Bad, bad, busy Mikki

Ok...so it's been a while since I blogged.  As business grows it seems there is less and less time in the days and I have to rob Peter to pay Paul timewise so something has had to give.

Designing, writing and illustrating three teaching beading projects a month was becoming impossible so I've restructured my classes to one large project a month teaching it in the regular weekly classes over three weeks.   As these projects tend to be advanced I'm also taking the the simplest components and creating a beginner/intermediate project...so students can choose their own level.

The first project will be Gideon's Wheel....a pendant necklace with a donut focal. The easy project for this one will be the bezelled pearls with a simple bail and drop around the donut. I like the idea of a class being open to more than one level of beader.

For those of you who have already asked about the pattern for this and the other workshop projects here's the scoop.  The patterns won't be sold alone but will be sold with a kit and, of course, if you have a group, store or beading society you could always have me come teach :)

I am actually taking a mini-vacation next month as Mom and I scout locations in California for a move once the house is sold.  It's the next logical/sensible move for me as it will put me more into the beading world where I need to be and give me a social life again. Surprisingly Mom is very excited to move, she think it may give her a new lease on life and she has made the realisation that this house and garden is a lot to keep up with since my Dad passed.

We figure it'll take about a year but we may be surprised, a neighbor's house similar to ours but without the garden just sold for a lot more than we thought it would.

I'm hard at work getting workshop projects ready and also trying to find some time to get back to my book and have given myself a Christmas deadline for the proposal.  By request I'm only teachig Open Bead classes next month....and just the first two weeks as there is that vacation. A highlight for me in the trip is the Central California Bead Society's bead show where I get to meet the ladies and snoop at what they do :) Another highlight will be the Clovis Balloon Festival....we got Mom a new digital camera for that as she likes to take photographs.