Tonight is the opening of the "You Be the Judge" show at Gualala Arts Center and I am nervous as beads on a slick floor. Cannot settle down to any work.

Yesterday Barry called to say they wanted to put a pedestal under the pillar and did I approve? I wanted to get over to see if they had a good idea or not, and lacked the time, so had to call and asked them to remove it. Scott said he would. Werner thinks I should make a "do not touch" sign for the hanging committee! I am still shaking my head that they put a Christmas tree under it last month. It is amazing how many people loved the idea and how many artists were horrified! I was relieved that they only damaged one strand getting the tree out and away from the work. Off to do more nail-biting. . .

It is not the judging that bothers me. That is outside and beyond and not applicable to me or the work. I guess it is completely the idea that strangers, and even worse! friends and neighbors will be looking at something I have made. Ouch!

The work on the new Christmas scene is going well - until yesterday. Was trying to make the title into a banner for the back of the fireplace and was trying to make it look like a child's writing (to match the letter to Santa idea), but today it just looks sloppy. Suspect I may have to make another attempt with the letters all proper just to keep me happy.

The scanner picked up a small gap under 'stockings' that I had not seen before. Something else to fix.

Want to add a cat and a dog to the scene and cannot decide the position for the dog. Spraddled out or curled up? Will try to make the cat like I did last year. Am eager to try!

Finally stopped making the lizards and started on my Fire Mountain beading contest entry for this year. True it does not make much sense at this stage, but you cannot say I am working in secret! I am using square beads and love the colors of the, what looks here to be, brown. It is a transparent frost rainbow dark amber (2622SB) that has glorious golds, blues and amber. Actually had to stop and make another lizard bracelet when I saw them.
Eager to get back to this today, even though it is too sunny and beautiful to stay indoors and bead! I think I am going to run out of the white ones anyhow.

My idea of a holiday is to sit and bead all day. Before I shut down the computer I did want to get a greeting all four of my 'followers' as thanks for checking in. Some days the brush is kinder to me than the beads!
Am back to lizards in 15s and delicas. . .
I hope none of you beaders try to interpret this!
Have a marvelous new year! \o/

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!