Sunday, August 23, 2009

The End Of Summer

The summer is winding down. I'm ruminating, brooding, thinking. It's been a hugely eventful beading year, with publications, prizes and my first booth. I have a lot of ideas percolating, including a peyote stitch bracelet with the most beautiful Echinacea bloom ever- lifted straight from my garden. I made some earrings to order, and another pair for a friend. Mostly I'm puttering around the studio, content. I'm fascinated by how mixing up colors can change a simple V pattern- I love the bracelet in the photo, it's so Victorian looking. But if I plugged in some neon colors, I think it would look mid-century modern.

Underneath that contentment, though, is a little voice screeching about needing to work more, about never letting up, about focus and drive and ambition. I'm hoping that if I ignore it, it will go away. Even the garden needs a little fallow time.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Step by Step Beads

I got my copy of the September/October issue of Step by Step beads yesterday. It is with unalloyed delight that I found my necklace (which I call "What Remains" and they call "Striking Jasper") and my photo on page 42. I'm trying to restrain myself, but I did run out this morning to show one of my neighbors who was innocently walking his dog past my house. Oh, and there were some people last night who I kind of recognized, so I showed THEM too. It's the first time I've ever had my photo in a magazine, okay? I'm a little overcome. The other time I was published it just had my name. Not the photo and the website and so on. I'm giddy.