Go Anyway is at the printers!

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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!

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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 …..

Antique Week and The Bayou City Art Festival

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Sep 272010

Septemberfest in Midland was so successful for us that my blog hasn’t heard a peep out of me. I’ve been busy making beads and new jewelry. After Midland I had just a little over two weeks to get ready for my show at The Gallery of Round Top, which starts for me this coming Thursday, September 30th. Then Jim and I go to the Bayou City Art Festival on the 9th of October. So, I’ve been at the torch everymorning, melting glass like a crazy woman. Each afternoon I create jewelry. So far today I photographed seventeen new necklaces! I’ll squeak a few more out if I can.

Jim has made a few new pieces as well. They still need to be polished, so no photographs of them yet.

Antique Week is in full swing here. Thousands of people are in and around our tiny town shopping for every type of treasure imaginable. It is so tempting to drop everything and join the crowd – I can’t, I just can’t. (Sh! Don’t tell anyone, I did sneak away for about an hour and found some teriffic vintage metal beads – you’ll see them soon in a few necklaces along with my glass!) Otherwise, no news from me until after these two shows.

Preparing for Septemberfest in Midland, Texas

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Aug 252010

Having skin cancer slowed me down a bit, and I missed the last show I was supposed to attend in Austin. I was looking forward to it too. Well, life happens while you’re making other plans. My face is healing steadily and by the time the Midland show rolls around on September 10th I shouldn’t look too much like the Bride of Frankenstein. I’m back to work full swing, and so not only do I have all the beads and jewelry I didn’t sell in Austin, I have even more (!!!) new jewlery. I’ll ply you with photos later.

Not much else going on at all, except working to save all our plants during this Texas heat wave. We get up around 6:30 am and work in the two gardens until around 9 am, watering and weeding. Our “old” house, the wonderful octagonal nest we built when we first moved off the boat is surprisingly still for sale, so we go next door to take care of the flowers there first. I know the economy excuses and etc. etc, however, really we just can’t figure out why this sweet house has not sold. So, anyway, the plants at the “old” house are thriving in spite of the heat, and the new ones we’ve planted in our zeriscape garden at our new house are too, thanks to our early rising diligence. It’s been hovering in the day to close to or over 100 degrees for it must be weeks now!

We built our new place mostly to accomodate Jim’s need for extra wide doorways and hallways – and my need (?) for a new studio. And we thought the original house was too perfect to remodel. It’s octagonal shape allowed us to nestle it into a lovely stand of oak trees, and we didn’t have to remove any of them to place it perfectly. Want to move to beautiful Round Top? It’s not always this hot, promise. Check out the lisiting:http://www.trrn.com/detail.asp?PropID=62035

Oh, and here’s the Midland Septemberfest Poster.

Life Happens! I will not attend the Austin Bead Bazaar

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Aug 042010

I went in Monday, August 2nd, for what my doctor and I thought would be a minor surgery to remove a small skin cancer on my forehead. Well, didn’t work out that way. I was there nine hours and a lot of pain later. The cancer cells were much more widespread than anticipated. The good news: All the cancerous cells are gone. The not as good news: My face is black and blue, one eye swollen closed, lots of pain, and about a two week recovery time before I can do anything such as a bead show.

So, I am sorry I won’t be in Austin at the Bead Bazaar this weekend. I was looking forward to selling – and doing some shopping of my own. Alas, it’s not to be.

This post is about the extent of what I can handle on the computer for now. Later, I am thinking maybe I can put all those beads I had ready to go up on ebay or etsy. I’ll let you know.

Austin Bead Society Bead and Jewelry Bazaar

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Aug 012010

Come on by this show if you are in the Austin area this coming weekend. I’ll be there with loose beads as well as jewelry. There will be a great selection of lampwork beads (not just mine), and gemstones, and findings, and finished jewelry, and beading supplies – a jewelry lovers and beaders dream. I’m looking forward to doing some shopping as well as selling. Hope to see you there.

Ruidoso Art Festival

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Jul 162010

I’ve had a fairly long break from shows, which means Jim and I have had time to make a LOT of new pieces. They aren’t all photographed yet. When they are, I’ll give you a sneak peek of what we are taking to the show in New Mexico next week.

I so look forward to this particular show. The Chamber of Commerce sponsers it, and all the staff and volunteers are so nice – they really take care of the artists. The Convention Center is a terrific venue, and of course Ruidoso itself is a cool treat for us hot weather Texans. It is almost a mini-vacation for us. The show itself is packed with really excellent artists and their work, including us , of course. Meanwhile, I’m still making some more beads for an update on my Japanese Kimono Series. Back to the torch —–

On The Road Again

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May 152010

We’ve recently returned from Dallas, and are now looking forwardto our next show, the Texas Arts and Crafts Fair in Kerrville. I took a much needed break yesterday, catching up on grocery shopping, house cleaning, reading, etc. And good grief, I needed it too, since as I walked back in the front door, my arms full of groceries, a scorpion struck! OWW, did that hurt. It stung me right on my ankle. I kicked off my sandals, killed the culprit, only to discover through out the rest of the afternoon, 7, yes SEVEN, more of the nasty creatures. They must have a nest right by our front door, and they seem to be sneaking in through a little gap in the weather stripping. Got to fix that!

Well, life in Texas I suppose – yet we have never had this type of invsion before. I am cautiously checking everywhere I walk, especially since I pad around barefooted.

My sketchbook is overflowing with ideas. I’ll be back on the torch today – and if I can just get those scorpions out of my mind ……………….

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