HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wow, alot of things happened to me in 2008! How bout you?

This was a really interesting year I must say. Went to Tuscon to check it out, I did my first big Bead Show, Bead and Button, went on more vacations than I should have, did alot of construction projects on the house, gained 25lbs, renewed alot of old friendships via FaceBook (the newest addiction) and really started to focus on my etsy shop! Alot of personal changes in my life as well, maybe one day I will blog about them but the one thing I am really happy about is eliminating "stuff" from my life. The clothes, the pots and pans, the shoes, the table linens the chachka's..the chachka's.. oh, the many chachka's that had such a hold on me! The cars (he promised) How many cars can one man collect that is not rich and has a house with one garage? Well, if you asked my husband he would say "as many as you can"! We were doing a really, really good job before the Holiday Confusion..lets see if after the basement is finished we can get back on track. When you are married for 18yrs and do not have children - you buy, buy, buy - more, more, more unecessary stuff. And I graciously hand it over to you, Pascack Valley Thrift Shop - who I have been donating to for too many years to have this much stuff left!

The one thing I would like to take back is the 25lbs weight gain! So, starting Monday...NO, I don't diet. I change my eating habits. Diets never work. But changing eating habits and certain foods at certain times, blah-blah-blah do and I will try to start to exercise again. You know that saying about the shoemakers children..well since my husband is in the health & fitness field wouldn't ya figure I starting putting on weight ever since the day I met him! So lets see if I can rid myself of these extra's before Bead and Button in June - That would be nice!

Well , Happy New Year Friends! Thank you for making my year so exciting, with your thoughtful emails and comments to my blog. For your interest in my work and interest in me as a friend! You have all made this year better for me and I thank you, thank you, thank you!

I leave you today, like I did before Christmas with some past New Years Photo's to start the holiday! Much love to you all, Lisa
Grandmother, Hank and Mom 2002

Grandmother, Me and Aunt Adele - 2004

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays Everyone! Yesterday was my Moms Birthday-thats her & I in the Black and White Photo in 1970 I believe. I have a confession to make -- I still to this day, LOVE White Christmas Tree's!

Today Hanukkah Begins and Thursday Our Family will be celebrating Christmas! Whatever Holiday you and your loved ones observe I wish it to be a warm, wonderful and special one! They say the bad economy is bringing everyone closer to home this year and if this is true there is a silver lining in every cloud! I am looking forward to having fun, laughing and enjoying the time spent with my family. My brother and sister in law have us for Christmas Eve which is always a great and then I have Christmas Day, here in my home with my husband and my side of the Family. I do hope we can get the construction materials and everything in order so that our guests can see what we have been doing down there, in the dreaded basement we have been working on 24/7 for the last few weeks. We do not have a ceiling yet, but what a great use for all the extra christmas lights we did not have the time to put up around the house! ;) We did not decorate as we usually do for the holiday's - our window is simply a beautiful Red Pointsettia on small pedestal with Gold Backround..Hank and I will put a small table top tree up and decorate with a handful of ornaments but other than that we gave eachother permission to set ourselves free this year of our usual routine and we will get back to it next year, with the addition of a beautifully finished basement!

I have posted some photo's of previous Christmas Holiday's just to get me in the spirit and wish everyone much love and happiness during their Holiday's and a fantastically creative new year ahead of us! I hope to keep you inspired with new works and look forward to seeing all the beautiful things you make with them! Lisa

Our Christmas Window 2006

Grandmother Next to the Tree 2007















The Most Fattening Egg Nog in the World Made by my Mother in Law















Our Christmas Card in 1994 with our Kitty Petie!

Its Snowing, I should be Cleaning and I am just sitting here Admiring

Hello Everyone, I have been out of My Own Loop, I think. I really used to love Flickr.com and ever since they changed the formatting It is not the same to me, therefore I have not been hanging out there that much lately... Today, as I watch the snow fall and listen to everyone who calls me to complain they can't do this or can't do that and as the TV News Crews scenes of Snow Covered Roads and Snow Plows I secretly wish it would fall and fall and fall as I absolutely LOVE Snow Days.. I am sure if my husband, who is dutifully riding his bicycle from client to client in NYC wearing his Artic-Gear would disagree right now and if I were him, I guess I would too. As I type this I am listening to Mayor Bloomberg, speak to everyone about "how to get around in the snow", with the slightest amount of sarcasm in his voice and thinking I would do the same. ;) Well, back to Flickr.com -- So, today I decided to check out some of my "old flickr stomping grounds" LOL and take a look at what ya'll have been doing and I stopped in to Lisa Peters ART for a bit and revisit some of your work that included a little bit of me. Everyone makes such great things but one piece really caught my eye. My Great Friend Linda Themer, from Textured Turtle made a piece that really spoke to me. She dyes and rusts her own fabric (which I believe she sells on her etsy shop). I love the fact that this piece is round -- and I could spot my tiny little bead dead center which was really cool to see. So, Thanks Linda for making such a great piece and posting it on my Flickr Pool! I also would like to thank everyone else who has taken the time to post photo's using my pieces in their creations on my flickr pool.. I REALLY LOVE TO SEE finished products with my pieces in them and encourage everyone to do so!

I may blog again this afternoon, some snow photo's!

Until then enjoy some of this years collaborations between me & my customers! Pictured below is a Mixed Media Creation by Linda Themer and A Mosaic of Bead Weaving Collaborations between Carol Dean Sharpe of SandFibers and myself.

Just ask me, I am sure I have it!

I have not been blogging as I should because the dreaded "basement project" is happening, in my home - right now! It feels as though I have been working on my basement for 16 yrs, probably, because I have. I won't go into details, I am sure most of you who follow my blog (can I count you on 1 hand or 2, lol!) know about the floods and this and that..well, we have been doing our best to finally get the job done so I NEVER HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN! I give myself a few hours every day to list on etsy and the rest of the day is painting, sawing, sanding, and renovating the basement.. so excuse #47 this year for not blogging as I should-has been made. Do I dare make it a New Years Resolution. ( I have learned my lesson..don't even bother)

SO anyway, JUST ASK ME - I AM SURE I HAVE IT!

Did you know I have hundreds of buttons and beads here in my studio in packages? All shapes and sizes (even really, really small ones - can you believe it?) all clays and glazes. Leaf, heart, round, square, doggie bones, lips, eyes, more leaves, -- you get the picture right? I prepared them for B & B in packs so I could hang them from my display units & because I created like a crazy person I could not even fit these all in, so they have been here, waiting for YOU..who is waiting for ME, to photograph them.

So, until that time comes, when they are properly photographed, ASK ME. Ask me for a color a shape or tell me what it is you need to finish and I can see if I have something suitable for your project! This is one of 3 boxes... :)