My wife Kerry is the bead artist, but she won't learn to use the computer until she retires from teaching first grade. So, I am the family communicator for now. I am also the jewelry mechanic- I attach clasps, string her designs on wire, attach ear wires, etc. I am semi retired, working part time so she can buy more beads. I used to be a serious whitewater boater(class 5-6) until chemo stole my stamina. Kerry has 2 children and 3.9 grand children, waiting for the call any minute. She started using beads about 4 yrs ago when she was looking for some yarn in a shop in Nashville, TN. She had been doing fiber arts for many yrs. She carded, spun, and knit or felted with wool, silk, llama, or any hairy thing she could find. She saw what we now know was an amulet bag with a few beads on it. Her reaction was "I can do better". Here is her "better" -
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. That was the beginning of a wild sleigh ride that is still going. She now has a small bead shop in her studio, has been to Bali to buy beads and designed beads to be made there for her creations. She plans to take a group of beaders there in 2005. She never makes the same thing twice. I honestly don't think she can do it. She loves fringe and embellishes her work until it can't hold any more. We live in N.Calif and plan to retire to "OREGON"( applause from all you Oregonians). I joined this group for us about 6 months ago and have been blown away by the talent represented here. I have also been awed by some of the web sites of members. I really enjoy going to all the sites cited by members. I only wish we could get hi speed internet, we have no cable TV, and live way too far out for DSL. It is frustrating waiting for all the beautiful pictures to down load. I wanna see them NOW.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "armand vine" :
]I am semi retired, ]working part time so she can buy more beads.
OH! **grin** that's what i need! someone to work so i can buy more beads!!!!!
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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newest creations:
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----------- I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "armand vine" :
]I only wish we could get hi speed internet, we have no cable TV, ]and live way too far out for DSL.
i lived in Redding for several years. where are you?????
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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newest creations:
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----------- I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all.
He does have a good case worker, and she went out on a limb for him. Of course what Pete hasn't got is there admission that he is disabled, so there's not SSI, and WC's payout was about a years wages.
My name is Tina Peterson. I was born Nov 11, 1948, in Oakland, Calif, and am 55 now and living in Fairbanks, Alaska. With lots of family in Calif I usually visit yearly, and thus have had the privilege a visiting Sooz a few times.
My son, Roger lives in Sacramento, CA, with his wife, Nelya, whom he met while in Ukraine in the Peace Corps. Their daughter was born there, because of a snafu with immigration. Victoria is a beautiful and bright baby. My daughter lives in Flagstaff, AZ, and teaches Yoga.
Pete and I were married just 3 years ago. He has a son who just turned 13, more than 20 years younger than my own children. And we have Pete's dog, Stella, a Queensland Heeler, who acts very much like her dingo ancestors. I never knew a man could be so nurturing. He grew up in a tavern, hunting to put meat on the table, working in the logging and fishing industries etc.
Very different from my own upbringing as one from the European educated classes. And very different from my West Coast conservationist leanings, though my father also grew up hunting to put meat on the table and to protect the fruit trees.
When I first met Pete, 9 years before we began dating, he had begun a process of healing and change, learning healing arts and "magic". He is also a skilled Shaman. At a similar time, I had quit drinking, got noticeably abusive men out of my life, and begun studying martial arts and healing arts. Continued my own healing process working with an outstanding psychologist, especially working on the behavioural addiction of CoDependency.
Later I developed Chronic Clinical Depression, probably after decades of Dysthymia (Chronic Low Level Depression). I have been disabled by it now for at least 5 years. I am not melancholy, and, ironically, I probably am in the best mental health I've ever been in -- as measured in clarity, meeting priorities, satisfaction in life, spiritual comfort. It effects me by eating my mental energy so I only have maybe 6 productive hours a day for things like taking care of myself and my home (and thus no opportunity to work).
But I've had art in my life as long as I can remember. My grandfather was trained as an art restorer and as curator of an art museum. My mother was a published author and illustrator at age 15, her second book at 17. My grandmother met immigrants landing in San Francisco and fostered friendships with many artists and inventors.
My chosen fields of art have always been the 3 dimensional -- wood carving, clay, etc -- though I also loved fashion illustration, and later on life drawing. Color and light have always been very tangible thing in my life,telling whole stories, as if they were words.
I moved to Alaska in '87. I love it for its"cultural anthropology in the making", as much as for its wild and natural lands. Almost immediately after arriving in Alaska, I landed in jail for DWI (required jail time for any offense). And while there met an Athabaskan man who taught me peyote stitch and introduced me to Shamanism. That was my nudge into more serious beading and bead collecting. I worked with what I had, on whatever caught my fancy. I also took a class in silver smithing. And also in (fabric) weaving.
And then came RCB, with all the eye candy and inspiration, advise on materials, and information on techniques. And friends!
I currently collect artists made beads of Polymer Clay, and lampwork. And I work with Precious Metal Clay. Most of my jewelry is strung or made of simple weaving techniques. I love peyote stitch for its sculptural qualities, and like it for bowls and other freestanding odds and ends. I also do bead embroidery, making very sturdy purses tightly stitched.
I don't have much opportunity for going to shows, though occasionally there are shows in Anchorage (once a year, I think), which is a 7 hour drive from here, each way. But people in Alaska tend to take a more active part in their entertainment, probably by necessity, so we have unusually good resources for the size of town we are. Or maybe I've just been here a long time.
Life is good.
I've also been working with a friend who developed a radically innovative engine. There's still a hope that it will make us rich one day; wish I could count on that!
Hi Celine...No, we haven't met before. Thanks for the info about the Houston Bead Society. I wouldn't be able to attend Saturday, we'll have a friend staying over the weekend. I will definitely check out the website you posted.
I'll be at the Intergem Bead Show on Friday. I'll be tagging along with three other "power shoppers" and their mission is to check out the jewelry, not beads...BUT, they've agreed to look at beads with me because they like my jewelry and know they'll end up with something I've made. :) Which day are you and Starlia planning to attend?
Hi Sooz!! Yep, my first post but I'll try to do better. :) I'm the one that sent you the email about FM a few weeks ago. So, I DO keep up with what's happening around here, I just don't post.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :
]what Pete hasn't got is there admission that he is disabled, so ]there's not SSI, and WC's payout was about a years wages.
darn it!
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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newest creations:
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----------- I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from " Anna W." :
]1948
that was a very good year
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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newest creations:
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----------- I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all.
Does that make us beadie-babies? *groans and luaghs* sorry..it's early...it's my son's 5th birthday, I'm trying not to think about being too young to Have a 5 year old lol, and I haven't had my coffee yet! :)
This is very hard for me, I don't like doing intros because I'm not all that interesting or articulate. But in the spirit of being a RCB regular (yes, I own the shirt! Thank you, Shirley!), here is mine.
Margie, born 10/21/55 and raised in the "city" until my parents became a "white flight" stat in '65 and moved us to a nearby suburb where I've been ever since. You can take the girl out of the city but never take the city out of the girl. I am a loyal southside baseball fan (go White Sox!) and still consider myself a Chicagoan even it I don't live in the city proper. So there. :=P~
I was married at 18 and found myself raising my 9 yo nephew at 24 while climbing the corporate financial institution ladder. My ex and I adopted our son when he was 11, he's now 33, a fire fighter, paramedic and business admin for the local fire fighter training school. He's divorced and enjoying life with all the perks that come with being single and child-free.
This year will be my 8th year of marriage to wonderful, younger man who will be 40 next week! Finally, we're in the same decade. LOL We have a lovely, sassy and challenging daughter who will be 6 yo on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th). Currently I'm a SAHM and will be rejoining the work force when she enters the first grade.
I've been crafting one thing after another all my life. Come from a crafty family, my mother and her aunts taught me how to sew and crochet when I was 5. I did a lot and still do macrame, some sewing after a long hiatus and crewel embroidery but all that has taken the back seat to making jewelry (mostly stringing) and wire bending. I love to do seed bead netting and am currently fine tuning that skill before moving on to more intricate techniques, patterns and styles. There's so much to learn! I consider myself a step above a beginner.
Come from a long line of collectors, the first I remember mom collecting was buttons. I love fondling and stringing them and now I find myself stringing and collecting art beads! Some things are instilled while young, some things don't change except the price.
I'd like to correct this. I really consider myself a beginner with two feet in the door versus one! There is no way I'm even close to being an intermediate beader...yet. :=)
My name is Mandy Bolser. I've lived in Fort Worth, Texas since 1994. I moved here from Ky when I got married. My hobbies are cross stitch (my first and still favorite craft), beading, knitting, rubber stamping and lots of reading. I work part-time at a cross stitch store to support my "habits". I live with my VDH and 2 cats - Thomasina, a yellow and white looooonghair and Halley, my calico spaz. My birthday is Feb. 13.
I was born in 1977 and don't like sharing my birthday ;).
I also forgot to mention, I love reading and read both fiction and non-fiction avidly. I also claim to write science fiction though I've never gotten brave enough to send anything off to potential publishers. (Every time I get close to feeling something might be "finished" if perhaps not IMO "good enough" some computer disaster happens and all of my work disappears, followed by a sincere vow to back things up forever more.)
I also love to draw for pleasure, hang around with dogs, walk, and spend time with my extended family.
I have many many collections, which I am trying very hard to get rid of. When I got married I got rid of my paper bag collection and used wrapping paper collection. I still have way way way to many knickknacks (sp?), "fancy" pencils, stickers, kitchenware I have no intention of using but think it may someday be useful for a party, birthday and holiday cards from everyone who ever sent me any, craft supplies from crafts I have never gotten around to learning, random piles of paper, etc etc. I can't really see getting rid of books or family pictures but I have massive amounts of those considering I (hopefully) have many many years of life left to collect more. (Since we are soon to be moving into some form of married student housing, these issues are pressing on me ;) ). I also have grandparents who are very keen on giving me large fancy things they own which I have no space for, no use for, and have no idea how to take care of, but which certainly seem worth of becoming family heirlooms.
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