Inner Joy

"It is only with the heart that one can see clearly,
for the most essential things are invisible to the eye."
- Antoine de Saint Exupery

Welcome to the Bead Soup Blog Party!

Thank you to Lori Anderson for being such a great hostess. She does an amazing job. 

I was excited when I learned that I was paired up with Evie and Beth McCord. This mother-daughter duo is so wickedly talented. I just love that they seem to finish each other's creative thoughts. 

They sent me an array of goodies, from dyed silk ribbon (saving for another day), a sterling silver leaf toggle clasp, custom made lampwork glass beads and the most stunning enameled hummingbird pendant. 

I love the enamel work that Beth and Evie do. I love how intricately detailed they are. But they are also quite large -- I think that my hummingbird might be life sized! The colors are rich and shimmering just like the real bird. I was not sure what to do with him because of the size. But that is why this is a challenge. You need to stretch yourself in these sorts of things.

I decided to use the focal and clasp (that I darkened just a bit with Novacan Black Patina - love this stuff!) and two of the glass beads. I wanted to use some in earrings but I just ran out of time. I will likely add earrings later.

I didn't feel that I had anything that was suitable in my stash, so a trip to Michaels was in order. I picked up some sage green glass pearls in graduated sizes, cut glass in a lovely shade of peacock blue and a set of filigree pieces. I turned some colorized filigree beads into curly little flowers complete with curly little tendrils to add to the garden theme. 

The most challenging part was deciding how to connect the hummingbird to the flower. In the interest of time and the fact that I really don't want to call attention to how it is constructed, I opted for some simple gunmetal black jump rings. You can hardly tell that they are there and yet they give movement.

I call this "Inner Joy" in honor of our shimmering feathered friends that flit from flower to flower bringing an immense sense of beauty and love wherever they go.

A few facts about the hummingbird totem in Native American cultures (borrowed from www.birdclan.org)...

The hummingbird is the only creature that can stop dead while traveling at full speed; can hover; or can go forward, backward, up or down. Hummingbirds live on nectar and searches for the sweetness of life. It's purpose is to pollinate the flowers of the world. Its long "nose" lets it bypass the often tough and bitter outer layer to find the hidden treasures underneath. The song of hummingbird awakens the medicine flowers.

Hummingbird's message is adaptability in life's many situations and being able to "roll with the punches".

Hummingbird is also inner joy. A hummingbird person takes great pleasure in spreading joy and love and beauty to all around you, and have the gift of taking that inner joy into new and different surroundings.

If Hummingbird is your personal medicine, you love life and its joys. Your presence brings joy to others. You have a talent for finding the good in people, and are not put off by a gruff or abrupt exterior for you know that, if you can only get beyond that tough outside layer, you'll find goodness and beauty inside. You join people together in relationships which bring out the best in them.

You know instinctively where beauty abides and, near or far, you journey to that place. You move comfortably within a beautiful environment and help others taste the succulent nectar of life. Hummingbird disdains ugliness or harshness, and quickly flies away from discord or disharmony. Hummingbird is a fragile medicine, its target is Beauty and Hummingbirds mission is to spread joy or to be destroyed. Hummingbird quickly dies if caged, caught, or imprisoned.

You may have a gift for working with flowers, maybe growing them to share with others, or using flower essences for healing. Aroma therapy may be your calling.

Hummingbird shamans tend to be deliriously happy most of the time. They have high energy and a spirit that must be free. They talk fast and are always moving about, expending energy. Most people find them easy to get along with. To restrict that wonderful, free, loving energy is to suffer great depressions and feelings of uselessness. Hummingbird must fly free in search of beauty, spreading joy and love to all it touches. They don’t keep secrets, they are usually honest and outspoken, and they’re willing to try anything once.

 

Please go and visit my partners Beth & Evie McCord and then take your time to enjoy the outstanding Bead Soup Party! Thank you ladies for such an inspiring work of art!

GIVEAWAY ALERT! 

 

If you leave a comment on this post, any comment at all, AND you have your email turned on in your preference so that I have a way to contact you, I will share one of my new 'simple truth' pendants with you featuring a hummingbird! International friends welcome!

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

1. Aimee Wheaton and Barbara York
2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson
3. Alison Sachs and Amy Severino
4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner
5. Amanda Cargill Austin and Charlene Sevier
6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins
7. Amber Dawn and Kim Ballor
8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen
9. Amy Freeland and Christine Altmiller
10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare


11. Andrea Morici and Hope Smitherman
12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps
13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka
14. Angela May and Emanda Johnson
15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy
16. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price
17. Ann Sherwood and Lynne Bowland
18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John
19. Anna Sabina­­­­ and Erin Siegel
19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel
20. Astrid Boyce and Birgitta Lejonklou


21. B.R. Kuhlman and Deanna Chase
22. Barbara Bechtel and Bryna Lumb
23. Barbara Blaszczyk and DaviniaDesign
24. Barbara Judy and Holly Westfall
25. Barbara Lewis and Cathie Carroll
26. Barrie Edwards and Lyn Foley
27. Becky Fairclough and Jana Tarhala
28. Bella Borgouise and Gillian Lehman
29. Beth and Evie McCord and Erin Prais-Hintz - YOU ARE HERE!
30. Beth Bricker and Heather Pyle


31. Beth Emery and Cassie Donlen
32. Bobbie Rafferty and Cindy Cima Edwards
33. Candice McGinnis and Sally Anderson
34. Carol Bradley and Cece Cormier
 35.  Cathy Khoury and Molly Alexander
 36. Carol Tannahill and Hilary Frye
37. Carrie Tahquechi and Cris Peacock
38. Cat Pruitt and Cindy Gimbrone
39. Charlene Gary and Doris Stumpf
40. Charlotte Pevny and Kate Gardenghi


41. Cherrie Fickand Cathie Carroll
41. Claire Maunsell and Cherrie Fick
42. Cheryl Roe and Jenny Vidberg
43. Chris White and Norma Turvey
44. Christa Murphy and Kathy Alderfer
45. Christie Murrow and Dana James
46. Christina Miles and Collette Collins
47. Christine Brandel and Elizabeth Woodford
48. Christine Damm and Cynthia Deis
49. Christine Hendrickson and Debbie Goering
50. Christine Stonefield and Dee Wingrove-Smith


51. Cilla Watkins and Johanna Rhodes
52. Cindy Wimmer and Riki Schumacher
53. CJ Baushka and Cory Celaya
54. Courtney Breul and Joanna Matuszczyk
55. Cristi Clothier and Kathleen Robinson Young
56. Cryss Thain and Serena Trent
57. Cynthia Tucker and Kitty Durmaj
58. Dana Johnson Jones and Eva Sherman
59. Davinia Algeri and Janet McDonald
60. Deci Worland and Lara Lutrick


61. Diana Ptaszynski and Kristy Abner
62. Diane Cook and Kerry Bogert
63. Diane Hawkey and Jen Judd Velasquez
64. Dorcas Midkiff and Jill Harris
65. Doris Radlicki and Heather Goldsmith
66. Dot Lewallen and Gaea Cannaday
67. Elisabeth Auld and Jennifer Justman
68. Erin Fickert-Rowland and Geanina Grigore
69. Erin Grant and Julie Jones
70. Eszter Czibulyas and Helena Fritz


71. Fiona Christie and Michelle Heim
72. Gail Zwang and Genea Crivello-Knable
73. Geneva Collins and Jana Haag
74. Gretchen Nation and Heidi Post
75. Heather DeSimone and Karin Slaton
76. Heather Marley and Terry Carter
77. Ingrid McCue and Jennifer Pride
78. Jackie Ryan and Nicole Keller
79. Janna Harttgen and Joanne Tinley
80. Jean Yates and Lori Anderson


81. Jelveh Jaferian and Jenny Davies-Reazor
82. Jenni Connolly and Jennifer Heynen
83. Jennifer Cameron and Kristi Bowman
84. Jennifer Geldard and Lisa Liddy
85. Jennifer VanBenschoten and Kim Hora
86. Jess Italia Lincoln and Lori Greenberg
87. Jill MacKay and Lori Bergmann
88. JJ Jacobs and Karen Tremblay
89. Joyce Becker and Kathy Welsh
90. Judy Glende and Karen Sinkowski


91. Judy Riley and Kelly Morgan
92. JuLee Wolfe and Julie Bean
93. Julianna Cannon and Julianna Kis
94. Julie Nordine and Lesley Watt
95. K. Hutchinson and Shea Zukowski
96. Karen Firnberg and Karyn Bonfiglio
97. Karen Williams and Kimberly Roberts
98. Karen Zanco and Polly Barker
99. Kari Carrigan and Laura Twiford
100. Karin von Hoeren and Laura Blanck


101. Kate Richbourg and Lorelei Eurto
102. Kathleen Lange Klik and Maria Clark
103. Kathy Engstrom and Keri Lee Sereika
104. Kay Thomerson and Loretta Carstensen
105. Kelley Fogle and Laurel Bielec
106. Kelly Ramstack and Sally Anderson
107. Kim Stevens and Tiffany Long
108. Kristi Harrison and Mandy Williamson
109. Kristi Kyle and Lana Kinney
110. Kristina Johansson and Sue Hodgkinson


111. Kym Hunter and Laura Sanger
112. Laura Zeiner and Susan Kennedy
113. Laurel Steven and Mary McGraw
114. Laurie Hanna and Lisa Boucher
115. Lesley Weir and Liz DeLuca
116. Linda Djokic and Tracey Weiser
117. Linda Inhelder and Pam Brisse
118. Linda Landig and Lori Dorrington
119. Linda Murphy and Lisa Hamilton
119.  Line Labrecque and Marianne Baxter
120. Lisa Lodge and Monica Johnson


121. Lois Moon and Melissa Muir
122. Lola Surwillo and Therese Frank
123. Lori Bowring Michaud and Marci Brooks
124. Lupe Meter and Norma Agron
125. Maggie Towne and Marge Beebe
126. Malin de Koning and Susie Hibdon
127. Mallory Hoffman and Shirley Moore
128. Marcie Abney and Patty Miller
129. Marcy Lamberson and Melissa Clarke
130. Margot Potter and Suzann Sladcik Wilson


131. Maria Grimes and Wendy Blum
132. Maria Horvath and Melinda Orr
133. Maria Rosa Sharrow and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp
134. Marian Hertzog and Melissa Mesara
135. Marianna Boylan and Sandi Lee James
136. Marina Dobrynina and Michaela Pabeschitz
137. Marsha Neal and Miri Agassi
138. Mary Ellen Parker and Melissa Meman
139. Mary Elliott and Tamara Soper
140. Mary Hicks and Laurel Steven


141. Melissa Pynn and Michelle Buettner
142. Michelle Hardy and Niki Meiners
143. Michelle Mach and Moira McEvoy
144. Missy Rappaport and Norma Agron
145. Molly Alexander and Poranna
146. Mylene Hillam and Nicole Rennell
147. Nadezhda Parfyonova and Stacey Curry
148. Nan Emmett and Nancy Peterson
149. Nancy Boylan and Natalie McKenna
150. Natalie Monkivitch and Niky Sayers


151. Natasha Lutes and Pam Ferrari
152. Noemi Baena and Penny Ilagan
153. Pamela Petry and Rebecca Sirevaag
154. Pat Haight and Mary McGraw
155. Patty Gasparino and Vonna Maslanka
156. Penny Neville and Sandi Volpe
157. Pepita Bos and Wendy Chamberlain
158. Raida Disbrow and Rebecca Watkins
159. Rebecca Anderson and Sabrina Staub
160. Regina Santerre and Rose Binoya


161. Rhea Freitag and Tari Kahrs
162. Rochelle Brisson and Sheryl Stephen
163. Sally Russick and Tracy Bell
164. Sandra McGriff and Shay Williams
165. Sandra Wolberg and Sara Hardin
166. Sarah Elder and Salla Small
167. Saskia Kaffenberger and Sharon Gardner
 168. Sharon Palac and Shannon Chomanczuk
169. Shay Stone and Suzette Bentley
170. Shiraz Biggie and Tammy Powley


171. Staci Smith and Tracy Stillman
172. Stacie Stamper and Tracy Martin
173. Stefanie Teufel and Vicky Taylor
174. Stephanie Dixon and Stephanie LaRosa
175. Stephanie Haussler and Valerie Norton
176. Suzanne Tate and Terri Wlaschin
177. Sweet Freedom Designs and Tammy Jones
178. Tania Spivey and Tari Sasser
179. Tara Plote and Terry Matuszyk
180. Terri Gauthier and Deana Hager
181. Theresa Fosdick and Tracey Nanstad

 

I'm Such a Tease

Here is a sneak peek at my Bead Soup! Just finished it  (at 1:29 am) before I leave for my retreat with Heather Powers in Michigan. I will set the full view to post on Saturday morning. Just a reminder that I will be away from my computer until I return on Monday, so don't be sad if I don't come by for a visit right away! I will be there soon (or at least by the end of 2011!)

 
Come back on Saturday when I unveil this tasty soup...plus a GIVEAWAY!

BTW: Slow This Hurry Up Down

"i have no time to be in a hurry"

 

It has been a long, LONG time since I went on a bike ride.

My bike dangles forlornly in a dark corner of the garage, collecting dust, as a jungle gym for the spiders that are showing up (are they everywhere in your house like they are in mine? I feel that I may have an infestation, and every single day I hunt down a few more and they are each different from the last. Like the one that fell on me in the shower this morning or the spindly leg ones that inhabit the downstairs nightlight. Is my house the site of the International Arachnid convention? I swear I have seen some rainforest varieties, like the tiger striped Charlotte living on my front porch).

I used to love to ride my bike. The feeling of your heart pumping and the noodly legs you get after a good long ride. Not that I was competitive biking, but just moving around town. I took my bike everywhere. and then I had kids. Now there never seems to be enough time to even consider taking it down and dusting it off. And with the sudden about face the weather has taken - from hot and sweaty to cool and breezy - it looks like another year will go by without even one bike ride.

Each month when I make up a charm for the simple truths sampler club it comes out sort of random. I don't really have a definitive plan (I hope that doesn't scare off the club members!). I usually feel compelled to make things, not because they are on trend, or in demand, but because I have some need to create it. Now that I made this, and given the fact that I never ride a bike, I am drawn to the reason why. Well, it was the theme for the August Art Bead Scene, but more than that I think that this little bike charm for me is indicative of the things that I feel I may have missed out on. I love the direction that my little experiment in entrepreneurialship is going, but it means that I have let other things fall to the side, or lay in a heap. Bike riding with my kids is one of them, literally, and that is sad, but I know that there are others.

I was the last kid in the neighborhood to remove her training wheels. I am pretty sure that I was around 6 years old. Do you know how silly a banana seat bike and high handlebars complete with streamers flowing looks with training wheels on it? Pretty darned.

I was afraid to let go. I knew I needed to balance, and everyone could see that I could do it, but yet I needed those training wheels to give me peace of mind. But by relying on that extra set of wheels I was missing out on so much.

They were always getting loose. And then one would be turned up and out of the way. Of course, I was going along just fine until I noticed it and then I panicked. Realizing that the the wheel was not supporting me would send me fleeing back home to insist that Dad tighten them. One day, Dad had had enough. He said that the next time they were loose they were coming off. That was terrifying to me. I was hyper-aware of them. I didn't stray too far from home in case one went flying. And then one day I forgot to look back there and realized that I was doing it. All. By. Myself. That is a freeing moment for a kid when they realize that they are doing it all by themselves. Heck, that is a freeing moment when an adult has that self-awareness.

This little bike reminds me that I can do this, but I am stuck clinging to the false sense of security that I need to keep those training wheels on and tightened. But the day is coming when I know that I will look back and whatever training wheel security I am holding tight to will have fallen away and I will see that I am gliding along just fine. I can already feel myself picking up speed.



{i have no time to be in a hurry
only available to the members of the 'simple truths' sampler club.
there are still openings and i am starting to work on october! join us!}



The Simple Truths Sampler club for September is a different bunch of talented designers. Some of my founding members signed on for only 3 months to give it a shot and I bid them so long and hope that one day our paths may cross again. But their first three months were up and a few new faces have taken their places. I am still not at capacity on this, but it is a good mix. There is a big difference between making 10 charms and making 20, which is the maximum that I will create of any one of these designs. I quite like making less than that. And I enjoy coming up with the next month's secret design. I am already working on  October (I know! Several weeks early! Aren't you proud of me?). You should go and see how some of the 'simple truths' have grown up! They are absolutely delightful! There there are still spaces available since I am not at that 20 piece limit. And just a heads up... I will be raising the introductory rates on the sampler club membership as of November 1st. Now is a good time to come and join us. (Wouldn't this make an excellent holiday gift? How about for that special someone who loves surprises each month, or the friend who is looking for new things to design with or maybe the stylish aunt who would like a whole wardrobe of interchangeable charms to wear each month. I can even provide a starter chain ;-)

I can't show it but on my bead table this week is my Bead Soup concoction. Please pray for a beading miracle to happen there tonight because I have yet to start it. It is not for lack of ideas, and the components I received from my partners are beyond amazing (Beth and Evie are AWESOME!), but it is due to a fundamental lack of time. But I said I would do this and I will. I hope there is enough caffeine to pull an all-nighter.

And also on my table are the special limited edition 'simple truths' pendants that I created and finished in the wee hours this morning in the three themes of the weekend retreat that I am going to in Michigan. I am taking off tomorrow through Monday to go to beautiful South Haven, MI to stay in a little cottage at the shores of Lake Michigan, make new friends, create beautiful things and spend time with my best friend Heather and her family celebrating the release of her book Jewelry Designs from Nature: Woodlands, Gardens & The Sea. I am squeeing all over the place here. Packing might happen tomorrow right before I flee town. ;-) I will share more next week!

{My bead bestie, Heather Powers, the author!!!!}

I will be hit or miss these next two weeks as I do a little business traveling and creating for various deadlines. I will have a post for the Bead Soup ready to go for Saturday (if there were a Patron Saint of Creativity ((there's not)) I would be pressing speed dial to him, I am just hoping I don't have to call on St. Frances Xavier Cabrini who is the Patron Saint of Lost Causes!) but because I will be traveling (and, no, I still do not have a laptop or a smartphone or whatever, so I will be completely unplugged for a few days. Maybe that is exactly what I need to slow this hurry up down.) so I will try to get started on visiting the Bead Soup-ers just as soon as I can. I am thinking that since the last time it took me until Easter, this time it will take me until Christmas to visit everyone. ;-)

So now it is your turn...

Are you in a hurry or are you slowing down and enjoying the ride?

What are your memories of your first bike?

What are the 'training wheels' that are holding you back? What would it take to loosen them up?

Anything you would like me to say to Miss Heather Powers when I see her this weekend?

Dream, Believe & Live It

"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

My friend Joann is a writer.

I am not quite sure how I stumbled upon her very funny blog.  I think that maybe I was surfing other blogs, as I am wont to do, and I was intrigued by the title - "Laundry Hurts My Feelings" - and I felt compelled to check it out.

No matter how I found Joann, I am so very glad I did.

Joann has the sort of life that I would like to share. She lives in sunny Florida (complete with 'gators!), gets the chance to travel (hello, Mexican drug lords!), loves wine (has her own wine cellar) and vodka and chocolate, has the most intriguing times at Disneyworld, wears impossible heels (the kind her dogs like to eat. So sad.), has three very lovely daughters and one very handsome gun-toting husband, a whole bunch of furry friends (and even some ducks), has fine taste in cute boys, is lucky to have survived her childhood, and she is a writer. A damn funny writer. Her exploits - whether it is an ill-fated trip to Mexico fraught with potential danger and the horrors of high humidity and no air conditioning as well as the open air cabana beach massage, to the (dare I say?) obsession with all things Bono, to her movie reviews that have saved me from wasting time, to the poignant and endearing way that she shares stories of her lovely daughters, I just love this girl. I knew from the moment that I started reading that this Joann would make one heck of a friend (and one day I hope I have a chance to steal tampons with her).

One thing led to another, and along the way Miss Joann jumped on the chance to snatch up a bracelet in my Etsy site for her cherished little sister. That made me so tickled. To know that someone that I read and admire likes what I do? Well, that is an added bonus. And then she bought some earrings for her mother in law. And this spring when she got back into blogging after a necessary hiatus to work on the manuscript for her first book, Joann gave away one of my 'simple truths' to a lucky reader.

But she really did me an honor when she asked me to create something special just for her.

Joann tells mighty fine and funny stories. They ramble and they meander but they always come to a great conclusion. (And I am sort of like that, no?)

But my stories are best told by wearable works of art, so I am thrilled that I have the chance to not only tell Joann's story, but give her a mantra to hold onto in the coming months of birthing her story into the world.

You see, Joann has always known that she was a writer. From the time she was just a little girl she would write stories and poems, all kept in notebooks. She wrote letters to the editor and to her husband and to her girls. But she never really saw herself doing anything with those words. Until now.

Joann told me that it was a long hard road for her to finally believe that her dream of being a writer one day could come true. But that is the funny thing about dreams. When you share them with others, the Universe has a funny way of putting the gears into motion to make those dreams a reality. It is a lot of hard work, but if you have a plan, a direction, you will get there. But first you have to believe.

Joann asked for a 'simple truth' of her own, and told me that her word was "believe". I went back to her blog and poked around. I read early posts and re-read posts that I loved (like the one about her daughters dancing freely in the park during a festival in Chicago). I wanted to see the pictures of Joann, and the places and things she loved so I could get a true sense of her. You see, we have never met. But I am certain that if we did we would be friends, fast and furious. And I think that we could get each other in sooooo much trouble. But it would be worth it, I suspect!

I have made plenty of custom pieces for people I have never met. Some I have only emailed and some I have only been told about from someone who loves them. When I work with a client I ask them a lot of questions. About color and length and style, yes, but also about what is most important to them, and where they want to go and what inspires them. And sometimes they don't even know that I am asking those questions or paying attention. That is when I get the best stuff.

I found a quote that I thought would be a great one for her...

"To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest." ~Mahatma Ghandi

So here is the custom 'simple truth' pendant I made for her in beachy tones, featuring Humblebeads in swirly sea-worthy colors. I think that Joann is on the cusp of having her dream come true, and I want her to live it by being true and honest with herself. I know that she is a star on the rise, and so the starfish was the motif that I chose, plus she lives by the cerulean sea, it is very much a part of her. Pearls are my favorite gemstone, and they are symbolic, a reminder to recognize the nuggets of truth within her. The interconnected rings show that we are all in this together, supporting one another. And the layers behind the pendant, besides making a beautiful frame for the focal, hint at the many layers of our stories.


{Dream, Believe & Live It - custom 'simple truths' creation just for my friend Joann}

 I told Miss Joann that her dream of writing a novel was a seed planted so long ago and is played out in every thing she does. She has to believe in it. It is happening. Now she needs to go and live it.

So here is to Joann who is working on shopping around her first manuscript of her book (or maybe just shopping for new shoes!). I think that Monday is her birthday, so hope on over to her blog to wish her all things bright and beautiful for this new year that is starting for her, and this new adventure that she is embarking on.

Your turn...

What is that thing that you have dreamed, believed in and are seeking to live every day? What would it take for this to become a reality?

Say Hello to Pearl

"A beautiful lady is an accident of nature. A beautiful old lady is a work of art."  ~Louis Nizer


I have a collection of dress forms. I seek them out to keep me company in my studio and to hold up all my treasures (Wha!? You don't talk to your beads and displays?!). They are part of my favorite displays. They each have quite a character. And a name. And a story.


First there was Bessie. I found her at a HomeGoods/TJ Maxx store. She is wooden with a turned wood base and she had on the most hideous painted dress, which is perhaps why she was so neglected. But I like to see past the ugly to the beautiful within. There were several friends with her at the store that day, but at about $35 I only brought one home. I could kick myself that I didn't get more because I have been seeking her equal ever since. 


To get rid of her gauche fashion, I bought some vintage dress patterns from a thrift store. I love the sepia tone and the mysterious lines. (I did sew a skirt once. Just once. And I still don't understand what all those lines mean. And sewing is too much like math. *shudder*). With a little glue and some creative tearing, I decoupaged her a new look. Bessie has always been my first love and my greatest workhorse. 

Sally, Bessie and Lola and boxes and labels getting ready
A.R.T.S. Night 2010

Next came Lola. With dangerous curves and a black painted negligee, Lola lived up to her name. She was a vixen and just stole the show from my hardworking Miss Bess. So a few layers of decoupaged patterns later, Lola fit right in, but still flaunts her curves.


I was delighted to stumble upon the little sister of Bess. A tad bit diminutive, Miss Sally does her big sister proud and carries herself with quiet grace. She, too, needed a decoupage makeover to make her part of the gang.


Earlier this year I picked up two little black flocked lovelies with cute glass knobs on top and ornate metal bases. I have left in their natural ebony state. I call them Lucinda for light and Stellla for star. They may be dark but they shine for me.


I am always on the lookout for more to add to this troupe of hardworking ladies. I covet full size French toille mannequins and dress forms. I love it when they are dressed to the nines. But these sort of things are hard to come by, and if you do find one that is vintage it is rare to find it in very great shape. They were, after all, workers in the seamstress trade.



Today I was picking up the unsold items from one of the local consignment shops that is more like a nice store than a garage sale. Half of this massive re-imagined, formerly vacant building is devoted to consignment of nice clothes and house wares. The other half is an antique mall. With $94 to burn from my sales (woot! Bead shopping! Or maybe laptop shopping!), you know I was looking for more things to buy. I scored this great basket/box made from small branches (I am totally going to make more of these for great displays!) and a brand new pair of jeans. I happened to ask the owner if she ever came across any mannequins or dress forms for sale. As a matter of fact, one was brought in just the other day and would I care to see it?


She led me to the other side of the store. And there she was. The booth in question is one that I frequent when I go there because of the clever displays and beautiful array of costume jewelry. This old and dusty adjustable dress form was on an iron base and close to the floor. Her panels had some gaps and the skirt  looked about to fall of, but there were no tears in her taupe and black woven cover and she had all her parts. We raised her up to her full height. 


The owner offered me a 10% discount on her. I said I would think about it. 


I went to get the kids after school and convinced Tiny Dancer to go back there with me and help me decide. (Okay. I promised her that we could get an old fashioned fountain soda from the 50s soda fountain across the street). I poked and prodded her some more. She seemed like a stable miss in a form fitting tweedy dress, perfect for draping over and pinning to. I decided to bring her home with me. I paid $67.50 for her.


On the way home, we tried to think of what names would work for her (Molly? Lucy? Susie?), and wondered what her story was. But none of the names would stick. However, I knew that eventually her name would come, as the others had.


At home I set about trying to realign her panels and touch up the fabric. There is not a rip or tear anywhere, and the only thing wrong is that it had come undone in a few places, but nothing a glue gun couldn't fix. It looks like she was hardly used.


The original sticker is visible on the breast plate. 

I did a little searching about the L & M Adjustable Dress Form Co (alternately known as "Ellanam"). It seems that they were the originators of the adjustable dress form. These were marketed to housewives the world over as a way to easily customize your dress form to suit your personal dimensions. The frame is made of very heavy pressed cardboard and the inside is a labyrinth of braces and screws and wing nuts. She is covered in a very stretchy and nondescript fabric, but her color is perfect for me. They were made in several sizes: a, b, c. I have the b model. She is a bit difficult to adjust without the gaps and overlapping joints, which is likely why she fell out of favor. Today there are plenty of adjustable dress forms on the market but I am not sure that they have the same panache as this one.


The hardware at the top is intriguing with its rust spots and little bolts. There is a plastic knob on top that I am not sure is original to this model or not. The spring appears to be a broken, and I am not sure what it is supposed to do when you do tighten it, unless it makes the neck wider to accommodate different sizes. But I like the steampunk feel of this.

I pulled some of her seams apart so that I could reach my apparently man-sized hands up her skirt and in through her armpits to make the adjustments. I just wanted her to pull herself together and her old shape back. I fired up the glue gun and started to tack the edges of the fabric back down.

And that is when I saw it.

I peeked into the right arm hole and spied a piece of paper tucked under one of the braces and screws. At first I thought it might be something that was put there to keep a brace from wobbling. But then curiosity got the better of me and I pulled it out.

It was a receipt for the original purchase of this dress form.


She was purchased from the JC Penney catalog which had to be shipped from the distribution warehouse in Milwaukee to the Stevens Point store. In those days, Penney's occupied a really old two story building in downtown Stevens Point. (I remember that it was crowded with round spinning racks. The basement was all baby items, household items and where they would come set up the portable photo backdrop to take portraits once a year. The loft area was where the women's undergarments were. Very mysterious stuff indeed when I was 10!)

The original price was $34.99 with a shipping charge of $2.01 (!) and a weight of 12 pounds. This must have been a pre-paid item because the notes indicate that the recipient overpaid. The change was exactly 28 cents!

I paid about double that, but given the age and the great condition that she was in, I feel that this was a steal! I have seen older and less pristine forms sell for $200-400 dollars. I think that I made a great score.


But here is where it gets really interesting.


The name on the invoice is Victor Patoka in Amherst Junction, WI. My sister-in-law Mary is married to Bob Patoka. And they live in Amherst Junction.

I called them up to get the scoop and find out if there was a relative named Victor. It took Bob a few seconds but then he realized that this was his father's cousin. I asked if Victor had a wife. He did. Her name?

Pearl. 

A thing of beauty and a true surprise. Something with hidden value.

Pearl is the perfect name for my new mannequin! (And coincidentally, pearls are my favorite gemstone to work with, and the stone of my sorority, Delta Delta Delta - Hi KJ! I will honor the memory of Pearl Patoka and start some new traditions with her as part of my display!)

Already she has a spot in my studio and has been laden with miscellaneous treasures, draped over her shoulders and pinned to her skirt. Her soft knit dress is the perfect complement to Bessie, Lola, Sally, Lucinda and Stella. She has great potential, this curvy goddess. I can see that she will be a great topic of conversation at the show. It is almost like Pearl has been with me all along.

Your turn...
Have you ever found something so perfect in an antique shop? What was it? What story did it have to tell you? Or did you just invent a story for it?
Do tell!

 

RAW::Dream Today

Today's Random Act of Wisdom is brought to you by the plaque that sits on my desk at work from my friend Colette. She knew that I had big dreams and wanted to remind me not to let them go.

What are you dreaming today?



Sassy New Me

"Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like."  ~Author Unknown
 
Did I ever tell you that once I was a hair model?

I was home from college and out at the bars dancing around with my close cropped late 80s hair and there were these guys who were clearly not 'townies' trolling the dancefloor. They offered the cheesy line of "You know, you have great hair. Have you ever thought of being a model?" to all my friends with the flowing locks. They didn't even bother wasting that gem on me. But at the end of the night, when none of them would take them seriously, I volunteered. To be a hair model. At the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point. Could I be there on Sunday morning at 8am dressed all in black? You bet!

I remember going there and they taught us how to sashay down the runway (a.k.a. shuffleboard floor). Then we were ushered into suites where they started poking our heads and commenting about us as if we weren't in the room. Since I had so little hair to begin with they deemed me color worthy. They whipped out these swatch books and started planning their attack. At one point I noticed no less than 4 different shades they were pulling out, from mahogany to cinnamon, paprika and gold. I wondered aloud how that would look and they stop and stared at me as if they had just noticed that I was in the room.

Since color takes time, I was the first one up. I was escorted to the stage in front of about a hundred hairdressers from all across the state. There sat the usual fixtures from a salon: sink, chair with that cool pump-action dohickey, helmet blow dryer, combs and scissors and vats of gloppy color. But no mirror.

They proceeded to tag team me and apply the color all over my head while the guy with the microphone head gear talked about every step of the process. I had to sit and let it stew on my head under one of those helmet dryers while they did updos and funky cuts on all the other willing little lambs.

Ding! Finally the time was up for the reveal.

They rinsed and rinsed. I am sure that there was a river of many colors in that basin. Then they quickly blew my hair dry, added a little styling product. Et voila! They spun me around to face the waiting crowd.

There was a bit of a gasp and then applause. I sashayed across the stage as they told me to do. Results achieved.

As soon as I could I bolted off stage and ran to the suite to see the mirror. I passed many a girl with 'fantasy hair' piled high who gasped, yet not in a good way.

What I saw when I got to the bathroom shocked me.

Imagine if you will a patchwork of color. Every two inches was another color. I looked like I could play hide and seek in a pile of leaves and no one would find me.

I grabbed my coat and fled amid cries that the show was not finished and hurried home. I don't think I got the $20 they promised to pay me. So much for beer money.

Now my parents were not too keen on me doing this in the first place. But I was an adult and this was my choice. I am sure that they could hardly suppress their mirth and their 'itoldyousos' when I arrived home in tears.

I went through two boxes of my mother's Clairol Nice 'N' Easy Dark Brown Espresso that day in the laundry tub. It was just enough to take me from a pile o' leaves to a ginger head before I had to drive the two hours back to Madison.

Thank the Lord there is not one picture of this fateful day. But I bet your imaginations are vivid enough.

Ever felt like it was time for a change? Like you would welcome the "What Not To Wear" crew to come barging in your door and whisk you away to NYC where you would endure all manner of humiliation if it meant a new wardrobe, haircut and make-up kit?

I have been catching bits and pieces of those shows lately (what with the no computer and all... but I am back y'all! Still work to be done to really be 100%, but I am here! Yea!). I usually catch either the train wreck portion in the beginning or the big reveal and the fainting and crying at the end. But I know that the middle part is quite a struggle to get from point A to point B.

I guess I don't qualify for WNTW (just like my clutter is not enough for Miss Niecy Nash and Clean House to come swooping in). I suppose I should be grateful for that. But I still felt restless and mousy and so un-hip.

I had a hair appointment Wednesday. And I knew that my fabulous new stylist Michelle would be up for a style intervention.

I have this very thick and sort of unruly naturally curly dark brown hair. I like curls, really I do, but mine turn into more of an 'fro complete with kinky frizz. But not everywhere. Generally the top is frizzy, the bulk is wavy and the ends just stick straight out. It is like I have three heads of hair.

(Prepare yourself for the horror of the following pictures...You may want to have small children leave the room, and I wouldn't be drinking anything either, or it might end up spewing out your nose.)

While cleaning the garage in the past two weeks I unearthed my ID cards from school.

And yes, I keep crap like that. (Are you sure you don't want to visit me Miss Niecy?)


{Nice 'fro, dude. But it does distract from the braces, don't you think?}




{I am so happy to be back to school. This looks like a mug shot of a preppy criminal in 1983. Notice the polo collar standing at attention. I am sure there were pegged-leg pants down below complete with little white Keds shoes. Because I am fashionable like that. Bonus points to you if you know what that means and how to do it. And how stupid it made your legs look.}




{Ah...now there is a developing sense of style. This was the year of my first driver's license. I was channeling Annie Hall with my sweater vest and knit tie. I wish that I had kept that first drivers' license, but I cut it up as soon as I got my second one because of the doofus in the checkout line who refused to cash my check because she thought I was trying to use my BROTHER'S id. And I don't even have a brother!!!}



{Mullets 'r' Us}



Now I know that that swanky little picture that you see of me every where is pretty dynamite. That was taken around my 40th birthday and the only instruction I gave my photographer Sarah was "do not make me look 40." I think that she succeeded (although this summer at the Bead & Button I had someone tell me that they thought my picture made me look so old...like 40 or something...but I was so much younger looking in person. And I explained that when that picture was taken I was 40. I am not sure if I should be offended or delighted by that observation).

But I am 43 now. And I fear that there are only a few more years that I can get away with that picture.

I am not a fan of cameras pointing in my direction. Although some might say that I am photogenic, I have never liked the way I look on camera. I know. You can always find flaws that others don't see.


When I was young, high school and college aged, I had extremely short hair. I used to get my hair cut by the ROTC barber on campus at UW Madison (not buzz cut, but with shears!). Short hair is something that I am very good at. And I can rock it.



{Four plus years of college. Some of the best years of my life that I really don't remember. Too many Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi frat parties (Hello, Kelly! Are you with me on that one? ;-).
That was the stage of the BIG earrings.
And can you believe that every single college ID (that I still have, thank you very much) has my entire SOCIAL SECURITY number on it? (I have digitally removed it. So stop looking for it!) I wonder if the uptick in identity theft was started in the late 80s, early 90s with college IDs that were so easily lost? I had to give out that number EVERY DAMN PLACE. How stupid is that?}



But then one day I decided I wanted to grow it out. And my sister was getting married and for once in my life, I wanted "fantasy" hair. I ended up with hair that was piled high on my head. There were little pearls  peeking out of each big curl on my head. It was lovely.

{Getting silly with too many bottles of wine at my sister's bachlorette party. That's me with the 'fantasy hair' trial run on the left, my mom Gail and my cute sister Kelly on the right. June 1997}

{Aren't we a sparkly couple? I loved that hair do with all the little pearls peeking out. And those flowers! Getting back into that dress would be ideal.. I think I should set that dress out as a goal...}

And then I had kids. And long hair was not too practical. So I chopped it all off again. But as they grew I let my hair grow. My kids do not recognize me without long hair. In fact, they don't believe that I ever had short hair, despite all the photographic evidence.



{1999 - Rose Bowl}

I am getting back to the point of wanting that sort of ease and no-fuss again.

{Tiny Dancer 2010 - She has a similar cut this year but my kids refused to let me take the firstdayofschool picture on the front porch today. So bummed ;-( Does that mean that since they got away with it this time I won't be able to do it again? I will be taking that picture...tomorrow ;-}

My darling daughter cut her tresses last year for Locks of Love. She eked out just barely enough inches to qualify and ended up with the cutest bob haircut. That is totally her look. This year she got her 'summer cut' (because she has to let her hair grown long for dance all year in order to have enough for a bun by April!) and it is and even more sassy and fun shape. Dang, that Michelle is good!

So Wednesday night when I went to have my 'witch hairs' covered, I decided that it was time. In addition to a nice rich shade of brown for fall, I picked out several hair cuts from the books and Michelle was able to transform me into a hipper version of myself. Her eyes lit up (that is just the sort of thing a hair stylist wants to hear). As she was cutting I started to feel a draft. Uh-oh. It is short in the front, with longer points just under my chin in the front. She styled it with loose curls by blow drying (how does she conquer that evil appliance?) and then a little flat ironing into soft waves. I feel so much lighter. I am not sure that I recognize myself.

When I got home, Tiny Dancer took one look at me and started shrieking, "NOOOOOOO! Not short hair!"

She was truly devastated.

Whatever.

She'll get over it. It is just hair, after all. It will grow back.

So since I figure that I won't look this fine tomorrow after I have slept on it, and precisely because I am inept with the tools and accoutrements of beauty application, especially the evil 'hair dryer' {shudder - that thing just turns my hair to frizz}, I figured that I needed to take a few pics of myself. Now before you start thinking that I sit around every day posing, you have to know that had my kids been up I would have demanded that one of them snap off a pic or two and leave it at that. But they are already snoring. And they have the first day of school tomorrow, so they were chomping at the bit to get to bed on time (not!). I thought that I would do it myself.
{Update: This morning Tiny Dancer came into my bathroom as I was re-curling the slept on locks (and it looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! But I have yet to wash it...) and she says, "See, Mom? Doesn't it feel good to have short hair that is so easy to take care of?" WHA? Just 12 hours before I had her running away in terror at my new 'do and now she is taking credit for it? Really? Pffftt... whatever! (Roll eyes here.)}

Do you know how hard it is? To take your own picture? How silly it makes you feel sitting in your arachnid-infested basement studio trying to smile but not too much and focus shots on your face rather than your chest while getting just enough light and trying to ignore the clutter and creative chaos all around you? I have been having fun with the Hipstamatic camera app on my daughter's iPod touch. I love this app. I spent the last few hours playing with it and not getting much else done (so much for focus). I am trying to find a more artsy and edgy head shot to put out there in the world, like on the blog or website, or as my avatar or something. Not that I want to get rid of the glamorous one that I have (I am still trying to live up to that one), but I guess it is time for something different, something more real life, and I love the patinas that this app gives to the images. (And yes, I am aware that in some I have cut my head off and in others all you can see is hair. Did I mention how hard it is to take your own picture with this app?)

I would love some feedback. (Be honest, but be kind. Okay?)

So now it is your turn...
Do you like my sassy new cut? Or are you running screaming from the room like my daughter?
I haven't perfected 'the pose' yet (it is really hard to take a picture of yourself with this app), but I am more or less experimenting with the various lens/film/flash combinations. Anything here grab you in terms of patina or pose? 
Should I retire my current head shot? 
Should I use something like this in certain places, like on my blog, Etsy shop, website, publications? Or should I just scrap these cheesy photos altogether? 
Do you think that I should cut it even shorter? 
What is your hair story?

Do tell!