Not a good way to head off to a job interview:
Although I don’t wear it often, this is was one of my favorite “special” beads. While trying to put it on a spiral beaded neckchain this morning, it slipped, bounced and shattered in my bathroom sink.
Somewhere I have a photo of how it used to look; I’ll try to find it later.
Oh. The interview. Well, who really know until they call. Or don’t.
(I’m not as blue as I probably sound, so no worries, friends.)
(yes, I’m reading Gregory Maquire! Finished Wicked about two weeks ago, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister right after than, and hope to finish Son of a Witch tonight)
Way back in August… seem ‘way back’ anyway… I went to Atlanta for Japanese Bead Embroidery classes. I took lots of photos, but it’s not appropriate to post most of them because they are of copyrighted designs; you can see a lot of the projects and designs on the Japanese Embroidery Center website. So I’ve sort of delayed in posting here about the work. Also, I have an article to write for publication and don’t want to duplicate my words.
I can show the classroom setup, and the instructor. The petite woman on the right in the photo below is the instructor, Ms. Reiko Matsukawa of Japan, known to her students as Matsukawa-san. To her left is the young woman who translated for her (and us); whose name totally escapes me at the moment! How embarassing!
Matsukawa-san may be a small package, but she is a fount of knowledge of her art and shares generously with her students.
The closest seat in the photo below is where I worked on Monday and Tuesday (my days 4 & 5). Most of us in this area were working on Phase III or IV.
Below is a photo of the back of the classroom, and gives you a good idea of the spaciousness of the room (even if it is a little crowded with a full cadre of students). The light during the morning is somewhat dim, but lovely later in the day — still, it is essential to use the individual lights on one’s work! (This was actually taken the day before the previous photo; again, my seat is the most forward in the photo.)
Finally, here’s a close-up of the first flower on my Phase III project.
I keep my frames in a back bedroom, out of sight for now. I want so badly to work on them that I would leave even more classwork undone if I had them nearer. Soon, my pretty ones, soon… oh yeah, ’cause I’m planning to return in 2009 for the final two phases.
DH brought lots of wonderful things home: Gibble’s Cheese Puffys, Swetzel’s Spice Wafers, a down comforter & duvet from his mom which went straight on #2Son’s bed (we are having an unseasonable cold snap here in South Mississippi). But the one he could not wait until morning to show me was this:
I decided to bring him to work so I could enjoy (& benefit from) him more, but I also plan to create a bead mala for him to wear. He’s not quite 3-inches wide and tall, perhaps a little less purple-looking than the photos, and made by Gary Steinborn of Venice Clay (Buddha Cats). Since he is blue, however, he will serve well as my Sangye Menla buddha, the medicine buddha (of whom I wrote a paper for my Buddhism class several years ago).
There is some interesting folklore about cats and Buddhism, no doubt more than I have heard/read! One holds that monastery cats are bad monks reincarnated as cats for punishment. Personally, I believe that one is told by cat-haters/dog-lovers. I prefer the belief that cats are good monks on their last incarnation prior to achieving nirvana.
There is some interesting cat lore here, and a delightful book by an author I met last year, Gerald Hausman, The Metaphysical Cat (excerpt).
And here’s the lastest (and maybe best) photo of my boy, Brickle:
… in no particular order
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood (paperback)
(click photo for larger image)
Pattern, instructions, beads (black, clear, pearl) and magnetic clasp for Carol Sherman’s Peyote Spiral Bracelet.
$30US Retail Value
$25US gift certificate at The Knit Studio, Jackson, Mississippi
The Complete Book of Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker
One-skein Knitter’s Tote from Eagle Good-to-Go : Pumpkin 9″x5″x5.5″ Two interior sections; one hold a skein of yarn & has closing flap with eyelet through which yarn can be threaded; other holds project and supplies. Features heavyweight drawstring with cord stop and adjustable shoulder strap.
Remember, for every $5 you donate for the Walk for Diabetes through the link on the right side bar, I’ll enter you name in the drawing.
I’m trying something to gain sponsorship for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes to be held October 26th, 2008: using Paypal’s donation button. You’ll see it there to the right in the sidebar. For every $5.00 donation, I will enter my sponsors in a drawing for two skeins of sock yarn (see center of photo below). I’m also gathering other yarn prizes, as well as beads/beading projects, and/or other needlework prizes than knitting.
The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi’s goal for the Hattiesburg walk this year is $50,000.00. Here’s some information from a DFM flyer about how donation monies are used:
Insulin for patients in need ($25)
Educational information for parents of newly diagnosed children with diabetes ($25)
Blood glucose testing strips for patients in need ($50)
Sending a family to Camp Kandu ($75)
Diabetic shoes for adult patients in need ($100)
WE Care 2 backpack for newly diagnosed child and family ($125)
Diabetes emergency box for a school ($150)
Screening supplies for 100 people ($250)
Diabetes Camp for one child ($400)
“Here’s how your donations from Walk 2007 made a difference in many Mississippians lives:
518 patients have received meters/strips, insulin, oral medication
98 schools and school districts received the teacher education training and emergency boxes
45 children received camp scholarships to attend summer diabetes camp
“Putting your donations to work. Our patient assistance program is our largest program in the state. Children and adults alike have benefited from timely donations of lifesaving insulin, oral medications, insulin pump and blood glucose testing supplies.
“It is so important to have immediate help available when you or a family member has diabetes. Things happen–emergencies spring up when you least expect them; someone gets laid off from work or has a visit to the ER, and bills start piling up. The $200 pharmacy bill that the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi pays for a child or adult with diabetes means a family can get through a month without missing their insulin or test strips. Or the $400 that we give to the two summer camps in Mississippi means a child can have a carefree week at summer camp without breaking the family bank. Many families in Mississippi are just making it every month with no room for added expenses. Every dollar counts–all donations stay in Mississippi to help Mississippians live with diabetes here and now!”
I feel very strongly that because I am able to treat my condition easily that I have a responsibility to help those who are not so fortunate economically. And really, it doesn’t matter whether you help me do so or you help in your own state, or even if you don’t donate at all… my primary goal is to raise awareness of diabetes epidemic occurring in our country.
Oh, I have so much to share about my time at the Japanese Embroidery Center near Atlanta, GA, for beading classes… but, work and laziness have kept me from doing so. Soon, though, I promise.
To my delight, I discovered today that my 2nd generation iPod Nano will fit in this:
Perhaps I should finally make this available as a pattern??
Not only must I have two left feet, but quite a few right ones as well. It would be just plain frustratin’ to say nothing of borin’ to run through the list of things happening the last couple days (expecially today) . . . but when I got home there was a nice surprise – beside my sweet DH –
I received one of the Legacy Scholarships* from the Embroiderer’s Guild of America!
The funds provided I will use for the Phase II Japanese Bead Embroidery course to be held mid-summer. Actually, I’ll take Phase III as well, as they are offered as a combined class. (Last year at the EGA National Seminar in Chicago, I took Phase I; haven’t made much progress, however.)
(*What’s really wonderful about it is that last year, Lisa, friend & fellow MSNA chapter member, received one of the awards.)
Robin Atkins doesn’t post to her Beadlust blog very often, but, often, when she does, it is spectacular. I keep going back to her October 9th entry, not only because the beadwork is so beautiful, but because her thoughts about feelings about money hit close to home. My list of “issues” would be somewhat different from hers, but I’ve got me a list, that’s for sure. Go have a look — if only to see whether the $100 bill is real or not.
I finally took the plunge and got my own domain name and host (myhosting.com recommended by Rissa as “the best”). It is slow going for me, figuring out everything I need to do to get set up, mostly because I don’t have a big chunk of time to devote to it. So, the move won’t happen tomorrow! I’d give you the URL, but you’d just go try it and there’s nothing there yet.
Worst is that, so far, no time to stitch today. Tibetan Religion class instead of lunch, then library management class chat tonight. Perhaps there will be just a few minutes to stitch before I go to bed.
Last night I did get the basting line out of the beaded project, and managed to spill a couple beads while I made a stitch or two. I want to replace the few flowers I stitched at Seminar, this time using colored quilting thread. This thread is more stiff than I expected it to be, but goes through the tiny eye of the 12 sharp needle just fine. So far, I like this gold color, but will need to couch carefully. Still according to the teacher, the thread is part of the design . . . which is one reason I want to change to the color.
Oh, and don’t think I’ve abandoned my knitting (Mary Ann) for embroidery. I’m still toting around the red Swallowtail in my bag that goes to work/class with me every day! (And thinking about incorporating beads into the edging.)
The first photo I took of my piece is still on my phone, but here are two shots I took tonight. I have just finished the outer edge of the eyeglass case. In Japanese bead embroidery, as taught at the Japanese Embroidery Center (JEC), this is call a picot stitch. You make a two-bead stitch along a basted outline, then place a two-bead stitch at perpendicular angle to it, and repeat the sequence. Surprise! My outline ended evenly without a lot of fiddling with bead size (which is my favorite way to go around curves, too).
There isn’t more of the project finished for a couple of reasons. First, it was seminar… and if you don’t understand that reason you need to GO to a national seminar! Second, this class was the last two days of the week, in which I had already taken four days of stitching classes and had a very full day of sightseeing (see “First”) in the Windy City. It was also a very low pressure class; once the instructor, Michelle Monier, showed us the basic stitches and techniques, we were free to stitch as much or as little as we desired. However, the real reason for me is that I decided to wait until I got home and try handquilting thread in colors to match the beading more closely. And so, I’m off to try a bit of that before heading to bed!
