Interview with Myself

Art Festivals, Beads, Goals, Jewelry, Lampworking, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog 2 Responses »

Jan 242012

Q:Hi Lyn. I’m so glad to have this opportunity for an interview. We haven’t heard much from you lately. How have you been?

A: Thank you for asking. I’m fine, however the last two months have been challenging. Our dear cat Chica hasn’t been well. And back in mid-December doctors discovered that Jim needed surgery, and for various reasons it couldn’t be scheduled until early January. We kept him at home and away from possible infection for what seemed like some very long weeks, and therefore missed several fun holiday gatherings.

Q: Oh, my! I didn’t know. I hope he and Chica are both okay now.

A: He is steadily recovering from his surgery, although he still cannot drive nor lift anything over 20 pounds. So I am doing all the driving (not my favorite job). Chica is doing much better as well. You know she is 14 years old which is 73 in human years. It makes her aches and pains understandable.

Q: Have you done anything since December other than deal with Jim’s surgery?

A: Well, yes I have. Along with Rick Higginbothams’ help I published Go Anyway as an e-book. It’s now listed on Amazon.com for sale and customers seem to be enjoying it.

Oh, speaking of e-books, here is something else I did in the last few weeks. I wrote a tutorial on how to make headpin leaf beads. The tutorial will be in the March issue of Soda Lime Times, a great e-zine for lampworkers. It is easy to read and use on your pc or tablet reader. I really enjoy my android or Kindle and kept one with me during all the hours I spent with Jim at doctors appointments or in the hospital, or at the vet with Chica. I got a lot of reading done.

Q: Well, I am surprised to hear what you have been doing. You must be anxious to get back to making jewelry and beads though.

A:I am, and fortunately I have torched some wonderful new beads in the last few days in spite of all the caretaking. I also managed to make and send off six new necklaces to a professional photographer. I’ll show you those photos once I receive them. Having good photographs of my work is so important for entering juried shows. I’m lining up my schedule for 2012, and the new images should help me get accepted into new venues.

Q: Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?

A: I resolved to take better care of myself, and with that in mind I have lost 13 pounds since November. I feel so much better. I think I mentioned the Game On Diet in my previous post. It is easy and fun. That’s about it for resolutions.

Q: Well, dear, I’m glad to hear you plan to take better care of yourself. It sounds like you need to, so I encourage you as well. A visit to a spa would be a lovely idea. If you decide to go, do let me know. Until then, ta ta. I’ll catch you later. Oh, I almost forgot. Isn’t your 67th birthday day after tomorrow? Never mind – I know it is. Do have an especially happy day.

A: Thank you – I will.

Cottonwood Art Festival

Art Festivals, Beads, Jewelry, Lampworking, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog, art 1 Response »

Sep 272011

I’m STILL Blog Hopping for the Bead Soup Party – it’s taking me awhile to look and read. Thank you to everyone who left comments for me.

Meanwhile, I’ll be off to the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas this weekend. I’ve made a lot of new pieces, and if I can get to it tomorrow I’ll give you a peek. Otherwise, hope to see you there if you live in the area.

Soup Ingredients in the Bead Design Kitchen

Art Festivals, Beads, Inspiration, Jewelry, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog 5 Responses »

Sep 042011

I finally received my soup beads yesterday! Wow – they took a long time getting to Texas from B.C., Canada, but worth the wait. Barrie made the focal and the clasp herself, as well as those darling pink lampworked beads. A multi-tasker, that’s for sure. She also sent pearls – must be telephathy, since I sent her pearls as well. That one picture on the bottom right – not a bead, but a sticker. Nice inspiration though, got me thinking.

So now I am moving the beads all around on a white plate I pulled out for them, adding and subtracting things from my stash, and generally getting the visuals working on cooking up a new recipe for these fun ingredients. See ‘ya here on September 17th for the reveal.

P.S. Check out “What’s New” on my website. I’m gotten a start uploading the new jewelry I’ve made for my next show in Midland, Texas.

Making Jewelry for theTexas Arts and Crafts Festival

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May 152011

My recent show schedule has been intense. Two weekends ago we were in Fayetteville at Art Walk, and last weekend we were in Dallas (Richardson) for the Cottonwood Art Festival. We applied to Cottonwood for six (!) years, and were finally juried into it. The show was fabulous. A beautiful park setting and the weather, except for some wind gusts, was perfect. We saw some old friends and customers, and met lots of new people as well. The good part – we sold a lot of jewelry- and the other part – my stock is depleted – adds up to more intense work ahead. In order to have great new jewelry for our upcoming show in Kerrville – the Texas Arts and Crafts Festival – Jim and I are both working long hours. He’s on his bench pounding away making silver settings, and I’m at the torch every day making beads as quickly as I can.

A two2 day show actually takes us six days. A day driving there, a day setting up, two days showing, a day driving home, and day six for recuperating and doing paperwork, order assemby, etc. But the time away from the torch and our benches sets our creative juices afire. The wonderful art we see at the shows inspires us, as do the sights we see while driving and visiting cities so different from our tiny town. By the time I’m home my sketchbook is brimming with ideas. So some fun new jewelry will be coming to Kerrville.

Here’s the e-mail ad. I’ll give you a real sneak preview later after I take some photographs.

Fayetteville Art Walk and Cottonwood – sneak peek

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Apr 282011

Fayetteville Artwalk is April 30th – May 1st (starts day after tomorrow) and Cottonwood Art Festival (I’m in for the first time!) is the May 7th and 8th. Did you notice they are only one week apart? I did! Therefore I have been making beads and jewelry every day since I hit the house back from Lubbock. Hardly anyone has heard a peep out of me because I’ve been too busy creating.

What I have cooked up will need to stretch across both shows. (I promise I will hold some really good pieces back just for those of you planning to come to Cottonwood.) I’ve made lots of earrings, and double the amount of bubble necklaces with my new popular wire ” Scribbles.” Here’s a peek.

Lubbock here we come!

Art Festivals, Jewelry, Lampworking, Lyn Foley Go Anyway Blog, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog, Parkinson's disease, sailing around the world 1 Response »

Apr 052011

Lyn Foley at the Lubbock Arts Festival April 8-10, 2011

The Lubbock Art Festival is this weekend, and I’m photographing and pricing new jewelry today. I’m also hoping to finish our taxes before we leave, take a few pieces of new jewelry over to the Gallery at Round Top, and work on my display. I also need to get together with my sister Mary. I planted my vegetable garden, and since Mary takes care of Chica and the house while we are away, I need to show her what is planted where so that she can water it. Nothing like a lot to do today, is there? Somehow all the last minute things always get taken care of, so, I’m off to work.

Oh, I almost forgot: Go Anyway did launch last week. The e-mail I sent about the book signing may have been a little confusing. If you didn’t understand how to buy a copy from me follow this link, http://www.GoAnyway.net to purchase my book. If you want me to sign it,write a note in the shipping instructions. ( Shipping is generally media mail.) If you live near Round Top and want to pick up your copy, just leave off the shipping, and send me an e-mail seperately. I’m working on the digital formatting (in between making jewelry, can’t forget that), so the book will be available on all the popular sites for e-book downloads in about two weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

Go to http://www.GoAnyway.net to buy a copy of my book

Go Anyway is at the printers!

Art Festivals, Beads, Jewelry, Lyn Foley Go Anyway Blog, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog, Parkinson's disease, art, sailing around the world No Responses »

Mar 092011

Lot’s going on behind the scenes here. Finally, after years of searching for an agent or large press I am publishing my book, Go Anyway; Sailing Around the World Despite Parkinson’s Disease. I’ve already gotten a proof, and the finished book will be here soon – before the end of March! The book’s web site is almost complete, and as soon as the books arrive, I’ll go “live” and you can buy it. I’m assuming that if you read my blog you know what the heck I’m talking about. If you don’t , read this post, and this one . They will give you a hint about the 12 years my husband and I lived aboard a sailboat and sailed around the world.

I’m still hopping around to the posts of the participants in the Bead Soup Party. I will get to visit you all.

And I am also making jewelry for the upcoming show in Dallas: Artscape, A Fine Art Fair in the Garden. I’m out of here and back to my torch, and later my beading bench.

Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival coming up!

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Nov 122010

Quilted Inspiration

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Nov 092010

The Huffhines (Dallas) show was just right – any more business and I might not have had enough stock, any less business, and I might have been disappointed. As it was, we vendors had our challenges – tornadoes and rain. The rain all but closed the show on Saturday, and tornadoes were in the radar all around us. Jim and I dogged down our tent, put the jewelry away, bought some Italian take-out, and snugged down in our hotel room to wait it out. Luckily the storms blew on by, and Sunday the sun peeked out, as did the customers.

I finished up my custom orders, and now I’m at it again, getting ready for my last show of the year, The Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival Holiday Show in Albuquerque. It starts the Friday after Thanksgiving, and is held indoors (horay!) in an expo building at the State Fairgrounds. I’ve got about 15 more days in which to make beads and jewelry, so I am torching every morning, and creating jewelry every afternoon.

Well, torching almost every day – I took a road trip Saturday with my sister and the local quilt guild. The guild rented a bus, planned the trip, and got our tickets to the Houston International Quilt Festival for us in advance. Going with the guild really made life easy and fun = no driving, no parking, no long walks just to get to the entrace to this humongus, fabulous show. What a feast of talent and inspiration. Photos were prohibited, so I don’t have any. I did come home with a few purchases – some ribbons, a knitted vest/wrap/shawl garment, and a “kit” of preselected yarns formaking a sweater. I can hardly wait to dig into this scrumptious yard to crochet something for myself after November. Just can’t start that yet, got to keep working at my job (some job huh!? getting to make beads all day).

My head is swimming with inspring visions and memories from what I saw at the quilt show. So I decided to make my own little quilt. I went outside yesterday, and snapped some photos within a few feet of our front and back doors. The colors of fall in Round Top, Quilted Inspiration, right here at home.

Huffhines Art Trails in Richardson this weekend!

Art Festivals, Beads, Jewelry, Lampworking, Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog, art No Responses »

Oct 202010

Well, y’all, I am scrambling again. Think I was a wee bit optimistic when I scheduled four shows almost in a row: Midland, Antique Weekend in Round Top, Bayou City in Houston, and now Huffhines Art Trails in Richardson. Having successful shows is a good problem though – right? Right! I’ve made five new necklaces today, and over the last week or so 36 pairs of earrings! Tomorrow will be photography day, and packing for the drive on Friday. Several people who saw us during set up and break down in Houston said they didn’t realize how much work it was. Yep, it takes us about 3 hours to set up the tent and display cases. And if there is an artist pile-up like there was in Houston, make that set up 5 hours. Luckily, not every set up happens at midnight and takes that long. Then, on the opening day of the show it’s another 2 hours to arrange the jewelry in the displays.

We haven’t done the Huffhines show before, so we don’t know what to expect. If you are in the area, come on over and see us. In spite of everything, I do have some fun new designs – especially in the earring department. Here’s one new necklace I have photographed. I’ll post more photos tomorrow for a real sneak preview. Meanwhile – back to the bead board …..

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