One of my favorites beaders, Diana Grygo, otherwise known as the Lone Beader, has asked her fellow bloggers to mention her name in a post to sort out a Google searching issue. Here you go, Diana. Your beadart rocks!
I’ve been feverishly working on a commission for wedding jewelry which, at the moment, has pretty much taken over all of my spare time. A post on Klay Karma 2007 soon! Ah, a walk on the beach would be lovely right about now..
My company recently closed down for our annual vacation. Ahhhh, no work for 9 whole days! I spent the time relaxing at home, working on art projects and visiting with friends.
The highlight of my time off was a trip to the Jersey shore. We stayed right on the ocean.
There’s nothing like getting up in the morning and gazing out at the sea in all of its pearly morning beauty.
Going for a walk on the beach at days end, pink sunset colors reflected in the clouds and ocean foam. Listening to the gentle sound of the waves lapping at the shore. Being close to the beauty of the sea and her rhythms helped me connect once again with my inner self.
I returned home, rested and rejuvenated.
Tower Hill Botanical Gardens occupy approximately 132 acres in Boylston, MA. In existence for about 20 years, it is a beautiful, peaceful place where you can stroll along many woodland trails and garden paths. There is also a shop, a library and a cafe with wonderful food.
I had the pleasure of visiting there recently. Of course, I brought my new Nikon D40 along for the adventure!
This is a wonderful time of year to visit because the gardens are bursting with color. As you can see, I was really inspired by the beautiful flowers and the magical creatures living there. Pan looks like he has a secret, doesn’t he?
I am looking forward to returning in the fall to see how the gardens have changed their colors.
What gardens do you like to visit?
I’ve been beading away at my June journal page and enjoying every minute. This has certainly turned into an inner journey of discovery. I had an idea at the beginning and then found that it evolved as I placed each bead on the fabric. This symbolizes the loss of my physical garden when I moved 3 1/2 years ago. I was an avid gardener so that was very hard for me. Living on the 4th floor of an apartment building now doesn’t offer me the opportunity to have a garden at this time. So, my garden exists in my heart. There is a “heartbreak path” running down the center of my heart. The path of heartbreak led me to my center, represented by the pearl. The rays flowing out from my center illuminate all of the colorful flowers in my heart’s garden. Last night I added the pink petal beads on the outside of the heart. These remind me of little wings. I’m not sure if I’m going to bead around them or just leave them as they are. I’ll add more “wings” around the heart. It’s almost done!
Recently, there was a discussion among my guildmates in the Rhode Island Polymer Clay guild about how to motivate oneself to do a tedious task in the creation of a piece of artwork. Some of the suggestions offered – go do something else for awhile and then come back to your task for a fresh perspective or, if you can, do something else you enjoy while you are doing the tedious task. The tedious task in question was the sanding of polymer clay. It can be a rather lengthy process, especially if done by hand, which involves working your way through various sandpaper grits from 400 to 600 to 800 to 1000. There are also higher grits of 1200, 1500 and 2000, if you choose to use those to achieve an amazing glass-like finish. The higher the number, the finer the grit. It can also be messy because water is used to cut down on the polymer clay dust. And the water needs to be changed with each progressive grit. I’ve been known to sand my fingers and fingernails so it can also be somewhat dangerous. So, tedious, lengthy, messy, dangerous. Sounds great, huh? I am more of a “process” person as opposed to an “end product” person. In other words, I enjoy the process, the journey, the learning about myself along the way. So, following this logic, I would naturally enjoy the sanding process despite its hazards and unpleasantness. Well….to be honest….I don’t really but what I do enjoy is what I do get to do while I’m sanding. The gentle motion of the sandpaper as it glides over my piece is a meditative activity that allows my mind to just go blank and rest from its usual thought buzzing. Picture a swarm of bees reduced to one lazy little bee serenely floating around. Without the control and distractions of all of the other bees, my little bee can even stop and rest for awhile on a beautiful flower. 
Now it is very quiet and I begin to sense a sinking deeper inside of myself. So, in my tedious task lies a gift, an opportunity to escape from my daily thoughts and schedule of “to-dos” and just BEE and listen to what is inside. When I return from my inner journeying, I discover a wonderful thing has happened. My piece is all shiny now! I’ve worked hard – it’s time for a piece of chocolate.
Art and Tea 