The Spring Desert Enfolds Me

We live in the Sonoran Desert which is blooming like crazy this time of year and early next week we will head back up to the Mojave Desert to see the flora bloom there. Who would guess that we would be desert dwellers in our golden years?

The Drama of Design

The question is always "who am I creating this for?" And inevitably the answer always results in "I am creating this for me." Otherwise, the tendency to run in circles trying to address every possible critique leads to frustration and adds to the production time. This is the dilemma I have been dealt with building a tabletop piece in preparation for submitting to another juried show. Unlike anything I've done before, this piece represents a science fiction interpretation of the Sonoran Desert. Unlike designing and creating a piece of jewelry, this table top project has required a series of components that need to contribute to the big picture of a very surreal desert which I am building. What an adventure it is! Having just submitted my paperwork for jurying of my piece, I should hear from Tohono Chul by April 16th on whether or not my piece has been selected for this Summer's exhibit of the "Exotic Sublime | treading softly".

NOTE - The beaded pieces contained in this depiction of a futuristic Sonoran Desert reflect my first attempt at designing my own creations in French Beading – excluding the Asiatic Lily designed by Lauren Harpster of Bead and Blossom. With her permission, I have included my creation of it in vivid colors of my choice. I have also redesigned its body to “nurture life” via an attached umbilical cord of sorts extending to an adult insect of my design. I have also altered the Lily’s stem work to include a “youngster” emerging from an additional pod which I added to the flower’s structure.  

Guess what? This piece is not finished and, if selected, must be delivered in early May! LOL I will cover the tabletop board with fabric and attach everything to that when I return from our trip to AZ/UT. For now, I am letting it go. It will be easier to let go when we leave town and get to our mountainous destinations. In case you're wondering, we are driving via Flagstaff to Monument Valley, the Arches, Moab, Bryce Canyon, Page (not far from Marble Canyon where we stayed last spring) and a few other majestic spots along the way. We will clock over 1300 miles on this nine-day journey.

This post is going to be a short one as we leave in three days. I am still deciding on whether or not to bring a new, very small, hand sized, "fun" project from my beading bucket list with no demands for completion. I am 90% sure I will leave home without one this time.

As you can guess, next Month's Blog will be about our trip. You will also get results of my Tohono Chul submission! Until then, enjoy this time of year and get outside.

Best to you all,
Tina




Follow me @tinassedona on IG & FB (to buy direct, albeit sporadically)
Visit my Website & Retail locations

Interested in Fibers Arts?
Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild holds local workshops!
Visit THSG Workshops




Tina's Sedona © All Rights Reserved 2024

Springing Forward 2024

My Shameless Promotion

My presentation to Members of the Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild on February 27th was an utter success. After delivering a twenty-minute PowerPoint tour of my artistic phases, I landed on my latest obsession with French Beading. My final "ta-dah moment" in beads was amplified by lots of applause and several gasps at the sight of my finished Black Aeonium piece designed by the very talented Lauren Harpster @beadandblossomstudio. The experience presenting to a large group was empowering for me and the audience's reaction and applause was so encouraging that I literally jumped up and down with delight. (Yup, I was actually overpowered by joy...) LOL

A Buggy New Project

I am hoping to submit my concept of a French beaded sculpture in early April for an
upcoming juried show at Tohono Chul that will run May 16 - August 5, 2024. The Exhibit's theme this time is "The Exotic Sublime | treading softly". At the current moment I am prototyping bugs! I'm going out on a limb here by telling you my plan because I don't believe in jinxes. My hope is to append "something that crawls" to a French Beaded piece I constructed many months ago... Here is one of my bugs and the Asiatic Lily (another fabulous design by Lauren Harpster) from which it will spring forth and "tread softly"... The bugs are my design! Keep your fingers crossed that I meet the deadline...

We are Off, Again

Next month we head back to Northern Arizona and this time visit Monument Valley and Moab, just to name a few stops along a 1400 mile route that we will drive in nine days. One of our stops will be to Bryce Canyon which we've driven through but never hiked. Barring any major snow hazards we hope to get down into the hoodoos! If you haven't yet visited the Southwest, we highly recommend early spring if you want to avoid the crowds. Even during other times of the year, research the views in less travelled areas. If you do enough research you can ride down roads and capture what many others will never see. Here's one vision from a drive we took in Hurricane, Utah, about three years ago where we stumbled onto a perch from which I caught a glimpse of Zion National Park in the far distance. A priceless, unrushed, silent experience with no crowds. We are doing lots more car touring than hiking these days which presents many photography opps are unexpected, thrilling, and striking!


I enjoy keeping in touch with you! My wish for you this Marchy Month is that Spring -- in whatever form it takes for your part of the country -- opens you up for new adventures, especially before the heat of summer comes your way.

Tina

Follow me @tinassedona on IG & FB (to buy direct, albeit sporadically)
Visit my Website & Retail locations

Interested in Fibers Arts?
Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild holds local workshops!
Visit THSG Workshops




Tina's Sedona © All Rights Reserved 2024

Winter 2024 from Tucson

Happy Valentine's Day
Strange as it may seem, and as in love as I am with life and my hubby, I am not a huge fan of the heart theme that plasters everything from cellophane to cereal. So when I want to express my sense of heart-ness I tend to create my own shapes, mostly free hand. I consider them such an important symbol that, for me to produce any, is a rarity. Here are a very few from those creative moments in hopes of filling your upcoming day with True Love.

Should I sell online again?
I've been hearing from a few of you that this long distance relationship isn't working well for you. As you may know, I sell through several retailers in and around Tucson. This has allowed me to focus more on my artistry than marketing. But it feels like the shift is coming back, where people I am coming to know and those who have purchased from me before are feeling left out on accessibility to my creations. If you don't travel to Arizona, there is currently no chance to purchase my works unless you contact me for a commissioned piece. SPECIAL REQUEST- If you are one of those people who misses browsing my site and discovering uniquely designed gifts for yourself and others then please let me know as I'm considering reopening my online shop at Tina's Sedona with items priced suitably for direct purchase from me. If you have not purchased from my business then I would appreciate you visiting my work to make your decision.

Settling in - at last
I cannot believe that it will be 5 years in May since we left Florida and moved to the Great Southwest. Ups and downs, ins and outs, have -at last- led us to a peaceful, non-nomadic life once again. I know that's true because we have begun to paint interior walls -at last- in colors that reflect who we have become during this phase and in this place. And it is beautiful. Terra cotta and greige stone colored walls are a nice fit for living in the Sonoran Desert. Subdued spring green has been slightly sprinkled in our kitchen adjacent to a wall where we breakfast in the shadow of terracotta sandstone. The bedroom is next! I think that lovely spring green is somehow going to filter into that space. I'm picturing purple and mustard accents making an appearance but I don't know just where. (Dark purple doors sound like fun.) Oh, but to finally have a choice of colors in which to live! This all feels so wonderful, just like the Tucson sunsets. And all of the colors are being drawn from this one piece that Nathan bought locally at an estate sale.

Tucson Gem Show Update
Congratulate me! I stayed home. I beat my addiction this time. 'Nuf said.


A Shameless Promotion
Last month I promised you a story on this but I failed to notice that I don't present to our local textile Guild until February 27th so there is a delay in reporting on my "ta-dah moment" in beads. The least I can do is provide you with a small peek... and "yes" that is tiger eye!

(You really should be following me on Instagram.)

My wish for you...
That you are staying warm and dry wherever you are this winter. It has been so cold in Tucson that I bought myself a new pair of slippers!

Tina



 
Follow me @tinassedona on IG & FB (to buy direct, albeit sporadically)
Visit my Website & Retail locations
Interested in Fibers Arts? Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild holds local workshops!

Tina's Sedona © All Rights Reserved 2024

Show Time

Tucson Gem Show

From January 19 through February 11th, Tucson will burst open with so many venues and visitors that all heads will be spinning. There is so much gemstone related inventory for sale at this event that you really must attend to get the full sense of its magnitude. The beads that hold my interest are just a small part of the whole event. Speaking of which, I have made a personal decision that I will NOT purchase any beads this time around. My studio is at the bulging point. That said, I may go just to socialize with new friends (a gift!) and just browse (wish me luck!)

DIY ear wires

So, who doesn't like to buy inexpensive, fun and festive earrings just as a pick me up!? You know the ones I mean. They have tiny, bright beach balls hanging about 2 inches long and you just happen to be planning a pool party. What about the more sedate, artistic pair with cultural symbols stamped into shiny metal? You are in that "organic mood" and they draw you in. But I wonder if you ever walked away thinking the ear wires looked "cheap". (Is there a better word for it?) Better yet, is there a solution?

Yes, buy them and replace the ear wires. You can buy them from jewelry supply stores. Even better, you can make them yourself and give that pair of earrings a whole new level of sophistication. (You really don't need fancy tools as professed by social media.) Here is a pair that I purchased from a dollar store and immediately replaced the ear wires with my DIY creation.

The added value to DIY ear wires is that you can renew your current earring collection wherever it is needed. You will start wearing a wider variety of them because they will look so much nicer after you have added your touch. Here is a pair of earrings I made along with its ear wires. Look how I added an odd squiggle of wire between the dangle and the actual ear wire. You too can go wild! Just find something to wrap wire around. If you want to explore working with wire, see my blog post from 2021. Hey, it's a New Year, a New You.

Apologies if not all the photos are still there. I did some house cleaning and I've got some recovery work yet to do. The links do appear to be working.

A Shameless Promotion

As a member of the Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild, I am scheduled in February to present to our local guild membership a brief overview of what I do best. Bead! I am keeping my subject matter under wraps for now but once that date passes I will unveil the final product of my second biggest beaded project ever. Stay tuned for my February blog! Just a hint-ful peek here...
(You really should be following me on Instagram.)

New Avenues

I continue to hone my French beading skills and used the pattern from my very first piece "Wild Roses" designed by Fen Li of beadflora.com and described in my blogpost of August 2023 to create a smaller version as a gift for a friend. It was the first time I have modified sizing and structure of a French beaded pattern and also the first time I had to pot one of my creations. I used non drying modeling clay atop styrofoam to plant the flowers and found small green gravel rocks to complete the composition. She loved it!

This week, a brand new project has arisen for a cool bracelet that requires three layers of beads to complete. The color combos really have impact as the bracelet can be revolved to display a new look.

As I close on a very chilly day in Arizona, my wish for you is that the New Year brings you opportunities to see yourself differently, love yourself more, and be happier with who you are...

Tina

Follow me @tinassedona on IG & FB (to buy direct, albeit sporadically)
Visit my Website & Retail locations
Interested in Fibers Arts? Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild holds local workshops!



Tina's Sedona © All Rights Reserved 2024

December already?

Winter coming to the Southwest

Living in the Southwest has advantages with fairly stable weather in spring and early fall. It is piping hot in the summer! Yet winter can be a whole other story. Cooler winds are now migrating through the Tucson desert and snow is already hitting Northern Arizona and heading into Utah. If you have ever experienced Utah's famed Zion National Park, then you already know the beauty and the wonder of its sandstone panorama. But if you have never

The Five 'R's

Reflections

I turned seventy a few weeks ago. Yikes! This is the first time the "age thing" has struck a sore spot with me. It got me caught up in a life review of so many lives lived, so many entrepreneurial pursuits made, and especially how much my artistry has evolved over the past 25 years. My history with artistic beadwork is well documented in the Gallery on my website. What is doesn't show is the very beginning when I transformed my mom's Dollar Store jewelry into recycled pieces that she treasured. Those simple steps of experimenting were a gift supplied from my "Mama". Maybe I never would have pursued this life in beads!

Reunions

In the process of reflecting on age, I was so pleased just over a week ago - after well over 50 years - to receive a message from a girlfriend of my preteen years in Maine. She was just one year older than I and lived right next door! As you would expect at that age, she and I were very curious about life and what she learned she taught me, just like a big sister would. SO... we got to have lunch and hike the Tucson Desert Museum last week. Friends with whom we share childhood memories are precious Gifts, even more so as we age. And guess what?! We both live in Arizona and she is just three hours away! Not to get spiritual here, but I have to believe that the Universe sent me this special birthday Gift to make amends. I needed it! LOL

Rest

Aging is one thing and resting is a whole other battle. Are you obsessed? Are you passionate? Good for you! I haven't changed with age. I just get tired faster. I decided to back out of two selling events this month and focus more on exercise. Motion is the Lotion. My artistry commands a lot of sedentary time and will test anyone who isn't good at balancing their time between work and play. My accomplishments since early October involve walking and then migrating to biking our neighborhood, and --after FIVE years-- I'm back on the pickleball court and getting those endorphins at last. (I'm leaving rust all over the court!) My artistry has backed off - albeit temporarily - to what I'm calling "light dabbling". And yet, my hands demand some intricacy to focus on. These are recent kumihimo braids that I just had to make pendants for...

Respite

There is something about handwork that calms me. It feels like a meditation of some sort if I find something fairly repetitive and not have to follow any rules. That is why I will probably never stop beading or braiding. In particular, kumihimo braiding is a most meditative practice for me. An arrangement of color cords are preloaded on a disk so as long as one repeats the braid steps over and over again, it is hard to lose. While braiding, focus is mostly concentrated on the tension of the cords so the braid will be smooth and shaped correctly. That focus "takes me away" like a Calgon bath commercial. I have saved many of you from having to Google that... LOL

If you are just not interested in beads or braiding, here are 4 -1/2 minutes of great crafting suggestions from which you can be calmed. I'm holding origami in my future and my husband has leapt into colored pencils. He is very good! I think the photo will enlarge if you click on it.

Release

I don't normally get this personal in my blog posts but I'm feeling compelled to dedicate this one to my oldest sister, Diane, who passed away less than a week ago. She is the first sibling "to go". An odd lethargy has overtaken my body. It doesn't want to walk, bike, or play pickleball. I'm numb. Even when expected, the timing of events can send us into a state. As I reflect on our relationship, I'm honoring her determination to live a useful life despite a debilitating disease, her crafting of thousands of greeting cards for distribution by nonprofit organizations, and the keen marketing sense she shared with me as she supported my artistic endeavors. I will miss calling her and "comparing notes". She is probably back on an ice rink by now... skating her heart out! She really loved that. I know that she missed it.

My wish for you is that you are bursting with Gratitude for everything you can muster to place on your list...
Tina

PS... In case I may have dampened your spirits, here is another YouTube of our Northern AZ trip early this year, this one at Cathedral Wash ... to get you breathing again. If you don't have 8 or 9 minutes to spare, skip to the 8:30 marker into the entrance to extreme gorgeousness. Beware that it may take your breath away but in a good way. We are about to plan another early Spring trip, likely up there again.


Follow me @tinassedona on IG & FB (to buy direct, albeit sporadically) |

Visit my Website & Retail locations

Interested in Fibers Arts?
Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild holds local workshops!
Visit THSG Workshops




Tina's Sedona © All Rights Reserved

A Fall Respite

New Subscribers

Let's get this part out of the way. I confess to having added new subscribers without asking permission. Without a subscribe box on my website I have no way to recruit subscribers. My subscribers are important because they encourage me and help spread the word about my artistry. I know that I can count on you to unsubscribe if you do not want to receive these blog posts. Just follow instructions at the bottom of the email you've received. PS. Do you know that you can tap on any of these pictures and zoom in for a closer look?

Spring Memories

This year, in the April-May timeframe we headed for Northern Arizona where I had my first GoPro camera experience. I decided not to get fancy and put in time editing it all. You will hear the sounds of wind blowing and the tapping of my walking sticks. You can always mute the sound. It is the