Just Tell Me The Truth, I Can Handle It

I'm always full of great ideas. Well, I think they're great ideas, but they don't always turn out quite like I expect. Because I'm low on Swarovski crystals, I had the bright idea of going to the flea market to the 'bead guy' for some lovely crystals. So, I talked with my mom and we decided that we would go. I even planned ahead and called the 'bead guy' to make sure he would be there and that he definitely had crystals this week. "Yeah, I'm here," he informed me. Then, I sweetly asked if he had crystals this week. "Yep, but be here early," was his response. So, our plans were firm. We would go early and get the first pick of the crystals. Flea markets are like garage sales. The earlier you get there, the better.

At way before the crack of dawn this morning, I rolled by lazy, tired butt out of bed to go to the flea market. Back in the day, you would go to a flea market and be there by 7 am at the latest. Anything after 10 am, you might as well just not go because people are packing up or sold out. Well, my mom and I get there around 7:05 am (to be exact) and practically no one is there! What happened to the way things used to be? The bead guy was there, but still setting up his little corner. Not letting that bother us, my mom and I jumped right in and started digging for crystals. Dig, dig, dig. Finally, I came up with 3 tiny packets of crystals. THREE. TINY. PACKETS!

We were the first ones there. There should have been plenty of crystals for us to drool over. We even asked if he had more. "Nope, that's all I got." So, Mr. Bead Guy why didn't you just tell me that on the phone? All that hassle just so I have crystals to make my scarf pendants. From now on, I'll just plan ahead and order from fire mountain gems.

No more bead guy for me!

A Bit of Sunshine

After several days of rain and gloom, we finally saw some blue skies and sunshine! I'm not cut out for rain, gray days . . . especially several days in a row. Because I was getting my sunshine infusion, I did not spend anytime - zip, nada, gilch - painting even though I should have been capitalizing on the good weather. But, with blue skies and a brisk wind (if only I'd been able to go sailing!), I just had to be outside.

So that I was not being completely lazy, I did get some silks photographed. Okay, only two, but who's counting! I just listed one of them, and I'll probably list the other one tomorrow.

Now, I'm ready for the next few days of more rain and gloom.

The Gift of Silk

So, you ask yourself - what do I get that special someone who has everything? I say, consider silk!

Silk Addicts is a like a subscription for colorful, hand painted silks. But, unlike a magazine subscription, you get to decide how they look . . . plus these will not be tossed in the recycle bin. When purchasing a Silk Addicts, you are giving the gift that keeps on giving. This is a great gift for those crazy about silk! Your loved one will receive a Silk Addicts Color Survey, a ‘wish list’ of color preferences I use as a guideline to create colorful silks. Each month, I will mail a hand painted silk that reflects their color preferences.

The Silk Addicts plan is customizable. You can select from any Silk Addicts plan already listed, or contact me for a plan that fits your (and your loved one’s) needs. You get to decide on as little as 3 months or as long as 12 months. You get to pick the type of silk item-scarves, wraps/shawls, sarongs, ruanas or a combination of these. You get to select the type of silk-habotai, charmeuse, crepe de chine, silk velvet or a combination of these.

Visit me at www.expressionsinsilk.etsy.com to see the Silk Addicts plans, and then contact me so we can build the perfect subscription for you and your someone special.

Getting To Know Me

Since I'm just starting out, I thought it would be best to have a little 'get to know me' session.

Back in the day (almost 20 years ago), I was introduced to silk painting on the beach in Ixtapa. At the time, I was a GO with Club Med and was only able to devote little pockets of time learning all I could about silk and the amazing things you can do with it. From the beginning, I was hooked. Other mediums never gave me the same feeling of awe that I found with silk.

Once I returned to the real world (as my friends called it), I kept up with painting on silk to feed my creative side. Life (and work) intervened, and I found very little time to devote to my painting. I was working long hours and traveling, leaving practically no time for fun pursuits. Well, life intervened again, and I returned to silk painting with a big smile. Only this time, I decided to build it into a business.

If it's silk . . . I'll paint on it! Mainly, I specialize in scarves, sarongs, wraps/shawls, and dance veils. I do not work from a catalog of designs and color combinations. Instead, I paint whatever makes me happy. In fact, unless I’m working on a custom piece, I usually do not know exactly what I’m going to paint until I start. Each silk is hand painted, making it unique. The beauty of a hand-painted item is that no two pieces are exactly alike.

To learn more about me and my silks, stay tuned . . . or visit me at http://www.expressionsinsilk.etsy.com/