Feeling pretty grateful, really.

I've finished shipping the last package and was sitting here, sipping my tea, thinking about a few things.  First of all, someone googled the word "murrini" and the Lori and Kim sites came up 3rd or 4th or something like that.  Holy Mother of Pearl!  How awesome is that?  Anyway, I was musing about what a wonderful, inspiring journey it's been with Kim and our partnership.  I couldn't ask for a better friend and collaborator.  Honestly, she is just the best.   I am truly blessed to have her at my side for the past decade as my friend and even more lucky that I have gotten to work with her for the past 5 years or so.  


 

Some new beads...  The robots are from a tutorial by Jolene "Kitzbitz" Wolfe.  Totally fun to make.  The tutorial is in a Beads of Courage tutorial compilation.  The dogs are a new thing I have been working on to match the kitty beads.  They are the same size and basic shape so can be used easily in the same piece of jewelry or whatever.  They look cute together.  I'm pretty happy with them so far.  I need to streamline the process a little so I can get the time/price down for donations to animal charities. 

I find it's never a good idea to post when you're cranky.  I should probably step away from the keyboard but since I give myself very good advice but very seldom follow it....


I'm tired today.  Super, duper tired.  I have no really compelling reason to be so tired, other than I have not run today and I always seem like a lethargic slug when I haven't had some exercise.  But, aside from tired I feel cranky.  I have so much to do and not nearly enough time to do it and no real plan on how to attack the list (also I might have forgotten to make a list) so I am just shut down and in I Want To Nap mode. 

Oh hay, I also have murrini.  I still haven't finished labeling it but...you know...I should probably put that on the list....  Anyway, it's here and here if you're interested.  It's super pretty and you need it.

Just to play catch up...

Bellflowers and other stuff

Ok, update on the Gathering bead bazaar and conference.  Amazing.  So much fun and we sold a ton of stuff.  Awesome!  Mark and I made it into a little vacation and stayed in the Seattle area for another week.  It was beautiful, the weather was great and we just loved the area. 

 

I treated myself to one extravagance while I was there.  A tool.  A beautiful, fabulous tool made in Italy by a master lampwork toolmaker.  It's the Carlo Dona bellflower press.  I love that thing.  It was ridiculously expensive.  I will have to sell a million of these flowers to pay for the darn thing but I figured, wth.  It's a business expense, right?  Oh, and by the way, I have actually made a million of these flowers so ...

 

 

 

 

Oh and now I am also making some kitties. 

 



And there's always the murrini and silver glass calling my name...

But we will save that for next time...



 

What are you so worried about?

Ok, so I am going to the annual meeting of my "coworkers" called the ISGB Gathering.  Saturday is the Bead Bazaar where Kim and I will have a table and we will try to sell our little glass beads and murrini to other beadmakers and hopefully a few others who wander in from the local area. 

We've sold beads and murrini at shows before.  This should be the same, right?  Um. Not exactly.  These are our peers.  Our biggest supporters. Our toughest critics. People who know how to do what we do. 

I'm terrified.

Trying to figure out good ways to get easily through security when we fly to Seattle for the gathering.  I have lots of beads to pack and I am going to take them with me as carry-on so I am nervous about it.  Pack too well and it will take forever to unpack and repack.  Don't pack well enough and I will be dealing with breakage.  Such a conundrum.