Sunday, January 27, 2013

7th Bead Soup Blog Party Sign Ups

My favorite time of the year...Lori Anderson of Pretty Things Bead Soup Blog Party!!!!



I signed up...have you? Hurry!!  Sign ups end TODAY!!!!

You do need to have a blog to participate in the BSBP, but Lori is experimenting with a Facebook version (no blog needed)...


Please head on over to the Bead Soup Cafe if you'd like to sign up for that (limited to 20).

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

As usual, Lori Anderson of Pretty Things, organized not only a hop to bring us all together and enjoy each other's creativity, but also one with meaning, wrapped in love, and memories.  For myself, the predictable tribute would be for my Mom, but I decided that was too easy, it didn't challenge me (been there/done that) and that I needed to dig deeper...

I drew a blank until Thursday morning.  I had nada!  No ideas, no plan of action, and no more time to "think on it."  About that time in walked my 11 year old, demanding we get started on the day's lessons...what kid does that?  Yes, that is when the good ol' proverbial light bulb went off!

She faces obstacles that definitely aren't noticeable by looking at her, or even after talking to her...they are hidden...like so many other learning disabilities, yet still affect her every second of every day.  Her Dyslexia doesn't by any means define who she is, but rather forces her to try harder, view things in a different light, not to judge anyone/anything by what she sees, to look deeper within to herself to find a way that makes sense, and has a wisdom that I can't seem to fathom....things that SO many of us should learn to do!  Disability? Or is it a gift that few us of can ever obtain??



Moobie Grace - December 2012.  She was so proud of her "ugly" shell.
"Because if you scrape off the bumps, it looks like a rainbow!"  While
she struggles with many things, I'm proud that she can see deeper than
what's on the surface!

So, I set out on a mission to create a tribute-worthy piece.  It was only logical to let Grace pick out a few of the elements....okay, most of the materials!  They may not make sense to you or I, but that is entirely the point!  Because, try as I may, I know I will never understand what she faces, how she feels on a daily basis, or how her mind learns.  What I can compare the LD to is trying to read/write in a different language every day, and nobody else having a problem doing so, and no one being able to explain the logistics...makes you think, doesn't it?

"She Believed She Could, So She Did" - Necklace


Let me break down the symbolism of each element:

Copper spirals and wavy spikes because that's how words sometimes appear to her (these were my choices in the piece).
The Labradorite & lampwork Grace picked because "everyone sees things differently."
Green jade/pearls because that's her favorite color.
The Czech glass flowers she chose because she said "I'm still pretty even though I have a LD...and so is everyone else!"
The leather dragonfly she wanted to add "because I can do anything except fly!"
The silk ribbon simply because she liked it!

* She also wanted me to tell everyone that it has three dangle charms "because it takes me at least three times to read something for it to make sense!"  < Got to love a kid who can giggle and joke about their biggest challenges in life!  And, that she wasn't too happy that I didn't have a mountain or a hiking bead/charm because that's what she loves to do, and does it well, I might add!

I used to raise my fist and curse the universe for dealing her such a crappy hand in life.  I don't anymore.  There are times when we're both so frustrated with homeschooling that the only plausible thing to do is go eat ice-cream (so we do), but there are also those triumphs that I'm that I'm blessed to be able to be a part of!  

These days while I have my moments, I'm almost thankful for the Dyslexia (but not the stigma/bullying/narrow minds)...it's a hard road, but it has opened my eyes to things I was blind to before, and I thank God that Grace never has had that "blindness."

Thanks for stopping by, please take a moment to check out the other participants in the hop!!




Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things


 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs
 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures
 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents
Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart
Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems
Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill
Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings
Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini
Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods
Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space
Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design
Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix
Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams
CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ
Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons
Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts
Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that
Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas
Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey
Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa
Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant
Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy
Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found
Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements
Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry
Heather Marston                 CSW Designs
Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog
Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier
Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry
Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!
Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!
Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream
Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry
Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey
Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation
Joanne Browne                   josjewels1
Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art
Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC
JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin
Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog
Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs
Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads
Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks
Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow
Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity
Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue
Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs
Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs
Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs
Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design
Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art
Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations
Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry
Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That
Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads
Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious
Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns
Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry
Marie Covert                      Creating Interest
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising
Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene
Martha Aleo                           Ornamento
Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads
Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.
Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry
Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop
Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder
Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader
Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads
Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry
Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita
Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings
Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?
Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth
Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy
Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep
Pam Farren                           re-maker
Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner
Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz  
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place
Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle
Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya
Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel
Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe
Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos
Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence
Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry
Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs
Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame
Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels
Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads
Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs
Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs
Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo
Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art
Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry
Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe
Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets