TGIF

Those four letters always crack a smile...because it's Friday and the workweek is over?  Lol! Nope because when you're self employed there is no Friday. 
Maybe one day there will be a Friday again but I doubt they will be every week.
Am I feeling sorry for myself? Nope. I'm doing something I love and if I have some free time and I ask myself "OK, Mikki what would you like to do?" the answer is usually "I'd like to bead".  I do try to keep the less enjoyable parts of my work, like pattern writing and doing the books as part of the Monday to Friday routine but it doesn't always work.  If your muse grabs you, demanding your attention you can only put her off for just so long and she just seems to love messing up my nicely planned schedule.

On a different tangent this week was interesting as there appeared at the craft store where I teach a new beading instructor. Hmm....
I can't say that made me particularly happy as I've worked two years to build up a group of bead weavers, many had never done bead weaving before and this person is basically looking to capitalize on my work.  But that wasn't the thing that really bugged me.  The project she plans to teach is the puffed Swarovski heart, ok....now I know she isn't the designer and I read on her class info that she would only have instructions for the project for use IN the class "due to Copyright Law"...you couldn't take them home.  Not one of my students would be able to finish that heart in a two hour class....and what do they do then?    As regards to copyright....it's my understanding that you can't make money from someone else's designs without their permission or license. One would think if she has permission to teach she would also get permission to give the pattern to the student....or the magazine the project is printed in (which as a published designer I know very well).

The store is looking into it, which they should because if anyone sued they would be the target...deep pockets an' all.  If the class goes ahead, it goes ahead, but I don't think there will be happy students without a pattern to leave with so they can finish the project.  I think this gal just doesn't realise what work is involved to be a designer and teacher....most people don't. And, of course, ethics are in short supply thesedays.

I think what Cynthia Newcomer Daniels does is great, she sells a teaching license for her designs.   This allows people to teach her work legally and it also makes it very clear that it's illegal to do so without a license.

Today I get to put some kits together and tube some beads.  I also need to run errands and tidy up the studio before I can get down to a weekend of serious beading. I plan on freestyling my heart out and graphing up some new flatwork designs because there are whole series' bubbling in my brain. It might be nice to do some laundry too!
Happy Friday everyone!