A Too Long a Wait Update
October 30, 2016
I know it’s been forever since the last update. This post has some of my latest work. This makes me happy. Right now I need all the happy (and orders) I can get. My mom is slowly losing her memory. It’s not Alzheimer’s, but part of the aging process, I’ve already cut back to part time, and have to “retire” at the end of the year due to her care. Since I’m only 51, I need another form of income that allows me to be at home. Orders and referrals are appreciated, and you can find me on Instagram and my store .
Also, I will be a vendor at an event on December 3rd, in Laurelton, Queens NY. The hours are 1-5PM, at the Tulip Hall, 219-15 Merrick Boulevard.
Found some wonderful pieces at the NY Whole Bead Show a few weeks ago. Fortunately, I won passes, and managed to find a few hours to get out of the house. It was so worth it. Even stayed under budget.
Inspiration Station – Yes It’s Been A While
November 15, 2015
I’ve no idea where to begin. This year has been a collection of ups and downs.
My mother has been ill with several problems this year. She is feeling better, but still has a few more tests to take. She remains stubborn, which I’ve learned is keeping her as healthy as possible.
Unfortunately this meant I couldn’t participate in any shows. With the holiday season underway, mail, FBook and Twitter blitzes are my main routes for advertising. Managed to start a YouTube channel (click to see) and posted my first how-to videos.
Work is, well, work. The company I work for expanded. While it’s great to have the additional space, it’s created more anxiety about income and more bills with additional equipment and employees. A lot of change in a short period of time–and sadly I don’t enjoy work as I once did. (But that’s another story for another time.)
The good news is I made it to Beadfest this year. Took 3 classes, all great fun. Of course new beads were found, chatted with new people and there is at least a dozen design ideas in my head/sketchbook. AND I had the chance to catch up with my friend E, just before she had her first child. Wooo!
The other good new is I’ve discovered two new fandoms to follow: Sherlock and TopGear(Classic) on Tumblr. These kids, (and I mean kids–most under 30) are a hoot. You know you’re mature when you read a post that uses the term “derp” and have no clue what it means.
Hopefully Thanksgiving to Christmas will be relatively peaceful. Pray for Paris, and the rest of the world.
Peace,
Rosalind
#Pantone Color of the Year 2015 is…
December 13, 2014
Spicy Marsala!
Yes the cousin of red and brown is Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015. You can read Pantone Company’s announcement HERE
Marsala is an interesting choice. It conjures up a tasty dinner on a cold winter night. It’s that color where you need something sophisticated to wear, yet not gold, bronze, silver, or the standard black. It works well with those colors also: a marsala tunic blouse with a gold or silver belt with a gray skirt-perfect for happy hour.
For beading, marsala is one of those colors we don’t often run to. I find myself working with tried and true color families, the blue, red, off-white, lighter browns, and the greens. While organizing my stash, I came across some cubed delica beads in a bronze, very close to marsala. Hmm…another project for my 2015 list.
In other color news, if you need the perfect gift for the jewelry design artist in your life, RUN to your nearest bookstore (or order online from you know where, or just go to MargieDeeb.com) and get Margie Deeb’s latest: The Beader’s Guide to Jewelry Design (Lark Books). Margie Deeb is an expert on color theory, and teaches classes around the United States. She is also an art director, graphic designer and a musician. This book should be one on the must have list for the beader’s library. I own her other book, The Beader’s Color Palette, and reference it regularly. (I also had the pleasure of taking a class a few years back. If you get the opportunity, take it.)
With the Design Guide, Ms. Deeb posted questions on social media and to her newsletter subscribers. Some of the responses appear in the book. Therefore, it has the feel of a cooperative effort. It also allowed folks to pose the questions/quanderies everyone has, but no one wanted to ask.
The book is set as a pathway. It begins with “Unity” and proceeds through topics such as “Balance”, “Shape”, “Color” and concludes with “The Creative Journey”. Along the way there are challenges to help the designer understand the chapter and experiment. I admit I have not finished the book (just getting to “Balance”) but it’s one where I know if I have to set it aside for a bit, or review, it’s okay. I’ll probably discover something new anyway. 🙂
2015 here we come! New color, new reference guide, new year!
I am donating 10% of all December sales from Pond’s Edge Designs to Feeding America.org.
Yes, Tanya Mercado and I will be on the air next Friday 12/19/14. Then off until after the holidays.
Be safe, happy, healthy and creative this season. See you next month!
Inspiration Station – October 2014 #color trends
October 22, 2014
Holloween is next week. What?! I’m not ready. I’m looking for July weather. What happened?
Yes, I admit that denial has set in. It feels summer went too quickly. My hope is winter goes just as fast. To cheer the mood, let’s talk color! For those who follow Pantone’s selections, the 2015 Color hasn’t been named yet. However, if you follow home decor trends, a Color Trend for 2015 is available–for a hefty price. (Visit http://www.pantone.com) for details. To learn how event planners and other interior designers track the trends, check out this article.
Out of curiosity I peeked at Benjamin Moore’s color of the year 2015 – It’s Guilford Green. BMoore’s color trend guide is a flipbook that’s user friendly. (Take a look here.) Anothther interior color on this trend is Meditarranean Blue. I used Benjamin Moore’s Chocolate in my studio (as trim color), and I love the no-fume formula.
The one factor regarding Fall I can appreciate is color. The trees go out in a blaze of red, yellow, orange and brown. The reeds near my house transform from green and black spears to almost pastel brown and white:
From green to off-white. A drastic change as the weather turns.
Speaking of brown, I challenged myself to use a brown color palette discovered via tumblr. A fellow TopGearist, proposed a color palette based on a scene (click on the photo to visit their blog):
Top Gear Color Palette
At the NYC Whole Bead Show, I found several perfect beads/focals that fit. Leaning toward a bracelet. Also found some great ideas for another TG palette, based on the Burma/Myannamar special. Once it’s complete you will see it here first!
Inspiration Station – August 2014
August 22, 2014
What a summer! Did we have one? Here in my neck of the woods, there have been maybe 3 days that could be considered hot. Otherwise, it’s been cool nights and rainy days. I’m not complaining, I’m enjoying it. Anything is better than winter–anything.
One summertime event I’m bummed to miss this year is BeadFest in Philadelphia. BeadFest is a 4-day bead and art show full of classes and serious shopping. It’s my go-to event to stock up on supplies/tools, meet fellow beaders, and find new fun, funky pieces to create with. If you are in the Oaks, PA area, the show continues tomorrow and Sunday (Aug23-24).
As a consolation, I’m heading to my local bead shops in the morning, but it won’t be the same.
So what else is new?
Another fantastic event is coming up in September 27: Mrs Jax Shop & Sip is back in Elmont NY. Each event is a fundraiser for a specific charity. The past two were for BASICS International School. September’s event is for Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue. If you’re in the area, come by!
Tickets are $5, a portion is donated to the animal rescue. There will be raffles, certificates for free vaccinations, good food, music, and of course shopping! A donation box for pet toys, cleaning supplies, pet food will be onsite also.
I found some interesting artwork at the NYC Public Library. Peter Bynum’ Illuminated Paint. I may stop back tomorrow and take another look:
Here’s another:
Wishing everyone a safe, fun, remainder of Summer!
Inspiration Station – June 2014 part 2
June 20, 2014
Woooo! June is busting out! The MrsJax Shop & Sip event was a success. Made the most I ever have at a show. It was fun meeting the other vendors, seeing an old friend, and meeting new and current customers.
I found a new webhost: Jewelspan.com is the new home of Pond’s Edge Designs. Still transitioning products, but it is working. A few new cufflinks and home decor/gifts are already available. You can click on the pen photo to see the new shop.
My most popular items, the Fashionista Pen
Men’s line is launched!
Next up is the next episode of the Eclectic Experience! I’m bringing back the hotties! It’s how the show got started so I’m going back to my roots. There will be two divisions: Domestic and International. You can post nominees as a comment here, or visit my FaceBook page (facebook.com/shyrosalind) and post there. Within the next week I will have a poll set up. Voting will only be for a few days at most, then the show. In the meantime, take a listen to the lastest Raise Your Glass with Tanya Mercado. We chatted with the crew from the new film “A Life for A Life” premiering at the Manhattan Film Festival July 1.
Inspiration Station – June 2014
June 1, 2014
Great googly boogly! It’s June already??
Well, a few things to crow about:
1.Did my first radio show since my hiatus – talked about Jeremy Clarkson and the Nigerian schoolgirls. Update: Clarkson dodged the bullet and still has his job. The schoolgirls have been found, but a full blown rescue mission may result in more harm than good. Therefore delicacy is the method. At least they’ve been found.
2. My next appearance for Pond’s Edge is this Saturday, June 7. Once again with MrsJax Shop&Sip, but at a new location-Mineola NY. Click here for tickets and directions. This event is a fundraiser for BASICS International- a school in Ghana founded by Queens NY native Patricia Wilkins. Ticket and raffle proceeds will be donated to BASICS. Ms. Wilkins will attend this event so if you want more information about BASICS, this is your chance.
3. Started a herb garden this year. Well, okay, I added to what we already had-sage. We have several sage plants in a section of the yard. This year I added thyme and rosemary. Hope they thrive so we can have some more herbs for the summer/fall.
4. Searching for a new store host. It’s harder than it seems. The few I looked at so far are either expensive, not user friendly or both. Another project to add to the ongoing list.
Dear Daily Mirror, If you want to profile a racist, let me give you some names:
Cliven Bundy – Nevada cattle rancher who declared that Black people were “better off as slaves”. Defiantly broke several federal land use laws and refuses to pay his rent for his cattle grazing land.
Donald Sterling – Owner (soon to be former owner) of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. Was caught on tape ranting about black people by his now ex-girlfriend. As of today, his latest statement was “I should have paid her off.” That’s just here in the United States-and no need to tap their phones or dig up old unused video footage.
By the way, I took a quick visit to Wikipedia and there’s quite the list of hate groups in the U.K. As for politics, The British National Party appears to be the twin of the U.S.’s Tea Party. Surely you could use your investigative reporting to find a real racist or two there. Oh, never mind, The Guardian did in 2013. But it can’t hurt to revisit this topic.
There is one name that doesn’t appear: Jeremy Clarkson
I visited the Mirror’s website and watched the footage. (How much did you pay for that unused video? Smells like someone has a grudge.) It’s obvious Clarkson censored himself. The point where the n-word would be is garbled. Add the fact that forensic staff had to review the tape to figure out what the word was–this isn’t a story.
As a Black American, I hear the n-word on a daily basis. The sad thing is that it’s not white people using the word. Unfortunately when rap music took a turn for the worse, we began referring to each other as n—–. There is now an entire generation that has lost sight of the meaning of the n-word. As a result, we no longer respect each other. Now those who would have otherwise kept their racist opinions to themselves have begun to spout them publicly.
This is the true issue to discuss: How do we as black people regain the respect we had for each other? How do we get across to our children what the n-word really is and why we should NEVER address another person with a slur.
Should Mr. Clarkson have used another word–of course–he could have said “piggy” (which is how I learned that nursery rhyme). He claims he asked the production staff to edit out any offensive sounding words. And as I mentioned it’s obvious on the tape he censored himself. There is a line between offensive and sarcastic, sometimes it’s very thin, sometimes it will be crossed. But this time it wasn’t crossed at all. I appreciate Top Gear’s non-politically correct humor, the cars, and the adventures. Leave Mr. Clarkson alone. Find a real news story.
Rosalind B
Welcome Spring!!!!
Finally, no more ice, no more shoveling. Spring rains have arrived, cleansing the earth. Tulips, daffodils and other flowers are pushing up, dotting lawns with green. Spring also means I’m back on the road. My first personal appearance for 2014 is MrsJax Shop&Sip – The Metamorphosis Event. April 26, in Elmont NY. You can purchase tickets HERE. There will be a gift basket raffle, DJ rocking the tunes, and other great vendors.
I have to give a shout out to Love Being a Lady. Tomorrow (April 5)is their Big Hat Brunch and Shopping Expo. The first 50 attendees will receive Goody Bags filled with great stuff from me and other vendors. 10 special “Lucky Ladies” will find an amazing offer from me in their bags.
In other fun news, I received wonderful feedback regarding my men’s/home line from an artisan gallery in Manhattan. Yes, Pond’s Edge is hitting the big leagues! Date to be determined, but once booked, you’ll hear about it first. In the meantime, pop over to my Facebook page, or Twitter (pondsedgedesign) or Pinterest.
New Logo!
Enjoy Spring! Hope to see some of you at MrsJax’s Metamorphosis!
Peace,
Rosalind
Inspiration Station – March 2014-Health&Creativity
March 1, 2014
Yes, I will confess – things have been rough the past month or so. Fell completely off the health wagon. Sugar cravings through the roof. Ran around helping everyone else(I didn’t mind-and would have no matter what.) and neglected myself a bit. It was clear something was off because I stopped beading.
That’s right- I stopped beading for almost a month. Came home, showered, ate/overate, crawled into my comfy chair and binge-watched “Top Gear” “Hotel Impossible” and “Rev Run’s Renovation”. Hell, I even peeked at “Thicker Than Water”–that show was my rock bottom.
Went in for my annual checkup. The good news- I did not gain any weight over the past 6 months. The bad news-failed my blood test-(I am pre-diabetic)-and my Vitamin D level was almost zero.
So, going off the sugar again (gradually). It’s easier this time since there are so many more yummy choices than a few years ago. Artificial sweetners are a no-no. They’re worse than real sugar. I started Vitamin D therapy. The initial doses are so strong they had to be via prescription. Egg whites keep me full during the day at work. Almond drink (not milk) in my cereal on weekends tastes great and no need to add sugar. Yes I jones for some chocolate and allow myself one if it gets really bad. But it hasn’t been that bad lately. Walking as much as possible-can’t wait for spring so I can do more.
The best part: I’m back to beading, and promoting my business. And just in time. I have a show at the end of next month, and two others to send samples out for. However I decided to take a hiatus from my radio show until mid-spring. Between the other checkups, the events, work and family something had to give for a little while. Believe me I already miss it.
So today’s lesson: be good to yourself, go to the doctor, eat right and excercise. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid or feel guilty saying “Hold up, I need a break.” A healthy artist is a thriving artist.
Oh I did have another adventure with city government. The fire hydrant in front of our house broke. Fortunately NYC Sanitation and DEP came out at 10PM and worked on it, broke up the ice, and put down special ice melt. Our fence is covered in ice, but it is pretty:
We have a solid fence at the moment.
Peace, Love & Soooooul,
Rosalind
Rosalind's Studio 