Still On the Planet

Contrary to popular belief, I haven't dropped off the planet. I've been in the glass lab, the bead lab, and the wet lab getting ready for my next show. Why do I do this to myself? The show starts in about 2 weeks and I've got so much to do I don't know which end is up. I guess you really can't teach an old dog new tricks...

If you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area on February 27, 28, and/or March 1, come to Stitches West 2009 in Santa Clara! It's an amazing show - you'll be overwhelmed for sure. I remember the first time I attended Stitches West. It reminded me of the first bead show I ever attended. I walked around all day with my eyes like saucers and my jaw a bit slack. So if you need an eye candy fix, come check it out! I'll be in Booth 935 with my part-time biz partner Nanette. Our collaborative business is called Flames & Fiber and we'll have lots of handmade glass beads, jewelry, and fiber creations. I'll be selling my felt work, beads, and jewelry - Nanette will be selling her beads, jewelry, and glorious hand-painted silk scarves.

Here's Nanette at the show last year, getting her morning caffeine before the doors opened. You can see some of her scarves hanging on the wall behind her.



Nan and I began collaborating about 4 years ago, quite by accident. We were at one of our monthly beadmakers' meetings, sitting at a table chatting. She spread her beads out on the table, I spread mine out, and then we just looked at each other with our mouths hanging open. Unbeknownst to each other, Nan had been making flower beads and I had been making leaf beads. Immediately we started matching up leaves with flowers, having a grand old time. She gave me a few flowers, I gave her some leaves, and we went off on our merry way. A few weeks later, Nan asked me if I would be willing to collaborate with her on a jewelry kit. She had designed a gorgeous slider, incorporating one of her flowers and three of my leaves. That was the start of our creative explorations together along with an ever-deepening friendship.

Here is our Flames & Fiber postcard.



So come on down to our little garden - booth 935 - for a visual feast and some fine shopping.

And now I'm off to the glass lab to clean yesterday's beads. Have yourselves a creative day!