Single spiral lariats

Black ice lariat sold at a Christmas show at IUS in '04. The lady who purchased it was so excited I couldn't help but be happy to have sold it to her. She looked very sharp with it on!

This green lariat/body wrap is finished with Thai silver leaves and beads. While shown at a local gallery it drew quite a lot of compliments and oohs and aahs...which is always fun to hear about my work. Still available for sale, I'm looking for just the right person - someone who wants to stand out in a crowd, be noticed, be an individual on the street.

Leaves are cool...

These are another very popular earring design. I made the purple ones last year and have sold many, many colors since. I always get compliments and requests for color options when I wear these.

4th of July

Happy 4th of July! What a wonderful weekend we had. My brother and his family (wife and two children) moved from Memphis, TN to Warsaw, IN (near Fort Wayne) last month and invited us to join them for the weekend. Their place is on a beautiful lake and we spent most of our time out on the deckboat watching the youngsters try to hang on to their innertubes!

The fireworks display was absolutely wonderful...according to the kids. Personally, I don't care for fireworks. I'm not sure if its the noise or the repetition of patterns. Its just not something I'm into. So, I stayed at the house and listened when the kids came back to share the experience with me. I just love the young ones and their enthusiasm :)

Back to Normal...

whatever normal is! LOL

What a month this has been. First, my boss...the VP...was out for surgery, then one my three customer service reps was out for surgery, then it was decided that we would unveil a new division with its own catalog in May. Wow, I've been too busy to bead! Essentially, I was doing three jobs and loving every minute of it. What a challenge. I wasn't absolutely certain that we could do it, but as each day passed I realized that John (the other engineer) and I could handle the business. I must admit, though, that I am glad that both employees are back and able to take their workload back. I'm enjoying the break!

Now, on to the business of beading. Last year I decided that my company...by Char...would remain a part-time endeavor. I've been approached many times to grow it to a regional level, requiring me to attend shows in Ohio and Michigan, but I have resisted. I do not want to become a production person. I have found that my creativity is stifled and I become resentful when forced to complete a project. This is very interesting to me, because I am so customer focused at my day job. The customer comes first, satisfying the customer is the most important part of the business, etc. Yet, when it comes to my personal art, I simply cannot bead according to someone else's request.

So, I will continue to bead at my leisure and exhibit at local shows only. I will also sell wholesale to a few local boutiques. The teaching portion will continue to be done on a weekend basis, either through my local bead store or the customer's venue. I think this will allow me to continue to be creative, to sell my work on my terms, and to be focused at my day job.

Ready for Derby!

These earrings sure are popular! All sets are made with Swarovski crystals and either silver-lined beads or gold-lined beads. Actually, I made a pair that used both the silver and gold and they were gorgeous! These particular earrings were commissioned by a friend, since then I've sold quite a few in preparation for Derby next month. Look for more next year!

Love the Wave

This bracelet, made wtih 4mm carnelian rounds and gold-filled seed beads, was a breeze to make and sold the first time I wore it out. Finished with my favorite clasp...the snap clasp...it is currently being enjoyed by a very happy lady in Louisville.

Teaching gig didn't work out

The LBS teaching opportunity just isn't working out. The new management isn't taking much interest in my work or classes and doesn't comply with my requests to contact me when people inquire about the classes. They seem to think that if a class is described it is scheduled - which it is not - and that if a student shows up I should be able to drop everything and teach on the spot. I don't think so! The classes are scheduled for a reason - to accomodate my day job. It will always be this way because my day job is the priority.

So, I'm no longer affiliated with that bead store. Instead I think I'll offer myself to the community in some way. Keep an eye out for my plans!

Herringbone - I love you!

One of my first tubular herringbone necklaces. Done in Fall of 2003. It took me way too long to stitch because I was naive enough to think it wouldn't be a big deal! Now, I know better. I ended up selling it to an attorney in town in February of 2005. She was attending a class I was giving and I happened to have my completed pieces with me for inspiration. She went crazy over the color and purchased it on the spot. The last I heard she was proudly wearing it around town.

Teaching again

I got a call from my LBS (local bead store) and the new manager asked if I'd come back to teach bead weaving classes again. Of course, I said "sure, when do you want me to start?" So, I stopped by the store and reviewed their seed bead supply - very pitiful. I'll be helping them order a starting stock. I also dropped off a list of class descriptions. Instead of offering a set project schedule, I'm going to let the student decide which project to learn. Right now there isn't a great marketing campaign for classes so I'm not expecting many students yet. I've offered to take over the marketing for the store, as related to all classes, but the new manager assures me that they will take care of things.

DAY JOB

Whew, what a month this has been! Preparing for three annual evaluations, finalizing sales figures and bonus results for 2005, contacting distributors/catalogers/special buying groups to update pricing and product information, market research for a new division. I'm having a good time! I just love this job and am glad for the opportunity to be a part of a company's growth.

Beads and Me

The Bead Retreat will be in Las Vegas in February. Oh my, am I ready to go. I've been looking forward to this since last spring. Unsure how I was going to pay for the trip, I decided to see if selling my bead work would raise enough money. To my surprise, it did. I did a show last spring and made enough to pay for the retreat. Then I did a show in the summer, making enough to pay for the room at the hotel. Then I did a show in December, and there I made enough to pay for the airfare. This is just too cool. I've been selling my work since spring of '04 - a very short time - and last year was so encouraging that I'm working on new pieces to see how I'll do this year.

I've been a member of an on-line bead group for over 2 years now. This group is where the retreat idea generated and took off. I'll be meeting members of this group face to face for the first time, as well as attend classes for the first time. I've taught other people, but never attended a beading class myself. It's going to be quite an experience and I'm ready for it! LOL

Today I'm meeting up with my beading buddy, Lora. We'll bead and gab for a few hours and have a good time - we always do.