You are probably wondering...
or not...
what happened to me for the last few months? Why the silence on the blog and did I fall down into a bottomless pit!
Yowza... Ouch!
Uhmmm...
I must confess... it was a crazy year, 2008... good and bad things happened... mostly great things. The book release, the tv interviews, the traveling, beaders' emails, launching the PPT, new opportunities emerging, etc.
The bad? having a necklace stolen at the Philly show ranks up there, then a week later my dog Amber passed. A month later her father Sensei passed because his heart was also broken. That makes two family deaths a month a part! How did I survive that time? It was not easy, I must say. I had and have a tender spot in my heart for my pets. They were like kids to me and acted like ones too! Somewhat spoiled and always indulged with treats! I can't help it, that's my nature being one born in the Year of the Dog.
So you must excuse my silence. My heart was in the right place when I walked with Sara in San Diego for the Breast Cancer Walk for the Cure. Heart broken by the doggies gone to heaven but heart awakened by the love all my fellow walkers exhibited enduring with their pains and aches. That sprang ankle I endured towards the end was worth all the anguish. Thank goodness for the Black Diamond walking stick I had the forethought to carry along!
And then... what there is more?
Yes, more confessions... I needed a break from "da beads"... in order to renew myself to create again.
What? You think I always live the bead life? Well maybe so in my dreams but I HAD TO take a break from the beads for nearly a month to recoup and indulge in my annual winter weakness for fiber. Eeek... it is true, I am guilty... of letting these hands wander... to be soothed by woolies.
... and diverting my attentions from those beads to YARN! I started coveting wonderful fibers this winter having a love of wools and silks to begin knitting more seriously. I'm self-taught from books and magazines and love a good challenge. Knitting can be challenging as I delve into more complex patterns! I hope to someday be able to knit my own garments. Interweave and Knitting Daily! you are partially to blame for my renewed interest! So, what's on my needles now? I'm working on a HUGE hexagon blanket that will take me a year to finish. The larger the project, the more exciting it is to me.
I will share some of my knitted creations on the blog later when I have time to photograph the "finished objects". I find working with fibers a good tease to my hunger and my passion for "color, texture and creativity". So I figured now that I have more yarns than I have time to knit, I would take my fibers on the road. I'm going to give myself a challenge this year and see how many handknitted gifts I can make on just my road trips. There's something special about making beautiful things with one's own hands. I intend to knit all my family members something this year! Besides I always need to keep my hands busy working on something creative or I'll simply go crazy. I don't like to take seedbeading on the road because I like to have accessibility to LOTS of colors and it will be more of a hassle to pack. This also dissuades me from buying too many beads because do I really need more beads? Uhmmm... well, maybe I need all the new 15/o delicas in my stash.
Besides that, in December my sister Sandy and I jump started our Japanese fabric tool wrap concept to launch in Tucson 2009. You'll have to check out what we are up to for those who own or will own the PPT tools. We're working on other wrap ideas to launch mid-year too. All this and designing/beading/writing the Designer of the Year projects for Beadwork Magazine has kept me quite busy. But now that the first show of the year rolls closer, I'm back to thinking and making beads. Eeek do I have enough beads? Probably not as I feel the guilty pleasures of woolies calling my fingers even now, but I must be strong and stay focused on "da beads".
There's still much to do around here for Tucson so I will just say that I will be back to blogging, photographying, writing and sharing in 2009. I'm taking the trusty Powershot G9 to Tucson. You'll hear from me periodically, maybe even from the road. But if I am silent for long durations it's because I am hard at work on something new and fantastic... stay tuned!
For those who are visiting Tucson, drop by the Manning House Beadshow, I'm exhibiting in the Silverbell Gallery G21. My booth is located right off the entrance from the rear parking lot and I'm across the lady's room from my buddy Marsha Neal Studio. The show will also be holding a raffle for attendees so don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a copy of Bead Romantique. We're opened late on opening day... until 7 p.m. so shop until you drop, otherwise 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Visit the website for more details and to register. So, see ya there! Let's have some FUN!
