Contemplating life after beads

For those of you that follow, read, and comment, you KNOW that beads have been my life, and my passion, and sometimes my only saving grace on a dreary day.

So it may surprise some of you that I'm considering life without them.

With just one more show left to do this year, and what a dismal sales year it has been - I'm considering taking a year, or more - away from the bead.

Not sure I can do it.

It's been such a part of me.

What would take their place?  For awhile - organizing, purging, putting my house and life back into some sort of order.  So many things have gotten away from me, gotten cluttered, that I wonder if taking the time to clean - to refresh - might put new perspective on where to go from here - 

whether it includes the bead 

OR NOT.

I still have a book in my head that I should start putting down on paper.  

Image courtesy of Google
I have SOOOO many things in this house - in my life -  that need to be spiffed up, polished and made shiny again.

  My brain is feeling rather cluttered too -  muddled and overflowing with thoughts lately - 

On one hand - I think I could use a break.  On the other hand - I know I'd be fine for awhile, but I'm afraid once my friends, my fellow artists, my PEEPS start the show season come summer - that I am going to feel miserably left. OUT.

Will I be throwing my hands up in despair?  Crying Uncle?  Waving the white flag?

Or just keep on keeping on   

doing what I love, and saving my sanity?

So much to think about over the course of the long, cold winter.
To bead, or not to bead.
To create, or not create.


For now, STILL, as if my life depends on it,

Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Quick and dirty

A quick blog today -

because my house is still DIRTY - and I'm not ready!   LOL.  

Happening THIS WEEK!  EEEEEK!!!!   The 33rd Annual Holt Holiday Craft Show.  Still lots to do, and spaces to prepare.  I've got most of the table displays out, and posed- but as it ALWAYS happens with set up - there WILL be changes and moving things around.  Tomorrow morning is when all that will happen, followed by more sprucing and goosing of floors, corners and walls....

And not only am I sprucing up the house - I'm off to spruce up my 'do too!  It should - if my stylist is her usual magic making self - look JUST LIKE THIS when she's done with me - minus the cute little nose and young face.

I had hoped to have time to COLOR too - but for now - a new do will have to do!





Will try to post a few photos of the place - and MAYBE ME -  all ready for the show - IF I have time and remember (the brain is getting old, along with my knees and my eyesight) to do so.

Just wanted to blog - so you won't forget about me.  :)   And if you DO happen to miss me - there're always my Facebook pages - either my own personal page - Sheryl Mayes Stephens in Holt, Michigan - or my Cool Moon Creations and Beads page.  Those are posted on much more regularly than the blog....


There probably won't be much time for beading for ME - well, maybe a little...

Peaceful beading,
TTFN

The road MOST traveled

 When you live in Michigan, or probably any state where the seasons change - a fall color tour - or leaf peeping tour as we like to call it - is a must.  We weren't sure there would be an opportunity this year, with icky weekend weather, my busy show schedule - and of course, archery deer season all happening at once.

                                           

Fallasburg Covered Bridge, Lowell, Michigan - YES, it is still a working bridge, on a well traveled road - 5 mph over the bridge.  Reminds us of the movies Funny Farm and Beetlejuice every time we pass through....

We managed to find a pretty and unseasonably warm Sunday for a drive, which took us to our favorite spots for fall color.  We always say we'll take a new way - but end up in our favorites every time.  And Mother Nature never disappoints us with lovely color.

 THIS is our absolute favorite fall color stop - Lyons Dam in Lyons, Michigan - just outside of Portland.

2015 - not quite as vibrant as 2014.
   

Once I get these fall colors in my system though, they seem to come pouring out of me in my beadwork as well - this year was no exception:

I think a tribute to our changing seasons may be where my brain is taking me for my next big foray into winter competition pieces.  There's a spark of it up there.  And 3 opportunities - at least - for it to come to fruition:

Battle of the Beadsmith (I know, I know.  So sue me.)
Fire Mountain Gems
                    and BEAD DREAMS

Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Burning the midnight brain

I have vowed not to give you any more blah downer blog posts - so they may be few and far between.

But in the mean time - just so you know -  my brain is churning - and burning, thinking about upcoming shows, and then the downtime that is Mid-December to Mid-June here in what is already chilly, rainy, wet, snowy, blowy COLD Michigan.    

 So here's what's churning and burning up there....

(Courtesy of Google Images)

The three remaining shows I have to do between now and the first week of December.  At both of the shows that I'm doing in other venues (one of the venues is here in my home) - I chose to take it easy on myself, pay the extra $$ for them to furnish me with a table.  Less to haul.  Less to carry.  Less to deal with.  I may start doing that when it's offered every time.  Just easier.
I think I'm ready for the one coming up on the 13&14.  In fact, I loaded the earring racks, looked through the inventory - and pretty much packed it all up and got it ready.
Because as soon as that show's over, I have to set the house up for the show HERE the following week....

why do I do this to myself?  EEK. 

That show, I've decided, is going to consist largely of older pieces that I need to move.
Clearance.  Reprice.  Buy one, get one.  What ever I can to free some of the pieces that have been around forever.  They want homes and someone to love and wear them.
I'm also creating some crocheted items to sell too.  It's not all about the beads this year!

PLUS - 

I have had this idea for a BOOK for awhile - but it needs to be actually PUBLISHED.  And published by a bead and craft related publisher.  Still.  I have pieces and parts and info scattered up there among the beads.  It's a book about organizing, participating in, and attending art fairs and shows from every perspective - organizer, participant AND attendee.  I think there's a need for the info I've got crammed in my brain.  So I should probably start getting it all down on paper - or in a word doc.  Somewhere that it doesn't get lost.
And if that weren't enough....

I am also toying with the wacky idea of entering Battle of the Beadsmith again.   I know.  I know.  Shoot me now.  I swore I wouldn't.  Ever again.  The competition IS super fierce, but this contest gave me one of the best statement pieces I have ever created - and I long to try and stretch my brain some more (which could make the book stuff fall out....)  PLUS - my beautiful photographer friend Jaime has agreed to be the photo genius from the start this time - so a professional photographer is already in the bead bag!

Another winter idea churning -
 Bead Dreams.  Do I have it in me to create not one - but TWO - big statement pieces this winter?  I really don't think I'll need to up my inventory of pieces for sale (but wouldn't that be nice?) - so I'm gonna need to bead.

I've been spending quite a bit of time on Pinterest.  Looking for that perfect photo.  Color.  Scene.  That perfect THING for

All in all - instead of sitting around thinking of what could have been, should have been, what was, and what has happened -  I'm starting to think about

WHAT COULD BE.It's the much prettier side of the brain.  And mostly happier one too.

 

So whatever my brain decides to do to keep me busy over the winter months,
it will most certainly be

Peaceful beading.

TTFN.

Burning and turning

If you're here for a bubbly, babbley post - STOP READING NOW.  Not sure how long it will be before the babbley bubbly me is back - life just isn't being very kind.  I fear that this blog has turned into more of a journal - one that I probably shouldn't publish for you all to see - but I guess I'm hoping maybe, just maybe someone will have a comment and words that will somehow help me cope.  I've lost a lot this year - income, opportunities, ZEUS, and even more than that - I've lost a major source of support that I ALWAYS, ALWAYS thought would be there for me.  And it hurts to know it's gone.

So if you want to commiserate with me  - read on.  I promise there's a bright spot at the end....

At the end of my (our) rope, and burning the candle at both ends.

Makes me want to, well...... AAAAAHHHHHHH!

The rope that is life is fraying, and just about to break.  

Set back after set back, unexpected circumstance after circumstance - both my husband and I

are feeling the stress, the strain, THE REALITY of working hard and getting nowhere.

And we don't even have children.  I can't imagine how we'd be managing to cope if we had children to feed as well as ourselves.  

Someone always wants another slice, a BIGGER slice of the meager pie we have.

And then somehow - the pie is gone.  And you have to rely on the NEST EGG pie you put away for your future.  THAT's the REALLY BIG PIE. 

 It too - now has a slice or two missing.
BUT -

We managed to come to an agreement on how to get through this particular setback, as well as plan for future unexpected circumstances.

Now about that bright spot. 

 I still have 4 more art fairs to do before the end of the year.  BIG ones.  AND - I got another art gallery check today.

(All images courtesy of Google Images)

 I'm still hopeful - MORE than hopeful - that these beads are going to pay off.  BIG TIME.

They are going to help turn the tide and get us through to a new year.  A new slate.   A new attempt at making dreams come true.....  because you know what?

I've heard they do.

Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Life and lemons

Everyone has heard the adage.   

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!", 

which tries to instill positive thoughts into our psyche.

(lemon images courtesty of Google Images)

Yep.  I've heard it a 1,000 times.  Or more....

But when life gives you so many lemons that you couldn't possibly drink all the lemonade, you start to look at things with a rather SOUR disposition.
That's been my YEAR.    It saddens me when I think back on all the LOSS.  This disappointment. The setbacks.

The BULLYING.

Having to step away from situations and people that used to bring me joy - but now only bring me

the bitter reality that good things just don't last forever.

But I'm muddling through.  I've got a few true friends I can still rely on, and most importantly,

I'VE GOT BEADS.

And this is what I do with them - even on my darkest days.....

Peaceful beading,
TTFN

Offended by offending the offended

Honestly.

Is it because social media has made so many uncaring and insensitive to peoples'

feelings?

Is it because they aren't face to face with that person, so that they can't see the reaction,

 the facial expression, 

the frown, and in some cases

the TEARS?

Once again, a perfectly innocent WORD has offended someone.  

And they have to be a BULLY.

Maybe it's one of my Libra birth sign tendencies.  The NEED for balance, the need for peace.  

But mostly - I just don't think ANYONE deserves to be verbally abused that way.

So here's my Libra birthday wish (coming up in a couple weeks)

EVERYONE JUST BE KIND.

If you can't say/write/type KIND words -

Don't say anything at all.

JUST PLAY NICE.  FOR ME?

Peaceful beading,
TTFN