Art & Elegance Show This Weekend in Portland

Remember to put the Art & Elegance show on your calenders for this weekend. It's a gathering of the guilds at the Portland Convention Center and is a top notch show not to be missed. Here is link to a segment that aired on KATU this morning: KATU . I will be showing my finished work at this show with many other talented artists in the Portland Bead Society. But it's not just beads, people! Since it is a gathering of the guilds, there will be glass, ceramics, fibers, wood, metal... This show is just gets better each year.

Click postcard to enlarge.
Or visit the Portland Bead Society website for more info.

Busy

I'm busy getting ready for the Art and Elegance Show this weekend with the Portland Bead Society. I'm looking forward to seeing some friends and checking out what they've been up to. It's always an inspiring show. Plus it's a gathering of the guilds so, Creative Metal Arts, the Handweavers Guild, the Woodworker's Guild and the Glass Guild will be there. Click the postcard below to enlarge for more info.

I just thought I should let you know that my friend Nicole Campanella is having a birthday sale on her Etsy site. Click here to read more about it. She's got cool African trade beads that she's selling from her personal collection. Also, this sale includes her Beadbacking which I highly recommend. Check it out!

Rejection

Someday I shall publish a book with all of my Bead & Button Bead Dreams Show rejection letters. I got in the show once back in 2007 and I haven't figured out how to get back in. Alright- enough with my pity party. I've seen pictures of many of the other rejects on facebook so, at least I know I'm in good company.
Here's the piece that didn't make it in:

Metamorphosis is a sculptural wall hanging that I started last year in Laura McCabe's  master class at B&B. The head is a antique porcelain doll piece cut by Gary Wilson. The segmented body is comprised of two pieces of fossil deer antler I picked up in Tucson a few years back.

 Other materials include, seed beads, vintage and contemporary glass stones and cabochons, nailheads, crystals, freshwater pearls, wire, beadbacking and Ultrasuede.

You can come and visit her in Portland this weekend at the PBS show at the convention center. Click on the image below to enlarge for details or visit the Portland Bead Society website for more info.



reptilian

In honor of my recent trip to the desert, as well as my lizard "trip", I've decided my next project is going to be sculptural beaded lizards. Wait until you see them. If they turn out half as cool as I have imagined them in little brain, I will be happy.
And just because I'm in the mood, I'll leave you with this little gem from Monsters of Folk. Don't forget to watch it in full screen mode.

Feelin Groovy

I am feeling so much better today! I slept the whole night through and didn't wake up once to cough. This is going to be a good day. I feel it. I went into the kitchen to make coffee this morning and a hummingbird came to the window to peek in.

And you know what hummingbirds remind me of, right? You guessed it another Wilco song, Hummingbird.

Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. I'll stop with the Wilco for a while. I promise. At least, I'll try.

Among the Living

The heavy-duty antibiotics are kicking in and I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm among one of the living again.

     This is not the way I planned on spending my vacation. Now, my Mom feels like she's getting sick. I'm very generous that way. I like to share. My poor Mom. I hope she doesn't get as sick as I was. I swear I've never felt that horrible ever in my life. And I'm not one of those babies to complain and cry when I get sick but this time was different. My fever was so high I was hallucinating lizards and my breathing was so short and labored I honestly thought I was going to have to be hooked up to some kind of breathing machine to survive. Seriously! OK. Enough of my feeling sorry for myself. I feel better today and that's a good thing.
     There's much beading to be done! I brought a whole suitcase full of beads (that I haven't even touched) with me because I really need to be getting ready for a show that's coming up real SOON. I'm doing to Portland Bead Society Art and Elegance show at the end of the month. Click here for more details.

just because...

I'm on a Wilco bender:
Wilco's One Wing
Make sure you click full screen mode to enhance your viewing pleasure.

giant flying bathtub at the Children's Museum in Phoenix

     Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a walk-in clinic where I waited to be diagnosed with bronchitis and given a script for heavy duty antibiotics and an inhaler. While I was waiting in the lobby for my chest x-ray, I met the loveliest older woman. I must admit that in my grumpy, sickly stupor, when she first opened her mouth to talk, I thought to myself, "Oh please, lady, not now. Can't you see we're all sick here?" But as she went on I quickly changed my mind. Her opening remark was something about her late husband always checking "yes" on intake form where the question asked about his sex.  She chuckled as she filled out the paperwork and begin talking about what a wonderful man her husband was and how lucky she was to share 35 years with him.

     It turns out she was not always happy. Apparently she was married once before to a man who tried to change her and force her to become someone she was not. But she said she was thankful because if she had never moved away with this man, she would never have met her second husband, who encouraged her to be who she was and taught her what love was all about. Together, he helped her fight breast cancer and a double mastectomy. She advised me to live every day like it's my last.

     I never caught this beautiful woman's name but I'm thankful she took the time to talk to me because what she shared really touched me. So the next time you feel yourself become annoyed with a stranger who wants to talk to you, check yourself because they just might have something to say.

this is a fact that you need to know

Wilco will love you, baby.


Put on your headphones before you explode.
Wilco

Sick of Being Sick

I think this is growing inside my upper respitory system. I feel like crap. Mucinex is going to film their next commercial inside my head. Don't I paint a purdy picture?

Oh well, at least the sun is shining.

Best in Show

                                                                   Elemental detail.
I can hardly believe that my piece "Elemental" placed Best in Show for the Beadwork Beaded Earth Challenge! Someone pinch me please. I will get to visit it at Bead Fest Philly when I teach there for the first time this summer. How exciting!

                                                                            Elemental.
I'm also happy to know that my friend Charmaine placed second for beaded sculpture. Together we will dance the happy dance. I will post pictures of her piece soon. She also lives here in Florence, OR. Our little town has quite a number of talented beaders.I think it's the all of the rain that grows beaders.

                                          detail of signed back of Elemental.

Roadtrips

are all about making new friends.

Viva Wickenburg, AZ!