Bead Soup

It's Bead Soup time! Lori Anderson always makes this a lot of fun. My partner this year is Mags Saari and she sent me some great soup. She sent two! What a sweetheart, I hadn't gotten any a swap or two ago so she sent an extra (she totally didn't have to do that) and they are both very cool.

The top one is earth tones, the focal bead has such a old world feel to it. The agate beads are very earthy I might add a copper pierced piece to this mix.

The second photo is so very ME! It's got a winter/snow feel to it and the lighthouse focal is very west coast. I don't think she could have gotten a more bang on soup for me. OH, the two little white hearts are perfect too. I collect hearts, with a last name like Valentine I guess it was inevitable. I cannot wait to do something with this mix, it's sitting on the window ledge being moved about waiting for the perfect idea to strike.

The reveal date and blog hop is May 3rd so check back to see what I did with these wonderful beads. 

This year there is also a pintrest page. 

Just had to share this, the colours are stunning!

Creative Thursdays

I love beads, and bowls, and bowls of beads! They are lined up along the back splash in the studio and they make me smile.

Coaching versus Teaching

Something I've thought a lot about this week is coaching versus teaching (instructing). Most of my sports background comes from the equine world, though I do have other skills my strong skill has always been horses. I taught full time for many many years and trained others horses. But something I never thought about much until this week was what's the difference between a coach and a instructor?

Participating in the Tri Stars program sure has shown me the difference. In a nutshell, a instructor teaches something. Teaching isn't easy I've had the pleasure of many good and many bad instructors. Most of my riding instructors were stellar but I took the time to research them before signing on with them. Now in the bead making world I've had good and very bad classes. There isn't a teaching "certificate" program in the bead making world so it's hard to find out what someone's actual instructing background is. I've had classes with instructors who are giving and caring, and I've had classes with instructors who spend more time on their phone than teaching.

Back to coaching, for me the difference I never noticed before is a good coaches ability to give you the confidence to believe you can do it. While a instructor showed me the way a coach showed me they believed in me. Big difference. I can struggle over and over with the same problem if I never believe I can do it. But add a coach telling you they believe you can do it and slowly it all starts to come together. 

I hope when I was teaching I was more of a coach. I'd like to think I made a difference in someone's life beyond just giving them skills. 

Both instructors and coaches are talented and much needed, but I'd never really thought much about the difference. Something to ponder.

You can make fun anywhere!

Creative Thursdays

A simple how to video for a boro feather I posted a while back. Thought I'd post it again.

Changing Tires

Last nights lecture for the Tri Stars was tire changing………………..sigh.

Yup tire changing, my most dreaded thing when I started drag racing. For the entire first year I refused to change tires. Ideally when racing a street class car you drive to the track and change out your back tires when you get there to slicks. I'll admit I hated changing tires. 

I tried pretty much every angle to get around it. Dual purpose tires, hauling the car there on the trailer with tires already swapped and begging my husband to do it for me. Finally I realized I had to learn it on my own, I mean really how hard can it be I see guys doing it every race. 

Well for a small woman it's hard! My husband showed me how he does it and me attempting it his way resulted in smashed fingers, tires flipped over on me like a turtle, tire bars to the knee's and many bonked heads to the bumper. It occurred to me that women race, there must be an easier way.

I found a FB group called Sisters In Speed and asked about changing tires. Loe and behold they did it totally differently than I'd been shown, and attempting it their way resulted in success! I'm still not a big fan of the tire change but I can do it myself now.

So when our bike lecture for last night was tire change my initial thought was "OH GREAT here we go again another struggle" and begrudgingly went to class.

One of the Tri Star members (Jan) gave a great demo on changing out your bike tire and allowed us to try it ourselves. There are a lot more "parts" to work around on a bike you really do have to pay attention. It's something I'm going to have to practice. It was nice to see someone who knew what they are doing show it and she even gave us a how too sheet so I can practice it at home. YES I will practice it.

So while I'd like to be Christmas Abbott (picture below) one of the first women to make it to a pit crew changing tires, the woman can dead lift more than double her weight, I'll practice till I can do it without cussing.

Smile

Creative Thursdays

While cleaning up the studio from the mess of Vancouver Island Bead show I found this piece tucked away in a bag. I think this is still up there as far as my favourite pieces go.

Tri training week one

So I've made it through week one of training for my first triathlon with the Tri Stars group. All in all most of it has been pretty great! I'm struggling with the swimming I think it will be my weakness, breathing in seems to be a hard action for me. I'll have to practice it lots.

I'm enjoying the biking more than I thought I would, I thought road riding would make me nervous but it's not too bad out here in the country. I've got a 9 KM loop that I'm pretty comfortable with and it's got a nice mix of hills to challenge me.

So for week one I was active 5 days of the week. I did two bike sessions on my own and two runs on my own. Tonight is the start of week two with a lecture and swim session.

I love this piece!

I absolutely love this piece, I saw it shared on Facebook unfortunately with no artist credit. Going north to Alaska to see the Northern Lights is on my bucket list. Seeing it from a dog sled would make it even more special.

Creative Thursdays

Todays Creative Thursday post is a studio tip! This is an easy ring mandrel holder. Drill a hole into a work bench (or something similar) just a hair bigger than your ring mandrel. I find you need to drill it fairly deep for the ring mandrel to be stable. Insert ring mandrel and hammer away. 

Make sure to remove ring mandrel when done, walking into one WILL leave a nasty bruise!

I can do this!

Yes me, the person afraid of swimming in open water has join a beginner triathlon group.  I've join the beginner Tri Star Group and my first training session is tonight, and it's swimming YIKES!

Now I can swim, fairly well I think. But I've never swam laps and haven't had swimming lessons since I was a kid so this should be entertaining. I've bought my swim suit and I must admit it's very comfy. I've got a swim cap and I must admit I have NO idea how the heck you get all your hair in those things, hopefully that's part of tonights lecture (though I doubt it!) or someone will help me.

While I've spent the last couple days with several thoughts of "what the hell was I thinking" I am excited! Stay tuned I'll try and update my blog tuesdays or wednesday with progress reports.