I used to spend my days off work (that’s from the paid job) catching up with errands and attending my beading. I always considered them ‘me’ days, no housework, no distractions, time to spend on what I want. Unfortunately, so far this year, the ‘errands’ have taken up all my time and except for getting ready for workshops and classes I haven’t done much in the way of ‘relaxing’ beading at all. That is until this week. For the first time I had a day to spend on what ‘I’ wanted to do and not what ‘everyone’ else wanted me to do.
I started the day with a quick trip down the street to buy some beads and pick up the paper. Spent a relaxing half hour having coffee and reading the said paper, then started to get myself ready for a session pottering in my beading room and starting on a new project. Then, I received a phone call. The organiser of the Bead and Gem shows called to ask if I was interested in teaching a second workshop at Sydney. Not having anything already prepared that I thought would be suitable I said, ‘leave it with me, I’ll get back to you later today’ (I’m not very good at saying ‘no’). So after an hour or so while working on a new beaded cab and consulting with my ‘advisor for all beady problems’ Anne Dundas online, I came up with a couple of options. Sent a picture of both back to the organisers and they chose one. So now not only will I be teaching spiral rope I will also be teaching African Helix!
At this point I had to abandon my beaded cab to start working on a sample for the African Helix as the deadline for information, kit price and photo was Friday! I worked on it all Monday afternoon and evening and then again last night and finally got it finished and priced and sent off the forms. Now I just have to pray for good light this afternoon so I can photograph it! I think it will be a good workshop, I just hope others think so as well.
and here it is!
All in all, even though it didn’t go to plan, it was a good beady day. I started something new, made a new plan, received some beady books via the courier that I had been waiting for and later in the day a parcel of beautiful sliders from the US.
I think you’d have to be happy with that!Cheers
Sharyn
I apologise for the large gap between entries. I’ve been spending most of my time working on the new room and not beading, well not much. Quick update on the house – the floor is now laid and I spent a whole weekend painting skirting and trims, took me from 9.30 to 4.30 on Saturday to paint them all and then on Sunday I got up and did it all over again! While I worked on the painting Brett worked on the floor. Now we just need the lights to go in and window covers and we are just about finished. Can’t wait to show the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos.
My good friend Tracy and I had a great time out at the ladies day at Bogan Gate. We arrived in town a bit early and so spent some time browsing in a lovely little gift shop there and made a few purchases. We drove around the corner to the hall and were in time for afternoon tea with lovely home made scones (one of the advantages of living in the country!). We set up for the workshop and then listened to an interesting talk given by a local physiotherapist on her life growing up in the Caribbean. The participants were then split into groups of eight and they rotated through four of the five activities available – a foot treatment, a talk on depression, a hand massage, scrap-booking and my table of beading. As I predicted it was full on, we managed to get everyone finished making their bracelet in the half hour, just! There was no time for stopping between groups, as one group finished the next was waiting to take their seats. The two hours just flew! I was so grateful when one of the organisers bought me a glass of water, I don’t think I stopped talking the whole time. I think that everyone went away happy with what they had made and the organisers were pleased. What did we learn? Well maybe that you shouldn’t put the beading activity after the hand massage, the poor ladies had a bit of a problem picking up beads with hand cream all over their fingers!
Something I have been playing with is making my own glass cabs, it’s been fun and I really like the results. I got a bit carried away and made about 40 of them!
Then I used two of them to make a pendant.
I’m quite happy with it, just need to finish the edges and decide what sort of band to put it on. I’m all fired up to do more now having just received in the mail today a book on Beading with Cabochons. Hopefully I will have more to show you soon!
Cheers
Sharyn
