And the Winner is........

Verbenabeth

Congratulations!  As someone said it was very difficult to get past such a great story of generosity and love. For me it wasn't just that, I am a huge believer in the arts and crafts being passed on through the generations and the thing that pushed me over the edge was the fact that Verbenabeth sees arts and crafts as a way to make a living.  I was raised in a home that thought arts should just be a hobby and were not something you could make a living at. I had to bring newspaper ads to my father to prove there were jobs for an artist out there before he would even consider allowing me to go to a technical college. I studied Graphic Design simply because that was the only job listed in the "Help Wanted" section. I did manage to squeak in a foundation year by changing colleges but even after my pleas and the pleas of my professors I wasn't allowed to go to a 'real' (degree) college.  So I have to show my support for a parent who encourages art as an expression and career opportunity :)

Not to worry if you didn't win.....with the help of Lark Books I will be doing many more giveaways and giving you the heads up on other giveaways of their great books. Today I can share a fabulous giveaway for an advanced copy of Sabine Lippert's "Beaded Fantasies"

Sabine does amazing work and  has just been announced as one of the designer's at Marcia De Coster's Beading By The Bay next year along with the amazing Huib Petersen which has a LOT of us majorly excited.

Sabine is based in Europe so it's a big deal to get her Stateside though I hear she will be over this June....if you get the chance to take a class with her JUMP because I have a feeling her classes will sell out fast!

I spent my beading time this weekend working on my first bead embroidered piece and made a lot of progress, almost finished with the surface beading and ready to start the 'extras'. I am so glad I bought Jamie's "Dimensional Bead Embroidery" because I'm going to need some of her ideas putting the backing on it being fairly heavy.

The progress photos aren't great but I did like this one as the light bouncing out of the main pyramid is just too cool and an effect I hoped to achieve but didn't know how I was going to pull it off....lol....by accident!

Probably because of the pyramids I've been calling this "Osiris" as I've been working on it...something about black and bronze too, I think. Anyway...this is where I am...it still needs it's bells and whistles but as my first step into the world of bead embroidery I'm feeling pretty happy.

Today it's back to the drawing board for me....finishing the test sample of Pineapple Lace and getting the edits done so I can finally release it.

Happy Monday :)