By Hand

I spent the last few days at a meeting in Vancouver. Yesterday afternoon I had a bit of time to wonder around on Granville Island and found a great book called Amsterdam by hand. It describes 10 walking tours of Amsterdam to find the local artists. It is excellent. And the, after reading the book, I noticed there is another one called Paris handmade:
http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/pias-first-book-paris-made-by-hand-is-out-now/
Let's just say I am planning my next trip...:)

Bead and Button

Respite is what I will need at the end of this stretch in my studies.... I registered for Bead and Button and am already excited! I am taking classes with Kim St Jean,  Ed and Martha Biggar and Mary Hettmansperger, Yippee!!!!

Floods

Every year in Holland in the town where I lived, the river "de Waal" floods out of its banks due to melting snow in Switzerland. My brother took these photographs. Isn't is wild?! The boat is a pancake restaurant...

Ballet

Today I went with Zoe to get her ballet shoes for her new ballet classes. She has been wanting to do Point for so long and now is able to get started. Doesn't she look just so great and happy?!

Organized

It's snowing outside and I have an assignment due. I decided to start my day by sitting by the fireplace with a coffee and browse through the latest Somerset Studio issue. I haven't bought it in several years. Yesterday I needed a break from a very busy week and since I don't have a lot of time to work on any jewelry projects, I figured that eye candy at least let's me dwell in the creative world. On page 12 is a great little article on discipline as it relates to managing your time. They mention in there social media. Boy, did that hit home for me. Once I sign on to email, Facebook, blogs or Internet, so often I find that that little window of time I had , has disappeared. I drift and click and before I know it the time has gone by so fast.... Do you recognize this?

Especially with my classes and my travels aside from the regular work week, I need to be so organized to get it all done and to still feel sane. What am I saying?!  Back to work and reality.

Immersed....

Well, I am officially immersed in homework..... Make me smile every now and then, will you?

My last free night for a while...

Tonight is my last free night for a while... I am restarting my university courses again. Until May. I am committed to finishing my Master's before I retire! Wish me luck :)

New Orleans

Like Nancy I was in new Orleans for a few days. I went there for a very busy 2 day meeting but had a few hours the day I arrived. So I decided to go to the Garden district and the Lafayette cemetery. Here are some pictures. I discovered a store with encaustic art work.... I thought of Nancy!

The houses are so southern. It reminds me of hot and lazy afternoons on the sing on the porch with some lazy jazz and southern accents!

On the buss I saw this add: for "the occasional wife". How funny. It is a business. Maybe there is a business in "the occasional husband"!

Inspiration

Well, following my post yesterday I have worked non-stop to clean and organize my area. Loads of stuff went out of the house, with me thinking this would make more space but I have so much, it is filled up already. My cupboard is now organized with all my boxes with beads. Great you say? Well I found an entire collection the seize of a laundry bin with all kinds of beads, findings, buttons and more, spread out across my space. It is now in the laundry bin, and over the next weeks I will attempt to put them in bead boxes and label them. No more beads needed for a long time!!

All books are now in one place, no more books needed for a long time!!

Magazines all in one place. No more... oh but I forgot I subscribe to 3, I guess I'll need to get rid of some. I have tons of stamping magazines I plan to ditch. Anyone interested????

I am not done yet, but need a break now. I decided to put out some of my creations from our monthly Carmi club and  they really do inspire me. It is time for a monthly get together, and make whatever someone wants to. What do you think?

These pictures are from Paris last summer and they make me feel creative.... So now all I need is more time!

I receive Beading Daily, a free online newsletter from Interweave press. Today, the editor Kristal Wick wrote this and let's just say I could have written this! "When it comes to the world of creativity, are you schizophrenic like me? I started down the artistic path eons ago in stained glass, then moved into pottery, fused-glass jewelry, silk painting, and fabric embellishment, and I'm now hanging my beady hat in this wonderful world of jewelry. Each little creative part of my personality fights in a constant internal battle to win moments of my time to spend time making "their" form of art".

While I didn't start with stained glass or pottery, I did gravitate from my first obsession of stamps and paper, to jewelry. But I constantly find myself attracted to other media and forms and seem to be all over the map! So much so lately, that I end up pretty much doing nothing other than reading and imagining what I could be doing. Starting my Master's program again next week won't help much! Oh well, nothing really depends on it and I'll just make time wherever I can. (Although that is where the problem is....). I am starting by rearranging my space and sorting stuff. So far it has just made me sneeze from all the dust I am stirring up. I am waiting for the dust to settle, for time to stand still and for creative impulses to become reality! Any advice? Feel free to share it!!

Sale at Periwinkle!!

SALE

If you are looking to get a real head start on Christmas shopping for 2011......, head down to Periwinkle on Bloor street where some of my jewlery is featured and where a great sale is taking place!!

Happy New year!!

A very happy New Year to all of you and may 2011 be a stellar year for you.