Home again!

Here it is, Sunday evening, and I'm home in Sanger again after being away since Tuesday morning. Yesterday, when the design workshop ended, I debated about driving straight home from San Diego but decided I was too tired to do it safely. Plus, I had originally planned to stop off in Pasadena for the Bead and Design Show at the Pasadena Hilton. So, I stayed in Pasadena last night (at the Hilton, which turned out to be a truly wise choice), slept until I woke up, then went downstairs to see the show.

Most of it wasn't highly appealing to me. Bins and bins, strands and strands, rolls and rolls, bags and bags, crystals and more crystals-- beads and findings and chain and all of the tools, books, and accompaniments for the true and dedicated beader. And a true and dedicated beader I am not, though I do play around with beads from time to time and I love the colors, textures, and designs.

What made the day exciting was that in addition to all the beads and supplies, there were some wonderful bead artists there with absolutely gorgeous pieces. The 2 I have to mention are Stephanie Sersich from Maine and Janet Tranfer from Southern California. I didn't buy a piece from Stephanie (though I really wanted to!) but I did buy her book--"Designing Jewelry With Glass Beads". It is a beautiful book with a lot of wonderful projects, clear instructions, and it will be very inspiring. Janet's business is called "Designs by Jantra" and I am including a small photo of her in her booth. Her website is www.designsbyjantra.com and you can see my necklace (the one I purchased with almost no hesitation at all) by clicking right here. It is the second one on the page--the elaborate, colorful one! I will photograph it and post it very soon, but not tonight. After walking the whole show, I am convinced that my heartfelt, impulse buy sent me home with the most exciting piece there--for ME, at least! Janet called it a "Treasure Necklace" and it is a total treasure. I am thrilled to have it and will enjoy wearing it for years to come.

Stephanie Sersich's handblown glass beads are amazing and very unique. I absolutely loved them. I am sure I will purchase at least 1 focal bead from her after I finish studying her book. You can view her jewelry and her beads on her website.

Well, I'm going to call it a day--a LONG day and a long but very rewarding and productive week. I learned a lot, met a lot of very nice people, renewed some old friendships and made some new ones. I feel motivated to continue moving forward in my quest to become a better artist with a clearer message to share with others.