Spinning Navajo Style!

At WeFF, the plan was only to buy things pertinent to my business.  A button to be used as a pendant in a necklae here.

 

A couple of books.

A skein of silk Ribbon "yarn" to be used in a different style of necklace.

I didn't plan to buy anything related to spinning at all.  After all, at the moment, it isn't for me.  But I passed a booth by Rancho Borrego Negro, a beautiful booth that had the most wonderful Navajo Spindles ever, and I was mesmerized.  Navajo spinning is different than than other forms.  The spindle is very large, and I mean VERY large, and I had heard that all you could make was chunky yarn on it.  That is, until Eric took that Navajo Weaving class last April and I learned from the sisters - and saw them demonstrate - that you could make yarn at any WPI, and in fact, most of the yarn that they put out was drop dead gorgeous and fit for sweaters, not just for their very beautiful rugs.   I asked them to send me a spindle (which I would pay for, of course); they promised they would but they never did...  They are world famous for their work and I suppose they just got caught up in other things and forgot.

Well I forgot too.  That is, until I saw those amazing spindles at WeFF in the Rancho Borrego Negro booth..  They were made of exotic woods, and when I played with them, they were balanced beautifully.  I did not try to actually spin on them as I was not there to buy spinning equipment, but I was drawn back to them over and over again!

Kathy and, I think, her husband in their 2010 Weff Booth

And then I found that special spindle.  The one with a little extra weight... the one who's balance is so perfect that one turn will keep it spinning for a very long time... the one made of an exotic African Wood.  And I lusted after it and walked away and back and away again.  Bought the button that I pictured above, And lamented internally about that spindle.

"This is ridiculous!" I thought to myself.  "You're just succumbing to your old habit of buying hand spindles.  You have tons of different spindles at home and never use them. You don't need this spindle!"  And yet it called my name.

And wouldn't you know it.  The one that I loved the most was also the most expensive one on display, albeit only $10 more than it's siblings.  Eric must have seen the dilema in my eyes.  Also, since he is weaving Navajo Style, it would be fun for him if I spun him the yarn using a Navajo Spindle.  But mostly, I think that he just felt my pain and decided to be an Enabler.  "Buy it!" he said.   As I resisted, he insisted.  "Buy it!  You want it!  There's no reason you can't have it."  And in the end, I did.

Navajo Spindle and basket of Romney in the foreground; Sophie in the background.

Kathy suggested that I e-mail her and ask for links to YouTube to teach me how to spin Navajo style.  I laughed, saying that I had spun for many years and although this spindle looks a little different, I'm sure I would pick it up quickly.  Then Kathy and her husband both laughed and told me to e-mail them.  I have not, yet, to date, done it.

I did, however, look at one You Tube video on the subject all on my own, and I figured that I could do this, so as I always do, I just charged ahead and started to spin.  Guess What?  It wasn't as easy as it looks!

First, the video I saw suggested not using a leader line to spin with.  I listened to them, and just put gobs and gobs of roving on the spindle instead.  This method actually worked, but I'm sure I'm missing something because it took way longer than it did in the video.  Then for the spinning proper.

Yes, some of the roving is peach.  I experimented with a new dye on a small portion of the roving.  Is it Navajo Colored?  Not really, except that it was spun on a Navajo Spindle and I guess that makes it a Navajo color, whether traditional or not.

Navajo spinning really IS quite different than spinning with a drop spindle.  First, you don't have the weight and gravity working in your favor, the spindle freefalling so that you can use both hands to attenuate the fiber.  Instead, you are rolling your spindle along your thigh with one hand (for me, my left) while working with the fiber with your right.  I.e., the long draw is essential.

I have not done long draw spinning in many years, so it wasn't so easy to just pick up.  Especially when my feet wanted to paddle but the spindle demanded that I roll it down my thigh.  Spinning was like chewing gum and skipping and doing a hand-clap dance all at the same time!  

The basket was purchased in 2003 at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival and I can't tell you who made it.  I wish I could.  I'd like to buy more of  her baskets myself  if only I knew who she was.

 

 

 

Then, of course, I did the dumb thing and used garbage roving to start off with.  I knew better, but I did it anyway.  Everyone knows that when you are teaching a new student to spin, start them off with the most wonderful prepared fiber you can find so that all they need to concentrate on is the actual method of spinning rather than fighting the fiber too.  But Noooooooo,   I had to use up the junk roving because I didn't want to throw it away and I knew that as my first practice skein,; it wouldn't matter how bad the yarn turned out.  But I couldn't get it to spin right and eventually gave up and went with the Romney Roving, beautiful looking stuff that Mom pushed on me a couple of years ago.  

Things went better then.  At least until my single started breaking regularly and I discovered that the roving that looked so very fine actually had a lot of second cuts in it!  You couldn't tell from the prepared fiber itself, but work with it and it's immediately apparent.  On a regular wheel when I have both hands available, I would just pick those cuts out and continue on without hesitating, but it's not so easy when you're doing the long draw and are also focusing on spinning the spindle.

I removed a whole section of roving from my basket, and at that point, things started going better again.  And I discovered a number of things. 

You can spin almost as fast on a Navajo Spindle as you can on a wheel!  That was an amazing discovery and very illuminating, as now I know why the Navajo still use their spindles when making their rugs.  I didn't understand it before buying this spindle.  Drop spindles are inherently very slow.  This is not a drop spindle, and WOW! is all I have to say.

You can spin thick or thin on a Navajo Spindle, just as on a wheel.  I have a feeling that with practice, I will also be able to control my singles just as well as on the wheel when doing the long draw, and be able to make designer yarns at will and with intention.

A Navajo Spindle will hold just as much single ply yarn as a moderate sized spool on a wheel, and maybe even more!  The first is absolutely evident, and the second, based on how the tool works, is implied.

I have a feeling that when I go to ply, it's going to be more difficult than on a wheel because I will be forced to roll the spindle in the opposite direction on my thigh.  I will post a report when I get that far.  For now, I am still working on my first ball of single.

Finally, I think it may be a good idea not to be so brave and e-mail Kathy to get those YouTube links after all.  While I have the basics down on my own, spinning - on a spindle or on a wheel - is all about the fine tuning, and I've got a long way to go to be attuned to my new toy.

But was I wrong to go off on my own before reviewing the video that they suggested?  Some people might say I was delusional for giving it a try by myself, but I've been called that before, even very recently, and things still worked out well for me.  They usually do. One person's delusion is another's dream that will develop into greatness!

For me, there is never a penalty for taking a bold stand and taking chances.  If I make a mistake, it's an opportunity for learning.  If I do it right the first time, then it's just plain sweet!  Either road is just fine in the end.  In this case, my experience was somewhere in the middle...  I learned a lot and I learned that I have a lot to learn.  But as my old friend Nancy G-  used to say, "No Guts, No Glory."  I'm glad that I'm brave enough to not stick my head in the sand, not hide from the world, and be willing to take chances.  For in those chances is the opportunity to do something new and great, and the road always makes one hell of a good story. 

PS - Delusion or a good idea?  Watch this video and let me know what you think.  Bottom line, though, is this spindle works and she's right.  When she's done spinning, she can cook with it too!

WeFF

It's enough to cause me to hyperventilate. Once a year, on the first Sunday of November, the Southern California Handweavers Guild (SCHG) puts on a Weaving Festival in Torrance, CA that is a favorite. With vendors that support weaving, spinning, knitting, felting, beading, and many other fiber arts, women and men travel for miles (in my case, over 35) to attend. And it's well worth it.

This booth is Nancy's Custom Handweaving. You may remember Nancy when I mentioned her at the GLASG meeting as being so kind and helping me get settled in September when it took all my strength just to make it there.

This is Morrow Fleece Works and Shari McKelvy. I don't remember how I came to know of Shari, but she owns a cottage "factory" in which she takes raw fleece (mostly wool although she will work with anything), washes and combs it, and then returns it pin drafted and wound in a beautiful nautical coil to it's owner. I sent some fleeces that I had won at various silent auctions (yes, I have bid on and won dirty sheep's wool with glee on more than one occasion) to her, and was thrilled at the results. I was even happier when she started making a trek down for WeFF several years ago. Of course, that does not alleviate the embarassment of having yet again failed to find the purple-dyed border leister fleece that I wanted to give her at the event to process. I don't know if this is the 2nd or 3rd year that she's heard that lament from me, but I suspect, based on the depth of fiber in my hall closet, that it will not be the last.


Newton's Knits. Spectacular prices on ready-to-work-with yarn.

Ya know, I can't remember who was sporting this wall of exquisite color, but it was luscious.

UPDATE: Thanks to Elena, I now know that this wall was from Chameleon Colorworks.

Kahn Fagen Beads. I had just bought from them a week ago at the beading bazar, but couldn't resist adding to my collection.

Eric waiting for the fashion show...

And Mom - who also attends this event - waiting for the same.

Women weave their own cloth, fashion it into clothing, and model it for the rest of us to admire. One of the strongest points of the fashion show is that it has everything to do with achievement, and nothing to do with age or physical attributes.


About an hour after the show, it's time to draw tickets for the raffle! The woman in purple is Kathy Gould. She is lovely, she recently moved out of state to Las Vegas, New Mexico (yes, New Mexico, not Nevada) and then got married.

Who are the winners in this crowd?
Dave Larson, a very interesting friend.
Miles, Eric's son, watching the spinning.
Elena, also spinning. I wish I had taken a detailed photo of her jacket. She spun the yarn, wove the cloth, designed the jacket, then sewed it.
Heather at her wheel.
Eric & Miles at the end of the day.
And speaking of days, Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 4.

Cast On!

Well, I guess I was getting too cocky, having finished the Tour De Fleece green yarn. I had designs on spinning up coordinating pink merino-silk roving over the next two-to-three weeks, then weaving a shawl. Silly me.

I was quite proud of myself. I had even finally, after all these years, figured out that it made sense to weigh my roving out into even amounts, thereby minimizing the extra length of singles on any given bobbin.


And I got to work spinning. First two ounces completed, I started spinning the 2nd two this morning.



Understand, that I have been suffering tremendously with various autoimmune issues. My left foot has been exceptionally painful at the surgical site from last March; I assumed that it was my Fibromyalgia attacking it. Again, silly me. Apparently I am infected, and to a degree to cause my Podiatrist a little concern.

A Zinc Oxyde wrap, followed by an ace bandage, followed by a walking cast, and my spinning days have come to an abrupt halt for the time being.


Oy.

Last Leg of Le Tour De Fleece

As late as yesterday, I had given up all hope of completing my first Tour De Fleece. Desperately ill in more ways than I can explain, all I was capable of doing was laying in bed trying to get a gasping breath between trips to the bathroom. Assuming I could even do that since my Fibromyalgia had rendered it difficult to move.

I had 5 ounces of roving left to spin, then if I finished them, 8 ounces of singles to ply. And the tour is scheduled to complete on Sunday.

This morning I started on what I hope is a very short course of Prednisone. I am not going to elaborate on my very special issues with steroids at this point, but just let it be said that my system does not handle them as well as most people's would and while most could take a short course and then stop, my last short course turned into a complete disaster and an Endrochrinologist was added to my ever-growing list of doctors before I was rid of them after two years of weaning off. So keep your fingers crossed. But I digress.

I woke up this morning groggy from having purposely overdosing myself on pain and sleeping medicine last night to try and get a night's worth of sleep. Mission accomplished. Although I was up several times, I got what I think was a full six hours. That, as of late, is landmark territory for me. But through the morning haze I remembered... I needed to take my first dose of Prednisone.

A couple of hours later, I was somewhat alert - not my normal alert, but at least able to respond to stimuli - and also for the first time in about three weeks, I was able to fill my lungs over half way. And so I got up, did not put any make-up on (sorry Richard), but did get dressed. And proceeded to spin.

I am, as of right now, 1 ounce of roving away from finishing up the singles for the 1 pound of green merino-silk that I had committed to. I already plied the first 1/2 pound of yarn before starting the singles for the second half. It's only 4:30 pm. I have the rest of today and all the way through the end of tomorrow before the "race" is done. I think I'm going to make it.

In a sense, I feel like a laggard because of commitments made by other participants of the tour which have been kept. Much more agressive commitments than mine. But then I remember that we were only supposed to take on what would be a reasonable challenge for ourselves, given our own lifestyle and circumstances.

Under my circumstances, I think that maybe I did ok.

Ruth, also known as "Twisted Ruth" and "Twisted Spinster"

From my Spinning Guild last Wednesday:

Dear Fiber Friends,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this. Mike Schooley just
called to say that Ruth Schooley (aka Twisted Spinster) died last
night. She and her beloved Roketman were on their way to dinner when
she had a seizure. The doctors think it was caused by a blood clot in
her lungs. He said she died quickly and without pain.



This is my favorite picture of Ruth:

She looks so sweet and happy in it. Never mind the fact that just before I snapped it, she had assisted me in placing the "Fart Machine 2" underneath the chair of David L-, and then videotaped me setting it off during his drum carding demo, only to post the video on youtube later.

I'm going to miss her.

Le Tour De Fleece

After learning about Le Tour De Fleece through the blog of The Yarn Harlot, it didn't take much of a leap for me to subscribe. My energy, especially my creative energy which while on the face of it seems an essential in my life but compared to things like eating and wearing clean clothing takes a back seat - is low. I've tried beading and weaving and even knitting, but I don't seem to have the fortitude to get it done right now. So it's back to basics. Spinning yarn.

Spinning is a good activity for somebody who either is or wants to be brain dead. I remember the last time I was on mega doses of steroids. Spinning at a furious rate in 3 in the morning for a couple of hours because I could not sleep and was too aggitated to even watch TV. Fortunately, I am not in that high state of anxiety at this point, but the ongoing treatments leave me weak and lethargic. Spinning at a lower intensity is a good - and productive - way of filling in time.

Which brings me back to Le Tour De Fleece. It runs simutaneously with The Tour De France bicycle race. Spinners from around the world are welcome to set their own challenges for the time frame - July 5 through July - I think - 29th, and if we complete the challenge, we receive a button to be posted in our blog. This year's Tour's only requirement is that we have to use fiber that we already have in our stash. That's not a problem. I have a lot of fiber.

I settled on some green merino (wool for the uninitiated) and silk top, having started spinning it around a year ago and then getting waylaid in other projects. I had completed about 12 ounces before abandoning it... I have around a pound left to go. Although getting it done in the time frame may be challenging for somebody in my state of health, it is do-able, and I am going to do it.

I'm planning to do something about my camera next month (next month starting on July 8th when my check arrives). I will be supplying photo documentaries as soon as I have one.

In the meantime, happy spinning.

Aggitating Situation

As long as I've brought up the laundry so many times as of late, I thought I'd reminise about a story that I heard several years ago. Elissa and I had decided to attend the Fibers Through Time Conference sponsored by the Arizona Federation of Weavers, and we were staying in a small hotel just off of campus. These conferences tend to be very social events, the women and men attending gather in the lobbies of their respective abodes after the day's events conclude to spin and knit, compare notes and finished projects, and just have a good time in general. This conference was no exception.

I wish I could remember the names of the women we were sitting with, outside by the pool with our spinning wheels in motion in front of us. I do remember that one of them was a teacher. I still find that odd; I always think of teachers as lofty individuals and when one that is teaching me in the daytime comes down to socialize with the group as an equal at night, I enjoy it immensely but am usually startled that they have strange kind of lives similar to mine. No matter what our status in the fiber world, we are all eccentric to the same degree.

Anyway, we were discussing odd pets, and the teacher brought up her son's habit of collecting snakes. I told her the story of L- and her snake "Muffin" that had disappeared for several weeks at one point, to finally be discovered curled around the seat of her neighbor's toilet. Apparently Muffin had spent a good portion of his time transversing the plumbing system of L's apartment complex. And so the teacher told the story of her son's snake getting lost.

It had been missing for weeks. Unlike L- who generally believed that the absent reptile would eventually turn up curled in one her shoes or something like that, the teacher figured that her son's snake was gone for good. She went about her housework like nothing was amiss, and that's how she perceived the situation. Oh how wrong she was.

One day she was doing the laundry. She opened the lid of the washer and removed the majority of the clothing out of the barrel. Looked in, and was shocked. There was the missing snake, angry as all get out. She quietly shut the lid of the machine and left the room.

We were all hysterical at this point. Of course. I mentioned that since snakes can make their way through plumbing, it was apparent that they can swim. I figure that, during the wash cycle, it just swam around like a merri-go-round horse or a sea serpent waiting for the ride to be over. That would probably not make it angry. But I figured that the spin cycle would be enough to do it. After all, that would make me pretty mad.

First we speculated on whether the snake had been mixed in with the clothing in the hamper or made it's way into the machine via the plumbing. But we were all anxious to know the outcome of the story. "What did you do?" we asked with gleams in our eyes.

"Well," she replied. "I did what any sane woman would do. I called my husband at work and told him he neeed to come home immediately to remove the snake from the washing machine."

"Did he?!?!" we responded.

"Not at first. He was really annoyed with me and wanted to know why I could not take care of the situation myself. To which I said, 'I'm not having anything to do with it. That snake is clearly aggitated.'"

Yoga Bear

OK Claudia. I did it. For the first time ever, I tried Yoga today.

This experience started out about 4 weeks ago as I was perusing the internet looking for venues of physical activity in my neighborhood. I discovered The Yoga Loft located in Woodland Hills, about a 15 minute drive from my front door. I was intrigued, and more so when I discovered that they had an on-line coupon good for unlimited classes for two weeks at a very favorable price. The final clincher was that Eric was interested in trying it out with me. Or should I say, Eric was interested in going, even more than I was interested in experimenting. He has done Yoga before and truly enjoys the experience.

We arrived promptly at 5 and was admitted into a lovely reception area by our teacher who's name escapes me. I would have taken pictures - assuming that they allow that activity - but the demise of my new camera is a topic for another post on another day. Lets just say that the room was appointed with wicker furniture, carved wooden screens and bookshelves, plants, incense, and fabrics very appropriate to the activity at hand. Nice.

Then we found out why the place is called "The Yoga Loft." The yoga happens in the loft! The class was 90 minutes and pleasant. I can't say that I was wild about it, but I did not dislike it at all. The positions - except for the ones requiring me to be on hands and knees which does not happen at all in my world - were easy and fairly reminiscent of the stretching poses that Richard has us do during his classes. Of course the music was very different, as was the atmosphere and intent.

The issue that I have is that I am a very nervous person at the best of times, and this evening I was particularly stressed. When forced to be still, I have a hard time controlling my mind and being in the present. In fact, I think that is the reason that I like crafting like spinning yarn and knitting and making jewelry so much. The tedium of the repetitive task settles me, and I've heard many other crafters say the same thing.

So rather than completely relaxing into the experience, I had to force my mind off of my worries many times. But I do admit that when I could concentrate solely on the breathing exercises and the movements, I did attain a certain state of relaxation and I did feel a little better on departure.

I have two weeks in which to play with this experience. I intend to use them well and figure out if this is an activity that I can pursue or whether I am not the right personality type. The class schedule says that anybody can do Yoga if they have an open heart and an open mind. I do have an open mind. I'm willing to consider the possibility that this may be good for me.

The rest will just have to take care of itself.

Interacting with Others

Today was a day of medical pursuit. Where normally I might see one practicioner in a day, I was scheduled for Physical Therapy this morning and then a couple of hours at
Cedars Sinai's Procedure Center later in the afternoon.

I was actually quite dubious about starting PT again. In the past, I've gone there and although I've received good and appropriate care, sometimes felt like I was left to fend for myself. But this go-around, I've received more attention than I could ever deserve. The Therapists and the Assistants are at my side constantly, rooting me on and helping me to physically achieve a better experience and result.

At the Procedure Center, I received IV fluids to rehydrate me. Again, I got more attention there than I was used to. The treatment I endured today was nothing that required any great monitoring, yet the nurse and the receptionist and many of the other nurses were quite interested in me. Animated as they talked and relayed stories of their own lives.

At the same time as all this is going on, I've met a very nice man at Slimmons named Larry Myers. I would normally not let out a full name on this blog, but the fact is that as of tomorrow, he will be known nationally anyway. You see, last week Inside Edition came to Slimmons to tape a segment about his 500 pound weight loss and current struggle to get some of his excess skin removed. Unlike in my case where the skin is unsightly and a small nuisance, his poses a real health threat and needs to be addressed. The sooner the better. The segment is scheduled to air maybe tomorrow, maybe Wednesday, but I think it may be a two parter and will be on both days. I'm sorry that I don't know for sure.

I reached out to Larry since I, to a small degree, have some experience being highlighted on a national TV program. (Entertainment Tonight, 2005, Walgreens Health Corner, 2007, and an upcoming segment on HGTV's "That's Clever," date TBA.) It's an honor to be profiled by these shows, but with the honor also comes responsibility. Although I am not a celebrity of any kind, there are a lot of people who know about my profiles (friends that I know, friends that I have never met) and they expect me to behave and succeed in a certain way. They make no bones about letting me know if I disappoint them.

Larry reminds me of myself from a few years ago. Eager to move on with his life. Stunned at the possibilities after moving a mountain. Terrified of taking his next step. I've talked to him several times, both at Slimmons and privately. Although I believe that he is genuinely happy to hear from me, I also think he's afraid to reach out and connect. I know that feeling well. Being so afraid of being slapped down (or doing the wrong thing, causing people to reject me) that isolation is preferable to the fear.

With these three experiences under my belt in the last week, I really have to think, again, about my progress. I am still scared to move forward. Still so afraid of what others think that I sometimes don't take advantage of opportunities that are right there for the taking. My Spinning Guild is a perfect example. A couple of people have not been so nice to me in the past year for I-don't-know what reason, but most of them are wonderful. Many have (finally) noticed that I haven't been coming around and sent me e-mails of encouragement, asking me to return.

And on the other hand, having so much help in the Physical Therapy and Proceedure Center venues makes me think too. The last time(s) I was at each of those locations, I looked not that dissimilar to what I look like now. So I can't necessarily say that my different-and-better treatment is just one of cosmetics or appearance.

Perhaps my attitude has shifted more than I was aware. Perhaps I was off-putting in appointments past and and now have finally become accepting of help. And because of the change in my attitude, their attitude has changed too. Or maybe their's didn't. Maybe they always wanted to help me to a greater degree than I realized and allowed. Maybe I've learned to interact. Maybe.

Now I'm considering my Spinning Guild and other fiber venues again. Have my fears been over nothing? If I was to show up at the next meeting(s), would I experience a not-horrible or maybe even a pleasant reception?

And would this apply to other activities, events, classes, and venues that I have never been brave enough to try?

I need to think.

Evolution

"WHOA!" I hear you say. "What in the heck has just happened to your web site? I was just here "x" days ago and it was nothing like this!"

Yeah, very true. The look and feel of www.LauraRSilverman has changed. A great deal. "And why?" you ask. "I was just fine with it the way it was.

Well, it's kind of a long story, but here goes.

2007 has been a year of great changes for me Both for good and also some disturbing. It's been a year of incredible growth and learning opportunities. And new challenges as far as my health goes.

I originally concieved of this web site mainly in response to a traumatic event at Slimmons when I passed out during class and was kidnapped by Paramedics. Although I had kept updated medical files there, the staff - in their panic - gave the medical help old and way outdated information sheets, not realizing that not all the copies were the same. I spent almost the entire visit at the Emergency Room trying to convince the nurses and doctors that they were working with such old information that it was worse than useless... it was dangerous. For they were assuming that I was taking "X" medicines when I was now taking "Y." And the kinds of meds that I often take are often dangerous and have severe interactions with other ones. I realized after that visit that I needed a vehicle by which all I had to do was provide anyone who might witness a situation where I can't speak for myself (more frequent than I like to admit) current medical information without having to ever second guess what they had on hand. And so I got my web site. Those that potentially need my medical information know how to get to it. And no longer does anyone have to deal with multiples of paper.

In the meantime, I'm also somewhat of a writer. I've even been published a few times and may someday take the pen back up again although I'm afraid to send off query letters for fear of acceptance and -because of health issues- not being able to deliver on a deadline. I don't need a reputation of not being as good as my word. But I still have a need to express myself via the written word. Blogging was a natural course for me to follow. And so my web site became mainly an outlet for my thoughts.

Last March, I attended a fiber conference that may have changed the course of my life. I discovered a latent talent for beading and making jewelry. And much to my surprise, I also found out that people would pay for my work! And so I developed a small business in it. And decided that my web site was a good location to post my work too.

And of course, my weight loss pictures and story. I suppose, based on the amount of e-mail I get from others, I am providing some degree of comfort and hope to others who are traveling down the same road that I did. And so my web site also became a vehicle for posting pictures and motivation.

So many purposes for one little site! But a couple of things became abundantly clear as I learned about writing html code and maintaining the site. First, my audience who check my blog has grown at a rather startling rate, but it's still limited because I was not in a traditional blogging site. By that lack of connection, I have been unable to join "feeds" and increase my audience because of exposure. I long to have an impact on a bigger scale. And so I joined blogspot. I'm learning the ropes now, and hope to expose myself on a bigger scale shortly. Another writer I know has said "If you write it, they will come." We'll see about that.

I also realized that my web site had a look of 'fun and games' and was not an appropriate location to send potential clients to preview my work. Jewelry is fashion; jewelry is art. And what I had was a very servicable site, but nothing to impress. It was time to go "pretty."

If you've come here through my site, you probably noticed that it's no where near completion. Some of the pictures duplicate, many of the links are not operational yet. All that will be corrected in due time. My first priority is to re-establish access to everything that was there before. My favorite links, Fab Four pictures, weight loss story. Then I will get other items of business established. My Etsy Store where you can actually buy my work. Clips and credits from the media. And updated show of my jewelry and other items that I have learned to make.

And there are some lovely advantages to how I envision things going. First on my blog... you will be able to comment back to me on my blog. I have lived for your e-mails, but they have mostly been one-on-one responses. Now you can publish on the internet too! You will be able to see what I am working on via my artisan links and connect directly into vehicles to buy it if you like it and think that the price is right.

Because the web page is more efficient, I hope to be able to update the links on a more regular basis and keep you more in sync with what's happening. And along with the updates, I will decrease the size of the memory required to run the site and you'll be able to pull up the information more quickly and more efficiently.

I realize that I am rambling on here and I have an appointment to keep in about an hour. So I'm going to wish you adieu for the moment. I do hope that you enjoy what I am developing and will continue visiting as often as you have.

Thank you so much for your show of support!

Laura