New classes and great things happening all around!

 I have had a very exciting and busy last couple of months! Lots of traveling, lots of work, and because finally I am doing exactly what I think I should be doing with my life, it was also an awful lot of fun. 

As it turns out, my BeadDreams entry ( see previous post for pictures), got first place in Crystal category.

This was quite a surprise to me. I was teaching  when one of the ladies in my class room told me and everyone else there, as it was just posted on Bead and Button's Facebook page. I almost cried, and got really really giddy and had to make  an effort not to shout obscenities, which is my natural inclination at such situations. Sure you might imagine more graceful ways to deal with excitement, like how Miss America always seems to be ever so cute, surprised and fluttery when her crowning is announced. My reaction was almost peeing myself , feeling shaky and wanting to shout unholy things I won't type in here, but just so we are clear on this, that's how that went down. Excitement does weird things to one.

It's truly an honor, and I could not be more grateful. I like what I made, it makes me happy, but it's also a rather strange piece, and I am glad others liked it as much as they did. I never took it for granted that they would. And will not feel entitled to any such things in future either.

 What I have won is $450 worth of Swarovski crystals. I haven't received them yet, but I can't wait. Last year when I got third place in the same category, I got a marvelous goodie bag of completely random and entirely wonderful Swarovski beads. I suspect the same thing will happen this year too. When it does, I will be sure to take pictures of my loot and share them here.

Leading up to the Bead and Button Show I have been traveling for a month and a half and teaching classes all over the country, and the more I do this, the better and easier it gets, and since no one complained yet, I assume I am doing good. More than that, according to the positive feedback, I think I am indeed doing good, not just assuming it. But it's important to keep things in perspective, and admit that there is always a whole lot more to learn and there is always room for improvement, so of course, it's a continuous effort.The day I say I am an authority on bead embroidery and things need to be done my way, the "Right Way", is the day I expect someone to kick me in the butt real hard.

 It's all just playing with beads, but it's serious playing, just like children are deadly serious about playing their games. It's what I want to do, day after day, start all over and do it all over again with never lessening intensity. At my current level of being largely satisfied with my life, the idea of Nietzsche's Eternal Recurrence is extremely soothing to my soul.

Well, at any rate, here is a picture (above) of me at the Meet the Teachers event at the Bead and Button Show. The following pictures underneath are of my new classes I added to my list of designs I currently teach.

 Marty the Chameleon

 Marty currently exists in two colors.

 Sweet little googly eyed chameleon sitting on his green branch.

 It's a fun smaller project, perfectly awesome for beginners and advanced bead embroiderers too.

 The octopus bracelet shown here is the latest addition to the group. This project is more for intermediate to advanced beaders.

 Comes on an aqua/turquoise color combo.

 And also in a hotter than hot pink, spiced with orange version as well.

 Here they are tangled.

And side by side showing what the back looks like.

And on my mannequin hand. Once in a while I get some excited beaders demanding to know where to get such a hand. Mine came from a mannequin at the shoe store I used to work at. A small child knocked the mannequin over and it got really beat up and dismembered and put away. I took it's hands. It does have a silver nob on the wrist, where it attaches to the arms, but I always photoshop it out of the pictures.