Off To See The Wizard

And since he is in North Austin and I am not, it will take most of the day. I'll be back tomorrow. Cross your fingers. I need something definitive from this wizard and not more tests, damned doctors and their tests. If you prick us, do we not bleed? Methinks they do forget!

Where are the beading challenge updates? Carol? Clara?? Hellooo! Is anyone out there???? Just a sentence will make me happy!

I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Until then, remember these immortal words from (of all people) Napoleon Bonaparte: Imagination rules the world.

Creative Energy Abounds

Maybe it's the sun shining brightly, maybe it's cruising the Internet, maybe it's "chatting" on the creative life group, who knows? I'm going to run with it. By the way, it was 70 degrees yesterday when Miss A got home from school. It was 27 degrees when I took her back this morning. Sometimes I think that there is nothing on earth that changes as fast as the weather in Central Texas. But the sun is shining, and when it gets a little warmer, I'll open the windows and let some fresh air in. There are no blustery winds today! I added this picture I took of the girls a couple of years ago. They were so still and quiet for just a couple of moments, it was breathtaking. They were sitting by one of the ponds in Lost Maples State Natural Area. I love this picture of my babies.

I worked on designing my new business cards yesterday. Pretty snazzy, huh? And today, I'll be working on some new Etsy pieces, and I have preview for you.


Our question for the day on the creative life was:

Do you see your creativity as being a part of yourself that is separate from the rest of you, the part of you that everyone knows and sees? Do you keep it secret or hidden from most people? If so, why do you do that? If not, tell us about that. If you could fully integrate The Public You and The Creative You, how would you do that and what would it look like?

Hmm, it was actually four questions. But I digress. Okay, so what would your answers to these questions be?

How is the challenge coming? (Making Important Stuff) Give me updates please, and yes, I have started working on mine. I started it at the retreat and have about six inches of the neck piece beaded. I will take it with me on Friday when I go bead with the ladies in South Austin. Until then, may the farce be with you.

Blip . . . Blink . . .

I'm having some problems with Blogger today. I wanted to add some more goodies, but it may have to wait. For all you beadlings and other assorted readers up in the frozen north lands, I have a chuckle for you. It's another sunny 70 degree day outside (let's see, it's just around 3:00 CST). It's blustery, but gorgeous as long as you don't have allergies (which I do) and you're not planning to burn your trash (believe me, these are the days some of our neighbors pick). When T-man was preparing to leave for work ON THE NEWLY REPAIRED MOTORCYCLE (YIPPEE!) he asked me if he would need his over pants today. I blithely told him "no". Right about the time he will be driving home this evening ON THE NEWLY REPAIRED MOTORCYCLE, the temperature will be almost down to freezing. Boy, am I in for it later. And as an added plus, it's going to do the same thing on Thursday! Jeez, I just got over the flu and I sure don't want any other strains of that crap! And I cannot stay in, because I have a couple of appointments Thursday and Friday! Perhaps a beaded surgical mask is in order. I can always market them to pop star icons later!

I designed new business cards to go with my new look. When I can get pictures posted again, I'll put them up. And I have a couple of new links to add. Somebody burp the Blogger so it will stop blipping and blin

Tweaking

No, no, not the illegal kind -- the obsessive compulsive perfectionist kind. I realize that the web site and the blog may appear to be finished, but no, they are not. There is still tweaking to be done, little things to be added. And then there are other places on which to place my brand (thanks, Margot!). But, alas and alack, today is Monday. Bleck, patooie, yuck. And it's foggy, damp and cold again after such a beautiful weekend. Yes, it's true -- rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

What should I be doing? Making a new page somewhere, adding new items somewhere. What do I want to be doing? Sleeping, reading, watching bad movies. What will I do? Hmmm . . . I hadn't really gotten that far. Last night was one of those nasty insomnia trips, so I'm a bit foggy today. I'm thinking I should get busy with some repurpose, revamp, renew, reuse earrings and necklaces that I want to remake and put up on Etsy. And that will occupy me for about an hour. *sigh* What am I avoiding with everything I've got? Organizing the studio and cleaning the house. Oh wait, I can't pull the wool over your eyes! Y'all know I don't clean house! *snort* Go back to yesterday's post about the end of the world! Hah! Me, clean house! It is to laugh!! Dust bunnies rule!

I need minions.

Ta-Da!!

Welcome to the newest installment of Bead-Mused. As you look around, please take note of the renovations. I apologize for the lack of before pictures, but hey, I can only do as much as the technology allows. We've painted, moved some furniture from here to there, added a few knick-knacks -- all for your reading pleasure.

First, you can listen to the music, make it softer, make it louder or turn it off. It is entirely your choice. And second, I've added new web site links and some new blogs to check out. And yes, I did post on a SUNDAY! Oh my stars, the world is NOT coming to an end, but it might be close.
It's a sunny 70 degree day here and it makes me long for April and bike rides with T-man. I'll be back tomorrow, beadlings!

Phew!

Okay beadlings, the web site is pretty much done. I've got one page that needs to be finished, but you can see the results here. Can I just state right here and right now that I really, really don't like Microsoft Front Page? Yuck. Why, back in the day when I first learned about making web pages, we had to type raw code with our little fingers! We didn't have no stinkin' shortcuts! You kids nowadays are spoiled rotten. Anyway . . .

For those of you who dream of supporting yourself solely with your art/jewelry/crafts, Margot Potter has some sage advice today. And wouldn't all you beaders love to have been this person?

I think I'll tackle this place next! Man, reinventing yourself is time consuming! Hah! But today, I've other things I must do. First off, I need a fire because it's freakishly cold outside. Then I've got orders and patterns to ship off. It's too gray to take photos today (as much as I would like to get that going). So, I'm off. Have a great weekend.

I Did Not Forget You . . . .

I haven't been home! This morning was spent getting lab work done. Then T-man asked me to go to lunch with him, which is something we rarely get to do. So, here I am, at 2:00, just getting around to today's blog. This is a short, short post. I need to get back to work on the web site (typing with the cat yesterday was not very productive) and make some more headway there. I've been looking for a script for a DHTML calendar, but so far I've not had much luck. I may have to design my own, because I have time for that (she said sarcastically). I'm off, and as soon as my hands get warm again, I'll get to work.

Here I Sit, With Cat In Lap

Do you have any idea how hard it is to type this way? From pictures I've seen, Carol Perrenoud beads with her cat in her lap. I'm not sure how that works, as Baby keeps putting her head in the crook of my arm and then rubbing. And apparently my lap is a most comfy spot for a bath! You would think I had been gone for a month instead of four days. You can't beat unconditional love, except maybe when you step on the foot of the adoring kitty. That's how closely she follows me. She's mad at me now, thinking I did it on purpose.

My Coral Reef bracelet is in the Etsy Treasury! Right now it's on the front page. I'm so excited! It's my first time! Woo hoo!!

I wear many hats. (How's that for a segue?) Today I am finishing up the new look of the web site. Right now it needs a lot of tweaking and editing, so don't go look until tomorrow. Then I'll revamp the blog. Then I'll take the new look over to the Etsy shop. And then N wants to set up a My Space page for me. I'm actually enjoying myself doing this. I just wish it went faster. Some days I just wish I could wiggle my nose and everything would be finished! Okay, maybe not everything, but lots of things would be done and I wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

I leave you with this actual headline:

Court says monkeys, chimps can't sue
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

SAN ANTONIO — A Texas appeals court has affirmed a lower court decision that a group of chimpanzees and monkeys that were brought to the Primarily Primates sanctuary in 2006 does not have a legal right to sue.

I guess it sucks to be a monkey in San Antonio!

More On The Retreat

Here we are all. It's the last day of the retreat, hence the lack of beads and beadwork on the table and some empty tables in the background. The tables were all full for the weekend. Right to left is me, GG, Juls and Cat. Yuck. I hate pictures of myself. Moving on . .

There was the little bead war. Juls was working on a piece in blues and greens. I was working on a piece in reds. Juls would throw a reject bead, I would throw a reject bead. On Saturday night, everyone cuts loose, if you know what I mean. Well, Juls got up from the table and I sprinkled A PINCH of red beads in her pile. A while later, I got up to go to bed. When I came down the next morning, this is what I found:Do you see all the green and blue beads? I filled a little baggie with them. What started as a tiny skirmish quickly escalated to all out war!!

Speaking of little baggies, I was so tired Sunday morning. I did not sleep Saturday night. Cat and GG got back to room after 2:00 and I was still wide awake. Even after all the lights went out, I tossed and turned. The next morning, my half of the bed had no bottom sheet on it. There was a bunched up, knotted mess of what was my half of said bottom sheet. This was the reason I slept for 12 hours Sunday. I was so tired. I really thought the dark splotches under my eyes were make up that didn't get cleansed away. I was wrong:
I can't believe how the camera emphasized the bags under my eyes. Maybe I should start taking tea bags and cucumbers with me.

Today, I'm working on revamping the web site. I'm going to go ahead and put some dates in there for upcoming events. I will be doing the biennial show with the Austin Stichery Guild (ASG). Here's your first notice. I'll have some of my kits, and some kits from other wonderful designers, plus some bead packs in various palettes. I love doing that show. And in June, I'll be at the EGA South Central Region's seminar, with lots of goodies. This year they have a market day which is open to the public. I'll have many more new goodies then. But for now, I must type on something else for the rest of the day. My beady pal Jelcy sent this link, which she got from our pal Nancy. I seems that this Dutch department store was sold in June to a British investment firm. HEMA has stores all over Europe. This is the product page, but it's all in Dutch. You can't order anything, but just watch for a few minutes. Sound makes it better if you can have it. Later, beadlings!

There's No Place Like Home

How true is that statement? I so enjoyed my four days away, but I am so glad to be home. My family missed me, the cats missed me (Baby refuses to leave my lap, and typing around feline is no small feat), even the dog missed me. Here I am, back in my hovel. My hovel is fairly quiet, even with A home for Martin Luther King day.

I realized just how much of a hermit I have become. I was sitting in a room with roughly 80 other people, and at times it was just overwhelming. I was not only assaulted by the noise, but there was all the movement, good natured jostling, accidental bumping -- all things that are unknown to me here in the quiet of my solitude. And four days is not enough time to acclimate to such a change. And with three of us sharing a room, it was totally correct when GG commented that it had become a dorm room (something about all three hair dryers running at the same time!). But the best part was getting to spend four days with the other three High Priestesses of the Goddess of the Temple of Beading.

Anyway, I'm back. I'm catching up with my fellow bloggers, I've read through 200 emails, and now I've got to unpack and get cracking on four or five different projects! I've had very little sleep over the past few days (go figure), but last night I got a FULL 12 hours. T-man spiked my hot cocoa with a bit of rum and I slept fairly well. So, I'm energized and ready to push forward through my maze of projects. I came home with a bucket full of ideas. Hopefully tomorrow or the next day I will have the pictures that Juls took so you can see what fun we had. I have missed you all, I hope you missed me just a little bit, but now it's time to bid you farewell until tomorrow morning! Have a beadiful day!

Bead Retreat

Bead retreat, bead retreat, bead retreat! And I get to spend the weekend with the High Priestesses of the Temple of Beading. Of course, we want be AT the Temple, but we will be IN Temple, Texas.

Have a great weekend. I'll have lots of stories next week!

Much To Do

This will be a very short post. I've got a started list of things to get done before Juls and Cat get here tomorrow. I'll probably add to it before the day is done. I was very, very busy yesterday. There will be lots of surprises next week, and I will be busy typing my fingers to the bone. Then I need to get busy beading my fingers to the bone. So today, I leave you with this quote: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams

Arrivederci, i miei amici belli!

Not Enough Time In My Day

Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person?

Oh kids, life this week is rough. I need at least four more hours in each day, and I'm talking hours with sunlight so my sleep time remains a good eight hours. Crikey.

I've been typing like a fiend, trying to not just do updates to all my playgrounds, but to reinvent my cyberself in order to make more of a presence on the world wide web and in the minds of artsy/beady/sparkly/shiny thing lovers everywhere. In other words, I want to be noticed and remembered. But, silly me, I decided to begin this task during a week when I only have three days to work. Plus, the motorcycle is torn apart in the work shop (and has been for two weeks now), so T-man has either had my car (because the truck eats gas by the barrel), or I have had to drive him to and from work, plus taking A to school, and trips to Austin for groceries. Plus this weekend there were two trips to Austin for the Home & Garden show where T-man worked the company booth, and two trips to my parents' place. I do believe Chez Bead-Mused has single handedly funded OPEC during the past two weeks.

Fortunately, all the bike parts have arrived, and Juls is kind enough to let me ride on the luggage rack from here to the retreat. Every thing is in place for the moment as far as transportation. But I've still got to get my shit (and beads) together for the retreat this weekend.

Okie dokie, I've been distracted three times while typing this. I must run and try to get more typing (other than this) done, plus I have to find things I want to take with me this weekend. You know, beads and beads, and uhm, some more beads plus a few beads. Beads and jammies -- what else do you need for a bead retreat?

Busy Bee

Addendum three hours later: OMG, I've bitten off way more than I can chew in one little day, so updates may not coalesce until next week. Baby steps may be the key here. I'm really planning a lot of changes, but didn't realize how many until I started making a list. And I've found LOTS of new places for you to browse. Busy, busy, busy . . .

Good morning, beadlings! Well, since Clara called me on my neglect of both web site and Etsy store, that's what I'll be doing today. Plus I've found a couple of things to add to the blog and I start putting my gear together for this weekend's retreat, so I will be a busy, busy bee today. Eeek!! I looked away for two minutes, and suddenly realized how much I have to do! I really need a replicator, or copier, or cloning machine or something!!

My little bee was designed for me by my brother, the graphic artist. Teal and turquoise, my empowering colors! He also designed my new logo. You can see some of his graphic designs here and some of his illustrations here, and his Cafe Press store here. I'm trying to get him to design a beading or stitching bear. Maybe you can help with that.

I did go by Pam's yesterday to pick up several prototypes of her new petal ring. I received many nice compliments on the one I wore. As soon as we see how they hold up, she'll start making more. I'll have an update on that next week.

I hope you had a good weekend. I know we did. I hope Monday isn't too rough on you and I will be back tomorrow, hopefully with updated places for you to visit! Keep on keepin' on!

At A Loss For Words

Hmmmm, what to type. I have no idea today. I have no beady insights, no words of wisdom, no creative suggestions. Hmmm. It's Friday, it's sunny here, and I'm going to try to finish up some things today. This weekend I'll update the web site and work on the Etsy shop. They are in such bad shape right now that I'm not even putting up a direct link. That's about all that is going on in my life. I feel like I'm letting you down today, so I'll leave you with one beady picture and a profound artsy quote: "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." Twyla Tharp

Making Important Stuff

The other day Carol left a comment that she gets bogged down making things for others which leaves her no time to explore her creativity. While she is kind and generous in doling out her beady things, her muse is starving for attention. Oddly enough, I am familiar with this concept. It's not that I make things for others, rather I make things that I know will sell in quantity, like patterns and kits. That leaves little time for the creative artsy items I take to art shows. The problem there being that I need to have a booth full of creative artsy items for every art show I do. It is a quandary, is it not?

So, how do we fulfill the one without neglecting the other? I would bet that some of you have family/friends who are always asking you to make something for them, right? But in order to do that, you put that fabulous necklace for yourself on hold, so much so that when the big event you wanted it for came along, you didn't get to wear it because it wasn't finished. Anyone? Show of hands please. Ah, I thought as much. The bracelet did not get worn because so many others needed jewelry for that event. Granted, I got paid well, but still . . .

So, what must we do to overcome the necessary obstacles in order to make ourselves happy. It is human nature for women to put themselves second because of the gene that makes nurturing creatures. It's not easy to be selfish and do something just for us, and even when we do, chances are we will feel guilty about it. So, I propose a project to you all. Make a piece, just for you and your muse. You have six months (because I know a lot of you have 8-5 commitments). That makes July 10 you deadline. Send me pictures. I'll post them. Send me progress pictures I'll post them. But also send me a story to go with the pictures -- a journal even, of how doing this makes you feel. I will do the same, but I don't want to do it all by myself. I would really, really like for this to be a collaborative effort. Deal? Deal!

Oh crap, I almost forgot! Pam updated her page. I'm not the bully she writes of, really I'm not. I'm just looking out for her best interests, really. Oh, and I'm getting one of those rings!

Better and Better

Poor Clara -- she has a cold. I hope it does not morph into anything else, sweetie. Liquids and vitamin C, hurry!! I feel much better today. It rained this morning in the wake of another cold front. I've been up for over three hours now. I drove A to school. I think she was ready to go back, but she really didn't want to give up her vacation lifestyle of being able to stay up until 10:00 and sleeping until 8:00. How easily they become spoiled. N went off to work. Then I drove T-man to work. Now the house is quiet and warm. I'm ready to get my energy back.

I found a new group of artists to hang out with in cyberspace. Discussion yesterday had to do with avoidance of stagnation. How do we prevent stagnation, not just as artists, but in our mundane lives? Well, we rearrange the furniture. We change our hair color or style. We change partners. We change palettes. We change media and materials. We change our route to work. We change where we live. We change channels. We stop eating meat. We start eating meat. We change our perception of the world around us. It doesn't have to be anything drastic, but just enough change to keep things from being SSDD. The mundane is the enemy.

If you bead, preventing stagnation can be something as innocuous as throwing a few beads of a sharply contrasting color into your pieces or using a different stitch or using a combination of stitches or going with an entirely different palette for a few months. After all, Picasso had his blue period and his yellow period, etc. Why can't a beader have different color periods? Mix materials you wouldn't normally mix, like plastic (gasp) and glass, crystal and anodized aluminum. Change is not difficult, but it can be frightening. Close your eyes, hold your nose and jump in.

So here is the question for the day: What do you do to prevent stagnation in your world?

Almost Human (Finally!)

Well, I must say that I am feeling much better now. Then again, even the slightest bit better would feel momentous after last week. I hope with everything I have that none of you gentle readers come down with the flu EVER! I don't think anyone enjoys that "hit by a truck" feeling, but it would have been preferable to what I felt last week. So, now that I'm back to being able to move around, I realize that everything in my life is running about 10 days behind! The tree hasn't even come down yet! I must spend a couple of days trying to get back on schedule. I'm hoping that I can keep moving for most of today. I tried yesterday and pretty much collapsed around 3:00 and ended up taking a nap. I don't even like naps! Sheesh! And yes, I get pretty whiny when I am sick. It's a good thing that doesn't happen often -- T-man would probably start living in his workshop if it did.

In these first couple of weeks of the new year, I'm finding a lot of "resolutions" and "life-style change lists" amongst the blogging beaders on the world wide web. It's interesting to me that several people put "organizing my paperwork" and "organizing my workspace" right up there on top. It's nice to know that there are others like me -- unorganized, creative folks who just want to make stuff. Don't you just hate it when real life intrudes?? So, what are your beady/artsy/creativity inspired goals for 2008? Please don't be shy. Share with us. Come on. You know you want to.

Yuck Again

Isn't it pretty? That's what an influenza virus looks like. I could so bead something like that. Maybe I should. Yes, it's official. The doctor sent me home with prescriptions for the sinus infection, orders for OTC drugs for congestion and an order to get lots of fluids and rest. I should start feeling better tomorrow. All I know is that right now I am totally wiped out and all I have done is take my medicine and type a few emails. Yuck. Oh, and it's going to be in the mid-70s today, perfectly sunny, a great day for a motorcycle ride. (insert pout here) I'll be back on Monday.

Yuck, Oh Yuck, and Yuck

Okay, I've got an appointment with the medicine man today. I'm starting to forget what it feels like to be human. I truly hope that Clara's comment from yesterday holds no weight with what's going on inside of me. Not the flu, not the flu, not the flu, NOT THE FLU!!! I have many important things to do, interesting places to go, wonderful people with whom to schmooze!

Margot has started doing video blogs, and I just love them. T-man made the comment last week "I bet you want to start doing that. You would just love it." For a brief second, I truly considered it, but then my personal reality hit me upside the back of my head. Those of you who know me well are familiar with my aversion to having my image captured by the strange shiny thing simply because I don't believe that I am photogenic. Plus (oh and I mean that soooo literally) since I am a "full figured" gal, I'm not in any hurry to see myself in a video, taking up the entire shot, on the world wide web. But go watch Margot -- she is very comfortable behind the camera, her topics apply to artists across the board, and by golly, she's cute and the vlog is just plain fun!

Crap, Just Crap, I Tell Ya!

Oh kids, that is exactly what I feel like. And I can't get hold of the doctor's office. I think today is their half-day, but I didn't get out of bed until after noon. Yes, I know, totally contradicting what I had planned. Gimme a break. The laryngitis has morphed into something else, and it has royally kicked my ass.

New Year's Day we had big excitement here on the prairie. There is nothing like greeting all your neighbors in the bright sunshine of the late morning on a holiday, except maybe greeting them by pounding on their doors to let them know there is a massive grass fire coming our way! It was a windy, windy day -- not the type of day to be burning trash or playing with fireworks (both of which have been mentioned as probable causes). We had six fire departments, half of which had to leave during fighting this fire to go put out an even larger one within the district. They evacuated all the houses from the burning residence just up to our street and on both sides of our main road, and believe me, we waited with bated breath. They did evacuate our end on the other side of the main road, and if it had caught any more houses, they probably would have taken us out, too. We all had things ready to throw in the cars so we could leave. It's amazing what my children decided they couldn't live without. Fortunately, no one was injured even though one house, one car, a few sheds and 20 or so acres burned. This was one of those times I'm glad T-man and I no longer do the VFD thing, although he's talking about doing it again. Kudos to the units who made it out here. I was impressed. And for those of you who are familiar with our place, 20 acres would be equal to all the houses and their respective land on our street. Incredible. Of course, breathing all the smoke didn't help me at all.

Have I ever admitted to you that I am a geek? A nerd? Both geek and nerd? Yes, it's true. I made passable grades without trying. It blows my mind to think what might have happened had I truly applied myself. So along the lines of nerdy geekdom, I have a link for you. It is to the Lake Superior State University's annual list of words of phrases that should be banished. It takes a minute to load. I love it. It had one of T-man's favorite peeves and a couple of my own. And no, I was not an English major, but I did major in French with a very close minor in Spanish, and a smattering of Italian, a few words in Latin, German and Japanese. Yes, I admit it. During college I was a practicing polyglot, not to mention aspiring linguist and novelist. Those were the days, my friend.

Now, for the rest of my day, I'm going to do what I can to ease the unending throb between and behind my eyes, clear my stuffy nose and ease my nasty cough. How many hot showers can a body safely take in one day? But wait, T-man was fixing the hot tub yesterday. Hmmm . . .

Happy trails!