From Here to Forever...
Yes...I know. It has been a long time since I have written anything but I promise you, I haven't been idle. I have a whole list of things I have been doing including being depressed, being creative, being sick (part of the reason for the depression), being gone and just plain old "being" avoiding writing for awhile. I needed the retreat to refresh and renew myself and to escape the trap of being redundant and HoHum (although, there is nothing wrong with Hummin'...it's the wHOa part that gets you everytime, if you catch my drift pardner.)
Anyway, I digress (a specialty of mine)...and I will just jump onto the stuff I have been doing and skip the nasty, sick stuff including the depression. That never lasts anyway and just an excuse for being down and resting my bones. Besides, I am finally learning to trust in the universe that everything will turn out as it should...I am a slow learner when it comes to myself and I am sure that will continue until the day I die for none of us should ever stop learning.
My beady buddy Jan and I just returned from the Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson. Now, I want you to understand...This is an AWESOME event. Within the Gem and Mineral Show are five, yes, I said five separate bead shows. You can find anything in Tucson in February from geodes the size of a VW van to the fossilized head of a velociorapter. Folks come from far and near; India, Australia, China, Sweden...everywhere in world you can imagine, just to buy and sell the jewels of the earth and even the universe. There is a whole show just for meteorites!
Being that my finances are very limited right now, I skipped all the foufou and falderah and went straight for the beading events and bead artists that gather in Tucson to show off and sell their creations. I had a mission, a quest, and when you are surrounded by such bounty, such beauty, is it extremely difficult not to be swayed or tempted for a bobble or a bargain. Jan and I go to Tucson to buy materials for the entire year or even two years. I needed, yea, wanted glass beads from a bead artist from Rhode Island by the name of David Christiansen. He was part of my quest and the moment we arrived (it is about a four hour drive from Phar Lepht) and checked into our room we headed out again to the location near the Tucson airport where Dave was supposed to be. He was right there where he was listed in the back-breaking catalog that is in every hotel and tourista location that lists all the shows and vendors. Fortunately, this big ass catalog even provides maps so there was little chance of us getting lost (although we did manage to get waylaid occasionally.) David makes what is known in the trade as furnace glass or art glass. His is the best and only the best for will do when you put your heart and soul into what you create. I spent a good two hours going through his beads, all the colors, the shapes, the beautiful new pendants he has made until I had about two pounds of his art in my backpack. If someone had hefted my bag and asked, "What's in here, rocks?" I would have to say, "Yeah!" We took a quick perusal of the rest of that show where Jan found some beautiful Swarovski crystal from Austria and then on to another show. We did this from Wednesday afternoon until Friday evening...going from show to show (me trying to stay focused and within my meager budget and Jan impulsively flitting from flower to flower.)
We had a great, grand time eating at a favorite natural foods restaurant, bending over bead tables until our backs were aching and opening a bottle of wine at the end of long days in our crummy room where the prices were jacked because of the shows. I bought silver spacers, silver cones, silver beads made in India and Bali, silver, silver, silver and managed to keep from buying all the amazing and beautiful art beads that took my breath away but were priced out of my range. I am sure I left my drool on them though... I did cop a few little artists beads to intersperse in my own creations, besides, I am making my own beads now (that's another story kiddies!) I was very glad to talk to these artists who generously shared techniques and tips which I could bring home to my own studio. I found out how to etch copper with a solution from Radio Shack that is for circuit boards, dental tools make great bead clay molding artifacts and on and on...I really got pumped and am anxious to put some of these materials and knowledge to work. (So if I disappear again, you will know why.)
Another item in my quest were the tiny seed beads made in Japan that are exactly triangular shaped. They are what I make my peyote stitch beads and bracelets from and fortunately the Universe steered me to the right place as those beads are extremely difficult to find. I even found a show where a lady was demonstrating their use and gave me three free tubes of the little gems and a "how to" book to boot! Oh, I was so very lucky. Hah!
Beads are what we go for, beads are what we crave, need, and yes, desire. A beader never has enough beads for there is no such thing but let me tell you, bead magazines and periodicals are almost just as valuable (and expensive). Tucson had bead mags everywhere and for FREE too! I grabbed copies of Ornament (my favorite), Bead & Button, Simply Beads, Lapidary Journal Annual Bead Issue, Belle Amour, Expressions...Man! I had enough for a library and FREE! (Don't you love it when someone gives you something free that inspires creativity in you!?) The bead artists were also giving away postcards of their bead art and if you are on my mailing list, keep and eye out...
Enough about the Bead shows and Tucson already! I am making my own beads now out of copper tubing (plumbing supply and home improvement stores) and enamel with a process that doesn't use a torch or anything that will fall into my lap or burn down the house. I am still experimenting so I have nothing to show you but I did take a sample with me to Tucson and got some positive feedback (and tips!) More to come on this when I have put it all together.
Visualize Peace and while you are at it, take a look at some of the stuff I made while I was sick in bed (post Tucson). Tell me what you think either by email or here. I love, want and need to hear from friends and family and will promise to get back to you. All of these bracelets (along with all of the jewelry I post here) are for sale to someone that will love them so keep that in mind too so I can afford to go to Tucson again. Hah!
SooZen
"Dragonflies" Peyote stitch with triangles, drops and vintage button
"Falling Leaves" Peyote stitch with triangles, drops, copper button
"Chakra" Peyote stitch with triangles, lentil drops and Krishna button
Anyway, I digress (a specialty of mine)...and I will just jump onto the stuff I have been doing and skip the nasty, sick stuff including the depression. That never lasts anyway and just an excuse for being down and resting my bones. Besides, I am finally learning to trust in the universe that everything will turn out as it should...I am a slow learner when it comes to myself and I am sure that will continue until the day I die for none of us should ever stop learning.
My beady buddy Jan and I just returned from the Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson. Now, I want you to understand...This is an AWESOME event. Within the Gem and Mineral Show are five, yes, I said five separate bead shows. You can find anything in Tucson in February from geodes the size of a VW van to the fossilized head of a velociorapter. Folks come from far and near; India, Australia, China, Sweden...everywhere in world you can imagine, just to buy and sell the jewels of the earth and even the universe. There is a whole show just for meteorites!
Being that my finances are very limited right now, I skipped all the foufou and falderah and went straight for the beading events and bead artists that gather in Tucson to show off and sell their creations. I had a mission, a quest, and when you are surrounded by such bounty, such beauty, is it extremely difficult not to be swayed or tempted for a bobble or a bargain. Jan and I go to Tucson to buy materials for the entire year or even two years. I needed, yea, wanted glass beads from a bead artist from Rhode Island by the name of David Christiansen. He was part of my quest and the moment we arrived (it is about a four hour drive from Phar Lepht) and checked into our room we headed out again to the location near the Tucson airport where Dave was supposed to be. He was right there where he was listed in the back-breaking catalog that is in every hotel and tourista location that lists all the shows and vendors. Fortunately, this big ass catalog even provides maps so there was little chance of us getting lost (although we did manage to get waylaid occasionally.) David makes what is known in the trade as furnace glass or art glass. His is the best and only the best for will do when you put your heart and soul into what you create. I spent a good two hours going through his beads, all the colors, the shapes, the beautiful new pendants he has made until I had about two pounds of his art in my backpack. If someone had hefted my bag and asked, "What's in here, rocks?" I would have to say, "Yeah!" We took a quick perusal of the rest of that show where Jan found some beautiful Swarovski crystal from Austria and then on to another show. We did this from Wednesday afternoon until Friday evening...going from show to show (me trying to stay focused and within my meager budget and Jan impulsively flitting from flower to flower.)
We had a great, grand time eating at a favorite natural foods restaurant, bending over bead tables until our backs were aching and opening a bottle of wine at the end of long days in our crummy room where the prices were jacked because of the shows. I bought silver spacers, silver cones, silver beads made in India and Bali, silver, silver, silver and managed to keep from buying all the amazing and beautiful art beads that took my breath away but were priced out of my range. I am sure I left my drool on them though... I did cop a few little artists beads to intersperse in my own creations, besides, I am making my own beads now (that's another story kiddies!) I was very glad to talk to these artists who generously shared techniques and tips which I could bring home to my own studio. I found out how to etch copper with a solution from Radio Shack that is for circuit boards, dental tools make great bead clay molding artifacts and on and on...I really got pumped and am anxious to put some of these materials and knowledge to work. (So if I disappear again, you will know why.)
Another item in my quest were the tiny seed beads made in Japan that are exactly triangular shaped. They are what I make my peyote stitch beads and bracelets from and fortunately the Universe steered me to the right place as those beads are extremely difficult to find. I even found a show where a lady was demonstrating their use and gave me three free tubes of the little gems and a "how to" book to boot! Oh, I was so very lucky. Hah!
Beads are what we go for, beads are what we crave, need, and yes, desire. A beader never has enough beads for there is no such thing but let me tell you, bead magazines and periodicals are almost just as valuable (and expensive). Tucson had bead mags everywhere and for FREE too! I grabbed copies of Ornament (my favorite), Bead & Button, Simply Beads, Lapidary Journal Annual Bead Issue, Belle Amour, Expressions...Man! I had enough for a library and FREE! (Don't you love it when someone gives you something free that inspires creativity in you!?) The bead artists were also giving away postcards of their bead art and if you are on my mailing list, keep and eye out...
Enough about the Bead shows and Tucson already! I am making my own beads now out of copper tubing (plumbing supply and home improvement stores) and enamel with a process that doesn't use a torch or anything that will fall into my lap or burn down the house. I am still experimenting so I have nothing to show you but I did take a sample with me to Tucson and got some positive feedback (and tips!) More to come on this when I have put it all together.
Visualize Peace and while you are at it, take a look at some of the stuff I made while I was sick in bed (post Tucson). Tell me what you think either by email or here. I love, want and need to hear from friends and family and will promise to get back to you. All of these bracelets (along with all of the jewelry I post here) are for sale to someone that will love them so keep that in mind too so I can afford to go to Tucson again. Hah!
SooZen
"Dragonflies" Peyote stitch with triangles, drops and vintage button
"Falling Leaves" Peyote stitch with triangles, drops, copper button
"Chakra" Peyote stitch with triangles, lentil drops and Krishna button
posted by SooZen | 5:17 AM
5 Comments:
Wonderful stuff, SooZen. Sorry to hear you've had a rough go of it, but I know you will persevere. You have no choice but to! Thanks for sharing your update and pics.
oh my heavens! those bracelets are utterly amazing. i want all of them, all of them. They are absolutely incredible.
You're brilliant, and how cool of the Universe to steer you to get more of those special little beads for more peyote stitch beauties.
That you're making your own beads doesn't surprise me, and that they'll be unique won't surprise me either.
Winter's for depression, might as well all face it. It comes and it tries to conquer and we have to ride the storm and then say 'see ya'. It's part of winter. i call it the february blues or mid-year crisis (year starts at my birthday which is end of august)
so glad to read of your adventures and continued leaps into beadistry. Sending love from here to you and all
judih
Hi FC, always glad to hear from you kiddo. Look for a post toasty in the mail. Coming to an FC soon.
Jammies, I already sent you and your mom a postcard from Tucson because I only had one stamp and youse were on my mind. And FYI, I never, ever get bored with bead talk...let me see the bracelet when you get a round 'tuit'.
Papa...read the blog...loved the story and I am sorry to have worried you and Mama. I will not do that again or if I do, forgive me (as I know you will.) Did you get that picture posting fingered out?
judih, my dear compadre...if I could afford to, I would send you each and every one of those beauties but I have to buy beans as well as beads. You understand so you will have to do with a postcard that I brung ya and am sending ya instead. As always thanks for the strokes...it is very, very much appreciated.
Love and Peace and Thanks for checking in...
Me, always on the tail end of things. Your postcard arrived yesterday. Lampwork beads... awesome, I just can't get over the fact that people actually make these things themselves. Jamelah has a friend that makes them... they are extraordinary, sparkly and each one unique. That you are adding bead making to your list of accomplishments seems like natural progression to me. Can't wait to see your ingenuity breathed into your art. Let the creativity flow.
Sorry you have been having a dogged bad winter. What's that about anyway? Glad you are better.
The bracelets are, as usual, totally fabulous. Smacks your way.
I really am jealous of you being able to just go to Tuscon. I used to do that... way back in the day (late 60's/early 70's actually) when I lived in Phoenix. I do miss the desert, oh, how I miss the warmth. And there is something magical in that part of the world. It is touched by so much beauty you can't be there and not feel inspired.
Great day to you... and yours.
Love, Anne
jammies...I am on my way!
Annie, ah there you are my dear. Glad the card arrived and aren't those fish something? I was blown away by the art there. I bet you miss the desert, I know I would and it is way too dark in the winter here for me so I just know I would wither away in Michigan. How do you stand it? Nothing is really wrong with me other than the fact that the last two years have been filled with death, disease, taxes and lawyers but I know nothing lasts forever and the best is yet to come or something akin to that. BTW, take a click on 'supapa' above and check out my Dad's blog...great stories about growing up in Phar West Tejas in a little town! Always great to hear from you sweet lady! Your's and Jammies gift was a bright spot in a dismal landscape this winter. Loved the fudge, cookies and JEWELRY!
SooZ
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