Spring Break in Texas

Earlier this month, I headed to Texas for a little spring break. What a fantastic time! I was able to relax, but I also came home with some unique beads and new techniques.

There are some really great bead stores all over this country and I visited a few while in Texas. One was called Bead It in Austin, TX. This place was located down the street from my friends house, and of course I noticed it right away as I drove into town. It is located in a small house with room after room of different beads. It was very cute and so Austin! Whenever I buy beads away from home, I look for unique things that I cannot always find here in Michigan. My eyes were pulled towards all the chunky beads! I bought several strands of chunky stones that I will have to figure out how to use. It seems this year, chunky is in. A few years ago, delicate was the way to design.

So, from now until summer art fair season, I will be experimenting and designing using new wire-wrap techniques incorporating all the new beads I picked up in Texas. I hope to restock my Etsy shop soon!

Crazy February/Mild March

Let's just say February did not turn out the way I had anticipated. Luckily, my new circumstances have left me some time to travel in March and April. A good friend of mine is getting married in Tacoma, Washington in April and asked me to make her headpiece for her wedding. Well, of course, I was honored. I asked her what she would like she said, "Oh, just make it like yours.", meaning the one I made for my own wedding. Well, I was married nearly two and a half years ago and of course I remembered how I made it; so off to shop for materials I go...

Well, I came up against my first hurdle when I could not find the right size pearls. Therefore, I had to improvise with a different size...no problem, I am good at that! So, I get the materials home and start beading when I realized, I forgot how I made my headpiece, two and a half years ago! I sat there for hours studying my headpiece and trying to replicate the stitches (I even showed it to my husband thinking he could help), but it was just not coming out the way I had remembered. The smaller pearls were not matching up with the bigger crystals and it was looking like a hot mess. I started to panic a little because I gave myself a self imposed deadline. I wanted to hand deliver it to my friend this weekend when I visit her in Texas. So, after a few more trips to the bead store and a little bit of design improvisation, I was able to come up with something GORGEOUS! I am so proud! It took a few days, but I was able to create a headpiece she will be proud to wear on her big day.

The past few weeks, I have been struggling with creativity. I do not know what is going on, but I am hoping a trip down south for a few days will help inspire me. I have only been to Texas once before, but never sight seeing. I will visit both Austin and Dallas and truly look forward to the break. I know Austin is full of creativity and I cannot wait to experience it! It will be so nice to hang out with good friends and see new things. Maybe I will even come home with new beading items to inspire me for the Summer Art Fair season. It is right around the corner!!!