Magnets-Beads-Photography-Life

Hi everyone, for those of you new to my world, let me explain my love affair with beads. Ever since I was a little girl, I played with and strung up beads. I also collected and played with stones, but that’s another story, however, I think the tactile feeling of cool stones in my hands led me to the beads and gem stones I love so much. But I digress.

In the years past, in a different state and time, I was a big time crafter. I made jewelry of all kinds and traveled around the state of Michigan doing Craft Shows. I was before my time with many of my designs and have since seen them duplicated a lot. If I only knew that I was so talented….. oh well. I enjoyed my times crafting, even when the show routine got old and heavy. I shared a lot of time and things with my sisters, especially Jan, who is quite crafty in her own right, I must say. But times changed, I moved out of state and things got packed up and forgotten.

Here in CA, life is very different. Craft shows are few and far between. Where in MI, every grade school and church would have a craft show or bazarr for all the holiday events, no one out here does that at all!! I don’t know why, as these shows brought in good money and are real social events. But….who knows? There are large art shows sponsered by guilds and held at the Fair grounds or the Downtown Convention Center, but that’s okay. I don’t need or want the big arenas to sell my goods anymore. ;) I just need to get back to what makes me happy and keeps me feeling alive. And that is my beads. I have built 2 bead closets to hold all of my materials that have been so patiently waiting for me in their boxes and crates. I shall post a pic or two once they are all done and stocked.

I made my first trip yesterday to 2 bead stores locally in San Diego. I felt so warm and tingly when I set foot in the stores, so exciting. I got the same old feeling I used to get that I’m glad I didn’t have much money as I would have bought way too much of everything, especially since it was all on 30% off sale!!! At the first place, I met 2 very nice ladies who are thinking of forming a bead co-op and asked me to join with them. I said yes and gave the one lady my name, phone number and email address. I told them that I mostly bead and not work with the gem stones anymore, but that I am very much into computers and running web sites. The one lady, Stephanie, told me good, I could run their web site. 8=] I left that store and found another one very close to home in Old Town that sells so many seed beads that I knew I was in heaven. They also sold some yarn varieties which I will look at another day.

My first big bead project is going to be my beaded Santa Claus faces, Christmas Trees, Wreaths, and Snowflakes. I loved doing these and they sold quite well for me in the past. My sister, Jan, has someone at Chrysler interested in seeing them as well. And as Jan wears her pairs, I asked her to be a walking advertisement for me. Also, there is a new web site just for the earrings. www.holiday-earrings.com There will be holiday earrings for all seasons as the year goes along, but right now, it’s just Christmas stuff.

I will write more another day, but right now, I have to get busy with my beading and other stuff. Write me back, give me some ideas, share pics of your own bead work (in a small photo please?)

ciao,