Bead sorting and prep for beading party

It's not every day you get to combine a social event with a part of your job, but I think I'm about to pull off a series of events that lets me do just that! Instead of just keeping all my beading inventory for my own work, this week I'll start hosting a series of beading parties at which guests come and learn to make their own beaded jewelry. The timing works quite nicely with my recently-tackled bead sorting project.

When I get as far into the reorganizing of such inventory as I am now, I realize just how much "stuff" I have. I like to think that if I hadn't moved this year and put so much into storage, maybe things wouldn't have gotten this out of hand. But I know I'm wrong to think this. Periodically my stuff just gets into a huge mess and it has to be organized. Until there's a huge studio dedicated only to my creative endeavors, I suspect this pattern will continue.

In a bit I'm going back downstairs to pick up where I left off yesterday and I gotta' tell you, I'm finally excited. Since the goal this time is not only to get things in the finest order but also to make them portable, I'm working everything into a system of plastic containers stored in a new perfectly-sized suitcase on wheels. Then hopefully portability won't be a problem anymore - which will come in handy if plans work out for me to be in Atlanta during my friend's little girl's birthday party in March. Wouldn't a Beading Birthday Party have been a hoot when you turned 9??? My young friend called me herself to ask if I could come. And so I'm going to try. It seems so far away, but in the scheme of things, it'll be here if I blink more than twice.

Meanwhile I've just put together the email with driving directions for my first round of guests whom I'm expecting tomorrow night at 6:30. I just need to wait for a confirmation from one "maybe" and it'll be ready to send. Between now and then there's a lot that needs to be done - prep-wise as well as with activities that have nothing to do with beads or creative gatherings. But I think I can pull it off. I'd better be able to. I haven't left myself much choice.

If you're reading this and think you might enjoy being a part of upcoming beading parties, email me of your interest and I'll include you in future announcements.