So much for making goals for the year! Here we are half way through March and I’ve done nothing! Well, maybe that’s not totally true but it does feel like it sometimes.
The ‘First Monday of the Month’ beading group started in February and we had a really good turn up of 10 people. What surprised me the most was that six of those were new beginners! I had various kits made up – beginner, wire crochet, Spiral Rope, African Helix and again to my surprise everyone decided they wanted to try something new and so I was teaching three techniques at once! Possibly not the best thing to do but in the end it worked out well. Our second meet in March was just as good with most of the new beaders returning. We had nine this time and again everyone decided to do a kit! Most tried wire crochet and two the African Helix and it seemed to work out well. I’m hoping eventually people will bring their own work to do, otherwise I will have to keep one step ahead all the time creating kits! Not that that is a bad thing. Sometimes I need deadlines to get myself going.
On the home front I was feeling a bit lack lustre when it came to my beading and it was deadlines that got me going. Firstly, on the Beading Forum we had a seed bead Challenge which was themed “Bead a garden”. I had grand plans of making an amulet bag with a garden scene and lots of flower and leaves embellishment. I procrastinated for so long that I realised I didn’t have time for that and instead made a needle case. This is the first time I have created my own design (all my previous needle cases have been Jennie Might designs). I did graph it out but found I had to make changes as I went, definitely a good learning experience. To my delight my entry in the challenge won the popular vote, which considering all the other creative and fabulous entries was quite an achievement!
The other deadline I had was the latest Designer Quest (also from the Beading Forum). This is the one where everyone buys the same kit of beads and then creates. Usually I get the kit and then it sits there for weeks until I realise the due date is looming and I’m forced to ‘throw’ something together. This time however I had a bit of a play, left it out where I could see it for a bit and then it all just came together! I’m really happy with my design but now have to wait until after Easter for the posting date.
I buy lots of beading magazines (I love glossy Mags and beading magazines combines two great loves in one!). I always read through them and put lots of sticky notes on projects I’d like to have a go at. Usually that is as far as I get but recently I have made an effort to go back and try a few. It seems to have been the ‘push’ I need, after trying three new techniques my brain is buzzing with ideas on how to adapt these to designs of my own. Sometimes we just need a little push to get us going!
Finally, I was saddened to hear that the Perth Bead and Gem show has been cancelled due to lack of exhibitors. I was seriously thinking about submitting to do couple of workshops and going over but in the end time and finances deterred me. It must be so hard for the suppliers who did sign on to exhibit, I expect they would have ordered in supplies just for the occasions. I think as beaders it is important that we support our local Aussie suppliers, it’s so wonderful that we now have such a choice and range that is easily accessible here in Australia. Only by supporting them can we make sure that this resource continues to be available to us.
Cheers
Sharyn
