Let's talk about Tucson

Over the past few months we've been trying to come up with a plan for Tucson, since the show we usually do abruptly moved to a casino fourteen miles out of town. To us, this seemed ludicrous. Not only is it far and out of the way, the folks wandering around a casino are likely to be uninterested in artisan beads. I mean, every casino I've ever been to contained folks whose focus was completely engaged in cards or slots. But that's only one thing. 

After years and years of doing Tucson, from when the Best Bead was at the La Quinta ( I was freshly out of college and completely overwhelmed) and at one point doing three different locations, we've noticed some changes. For one thing, why are the shows running to almost two weeks? Who has that kind of energy to stand all day and be pleasant and helpful and not eat, or get enough bathroom breaks? I noticed the shows start off strong, then attendance drops drastically, with just vendors milling about. Sure, you make a little money, but it's mostly folks coming back to pick stuff up. I think it loses momentum. For the last few years, I've been trying to come up with a solution. The first one of begging the promoter to have mercy and shorten it didn't work, ( maybe because the hotel had a deal with them, so it didn't matter a jot if it was ghost town or not - who knows? ). The second was to move shows. Unfortunately, the traffic at the smaller shows was dwindling, so that wasn't good. Then we thought about joining Gem Mall or one of the other big ones. This didn't seem like a good fit either, because those are still long and also expensive. 

Anyway, this subject was being discussed at length (again) at dinner with fellow vendors and Greg said to Ava 'Let's just forget those other shows and do our own. It can be whatever we want it to be! We could have demonstrations, good food and drinks, music, puppets! ( ok he didn't say puppets, but really we could if we wanted to!).'  So, we decided then and there to just do it.  Go all in.  Right now we have a space and some vendors, but we need more. Maybe ideas on how we can bring that old excitement back? Remember when Tucson was so anticipated that folks were willing to sleep 6 in a room because the whole town was bursting with beaders and stone dealers? It used to be so fun, that I could hardly stand it. Somewhere along the way it got stretched out and lost the shine. I want to make it magical again. If you'd like to be a part of this, shoot me an email, or leave some suggestions for the perfect show.

http://wholebead.com/tuc18/

Make it Artsy!

Some months back, I went to Ohio and shot a couple of segments of a Make it Artsy episode. In this one, I demonstrate how to make a jointed paper doll. The show airs on the Make It Artsy website starting at noon on Friday, September 8, 2017 and runs for 7 days.

 

 

  

Difference Makes Us Contest

 Hey everyone! I'm sure if you follow us on social media you've heard about the contest we've entered through Etsy. It's a contest celebrating the things that make us different and the prize is 10k! We have been talking about it fairly nonstop, imagining the new equipment we could be outfitted with and how fast and easy it would make production. Anyway, if you'd like to help us win, vote for us! It would mean the world. Thanks so much. #differencemakesus

Dragon and Moth Fairy Paper Dolls

Paper dolls are so fun to make! I made these a few months ago and finally put them in my etsy shop. Finding the perfect color for the dragon took ages, it was just so hard to decide! I made the drawing first, then made copies to color to see what looked best. The green seemed the most natural, but I'm considering making a rainbow version. 

I used watercolor for the underpainting and used gouache for details. There's a bit of pan pastel for light touches of color.

It's perfect for sheer veils to add depth or contrast. 

Fairies are one of my favorite subjects for paper dolls; possibly because I was so fixated on them as a kid. I remember seeing an antique photo of girls watching fairies fly around them and using a magnifying glass to figure out if it was real. A big part of me didn't want to know if it was real, but my nature is a curious one.

It didn't really matter if it was real, I just loved the idea of magic. But then, who doesn't? I place these guys around my studio, so it looks like they just landed to make a delivery. 

Paper doll process

I've always had a fascination with paper toys. As a kid, I made houses and characters out of scrap paper, magazines and shiny pieces of foil. I loved opening the flat box and watching a whole world tumble forth. It was like a fairy tale room that was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Anyway, I still make paper toys and it's still fun to create characters and watch them develop from a sketch, into a finished piece. 

The smaller unicorn is the first draft from the sketch. I made the larger one after, making notes and more sketches to improve the form so it would look good in multiple poses.

Making this crow was surprisingly challenging. Drawing shapes that captured a crows striking form took several drafts. I had a tendency to draw a blackbird, with its lighter body and smaller beak. It's getting there, the body could stand to be a bit bigger and the wing tips longer.

I've had this guy on the drawing board for awhile. I've made a few variations, but I think this one is the strongest. I'm going to make the base of the tentacles wider and change some of the shapes, so that they can be in more varied poses. 

The final steps include making a light pencil drawing, with all the pieces arranged so it's easy to see how they are supposed to go together and then painting the drawing with watercolor and gouache. My favorite part is cutting out the final and putting it all together. It's always a pleasure to compare the sketch with the finished piece. Now I'm off to paint!

Summertime 2016

Hey everyone! Here are some pictures of what we've been getting into this summer. We went down to Orlando to visit family after Bead and Button and it definitely felt different. I was surprised by all the support of local businesses with signs up, of cars around town with stickers, all with mottos around themes of 'never stop dancing' and 'we are the pulse' and 'we are Orlando '. I admit I felt emotionally raw and sort of unable to look this business in the face, as it were. Part of me wishes this year would just go ahead and be over. The other part, that knows I can't be a hermit and stay in my studio and not communicate with the world, is trying to find the good. 

It's searching out the best seafood lunches near the beach, seeing how long I can stay in the ocean before Greg forces me back to the sand, it's finding the biggest, fattest blueberries. 

I've made a lot of new work lately, but I'll save that for another day. This post is all about simple things.

We did the Asheville farm tour this year and had so much fun visiting local farms and looking at all the animals. As you might guess, we were spoiled for choices. This is at Hickory Gap farm. I can't remember the other names.

The kids wanted to roll around with them. I said 'no'. For one, it's too hot, second, my mom would flip out. Plus, that's just weird, even for me. Also, I crocheted that sweet hat from raffia. It's a bit too floppy.

Sleepy piggy, I love you.

Selfie, with Greg looking on with a bucket of blueberries. Those berries made excellent muffins. Every time I see a picture of myself I think of my friend Claudine asking why I didn't put on some lipstick for that picture. It would add a bit of contrast. There's probably an app for that.

Guess what Max's favorite animal was? That's right, an alpaca. He couldn't stop petting them and they didn't mind one bit.

Look at that face! Growing up so fast.

Found really good fried seafood. Not as good as my moms, but what is?

Love the light here, how it was simultaneously bright and dark at the same time. A huge rain storm hit minutes after. I had fun having the kids guess what sounds they were hearing. Their faces when I told them that the deep chuffing sound was a gator! Don't worry, we were on a raised path, with steep walls that would be difficult for gators to climb up on. I was raised in areas like this, so I know what to look for, as far as local wildlife.

This is near the space station, where I spent many a field trip. It really is beautiful in the late afternoon. 

New for Bead and Button 2016!

Hi there! It has been pretty busy at Green Girl Studios! I've been carving mostly, with some excursions into painting, hiking and zoo visits. Above is a pic of Max, posing in an owl at Knoxville Zoo. 

Here's a shot of my new root baby on one of my paintings. She looks a little like coral, too. The painting is on a wood panel, with a limited palette of quinacridone crimson, Prussian blue and white. I think I'm almost finished with my limited palette stage. We shall see.

This is Craggy Gardens, where that hiker got tied to a tree a couple weeks ago. We were there at the same time, oddly enough and didn't see a thing. I guess we were too focused on the landscape.

Behold! Look at all that work! That's what I see, when I look at this. This has to be one of my favorite batches ever. You'll probably notice a few pieces from awhile back that never made it into production, like the hand and cuff, the tiny snake link and the mermaid in a jingle shell. The molds were damaged, so only a few were made, I I retooled the waxes and Greg molded them. I think they are better this time around. There's also a piece my sister Sheila made ( the rectangle flying heart pendant) almost a dozen years ago. It has a beautiful quote on the back 'there is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.' - George Sands. I decided to carve 'the mind has a thousand eyes, the heart but one.' On the back of the eye in clouds pendant. I struggled with that one, since I had so many great options. I was tempted to put a piece of a Coldplay song on it 'look at the stars, look how they shine for you'. But I think I'll save that for later. My friends on fb had a ton of suggestions and it was fun seeing what the piece inspired. Anyway! I really like this batch of goodies and I'm pleased I have almost all the new pieces on the website.

http://www.greengirlstudios.com/newest-pewter-designs/

Of course, I'm saving a few to debut at the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee. It begins June 9-12. 

Ceramics

Hi there! Some of you have seen this pic on fb and have heard all about how much I love my ceramics class. Well, it's one of the best parts of my week! I get to zone out and let my hands tell me what to make. It's very meditative and a good way to stir up creativity in other aspects of ones work. Anyway, the picture above features hand built pieces that have been bisque fired, with various treatments of underglaze.

This is how they came out of the kiln with clear glaze! So amazing. I learned a good deal about glaze thickness and how very thick glaze can lift the details from underglaze painting. I prefer the glaze much thinner, almost wiped off in some areas. 

The only thing I don't like is that my octopus bowl wasn't on the finished shelves. There was a kiln filled with glazed goods still firing when I looked, so I'm trying to stay optimistic. Unfortunately, I've had loads of pieces disappear from classes I've taken over the years. Hopefully this one is just hiding, because I'm going to be really disgusted if someone walked off with the piece I put the most work into!

The evening class at the college finished up last week, so I started going to the instructors studio for lessons. It's always fun going to another artists studio and seeing how they organize (or don't!) and the tools they use. The advantage to taking classes from a private studio is that the curriculum is looser, so if I wanted to just make small dishes and doll faces, that's fine. The pieces in the picture above are from the new class, with dark clay coated with underglaze and carved. Hopefully the white stays opaque! I probably should have used white slip, since it has more covering power. I'm excited to see how these turn out! 

No fame for the wicked

After I heard about the latest mass shooting, I felt a stab of paranoia, anger and incredulity. Is any place safe? I wonder if other folks are training their kids to look for exit strategies, places to hide and how to tell if someone is carrying a gun?

 

I've read countless articles on various ideas to stop the violence, from getting rid of guns completely to more education, to help lines for troubled people. 

None of these really seem to get to the bottom of this particular problem right now. I can't see any way to completely get rid of guns, without starting a war in this country. Most of the people I know have access to guns, but none of them would ever go on a killing spree. 

In my mind, these troubled people want the same thing: to be heard, seen, talked about and contemplated. They want millions of people to know their name. 

What would happen if our society decided to erase these people from existence? All pictures of these shooters replaced with pictures of their victims, with stories of the people that lost their lives. What if their names weren't released? Would these young men go down in a blaze of glory if they knew that no one would know their name or face and that they would be buried in an unmarked grave?

Something tells me they wouldn't, at least the ones wishing to be on the cover of Rolling Stone wouldn't. Changes need to take place in this country, real solutions to gun violence. Why not make owning guns like driving cars?  You need a license and pass tests to be able to drive. Or make certain types of guns illegal. Something. Or I guess we can all start learning how to disarm a gunman and wear bulletproof gear. 

crochet

A few weeks ago, I came down with a horrible cold and all I felt like doing was cocooning myself on the couch with some yarn, my hooks and Netflix. I'm pretty much a beginner, so I followed some easy patterns to get the movement and rhythm of stitching down. Azalea is modeling my first hat, above. I like that she had been wearing it everyday at school. 

Here's another hat, but I modified the pattern to give it a mushroom shape. I think it looks better on me.

I used a really pretty yarn called Malabrigo for this hat. I also tried out a coral pattern called hyperbolic crochet for the flower. The bronze star button set in the middle is one I carved. The flower was a lot of fun and I could see how folks get addicted to making those big crocheted coral reef displays (seeing those really got me interested in the sculptural aspects of crochet).

My latest project is this lace shawl made with Malabrigo yarn in alpaca and mohair. It's super soft and warm even though it's made of a really open star design. 

I'm finally getting over this never ending cold, but I feel a bit rueful about it. I was so enjoying sitting for hours with a project and not feeling even remotely guilty about it!

End of summer

Summer is my favorite season. I love the dusky afternoon light that lasts for hours, the scent of tomatoe vines and Greg's fruity concoctions he makes in the evenings. I never want it to end, but the thing that softens the blow a bit, is that the fair comes to town. It's a chaotic event filled with the scent of cotton candy and sweet things frying, bright stuffed animals set against vivid tents and blinking lights. All this saturation overlaid by the sound of a calliope and screams and laughter. It's all very Something Wicked this way Comes. 

This year I found a beautiful marble made by a guy ( Curtis?) demonstrating glass animals.  It seemed like the marble perfectly captured the feeling of too much cotton candy and funnel cake and lights whirling over striped tents. 

Seed beads

I really like beads. I've tried out just about every kind of bead making: handmade glass, paper, fabric, clay, rose petals, resin, gemstone and of course metal. I also collect all kinds of beads, except one, seed beads. I mean, I have a bunch of them, but I only ever use them as accents or a few embroidered on fabric. I never got bit by that bug that you see other ladies dealing with at shows, eyes focused with laser intensity, carefully selecting piles of tubes of sparkly color, searching for that perfect shade. I love the colors, but the idea of putting hours into a project made from thread seemed strange. I had been given a beaded glass ornament early on and a thread had caught on a hook and made a terrible tangle, ruining the piece. I suppose that fragility had stuck in my mind, because I never so much as glanced at a seeded beaded anything. Then, a few months ago, my friend Emily Miller showed me a necklace she was working on made from nylon string and metal beads. I remarked how fragile it was and she told me I could try and break a piece of the thread. I couldn't, so was intrigued enough to try it. Now, I'm hooked. I've made loads of the crocheted stitched necklaces and have a few spools ready to go in my bag at all times. Of course, I had to try dyeing my own colors of thread! I really like that the thread is part of the design, rather than just the unseen base.

Emily showed me how to crochet a rope, but it was a little too intimidating a project for the moment. That is until a couple days ago, when I decided I wanted to try it. I fiddled with it for several hours, having zero luck. I looked at videos, but most of them just confused me. I stumbled on Beadaholiques video and then I got it. Now I need to find more antique seed beads in that greasy opaly color I like so much ( since those were dug out of heaping piles of beads at the African Village in Tucson)! I'm really enjoying using these beads and can't wait to start designing clasp and pendant components. After I search for more beads, since I clearly don't have enough.

New treasures

Every bead show I enjoy collecting a few more items to add to my mountainous horde of beady goodness. The Bead and Button Show is one of my favorites, as it gathers so many amazing artists and vendors in one spot. 

Let's start with my most favorite, Anne Choi, (top left, 3 silver beads) an artist whose work I coveted since I first saw her large mandrake bead in Metal Smith magazine nearly 20 years ago. We met at a show in Atlanta ( in an unaircondioned horse barn) after I mailed her a request form cut from her catalog. I remember how hard I stared at that booklet, trying to decide which beads I should get. Both of us were surprised by the other ( she pictured me as a mature artist, not a half Asian gal that looked fourteen and I didn't expect her to be as tall and southern) anyway, we've been friends ever since. The beads I found at the show were some that I've wanted for awhile, but were always sold out: the cube with various weather conditions, the ouroboros cylinder and a tiny with an eye, heart and u carved into it. They will look delightful with the others. 

Next, the little blue beaded bead is from Onye (https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsByOnye). The three glass beads that look like alien fruit are made by Karen Elmquist. The cool bumpy bangle made from glass is from Trinket Foundry. The neat stacked and carved wooden drop pendants are from Banyan Bay Studios. The cornflake pearls are from Ta Pearls. The stones (ametrine crystals, drilled scapiolite crystals and opal nuggets) are from various gem dealers. The glass discs, eye beads, dark dichroic and tooth bead are from the delightful Maureen Henriques. I'm not sure what I'll do with the tooth and eye pieces ( probably put them in a little apothecary jar) but the discs are for wire wrapping to copper hairpins. The lovely blue and gold polymer bead was made by Erin Prais-Hintz ( I think it would look great on a hairpin as well). The ancient Roman glass pendants are from The bead goes on ( I think!). The little ceramic houses, which I adore, are from an artist whose name completely escapes me. I just love my new beads! I'm hoping to have time to make some new jewels, but in the mean time, I'm going to leave them displayed on my gem table, so I can admire them all day.

Tucson.....

After my last post about not wanting to do Tucson next year, I received a bunch of messages about 'hanging in there, it's just the economy, it's the weather, etc.'. I realized that I may have given the impression that we tanked at the show and that was why we didn't want to do it.

 

The reason we don't want to do the show is that it is too long. We made money the first four days, then it was dead, with only vendors walking around. Thankfully, we did really good those first few days, so technically the show wasn't bad. 

But here's the problem for us, when one of us leaves, it's really hard to keep up with orders, since we have two kids and no family around to help. This year, we had a huge increase in orders, both of us itching to get to work, but neither Greg nor myself able to jump back in till I got home  almost a week later - it was just really hard not to feel exasperated. 

So, if you were concerned that Green Girl Studios was in a bad way, don't be, we are doing great. In fact, we are so busy, that I haven't had a lot of time to focus on the whimsical things that bring me such joy. Although, I did make a little string doll with the kids. His name is Trouble and he's a little mischief maker. I used cotton thread I dyed last summer and really nice wool felt. I'm longing to make an army of dolls.

Anyway, we will be going back to the To Bead True Blue Show. We are thinking about alternatives, like doing workshops, and having a small show of handpicked vendors. This has been a dream of ours for years, so hopefully by the time we get to Tucson this spring, we will have something special planned for 2017.

Coming together

Last week, my brother Andrew and his partner William came down from PA for a visit to Asheville! Yay! We always have so much fun. The kids couldn't wait for them to arrive, Max thought they'd love to play with his 'pet' caterpillars (he finds them and puts them in a big planter on the porch).

My boy is so sweet. I'm going to shirk my duties and cuddle him. 

Here's Max attempting to pull up Andrew onto a rocky path at the botanical garden.  We found some really beautifully shaped flowers for reference.

We found an amazing path up to a succession of waterfalls and had trying time wrangling the kids. They kept leaping and jumping in such a way that frayed my nerves. Like in this picture, the rocks are slick and that ruin looked like it was filled with creatures.

Someone made this installation of origami butterflies, so of course we had to have the kids pose. I made Andrew hold still.

I love how the picture came out!

There were waterfalls all along the path and this one was near the end. It's hard to capture just how high this is! It might've been 50ft? I wasn't about to scramble to the top, I'm nowhere near as nimble as I once was! I couldn't bear the idea of bustin my hind end and carrying a doughnut cushion.

Don't the kids look super cute dressed up for the Fairy Festival? Max is wearing my painting cap. Yes, I have painting outfits, doesn't everyone?

We had such a great time, I kept annoying Andrew and William with pleas to live in Asheville, or at least pinky promise that we would all move to Hawaii to be together. We got a lot of work done, namely packing our classes for Bead and Button and making some really fun little collaboration paintings. Of course, we didn't touch all the things planned! It was only like 40 items or so.

Thoughts on Tucson 2015

Somewhere over NC in the early morning.

Hey everyone! I've been home for about five days now ( most of that time laid out with some virus that sapped my life force).  I have a few thoughts I'd like to share. The first is that I've heard that it's sliding downhill and fast by more than a few vendors and I've heard a lot of the various ideas on why:

1. It's too long. Many of the shows are 9-14 days long.

2. People just aren't coming. Travel is too expensive.

3. The stock market. The big buyers don't have that disposable income anymore.

4. Too many shows, too many choices, the pie is being broken into too many pieces. 

Ok, I don't know which is the most true answer, but it's definetly not what it used to be. In the best days, the shows were short and sweet, there were loads of parties (we used to throw them ourselves) and the shows were packed with people from all over the world. It was  always a crazy time of year, one that everyone looked forward to, mainly because all the money that could be made, but also since it was like a worldwide bead buddy reunion. It was a point where FB friends would finally meet, where long time board friends could catch up and where you'd get a drink with those folks from Austria, because everyone went to Tucson in February. 

This year, it was quiet. It felt a bit worn at the edges, a little bedraggled. Of course, I might have just described myself by day three! This year, To Bead True Blue lasted nine days. I have no idea why, my guess is to sell hotel rooms, but anyway, by day five I was ready to leave and go shopping. 

These specimens are huge! That ammonite in the middle was bigger than a hubcap. I can't get enough of sparkly minerals. I remember one time when I was into carving rocks, I had Andrew help me haul rough stones and he brought a backpack and we stuffed it full to bursting, so he walked around like a hunchback. Man, I did get some super nice labradorite gems that time. 

A nice selfie of me and Diane. If I didn't have her with me, I'd have laid down and died. Math! Customers! At the same time! Ack! Ok, it isn't well known, or maybe it is, I'm not much of a 'customer service' person. It's not that I hate to sell, it's just that sometimes I'm not overly fearful of discussions at the table. Meaning I talk a lot and stand around looking at what folks bought in the other room, maybe start showing a new beading technique I discovered....and pretty soon it's a sewing circle behind the booth. It's fairly common for folks to have their 'piles' and eventually they get checked out. If I have Diane, I can talk all I want and she takes the money! It's brilliant. Let's just say when she left on day five, was a hard day for me. 

One of my hauls from African Villiage! Why yes, I am into antique seed beads, can you tell from this picture? Also not afraid of the hand woven indigo dyed shawls ( I have plans for those.....). 

To wrap this up, I won't be returning to The To Bead True Blue Show next year. It's too long. Nine days? Even six is stretching it. My tolerance is 4, maybe 5 days if I have buddies. We did ok, as far money, but that is a long time to stand around, me missing the kids, thinking about all my projects piling up. I would rather just go to shop, but that's for the future. 

I love going to Tucson. I really do. But for us, a lot of the reason (aside from cash) for going is making connections, meeting our favorite customers, seeing old friends and of course, making new ones. I mean, if it were just about money, we'd make more by staying home, since then I couldn't go shopping! 

Anyway, I'm dreaming of the way Tucson used to be. I have an idea, but I think I'll wait a bit before sharing.