An experiment this fine, sunny afternoon where the heavy frost still lingers in the shaded areas of my yard. I have always posted to my blog from the main computer and not my phone but oh, if I could go this! Post from my phone! Marvelous technology. So here is the post and a picture, maybe, with more to come later.

Almost December & We Have EVENTS!

Hello on this very blustery Port Townsend evening. Today found us needing to close early because of the high winds that just couldn't seem to let us open or close our front door! Very exciting but scary silly to be on the streets. Anyhow, I did manage to get some beadwork done and visit with some very interesting customers.

December is a very busy month for nearly all of us. In addition to being at the shop, I have holiday preparations to make and gifts to craft and maybe, a party to plan. To make things a bit easier on you we are having a new chocolatier in town setting up for the first Saturday during December's Gallery Walk. You can sample these delights and purchase some for yourself or as gifts. This is her first time in our shop and you know how we love our chocolate! We are thinking you do too.

This is a one day pop-up shop in the lobby of Wynwoods Gallery and Bead Studio, on the corner of Water and Tyler streets, downtown Port Townsend. Come sample delicious chocolate, get a jump on your holiday shopping, or simply come to ask questions and get to know us a little. No tickets or reservations necessary. Come for the Christmas Tree lighting and stay for the chocolate! Meet Megan in person too! From 3:00 to 7:00 pm during the GALLERY WALK! 

Also, during Gallery Walk, December 1st, all day, we will be having an ALL THINGS TURQUOISE TRUNK SHOW & SALE! Turquoise gemstone beads, turquoise color magnasite beads, turquoise glass beads, turquoise ribbon and you get the picture. It is all TURQUOISE which is December's birthstone. Come treat yourself to a gift of the month's color or maybe that special beady person in your life, with a December birthday ( or not ) needs a little turquoise!

See you soon! Think chocolate and think turquoise and maybe, think an evening with nice tree lighting weather. We are, of course, open rain or shine! XO 

GIRLS' Day INTO Night OUT!

A SPECIAL IN SHOP EVENT

Girls' Night Out is this coming Thursday, October 4th from 11:00 to 7:00. Maybe even later! We will be having a gemstone trunk show, FUN sales throughout the day, good conversation and chocolates.

A special fundraiser will be our beautiful Czech glass and crystal stretchy bracelets in an array of pink and cranberry shades. The bracelets, all lovingly crafted by us, will be on sale for just $ 3.00 each with all proceeds being donated. ( PERFECT TO GIVE AS A GIFT OR TO STASH AWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS OR TO WEAR YOURSELF. )

Hoping you stop in to say hello and support a cause that is close to all of us. The best part about my shop for me is the friendship you all offer and the conversation we enjoy together. As always, one on one help is available! See you on Thursday!!

A quick Hello

We are here! The Wooden Boat Festival is over and summer is on the verge of leaving us. Hello gray skies and rainy weather. You know what this means? Perfect, and I do mean perfect, beading weather!

We have added many new things to the shop inventory and as always I will be around for private classes and in store help. My repair work basket is nearly caught up too so feel free to bring in your broken beady treasures and jewelry. I can also help you fix your own pieces.

If you want to see me for certain, give the shop a call ( 360-385-6131 ) and check in. I actually do take a couple of days off for studio time and -gasp-a personal life! Wait. What IS that?

I have added in a bunch of new Picasso finished size 6 and 8 seed beads, all lovingly and expertly crafted in the Czech Republic. There is a limited supply right now so come in soon.

I will leave you with a picture of these new beads and get the shop ready to open. Our hours remain 11:00 to 5:30.

FIND US - September 14th, Friday, and September 15th, Saturday, at the Cabin Fever Quilters expo at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. I will be part of the vendor market and have a few beads on sale along with an amazing range of all my favorite fat quarters. It is QUILT time too!

Summer Smoked!

We have been inundated with the sad smell of smoke from all the fires in British Columbia. It has wafted down here and made our days a horrid shade of pinkgray and the smell makes me react in sorrow as I think of all the great forests and trees lost to fire. I pray daily for rain and I want nothing more than the fires to end and the animals and nature recover. I think with pain and sadness for all the people who have lost their treasured possessions. I grieve right along side of all of them and they are never far from my thoughts.

In my grief, I turn to work that is comforting to me. Meditative to my mind and releasing in my emotions. Each movement becomes a prayer. Each turn a wish for rain. I have been wrapping sea glass and turning them into pendants. I have wrapped many as I have fallen in love with the ease of crafting with the bronze wires available now. All through last weekend's studio tour, as the smoke grew into the air all weekend; I wrapped pendants. Here then is a photo.

I think of them as mermaid jewels and like the colors of the waters around here. Aquas, sapphires, cobalt blues. The air may be colored gray and everything coated with a layer of black ash but the water remains...

I have added some of the two hole Carrier Beads into the shop for your design experimentation. These are glass and although I have not tried them yet, I think they will make up into some interesting work. More colors arriving shortly.

Finally, news that makes me excited to share - the building is getting a fresh coat of paint, the first in a very long time. The new sidewalks are in, the rain gardens planted and now, paint!! A great way to wrap up the summer in downtown Port Townsend! 

ps - if you see anything in the photos you would like to order or inquire about, just email me at lois@wynwoods.com or call the shop at 360-385-6131, daily 11 - 5:30. Alas, I am not  modern enough to have an answering machine there but a real person will answer your calls during those hours. Happy Beading my friends! Now off to attempt a rain dance!

STUDIO TOUR

I am studio tour destination # 45 on the map!

Welcome August

Welcome August although I can not say I will be sorry to see you go. I am not a fan of hot weather and each time I view news footage of the fires out here on the west coast, my heart breaks for the people who have lost so much and the many animals that have also had their homes destroyed and lives lost. I say blessings to the people and fire fighters several times a day and include in my prayers one for rain. So August, you can give way to cooler temps and rain and I will rejoice in the better weather.

The days march on in a flurry of shop customers and activity. New beads and buttons are arriving on a near daily basis and that makes for exciting new beady opportunities. Many of the new beads lend themselves for quick stringing and earring projects and we can help you choose them to make the BEST accessories. We are open 11-5:30 daily for the rest of the summer. Come on in, bring your house guests to town and play in the beads!

Here are some of the newest colors in the WHEEL beads. 

I like to use the Czech glass wheel beads, a single hole bead, as a spacer in my jewelry, particularly stretchy bracelets and as cool textural beads in my embroidery work. They add a nice dimension to surface embellishment. They would be striking on quilts and fabric too.

New August display window cube.
The month for beach, sand, shells and treasure!

After the shop closes for the day, since the tides are still reasonably low on my favorite beaches; I like to go and take a quick stroll, breathe the cool salty air and hunt for beach glass, curly little shells and smooth rocks. I have quite the stash of these things, saved for winter days when the beach is cold and abandoned but I can still draw on the memories of sweet finds and in my mind, smell the warm, salty air.

A beautiful dusk photo of Port Townsend by the Mainstreet group.

Port Townsend hovers around the edges of these hot summer days with a slew of activities and concerts. You will find me on the weekend of the 18th and 19th, on the 20th anniversary of the Artist Studio Tour, at my studio...not in the shop although the shop will be open. You can come and see where I bead, paint, do metal work and daydream new projects! My first time on the tour and both days I will be open 10 -4. See you soon! 

Not Too Wordy

Good Morning and Happy Friday the 13th! An excellent day for good luck coming your way! I just wanted to share a few pictures this morning from my FB page and let you see what I have been doing in some of my free ( haha self employed - no free ) time!

Chinese crystal, 3 mm, excellent quality. $ 3.95

New earrings made with one of my original charm castings. I think this design is 18 years old.

Best beach find in ages! What a color!

HApPy WeeKeNd!!

P

So very, very true!

A July 4th Update

This day dawns sunny if not a bit humid for Port Townsend and I am finally able to crawl out from my bed as this summer cold and cough shakes loose a bit. I have sporadically worked in my studio, slept a lot, read a bit and mostly just coughed my fool head nearly off! Sheesh. All winter - no cold then, Blam! Summer cold! Oh well, it is these events that add spice to my life. ( Whether I want it or not! ) Anyhow, I hope to be back in the shop tomorrow on the 5th, Lucas is tired of seeing me laying about, and back to my usually chatty self! Come see me! I think an iced tea is calling our names. 

Bronze components & Charms as long dangly necklace pieces

My sometimes co worker. Lucas!!

Fourth of July reminder. 

This year, on these dates will find my studio participating in this tour!

Handworks

This past week has been some of my favorite weather. A couple of heavy rain showers, brief sunny periods, a little wind and cool temperatures. All of it combined to inspire me to work a bit in the studio, catching up on inventory for the shop, making jewelry and treasure tubes, and doodling in my sketchbooks. Plus I had the house to myself for four days and I could sleep at weird times, eat at weirder times and only had to make myself happy. Isn't it great to enjoy your digs all by yourself?!

Studio work table last night

This is what my studio table looked like yesterday evening as I filled treasure tubes for the Embellishment shop in the lobby. All these bits and remainders of treasure from the last 25 years have accumulated and now been assembled into crafty tubes for your inspiration. All these bits were just too precious and cool to toss so now, for $ 4.95, you get permission to play!!

These are just a treasure tube sampling.

I also made a couple of embroidered pieces to replace the paper signs I had displayed for years with my locally felted wool. I love sitting in a cozy chair, listening to music and hand stitching on wool. Nothing is as soothing and timeless as working with my hands with something as tactile as wool and textured threads.

Finally, a sign made in wool!

I love this little mini banner too.


I left plenty of gorgeous colors of wool in the lobby for you to come and pick some up for your own handwork. You could make a little banner or sign that says, " peace " or " love" or anything else and if you need a suggestion or help with a stitch - just let me know! It will be the perfect excuse to let me make something new!

Eye Candy

For your viewing pleasure tonight, some EYE CANDY! I swear there is not a bead in my shop that I do not love. Did you know we still carry Czech seed beads by the hank? Not many stores do anymore but being both the traditional ( and non traditional ) beader that I am; I love these beads. I especially like the hanks and strands of Czech seed beads that have the antique finish on them known as a picasso finish. Very handsome, colorful, yet subtle as if they were found in an archeology dig. I just received a note yesterday that a new shipment of these beads is on its way. Come on in and I will show a few of my favorite favorites!

About May

It is an exciting day in the neighborhood as we finally get sidewalks at the shop! We are holding our breath too that we might even get a tree planted near our corner. So much has changed downtown yet, after 26 years, we remain. We still have a great bead selection, teach classes, offer on site help, repair your pieces and have a great supply of jewelry that is made in my studio. Plus, of course, all the charms I cast that are then transformed into earrings and pendants and so much more. Right now, I am debating what hours to be open this summer. I will stay all day and into the evening if it does not get too hot. This girl melts in the heat! I am loving opening in the morning at 11 and closing by 5:30. What do you all think?

Mother's Day has come and gone and the roses given to me by Jacob and Kaycee still live on in the shop. I am a very lucky mom!

I am keeping this posting deliberately short so that I can return to my studio where I have dreamcatchers, earrings and a funky necklace in progress. 

Here is a studio shot of the Swarovski earring crystals all stacked up, ready to be transformed into jewelry. Years ago I made pretty necklaces of crystal and black seed beads that were much loved. I am thinking of doing them again because one thing I think we can all use again these days is some sparkle! 

Just Around Here

It is the end of a wonderful spring day, full of sun, light and warmth even if it was a tad noisy in the shop today due to all the construction on the road outside our front door. We are excited because, cross your fingers, paving in our beady neck of the woods should be done next Thursday. Although, like much else in life, it is weather dependent. Plus, the construction does not happen on Fridays through Sundays, so park away downtown!

We will be open until 7:30 this coming Saturday, the 5th, for Gallery Walk. We will have our classroom upstairs open for a continuing trunk show and sale along with the bead shop being open downstairs. I hope you will stop by as Lucas, who is maybe coming out of his puppyhood, may be working the shop and he loves to meet and greet!

I thought I would just show you a couple of pictures and then head off to dreamland myself for the evening. I am also posting the first blurb here about our upcoming POP UP SHOP at the BEAD SHOP, on May 11th and 12th, Friday and Saturday. The shop is a fair trade for craft supplies, baskets, candles and more from Africa and my friend Richard, will be on hand to tell you of his journey, his goods and his crafts.

Here is a picture of a very limited supply of a glass grape colored agate bead from the Czech Republic, one of my favorites. If this bead needs to hold a spot in your stash, stop in soon and pick a strand up!

Also, this lovely, vintage scrimshawed bone beads are just about gone. We still have a few remaining and if you need something special to add to your bead collection, this could be THE bead!.

Wishing you the best of sleep and a beady good evening. 

Spring!!

Spring makes me sing! The sun, the warmth, all the colors and flowers popping everywhere! Throwing open the windows in my studio and letting all that glorious light in! I may be taking a chance here but the heater has been turned off, the grass mowed about the outside of the studio door and all the the stinky, creative work I have been aching to do over the winter,  has commenced beginning with today.

The shop hours are 11 -5:30 everyday except Tuesday. You can also give me a call during those hours to make an appointment to see our trunk show upstairs or the warehouse just outside of town.  I am even entertaining the idea of a regular open studio day. Oh, but the possibilities on an endless spring day just seem endless!

ABALONE!

Then, there are abalone beads. Straight from the Philippines making me think of surf and sand and the crinkly hairdo I get from salt water spray at the ocean. Shell jewelry is perfect for your spring accessory. Mother Nature's own miniature paintings in shell form. Stop in and make up some abalone earrings or a bracelet today.

Lapis. What can I say about this gorgeous deep blue? It reminds me of the deepest seas. The bluest eyes. The sweet smell of spring rain. It is a must have bead for me. We have beads, jewelry and specimens in this beautiful stone in the lobby case.

Hoping to see you soon about the shop or downtown. Let's  go have an ice cream and talk spring and beads and dreams and of the future.

It is a wet and windy spring day. Cold enough to turn on the heater! I have spent the morning in the studio making earrings and contemplating the warmer days so I can get to my other metal and glass studio and do some new work. It has been way too long since I have been out there. I need to do some rearranging and put up some shelves too. Summer will bring on new studio adventures!

I love this picture of Kathy. She is officially retired but we keep drawing her in to both the bead shop and the yarn store. She has become quite an accomplished knitter, by the way. Last Sunday she crimped off and priced the new collection of daggers into the shop. These are the new Laser Tattoo daggers with awesome patterns on each little spike. The surface is like velvet in your fingers and how the tiny patterns are placed on the daggers must be magic! We have some that have flowers and leaves on them and some that look like peacock feathers and best of all, some that are lined as if they were an insect's wings! Those are my personal favorite. Anyhow, I think this picture of Kath in her red shirt with the long length of daggers against her, is very artistic.

And then, there are these beads. part of the Picasso finished seed bead collection we have in from the Czech republic. This color palette is a favorite. They can be incorporated into your bead work or strung on elastic to make an armload of stretchy bracelets. Perfect for the shorter sleeve weather coming up!

Just a reminder, we are keeping our new BEAD SHOP ANNEX room open by appointment, or you can ask to see it if there are two of us in the shop. The Annex is in the classroom upstairs from the bead shop and features a trunk show of gems, jewelry, artwork, sculpture, scarves and found objects and treasures. All at discounted prices. The room will be open for first Saturday Gallery Walks too from 5:30 to 8:00 ish. Like my ad says, " You have to see the selection to believe it. "
xo, Lois

Tucson Treasures & Beyond

March 25, 2018

It has already been a year, a wonderful year filled with bead adventures and lots of friendship. I have been creating as usual in the studio so my charms are abundant. I am painting and drawing and making jewelry and so much more. It is a good life and a fun living.

The event coming up at the shop is our annual trunk show and sale. Beads from everywhere, picked up in my travels and from my personal lifelong collection will be on sale and display. Prices are discounted and we will be paying your sales tax.

The date is set, MARCH 29th form 5:30 to 7:00 pm in the bead shop's upstairs classroom at 940 Water Street in Port Townsend.

Merchandise will remain on display and for sale for a couple more weeks so stop by the shop, we are open 11 - 5 ish daily and of course, you can call for an appointment at 360-385-6131.

I wrote a lovely post last night which as totally disappeared. Where do things go that you so diligently post on the internet? Is there a large  accumulated junk yard somewhere out there in the great voids of cyberspace? I am not at all sure there is not.

In any event, Happy New Year! Doesn't it feel great to have a fresh start, a new outlook, a chance to begin again? I have so many plans and ideas racing around in my head!
Drawings, paintings, charms, knitting - every minute seems like an explosive new idea arrives in my brain. I am excited to see what I can accomplish this year. How about you?

These are a few of the quotes I have saved on my desktop. I thought I would share them with you in lieu of all the other things I want to post here. Stay tuned. The ride is just beginning. Keep your arms and legs inside the life mobile and here we go!