Fiber as Beads

This is the second necklace like this I have made recently. The first sold in the shop and the woman who purchased it was just delighted with it. She looked at the necklace, twirled around the shop a bit, tried it on and then said, " absolutely, oh yes, I am taking it! " I love to see a customer so excited. I feel rewarded when someone is so happy with a purchase.

Anyhow, the necklace is made of felted wool beads, vintage lucite leaves that I dyed myself, sterling silver and pearl cotton. It reminds me of blooms on many flowers in a garden. Good night all!

Three Days Gone

A corner of the studio with sweet smelling rosemary and my concrete rooster keeping watch over the doorway. Today my sweet hubby had a marvelous idea concerning the studio and I am going to begin talking and thinking about it so that the process will take place.

We have talked for the last several years about building a new warehouse. The one we have now is just too small. Just this afternoon, Phil said, " why don't we build a new studio and we can use the old studio as a warehouse! " Now does that sound marvelous or what? He said I could add skylights, a bathroom and all the other things I have lusted after in a studio. Maybe even create a place to store my finished and framed paintings! I am so excited! There will be much talking about this, planning and dreaming and sketching and lining up all our ducks in a row but in a couple of years... Wow! A girl can dream!





These are new resin pieces recently done and all but the two cathedral type window ones are made with garage sale jewelry as a base! I am trying to train my eye to look at " stuff " differently and figure out how to apply it to my work. I love the idea of up-cycling what someone has discarded as outdated or unloved and giving them a new life. Resin is amazing stuff! I can use it on paper, in my frames, in objects like spoons and the backs of old deep brass. I don't think I will ever tire of it!

Late on a Friday evening ...

I finished this painting about a month ago, stashed it in the studio and forgot about it. Jacob found it Wednesday evening, looked at it and said, " I like it. " I have to say that when one of my kids says that they like my work, I feel good, very good. I may be their mother but they also see me as something else; an artist, a painter, a jeweler, someone who is still creating everyday.

Pride!

Taken by a friend, what an awesome picture of nature in its glory. Just had to post this before work today and seeing an eagle for me is magical. I interpret it as a sign that I need to be strong - to wisely use my strength. Blessings on this glorious Friday!

Can you stand it? Another quick drawing of spirals this time shaded with colored pencil. I wanted to draw to relax myself and I wanted it to be spontaneous, like air blowing across water. I am thinking of these spirals as floating from the sky down upon waters left still with the colors of the Aurora Borealis.


I would write more tonight but for now I am crazy tired so it will need to wait until after the work day tomorrow. It was a sweet, warm day in PT, the smell of saltwater heavy in the afternoon breeze. I love it here!

To Lasting Friendship

Here are my delightful luncheon companions from this afternoon. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Belmont Hotel and sat on the deck overlooking the beach. The sun was out, it was maybe 70 degrees, the winds were calm, the birds calling to each other and the ferry came and went several times. It was our farewell - see you next summer - lunch with Keith.





This is my long time friend, Keith who now lives on an island just off the coast of Panama. He is the reason I have my shops in the James & Hastings building in Port Townsend. Just over 15 years ago, he invited me to be a tenant in his building, he owned it at the time, and I said yes, on one condition. I would be there in a flash if he promised that we would not have rats. You see, a little secret about my original shop space is that it was over run with rats and pigeons! When I began to date Phil, I asked him to crawl in the muck under my building, the totally unrestored Lewis building, and place out rat poison. When he agreed, i knew I should keep him around!



I will miss my friend and it will seem an eternity until his visit next summer but time will pass and soon we will be sharing a year's worth of stories, gossip, adventure and inspiration.

Ah, friendship. Truly one of life's pleasures!

A New Piece

This is a vintage piece from Paris that was once probably a brooch. I bought it from a friend at Bead & Button for my altar at work. The image is a nun holding a cross. She will make an excellent addition to the little altar I have behind my desk at the shop. I could not be more pleased with the piece. The altar reminds me to " keep the faith " and is non denominational. I have Christ, nuns, angels, Buddhas, the Madonna, Ganeesh,crosses, live action Jesus, chickens and of course, a cat or two. Everything that I need to look at from time to time to have faith. With blessings.....

Solstice!

The longest day of the year! We can expect more than 17 hours of daylight this first day of summer. It is now just a few minutes before 7 in the evening my time, and finally, the sun is out, birds are singing and the light breeze that is gently wafting through the open door is scented with the promise of summer. Happy Solstice! Happy summer! Happy day to be creative!

p.s. This is Stonehenge as the sun rose on the Solstice. Doesn't it look magical?

Pictures of my Dad

It is Father's Day and although I am sitting here with Phil, who is an excellent father and Jacob, our youngest child, my thoughts turn to my dad.

We had a complicated relationship, not always what I wanted it to be and I think it was a rough time for me growing up until we learned to ignore each other. As a teenager and in college, we barely spoke although Monday through Friday, we religiously ate dinner as a family every evening at 5:30. As soon as possible, I bolted from home and began a life. He got sick, stayed sick. Way too early he left us and I never got the chance to know him as I became an adult. I wonder how our relationship would have changed?




Still we remain father and daughter. I have only one wish today; that he could see my sons. How brilliant and wonderful they are. I would want them to spend time together. I would want for him to teach them things, to talk about his father, to tell them the way it was when he was a boy growing up on a farm while his daddy worked the coal mines. So many things I wished my boys knew.

Still my fondest memory, the one that still brings me to a total mess of tears and feelings; is the one of him sleeping in a chair, his arms folded on the edge of my bed, his head resting on those arms, as I woke up from an appendectomy when I was 7 years old. That was my dad. That is the man I miss.

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there and those of you still lucky enough to have a dad in your life? You need to hold and hug them extra tight today.

A Brooch for Summer

I had these metal brooch parts arrive at the shop and finally, took some home to play with. They have a mesh screen on them so I used a fine wire and wrapped, strung, twisted and loaded the beads on. I think it looks like the budding of a garden, multiple colors, lots of texture, intriguing buds and blooms. The pin was very inexpensive but add the beads and KaBLaMMMM, a beautiful piece. I am feeling very pleased with it!

Little Sprites - a new drawing

As soon as I returned home; I hit the studio and began painting and drawing.



Lots of color - makes me want to fall into great pools of it.


I have a severe fondness for spirals. It is my mark,part of my interior, holistic journey.


Spirals, color and texture will continue to be a focus in my work.

No Sadness

No sadness and with those words the dancing image of my mom left my dreams early this morning. I have been missing her a lot lately. Really missing her, the sound of her voice, her ability to just listen to me without offering advice at every other word. I want to tell her that I continue to be hurt by a friend, that Jacob is growing tall and smart, that I am making new things everyday. What I wouldn't give to - just even for a brief, brief moment - hear her voice again, see her face, touch her hands. It did not come as a surprise to me, at the end of this vivid dream that she would leave me with a short message to comfort me; no sadness. She has no sadness and I shouldn't either.

I will take it to heart, holding the thought,the words of parting wisdom close to my breast but I will still miss her; more than I ever thought possible.

I'm BACK!

Just the two of us, hanging at the show, talking charms and jewelry and fabricating wonderful things! What fun! I had a wonderful show, met wonderful people and made many new customers. Saying hello again to customers from previous years was a real treat. After all, the Bead & Button show is 10 years old and I have been at every show since the beginning meeting and greeting people who enjoy my work. I was blessed at this show to sell nearly all the jewelry I made, making me feel so treasured and inspired! Thank you a thousand times over to all my lovely customers and friends who made this show the most memorable and best ever! More pictures tomorrow, after this girl does some studio work and ugh - paperwork!




The woman who purchased the center bracelet from me at the show was delighted with her new piece of jewelry and her good comments and wonderful enthusiasm carried me through the rest of the show and makes me smile even at this very moment!




Our booth at the show. I love having my hand in everything that I sell or display in the booth. I made the banners, paint the trays, craft the little signs, decorate the bowls - you name it. I just want everything to be made with the love and joy I feel in creating. There is so much pleasure to be enjoyed in the making of every little thing that I don't want the regular, run of the mill, mass produced anything in my booth.




As much as I loved seeing all my friends and customers at the show; I really loved watching the baby seagulls on the roof just one floor below my window. It was like having a live version of the nature channel! There were three nests on the roof and the twins were closest to us. I could have watched them for hours!

The Final Bead & Button Piece

This is it. The final crafted piece for the Bead & Button show. Five strands of a beautiful bead assortment and one of my handcrafted and hand finished clasps. After weeks of marathon jewelry making, charm finishing, sewing banners, table skirts and drawing signs; I have to say I am done! Yippee! Although my least favorite of all chores is still waiting for me - the packing of the suitcase! I usually take too little in the way of clothing and my hotel room ends up looking like a laundry as I find myself washing out clothing by hand and hanging them all over the bathroom. I can be ready to go anywhere at the drop of a hat but figure that too little is way better than too much on a trip. I like flying light if not by the seat of my pants! HAHA!

I will post many pictures when I get back so stay tuned! xo, Lois

The Studio Door

As I get ready to say goodbye or as my BaBa used to say, so long, to my studio I leave you with a picture of my door. I love this door given to me by a woman deceased these last few years, a woman who was one of the first visitors after Jake was born, who had a lovely home here in town at North beach, who loved being a bus driver for the local transit company. I think of her every time I place my hand on the knob of the door to open or close it. I like to think she works with me in the studio and smiles when I feel accomplished. This feisty old liberated, tough, runs with the wolves kind of friend I still miss to this day.

I love the embroidered cover I use as a shade on the door. Brought back to me by a friend from India, it has little shiny mirrors in the stitches and entwined leaves, flowers and birds.

The picture on the wall is also from a friend who went quietly into that good night. An amazing man, with such an interesting life story ( he lived in China before WWII ! ) and of whom I had the privilege of owning an art gallery with. This is a poster for an art show of his featuring the incredible black and white photos he took on his journey into China. He was a fighter pilot in WWII and was caught behind enemy lines. Amazing that his life touches mine through this poster every time I am in the studio.

My hand painted gold stars are on the wall. All gold paint and rusted iron hammered on hearts. some days you just need a gold star, even if you award them to yourself.

Yes, this is all part of my studio, part of the lives of people who have touched me. It is home and when I am away, I miss it and think of working in it again, the moment I set foot in its door. And in the studio my friends silently wait for the activity upon my return and our lives, their's then and mine now, become entwined.

This Lushness of Green

A few shots of the backyard and around the studio all draped in the green that the rain has brought this spring. At this moment, we are between rain storms, the sun is out, it is about 50 and gorgeous!

The Rain is not Falling on the Bead Table!

Studio work table shots on a gray, windy, wet day in the land of Lois.


The rains have been so frequent, constant and drenching that everything is a lush, emerald jungle here! I promise to get out between the big drops and take some pics for later posting. In the meantime, I thought I would post a picture of my beading table in the studio. Just for fun, you can see where I am working most of the time. The silver part of the studio will be posted later, right now, it is CLEAN and ready for new work after B&B.