The Holiday's are passing.....whew!

As the Holiday's pass us by ( OK!  Where did 2013 go? )..... and we prepare to enter 2014, it's been a whirlwind, hasn't it?  The past four weeks have just flown by with preparing numerous Christmas gifts for family and the " girls " at the office.  Nothing like having eight Open Round Chainmaille
bracelets going at one time, Finishing Beadweaving, custom designing earrings for family members.... I felt selfish on the 24th wishing it to be over so I could work on MY projects.  I overlooked the, " reason for the Season".  The act of giving.  I returned to reality as I dropped off the
handmade gifts to the ladies of Gerelco while watching their faces with their anticipation of their annual handmade gifts. 

The " Ladies of the Evening ", our evening bead group met at Deborah Apodaca's wonderfully decorated home and exchanged our gifts.  Each member had the most delightful selections that were
exchanged.  I gave each ladies a coffee mug that said " Girlfriends.....better than shopping or booze ".

Actually, I am looking forward to 2014.  I have my resolutions written and ready for New Years Eve.
I have been amazed at how far my Bead Embroidery has come over the past year and I plan to continue to to expand my craft, support my friends.... " all artists " and actually get my inventory in order with photographs and costing structures in place. 

I came across this lovely little plaque that is just " So True ".

I have soooo many friends that this plaque is just perfect for.  " Maybe next years Christmas Gift". 

So, on to Creativity..... my favorite subject in our hectic lives.  I came across a photograph on Facebook, not of a specific piece of Bead Embroidery, but the setting of the photograph so caught my
attention that I had to sit there and gaze at it and realized it was just perfect.  It was elegant, coiffed, and perfectly presented.

There are times when we are so busy in creating, working, cleaning and all other responsibilities that we have that we forget that the wonderful jewelry we design is both elegant and beautiful.  I have a new perspective for 2014.

I got spammed and phished.....

It took a few weeks but even as careful as I am with opening links and all precautions, I was spammed and phished.  Needless to say, it took the office IT " dude" at least three hours to restore my computer to where I could actually do anything and that includes blogging.   I think the people that do this should, well, there should be a punishment for them.  Just  my thought on this.

Laughingly, I am now really, really behind in Blogging.  So, bare with me, I'll be working backwords or forwards and just all kinds of in-between as I have had quite a  bit happen over the past month.

First:  We concluded our " We are all Different Yahoo Doll Group" with the following doll that is owned by
Betsy Foster in Vermont.

Her fancy doll was really fun to bead on:

I've also fallen in love with this doll form and could see a series

It was bittersweet to end another Round Robin, but with the Holiday's just around the corner, it does give one the ability to work on projects dear to the heart.

Our new RoundRobins are scheduled to begin in January 2014.  How exciting!

As well, I did join another Group called the Bead Journal Project for 2014.  One selects a template and then beads this template for each month of the year.  They did have an active blog and then after reviewing the previous years, WOW!  There are outstanding beaders involve in this event.  For 2014, the postings will be on Facebook instead of Blogspot.  To bad, I enjoy working on Blogspot.  I will start an ablum on January 2nd but I am considering a theme and how to approach this theme for each month.  I love nature, Tolkien, The Outlander, Bling.....hummn!  That's a spread.  As they are all done in Bead Embroidery with some items being quilted by some participants.....Butterflies?  Or another favorite, Dragonflies.  I'll sketch to see what really thrills me.

Mrs. Bebee Goddard.....and her tea tin.

In 2012 ( 11.19.12 ) I had a blog post for the Florida Jewelry Artist Bead Retreat that was held at the home
of Bebee and Hank Goddard in Osteen, FL.  A charming little town close to New Smyrna and not to far from most of us on the Treasure Coast.  This is Hank and Bebee's Winter Home with the Summer Home in
Sylva, North Carolina very close to where my sister lives.  During our wonderful retreat, Bebee shared some
lovely tea tins for us to Bead Embroiderer as a class for some of our Group Members who were not familiar with Bead Embroidery.

My Beading Sample:

Of all the Bead Embroiderer's, our consumate Hostess was the only member that did not get to bead on
a Tea Tin......so, I made her one this month and it is shipping off tomorrow as they just came back to Osteen.