"Use the Muse" Contest

I am really excited to have been a part of the "Use the Muse" contest. It made me use colours and beads in a combination that I normally wouldn't try. My necklace was started, torn out, restarted and torn out again. The third try worked. I really am happy with the way that the daggers spread out on the ring; the crystals, pearls and bugles lay on the ring, and the subtle colours in the beads and Russian spiral necklace.

I completed my work, duely took pictures and sent them off to be judged. Within several hours, I received a phone call from Scarlett about my submission pictures. (Scarlett! Called me!! Actually called me. Someone from a magazine called me....)

Turns out that there were one or two kits that didn't include the muse.....I was one of the lucky ones. My assumption that the muse was the brass lock charm was incorrect. Scarlett and I talked for quite while - I did my best to assure her that I was okay with what happened. I wouldn't blast her on my blog or bad mouth her to anyone that would listen. Scarlett mailed me the "muse" to see if I could incorporate it into my design.

When I did receive the muse, I looked at it, turned it over, placed it on my necklace, moved it, debated and made my decision. I was happy with the way that my piece looked without the muse and decided that I wouldn't have a piece in this contest. My decision, my call.

I was thankful for the opportunity to "design" my own piece using items that I would never have picked up in a bead store. I learned that I can made something that I really like, love even with items chosen for me and it made me think outside that "box" that I am so comfortable in. As a result, I think that my artistic box is a little larger!

Round Robin Loomatics Project Finished!!

Mr. Moose left my home in January 2008 and returned in early 2009. I finished my portions of Magical Moose (non-gender specific) just this evening and proudly show it to the world.

Thank you to Deb, Sue, Sandy, Sharon, Diane, Jeanette, Kate, Linda and Madeline - this was an awesome year long project that I enjoyed working on. I hope all of the above, and Tamaya - who didn't get a chance to work on my piece - love their results the way that I love Magical Moose

John Wilker

*Dad, the summer of 2007, with his sister Dorothy.

The following is what my stepbrother wrote about my dad Just after his death. It's a beautiful tribute for the last 20 years of his life. Prior to that Dad was married to my Mom for 42 years. In this day and age, it's different to hear of someone married for 62 years!

We had a gathering at my sister's house on Sunday - which was really nice for the family as the actual memorial service will not be until mid-April. My cousins were there - you know the ones that you would like to get to know better, but your lives keep you apart. I guess that there are a bit of friction between my mother and my uncle - so we didn't visit but once a year (sad, too as they only live 90 miles away).

Peacefulness, The final moments, In memorium ... but finally just the tribute; "John Wilker"

As you may already know he died peacefully at 6:56 (CST) this morning (2/24). In retrospect his struggle was short, yet it seemed like forever. He lived a vigorous life traveling this hemisphere with my mother until 3 weeks ago. I do not know many 87 year old men that could drive that big RV and keep it constantly tinkered with and in shape. I saw a man that loved my mother, as she loved him. Being there to watch their love as he lay in an ICU hospital bed, semiconscious, struggling to breathe, unable to move or communicate was a very emotional experience for me....

However it became readily apparent that the stroke left him with no chance of recovery to the vital person he was. In fact it left him with being kept artificially alive via medications and artificial feeding to give him a chance at a recovery that was not to come. Consequently Mom and I came to respect his expressed desire to not merely be alive with no "quality" of life. His death less than 24 hours after withdrawing all medical support shows how poor that quality would have been.
Mom is at peace with the decision and process. Obviously she needs our support as she adjusts to her life without her loving husband and companion....

I celebrate the 20 years my mother had with your father following the loss of my father and your mother.

We ended up telling Dad and Patsy stories, laughing while sharing part of his life with each other. Now you have to remember that my step-mom is also my ex-husband's mother, which really puts a wrench in the works at times, but I believe that we have gotten over that (well, at least I have) portion of our lives...

Dad - I'll miss you - you are in my heart for eternity. I'm glad that we learned to say "I love you" and hugs from the O'Brien side of our clan.

Patsy, thank you for taking such good care of my father during his second childhood. You had a strong influence on Dad and I love you for watching him and taking care of him.

Finished!!

I finished my "Parisian Pendant" necklace yesterday evening, and wore it to work today.

It's so pretty.

Thank you Dallas - what a great design, instructions and patience in the classroom.

Bead Daze 2009

Dallas Lovett helping students in his Etruscan Bracelet class.

I've spent the several days voluntering for the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild at our annual Bead Daze - four daze of great instructors and classes! I have the opportunity to work with Dallas Lovett and take one of his classes. I haven't done much wire work, but the class that I took was stunning. I'll post a picture when I am done. Today was the last day of classes, and a day of about 4 inches of fresh snow for the instructors to play in....This is bead artists on Michigan coke - er snow.....

Jeanette Cook take aim.....

Kate McKinnon preparing to win the snowball fight....but notice Jeanette on the left packing a good one!

...And those of us from Michigan just do what we normally do.....deal with it....

Thanks to the GLBG for a great session.

Thanks to the instructors:

Dallas Lovett, Barb Switzer, Jeanette Cook, Gail Crosman Moore, and Kate McKinnon

for a great four days!

Use the Muse - seite zwei....

I think that I followed the directions of the "Use The Muse" contest correctly. I am showing a little corner of my piece. Just a teaser......

p.s. Not looking good with my father, but time is the revealer of all secrets. All we can do is wait and see.

Use the Muse....

....Since Dad is holding his own and I have wrapped my head around that whole situation that I can't control (why, why can't I run the entire world the way that I want??), I thought that I would post about something else that I love - those little bits of glass with holes in the middle.

I joined the "Use the Muse" contest and just put the finishing touches on my piece. It really came together better than I thought it would. I actually enjoyed this because it really made me think about beads that I didn't choose and how I should put them together. I added some from my own stash and I learned a new stitch, so I am happy with the piece as it came together. It was worth joining even if I don't win, but with so many talented beaders out there - it will be thrilling to see what everyone comes up with. Now to take some decent pictures.

Dad is stable - he's receiving great care in Southern Texas, and thank you to everyone who left a comment or emailed me. I'm hanging in there, at peace with my decisions and able to talk semi-intelligently with anyone about this now. Whew!

Life in a nutshell right now.....

(deep breath)

For my friends who aren't on Facebook, here is the skinny. I received a phone call Sunday afternoon from my step-mom, Patsy. She and my dad are wintering in Mission, TX - which if you were any further south, you'd be in Mexico. She let me know that my dad was in the ICU at McAllen Medical Center - about 10 miles from where they are staying. He has:

1. coronary artery disease (not unexpected - he's 87 years young)

2. atrial fibrillation (Atrial fibrillation or AFIB describes an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm. The irregular rhythm, or arrhythmia, results from abnormal electrical impulses in the heart. The irregularity can be continuous, or it can come and go), and

3. aspiration pneumonia (Aspiration is defined as the inhalation of either oropharyngeal or gastric contents into the lower airways. Inhalation of these contents can lead to aspiration pneumonia aspiration pneumonitis. Although these two entities are managed differently, they are often interchangeably referred to as aspiration pneumonia.)

He's actually been in the hospital for the last week because of the atrial fibrillation - which means that if your heart is supposed to beat at 70 beats a minute, his is going at 130. The faster that your heart beats, the less effective it works. During the last week, he told Patsy (my step mom) that she wasn't to call us "kids" and bother us with this because he's had the AFIB for years. Dad would call me last year, and tell me that he took another ambulance ride over the weekend and by the time they got the 60 miles to the hospital, his heart was normal again. He treated that like no big deal.

But over the weekend, Dad became disoriented in the hospital, fell, broke his nose (which is how he got the aspiration pneumonia because blood went into his lungs), and the catheter was pulled from his body. From that episode, he's become worse. He is now in an ICU bed, sedated, and intubated.

We are at the wait and see point.

Patsy does not want me to come to Texas. Her exact words were "You'd fly to Texas to sit next to someone who doesn't know that you are there - that's stupid" We are in contact 4-5 times aday.

On the bizarre side, I put a note on Facebook on Sunday - "Do I know any physicians in McAllen, TX?" - I received a note from one of my ex-residents who told me that one of my other ex-residents is on staff there and gave me his cell phone number. When I got a call back, this doctor told me that he actually saw my dad the day before when he was consulted about the blood that he was spitting up (to make certain that there was no internal bleeding - there isn't). He's promised to call me everyday with updates.

So, that's what's going on right now - I know, way too much information.
As you all know, I am not the most hugely religious person in the world, so I am not going to ask for prayers - but I am not going to exclude them either. I want what's best for him (even if that's not the best for me).

Bead Cruising!!!

I just heard that we are officially registered for the Beady Friends bead cruise to Alaska!! I am so excited about this! There are still some openings if you are interested! Don't have a roommate? The travel representative, Shelley, can put you in touch with other beaders traveling on their own - great way to make friends and save money!

We leave Detroit on May 15, leave Seattle on May 16 and have many exciting days beading and traveling!!

It's not time to pack - but it's certainly time to dream!!

Bead Journal Project - February 2008

Doesn't she look like she is doing the happy dance!??

Round Robin Project

In March of 2008, the beading group that I belong to, the Loomatics started a Round Robin Project. My project was, of course, a Moose. I wrote in my journal that traveled with the moose, that I chose the moose because it would "Fit in so well with my decor and [allow me} to see how my friends would bead a moose for me." In the back of the journal, I wrote my infamous quote about bead embroidery:

"Bead Embroidery? Why on earth would anyone want to do bead embroidery? It's f*&^%$g silly, what's the point of it? It doesn't make any sense. I hate bead embroidery!"

Moose came home on Friday night. I still have a little work to complete on it which is not expected because we didn't believe that the pieces would be finished, but have a little bit of my beading friends in the moose.

Didn't my friends do a great job? There are so many parts that I love about it.

Bead Journal Project

Once December was determined, January was an easy choice. January felt right in green, with a blue background! Something just fell into place. Now, February.........

Beading Magazines

It isn't often that I look at one of the beading magazines (Bead and Button orBeadwork) and find a project that I have to do immediately. This Feb/March 2009 Beadwork was different. There were two projects that I just loved.

Now, everyone knows my love affair with Marcia Decoster's work - it's not a secret, and I love, love love the Ellipse Necklace!! Started on Friday, finished Sunday morning using a different color scheme than suggested in the magazine and I just have the neckstrap to finish. I wore it to work today and received kudos for it.

The other piece was "the Alchemist's treasure" by Scarlett Lanson - how pretty is this spiral!! I think that I'll be starting that one really soon.

Kudo's to Beadwork for a great and inspirational issue.

December Project

For some unknown reason, I really like this one. It's plain stitching, nothing fancy, but I like the way that the beads lay out. December was a late start - in January actually, but once my idea hit me, I just went with it. January has about 4 beads on it so far......

Bead Journal Update - December has some progress

I've been watching a British television show called "Time Team" - it's a show that have been around forever and the other day I was watching a DVD. The show was talking about medieval floor tiles. There was my inspiration.....

2008 - Year in Review

2008

2008 - can it be over already?? It just started. I had a really rocky start to the year with my mother-in-law passing away on New Years Day (not a good start to any day....), but that was the lowest point of the year. Although she had dementia due to Alzheimer's, and it was a mixed blessing, she is still missed.



For my artistic side, it was a pretty good year:

• I received notice that I was in the 2008 Bead a Day Calendar (three days)
• I had my Korean Dragon accepted for publication in the August 2008 Bead and Button magazine. I have received emails from beaders around the world letting me know how much they liked this piece
• Nicole Campanella (Beadwright) accepted four pieces of bead embroidery in her book "Flatwork"
• I worked with Marcia Decoster as a teacher's assistant in Milwaukee in June. I also lied to her about the weather - it was scarey. But I wasn't going to let her freak out. Besides, John the bartender would have saved us if necessary.
• Simply Beads published an article on traveling beaders which featured a picture from the 2006 Bead Cruise, of which I am in.
  I finished the 2007/08 Bead Journal Project with Robin Atkins and company, and have started the 2008/09 Bead Journal Project.
• Our study group from the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild continues to meet. We worked on a round robin project this year, of which the projects should be coming home soon.
• I entered a funky pair of reading glasses into the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild challenge to Bead an Everyday object.
  

Alan and I had a good year - we went on our second Bead Cruise with Beady Friends in January, we found a campground that we like in Monroe, MI that was can get to in 1/2 hour for long weekends. We also camped for a week in Brighton as gasoline was too expensive to drive too far this year. The state park there is very nice.

Dad and Patsy are doing well and wintering in Mission, TX - enjoying not being in Michigan with all the snow this year.

I hope that your year was as good as mine was.

Bead Journal Project - November 2008

November project is finally finished. Just in time for December to be started.....and finished? Today? I don't think so.

New and Improved

Here is the finished card case from a design by Marcia Decoster. As you know, the first case disappeared somewhere, so I made another. This one I like better, with small 2mm Swarovski crystal rounds coming up the corners. Can you see the hint of bling?? Actually, this would be case #3, because I learned on case #2 that RAW has a "nap" (and I took that one apart). I plan to keep a tight hold of this one!!

p.s. Snow? Detroit has snow? Not after the record highs over the weekend. I have piles of ice and green grass. The dogs are fairly happy.

Detroit's Big Snow...

December 19, 2008. I could post the pretty pictures of my back yard, but I thought this one of the ruler in the snow (measuring 8.75 inches) and Chloe watching me, was all that was needed. Detroit gets snow, but 3 inches, 2 inches, maybe 4. We don't get a lot at one time.

This was a lot of snow for us. My 20 minute commute took 50, and when I drove one of my doctors to the airport, my 25 minute drive to the airport took an hour. But we got there safe, and actually faster than we thought.

2008 Bead Journal Project Completed!

Completely completed!! Several weeks ago, I framed the pieces in shallow shadow boxes from Joann, Etc. About 15 minutes ago, they were hung over my dining room window (please no comments about the dust on the blinds!! I don't have time to dust when I am beading!!) - I love them!