Hello Friends

I’m writing in the midst of a blizzard warning here in the DC area!  This a lot of snow for us! Looks like we’re going to have a white Christmas this year!   Good thing I went out and finished up my Christmas shopping yesterday, even missing the big Intergem bead show to do so.    Today we’ll make Christmas cookies (the dough is in the fridge chilling), make ornaments, and finish up my (yikes!) Christmas cards.  Everyone’s been out in the snow for as long as they could last.

Have you heard the word about an upcoming online digital workshop?  I love the idea of online classes (with 4 little ones, there’s practically no way for me to travel and get to workshops….but I’ll be sure to make it to Bead Fest Wire!).   If you are looking for ways to enhance your photographs and learn some amazing techniques, then be sure to check out DJ Pettitt’s upcoming Image Editing Workshop!

DJ is an amazing artist who teaches workshops from California to Australia.   She is known for her incredible mixed media paintings and art journals.   If you’re like me and live no where near these areas, now you can take one of her classes!  DJ describes her class, Memories and Manipulations,  as a “collaboration between photography and graphic design”.  Oh, and if you sign up for the class or simply visit her blog and leave a comment,  DJ will be giving away a few collage art pieces! Sounds good to me!

Every day  more participants in Molly’s Secret Santa Exchange are receiving their necklaces.  Today my recipient received hers!  I was as excited for her to receive it as she may have been to open it!  Would she like it?  I think she did!  I was so happy to discover Carolyn Mallin’s blog through this exchange and hope to visit often.   I created a copper and lampwork super long (35″) necklace that can even be worn doubled.   In her write-up, Carolyn mentioned she liked eclectic (captured by the various wire links used) and well as bright (represented by the colorful lampwork beads by Moon Stumpp).

And lastly, I received a sweet “Christmas Blogger Award”, just something to pass along to our blog friends this holiday season.  I received the award from Kinga Albert, an incredibly talented  university student who lives a world away in Hungary.  If you take a peek at her blog, you’ll see her beautiful, intricate beadwork throughout the posts.  I’d like to share this award, more like a holiday hug, to these friends who have recently shared their Christmas decorations on their blogs.  Please stop by and say hello to Judy, Lori and Leslie!  There are no”rules” with this award, just sending along a hello to you and you can pass it along if  you’d like.

Hopefully you’re staying warm today…’til next time!