Missing your sparkle?
The new year has arrived with my random thoughts related to the beady world:
Bead and Button gone gone gone. The bead fellowship that event provided has created a void. It certainly was the highlight of my year for many many years. Bead and Button - does anyone remember the dinosaur's? They were all over the streets of Milwaukee my first year.
What no bead retreats? No in person retreats to hug and share together. Replaced for now with Virtual retreats. I do look forward to getting back to the in person retreats. Colorado Bead retreat in 2016 was one of the most memorable. So many others also come to mind.
Bead Store beading classes and events almost non-existent with the Covid numbers surging yet again. I am missing the events at The Beaded Garden when I often hosted the travelling instructor at my house. I hope that will return in 2021.
Zoom to the rescue for a bead class fix and some connection with people, not quite the same as in person but still good for these days. I have done some great pieces with new to me instructors. Here are a few of them. "Cupcake" by Catherine Haedrich, a variation of "Frozen" by Cindy Holsclaw, and variation of "Luna Moth" by Holly Bean. (My variations are all about my lack of height and need to keep things light.) Zoom has been a great thing for me!!
Then there was that announcement about Swarovski moving out of the DIY market to become more exclusive. More news will come as they move forward in this transition but for a designer of beady things that sparkle, this news was yet another blow to my beady world. We sure have had a lot to cope with! Awakenings by Alexandra Sydorenko sure has BLING.
Covid, Politics, Racial Injustice, Social Distancing, and now no sparkle in our future. Ok, so seriously, we can deal with this. Small stuff with all that is going on in the world. But the gut punch at this time still hurt. What about that stash of sparkle? What to do? Use it? Sell it? (If anyone is buying - people are MAD at the Swarovski attitude toward DIY artists.) As with most things in life, time will tell.
And finally, I've gone totally gray/white now. I promised a picture of the all cut off hair look. Here it is with my fun new glasses. I do not missing sitting for the coloring at all. I may grow the hair back out longer but doubt I will go back to coloring my hair. I own it now. This move has been quite a release from the constant coloring requirements as my hair grows fast. Hair FREEDOM. Yes indeed, as I have read from so many others on the topic, it is a GOOD thing. Bring on 2021.
