal with tile laying mistakes and non-English-speaking tile layers while I went to work. If you are friends with Jill on Facebook, you know a little of what went on during the last few days.… Read More
Evolution of a bracelet
One of the things I worked on this past weekend while in my hotel room is a lovely bracelet by Martina Nagle. I purchased this pattern from her Etsy store a while back and I even bought beads for it in June, but haven’t had time to sit and work on it until now.… Read More
And the winning name is….
Twining Vine Lariat! What’s really freaky, is that Nikki’s comment suggesting that name had just been published mere minutes before Mom stumbled out of bed from a nap and said, the name of the lariat is Twining Vine. I was sitting there trying to figure out how she’d seen that blog comment when I had JUST published it!… Read More
Fred: the Lariat
We are stuck, and we need your help. Mom and I have hit a brick wall as we’ve tried to come up with a name for Mom’s new lariat design. Please keep us from naming it Fred. Or Larry Lariat (because we like alliteration).… Read More
Procrastination techniques
I fully own up to my endless ability to procrastinate. It’s something I’ve fought with all my life, and I don’t see it changing any time soon. Because I’m such a professional at it, I realized I could actually pass along some of my favorite procrastination techniques for those of you who aren’t quite so naturally gifted in this area.… Read More
Hot news!
I’ve got to confess: I’ve been holding out on you!! But I can spill the beans properly now and I know you’ll be as excited as I am. Drum roll please….
I am joining the staff of Beaducation as an online video class instructor!… Read More
What happened to the home classes??
I know the local ladies are frothing at the mouth, wondering why I haven’t had any home classes in months. Don’t despair! They will be back! You might start looking at your December calendars….
What happened is that I needed to clear some space on my calendar to get my life back in order here at home.… Read More
Plans vs. Reality
What I had planned on getting accomplished this weekend:
- Finishing a Rosetta necklace sample, and possibly getting a second substantially done.
- Mailing out all the packages that need to get mailed
- Pedicure
- Writing a bunch of instructions
- Making some kits that we’re out of stock on
- Installing my new bed headboard
What really happened this weekend:
- Emergency babysitting of my nephew while my sister-in-law took my niece to the doctor for pink eye
- Flooring shopping with Mom – we picked our laminate wood floor and two kinds of tile (one for the kitchen/laundry, and one for the bathrooms)
- Working on the Rosetta necklace sample, but not until late Sunday night.
Moving without moving
Mom and I moved into our current house three years ago, and while we love it to death (especially the natural light shining from a skylight that bathes the kitchen in a reverential glow) there have been changes we’ve wanted to make.… Read More
Back from Bead Fest Philly
I don’t even know where to start reporting about the whole Philly trip! Should I start with how Mom got all irritated with me at 6am the day we were catching the plane because we had planned on leaving then, and I still hadn’t showered?… Read More
Finally, the long awaited BnB Show stash
I think I promised y’all these photos about a month ago. Maybe even six weeks. But here they are! Now remember, I hardly had a moment of time to shop while I was at the Bead & Button Show this year, so it’s not as extensive a shopping haul as I would have liked.… Read More
So much going on!
You know how when you avoid a task for a while, it becomes bigger and bigger in your head to catch up on it, and so you avoid it more, and then it becomes bigger yet and it’s a vicious cycle from which there is no escape except just DOING it and then you figure out it wasn’t so bad after all?… Read More
Possible New Kit
From June:
For a while I’ve been working intermittently on a lariat for a possible new kit. Since Jill left me all alone last weekend while she went and had fun at the Shreveport (LA) bead retreat, I had to entertain my self.… Read More
Design Time
I know it’s been a good couple of beading days when my right forearm is all achy. That’s also my signal to STOP and give it a rest already! Besides, I’m at that point in a design when I’m so twisted and turned in my thoughts that I realize I probably have no perspective left.… Read More
A little OCD
I read a quote in a magazine tonight that spoke to me quite perfectly. “If someone told me that I could only eat the same 12 foods for the rest of my life, I’d be perfectly okay with that.” Which is not to say I don’t eat a variety of foods!… Read More
In the meantime…
What a week! I’ve been hunkered down, working on a set of jewelry pieces I needed to make for a corporate client, and the deadline was today. Eight pieces in 10 days. AGH! How do I get myself into these things?… Read More