Do you have orphan beads? You know, the kind that don’t match any other, the one left behind from a set, the one you didn’t need in your pattern? That poor little bead, all alone in it hiding place. You look at it once in a while and remember what you did with the others but you have no plans for this one. Feeling a little bit guilty yet?
Well, don’t be. I certainly have my share of poor little lonely orphan beads. I keep then all in a box so they have company with the others just like them. The outcasts of my bead stash.
What is an artist to do?
There are big ones, small ones, teeny tiny ones, ceramic, glass, stone, purples, browns and reds. They don’t really go together, but they all have the same common denominator. They certainly aren’t junk beads, I spent good money on them! But there they are, starting back at me from their hiding place. Waiting…. Watching…
This world is a lot like those poor little orphan beads. If you really look at other people, and I mean with that artistic eye you have been gifted with, you’ll notice that everyone is different. Now Emily, you say, of course I know every one is different, everyone is special, we learned that back when we were three years old on the playground. But what I mean is not just what you’ve been taught, but what you really observe. Sure, we all look different. Shoot, I mean people who look alike look different, but why? Why did God make everyone different? Wouldn’t it just have been easier to make everyone the same? Then we wouldn’t worry about growing old and wrinkly or if our nose is bigger than it should be or how fat or skinny we are. Seems silly doesn’t it?
But what really make us different? Is it just the outside? Just the colored glazing like in that bead stash? Or is it more; is it deeper than that which makes us unique? If you listed everything about you and compared it with everyone else in the world your would find that no one has the exact same list. Isn’t that amazing? There’s, like, a billion people on earth and you are the only one like you. Just like that orphan bead. The only one. Won’t be another one, just you. Just take a moment and relish how you are so special to be the only one like you.
Now to interrupted that moment, think again about that stash of orphan beads. Since you have had that moment to reflect on how wonderful you are, think about all the people in your life. Friends, family, the guy next door who can’t keep his dog off your lawn, and think about how each of them are different and special (or not) in your life. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Now go get that bead stash I have a project for you. I would like you to pick out beads that remind you of each person in your life. It don’t matter what they look like, just pick. Oh! And don’t forget to pick one that represent you! Now, take that pile of beads and make a necklace, bracelet, earrings, basketball net if you have that many orphan beads and put you right in the center. Now you have a project to do with those orphan beads! You have something to not only remind you of those who love you, but also how wonderful and special you are.
I would love to see those finished projects! You are more than welcome to email me with pictures and if you like (please specify in the email) I will post your pretties on this blog so everyone can see.
Here’s the email gruene_beadle@yahoo.com.
Have a beady day!
Showing posts with label Beads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beads. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
It's all about Mom
Today we celebrated my moms and my nieces birthday. They were born exactly 50 years apart on the same day and today they celebrated their 9th birthday connection. Now that I have completely embarrassed my mom for revealing her true age, and she doesn't look 59 by the way, let me just tell you how great is my mom. And if you are one of my readers who is now wondering what this has to do with beads, hang in there.
My mom was Super Mom. She had two boys, didn't have kids for 9 years then had me and my little brother. To her it was like have another family all over again. She home-schooled us, kept the house in pristine condition and still dragged us to all of our extra curricular activities. She made sure we were clean, well fed and always looked nice. We went to church every Sunday and AWANA that night. We went to museums, art galleries and aquariums. If we we’re interested in a subject that we we’re learning at the time (for me it was all about Egypt in 4th grade) she let us study it all we wanted, got us more materials and took us anywhere we needed to go until we where absolutely sick of the subject. (I still like Egypt, but only in small quantities now). She believed that if you were interested in learning something it meant that you should learn as much as you can about it. No restrictions when it came to learning. She must have been a good teacher because I made mostly A’s and a couple B’s in college and graduated with highest honors. My mom instilled the love of learning in me. To this day I still would rather watch Discovery Channel or TLC than anything else.
Now this is where is relates to beads. My mom was the one who introduced me to beading. It was just supposed to be something to keep me busy until the baby came. She didn’t realize that this subject was suddenly like Egypt was back in 4th grade. For the next year I wanted to try it all. Stringing (got that down easy), bead weaving (My FAVORITE! So many stitches), Polymer clay bead making (interesting) and Lampworking (haven’t tried yet but love the outcome). I have bead magazines coming out of my ears and still can’t wait for the next one to come out in the next quarter. I have dog-eared so many pages in my bead books that the books should be barking.
Here’s the other connection that I saw today. I had made my mom a necklace, bead woven out of hundreds of tiny seed beads, for Christmas. I took me three days to complete. I didn’t realize that she didn’t have any clothes that matched the colors in the necklace. (It was dark blue and cream!) But she became Super Mom again. She went out to buy an outfit for her birthday to match the necklace. She wore it proudly today at the restaurant. She may not even realize that because of her instilling that love of learning, the patience to continue until the project was done, and introducing me to beading in the first place she would have been wearing something else today. That necklace never would have been made, she never would have known the pattern ever existed and that silent thank-you-for-being-my-mom-and-making-my-life-better-because-you-cared-so-much-about-me-and-my-future wouldn’t have been shared in such a beady way.
Thanks mom for being my mom. I love you.
My mom was Super Mom. She had two boys, didn't have kids for 9 years then had me and my little brother. To her it was like have another family all over again. She home-schooled us, kept the house in pristine condition and still dragged us to all of our extra curricular activities. She made sure we were clean, well fed and always looked nice. We went to church every Sunday and AWANA that night. We went to museums, art galleries and aquariums. If we we’re interested in a subject that we we’re learning at the time (for me it was all about Egypt in 4th grade) she let us study it all we wanted, got us more materials and took us anywhere we needed to go until we where absolutely sick of the subject. (I still like Egypt, but only in small quantities now). She believed that if you were interested in learning something it meant that you should learn as much as you can about it. No restrictions when it came to learning. She must have been a good teacher because I made mostly A’s and a couple B’s in college and graduated with highest honors. My mom instilled the love of learning in me. To this day I still would rather watch Discovery Channel or TLC than anything else.
Now this is where is relates to beads. My mom was the one who introduced me to beading. It was just supposed to be something to keep me busy until the baby came. She didn’t realize that this subject was suddenly like Egypt was back in 4th grade. For the next year I wanted to try it all. Stringing (got that down easy), bead weaving (My FAVORITE! So many stitches), Polymer clay bead making (interesting) and Lampworking (haven’t tried yet but love the outcome). I have bead magazines coming out of my ears and still can’t wait for the next one to come out in the next quarter. I have dog-eared so many pages in my bead books that the books should be barking.
Here’s the other connection that I saw today. I had made my mom a necklace, bead woven out of hundreds of tiny seed beads, for Christmas. I took me three days to complete. I didn’t realize that she didn’t have any clothes that matched the colors in the necklace. (It was dark blue and cream!) But she became Super Mom again. She went out to buy an outfit for her birthday to match the necklace. She wore it proudly today at the restaurant. She may not even realize that because of her instilling that love of learning, the patience to continue until the project was done, and introducing me to beading in the first place she would have been wearing something else today. That necklace never would have been made, she never would have known the pattern ever existed and that silent thank-you-for-being-my-mom-and-making-my-life-better-because-you-cared-so-much-about-me-and-my-future wouldn’t have been shared in such a beady way.
Thanks mom for being my mom. I love you.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Life and Beads
When I started beading I was pregnant with my son, now 15 months, and realized that if it wasn't for the new life growing inside me I never would have taken up such a wonderful and fulfilling hobby! Now I look at my beaded treasures as not only little pieces of art, not only as something to wear or have, but a part of my very being, my life. Also, whenever I sell a beaded piece it like giving a piece of my love away to someone. I guess that really true for all artists.
You know, you put so much time and energy into one piece of jewelry or object of some sort, that when it's done it hold your memories in it. It's like a mini document of your life.
For example, my uncle was dieing of cancer and he was sent home because there was nothing else the doctors could do for him. One night we got a phone call telling us that he probably won't live through the night. Other than crying, what else could I do to cope with it? I beaded. I started this sweet bracelet that was one of the projects in a magazine. I made it with pink crystals, pink seed beads and the toggle was a beaded crystal heart. The pattern started with the heart and worked down to the bar part of the toggle. As I was working I was thinking about the last time I had visited my Aunt and Uncle. I was 8 months pregnant with my son and two states away from my OB/GYN. It didn't matter. I got to see my Uncle and my dad sail in the "Viking" boat my Uncle had from his home country. My Uncle had to store the boat that day so it was the last sail of the year. I remember helping to clean the little wooden boat by being the official coin depositor at the car wash. I watched as my Uncle teased my Aunt by spraying water at her. Just like a couple of teenagers. I could tell they loved each other very much.Those memories were being put into that pink bracelet. Then as I worked I thought about my aunt and how her life was going to be different once her husband was gone. I started to cry again. I knew life went on; there had been many deaths in my family, but it never gets any easier.We got one more phone call a couple of days later. It was the call that my uncle had passed away. I was almost done with the bracelet and realized that I couldn't keep it for myself. I had to send it to my aunt. It's not just my memories in this bracelet, but also hers. This is what I wrote to her.
I started with the heart because that's where love starts. I chose pink because pink keeps us young, just like love does. Each crystal is a memory of a treasured moment.
When we got the call I was working on the bar part of the toggle, I realized that although love sometimes ends when life ends it is needed in order for love to be complete. You can't wear the bracelet without the beginning and the end. You can't love someone unless you accept that there is death at the end of life.
That's why I bead.
You know, you put so much time and energy into one piece of jewelry or object of some sort, that when it's done it hold your memories in it. It's like a mini document of your life.
For example, my uncle was dieing of cancer and he was sent home because there was nothing else the doctors could do for him. One night we got a phone call telling us that he probably won't live through the night. Other than crying, what else could I do to cope with it? I beaded. I started this sweet bracelet that was one of the projects in a magazine. I made it with pink crystals, pink seed beads and the toggle was a beaded crystal heart. The pattern started with the heart and worked down to the bar part of the toggle. As I was working I was thinking about the last time I had visited my Aunt and Uncle. I was 8 months pregnant with my son and two states away from my OB/GYN. It didn't matter. I got to see my Uncle and my dad sail in the "Viking" boat my Uncle had from his home country. My Uncle had to store the boat that day so it was the last sail of the year. I remember helping to clean the little wooden boat by being the official coin depositor at the car wash. I watched as my Uncle teased my Aunt by spraying water at her. Just like a couple of teenagers. I could tell they loved each other very much.Those memories were being put into that pink bracelet. Then as I worked I thought about my aunt and how her life was going to be different once her husband was gone. I started to cry again. I knew life went on; there had been many deaths in my family, but it never gets any easier.We got one more phone call a couple of days later. It was the call that my uncle had passed away. I was almost done with the bracelet and realized that I couldn't keep it for myself. I had to send it to my aunt. It's not just my memories in this bracelet, but also hers. This is what I wrote to her.
I started with the heart because that's where love starts. I chose pink because pink keeps us young, just like love does. Each crystal is a memory of a treasured moment.
When we got the call I was working on the bar part of the toggle, I realized that although love sometimes ends when life ends it is needed in order for love to be complete. You can't wear the bracelet without the beginning and the end. You can't love someone unless you accept that there is death at the end of life.
That's why I bead.
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