Tangible Tidbits 2012 #7: A U.S. Holiday & Houston's Funeral

Hi, everybody! :) I received a number of private responses to last week's blog post, so thanks for letting me know you're reading!

Today is a holiday in the U.S.; it's Presidents' Day. I hope everyone here enjoyed their long weekend...we won't get any more holidays at the office until Memorial Day! :o

Not surprisingly, I watched Whitney Houston's funeral on television on Saturday, along with much of the world. The Star-Ledger in Newark reported that there were news crews from as far away as Japan and Australia to cover the event, even though it was closed to the public. I really liked Kevin Costner's comments. I got to see The Bodyguard again this weekend on cable; it was kind of strange watching it and knowing in the back of my brain that she wasn't among us anymore. At least actors and musicians live on forever through their films and music. Earlier today, police had to close down the cemetery in Westfield, NJ where she was buried yesterday. It seems that the fans who could not get close to the services over the weekend descended on her grave site today. May she finally Rest In Peace.

We had our February Bead Society meeting last Thursday. Not a lot of people showed up, which is a shame. Unfortunately, I didn't sell any of the coiled spiral wire beads I had made, but the good news is that I can use them in my own pieces! :) I really do like how they look, so I'm okay with that. ;) I have a Board meeting tomorrow night and I will have to report on the progress we're making with the Nominating Committee. We need five or six new officers for next year or we won't have a Society. No pressure! :\

A coworker requested a bracelet and matching set of earrings for an outfit she has to wear to a concert in March. It will be a bit of a challenge, but I think I can pull it off. ;)

The display at the Allwood Branch of the Clifton Public Library ends tomorrow. Luckily, a friend will pick up my pieces for me, as I will be running around all afternoon and then heading down South for the BSNJ Board meeting. I can only be in so many places at once, ya know? ;)

I don't think I mentioned it before, but I registered to attend the MJSA (Manufacturers | Jewelers | Suppliers | Artisans) Expo in New York City next month. I learned about it through the Montclair State University Metalsmith Guild, and I will be hooking up with some of my former classmates for the trip. :) I didn't even know this organization existed, so it should be interesting to see exactly what they do. I've registered for a number of workshops, but we'll have to see how many I can attend. Registration is free for students, so I took advantage of my association with MSU for that perk. :)

Not much more to tell this week, so I will sign off. Have a great week!


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Tangible Tidbits 2012 #1: A New Year And A Clean Slate

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your respective New Year's celebrations. I went to a family-friendly party, complete with children's activities. My nieces were there and they got a kick out of saying "see you later" after midnight, since I had dinner at their house on New Year's Day. :)

First order of business: the new Focal Piece of the Month is up, highlighting a Garnet necklace. I've already ordered and received some Amethyst beads for next month, so I will have to decide what to do with them in the next week or two. I think the majority of the pieces featured in this birthstone series will have to be new ones. Although I have created numerous gemstone pieces in the past 2+ years -- believe it or not, I started this business two years ago this past October (October 26, 2009) and I totally forgot about the anniversary! :o -- I don't think many of them incorporate birthstone gems. :\

I received word this morning that I can pick up my remaining items and a check -- although the email was a general one to all participants, I am being optimistic that there will be a check for me ;) -- from Woolpunk Studios in Jersey City next weekend. The owner of the gallery said the STOCK'N STUFFrz event was a big success, so that's good news. :) In addition, I was invited to participate in a display of pieces by members of the Montclair State University Metalsmith Guild this week. It will be at the The Allwood Branch of the Clifton Public Library, 44 Lyall Road, Clifton, NJ. My participation has not yet been confirmed, as I cannot make it to drop off my pieces tomorrow morning because I'm working. I am hoping they will let me drop them off in the afternoon, between work and the first Bead Society of New Jersey Board meeting of the new year. Wish me luck! ;)

As I mentioned last week, my younger niece made me a woven scarf for Christmas. I wore it to the office on Friday and received A LOT of compliments on it! Unfortunately, though, my bracelet got caught on it and I am afraid it will easily unravel. So, I've decided to add a Picot edge of seed beads all around the edges of the scarf. I'm hoping that will minimize the opportunities for it to unravel, although the center of the scarf may still get caught on something. :\ I started working on it on Saturday, and showed my niece my progress on Sunday. Thankfully, she approved. ;) Luckily, I have seed beads here that almost perfectly match the two colors of the scarf, and I'm also using black ones because that is the base color she used in the scarf. I'll post a picture when it's finished. :)

A number of people at the office want me to make them very large aluminum earrings with dangling chain and accent beads on them. I made one pair for a coworker a while ago, but they were not big enough for her. Another coworker purchased them, and she wore them to the office one day last week. Thanks to that "walking advertisement," I now have orders for three more pairs! LOL Luckily, I have plenty of leftover scrap aluminum from my Chinese take-out box set. In addition, I found a vendor who sells pre-cut aluminum circles in multiple sizes, and I ordered a dozen each in three-inch, four-inch, and five-inch diameters. If the five-inch diameter discs aren't big enough for some people, then I can't help them! LOL One coworker suggested I use squares instead of circles, since cutting the circles is so time-consuming for me. I ended up cutting, filing, and sanding two rectangles, which do look pretty kewl dangling from the ear wires. ;) In any case, I will be working on those requests this week.

I've finished about ninety percent of the projects we started at the Chinese knotting workshop last month. I still have to work on my Double Connection knot, which needs a lot of work! :p I also have to finish the Star Gazer Bracelet from Laura McCabe's November workshop. I stopped working on it because I can't find the crystals used in the center of each flower, and also because it was uncomfortable to work on my bed with my bad knee. I had been working on it while watching television in the evenings, so now that my knee is better (more on that in a minute), I can probably start doing that again. I'll just have to order more crystals in the required size and color. :\

About my knee, the doctor wants me to use a heating pad on it rather than an ice pack, and he also suggested I start some light exercises on my own. I ordered the heating pad from a catalog that people who have been working at Registrar and Transfer Company for five years received. I achieved that milestone in July, but it was announced at a company-wide meeting about a month or so ago, and I was presented with the catalog at that time. Am I practical or what? LOL

Back to the "real world" again tomorrow. Have a great week, one and all! :)


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