Sensory Overload

A 3-hour drive in each direction, a 3-hour class with a famous beading "Diva," an 8-hour class with a math-genius beader, a cheap hotel, and a full-sized bead show with over 50 bead vendors... squeeze all of these into one weekend, and you have serious Sensory Overload!

Of course, I enjoyed every minute of it. But when I got home, I was exhausted for at least a week! All-in-all, I'd say that my weekend at the Puget Sound Bead Festival was a total success. I really loved both of the classes I took, and was pleasantly surprised at how BIG the vendor show has become. Waaaaay more vendors than I (or my wallet) expected.

I'm posting pictures of how my class projects are SUPPOSED to look.... because mine aren't exactly finished... and probably won't look as nice as these. But you get the basic idea of the crazy stuff I was working on.

And of course, every time you take a new class, it's so stimulating. You start getting all sorts of new ideas, and that's what I was hoping for. If you haven't taken a class lately, try it! You'll like it!

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"The Curl" .................................."Entangled Cubes"
by Jeanette Cook......................... by Judy Walker

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What Diane is Doing

You asked what I've been up to.... I had a commission to make a tallit 6 feet long and 4-1/2 feet wide. I was up for the challenge because I figure that whatever G-d sends my way, is not more then I can handle. I tried to make it and failed two times. I went through loads of silk and a lot of stress mixed with a lack of self confidence which is something I tend to struggle with from time to time.

Then came two more orders for oversized tallitot so I decided to figure this bad boy out. The big professional steamer (which is part of my color securing processing) from a company would cost about $1,200. Although I realize you have to spend money to make money......we have one child in braces, one ready to get braces and one Bat Mitzvah coming up!!!! Choices. So I called an engineer friend of mine who looked at the professional one and said he would build me one for a heck of a lot less -- and did. It works GREAT.

The other thing I did right before Passover this year was to gift Rabbis Lori and Gary of Gesher a painting, on canvas, to help decorate their tent. I just love all the work they do for the Jewish community and felt I wanted to give them soothing. They suggested a painting because it gets wet out there. I have never painted on canvas. It was huge, as I never do things the easy way or ease into something. The finished piece is 8 ft. x 3 ft. As with many of my pieces, the colors chosen have deeper meaning. Anyhow....they were happy, or so they said!!!!!

This summer I am going to have some pieces in the Kallah that is happening in Bend the July 4th weekend. (I will not be attending because we are taking a trip back east). I also have six tallit orders in the works, our show coming up October 12 ----not to mention running 6 weeks of Art Waves Summer camps held for kids at St. Marks on Terwilliger Blvd. Oh yeah, and my daughter's Bat Mitzvah this fall.... whew!!