Considering a world view

There are many ways to say a thing.

For those of us who don't feel particularly eloquent in the political arena and

are far more comfortable with other forms of expression,

perhaps we can look more closely

at our other ways of speaking.

Because it is my opinion that now, more than ever in my living memory,

we somehow MUST keep speaking  out loud.  It's of critical importance.

So we don't feel lost.

So we don't feel helpless. 

Even the quiet work of hands and heart is not to be underestimated during this time ...

this time of which  -  to some of us  -  is looked upon

as a frightening & uncertain period in our world's history.

Again, there are many ways to say a thing....

and I think we can be a mighty choir if we don't feel so afraid.

Read More

bead sketches : month five

Bead sketching in May was like wrestling a dragon.

But then, most everything in May felt like a wrestling match.

Here, all of nature seems to "wake up" at this time of year ... spring  positively explodes ...

and most afternoons I find myself wondering just how I'm going to fit in a nap between 

all the items on my long list of tasks.

Bone weary might be an apt description.

Those are the moments when the strong commitment I made to this project

becomes its own guiding force,  nudging (sometimes shoving) me to the beading table

while the other half of me feels like she should be outside accomplishing x, y, or z instead.

From assembling the base, gathering the materials, stitching layers of cloth,

solving how-to-attach-objects issues, then onto the bead embroidery itself,

each sketch requires between 6 - 8 hours to complete.

This is a relatively small amount of time in a week, all things considered.

But I've realized that if I didn't place value on the process of doing this project

- if I hadn't vowed to myself to show up and do the work no matter what -

I would be allowing a million other things to pull me away.

Excuses are easy.

So here is May.  Duly wrestled.

~ Local skies were lit with dancing lights early in the month so I wondered if I

could illustrate my own perception of them with some over-the-top bead stacks ~

~ Circles of friends; how imperfect they are with their loose threads .... 

how simply they can unravel without care & attention ~ 

~ What happens to the tons of used clothing we as consumers donate or "recycle"?  Much of it 

 makes a voyage overseas ... the somewhat disturbing afterlife of American clothes ~

~ From my collection of purposeless vintage keys (keys with unknown or missing locks),

not suited for much now except for illustrating idioms like this perhaps ~

: : : :

To view all of the  52 weeks : bead sketches  posts, starting with the most recent,

 CLICK HERE

Read More

bead sketches : month four

April's quartet ...

which felt more like a kind of poem evolving than a

weekly exercise in making;

more like a continuous thought that moved quietly from

one color palette to the next - which I will explain further 

at the bottom of this post.

Without further ado ...

Once again I'll note the source, or the word prompts, or where my inspiration came from

below each photograph (with links, if applicable).    

~ New beads! called 'Rose Petals,' which started as an exploration of mandalas but grew into

a green study revolving around this term  ~

~ I wondered how I might create a different twist on an old tradition ... ~

~ Off-loom bead weaving can be an incredibly meditative activity & a welcomed mental state of

mind it was this month, so I included a short journey with the freeform version of

this stitch in order  to practice mixing bead sizes & shapes  ~

~ In March of 2015, I had rather an amusing *failed* attempt at dyeing with madder and only

achieved apricot colors.  Since then the shade has grown on me & I've wanted to use some of

that cloth in a beaded piece.  A water-inscribed twig of driftwood, some pearls

and a few magic stones later ... 

: : : :

Now, about that evolving thought I mentioned earlier ...

I didn't realize until I took this quartet outside to photograph her that there is a certain

calm

running through this batch that I haven't seen in the others.  This month

feels like one cohesive journey tied together by an invisible equilibrium.  Am I 

making sense?  Its as if I'm starting to work out some triteness, some of those cliches that

crop up when doing improvisational bead work.  There was definitely more of an ease this

month, a kind of level of intention that never left me.  It's hard to explain but let me tell you

what I did at the beginning of the month:

I drew a card ...

a prompt card from my dear friend India's "wander cards for wonderers."

The words were

so

utterly

perfect 

I kept them in front of me on the beading table for the entire month.

It is where I held my focus.

And from that came a great, soothing calm

along with an unmistakeable affirmation to keep paying attention

to that which is most important.

: : : :

To view all of the  52 weeks : bead sketches  posts, starting with the most recent,

CLICK HERE

Read More

bead sketches : month three

March was a bit wild, not the least of which was the unrelenting rainfall

which definitely set my teeth on edge by month's end (all time records were broken for Seattle!)

but did make for cozy hours at the beading table and a guilt-free frame of mind

as I watched the grass grow another foot taller and didn't have to mow it.

So now there's 12 ...

March's collection - month three of my '52 weeks : bead sketches' project - was more challenging

than earlier months due to paper wrangling one week and found object attachment issues

the next ... but part of the joy of this project is continuing on no matter what.

Nothing has to be perfect.

I can change my mind right in the middle of a bead pattern

because these are "idea" squares ... itty bitty templates for trying on a new dress, 

so to speak.  And it's all about the process, not about the finished product.

I've said it before - this adventure is so  freeing.

There was quite a lot of positive feedback last time about posting my inspiration each week,

so once again I'll note the source, or the word prompts, or where my ideas came from.

They are written below each photograph with links, if appropriate.

~ followed two simple questions: how might I create  texture  on those triangles

& what kind of edge treatment(s) might compliment the graphic elements? ~

~ thinking about an homage to "broken wings" inspired by THIS IMAGE ~

~ one glorious evening I bought a marvelous tome, wrapped in a paper bag,

from this [in]famous BOOKSTORE 

~ contemplation of leaves in the last line of THIS ~ 

: : :

To view all of the  52 weeks : bead sketches  posts, starting with the most recent,

CLICK HERE

Read More

bead sketches : month two

And now there are 8 ...

February's collection - month two of my '52 weeks : bead sketches' project - is finished.

More playing relentlessly,

more diving deep,

more showing up faithfully.

I also did a lot of wondering about why I haven't imposed 

a project like this on myself before.  In truth I suppose because the time is NOW

and I wasn't where I needed to be to take this on before now.

Just showing up to do the work has great benefits.

I'll write more on that subject later as thoughts solidify, but for now

I've an amazing sense of freedom with this work / play

that I've never, 

ever

had before.

There's surely a lesson in this approach for me

although I can't put it all into words yet.

For this month I thought it might be of interest if I noted where

my inspiration, or word prompts, or weekly idea came from.

They are written below each photograph with links.

~ bugle bead inspiration arose from HERE ~

~ exploring some thoughts about THIS ~

~ describing in materials the meaning of THIS PHRASE ~

~ experimenting with the pattern of THESE ~

Feels  so good  to be back with my beads.

: : :

Postscript:  A few hours after I published this post I came across some

excellent words that seem to fit right in so I've come back to note them.

You don’t need more motivation or inspiration to create the life you want. You need less shame around the idea that you’re not doing your best. You need to stop listening to people who are in vastly different life circumstances and life stages than you tell you that you’re just not doing or being enough. You need to let timing do what it needs to do. You need to see lessons where you see barriers. You need to understand that what’s

right now  becomes inspiration later.

by Jamie Varon, from 'To Anyone Who Thinks They're Falling Behind'

: : :

To view all of the  52 weeks : bead sketches  posts, starting with the most recent,

CLICK HERE

Read More

bead sketches : month one

When I wrote the following on Dear Flora last month,

"Something new for what is feeling like a glorious new year on the horizon.

Thought it might be time to embark on a yearlong adventure ... 52 weeks

of 3-inch squares and the discovery of all the tiny worlds I can create

within them. I have no idea where this is going,

but go I must ... "

what I didn't mention was that I was going on this journey mainly to

play with beads again.  We'd taken a break, my bead family and I.  You know how it is

when you have to step away for a while in order to come back with fresh eyes,

a renewed heart?

I'd been away for so long that many new bead varieties had hit the markets without me

and I'd been growing steadily more curious about how to integrate them

into bead embroidery work.  Compound this with all the hand dyed

cloth I'd been amassing, explorations with paper, metals and all sorts

of sundry textiles and what was building felt nothing short of a crisis of making ...

I needed to dive.

I needed to stop dreaming and start doing.

For the last year or so I've noticed myself being attracted to the projects

of others who'd committed themselves to creating something/anything on a steady schedule.

Committed.  Key word.

Schedule.  Key word.

Be they daily poems or sketches, weekly paintings or mixed media collages, 

even a gorgeous pair of knitted socks per month, folks were dedicating themselves to

show up ... do the work.  Best of it was, they were gaining much from 

this kind of discipline.  They talked about it - they were having breakthroughs.

Their new creative "habit" was renewing confidence &

providing fertile ground for inspiration.

This, to my mind, was a healthy choice of how to invest ones time.

So I had a good long think about what I could stomach doing for the long haul.

Having really blown it in the past was actually helpful for not setting goals

to outrageously out there ... 20/20 hindsight & all that.

Size was going to be critical.  Beads are [mostly] tiny little pretties

and the last thing I wanted was a demanding blank space shouting, "Fill me up!"

So learning from a previous 6-inch disaster I first cut the size in half.

Another extremely important aspect of setting parameters was allowing

for the element of  play  ... I did not want to produce a *finished* square each week.

Instead, how freeing to simply play with ideas & materials

and just see where that took me.

Hence the name, bead sketches - not particularly clever, but to the point.

Without the pressure of having to finish something each week I found

month one an extremely enjoyable enterprise.  As each new week rolled around I

picked up whatever caught my fancy in the moment & started from there.

I wondered what would happen if I paired this with that,

then tried it.  I experimented with edge treatments & extending beyond

the exact space while allowing the materials to dictate the direction.

There were mess-ups - like joining methods, thread issues, fabric limitations -

which sent the beads all wonky-doodle ...

but I sure know a lot more now then if I'd never started.

Little templates to explore some ideas every week.

Slow and steady ... just show up.

Play relentlessly.

I'm really liking how this feels.

:::

It would be immensely enjoyable to hear about your experiences.

If you are someone who's ever [or currently] embarked on a daily, weekly,

even monthly practice, your comments about the process are most welcome here.

If you'd like to share a link where we can come and see what you made during the process,

please do.  I think the sharing could be very advantageous indeed.

Thank you for stopping by.

"I have no idea where this is going, but go I must ..."

: : :

To view all of the  52 Weeks : Bead Sketches  posts, starting with the most recent,

CLICK HERE

Read More

Jade Dog's spring bead challenge

Whatever came over me, I'm not quite sure ...

participate in a bead challenge at the start of spring when the

tasks outside are too numerous to list?

oy vey.

I must be crazy.

It's just that when I saw this bead kit, I couldn't help myself

... such an organic feel, earthy tones, seed pods,
with a beautiful balance of textures that set my mind

right down a new path of inspiration.

I couldn't say no to that - that doesn't happen all that often -

that
is inspiration worth listening to.

Besides, I was already a big fan of Jade Dog Beads.
Cool stuff from a real swell gal.

~ 2015 Spring Bead Challenge, Kit #5 ~

Each kit has basically the same ingredients with only slight variations in color and

detailing marks on the large cab [at bottom].

The ingredients:

wood disc bead

vintage aluminum ring blank

polymer cab (50mm x 34mm)

radraksha beads

sea urchin spikes

strand of pellet beads

bag of size 8 transparent picasso finish glass seed beads

I think I should elaborate ... I won't be making jewelry.

[That ring is soon to become  not  a ring]

There may be cloth involved ... there may be embroidery.

Because there are no limitations on what we can create, ANYTHING beaded is fair game.

The only rules: we must use ALL the beads in the kit

and we must be finished by April 20th.

But we can add whatever we want to the kit stash

and  anything beaded  goes, including 3-D.

oh boy.

There are a few kits left ... anyone want to join in the challenge with me?

You can view them over on Etsy

and also find The Jade Dog on Facebook ... more info over there, too.

Darcy [the owner] is super speedy with answers if you have questions.

: : :

for those not swept up with bead madness
- or maybe even if you are -

I offer you this video rush

:: Danny Macaskill: The Ridge ::

Isle of Skye

Read More

At least a dozen reasons why

Seems I have a bit of a problem.

Time for true confessions and since this blog is mainly my online journal,

today I'm setting down in black and white [sort of]

what I intend to do about it.

You see, the issue is, I never seem to actually

finish

any of my textile pieces ...

it's a mystery really ... all these piles of un-dones, everywhere.

I'm not sure why I keep putting them down & skip off to something else

before I can say, "Finito"

and pass them along.

Friends have asked to buy, and trade ... I have even wished for one or two pieces on hand

for special gifts.  

The whole sorry subject has been bugging me for quite some time.

Can I blame it on being a Gemini?

How about the little issue of not having a  "proper"  studio/work space?

Yeah right.  Those sound like excuses to me, too.

Truth is

I'd dearly love to see them completed and then

go away

out into the world so that I can

free

my

mind,

my shelf space,

and venture forward, unencumbered.

Amen.

I ask ya, have you ever seen so many pins?  Once, I called these cloth components

"landscapes for beads"

but most are either partially beaded

or have become pin holders instead ...

So I've pulled out twelve of these unfinished stories - twelve favorites

that I'd love to see completed

[please don't ask

how many more are lurking about] 

because I am going to do again what I did two years ago

[which helped me  focus  in the very best way]

and that is

I am going to choose 

a word

for this year.

An ever-present reminder of intention.

I know the whole word thing has fallen out of favor for many

but I'm game to stick with any thought process

that culminates in fruitful results ...

isn't any positive movement forward better than

all this un-doneness begging for a turned edge,

or a bead,

or a dye pot to dive into?!

So there you have it ...

my twelve good reasons

why I need to

finish

what I started.

You are all welcome to hold me accountable.

And as a small treat for embarking on This Road to Completion,

I signed up for a year of advertisement-free Pandora ...

have been enjoying the most glorious - uninterrupted - listening pleasures.

The best part

has been discovering musicians I'd not heard of before

 like this splendid pianist, Ludovico Einaudi.

I was learning to play the piano once but didn't finish that either.  Nevermind.

If I still played, I would want to play this.

[tis splendid with the volume turned way up ...]

Dietro Casa  =  Back Home

Read More

Self-talk

Read More

For the love of a good nose ...

Read More

What I learned about running with dogs ~ Part 2

Welcome back!

{{{ In case you missed it, Part 1 can be found OVER HERE. }}}

Does this look like what you might imagine a judge's table would look like?

And this gentleman...would he fit your idea of THE JUDGE?

I think I've watched way too many Westminster Dog Shows because these folks

were not in the least intimidating.  They joked and laughed amongst themselves and made all sorts

of amiable comments about the dogs & their runs.

I didn't intend to eavesdrop...I was just on the 

other side of that fence...ahem.

While Michelle led Sam in this run, the judge's table was buzzing...they practically swooned
over his old timer adorableness.

Sam tends to make some pretty amusing noises as he's galloping around

which added to their delight and prompted all sorts of compliments on his attributes.

I just loved that they would do that.

This was a Jumpers course although there's a variety to choose from:  Hoopers, Chances, Weavers,

Tunnelers, and Touch N Go.  Participants can pick and choose, competing in as many or as few

as they want...it's completely up to you.  Another lesson learned (and what a relief!) ~ no one
is telling you what to do...
you design your day with your dog however you want & sign up for whatever suits your fancy.

That FUN factor again.

Before I saw this wall I had no idea how participants would keep track of which runs were coming up, 

in which order.

There it is ~ the entire lineup, painter's-taped to the wall,

including the illustrious poop bag dispensary below, should one have the need.

'Command Central' was in a barn...

and the gals at Mega-Dogs had the prime office space, if you ask me.

Their fingers were kept flyin' while the dogs were out flyin'...

...like this German Shepherd, who was showing No Fear.

What a beautiful sight.

But here's the little number that our group was keeping their eyes on the most...

Meet Bailey, pint-sized owner of her very own human named Ginger.

This was their first time at an agility trial as well, except they were actually brave enough to compete
(unlike some not-to-be-named happy, picture-snapping chickens).

Yay, Paws on the Rock 'Team Bailey'!

Just look at those little legs GO...
is that not the most adorable thing this side of the universe?

Turned out, these two had an  outstanding  run.

I'm sure it's not only because Ginger memorized these numbers really well,

but because these two put in lots of dedicated work, stick-to-it-tiveness and practice, practice, practice.

Did I mention practice, practice, practice?

And it paid off bigtime...HOORAAAY!

First Place!!

Look at that face...I'd say Ginger was pretty darn thrilled, wouldn't you?!

Bailey seemed every bit as pleased herself with those qualifying ribbons.

Such a terrific outcome for a splendid working pair...way tah go, you two.

Ok, so I wasn't exactly cross-eyed by late afternoon but my mind was certainly in a whirrrrr...
wowzer...
what an amazing day this was turning out to be...

Before my mad dash back to the ferry, I was able to watch Michelle do her stuff

with Sam one more time...awwww, I'd say he put on his happy paws!

I heard later that Sam earned a couple more "Q"s of his own the following day
and Benjamin ran great as well.
Benjamin had surgery on one of his rear legs not long ago.  Through patient rehab
and lots of careful re-training, he's back in the game...much to his huge delight, I might add.

Sometimes fortune favors the early arrivals to the ferry line.  I was granted my favorite
front row seat on my floating transport westbound...
a most perfect way to sit back and chill, and let all that I'd learned about running with dogs
filter through the memory banks.

And then I arrived home to this...
"Where ya been...watchya been doin'...why couldn't I go???"

Don't worry sweetness, you will definitely be going next time.
No doubt about it.

As long as our mojos are feelin' good, we are gonna

GO


FOR


IT.

xoxoxo


: : :


UPDATE, June 5th:  Michelle McDarmont, leader of our local agility group and owner of
Paws On The Rock Dog Training, has created a brand new blog on Blogger.  Her first post
is entitled 'A Simply Terrific Agility Weekend.'  Guess what she's talkin' about?
Please visit...there are links to some videos you won't want to miss...
can you possibly resist watching Sam, Benny (Benjamin) and Bailey rock their runs?!?!
CLICK HERE  to read her post.

Read More