October has been a good month!

I am happy and proud to announce that I have been selected to teach four classes at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee in June 2015.

Two of the pieces are repeats from last year - Tzarina and Princess Maya - along with two of my newer items - Kenilworth Castle and Jeanne d'Arc,

Kenilworth Catle is directly inspired by a necklace that I saw in the series "The Tudors" - and made with a vintage German  glass piece that is a beautiful ruby red with glass pearls.  I love it.  Also, below, is "Chain of Office" - inspired by the same series.  I would have submitted this piece to Bead & Button also, but I finished is about 2 weeks after the due date!  I will be teaching this at Stony Creek Beads in Ypsilanti in about 3 weeks.

This same week, I found out that Bead & Button magazine has a picture of my tiara on page 17 of the "Your Work" section (page 17) and on line at here.  I've known for sometime that this was going to be published, but I don't know for certain which issue.

Should I create a new tiara?  I have an idea in my mind, but should I?  I mean, how many did I need??

I spent last weekend in Northern Michigan working at a conference (this was the view out the window), 50 hours in 4 days!  Yikes.  But with what I have earned, I am able to hange out with my girlfriends in California for a week without feeling guilty about the money.  My goodness, I love these ladies - they help me stay grounded.

Yes, I am having a good month.

Bead & Button 2014 - Part 2

I won’t be hushed, I won’t be shushed.

But what I say I saw I saw.

I know my rights, I know the law!

I love it when I walk through the hotel corridors and see people that I have met through the years due to assisting Marcia – and they seem happy to see me.  I invaded breakfast one morning with Nancy and Mary – both from Chicago.   Mary even signed up for one of my classes – Princess Maya.

Later that evening there was a small gathering of mostly seed bead instructors, which was a huge blast.  We laughed and cried, shared secrets and lies; and told stories.  For me it was one of the highlights of the week.  Shout out to Jayshree Paramesh who brought henna “paint” for us!  So cool!

Saturday evening was the coveted TOHO party where I was Marcia’s guest.  It’s held at the Intercontinental Hotel, just a short walk away.  It’s a very nice event, with nice goodie bags.  What a nice group of people are at this event.

And Julie (you know who you are) wants the down and dirty gossip from Bead and Button – let’s see:  

·        I was called into the principal’s office

·        I called someone a bad name

·        I called someone else a bad name

·        I ate roasted garlic the night before a class.  No one complained (they could be all dead, though)

·        I swore in Arabic and Ming (from California) tried to teach me bad words in Chinese

·         I introduced myself to someone who I am FB friends with and he looked at me like I was from another planet and had no clue who I was (okay, lets me know that he doesn’t read my FB posts cause I do look like my pictures)

·        I was introduced to the same woman for about the 6^th time and I still don’t think she knows who I am (I have given up saying that we have met before)

·        I (along with two other beaders who I was chatting with) witnessed a woman tripping over the power cord taped to the floor of the second floor convention center to turn on one light bulb in a display (she went down hard). Fortunately one of the women I was with is a nurse and took control until security showed up. 

·        Even better?  Security tripped over the same cord!!  We made certain she was okay, filled out my witness report (including the fact that the guard tripped on the same cord).  The next day, the cord was GONE.

All of my classes went extremely well, my students were great, took my sense of humor with a grain of salt.  Projects went well with only a few little hiccups in the instructions.And then it was over.  I can’t wait for next year!

This might be the best picture from the show!

Bead and Button Week – June 2014 – part 1

Bead and Button Week – June 2014 – part 1

This year Bead &Button was a whirlwind of activity as I was a faculty member for the first time!  That was exciting enough for me, but I decided to take the journey to Milwaukee early so that I could have some good girlfriend time with Janice, Tracy and Marcia.

Traveling is always an experience that I enjoy.  This year was no different.  Leaving the train station in Dearborn (thanks Tom for dropping me off at an ungodly early hour), I was very excited.  Remind me next year (should I be selected for classes) that I need to only travel with ONE suitcase!  The train pulled into Chicago when things became interesting.  The train that was earlier than mine was missing!!  Short version – I was put on a tour bus, very comfy, and took the bus north to Milwaukee.  The best part of it was that I was able to snooze on the bus!

I loved rooming with Janice and Tracy – I don’t think that we could stop talking if we had to.  It had been a year since we were together and it worked really well.  Of course, Tracy and I had seen each other at Beading by the Bay in March – that was our practice rooming together!  Dinner that evening with our Marcia made it even better!  We were joined by Anne Mitchell and Beki and Shawn Haley of Whim Beads.

Photo by Anne Mitchell

Tuesday was my hang out and relax day.  I didn’t have any classes scheduled so I had breakfast with Beki and Shawn, I surprised Marcia with coffee (we talked about it last night with Tracy and Janice).  Marcia sent me a text with her order as a joke, so of course I had to get it for her.  Love my Marcia.  While in her classroom, I met several beaders that I have known over the years through her classes and some new friends, including Helena Tang-Lim from Manek-Manek Beads.  She has a great eye for color and has designed some awesome pieces of beadwork.  While chatting with Helena, I met Sunyoung Park-Hoffman (of Ezel Findings, maker of a great new travel bead mat) and her sister (who traveled from Korea!).

I was able to hang out with many friends for a while at the “Gathering Place” and see Mandi and her friend Ralonda, spend some quality time with Nikia and view the fabulous Crown Rings – they are stunning and I can’t wait for the pattern to be released!  Stunning, stunning, stunning (Should I say that again?).  I was a little disconcerted to see what appeared to be someone teaching one of her kits in the Gathering Place.  I hope what I saw was that they just decided to all do the same kit at the same time, but that’s certainly not what it looked like. 

Janice sketching at lunch.

I ran into Sabine Lippert and Claudia Schumann who invited me to lunch with them.  We had a nice time chatting about everything and nothing (and thank you again for my soda!).  Janice and I both had some free time during the day and managed to meet for a late lunch/early dinner and we decided on sushi from Kiku – which is walking distance from the convention center and the hotel.  It’s so good there!!  Unfortunately, it’s not the best looking place, but the food is good, it was quiet and cool.

My first B&B teaching of Dalal’s Dream was that late afternoon and I had 9 students.  It was a really good experience for me to have such good students; everyone was having a good time and looking forward to “Meet the Teachers” that evening.  It was a rush to break down class at 7am, rush to the convention center, and set up by 8pm.  I managed to do it quickly, steal some hugs from friends, and be back in place.  Since I didn’t have a stock of items to sell, I didn’t try and just have things to sell – I made the conscious decision to just meet people.  It was a great experience - I met so many people, received hugs and good wishes - it was so nic.

Amy Blevins rocking out with the tiara

Meet the Teachers exhibit with the Taj Mahal, bead embroidered purse,
along with the Tiara and matching necklace

Beading by the Bay 2014 - Part 2

We woke again in San Francisco, and this was going to be a great day!  Major site seeing was planned.  After a nice breakfast and packing, we once again figure how to pack our mini van and off we drove.  Dot did an excellent job of maneuvering through the streets of San Francisco and over the bridge we went.  Our first stop was Marin Headlands on the north side of the Golden Gate bridge!

This was a great spot for photos of the San Fran skylines and the bridge.  Well, except that the sun was shining when we got there, but the fog rolled in.  And FAST.

Dot is looking for the top of this monster tree.  This picture really shows how large they are.

Following our quick stop at the bridge, we drove north to Muirwoods National Forest to see the Redwoods!  This has been a great visit for me and crossing off items of the bucket list (crossing Golden Gate Bridge – Check!  Redwood Forest – Check!).  We waited in the parking lot for our last member to join us! Beki Haley of Whim Beads, who doesn't live very far from Muirwoods.  

Front: Liz, Sue, Tracy
Back: Cyn, Dot, Sharon
Not seen:  Beki (taking picture)

We wandered down the meandering path in awe of these beautiful giant trees.  The further removed from the parking lot, the quieter the noises became almost as if the trees were absorbing the sound.  These trees are massive, and not even the largest redwoods in California.  If my Dawn Redwood in the garden grows to 1/5 of their size, that is going to be a large tree.

A quick drive north and west of there brings us out to the coast and Stin, where Beki prepared a wonderful picnic lunch.  It's funny - the northern girls (Dot, Sue and I) thought the weather was wonderful.  Sharon, who now lives in Tucson, was freezing.  And Cyn, Beki and Tracy (California and Seattle) thought "Oh, jeesh, rain again"!!

I give you the "Taj Mahal"

Well, I certainly took my time with this piece.  From what I can tell I have been working on the Taj Mahal on and off for just under 5 years, yes - 5 years.  Why so long?  Other pieces kept getting in the way, but I needed to finish this.

I love the pictures I have seen of the Taj Mahal and was inspired to work on it from those pictures.  Several of my favorite residents from over the years are originally from India (giving me the inspiration also for Ganesha, another bead embroidered piece) and what better way to acknowledge the changes in my life due to them.

August 2009 through May 2014

I shouldn't feel so bad that it took so long.  The original Taj Mahal took over 20 years to build, and includes marble from around the world.

You can see progress photos of this work through time by visiting the link here:
http://thebadliz.blogspot.com/search/label/taj%20mahal

The Taj Mahal started construction in 1632 after Mumtaz Mahal died during the birth of her 14th child.  The Emperor Shah Jahan described the Taj Mahal:

Should guilty seek asylum here,

Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.

Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,

All his past sins are to be washed away.

The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;

And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.

In this world this edifice has been made;

To display thereby the creator's glory.

Bead & Button Annual Report 2013 – “We are kind of a big deal”

I love going to the Bead & Button show in Milwaukee every year.  I love seeing people that I haven’t seen in a year – people that I enjoy talking with and also making new beady friends.  Here are some of my highlights:

This was a special year at the Bead & Button show in Milwaukee.  My friend and mentor, Marcia DeCoster, was selected to give a “Master Class” in the field of seed beads and used the theme “Playing with Possibilities.”  Since last October several groups of beading assistants have been beading a playground of five components for the participants to use during the Master Class.  There was friendly banter between many women that I have know in a classroom setting for the last several years and getting to know them just a little better in a three day session was really nice.  It was wonderful to see the variety of designs that were put together with all the participants – some very new and original.  Even though I had been beading these components since last fall, it was refreshing to see them again with “new” eyes.

Tracy and I have a hard cider - thank you to Marcia for the picture.

I loved seeing good friends, Janice Berkebile and Tracy Stanley – it’s always a laugh or three or eight with them.  Janice – don’t forget to send me the picture of our collaboration project (hint, hint).  This is going to be fun.  New friend, Gabriella von Diepen, who I met through Marcia, is so friendly and personable, that she fits right in with our crowd.  Gabriella also rocked an award in the Bead Dreams Competition with her mask which won third place.  Way to go, girl!

We had lovely meals at our usual table in the Hilton Chop House – the Chop salad is pretty tasty, and the lobster mac and cheese is to die for.  Our favorite bartender, David, has moved on to his own restaurant called “The Noble” just south of downtown Milwaukee (if you are looking for a new place to try, this is a good one and you have to try Mom’s Butter Cake for dessert).  Marcia and I walked to a sushi/Japanese/fusion restaurant in The Third Ward called Kanpai and had a wonderful dish of Bibimbap – one of my favorite Korean dishes.  I wonder if I found the stone bowls on Ebay, would it be the same.  I had a nice dinner with the European group at Calderone’s – Sabine, Elke, Martina, Petra, Sian, Lyn, Gabriella, Marcia and I.

What did I notice at the show?  Steam punk seems to be dead in the water – there were hardly any booths featuring this.  Remember for the last few years, the ceramic little Peruvian animals that many vendors have had?  I think that I saw one vendor and they were on clearance.  Pearls are still huge, many sizes and styles of Chinese crystals dazzled the eyes, but I stayed away.  Fish leather continues to be popular – from $15 to $21 a piece.  One vendor with fish leather also had sting ray leather which looked awesome, but it wasn’t priced.  You know if you have to ask, I can’t afford it.  Crystals – vintage crystals is again what I found to tempt me the most.  There were two vendors with stock that I loved.



Thank you to Maria Rypan for taking the photo

On Thursday night was a “Meet the Teachers” event, which is many of the instructors under one roof, featuring their different work.   Marcia had prepared a tunic for me to wear this year, which was so special!  Marcia used Hot Fix Swarovski crystals to put “The Bad Liz” on the back of the tunic.  What fun!  I posted on Facebook that I remembered going through “Meet the Teachers” the first time and being very in awe of everyone and their work, too timid to talk with the instructors and the size of the crowd.  This year, it was surprising to see how many instructors that I personally know and how many of them know me (and remember my name).  This night, I not only rocked my tunic, but I had on my crystal and seed bead tiara.  Every Elizabeth needs a tiara…

There was also a social gathering of many instructors one evening – it was just a special way to get to know everyone just a little better – more than just a Facebook interface.  I knew many of the instructors via classes from the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild and from my many years of going to the Bead & Button show.  Some of the instructors were new acquaintances and it was so nice to put a real face to them.  It was really a wonderful evening and hopefully a new tradition at the show.

 

All in all, I have to say that this might have been the best show, even though there were NO celebrity sightings…

Finding Cool Clothes (or Alfred Dunner Hell)

Being a "plus" size woman, I first need to find the appropriate department in a "Big Box" store.  Once found, I usually shake my head at the location: between Petites and Fitness (at least at my Macy's and Kohl's) - it's usually tucked in the back corner of the store, by returns.  Whose bright marketing idea was that?

Once looking through the racks and being struck smack in the face with "Alfred Dunner" hell:  Oh gods, I hate those clothes....

I understand that some women love these clothes - I must not have those genes 

• Embroidered necklines (how the heck can someone wear an art necklace with this neckline??)
• Elastic waist tapered pants (and sadly I know someone who still wears these?)
• Caribbean resort wear with drinks or flamingos
• Horizontal stripes - in plus size clothes?  WTF?  (Just stab me in the eye)
• Embroidered kittens chasing butterflies on the front of the sweatshirt with the picot lace on the collar
• Stripes with an overlaying print
• Flowered necklines

Why is it so hard to find cool, artsy clothes at a reasonable price for women?

I have found a few items here and there that are funky and hip.  With a tagword of "lagenlook" I have found some really nice ideas to look for.

In one of my fav pieces, I wore it on a cruise and at a graduation ceremony (and I am still shorter than Dr. Salami) and now to work on a regular basis

The above tunic is from one of my favorite places right now is from Coco and Juan - reasonable cost and quality that will wear well - but at the price, I can replace it in a couple of years.

What are some of your favorite place to shop for fun, funky, reasonably priced clothing? 

Beading by the Bay part Dieux

Beading by the Bay was and will continue to be one of the highlights of 2013.  I have wonderful memories and I am so fortunate to be part of this great groups of beaders (even though Huib Petersen's class kicked my beading butt).  In the evenings, as I sit in my studio and bead after 9 hours at the hospital, my eyes are distracted by some of the goodies that we received at the retreat.

Books!  We received books again this year from Lark Publishing - one was "Making Wire & Bead Jewelry:  Artful Wirework Techniques."  I was so excited when I saw this book that I might have squealed outloud.  Another book was Ray Hemachandra's "Showcase 500 Beaded Jewlery" which is part of the 500 series.  I especially like this book because I know so many wonderful artists who are featured in this book and a good handful were at the BBTB. Now if I would have remembered to have them sign their pieces in the book, this would become a priceless part of my book collection, however, I thought of that when I got home. It’s a wonderful book and I love it.

The door prizes donated by Swarovski Elements are wonderful. I received a set of six boxes of Swarovski collections – elements that work together by color or texture. It’s so wonderful that I am just looking at everything now – not even using them. But I will. I can’t let these crystals sit in boxes for years. They would get so lonely.  Spread on the tables at the dessert reception was an array of wonderful crystals of all sizes, shapes, colors and oh, the sparkle….

At our table, we were very organized and polite about it. To make the magic last even longer, we took turns picking out what we like and wanted. First we put what we coveted in front of each of us. It was easy as we all wanted something different. I wanted two oval crystals that will be a pair of earrings in the near future. Cyn wanted some pearls. So Cyn, Jules, Dot, Sharon, Sue, Beki and I all picked our favorites out of what was on the table – other beaders were laughing at us, but we enjoyed it and had fun.

The final picture is of the "Wild Girls" as Marcia has called us or the "G'nomes" that Cyn Bicker has named us. I used photoshop to add Dot to the picture (as she was behind the camera but belongs in it). From the left - Sue, Liz, Lisa, Cyn, Sharon (barely visible), Beki (hiding), Jules, and Dot

Not to change the subject, but  BBTB and BBTB are the same.  One is “Beading By the Bay” and the other is “Bitchen’ Biker Turkey Buzzards” which has been a beading group on the internet for more than 10 years. Is this a coincidence? Or pre-determined by the gods? Ancient Alien connection? Perhaps a little of all of the above….

How do we get where we are at?

Have you ever wondered how you got to where you are in life? How little decisions can change the whole path of who you are and where you are now and where you might be going. Behind the knowing where you are going, is the trail of how you got to where you are now.
Me? I work at a hospital, I get to tell doctors what to do (sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t – that’s their path and I need to stop worrying about what they do). I also create art with tiny little pieces of glass, crystal and thread. How did I get here? Let’s see if I can trail back through my life to the beginning of me. Let’s say to the beginning of the adult me – prior to that, much (but not all) of your life decision are made by your parents.
Beads? I picked up beads because one day at the hospital, one of the doctors came up and showed me how to make earrings. I said to myself “if she can do that…”, the rest is history. Because of the beads, I joined the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild. Because of the guild, I have met some really good friends and instructors who have become friends (Marcia, Janice, Tracy, Cyn, Dot, Sue, Sharon, and so many others). Because of the guild, I met Marcia DeCoster who has become a good friend, a perfect mentor and has pushed me (sometimes kicking and screaming) to become a designer, instructor and mentor to others.

How did I end up at Henry Ford Hospital? While working at a hospital in Pontiac, MI, I became friends with one of the Merck drug company reps – Mark. Mark was a really good guy and told me about a job opening at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. I applied for that job and started working in the infectious diseases clinic. 6 months after working there (and bored), the position opened in the Internal Medicine Residency – again I applied and I was hired.


Lisa, Liz and Dr. Mario Njeim


Alan? Because of a series of less than successful romances, I put in a singles ad in a small rag called “Less Than a 10 Singles” – I received dozens of letters and met 4 of the men. Although Alan started out as bachelor #4, he is #1 right now.

How did I get a job at a hospital? Because I left my first husband (the practice husband) after moving back to Michigan from Germany and I needed a job. A friend told me about an opening at Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit and I applied for the position in the Internal Medicine Residency program and was hired. I learned that I love working with doctors – especially residents. After a couple of years, I was transferred to another position due to cut backs and I hated that job. I then applied for, was hired and transferred to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital doing the job that I love – with the boss from Mount Carmel coming there 3 months after I transferred.



Dr. Mayank Shah and I at Mount Carmel Hospital

  I had a military life? Because I married my first husband while he was stationed in Germany, I worked for the military as a civilian. I did love living overseas, and might have stayed if the opportunity presented itself.

My father, myself, Tim and my brother Jim in a Tube stop in London

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

How I met my first husband? Because I went to my 5th year high school (Go Redford) reunion and he sat at a table with all women (okay, he’s not going to pass that opportunity up). My friend Lori told me he was an ass and to ignore him. I never listened to Lori.
How did I go to the reunion with Lori? Because I was dating a guy who was pissed that I was going and he wasn’t – even though he was asked to go with me, he didn’t want to. Sadly he was killed in a robbery at a gas station in Detroit a few years ago. RIP Adel.

How did I happen to start dating that guy? Again, because of Lori, who was dating his roommate at the time. She suggested that we go to a concert (and I didn’t know that HE was going) – it was Journey or Rod Stewart at Joe Louis Arena. We had dated previously, talked about getting married, but broke up and Adel married another woman.
So, if I hadn’t been dating Adel, he wouldn’t have gotten mad that I was going to my reunion with Lori, and I wouldn’t have met Tim and married him, moved to Germany. Then, I wouldn’t have divorced him, gotten a job in a hospital, met and married Alan. Nor would I have met a doctor who made earrings who put that statement in my head “I can do that”.
Who knows where I would be right now?  I could be putting crochet tops on dish towels.

Daring, eh?  Showing a little leg.

Beading By The Bay 2013

I enjoyed myself at Beading by the Bay 2012 so much, I knew immediately that I was going to sign up again for 2013.  I managed to talk three good friends into going with me which made it even more special.


Dot. Sharon and Sue

 Sue and I had an adventure in even getting to San Francisco.  I was printing the boarding passes when I noticed that the date was changed.  TO THE DAY THAT I WAS PRINTING THEM!  Once I convinced Sue that I wasn't kidding and that we were flying out in 4 hours, we raced to the airport, got through security, and found our gate.  Whew, we made it!  Wait - flight is delayed.  Now we have time for dinner, but we might not make our connecting flight at Denver.  Snow storm coming so we decide to get out of Detroit and deal with Denver.  Once at Denver, we run like OJ Simpson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W1hnR3kLwo ) in an airport commericals to make our connecting flight.

You know when you are sitting on a plane and waiting and waiting and waiting and finally those last passengers get on the plane (and they are looking frazzled) - that was Sue and I.  We didn't even have seat assignments.  Sue was placed in row 1 while I ended up in row 176.  I don't think it was quite that bad, but it was at the back end of the plane.  Whew, we made it.... Even more amazing?

Our luggage made it.

Of course the next morning, we are up at the crack of dawn, because we are still on an east coast clock.  After double checking that we indeed were in California, with our luggage, we sighed a deep sigh and started vacation.

Later that day, Dot Lewellyn from Columbus, OH and Sharon Hessoun from Tuscon, AZ flew in and the group was complete.  We had a nice lunch and dinner in Burlingame, CA, lots of laughs and chuckles and then to sleep!

Off in the morning to wipe things off my bucket list and during our two days of touring, we saw so much:  San Francisco, Golden Gate bridge, Chinatown, Cable Cars, Sea Lions at Fisherman's Wharf, and more.  What a whirlwind of excitement

Following our days of being a tourist, we buckled down to our main objective - Beading by the Bay.  Marcia and Susan put on such a nice retreat.  We had three great instructors this year; Marcia (of course), Huib Petersen and Sabine Lippert with some beautiful classes.  It's just a chuckle-fest.  It was nice seeing faces of persons that I met last year and hopefully will again next year.

Inspiration and Exploration

Several months ago, I thought of a great book idea - coronation or royal jewelry in seed beadwork,  I have been toying with several ideas and pieces over the last several months, including the inspiration for a  piece that I just finished.  See the medallion in the center?  I could see it in my mind, but wasn't certain.

 (p.s.  I have misplaced my reference for this photo - I know it's around here and I will credit and link to the original when I can find it)

How was I going to do this?  Brick, peyote, RAW?  Nope, bead embroidery.  I drew up a sketch with some ideas that I thought was going to work?  Crystal chain?  Yes,this was going to be my friend with this piece.  I cut the base out of a bead embroidery base fabric, glued and sewed the chain down.  I beaded around this and ended up cutting the round bits off the piece.  I realized that I was going to have to bezel some 39ss rivolis for the corners, which are then joined with the 3-bead picot that is around this piece.  A 14mm glass pearl is in the center of the piece with layers of square stitch beading to give it height.

It was finished this afternoon (except maybe for a pearl pendant at the bottom) and I think that I captured the essence of the piece.  I adapted a bail at top, replacing the crown that was in the original.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Memories of Istanbul - the traveling bracelet saga continues

...While I have heard about the traveling bracelet on Facebook, and peeked into the blog to see what was going on, I didn't believe that I would be fortunate to become part of this fun story.  Several months ago, Dot Llewelyn (Speedy Beader) and I made plans to take classes at 1 Stop Beads in Columbus, Ohio when we knew that Marcia DeCoster would be there - what fun!  Sadly, I had done both the projects that were being taught - what's the sense of me signing up again!  (not independently wealthy).  I decided to let Marcia know what we were planning and what she thought.  Ends up that I assisted Marcia for the class days and hung out with Dot at the same time.  What a winning solution.



Marcia and I perform a handoff of the bracelet

Marcia was in receipt of the Memories of Istanbul bracelet and asked me if I wanted to be part of the journey that this bracelet would take - and we could do a hand-off, instead of mailing while I was in Ohio!!

The bracelet was with me while I tried my first beer in a Greek restaurant in Columbus.


At the border learning about Michigan and how it becme a state

 So the bracelet is now in my possession and I promise - no crack houses while in Detroit.


The Amazing Adventures of the Traveling Bracelets

2012 Bead and Button Show

Very late in my update of the show - and it was a really nice show this year. I don't know why I felt that it was so relaxing (more than other years), when actually I didn't have lots of time to visit with friends that I had just met in March (which was a bummer). But I came home relaxed, energized and ready!   The above picture is my traditional "stash" picture showing my purchases for the trip.  I did really well this year, stayed within budget!

Amy Blevins and I cut up in the Miller Time Pub! 

And here, Martina and I share a quiet moment with a sneaky Marcia peeking in behind us!

 Marcia kicked me out of class one day as all the beaders were doing an amazing job and she didn't need me (sob!).  So to bury my sorrows, Sue and I went to "Rudy's Mexican" by the river in Milwaukee.  Yum!  And a $5.00 Margarita!  Love.  It.

 I don't think that Amy Blevins and I will be allowed to be together without a chaperone again.  We managed to act like fools to get a photo of our celebrity sighting of Amy Winehouse (RIP).  But it was great fun, lots of giggling and behaving as if we hadn't grown up.  Wait.  Maybe I haven't.

 Marcia and I at the very popular Toho party - what a really nice gathering of some of the finest seed bead artists in the country.  Yes, that was a little pink in my hair as I "channel my inner Marcia"!

   Sabine Lippert tells me a little secret about something that was pretty funny at the time!  (Perhaps she was correcting my pretty bad German with my funny accent)

Marcia does a demo for Toho Beads at their booth on the last day of the show.  She looks awesome in her red tunic, I think!

And Tracy and I hug goodbye!  Such a sad thing to say when I know I won't see her for a year (unless I up and move to Seattle).