Who would have guessed?

2020 Rambling  

Here is a bit of trivia for you.   WAY back in the 1970's and 80's I was very active in the African Violet societies.  For several years I wrote and edited the state magazine.  My article was called "Ramblings of a Bloomin Idiot".  I guess some things never change.

I'll start with my silly hair.  The 'gray' continues to grow.  First in the total lock down, the length got to me and I cut off (I really should say I hacked it off) about 5".  I resisted cutting more.  A month later, after salons opened, I went in with freshly washed wet hair and told her to cut.  I said, un-tailored, uneven, messy, easy.  She had fun.  My plan was to have a few cuts and then decide if I can deal with the uncolored hair.  This shelter in place with no gatherings time seems perfect for the grand experiment to see if I can tolerate how I look with total gray/white hair.  I am enjoying the shorter wild look.  It is so much easier to care for.  Wash, brush, shake a bit, call it done.  Since I don't go hardly anywhere except outside to walk my miles in sweaty Florida summer weather, short makes sense.  This photo was taken not long after the stylish cut.  The old lady hair was really just starting to come in.  More hair in a minute.

Next bit of rambling is a sad note for the bead world.  The announcement by Kalmbach publishing about the magazine, show and book division closing was very sad indeed.  Bead and Button was for years the focus of my year.  All else was planned around various timelines associated with the big show.  It will be greatly missed.  I can only hope that someone will take up the charge to have something for us to look forward to.  We shall see.  On a personal note, I was in the final stages of approval for a second book.  I'm not sure where that will go, quite possibly no where.  A future book is yet another thing that falls in the category of 'time will tell'.  Finally, also in the Bead and Button saga, a bittersweet chance of fate results in my being published in the final issue of Bead and Button.  I can still remember the thrill to see my first publication in the magazine which was Tila Token.  Another bit of trivia, my final publication in the magazine also uses Tila beads.  So I started with Tila and have ended with Tila.  Is there a song there?

Zoom.  Zooming.  Zoomed.  What the heck!  Zoom is another form of communication which has quickly become common place.  I've taken several beading classes, attended friends get together meetings, even hosted a sale or two as well as demos of how to do things.  You just never know, maybe I will decide I really like it.  But right now, today, I can honestly say it is just barely better than not doing these things at all.  For me, I'd rather be able to be in person.  While that is not a glowing endorsement, these are strange times, so I am recommending that others give it a chance.  It is a way to help cope with this situation, learn from someone normally out of reach or well known, and enjoy beading with others - sort of.

Hair cut #2.  Growing out.  But still not a dramatic change.  Probably another 2 or 3 cuts.  That will have to come in a future blog.

You can see me wearing a "POP ART" necklace.  The basic collage card available from Pamela Garbig on Etsy.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/PamelaGarbigArt  I have a problem wearing anything heavy so I am now working to make necklaces lightweight.  These little wood cut pieces are fun, work up very quickly, and are great for all kinds of projects.  Fun things to make us smile right now are very good indeed.  They make great gifts as well along a theme for a friend.  My butterfly sample flew north.

  

More rambling with possibilities to come....

Here is a sneak peak of a few projects which will be coming out as kits or patterns as I get to it.  Some were going in the "maybe" book.  My topic was the name of one of my projects.  Split Personality.

Why Split Personality?

Well, I have combined some bead weaving and bead embroidery for several years.  I taught several classes that combined the two types of beading, including at Bead and Button.  After my husband passed, I was kind of hung up creating for a long time.  Then when I started making Regina Payne’s Mountain Girl over and over for about a year, it finally stimulated my creative juices and I made my first real “Split Personality” design.  I thought about it and it seemed a natural transition from mostly bead weaving to the combination of bead weaving and bead embroidery as sort of my before and after Jack died creative soul.  I had life with him before, followed by a different life after.  So I have a split personality in that way for me and for my art.

For Now, Stay Safe and BEad Happy.

Change is in the wind

I hope this edition of my blog finds you well.  I have been silent for a long time.  That is mostly a good thing.  Spending less time in front of my computer and more time doing other things is really good for me.  More walking, soaking in my pool, travelling, and creating.

Today, amid the Coronavirus (Covid-19), some time for reflection is in order.  When I started this blog, cases in the United States were at 50,000.   Today, less than a month later, it is 10 times that, over 500,000.  No guess as to where that number will be in another month.  But enough of that, we are all swimming in discussion, fear, and panic over the situation.

My news, I made a decision on my official web site recently, www.baublesbybalonis.net.  That is one of the reasons for this blog.  I am NOT renewing the domain or web site service itself.  It will expire on May 20, 2020.  I decided it was time when I went in to update and realized it had been since sometime last fall that I'd changed things.  My Bead and Button classes had not even been announced.  I decided that if I don't 'care' enough to keep up with the changes for over 5 months, it is time to let it go, save the money for something else.

You can still find me on Facebook both as myself or as Marcia Balonis Designs.  I maintain my Etsy shop at Baublesbybalonis for all patterns, kits, and other odds and ends.  I do have an Instagram account - marciabalonis, and Pinterest is Marcia Balonis.  And I am still sending out my newsletter.  I use Mail Chimp.  You can ask me to add you on the list if you want to.

Busy creating is good right now.  And I have several new items which will be going into my Etsy shop.  These were created to teach at my LBS (local bead store).  Maybe I'll be teaching again, later, I hope.

Scribble up Herringbone

Mosaic Tile

 Rice A Roni

I have continued my beading transition from mostly bead weaving to a combination of bead weaving with bead embroidery.  I think of the dual designs as reflective of my current state of mind.....Split Personality.  This one is called Moon Child.

Why Split Personality?  Well, I have combined some bead weaving and bead embroidery for several years.  After my husband passed, I was kind of hung up from creating for a long time.  All I seemed to do was to make Regina Payne’s Mountain Girl over and over and over, that repetitive process finally stimulated my creative juices and I made my first real “Split Personality” design.  I thought about it and it seemed a natural transition from mostly bead weaving to the combination as sort of my before and after Jack died creative soul.  I had life with him before followed by a different life after.  So I have a split personality in that way for me and for my art.

This last month I have more time at home with kitties.  Chance resulted in my adoption of a new rescue kitty.  He is getting spoiled with the amount of home time.  Meet Marty.

I hope you are surviving well.  This will certainly be a time we will remember.  I do fear for the future and pray some of the changes to come will ultimately be for the better.