And Yet Another Delay

I thought my laptop was going to the computer guru this week but it happens that I get to hang onto it for another week and in so doing, will do a quick post before the weekend.

So I here is the latest photo of Ladybug Lake:

 I don't know why I got the pink tint on the fabric, but in any event, the progress has been ongoing and I'm very pleased about that. I still have to put an additional 20 rows below where the design is currently ending, but that is not a lot. Once I get the filament done, the rest will go quickly so it is getting close now.

I have decided not to do the Ladybug Leaves for the time being. Too many conflicting ideas going on with it and it doesn't feel right to do it presently. It needs more "mulling" time. But I do have a design that I have been sketching out and will start stitching on as soon as I get this one done. I still have to get the fibers picked out but the beads are selected and ready for the most part. The centerpiece will be a very lovely and interesting vintage brooch I picked up not too long ago. I just fell in love with it the moment I saw it because it was so unusual. I will be posting a picture of it in the next few weeks as I get closer to finishing the current project. I am extremely excited about starting it and it will be called "Oriental Expression".  The colors are nothing short of awesome!

I wanted to also take a minute to let you know about a magazine I recently picked up while at the Barnes and Noble. You may have already seen it but it is new to me and I wanted to let my readers know a little bit about it because I think it is a great publication. It is called "Where Women Create Business" and it is by the same company that publishes the magazine "Where Women Create" which I have been a fan of since it began. Here is a photo of the cover:

While the Where Women Create magazine is about the places creatives do their creating, this new one is more about the businesses that women have created which I have found fascinating after reading it. It is full of not only wonderful stories about these women, but full of great ideas and tips to help succeed in your own if that is your goal. I am always so thrilled when I see women pursuing their passion and find success. They are amazing! So if you get a chance to either pick one up or can borrow a friend's copy, I recommend you take a look if the subject matter is something you are interested in.

Next up is a book I picked up about a year ago and I think it is such a great reference book I had to share it for anyone interested in making their own beads. Here is a picture of it:

Now I love beads and I have a very extensive collection of them both old and new. My favorites are glass beads although I have the odd few made of other diverse materials. I have thought that there may be times when a design of mine might need something different that I would have to make myself, particularly with wire, although I have seen other things used I thought would be fun to work with as well. I accidentally ran into this, again at the local Barnes and Noble (yes, I am an unabashed fan of that fabulous book store!) and was hooked as soon as I thumbed through it. The variety of materials you can use to make great beads is astonishing, not to mention how easy they are to create. I snatched this up super quick and never looked back. I now have plans for incorporating some of these into my work in the future which will be interesting and fun to try.

So that is it for now. I have carved out this Friday to work in the studio and have family coming into town for the 4th of July, so it will be busy for the next week but I am so looking forward to it. For everyone that is celebrating this national holiday here in the States and abroad, I hope you have a wonderfully fun and very safe Independence Day, and a big Happy Birthday to the United States of America!

Thanks for stopping by!

Debbie

Back In Business!

So very grateful and happy to report that I now have a new computer and I'm loving it! I didn't realize how antiquated my beloved old laptop was until it finally gave up the ghost and I got this new one. I am very excited about what possibilities this will allow me for using today's technology to enhance my blog visitors experience here. Videos, podcasts, better graphics, and those are just the tip of the blogging iceberg!

I'm hoping our computer guru will be able to pull all of my information from my computer, but I'm not entirely optimistic about it. I have programs that I purchased and downloaded from the internet that I may have to work to get back from their sources if Joe (aka known as the computer guru) cannot rescue them for me. Trouble is, I had them for so long and never backed them up (I am beating myself up for that greatly believe me!) and I can't remember the names of them after all this time. So I'll have to search the web for those which will be a lot of time consuming work. UGH! I plan on investing in a back-up hard drive as soon as I can. That is a priority before I put a lot on this new one.  I understand they are pretty cheap these days since we now have the cloud where a lot of people are storing their files. I also am running the risk of losing a lot of my designs which makes me frustrated and sad, but it's my fault and I own that major mistake. Learning a lot these days about lots, even at my age! LOL!

So in the very near future Joe will be receiving my new awesome computer to hopefully install my old stuff on so it may be a week before I am back here again with more news. In the meantime, I have progressed a lot on Ladybug Lake and I will be making announcements soon about what else is cooking at PBD (Pear Blossom Designs). Very excited about some new things I am trying and new design ideas that includes wonderful mixed media items! I have some book recommendations too that I will be sharing in the coming blogs. So lots and lots to look forward too that I hope all of you wonderful visitors will enjoy.

In the meantime I leave you with this quote:

"Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow."
--Carrie Fisher, "Wishful Drinking"

Still Looking at Computers

Nothing new to report on the computer front. I have looked online but decided today I will trek to the computer store to check my options out. I would love to get one wherein I can write and draw on it but we will see what costs that would entail. In the meantime, I will keep you updated with the computer hunt progress. Very best to you all till then!
Debbie

Temporary Delay in Posts

I apologize profusely all but my laptop crashed big time over the weekend and it has been handed over to our computer guru Joe who has one trick up his sleeve to try to revive it but that will take a week. If not, then I will have to start looking for a new one, ugh. I will return with more blogs as soon as this problem is resolved. Thanks for your patience and bearing with me on this. All the best!
Debbie