Glitches since Os 5 update?

Oh where, oh where did my last blog post go? Oh where oh where can it be?
Hmm. I finally got around to writing about the extended weekend of workshops at Bead Gallery Inc , using my iPad...because this was what I had at hand between appointments and stuff, and without wifi. Figured I'd pop the photos in from my iPod later and then publish but, ALAS!!!!!! The darned thing has disappeared.
Several accounts of crashes and disturbances since the OS 5 update are reported. Although I've notified the developer of the app, it doesn't resolve that the time and text are lost.
So, here I am on the iPod, hoping it is up to the task, because this is where the pics are.



We began last weekend with 3 beadwork workshops on Friday.


I taught the Handful of Rings and Is Eight Enough? bangles and bracelets workshops that I will
also be teaching in June at the Bead and Button Show. And in the evening I taught a swirling tubular necklace embellished with either firepolish
or swarovski crystals. I've redesigned and simplified that necklace, calling it "Painted Desert Necklace" that I'll be teaching December 3rd at Innovative Beads Expo in Fishkill.


Sunday we devoted the day to Hand Felted Fascinators. Rita and Robin have felted with me in previous workshops here and arrived with a clear agenda.


Thisiq Catherine, Stacey and Sharon from-the-back in this shot.


Genevieve's amazing daughter Eva joined us and turned this out!


Jamie is the seasoned felter who usually joins us for the felting workshops here. She is known for radically short hair. No worries. Wear that fascinator on a hairband instead of a comb, clip or hair stick.
This isn't the post I already did twice but...it IS the way to share that weekend until the glitches are worked out.
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On my way to Bead Gallery Inc

It was a gorgeous drive to Melrose MA. Any drive that exceeds 4 hours, really gets to me. Fortunately I realllly love the destination...Bead Gallery Inc and the owner Genevieve.
After shipping out a couple Tulip orders and lunch with Dad, I took back roads up to Rte 90. Dutchess and Columbia county are so beautiful with their sprawling farmlands and hills.


Midway, I stopped to visit Pat Pawlowicz in East Longmeadow at her bead (and needle felting) store called Colorful Creations Bead Company.
Pat credits the store as the brainchild of her then 11 year old daughter Emily Rose Pawlowicz. Emily made gemstone jewelry which she sold quite successfully at that tender age, and suggested to Pat that they open a bead shop. Emily has a dual major in fine art and business. It is clear that she can exercise her creativity and make it "work" for her.
Pat just published a book on needle felting and she displays many of her sculptures in the shop. She teaches and exhibits at the bead shows too.
Right across from her shop is


Maureen's Sweet Shoppe. We stopped for a quick chat and a bite. The marshmallow beneath the chocolate is also made fresh on premises! Yum.
It's quite late. Better say goodnight for now. I'll share our weekend as it develops.Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What a weekend...OS5 update to NYS Sheep & Wool Festival

Wow, I know I'm not much on malls and especially on weekends but, I was totally unprepared for the throngs of people that occupied the CrossGates mall in Albany NY Saturday evening. Yipes! I had to cruise around to find parking! And on the perimeter of the parking lot were parked 4 buses that unloaded dozens of shoppers. My destination was the Apple store for my first One to One lesson. Upon arrival at the Apple store, my 21.5 inch iMac in tow, I witnessed a line of customers, restrained by velvet ropes! The greeter explained that these were folks awaiting their new iPhone 4S but, since I was there for my appointment I should come right in. It was a sea of customers and blue shirted Apple staff plus a few AT&T folks also decked out in blue. Attempting to share the view in a photo, I shot this one at a moment that belies how very crowded and busy the place was.


My trainer, Stephanie, was patient and bright and answered every single question I had accumulated since my purchase this summer. She concluded our One to One session by completing the upgrade to OS5, made much smoother than when I started it alone at home (wiping ot the apps on my ipod, which she showed me how to recover). Unlike how intuitive and navigable my Apple devices are, I find itunes baffling and annoying. Let me say how ecstatic I am that I never have to plug into it again to upgrade my devices. At some point I will conquer the music storage features but, not today.
This morning my friend Judy Spark and I arranged to meet in Rhinebeck to "do" the NYS Sheep and Wool FestivalWe weren't on the grounds for 2 minutes when I spotted my friend Barbel Eggers. She was wearing a beautiful felted vest she'd told me about on the phone. And of course, as every year, her hand felted garment in the competition won!! Go Barbel.
In the first building we came upon Kimberly of D'auria Designs.


In addition to her hats and handbags, she had quite a few flowers and new embellishments and feathers.


In the same building we came upon a new (to us) vendor, 425 Square Foot Art.


These are fastastical felted beings with personalities and a sense of whimsy.



In the next building we came upon Marlene demonstrating feltmaking to an attentive crowd. Her booth is full and fabulous, rich with everything you need to felt your heart's desires. I looked around for her husband Carl but, Marlene told me later he was out at the truck preparing to restock. I recall the workshops I taught in Gallipolis (outside Columbus OH) at the French Colony for Marlene's Felting Madness, with great joy. Marlene is expected to be around when I teach at Urban Stitch Studio outside of Tampa next month. What a vortex of felting goodness it will be with Pat, Marlene, me and the fellow felters who will be there.



It was wonderful to see that there is a whole new generation of spinners and weavers. While I am accustomed to spinning with women, there were men spinners demonstrating. (My friend Bernie, creator of the hand felted chess board and pieces in HOW WE FELT, shopped for a Lendrum spinning wheel at the show.


Heather Kerner of Spiralworks was a ray of sunshine, as usual. Please recall that one of her vessels is included in HOW WE FELT. In addition to felt vessels, she displayed framed felt and the most exquisite handbags that married her felt with luxurious leathers. With malice of forethought, I approached her booth ready to purchase one. The few that remained were beautiful but, not my color. Most had sold out in the first 2 hours of the show!!! People KNOW where to find her there and seek her out as soon as they hit the grounds. Smart. Her work was stunning on that first day years ago and it has evolved and is even more desireable today. I am looking forward to shopping her next collection.



For all the times I have described needle felting machines, here is pic I shot of one on display. Step away from the needle felting machine and no one gets hurt!
Boy, was I tickled to turn around and see Sylvia from Sisters Originals at my side. We all know and love her as a beader but, she was there with two knitting friends "from the dark side", as we say. I think it is next weekend on L.I. that you can take a workshop with her if you play your cards right (well, make a reservation).



This year I purchased very little. I couldn't resist picking up some more colors for when I demonstrate in Edison NJ next month at Innovative Beads Expo. These yummy colors came from Lisa Merian of Spinners Hill. What a lovely,cheerful and creative force she is!


Susan McFarland of Susan's Fiber Shop was busy as usual. Veronica, a shopper at the booth, purchased a copy of MASTERING BEADWORK, right then, right there, so I could inscribe it. It just never gets old. I love it!! (You may recall posts about my teaching at Susan's Midwest Felting Symposium a few years ago.)


We ran into Elizabeth Buchtman of Fenwood Designs. She was there with Emily and Mariel, her daughters, restocking her felting supplies having enjoyed a successful show at Crafts on Columbus in the Big Apple. Notice that supple and drapey gossamer thin felt scarf she is wearing. She made it of a cashmere, silk and merino blend that is just too exquisite.


I'd love to share tales of Miriam Carter's beautiful felted garments and Bernie test driving a Lendrum spinning wheel but, I must dash off to bed. I have a couple orders of Tulip beading needles and awls to pack.
Tomorrow I will begin prepping for the long weekend of felting and beading workshops I'll be teaching at Bead Gallery Inc in Melrose MA. Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

E books, updates and all this tech stuff

Last week Interweave Press notified me that MASTERING BEADWORK


will be available as an e book, in addition to the print version. I just downloaded my copy. Not sure I imagine too many beaders beading in front of their computers but, there are some very cool reasons to have the ebook I'm figuring. For example, you can get really great close-ups of those beads. And if you know how, you have access on your devices. (Curious that they declared HAND FELTED JEWELRY & BEADS out of print, instead of offering it simply in digital form instead of printed. I'll ask about that.) Interweave Press reports that 30 % of their book sales are now for digital books. I'd never have guessed. Happily, MASTERING BEADWORK can still be purchased as a hardcover spiral bound book at stores, real and virtual, from the author, moi, and at beadstores the world over. Interweave's site offers it also, or the digital version or, what they call the "bundle", which is both! Hmm. That's a cool idea. The satisfaction of a spiral bound hardcover book AND the portability of having it on all your portable devices. (Hopefully I will learn how to have it on my devices when i have my iMac lesson tomorrow.) When I asked if MB can be read on Kindle and Nook, the reply was that it can be read on these debices, once downloaded from Interweave. Arrangements are being made so MASTERING BEADWORK can be purchased at the Kindle store and other e book sites.

The OS5 Apple update was anticipated with so much excitement but, the experience has left me disappointed so far. In syncing my ipod, I cleared out the apps and who-knows-what-else. I didn't dare sync the ipad after that. Tomorrow I'll have a class at Apple and hopefully, everything will be as promised, so all my data is available on each device.






This week I'm packing up and hitting the road for Bead Gallery Inc in Melrose MA. The owner Genevieve has quite a collection of vintage Swarovski stones, including the "diamond" in the "24 ct diamond ring" above. So, in addition to the handful of rings (yes all 5) in Friday's ring workshop, we're throwing in also the diamond ring! These 5 rings are one of the 12 workshops I'm teaching at the Bead & Button Show next June. My friend Motoko Natsubori will be translating for many of the Japanese bead teachers again this year. With her schedule looking as full as mine, we'll try to squeeze some visiting in before the show gets rolling. I digress...Bead Gallery has me for three days. On Friday, in addition to the ring workshop is the armful of bangles I call "Is Eight Really Enough?" and in the evening, Kalahari Oasis necklace. Saturday is the premier of Beyond the Red Velvet Rope, a necklace that pushes the boundaies of african helix and assembles in an interesting way. Sunday is a day of Fabulous Hand Felted Fascinators. Hey, did I recently tell you all this? I'm sensing deja vu. Anyway, I'm excited about it and don't want to leave you out, if this puts me in your neck of the woods.
Port Ewen, my fair "city", auctioned off the tugboats that had lined Broadway all summer. Its a delight to tell you each and every one sold and I hear my boat will be installed on the dock of a fellow P.E. resident who lives on the shore of the Hudson River. I'm tickled.
Well, got to run for now...more to come, love Carol
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Yum...another culinary adventure to share before I drive back north

Uh oh, the word is out on Ocean Grove. That is, for gastronomes. The New York Times discovered and favorably reviewed Seagrass Restaurant and Cheese on Main, a most extraordinary market of cheeses, sauces, jams, crackers and ChocoHigos. What are ChocoHigos you ask? They are hand-dipped dark chocolate Pajarero figs (dried) handmade in Valencia. I know someone who ordered 1 case of them, 12 boxes, and is on her way from Louisville to retrieve them. Ya can't make these things up.


This summer on one beautiful evening, we dined alfresco at Seagrass. (Alfresco, please reassure me that means out-of-doors and not in-the-nude). We just returned there for lunch before I hit the road. The restaurant is lovely inside. Each wall is painted a saturated and gorgeous color and serves as the backdrop for beautiful artwork by local artists. But, the shots I took included diners who may prefer not to be broadcast so, let me share a shot of some of the sea critters that occupy their huge and fascinating fishtank of tropical fish.


Well, I'll just finish my espresso and head back home. A couple stores placed some Tulip needle orders yesterday and today and I will get those shipped right out.
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A culinary respite on the Jersey Shore

Autumn made its arrival known last week when I heard the heat come on. The last rose of sharon curled up and fell to the ground, the last fragrant rose lost all its petals and the mums are in their fullness. And then...alas...a last hurrah of summer. Out come the linen blouses and sandals for a couple more wearings before being tucked away.
Today I am visiting friends on the Jersey shore. It is gorgeous weather. We walked along the beach by day and tonight, we can do so again by full moonlight.
We enjoyed a scenic walk to Asbury Park, in pursuit of late breakfast/lunch/brunch...following a morning of simply latte and visiting.
Fortunately, as it turns out, our destination spot is now closed on Tuesdays. Nearby, at 539 Cookman Ave we stood before a sweet spot, (actually their card says "The Sweetest Spot in Asbury) , a gelateria called Casa Di Dolci with tables out front and a sign announcing new lunch paninis. Their baked goods include hand rolled Brooklyn bagels, pastries and desserrs and coal-fire baked artisan breads. The bread of our delicious paninis was crusty and chewy and superior.






The charming owner, Scott Mizrahi, (no relation) came by our table to ask if we were enjoying our lunch. "Oh yes", we exclaimed, and asked "would you please wrap the second halves of our sandwiches so we can have some gelato for dessert?" He then shared with us how Casa Di Dolci came to be...it began with a week long holiday in Tuscany. He was blown away by how extraordinary the food tasted. When he and his wife returned home he engaged a master to who taught him the recipes for this velvety frozen desert that is soooo much tastier than ice cream and frozen yogurt. Only recently I listened to a podcast from APM called The Splendid Table and heard Mario Batali discuss gelato. He said that the butterfat in ice cream coats and dulls our tastebuds, unlike the less fatty gelato, which allows the flavors to sing! It was a fascinating edition of this fun podcast and I recommend a listen.
Scott gave us tastes of pistachio, rum raisin, coconut, biscotti and cappucino along with the nocciola (hazelnut), which Frances Mayes writes about with such passion in UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, that all her readers must lust over it. And yes, the hazelnut was amazing but, we ended up having the pistachio. This was not the green colored and cloying concoction we associate with pistachio. This gelato's flavor is intense, provided by a dense nut paste, which I suspecting may also contribute to the smooth and ohhhh soooo satisfying mouth feel. They serve it with tiny spoons to encourage tasting each and every drop...and I did, eyes shut.






Scott was shy about my sharing a photo of the gelato case since it is not full. Instead, he should love us to know that the inventory is constantly replenished and fresh. If we had waited 20 minutes, a fresh batch of gianduia (chocolate hazelnut) would have been ready.
There were opera selections playing during our stay at Casa di Dolci. We all agreed that we lovvvvve beyond reason this one Pavaroti tune, that we think is Puccini. So three of us have spent the rest of the afternoon on our devices (an iMac, and iPad and iPod) trying to identify it. We got Pandora radio to give us a taste but, we don't have the music identification app sooo???? If it is o mio babbino we cannot find it recorded by Pavaroti. Hmmm. What a fabulous way to spend the day.
Barbara Briggs just sent me her post about her experience with Tulip beading needles. In preparation of being invited to the Tulip factory, am making copies of all the love emails I receive and puting them into a scrapbook ( not the Martha Stewart kind!) to present to the folks who produce these beauties for us. Especially those who do the hand work on those sweet little 13s.





Tomorrow will be a beautiful drive home with some good leaf peeping. I'll ship those needle orders that came in over the holiday weekend. Enjoy thatfull moon tonight!
PS the apple update is tomorrow;)
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