While cleaning up bead stuff piles in the studio I found these that I had made back in November when I tried to bead and could not do it very well. No wonder! These lizards were done with 15s.

I liked doing the lizards, but now have to engineer a necklace. Because I attached the lizards through the middle hole of the donut, with a flat turquoise bead, I need to find some way of getting to the top of the donut so it hangs from the area of the head. Maybe now that I am back to being my old self I should cut these up and build in the top attachment feature while applying the lizards. Sometimes I wish I could invite someone in for a cup of tea and good advice!

I cannot believe I started another lariat necklace last night in lapis. At least I was able to put the yellow beads back in the basket and switch colors. One must appreciate even small steps when trying to make a change - I tell myself!

The world/universe surprised me again! Suddenly just as I was about to sit down to bead, the sun came out and I knew I had only three days left this week to get a decent photo of the pillar shrine that is still up from the Shrine Show in October. So I dropped everything and drove to the Gualala Arts Center before the next rain storm moved in.

Above you can see the whole work and then a closeup. The job was to fill the viewfinder with as many beads, as large as possible. The space is so beautiful and part of the elegance of the beadwork is its long narrowness but that makes it very hard to photograph its complete length.

While talking with Karen at the desk, open during the holidays! thanks for being there Karen! she suggested that I enter the work in the coming show, "You Be the Judge" so I reread the rules this morning. Just sent her an email asking her to enter it. I gave the hanging committee an out in case they are tired of the piece and just want it down. I also changed the price to NFS since I have a nibble of interest from very nice people.

I did take the time yesterday to readjust the bells so they are again just brushing the floor. Someone, with a kind heart, added knots so the bells were higher and perhaps safer but the danger is part of the work.

In the evening I did finish the golden argonite lariat necklace and started a new one. These chips are larger, and therefore heavier, than the glass chips so I am trying to make this next necklace lighter by shortening the chip parts. We will see.

I never name my jewelry pieces (maybe I should start?) but this necklace has such unusual colors that I kept thinking of "Kelp at Low-tide" while I worked on it. Have even thought of adding a tag with the title. The colors of the beads do not show up at all here so the title is not so necessary.

Also, I could not believe that I was making another one of these since it seems they do not sell! But I really like doing them and I love the newest idea of adding more dangles on the circle, so I have just started another one using the golden aragonite chips. Love the colors - warm pink golds - but realized I have made several other necklaces with these same beads. That's what happens when one buys the beads by the pound!

Am also thinking of getting my account at Etsy up and working. Finished another round with the Circus Forever book today and am feeling somewhat freer, but I know that next week I must begin LYNX.

Maybe I will let all the many clasps Bambi sent me for Christmas lead me into bracelets. I dislike bracelets because they are so quickly done and all too-soon I am fussing with findings. We will see what the afternoon brings!

This is not the official portrait of "Springtime" - for that I have to take down the Christmas tree and all the decorations from half of the room - but I was eager to show you my latest work. It was sooooo good to get off of jewelry and back to an 'art piece' and I really enjoyed watching it come together and take shape as I solved various problems.
I love how the two colors of loose beads in the bottom make it look as if there is water in the dirt! Then come strings of red and yellow beads with 'bumps' of big acrylic beads. Then I use the largest headpins I had to line up the greens for some very stiff grass. Fortunately I also had a packet of those plastic crimps, which I would never use on jewelry!, but found them to be excellent for this job.
I had to do the 'flower' things twice. The first time the wire (24 gauge) bent too much so on Christmas Eve we made a quick trip to a hardware store to get some 18 gauge. I used that as base with 6s strung on the wire and then wrapped 11s on very thin wires around them. I was going for more 'spring' in the springs, but that did not work out.
I felt I needed some sort of a base to the vase and went to S&B Market in Manchester - an all purpose store that sells hardware, clothes and groceries, where I found the perfect glass base (for candles?). Also in my last Fire Mountain order I bothered Vicki one day late to add on a pound of silver-lined 11s and they were just what I needed! So thankful to have everything the piece wanted to have!
It goes in the "You Be the Judge" show on Jan. 9th at Gualala Arts. I have no hope for winning a place (who knows how to judge a work made of beads?) but I greatly enjoyed the journey and the experience of accompanying this piece from sketch and on to its final official picture.

Even Werner had fun playing with the new beads from Bambi!

Yes, Christmas did bring me beads! Bambi sent me a great wooden box full of deep drawers to hold a lot of stuff! Not only did she send the box but in each drawer was a couple packages of treasures from her stash of beads. I got a lot of stuff that is NOT in the Fire Mountain catalog! It was great seeing and thinking of new projects with clasps and focal beads that were totally new to me. I need to get out more. Or have Christmas more often! Thanks Bambi! Great gift. And she wrapped it "green" - in a marvelous pillowcase that is tie-dyed and a real blast from the past! No paper to burn and even the ribbon was reusable! Way to go my girl! Thanks so much!

Jasper Lewis Vetter
Age: 20 months

And you wonder why I have no beading news! This is the best project going!

I had made a pair of earrings as a commission with the white Zirconian teardrops that were to be sent to Scotland as a Christmas present. Because of my reduced activities (ahem!) I tried to include them with the other things being sent to the Festival of Trees. Accidentally the earrings were sold there instead of being given to the right person. So she called and asked if I would make another pair for a birthday present. I couldn't get another set of the Zirconian drops in time so I tried making the earrings with these whopper faceted teardrops from Swarovski. I really like these! They have the weight and mass of current jewelry fashions! Now to talk my customer into liking them. I told myself I had been making too many of the lariat necklaces and that I was surely boring anyone who was following this blog. Before the operation I had been laying out bracelet combos but had never gotten any of them assembled. When I started to put together what I already had designed they no longer interested me. Instead this happened! And then I did four more bracelets - all which are going to be recycled without you seeing them. I love this about beads! There are no real failures - just reconfigurations!

So I returned to the safety of the lariat necklace. One reason was finding a skein of the pink rhodonite and the pink glass circle. Notice that I am adding embellishment to the circle so there is more mass at that point. I had been feeling that the look was too skimpy around the circle. I am pleased with this addition. In the meantime I have misplaced the bag with the green circles and wooden squares. That alone may stop the lariats better than any resolution.

When I started the lariat above I used this combination. It looked to blingy for the subtle stones so I just cut it off. When I got the lariat done, and was clearing things away I found the scrap and laid it on my wrist. Nice bracelet! So I added more and put on one of the flower clasps I love and have so many. Maybe this is the next project - spiral chain beaded bracelets. Who knows?

Had a good day beading and enjoyed working up the teal glass chips. Did this necklace and also a regular choker style (like the lady wanted). I ended up using almost all the chips. In digging through my stuff, to find beads to take to the bizarre bead bazaar meeting on Saturday at the Beads 'N Beyond meeting, I found a bunch of tiger eye chips and started one of these long lariats with them. It is cloudy and rainy today so I hope I get a quiet afternoon of beading.

Did you notice I have a new way of knotting the ropes at the top so the whole thing fits on the scanner?

Hi to Ellen for checking in here!

When I cleaned up around my beading chair last night I found I had also done this necklace with the mother of pearl chips on the weak end weekend. I used 6s for the spine and feel they are too big. They were easy to bead with when my eyes were fuzzy but I am eager to do this style again with 11s and 15s instead of 6s and 11s.

Stayed up way too late last night to get this done. I cannot believe how different my life is now that I am beading again! I also cannot understand how I went a whole month without beading. Here I used the new matt black 8s with some rainbow cobalt 11s that I had from another job. The lapis are from a strand of lapis and one of "denim lapis" that I picked out most of the gray junky beads. Will never again be misled by the neato name of "denim lapis" into buying inferior quality stones.

Before I went to bed I had to start a new necklace in this style with the glass chips I had left from the job that the lady cancelled because I did not have her necklace done by her deadline which I never knew about. Nothing lost, but somehow just seeing the job on my desk nags at me, so I thought I would make up the beads and get them and out of my life and get on with things. In spite of everything I am enjoying working with the sparkle of the glass chips.

Sent an order off to Fire Mountain and got lots of their promotional chip strands. Not all the beads on these are usable but enough are to still make this a good deal. Also these necklaces take more than one strand so it is great having plenty.

I just measured and these necklaces are five feet long - big enough to also be a belt! Love this design.

Finally am able to bead again. The first few days were so short! So soon my vision blurred and each bead was only a blob of sparkle. Yesterday I finished this lariat necklace. This one has some of those "new" jade chips from China. They have an onyx-like shine even when they are rough and the warm golden color goes well with my stash of amber and golden beads. Also did another one with the mother of pearl chips and the same beads which also looks good.

I sent three styles of necklaces to the Festival of Trees. All of the ones in this style sold, a few of the short necklaces with chained beads and chips sold and none of the lariat style with a ring sold. So for now I am concentrating on the longer lariat style.

Am doing another one with matt black 8s, bright blue 11s and lapis chips.

Also I am preparing my Fire Mountain order to start my entry in their seed bead contest next spring. It was an idea I had last year and did not have the time to figure it out and make it. I have had enough sitting down days to make sketches this past month so I feel I know how to make it.

Two weeks ago today I had my appendix removed and thought, "Oh wow, I can bead through the recovery." What a shock to find out that

beading was just too much! Couldn't concentrate, my hands shook, and nothing worked. Finally yesterday I tried some lizards but even so they are not really worth keeping! I have ideas and plans but so far the body is not doing its part. Onward and back to work.

Have not been posting much here since the open studio show. I got 12 commissions from that and didn't feel I should be show them off. Got them all done (but one - waiting on an order) so I have gone back to making what pleases me. I had so many chips from ordering the chip promo deals from Fire Mountain so have started a series of these lanyard necklaces (anything to avoid findings!) I love how easy they are to get on and the central hanging interest divides us phat ladies into two acceptable parts!

Here you can see the stitch I used in the crystal contest entry. In the narrow parts it is done plain and with the crystals I added one to each step up. Here however, I used two chips per step - partly because I had so many, but mostly because I love the chunkier look.

Bambi had sent the round green donut from her visit as my personal shopper to the Moab Rock and Gem Show. When I saw it I thought, "I'll never find a use for that." and now it is the first thing I have used! Good she shopped for me or I never would have bought it! Thanks kid!

A Finalist!

Just got the notice from Fire Mountain that this necklace is a finalist in the Swaroski Crystallized Contest. Only early in September did I get the notice about the contest for using Swaroski crystals and the deadline was Sept. 21 so there was no way I could get an order in and back, and make the necklace, mail it and have it arrive on time. I had several crystals left over from making the lights on the Christmas tree and the large one I had ordered not knowing which color I wanted for another necklace.

I searched through all my beads scourounging up every crystal I could find and even cannabilizing other efforts! I piled these treasures together and from counting them, I determined the design. This was the best I could do with what I had on hand! Since the piece had to have a title I called it "Clearly My All" because I had used up every crystal I had.

The stitch is the ordinary spiral chain but I added a crystal in each step up. I was surprised how impressive such a simple idea became. Since most people use crystals for stringing I am hoping that my enjoyment of doing this sewing stitch will set my work apart. Also the embellishing, which I love to do, is not often seen and each of us embellishes in a very different way. Cross your fingers and wish me luck!

A visitor to the Open Studio last weekend brought in this lovely old jade dragon and wanted it to have a new necklace made for it. She liked the two-string random beading so we picked out the colors and yesterday I got around to doing this. I hope she will be as pleased with the result as I am!

Got all the lizards done for Lena's order. Am hoping it will quit raining so I can go to town (Point Arena) to deliver them to her store (Everything Under the Sun).

I ordered so many of these pin backs from Fire Mountain, so now I had to find ways to use them. Circular forms; wreaths. How easy can it get?
Today is the first day in a long time that I woke up without a "to-do" list so my mind is frolicking around asking,"What do you want to do?" and here I am!

Sold all my suncatchers except one so last night I prepared a bunch for embellishing. That is a good thing to do in the rain. Embellishing suncatchers. There is a small haiku joke in there somewhere.

beading

rain on the window

suncatchers

Photos from the Open Studio held on October 9, 10, 11. We did very well! All three days were busy. Saturday brought more lookers than buyers but Sunday and the commissions made up for that. The weather was supposed to be sunny, but the storm that arrived on Monday was already making clouds. At least it was dry and folks could get in and out of their cars without getting wet.

This is Rhoda Teplow with her pieces using many African trade beads. She had a harder sell since her actual beads cost more than the glass beads, so her prices had to be higher. Many said my prices were too low, but glass beads allow me to try many new things and then sell the experiments for reasonable prices.

The Independent Coast Observer, local weekly paper, carried an item about the Christmas scene win at Fire Mountain, and I was surprised how many people came in the door asking to see the work. A lady even came back on Monday with her camera to take a photo of it.

What sold the best for me? All my polyclay Halloween pumpkins went early and I could surely have sold earrings like I wore if I had had more. All the lizards (except the pink one) sold and I got orders for 5 more. Got a couple orders for necklaces in colors other than the ones I had. Another lady came back on Monday so we could design a necklace for her sister in London in mauve. I enjoyed that!

Many liked the spiral stitched adjustable necklaces and things with the Cubic Zirconia drops on them went quickly. Even the earrings at $30 all sold.

All in all the experience was good. We did lack light because the big florescent light went out and even new bulbs did not bring it back. We tried putting up all the spare lamps in the house. If the big doors had been open light would have been okay, but I have to do something about lights in the studio now. Did agree to be in the Christmas show in Point Arena in December.

Today is the day! The Open Studio with Rhoda! While she unpacks her things, here is a scan of the earrings I will be wearing. Made of polyclay. Only made the witches because I discovered that weird green color and felt it was perfect witch complexion.

Close up of the bottom.

Wednesday at Gualala Arts Center
The pillar is installed and all the beads are still on it. Naturally it doesn't photograph well and also my hands were still shaking so there is a certain lack of professionalism in the shots.

Sue showed up even before I could call her and she was extremely helpful. She got up on the cherry-picker and made the hook up. To my surprise we could use the crossbeam with all the lights! A good sized nail was already there, and best of all! the piece was exactly has long as the distance to the crossbeam. So no chain was needed! Perfect!

Sue was very comforting as the bead strands did end at various lengths and she simply suggested I add some knots and in minutes we had the bells brushing the stone floor in a perfect solution! Was so relieved. I had visions of myself sitting on that floor for days adjusting the length of the strings.

Also, from my calculations, the prism would be about 8 feet off the floor, but it isn't. Unbelievable. I think spirits worked on the piece when I got too tired to go and they really did it up right. Am so thankful!

Thanks to Scott who drove the cherry-picker and was so kind and calm!

Yesterday I was fiddling with the options for suspending the pillar. I hated the white nylon strings that looked so messy so I cut them all out. While looking for the hook for the ceiling in the tool cupboard I found about 15 feet of chain links I had bought years ago to suspend a lamp.

Perfect! The three supports fit right into the links and I easily got the top looking a lot neater. With the chain over the garage door support I could slowly raise up the whole thing. Naturally it hung crooked ( I made this!) but I was able to scoot the supporting chains back and forth until it hung straight - or more straight than it is in this photo.

Now to buy more chain (I do not know how high the ceiling will be - it slopes and will depend on where they put it). Asked Sue Friedland if she would go up on the cherry-picker for me. Hope she will. Need to assemble a repair packet to take with me. Otherwise, this is kind of done. Oh, Werner was helping me and he measured the distance I was using for the strings and we found out they are 20 feet long, not 14 as I had planned.

This is the frame with some of the strands tied on it. Each strand is in a plastic bag so they don't tangle. I have it in a box so I can move all those parts around together. I am hoping to take out the white string as it looks very messy.

At the end of yesterday I had all the strands tied on the frame for the pillar shrine except the center one. I had to add more beads. It may turn out to be too short yet. Today I plan to try hanging the frame with the strands in plastic bags to see how it balances. I tried to select strands of equal weights to oppose one another, but am worried about how it will balance in the end. Am getting very nervous about whether this piece will work or not.

Started to work on the pillar shrine. Here it is laid out on the floor garage-part of the studio. Naturally I made myself much more work when I found out many of the strands were longer than 14 ft, so I started extending the 'short' ones. Am still open to how many of the strands I will actually use. Wish I has some way of hanging the whole thing so I can see the bottom and how that hangs. Am thinking that since I have to hang it early at Gualala Arts Center (so they can use the cherry-picker to get to the ceiling for the hook) that I will just go there and finish the work on the bottom of it. I have a couple of days before the show opens and it is a lovely place to work.

I love how a piece makes itself. When I first thought of hanging the beaded strands, I knew I wanted them to descend from a hoop. My eyes fell on a dreamcatcher Clemens and Valerie had made for me many years ago. Then I thought maybe I needed a 'real' dreamcatcher and called Linda Reno to buy one of hers. All week I have called trying to make an appointment with her to come by and she did not return my calls! Then I went to Manchester to look for a wire ring and in the kitchen equipment I found this device for roasting a chicken on a bottle of beer! Perfect shape! Perfect size! When I got home it fit exactly over the dreamcatcher the kids had made. Then while moving a screen, I evidently bumped it and it fell on the floor. Now I definitely felt it wanted to be in the work. So the kitchen device makes the rim strong enough AND has a top for hanging.

Also, several months ago I had ordered some brass bells from Fire Mountain not because I had a purpose for them but only because I liked them. Later then the price went down in the next catalog and I ordered them again. Yesterday I found out I had just as many bells as beaded strands. This is the exciting part of making something! Watching the Universe work with me. Blessed be!

Got this address from Fire Mountain contest so you can see my entry that was among the finalists. They did an excellent job of photographing the whole set-up. I worked so many hours trying to do a lesser job so I am really, really impressed with whoever got this photo! I loved the fact someone put the tiniest toys into the wagon. Never thought of that. I hope the photograper/stylist person had fun playing with the toys.

What you cannot see here is the revolving stand. When the tree moves, the crystals (ABs) flash in colored lights like on a real tree. Also there is music with it. A music button plays "It's a Small World" with that terrible tinny sound.

The entry did not win a prize, but I will go on showing the scene here locally at Christmas. Last night I redid the hobby horse so he now is easier to stand up. So I am still working on this! Am thinking of adding more toyes. I had to give up the work before I was "really" done with it. Also was thinking of a fireplace with stockings. . . Now I have time to do it!

When uploading the images I somehow forgot to add this one. It is special because the bead is the first lampwork that Debbe got - the one that inspired her to get into lampworking.

Here is the rest of that necklace.

I was thinking that necklaces are like snapshots in time. They pull together and save diverse elements of one day. By stringing the beads they are tied together and time stops.

From my tanka notebook:

neck laces

tying together bright days

sparkly stones

the bling of existence

reflect on the face \jr

It is amazing how one's needs can be answered! Yesterday I was wishing for more and better examples of these "Ambassador" necklaces and here they are! For her demo at the bead meeting Debbe had brought the booklet A Bead Journey about helen dietze. I wanted to look longer at helen's great creations and asked Debbe if I could borrow the book. When she dropped it off, to my surprise and delight, she brought 4 of her necklaces as result of her class with helen.

Isn't that necklace a marvelous whopper? I love her bold, bold, chunky and massive work. Wow! am so jazzed by seeing this. She has broadened my scope and limits for beads!

This is a sample of the kind of necklace Debbe used to teach. She made booklets to explain each step and sold the kits on line under the name of Hula Moon Glass.

This is also from Debbe and shows that when she embellishes she knows how to pile it on! With embellishing, it is possible to use items without holes and frame the piece with a netting of beads. Helen used this technique also when the piece she wanted as focal bead had no hole. This idea alone opens up the scope for the number of things one can use in a necklace! I fear for the stuff in my kitchen - even the sink! I have long felt beaded necklaces were too skimpy, too skinny, too blah.

This is a sample of an "Ambassador" necklace with the strings beaded. The name, from helen, was because she used to make these necklaces as gifts to give away in her many travels. By braiding the stringing connections the three hanging focal points she could save weight and beads. Here Debbe makes an excellent compromise and uses her fantastic color sense to enlarge the necklace.

The book on helen dietze, A Bead Journey Through the eyes of helen dietze was written by Gretchen Schueller at www.pieceofmindjewels.com and her daughter, Kristine Buchanan who also has a website at www.KristineBuchanan.com. The photo of helen was scanned from the back of the book. Thanks for loan!

I am continuing to make the sun catchers and to redefine the design. I found people wanted loops at the top and that my idea of hiding the nail it was hung by made them too hard to hang. So I made a loop at the top and am using smaller beads on the "string" part. It is harder to do, but I like the look better. Amazing how much work goes into a new design! Am hoping that the ones I made for Fire Mountain to use in their Christmas advertising do not show the tops!

Got the notice from Fire Mountain that my entry in this year's beading contest is now posted as a finalist on their site in the gallery.

http://www.firemountaingems.com/galleryofdesigns/jewelry_design_gallery.asp?docid=A8J9&WT.fmg_linksection=5Y2RLCOMSLW2&WT.mc_id=CPBCFINALIST

The Beads N' Beyond group met at Gualala Arts Center on Saturday. Debbe Hull showed us how to make the "Ambassador" necklace as developed by helen dietz. She did a fabulous job of demonstrating, brought so many lovely lovely beads at incredible prices, and was so kind in helping us over the rough spots. Many bought and used Debbe's lampwork beads and I would love to show those, so any of you who have photos of your finished necklaces, please send them to me?

In the real "Ambassador" necklace, the strings holding the three parts are braided. While I had a mass of mismatched and left-over beads out for the embellishing, I put those on the strings instead of braiding. Also the braided strands have a knot behind the neck. I prefer to have the two strands unquoted so each wearer can adjust how long the various parts hang down.

This necklace fits in with my new campaign against findings and the fiddle they cause to add and to use, by making necklaces that are completely adjustable and use the drape of gravity to hold them in place. It was from seeing necklaces Debbe had done using helen's idea that inspired all the embellishing I have been doing in the last year.

Overheard at the meeting: Debbe Hull will be the featured artist in December at Just Beads. Go Debbe. Wow 'em!

I finally figured out how to keep the photos with my text when I have more than one picture. I load the photos first and THEN insert the text! I find now, of course, that the photos are now lined up backwards, but I am so thrilled with the success of my coping that I barely notice. This is my entry for the new contest at Fire Mountain - Crystallized. I should be off filling out the forms and tracking down the beads used in the piece - a job I really hate because I am not good about keeping records of which bead was ordered when with whatever number. Still I am delighted with the piece and the old competitive urge in is full bloom.

Rhoda was by the other day, picking up her necklace from Art in the Redwoods, (one she sold! Congratulations! Her price was right! mine was too high) and as we sat in the studio she was telling me of how much she had paid in entry fees for various festival booths and how little she had sold - often losing money on the event. We finally talked ourselves around to wondering if we could do better out of my studio! So we are aiming for the Columbus Day weekend in October. The idea is that I make my half of the studio over into a display area and she use the half of the studio where the car is normally parked (now you know our secret - I have a studio big enough to park a car in it!). I took this photo as a "before" so I can show off when I get things rearranged. Hopefully as soon as I get the packet off to Fire Mountain contest I can start shoving stuff around.

Am debating whether to enter these sun catchers in the FM contest also. I have tried several times to photograph them but cannot get a decent photo that is as sharp as these scans. Maybe the fog from yesterday's rain will burn off and I can have enough sun and a second chance at getting better images.

Believe it or not, I have made a change in how I add the little elastic with ball that holds the temple piece to the glasses. I was unhappy with the loop showing above the crystal, so I (finally!) stuck it up in the tube (both green ones) and secured it so only the ball shows. I think this is how the finding was designed to be used. . .

Am still doing the eye glass holders and have two more color combos planned. That may end this run as I am running out of hex beads (unless I find more stuck in another basket). Got so weary of Alcott's Little Women, and her sermonizing! that I am now listening to Jennifer Crusie's Dogs and Goddesses - almost welcome the "f" word!

Yesterday I went back to the eyeglass holders and finished the blue one. Did not have enough 15s for new color combos so moved back to 11s and delicas for the red one. Have a pink one in the tray that I like. Check back tomorrow to see if I get it done today. Am listening to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women on audiobooks while I bead. I had always identified with Jo and now I know why I married a German man. The things that influence our lives. Tsk, tsk.

I thought putting these earrings on cards would make them easier to scan. Not so, as you can see. Just one more element to wiggle around while trying to get the lid closed. While searching for a card to show you, I found two! more pairs that were not alike. Now I know why I don't usually make earrings.

Now I remember why I have stopped using this blog device! I cannot get the photos to move down into the text. So here is a new post and next item.
The other day the Oriental Trading Co. catalog arrived with a kit for making earrings that consisted of a "wing" and a "tulip" bead (just that and a hook for $1 each. I had those beads and several more and began making earrings! Usually I hate to make earrings because it is so hard for me to make two things exactly the same, but this I could do. I made so many set (about 50) that I ran out of earring hooks. Sorry the photo is not better. I am eager to get off the computer and back to beading!