Complications and a Simpler Life

 The more I work in my office and on line, the more I long for a simpler return to the fine craft of making things. The computerized world can leave me ever so cold especially the I can not figure out how to do something on line. Right now I am stuck with a weird FB post on my website's home page and my Instagram post have disappeared into the ethers. Please bear with me as I try to figure this out with my web guy, Chuck. I am as always open to suggestion. Help. 

In the meantime, I sent most of the day in my studio making stretch bracelets and earrings. I am content to sit all day and do these things, if my body allows for it. Today being all cold and very damp, it was just plain delightful to sit in the warm studio and create. 

An image of the divine mother, the woman within us from a Ukrainian 

Artist. I am sorry I do not know the artist's name but the image with her beads about her, speaks to me. 

Now this evening is turning into a quick trip out to the studio again to make crystal Christmas earrings to take into the bead shop tomorrow. Come see me and say hello in the bead shop tomorrow. XO lois

Summer Greetings

 It is here in all its bright, hot glory... summer! I love summer for cool evening breezes and warm days. I do not like at all the heat of our new to this area, heat domes. The good thing about them is I can park myself in front of a fan and do some serious beadwork. I like to string multiple strand necklaces and bracelets as a way to unwind and think and feel the calmness of bead meditation. Stay cool, stay hydrated and stay creative. My summer plan!

What my little bundle of work looks like at the end of a studio day. A day " off  " from the shop. 

These are 24KT gold foil encased by hand in Czech glass bead hearts. I made them into pendants and have them on satin gold chains in the shop. $ 14.95.  I used to make them a couple of decades back but thought this is the summer to bring them back. Gold, glassy and sparkly! 

Earrings made with what I call summer Caribbean colors. Hot, tropical, swingy. These are my moon & sun earring tops and are on my website. Sterling Silver. You can make your own with my earring tops, your beads and some sterling head pins. Every summer needs a special pair of earrings!

This is it for me tonight. It has been a long day of studio work and watching a very big, chubby garter snake in my herb bed. I am going to post his or her picture on my FB page tonight. I saw her last summer and this is my first visit with her this summer. Snakes do not bother me but don't even talk to me about a spider!

Stay cool! Have fun! Get creative and crafty!! xo Lois

lois@wynwoods.com. 

Sunday, a perfect crafting afternoon.

 It began a bit sunny but is now cool, gray and breezy. Not even 60 degrees which is totally fine with me! I like cool and gray. 

I have made a few things for the shop today which is my typical Sunday. This day began with a mad dash into the building my shop is in to check on an upstairs plumbing leak. Argh. I really do not like days that begin with a crisis. I think all is well now and maybe I can concentrate on other things. Favorite things like drawing, painting and making jewelry! 

This week will find me in the shop on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I like seeing all my customers and enjoy being there. New beads have come so there is always the excitement of showing them off and putting them out into inventory. 

This is my little altar that is on the tiny bookcase shelf behind my desk. It reminds me to keep the faith and to trust my instincts and to be kind, thoughtful and express gratitude. Do you have anything similar? 

This is my little spice turn table that I have my hand tools on. They are in cups and jam jars and are the tools I reach for as soon as I sit down too work. I have other tools scattered in various areas about the studio in different work stations. 

Finally a finished drawing. I have all these new sketchbooks that Jacob & Phil have given me that I might never get them filled with images. I am so longing for a time I can work bigger. 

Summer is nearly here and the solstice is in two weeks. That's when more knitting and fiber work comes out and I retreat too the front porch to work outside, in a warm breeze.

Time to stir up some trouble in the kitchen. Until next time, be well and keep crafting. Lois

Raven on my Neighbor's Roof

 The raven on my neighbor's shed roof across the street makes me want to jump up and take his picture but he knows. I swear he knows that I am wanting his picture. He taunts me and the moment I move towards the window in my living room or softly step out my front door; he looks at me and with a flick of his tail, flies away. He knows me. He is pacing now waiting for me to make my move. Not today, dear darkest raven. Today, I will not play your game but keep writing on my blog instead. I see you. You see me and today we will both just be two birds in our own world. Yet, time paused for a brief moment, as if you knew I was not going to take your picture. So with the 10X zoom on my phone, I caught you! Ha! And then, off you immediately flew!

We are busy getting ready for summer visitors and traffic to the shop. We have added tons of new inventory with still more on the way. I am so very happy and excited to find treasures to add to my in store selection. Today, I have purchased Czech 6 and 8 mm triangles. A handsome bead to string into jewelry but I think they will be perfectly suited to earrings or as little dangling charms from a chain. They are in chakra colors too so you can make a stretchy bracelet or six for yourself or all your friends. Wouldn't that make a sweet parting gift as you move on through your summer? 

We have opened our classroom annex on Saturdays from 12:30 to 3:30 ish. Just stop in at the bead shop desk and ask to see our selection upstairs on the mezzanine and we will be delighted to walk you up. Masks are required and only one or two people at a time can be in there. These are gemstones, glass, trade beads and more at discounted prices AND we pay the sales tax on items in this room for you! Winner, winner! 

As summer progresses and the days get warmer ( really I do not want hot, just warmth ) we will open our sweet little warehouse by appointment. Give us a call or stop in and Phil will make an appointment for you. We even have a spouse waiting area!

Also, graduation time calls for special gifts and here are a couple of religious pieces I have cast in white bronze that would be a thoughtful present. More are on my website too. 

Hope to see you around the shop soon. Maybe some warm summer afternoon, we can sit across the street at the plaza and have a coffee or better yet, an iced tea! xo, Lois

Spring?

Not sure how this picture arrived here but it is a side view of my home. 

 Blogger moves in awfully weird ways!! 

Spring in a Round About Sort of Way

 Hello and happy spring! I may be wasting some time here today as I am hoping that I am posting to my charms by Lois blog post, charmsbylois.blogspot.com BUT I may actually be posting to my yarn shop blog. So I am going to post pictures here that are of our local weather, rather generic in nature so it is appropriate for either blog. 

ST Peregrine - a sterling silver medal cast from an old piece found in Europe.

The patron Saint for cancer. 

This is the new view we have outside the building we just constructed behind my studio. This will be a multi use building. My corner will be for creating large paintings, something I have wanted to do for eons. 

The funny thing is, this is all sun and clouds when taken but just a few moments ago, it was snowing! A checkerboard pattern of weather is happening. Snow has not happened here in April for nearly 80 years. 

Signing out now and hoping that this works!

Aha! Spring is Heading Our Way!

 Finally, we are beginning to see the hopeful signs of spring. Hyacinths, that most fragrant of fragrant flowers, is bursting forth in a magnificent shade of purple and the mini daffodils or daffy-dills as I grew up calling them, are also spreading their yellow joy throughout the flower beds. 

The bead shop is getting ready for our own version of spring with many new items arriving. Tools, beads, gemstones, baskets, and bells. Lots of bells and chimes. 

I do not need to tell you that the world is crazy stressful right now. That our own area is undergoing a metamorphosis that is always not so pleasant. Some days I just want to put one foot in front of the other and get through the next 24 hours. When things get me feeling a bit down, there are a couple of things I reach for for comfort and companionship. One is the friendship and conversation of my customers. The shop is my happy place. Talking with and spending time with the customers and people passing through are so rewarding and fun, even if all I get to do is wish someone a good afternoon or to enjoy the weekend.

The other stress reliever is to reach for a project. A beading project in particular. I find, and I am pretty sure you do too, even if you do not put it into so many words, that beading is meditative. Transporting me to a calmer, prettier, mindful place. The gentle art of stringing or knotting beads, of weaving them into a pattern for a wearable piece of jewelry or an art form that brings you beauty, peace, consciousness and joy, enriches our days. I love seeing your work on the internet or in person in the shop. Over the years, I have seen an amazing amount of beautiful pieces and had some of the best conversations of my life. I have made friendships over our mutual love of beads and jewelry.

Now that things are opening up and the temperatures warming up,  we will be able to once again sit outside and have a coffee or lunch on the plaza. I am hoping to see more of you soon. Very soon! Much Love, Lois

Quartz crystals to keep you energized and clear. 

Affirmation bands as necklace pieces. To remind 
you of what you are! 

What do you do on a clear and sort of sunny day off? You head to the beach to hunt for beach glass and agates.This is my husband walking the beach by the maritime center. Never look up or you might miss a piece of treasured glass!

This is a moment of peace brought to you by this beautiful drifting log ( is it cedar or fir? ) off the dock by the very same maritime center that Phil is strolling about. I wish you could see it here, just exactly how bright and aqua-turquoise-blue the water was. 

 Love to all. Pray for peace or light a candle or hold a good thought or a thousand. Be the light, be the love. 

 

January is still here....

 ... but the days are getting longer and the darkness doesn't come to the end of the day until almost 5:00. It feels nice to end my day at 5 in the shop and still have some daylight lingering about. I moved some of my bead things into the dining room in the house when we had all the snowy weather and now I can not seem to see how I did without this work station before. No more traipsing out to the studio in the cold or rain after way dark. I can plug in my iPad and watch old television shows and bead at the dining table. It's a good thing because not only do I make jewelry but I also can string up and prepare the many new beads arriving into the shop. This little work area helps me get the new treasures into the shop so much faster. 

In other news, we are sometimes open on Wednesdays now so if you are heading into Port Townsend, give us a call to make sure we are in. Port Townsend is pretty sleepy this time of the year but you will still find lots of people downtown. 

I will be in the shop this weekend and working on catching up on repair work. I am so grateful that people are patient with me as my time to get repairs done is short. It is marvelous though, to restore a treasured piece and get it back to someone to see their face light up with delight in being able to once again wear a favorite earring or heirloom piece of jewelry. 

Now I do need to repair some of my own pieces and that is going to be happening soon. Very soon. See you soon too around the shop. 

PS - I may not be teaching classes during the pandemic but I am still very happy to help you at the shop's counter. You'd be shocked at what I can teach or demo between customers!

As always, keep your mask on in the shop so this @#$%^& pandemic can get all the help it needs to go away. Heart. Heart. Lois