Thursday, August 07, 2008

More Changes





Kathy in ruin door outside Rome.

Sorry to end the last post but tech requirements commanded and I obeyed........ I hate it tech things nag.




Back to my friend Kathy. This year makes the end of an era in the aforementioned community called Beads & Beyond the doors closed for the last time on July 31,2008, leaving many of us feeling glad and sad at the same time glad for so many reasons,heart stopping beads of all sorts, an artistic link with the feeling of family created with Kathy her sweetheart husband Peter, and a fabulous staff unparalleled in the beading community, not only could they help you fine just the right thing to complete a project but the always were professional friendly and characters in their own right.


Life has a way of reminding me to take each moment and enjoy it now, for tomorrow brings something different. Bellevue is going through growing pains and becoming a skyscraper city removing many of the small business in town for a wider use for hundreds of people in a small land mass. So it was in this way the building which housed Beads & Beyond is being torn down and replaced with a massive condo/retail complex..SIGH.........................................................


Kathy & Peter have worked endlessly in the last 14 or 16 (I can't remember accurately)years 24/7 on bring you the best of the best.Brought in the best teachers who taught all sorts of interesting artistic pursutes thru the years, they have lead tours to see the orgin of where these fab little objects of glass,bone,precious stones,shells,ceramic silver,gold were created. Travel to the Czech Republic,Africa,Italy,Turkey to name a few. going to fab museums an seeing how life and family was maintained in each place,how different we are yet how alike.
Meeting the small companies who created these wonders, meeting individual artists in different places around the world supporting each other and creating connections that were life changing.




But now life moves on The bead store is com binding with a wonderful Quilt store who has had the same building issues and a new beginning rises out of the detritus of demolished places.




My post is to Thank Kathy for all of the wonderful things she added to my life in the past 15 years. I began as a an excited newbie overwhelmed by the riot of color and shapes which clambered for attention in my mind.
I began taking classes and my dreams were haunted by beads 7 silver. I was also at the time taking metal smithing classes at a local college and changing my career. I had the pleasure of knowing 3 women who nurtured my budding artist's flame and helped fan it into a bonfire which menopause added more fuel and I was forged into who I am today.
Always on trips into the store I was greeted as an old and valued friend with these 3 ladies in tow and we would make a day of it buying beads sharing purchases and a great lunch.
Alice was 87 Tony mid 70's and Ruth early 70's. we started outwith watercolors and met every Tuesday. One day I showed up with hanks of seed beads pinned on black velvet and with great flair unrolled this eyecandy.
That was the end of watercolor and the begining of my love affair with beads.


Over the years I gathered up enough courage to submit my work and then moved on to a masterclass taught by NanC Meinheart. Who was a great mentor and bead artist from Chicago. She gave me the tools to creat and move on from a student into an artist & teachers life.
I then got involved with a new concept for metal work with a clay created in Japan which contained tiny particles of pure silver,gold, & platium. Life again took me into a new place and through many trails and dissapointments as well as many lovely things I became a teacher.
Kathy welcomed me and helped to promote this strange stuff and out of it I met and encouraged many to carry on their own artistic pursuits, during past 12 years.I am lightyears away from those begining days and have learned many things and changed my teaching methods and contuined to grow and explore.
But this all funnels back to my dear friend Kathy and her help,humor,encouragement,laughter,a few tears and the honor of having her as a friend.


So here's to You and all of the folks who's life you enchanced during the life and times of Beads & Beyond. Cheers, Hugs & blessings to you













Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Changes in the wind

Long time since I blogged but I am in the process of coming thru many changes and passing milestones in the last 9 months. I have had the extreme pleasure of traveling to China and Italy. Taking in a whirlwind of sights,sounds cultures and more in a brief period of time. To see and experience the earth and peoples who shaped my life many centuries years ago was a humbling experience. To see the magnificent hand wrought art which survived all leaders and egos and artists, took my breath away and has induced many lovely daydreams ever since.

Life is full of changes and nothing remains the same and to my way of thinking we must continue to change learn and grow along with the rest of life. It doesn't mean that we cannot feel sad or perhaps even a bit scared with what the future holds for us. But carry on we must and create new and even better experiences.
With that in mind I wish to thank a very special friend, mentor and delightful business woman
Kathy Dannerbeck Creator and owner of BEADS & BEYOND Bellevue WA. For the past 14 or so years her vision of a place to buy,create with fab teachers, celebrate creativity,travel , meet and develop new friendships and artistic collaboration, promote other business that blend and enhance each other.