Barf Bag Designs

There was a time where I thought I should change my business name to "Barf Bag Designs" (sexy huh?). See, for a while, the only time I came up with new designs was when flying in an airplane. Up in the clouds, there are no computers (well mine is usually in the overhead), no phones, no TVs and often times I am alone. All you can do is listen to music and look out the window (window, not aisle please). I find it to be the most relaxing and inspirational spot to ponder. So as I ponder, I need something to write on....oh look, it's a barf bag. At some point, I started using barf bags as my canvas of choice. They are perfect. I have been designing on barf bags for about 8 years. On a recent trip, my mom saw me doodling on a barf bag and she offered me a piece of paper. I declined.

Earlier today, I was searching for something and came across some barf bags with sketches all over them. There is some good things on there!

Bead and Button 2009...over and done

We just completed the Bead and Button Show. Holy moly we had fun! Our triple booth was slam packed with tools, kits, wire, donuts and customers!
This year (pretty much from May 31st 2008-May 31st 2009) was tough and basically horrible (only personally, business has been great!). Not only did I have my "little" health issue, but I lost my step dad and a week or so before I left to the B&B Show, one of my closest friends (who is the husband of my best friend) died from a 3 year battle with Lung Cancer (40 years old, never smoked). So I have been a bit down lately and the show could not have come at a better time. Thanks to all my good pals who brought me back to life this week. What a blast!

April?

What happened to the month of April.....has anyone seen my month of April because it seems to have passed completely with out me noticing or acknowledging it!!!!
April....where are you?????

Bead Dreams 2009

Well, I was recently inspired to do a competition pieces. This rarely happens, mainly because I don't have time to work on a big piece and often because I am not inspired. But this piece came to me and it resulted in my project for Hooked On Wire, and a piece for the Bead Dreams competition at the 2009 Bead&Button Show. I was accepted so it will be on display at the show if you want to check it out. Hope ya like it :)

The end of a journey.....

As some of you know, I have cut my teaching schedule way back this year so I could spend as much time as possible with my Step Father who was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer last May. Last night he passed away with 5 of us kids, his wife and his mother in law holding each other and holding him. We were there for 4 days with him as his body slowed down. Being there and watching him take his last breaths was the hardest and most powerful thing I have ever been a part of. He was my step father for 29 years. He raised me, guided me, loved me unconditionally, coached my first volleyball team, bought me my first (of many) pandas and loved my daughters as if they were the most valuable things on this planet.

We will miss him so much. Now we pick up the pieces, support my mom and live life to the fullest as he would want us to (oh and eat a lot of chocolate because according to him, life is chocolate).

Deep breath, life goes on, live it well......

Hummingbird Girl

I am hiding in my moms house right now because I just took the test dose of Radioactive Iodine and need to be away from people (especially small blonde girls with blue eyes) for the afternoon and evening. After I took the pill, I got in my car to drive home and as I turned on the radio the very first words that came out were the Police singing "don't stand, don't stand so, don't stand so close to me". I laughed until I almost cried. Yep, don't stand close to me!

My friend Mary, who is one of the funniest people I know, wrote to me this afternoon and here is what she said

"I think the fact that you're "RADIOACTIVE" is WAY cool. You're like a superhero--radioactive then bitten by hummingbird or something--to become HummingbirdGirl! You can have a cute little superhero outfit--with tights and wings and a big HG on the chest of your leotard. (Make sure your outfit includes some glitter, too). Children beaten up by bullies will cry, "Save me, Hummingbird Girl!!" And you will swoop down and flutter violently. Store clerks will yell for you and you'll fly in the face of robbers, confusing them with your rapid wings and making them drop their booty of cash and condoms. And, like Superman, you have a weakness. You are strong and brave--but must avoid clean glass windows and doors, for fear that you may hurl yourself into them unknowingly. "

Drip drop.....

It is rainin' but good up here! That is a good thing because boy do we need some water. And our lovely grapes down in San Luis Obispo need some H2O! I remember one drought-ey year my dad gave us all raisins for Christmas because our crop wasn't' so good. So we have been doing a rain dance and now it is comin' down :)

My office is buzzin' with preparations for Bead Fest Sante Fe and the Bead&Button Show. I am a total last minute person so we are all pretending that the Bead&Button Show is in April this year (which it isn't but don't tell me that!). The class registration for B&B is opened....it's not too late to squeeze in a few classes. I know things are tight this year, but this show is a blast. Well all the shows are a blast. If you can sneak out to a bead show, you won't regret it.

I am feeling really good these days. We found out that I am anemic (joy) and the addition of Iron to my many daily pills, has made a HUGE difference....woohoo. In a week I will get my Radioactive Iodine treatment. As my doctor says, surgery is the cure/treatement for Thyroid Cancer but this Iodine treatment is just a little extra "kick it while it's down". Thyroid cells are very unique in that they live off of iodine. So I have been on a low iodine diet (no dairy, nothing from the sea, no resturauts, no store bought bread, no fun!) to starve my body of iodine. Then in a week, I will take a pill of radioactive iodine. All the remaining Thyroid cells in my body will be like "oh, Iodine, gimme gimme!" and they will suck it up and get zapped....pretty cool huh? But I can't be around any people for 3 days, because I will be totally radioactive. Yikes, if it will harm them, imagine what it is going to do to me, swimming around in my body. I will power through and this will give me 3 quite days (hauled up in one of my mom's extra bedrooms) to finally get cranking on my book.

Yes I AM WRITING A BOOK...woohoo. It will be published by Interweave and is about Making Stamped Metal jewelry. The book will cover stamping, sawing, riveting, dapping and more. It's gonna be a good one.....

Happy rainy day to you.....