Bead Babble
Natural sunlight reveals truth. The color of this bracelet is absolutely perfectly captured in this picture. My constant companion, Loki the wonder-kitty, recently reveal that he is indeed a magnificent Norwegian Forest Cat, one of my true loves.
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Traveling is one of the reasons I love doing summer art shows. I especially love traveling to Michigan because I get to spend LOTS of time with Lake Michigan. Our great inland, freshwater sea is completely different from every side, every angle. The eastern coast of Lake Michigan surprised me, knocked me out and stole my heart a few years ago. I treasure every opportunity to spend time with her 'over there'. Next Saturday & Sunday, May 21st & 22nd I'll be in East Lansing, Michigan for the official summer kick-off at the MSU Spring Art & Craft Festival, booth #208. Wait 'till you see the great new-old beads I've found over the winter!! The following Monday the plan is to wake up laying on the warm sand on the eastern shore of our great inland sea. Together the five magnificent lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. We REALLY need to honor and respect the lakes WAAAAY more better. I'll do my best next Monday. Pink. Good deep pink beads are really hard to find. The best ones were made during the 60s and 70s IMHO. When I find an old piece of jewelry with deep rich pinks at a flea market or a resale shop I quietly do the happy dance in the aisle. Ive pulled out my entire collection of vintage pink beads to make bracelets and other jewelry for the upcoming Wearable Art Show at the Cedarburg Cultural Center in Cedarburg, WI. The show is a fund raiser for breast cancer research, prevention, education and treatment. I'm not usually a pink person. I find myself oddly drawn to this simple pink necklace. I may have to keep this one. I do have exactly 3 more vintage pink beads just like this. Guess I better make a few more necklaces. Inhale. Can you smell it? Spring. The scent of re-birth and fresh beginnings. This freshly woven batch of aromatherapy bracelets have been infused with the scents of sun ripened lemons, just picked oranges and new growing things. After weaving aromatherapy bracelets using lava and red coral - both porous to better hold the scent - they're bathed in essential oils. Wrap your wrists and float away, in-joy. Yes, the midwest is a place where the air hurts your skin 1/3rd of the year. I'm a different person when the sun shines. Winter days when the sun pours into my little house are transformative. I'll drop what I'm doing, collect my latest bracelets and set them in the sunbeams to see how they are come alive when the light pours through them. It helps. Next Sunday, come to Affair of the Arts in Spring Grove, Illinois. It's a fabulous little art show. It will transform you. It's a black and white day here in the wastelands of northern Illinois. My son of ten years ago bestowed that title on this particular type of day. It fits. I have to admit I love the juxtaposition of the color inside my house crowding up around the windows framing and the black and whiteness of outside. Today there's a color riot going on inside my house. I wove these with you in mind Katie. She very nicely asked me the other day, 'don't you have anything with color?' I was sitting by the fire at Dawn's weaving together black, gray and white beads. You know, the lack of color that becomes MY winter wardrobe. I feel better now. Thank you Katie. Self care is what my very smart daughter calls it. It simply means taking time to care for ourselves. We've all heard it before, if we can't care for ourselves we probably won't do a very good job of caring for others. Doing art shows requires an ability to switch back and forth between extreme contrasts - gracefully. The joy of acceptance into a show. The crush of being rejected. The unimaginable work to prep and pack for a show, set up with everything you need only to...sit...patiently...pleasantly...through...all...types...of...weather...and...customers...GRACEFULLY! One needs to have deep reserves to weave through the show season. Self care during the months of winter hibernation builds those vital stores of reserves. Sort of like fabulous root cellars of our grandmother's day. All those fruits and vegetables loving harvested and preserved for another day when the family needs them. All those jars of promise, waiting to fulfill their destiny, to nourish the body and soul. I was hungry for companionship. With the help of some terrific maker-women-friends, I'm now part of a sweet little circle of inspiring and encouraging new sistas. I needed to move my body more. I got myself back to the Y where I'm swimming again---oh the sheer joy! This little blue bracelet I made for myself! I adore the blue of these recycled glass beads from Ghana. Now when I look down at my wrist, this little bracelet peeks back up at me and winks it's blue sky endless possibilities back at me. Self Care. What's new about this bracelet you ask? I hope you slow down long enough to ask yourself that...It's a long, slinky 5-wrap that appears to be 5 different stacked bracelets. This is an instance when I put everything out of my head and work with MY favorite stones and colors. I wove Yellow Jade, New Burma Jade, new leaf green Czech crystal , brass and brass colored hematite together over soft brown leather. A number of the stones and beads have a mat finish, some are glossy. Woven together this bracelet is the most soothing bracelet I've made in 2016. We're only 8 days into the new year, there's plenty more to come!
I'm already diving in and weaving this concept in all sizes, shapes and colors. Stay tuned!. Need a fabulous gift? No problem. There's PLENTY of time to shop at my virtual online store. Everything seen in my shop is available right now. Don't see exactly what you're looking for? Send me a note. I'll see if I have just what you need. Or check back, I'm in the process of uploading lots of pictures and descriptions. The big gift-giving day is still days away. Order now and be assured your gift will arrive in time. Just imagine the delight on the face of your loved one when they unwrap YOUR gift of a unique, one-of-a-kind bracelet handmade with love. |
Lynda Wallis
I've completely given into my lifelong love of beads, stones, making stuff and stories, not particularly in that order. |
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