Crazy for Bowl Rings

Statement rings are hot right now! I am very inspired by these two favorite rings. The dual bowl ring with the dots was made by an unknown artist. This artist was an art school classmate of a friend's daughter. I got it at least 16 years ago and do not remember the name of this artist. I wish I knew, since this is fabulous work from a student. What could this person be doing now??? Behind it is a view of the back of a ring Kate McKinnon gave me. I wore them together for the first time in February and they have been a pair ever since.

Double Bowl Ring Unknown Artist & The Back of Kate McKinnon's Bowl within a Bowl Ring

 Inspired by these bowl shaped rings, I set to work with my beads. Using square stitch to achieve the gentle curve of the bowls. Square stitch hasn't been a favorite stitch, but it works well for this shape!

My Beaded Bowl Rings with My Favorite Silver Bowl Rings

 Wearing the two beaded bowl rings together above and the two silver bowl rings together below.

My Favorite Silver Rings!

Staying in the Studio

Good thing I love my little house and studio. I am staying in day after day getting work done. It is a bit isolating sometimes. I turn down lots of invitations to go play. When a friend comes over to help me work, like two did this week, it is so nice to have the much needed help, but also the good company of these sweet friends. We chat and laugh while we work.  If we need a break, we can go into the living room, or out to the garden for a change of scene.

 Lunch on the deck is always a pleasant 

experience.

This corner of the living room is my Japan corner

Thanks to the help of my two friends, Nancy Rose and Carmen, there are 3 boxes of kits ready to tape up, label and ship to The Bead&Button Show. I will be shipping at least 6 to 8 boxes of kits and instructions for sale in the classroom and at my booth. Come visit me if you will be in Milwaukee for the B&B Show. Booth # 410 just up the aisle from the Bead&Button Booth. 

Kits, kits, kits. Ready to go!

Meanwhile, I am selling the beautiful Emerald Bay Necklace Kits I have left from the Tahoe Bead Retreat last year. I made a lot of each of the 3 color combinations to be sure all three sessions had enough of each color for all the students.

Today until midnight, I am offering this amazing kit for a discounted price and will pay the shipping. What's left will go to the booth at the B&B Show. The large size keshi pearls were really hard to find. The kit has lots of Swarovski® crystals too. Get the while they last! Above is a photo of the Mocha and Emerald 2X AB with Peacock blue accents. What is left will be packed up for shipping to Milwaukee.

A Peaceful Morning of Beading

 Opening the doors in my studio brings the birdsong inside. I love to sit in front of the double French doors in the morning drinking my coffee and beading. Listening to the birds outside. All going crazy flitting and flying from tree to tree chattering the entire time! A lovely way to begin my day.

 The view from the kit studio. Ready to put together a brand new color combination for Mastering The Curl Kits. A task made more pleasant with a view of the garden from the studio window.

 Sea Nymph's Treasure Cuff kits for the B&B Show are ready to ship thanks to  my friend, Nancy Rose who came to help me get caught up on my work yesterday. She is such a good friend. Today, more help from my friend Carmen. I am so grateful to these women for getting me caught up on such tedious tasks!

This year at the Bead&Button Show, I will be teaching two classes, Parasol Earrings and Sea Nymph's Treasure Cuff.

Wednesday evening is the Meet the Teachers Reception where you can see all of the teachers at once, view class samples and be inspired to take classes and shop for kits. Then, I will be in Booth # 410 Thursday through Sunday. Come by the booth to say hello and do a bit of shopping!

Doing It All

Some days I am just weary. I flip flop between joy at the life I get to live as a self employed
artist and despair at how much there is to do with the business, house, yard, etc. Doing it all myself, with the occasional hired helper for kits is huge! I love my home and yard and the studio is amazing.

The garden is really a Zen Retreat, but takes a lot of maintenance. I watch the weedy grass turning brown because of water shortages. Yes, they lifted the water restrictions, but prices are very high for water. I have great ideas for that garden, but no time or money to follow through.

Moon Face by Wayne Chapman

There is fear about making ends meet these days. I fight fear. With all that is on my plate,  I must say no a lot to invitations. I did spend the entire weekend playing, and now am working to catch up. I live alone and get terribly lonely sometimes. My mind runs on at times. Wouldn't it be nice to meet someone to date, spend time with, and then, for instance at the festival last weekend someone my age did come up to talk to me. Within a matter of about 2 minutes, he said such idiotic things to me that I said, "gotta go", and walked away shaking my head. That's when my mind says, never mind! So back with my dog, beads, beautiful yard, girlfriends who are fabulous. I invite Marcia and Mark to dinner and have a lovely evening and my world is good again. My daughter is a great person to spend time with. Smart, talented, funny, serious, another artist and a single mother working and getting her degree at San Diego State. Such a blessing! My son is married with three children and deeply into his life with his wife's family. We don't see much of each other, but they are all safe and doing well.


So back to playing with my beads. The color and texture and watching a piece take form is wonderful and keeps me balanced. Walking at the Zoo each morning and doing stretches throughout the day helps me feel good. Teaching workshops is a great outlet. The Bead&Button Show takes months and months of preparation. Once there, it is a wonderful, social event. A great gathering of talented people and a huge laugh fest. Like Disney World for beaders!

Peeking Into the Curl

 I love Mastering the Curl. This one is double curled. These colors are my newest favorites.

Double Ended Curl in Progress

This ring was inspired by the ring Kate McKinnon gave me and the new cones she and Dustin are making. I used square stitch, which I've never loved. However it worked well for the shape.

Gold & Aquamarine Ring

Gold & Aquamarine Ring Detail

Off to the Zoo. I think a visit to the baby giraffe is in order. The giraffes are so elegant. I love to watch them loping around in their enclosure. Sometimes, they hang their heads right above you. Amazing!

Flower Power!

Four new felted, beaded Flower Power Rings for 

the Talmadge Art Show this Sunday! 

Groovy, Baby!

Playing with my camera. 

Love how clear my close ups are!

Inspiration is right next door on my neighbor's porch!

Gator By The Bay & Mother's Day

What a great weekend I'm having. Yesterday, my friend Nancy and I went to Gator By The Bay here in San Diego. This wonderful Cajun, Zydeco and Blues music and food festival has been held Mother's Day weekend for 10 years. I am a big blues fan and this year there were more blues artists than ever. I chose yesterday to attend because Elvin Bishop was playing in the afternoon. He is amazing, fabulous and Rocked our butts off with his great bluesy, soulful, hard driving guitar licks. His band is incredible! I first discovered Elvin Bishop when I was 15 with the album "Rock My Soul". You may remember his hit, "Fooled Around and Fell In Love". He played none of that old stuff, just delivered on the blues/rock. 

Elvin invited legendary blues man Lazy Lester up on stage to jam for about 20 minutes. Lazy Lester cut his first album in 1956. I was 2 years old and still rocking to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. LOL! They were amazing together!

Gator By The Bay goes on today with more great artists, Cajun food including buckets and buckets of crawfish, jambalaya, etouffee, beigniets, good beer, dance lessons and lots of activities for kids. I'd go back today if my feet didn't hurt so much from dancing!

Off to my daughter's house for Mother's Day Brunch. Have a great day everyone!

Talmadge Art Show - May 15 San Diego

I have been working to create some lovely new pieces for the upcoming Talmadge Art Show here in San Diego. It is always an honor to be surrounded by the amazing talent represented at this show. Please come down to visit and do a little shopping if you are in the San Diego area. Below are just a few of my latest pieces.

 ZotZ Felted Beaded Brooches

Beaded Spiral Necklace

Felted Crystal Embroidered Leaf & Spiral
on Silk Ribbon

Greens & Aquas

Fern and Elephant Foot Palm

Looking Out To The Yard

Aqua Glass Ball in Vintage Chartreuse Vase

Three New Tutorials and...

The Tiles of Antoni Gaudi Cuff 

It's Hip to Be Square

Bracelet kits are all gone. The tutorials are available as PDF or Printed booklet.

 

Metamorphosis Scarf
I still have plenty of these kits left. This kit has tons of Delica Beads in it as well as the accent beads. I just released the tutorial. Available as PDF or Printed booklet.

 

Click Here To Go to Tutorials  
 (Tutorials are listed in alphabetical order in the Website ) 


Then there is this Brand New Kit!

So New it's Not In The Shopping Cart Yet!

Treble Clef Pendant  

Just $48   

    

There are two Color Choices:  

Peacock Blue & Green A/B Beads 

& 3mm Emerald 2xAB Crystals  

TC Kit #1 

Shown Above

OR 

Chartreuse & Purple Fire Polish Beads  

& 3mm Jet 2xAB Crystals

 TC Kit #2 

Available Only As A  

Click Here for"Special Orders"

 then type in the Kit # and the price in the space provided in the shopping cart.

Dagger Beads  Are Still Available 
Shop for Daggers and More

To view all the colors and  patterns and to shop!

Three New Tutorials And...

It's a glorious day here in Lemon Grove. Spring is so great! Bird riots continue in all the trees in my yard. It is May! Can you believe it? To celebrate, I am offering three tutorials that were only available as kits until now I had a nice closeout sale on the Tiles of Antoni Cuff kits recently. There are only two kits left, and now you can get the instructions from this kit on my website as PDF or Printed booklet.

The Tiles of Antoni Gaudi Cuff  

It's Hip to Be Square

Bracelet kits are all gone. The tutorials are available as PDF or Printed booklet.

 

Metamorphosis Scarf
I still have plenty of these kits left. This kit has tons of Delica Beads in it as well as the accent beads. I just released the tutorial. Available as PDF or Printed booklet.

 

Click Here To Go to Tutorials  
 (Tutorials are listed in alphabetical order in the Website ) 


Then there is this Brand New Kit!

So New it's Not In The Shopping Cart Yet!

Treble Clef Pendant  

Just $48   

    

There are two Color Choices:  

Peacock Blue & Green A/B Beads 

& 3mm Emerald 2xAB Crystals  

TC Kit #1 

Shown Above

OR 

Chartreuse & Purple Fire Polish Beads  

& 3mm Jet 2xAB Crystals

 TC Kit #2 

Available Only As A  

Click Here for"Special Orders"

 then type in the Kit # and the price in the space provided in the shopping cart.

Dagger Beads  Are Still Available  

Click Here 

To view all the colors and  

patterns and to shop!