To Toggle or Not to Toggle....

This is an abstract painting in the making. After I took the picture of my sterling toggles all assembled and laying in wait for the Bead & Button show; I realized they were an abstract painting! A mixture of texture, light, form and composition that says loudly, " paint me! ". I think I just might have to!






A close up of a leaf toggle. I like this piece, the leaves impressed into its border, the heart resting lightly at the bottom. Strong but delicate all at once. I formed each slight dome by hand to allow the toggle to lay so gently against the body as leaves lay about the ground when they have wafted from the trees in wind and autumn.

Up at Dawn

One of those early mornings, the house is all quiet except for the gentle snores of the dog, when something pops me from my sleep and makes me wake up. No, I am not ready to give in and be in the day but I make myself get up, splash a tea bag with hot water and honey, head to the studio and begin.

There is much to do, getting ready for the big Bead & Button show. Castings to finish, polishing, sorting, pricing, tagging, compiling and signing, it all waits for me to get it done. It is the best! I love it all, this day of full work. I will be posting pictures tomorrow. Until then a pleasant evening to you and a terrific tomorrow! xo, Lois

I LOVE a PARADE!

Today was Port Townsend's annual Rhododendron parade and what a great parade day it was! The weather was beautiful, the sun out and just the lightest of breezes! I found a nice big rock to sit on by city hall and enjoyed sunning myself and watching the parade march on by.



This is a picture of Jake and his friend Ben and fellow 4-H'ers marching in the parade. Their theme was Magic in the Air so Jake pulled out his wizard's hat, a bit floppy here and the cape I made him when he was 3. Very sparkly! He still loves that cape and I keep trying to give it away but he always says, " NO! "

Post parade, Jake, Phil and Ben having walked and carried the banner for just less than a mile.

Once Again - Self Portrait Friday

I don't know how much longer I will continue to post my self portraits. I am not my own muse when it comes to creating self portraits. This is Milagro, Jacob's lovely little boy kitty. He is not a cuddler, either Jake or Milagro but I love to scoop up the kitty, hold him close and run my nose on his soft fur. It's a real treat. So I guess this week's self portrait lesson is that I have always loved cats, love having them around me and the only sad thing I feel about cats is that I can not have them in the house because of Phil's allergies. I would love to sleep once again in a bed draped with a " cat blanket "!

Know what this is? It is a bead embroidery project on my desk at the moment. It is a felted rock, all soft and dressed in warm shades of gray and brown. My plan is to encrust it with beads and barnacles of crystal and glass. I want it to be the jeweled rock a mermaid would keep on her dressing table. I just need to work it in around other projects that must be done for Bead & Button. Stay tuned!

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I can not resist one more photo of beads. Lovely beads. Piled high on a tabletop at the PT bead show. Just seeing their luscious colors and bumply- smooth - cool textures makes me want to lay my cheek upon them and feel their gemstone coolness against my face.

A SuRpRiSe E Mail...

An email from Wendy Curtis featuring my charms in the event's banner! I am so excited each time I see some of my work out in " public "! Now, I am doubly anxious to display my newest designs at the Bead & Button show in June. New crows and raven pieces and a new metal line. Temptations to soothe a soul in a troubled, complicated world!

The Port Townsend Bead Market 2010