A feather in my Cap

 

I was super thrilled when Marcia DeCoster said she would like to do a blog on me. It's one of those things that happen to you, that makes you feel really great about what you do....and then a touch anxiety creeps in because you are also being "exposed" to people who have not heard of you before! But, it is very exciting because I do know, this is the next big "Push" in my life, in a series of pushes I have embraced in the last 14 months. 

I am mulling something over at the moment, but it needs some very careful concideration for me to make the right decision. If I decide to go ahead, there is then whether I downsize the idea or not........curious? Me too!

Thank you Marcia. Your philosophy of sharing knowledge is the same by which I try to live my own life. These are the keys that lead to true joy, happiness and great success :)

          

                                     Read Marcia's Blog

             

Hindia, the changelling

(C) Heather Collin, Studio183 and Dreamweavers Studio

(C) Erika Phister, Eliana Maniero and Sabine Ferrandino

 

(C) Gerlinde Fromont

When I finally got to list my newest pattern Hindia, I certainly hoped for, but was super delighted at the fabulous response it received. I love how colors can transform the feel of the piece and how each beader has put their own stamp on it.

(C) Birgit Bergemann, Kirsten Biermann and Nicole Blandin

(C) Sophie Jerez, Myriam Cheny and Nicole Vandenreydt

(C) Kimcap Beads, Peggy Heidrich and Sabine Ferrandino

Find this pattern on Etsy and Artfire

Beading Pantry

 
Being properly organized - what works for you?

It has taken a few years and some serious cash for me to to find that happy place and it all started in a hardware store. 

You know those upright plastic, pull out draws type of storage - the type meant for nuts bolts etc? I just about bought the place out when I embarked on my journey to organization. I loved the fact that colors and sizes where given their respective places and that I could pull a draw out at whim..........Hah!

It did not long for me to realize that the drawers were unstable and opaque, making them redundant! I had lost my feelings of deep love for them and realized that we had to part ways. The next step was to use clear plastic peanut butter jars (and some smaller ones) to hold my stock, which from the get go, I bought in bulk. Needless to say,  we parted ways as well and I know have a system that works for me and my erroneous purchases have been passed on.

My recent Aha! purchase was these wonderful pill containers. They are not those silly little small ones - these are meant for buttons etc. I have packed all my crystals and findings in these but the best part is my PALETTE BOXES!! The bulk of my stock is packed away in big roll around drawers but working stock is in smaller round containers, in division boxes on my shelves.

 



We all have a tendency to work in certain color ways and when I had to stay in the vicinity of my bed for 3 weeks (hysterectomy), I could not just walk out to my studio to get a bit of this or that. I had to get organized so I grabbed a few of the boxes and packed beads, thread and findings according to what I was going to make. It worked so well for me that I have never unpacked those boxes. They are the Flour, eggs and milk part of my beading pantry. Black and white? I grab that palette box and then add the extra bits required for that project. The beauty is, I already have 7 "Ingredients"" at hand but I do still manage to gather a lot of nonsense around me :)

So, back to the hardware store to find some more treasures! Beside buying various sizes of Circlips and washers (for my beading stash), I happened upon these small spring loaded clamps at the checkout counter.......I knew they would come in handy and sure enough, they are clamped to the top of my info board and house my chain and big reels of Nymo thread.  Let me tell you, THAT in itself has made a massive difference to my life. The thread is right there for me to pull off a wingspan without it tangling and snipping off a piece of chain with out having to do a Houdini on them......is BLISS :))