SuperEggplant

I went to Susan‘s book reading at Powell’s the other evening (this one). There was a great turnout, and even more exciting, Susan was generous and organized enough to bring beads and fixings and supplies for everyone to make their own sets of earrings!

I have a confession to make. I was too hot and flitty to focus on crafting a set of earrings right there in the store, so I STOLE SOME BEADS. I already fessed up to Susan, so it’s okay. Also, I made the necklace and earrings based on designs from her book (that’s Bead Simple, you know)! I just love these giant faceted beads. If I jump up and down with the necklace on, I think it’d smack and break my glasses, so I have to be very cautious. I must avoid any overexcitement. Who knew wearing jewelry came with such responsibilities!

I have been inspired by Susan’s new beading book, Bead Simple

And, since I happened to be breakfasting next door to a bead store yesterday, of couse I popped in and got some chain. Now, my beading skills are pretty much nonexistent (I’m lacking those fine motor skills), so even the simple projects are pretty challenging. Thanks to Susan’s detailed instructions, though, I was able to cobble together a necklace (I followed the directions for Citrine Spaces and Sparkles Pendant).
Now I’m going to be on the lookout for more chain (boy, that stuff is expensive) and faceted glass beads! If you know of some good sources, please feel free to share.
Oh, and if you’re in Portland, Susan’s going to be giving a reading/interactive demo at Powell’s on Monday, March 7, at 7:30pm!

Susan, biscuit, and bead book
Oh the weather outside is frightful, but despite the SNOW and blizzardlike conditions, it was a good day. I met Susan and Action Hero Melissa at Pine State Biscuits for lunch, and boy, them biscuits were TASTY. Here’s what I had:It’s the McIsley: biscuit, fried chicken, pickles, mustard, and honey. Super delicious. Pine State opened quite recently, and unfortunately they only have THREE tables in there. You can imagine how packed the place gets. They used to sell their biscuits at the Portland State Farmer’s Market, and even then it was hard to land a biscuit–the lines were LONG, and they’d sell out quickly.
BUT I DIGRESS. The biscuit was sublime, but even more exciting was getting a copy of Susan’s new book, Bead Simple. It is gorgeous and weighs a ton and is crammed full of really great beading projects (and no, none of that crazy beading stuff from the 70s). I am excited to hawl out my little pliers and give these patterns a shot. Really, it is beautiful, and there are lots of basic projects (I am a novice) and thorough instructions. Not only are the photographs yummy, but the illustrations are really nice as well. I am really thrilled to have my paws on this book!
Check out Susan’s blog for more info on the book. She has set up a flickr page for projects, and she’s doing an interactive reading of sorts at Powell’s on Monday, April 7, at 7:30pm.