my little world: June 2012

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Utopia

I lined up the latest batch of my house beads to photograph and I liked the picture so much I thought I would like to live there.

In a tiny town made up of tiny houses in all kinds of mad color, none of them too straight but all of them happy places.

I would have artist neighbors with happy studios and a liquor store. Dogs would poop out flowers and flowers would grow even if you forgot to water them.

All the animals would be well cared for and loved. There would be no scary people and no crime. Everything would be solar powered and the water would be pure and clean. Having roomfuls of beads would not count as hoarding. And you could shout out VAGINA and no one would care.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The "V" Word

I just had to do it. I had to. In Michigan, my home state, women lawmakers were told they could not speak in the Michigan House floor because one of them, Lisa Brown, said the word "VAGINA" in a discussion of a proposed law on women's healthcare.

Yes, Lady lawmakers can't mention lady parts when discussing laws about Ladies Biznis!

Of course there was an immediate backlash and everyone saw this for what it really was, a ridiculous attempt to silence women in a debate about women's health, because the men are in charge of it. They men want to control it and keep women out of the discussion.

So I had to add another word bead to my repertoire. VAGINA! VAGINA! VAGINA! VAGINA!

There I said it and you can't make me shut up!

If you would like to read more about this absurdity there is a very good article HERE by Lisa Brown herself, along with video of the event.

Or You can watch this Funny or Die Video that says it all!

Monday, June 18, 2012

More Bead and Button Bizniss

I didn't get around to all the booths at Bead and Button this year. I was pretty busy and could only step away for a few minutes at a time. Its a HUGE show and it can be daunting even for me. One of my favorite booths was Bead Paradise/Ebrima Sallah African Imports. It's what I imagine bead bizarres in exotic countries.

I bought some beautiful recycled glass beads there to go with my Koi and Mermaids, along with some metal spacers.

My friends Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegal, co authors of Bohemian Inspired Jewelry were visiting this year. They shared a booth with Melanie Brooks from Earthenwood studios.

These are my booth neighbors Wayne Robbins and Judy Mountain. They are the best both neighbors ever. They are both such kind and generous people and they have a great sense of humor. We have a lot of fun during the show.

Wayne made this fabulous frog bead I bought for my daughter. Judy makes wonderful bronze charms. I have a few of her things somewhere in one of my unpacked bags. Yes know, a week later & still not all together un packed! Oh shock and horror!

I have lots more pictures to show, but thats all for this time. Hope you enjoyed the Bead and Button mini tour.

Monday, June 11, 2012

looking forward, or shit I have to do when i get home from bead and button

I'm on my way home from bead and button , tired but happy . It was a good show and the energy there was so awesome. I got to reconnect with old friends and beadie buddies and met many new people.

I am especially grateful for Lori Anderson and Lisa Peters for organizing a great dinner for us and grateful for Heather Powers for organizing a bead breakfast for all us beady peeps. The kindness and generosity of this community never fails to amaze me. They hold a very high standard for me to live up to. They are the people that I know "online" through blogs and meeting them in person doesn't disappoint. They are kind and generous and supportive. Many have approached me and gone out of their way to offer their sympathy and support regarding my situation with the knock off beads that I blogged about a short while ago. I really feel loved by this amazing community.

Customers have been sweet and supportive too. Its very exciting to me to see people who are excited and connect with my work. They tell me how they have used my beads in the past and its a real thrill to be part of someone else's creative process. If it were not for my customers I couldn't do this, o matter how much fun have.

When I get home there is something waiting for mw besides my family, whom I miss dearly, especially my " special " dog Arlo who has been watching out the window and waiting for me to return since I left on Weds.

Special helper monkey/studio assistant Arlo

I have a huge pile of beads waiting to be glazed.

These are things I was hoping to finish for the show but ran out of time.

On the upside, its always been hard to get my butt back in gear after a big show, but now I have something waiting for me to finish and I don't have to think to hard. Thats a good thing my brain needs rest.

These big bead shows kind of make you stupid for a few days and you are less then astute while your cerebral cortex tries to gel itself together. Its sort of like a big beady hang over.

Glazing will be like therapy for the disturbed mind.

I'll have lots more bead and button news later this week!

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Earring Swap!

The best thing about doing an earring swap is not the fact that you get new earrings, even though that is pretty cool, especially for an earring ho like me. The really great thing is the connections you make to other artists out there in the interweb bloggospere. I'm not that is a real word, so don't quote me please.

This time I was hooked up with Shelby Foxwell and Lori Bowring Michaud.

Shelby is a fabulously talented jewelry maker. And she also makes silver findings to die for.

Very cool stuff. Check out her Etsy shop. There is a pietersite ring that made my heart to skip a beat.

The earrings she made for me are brilliant. They feature bold lampwork discs made by outwest They are modern and tribal at the same time.I love them.

My other "hook up" Lori Bowring Michaud, is actually like an old friend. We were paired together in a previous earring swap. I was happy to see she was paired with me again. She made me a beautiful pair of earrings with red-orange, ceramic rounds made by Keith O'Conner and navy blue glass drops that had an added resin embellishment on top.

She ceated them from an image that was in an article in an issue of Where Women Create about Luana Rubin of www.equilter.com.

Lori's earrings always have unexpected meaningful touches like that. I an lucky I get to add another pair to my collection.