November 8, 2013

Heading to Arizona for the winter

It's sleeting here in New Hampshire and there are little balls of ice all over the deck.  Good thing I found these at the Dollar store yesterday.  If I'm forced to put on socks with my flip-flops, they should make me happy.  I think these will work in an emergency.

The trailer is getting packed, I'm taking a workshop Saturday at the Kearsarge Indian Museum, then pack the car and hit the open road on Sunday..... if all goes as planned.


My kids are waiting for a huge snow storm on Sunday as just about every trip I start out for Arizona in the first big snow storm.

.....back to packing beads and contemplating wearing socks!

August 16, 2013

Kearsarge Indian Museum

 We took a trip today to Warner NH to visit the Indian Museum. It's pretty much one man's collection turned into a local museum.

 "...Bud and his wife, Nancy, Co-founders of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. The Thompsons were deeply troubled by the harm being done to the environment by greed and apathy. With the help of friends, Bud and Nancy set in motion a plan to create a unique museum, not just a mausoleum of artifacts, but an education and cultural center."








I found this loom set up quite interesting.  Although this shows it being used with quills, it would make a great portable loom.








Interesting that the quills all poke out the back side as the piece is being worked.











Huron, Micmac, Maliseet moosehair embroidery work



I didn't know that Moose had such long hair.  Nor did I know that it was used to embroider things.





beautifully delicate work.














It was one of those perfect days to be out and about in New England.

July 19, 2013

Fragments, Shards or Artifacts


I finally caught up with Lulu Fitcher in her West Peterborough  NH Studio and enjoyed an hour or so browsing through her pots, buttons and other neat ceramics.

She had a large jar of broken pot bits and here is what I came home with.  Can you see these backed with gold lame and freeform beading around them?


Modern archaeological artifacts?


 I first saw Lulu's ceramics at the LNHC Fair several years ago and have wanted her to do some small pieces for bead embroidery ever since that time.   Turns out all I had to do was root in her artifact jar.  












This is what happens when one of her unglazed porcelain fragments meets a bead crochet rope.
 

June 30, 2013

Moving & Sale

We've decided that we should live in Arizona full time, so now comes the logistics of finishing a house, selling it and disposing of  many years of stuff.  I plain just have too much stuff.  Here is some of it that might be of use to beaders or anyone who crafts. Oh, house has to go too......

I've had duplicate studios in both New Hampshire and Arizona for 13 years and need to find new homes for the furniture  fixtures and extra crafting supplies.  I warn you, very few of the things that I'll be selling can be mailed.  I'm in south Central NH near the VT and Mass. borders if you are near enough for a short road trip.  

OK, here's a PDF of  Craft related things.  CLICK HERE 

This is a special/custom built bead storage cabinet...  no beads in Plano boxes go with it and I'm not sure it would fit in a car as it's 6'tall.



Small metal light table - Pre-digital graphic arts, but I still enjoy using a light table that I can throw a T-square on.  There is also a Nikon SLR camera on the list.



Cabochons - These are several lots, no picking them apart.  Both my Father and Brother made cabs from Arizona copper minerals that are rare and from now defunct mines.  What would I do with the several hundred that I have left?  Go in with a friend, buy the lot and really save.

Who wants vintage glass, bakelite or plastic necklaces for the beads?  Great selection of them to either wear or take apart.


Are any of you (or spouses) MG car aficionados?  I've also just sorted out the remains of 40 years of car restoration stuff.  The cars are long gone, but I have 2 boxes of drawings, lube charts, original operator manuals, magazines, lots of old model cars, moto meter, car badges, etc.