Word for 2011: Detail

My life word is: Hope!

My work word is: Detail!
I have been told that some of my work is not as "detailed" as others. In 2011, I plan to change that.

As I look around Etsy at some of my favorite bead artists,
I notice the "detail" in their work.
For example,
Look at Marcy Lamberson's work.
Here's an angel in her shop.
Notice the detail.
She holds a small blue bird in her hand.
Her dress has dots.
Her wings have creases.
Her cheeks are pink, and she wears a green halo.
Isn't Tansy sweet?
Like Oprah says, "It's all in the details."
And she's right!
Skully in Love is from Sharon Driscoll's store,
Right Turn ArtWerks.
Notice Skully's details.
His face is full of hearts.
The hearts are different colors and sizes.
His teeth are wide but perfectly spaced.
Each decoration on Skully adds a bit more detail to his face.
He is Skully in love!

This little ewe is from Nikki, aka Sheep Goddess aka NLC Beads.
She is a Blue Suede Sheep.
Each dot is topped with another blue suede dot.
Her ears are turned over.
She has a nose and eyes that just say, "Love me!"
She is simple, but very complicated.
Each dot adds a detail.
Details!
Look at this sweet 'gator from MayBeads' shop.
This gator has toe nails. He has nostrils and a mouth.
Little green dots are his scales.
His hat has pom poms.
His eyes say, "Take me home!
Yes, it's all in the details.

Meet Melvin from Paula's store, Island Top Glass Art.
Again, details.
Notice the little pocks on his cheeks.
His tongue hangs out of his mouth like he's panting.
His snout is creased.
His eyes beg you to rub his ears, which are each a different color.
Details.
I look forward to adding more detail to my minimalist beads.
Detail!
All right: Hope and Details.
Welcome 2011!

Year End Review? Sure, and it can be said without a lot of words, or so I thought, until I wrote this blog.

All right. The reason I have this bead photo here is because I just needed a photo for that spot. I also happen to like this bead. It's in my Etsy store right now. You can see it here.

Now, on to the real blog.

If I had to sum up 2010 in one word, that word would be:


CHALLENGING.

In truth, that is an understatement.

However, things are going well, and, for that, I am grateful. I feel much older and so vulnerable. I do not want to relive this year. I am shaking the dust off my feet and moving on with my life.


I know that mountains are often placed in front of us to climb, but I'm tired. Climbing that same mountain again is not what I wanted to do this year, however, we must live what we are dealt.

So, looking to the future, my mantra for 2011 will be:

HOPE!

I have the HOPE that life will be better in 2011.
I have the HOPE that, no matter what, I will have the strength to endure and the courage to climb that blasted mountain.
I have the HOPE that there will be much JOY in life, again, along with the LAUGHTER that accompanies JOY, like two angels walking the road together.
I have the HOPE that even with the challenges we will face in our every day lives, we will bring something to the world that will endure when we are gone.
I have the HOPE that PEACE will flow through us to all those whom we love and to those we don't like.
I have the HOPE that LOVE will triumph in the end.

I feel very BLESSED because I have HOPE.