sharing and learning

The new buzz word is all about sharing...
I'm busy working on Albion Stitch book three for a publisher I have always wanted to work with, it is so exciting that I have finally arrived at this point. I have had quite a journey to get here. With my peers discussing sharing, I thought I'd tell the story...
When I took the simple picot and pushed it around into new shapes and patterns it seemed logical to give each part of the stitch, and the rows in between a name. This created a simple shorthand language as a way of describing the ways to re-create the stitch patterns. I gave it a name, Albion Stitch. Next I wanted to share what I'd done with the beading world, so I published the books. Anyone who has ever sat down to write a beading pattern will know that to write a whole book takes many months, and to finance the publishing of one is scary!
But I was in love with the new language and all the possibilities so much that it was fun to take the risks. It was also huge fun to teach the stitch, and to watch students, even beginners, reach for different beads and within a couple of hours start asking, 'what if?' and experimenting... not something I'd experienced when teaching other stitches.

I make it very clear in the introduction of the first book that 'If you are familiar with beadwork techniques you will recognise the elements of Albion Stitch: Picots strung together through the tips with the option of a single Peyote Stitch row to create different effects'.

As the books gained in popularity I began to receive requests from designers to use the stitch in their work and to publish designs. At first I asked if they could wait just to give me time to make my investment back and give the books a chance to sell first. Most were lovely about it and held off. Then I asked for a little more time as I felt I still had some more techniques with the stitch I wanted to publish.

My work also created some stormy responses, and some of those I didn't handle very well at all... which is where, I think, a discussion about sharing starts... because at first I really didn't want to share my baby!
Once or twice I was told about classes, one was lifted out of my book and the conversation went, 'Why did you publish a book if you don't want people to use the designs?' and me patiently explaining that lifting something out of a book and using it to make money is just plain wrong and would they do it with other books too? There were also the, 'Oh I've been doing that for years and it's just fringing, it's my work and just because it looks like something in your book, it's not'... Which of course, is reasonable in one way, and an uncomfortable blurring of the rules for both parties in another. Then there was the 'Oh you can't copyright a technique', No you can't, but you can develop one beyond what has gone before, and name the innovation, and surely then you're allowed to be known as the person who did?

I know that picots are not new, I really do! I also know that of course somewhere, sometime, someone will have played around with the same processes, may even have taught a few. This has been pointed out to me, sometimes gently, sometimes not. At best when there is the caveat that what I'm doing is at least fresh and interesting. At worst when it is dismissive to the point of denying me my creativity.

So there came the time for a really long hard think, because the run in's were debilitating, hurtful, and turning me into the person I didn't want to be. I thought about my ego and yes I did a little foot stamping and told myself that people might well have done a bit, but they left it right where it was for me to pick up and run with it, and boy did I run, and boy did it make a few cross!
I thought about the fascinating discussions I'd had in classes across the world. Gently and soothingly  the continuous trickle of enthusiastic emails from beaders who had bought and worked through my books. Slowly I wondered how to take the next, inevitable and only logical step:
Just let go...

Which is how I began the new journey for Albion Stitch, a website where I could share the technique as I've developed it. To invite designers inspired by the work I've already laid out to show and share; a blog where I could share links to their pages and to show students works and have a gallery. Yes it would be OK to have links to buy my books and patterns; but there would also be free patterns and an open invitation, truly and honestly open, to pick up the ball and run with it so the fun could begin all over again. A calm filled me up at the thought of giving out being so much more fun than what felt like defending a sandcastle with the tide coming in!

So, albionstitch.com is up, growing slowly because I'm no great shakes at website building and there are weeks when I search for a way to code a page so it will show what I want it to... beyond frustrating, but steep learning curves are. I've got a free pattern or two ready, sent them out to beaders to have an explore, in the hopes that images will come back of their pieces for the gallery.

In the end, what would be glorious would be for Albion Stitch to quietly slip into the dialogue of stitches every beader has in their repertoire as a way of talking about picots, or laced together fringing.

Martha's Moth

Martha's moth is a design that began life as a question... 'Can you make me a moth?'

sketches for the Martha's Moth Brooch

Not one who finds 'No' the easiest word, however busy, I said yes.
So that question led to a heap more questions... how long do I have, who's it for, how big, what colours, how am I going to do this???
On a train journey back from a bead show, I doodled in the sketch pad. wobbly biro is my preferred way of thinking out loud on a page! I know, beautifully crafted sketch book pages would be lovely too,  but the notes are just so I don't forget what I thought.
I kind of knew about the structure from having made dragonflies, butterflies and beetles with wings in various beading techniques. I spent a summer evening watching the moths to check out body shapes and proportions. In our neighbourhood we have hawk moths and hummingbird moths and it's a bit of a tradition to go down with a glass of something nice and sit and watch them fluttering at dusk.

The finished design

Next was the lovely time of choosing out beads, and my ongoing love of clear cabochons came into play. After a few sessions at the beading board, Martha's moth came out pretty near to the original doodle and is now a brooch winging her way to her new owner.
I had fun trying our some new ideas, so next I have a re-make and tweeking session ahead, to see if I can get the instructions written and workable for my tester to have a play with.

Bead Designers Alliance

I've occasionally hinted in my blog about the frustrations of having my work copied and used in classes, it's not an easy topic to talk about. Mostly because it really, really hurts when you find out about it, and anything you say publicly has a way of coming out sour grapes, however carefully it phrased. So it has been interesting and something of a relief to read fellow designers blogs, in particular Sabine Lippert's honest appeal for fairness. This got the ball rolling, Marcia DeCoster also had thoughts to share... and now many other designers too.
What was refreshing for me, and eloquently put by others, is the degree of fairness and respect we would like to receive. I like the way everyone (designers and store owners together), thought through how to resolve the issues in positive ways.
The knee jerk reaction is 'You'll never stop it happening', easy to say, easy to look away and of course we won't... instead we are starting something great happening!
Now there is the Bead Designers Alliance, I like the approach, bead stores can sign up to support the designers, designers can sign up to be heard and their work seen. Designers are donating free patterns for participating store owners to use for classes; plus access to designers who travel to teach.
The most important people in this cycle of creativity and bead acquiring get to enjoy a wide range designs, buy more beads, find out about the creators and innovators and choose to support stores that endorse the simple fairness of respecting designer's work.
For me, I now have a new sense of belonging. It is good to be able to show a logo, share a web address with the backing of my peers instead of the dreadfully lonely moment of standing in front of class trying to explain the reasons why it is not acceptable to take my work and go teach it elsewhere.
There is a facebook page too, where you can keep up to date with how it's all working and growing... with a banner that changes daily to showcases designers work; today it was my turn to head up the page which made me hugely happy!

windowsill flowers

Gardening and housework have definitely been on the back burner for a while, I'm promising myself

Spirit of Freedom rose

autumn days of digging and clearing; whilst steadfastly ignoring the dust bunnies indoors!
The only real housework was a frenzy of laundry to make the most of sunny days, I love the smell of sun dried laundry, I love how quickly it dries; such a treat after trying to get winter washing dry without the place looking like a permanent, umm, laundry!
But even this novelty has worn off now that we've had weeks of sunshine filled days (bliss!).

A few months ago I bought a divinely scented rose called Spirit of Freedom. Left to fend for itself in a large pot, I discovered it coming into flower in the corner of the courtyard. The scent is heady and perfect rose, and trails through the air around the plant like a treat waiting to be discovered. The flowers, unlike a lot of my roses, seem to last a long time too. You can see one in the little green vase in my latest window sill collection. Along with the roses I've been picking Rosemary, I like the fresh crisp scent and it seems to stop that circus of lazy flies that come into the house on long hot sunny days when the doors and windows are open. You know the ones, they go round and round and are impossible to shoo back out again!
Behind the vases is a teacup... Earlier this year I found a set of blue ones you can see one here in the last picture. Now I've rescued some green ones too, which I found in a charity shop. In the cup is a double flowered Kalanchoe. The florist said, 'Pinch out the flowers when they go over and it will keep flowering', that was six weeks ago and the flowers are still perfect, I think I might have found the ideal houseplant to survive 'beader's neglect'!

Beaded collection

a collection of beaded elements

I know, It's been a bit quiet on the 'look what I just made front'... work is occurring, but I'm not able to show and share most of it just yet.
I did take a couple of evenings out to make something for me to wear... So the story goes like this... a dear friend who is also a dress shop owner and is VERY good at selling clothes. She is kind and warmhearted and makes you feel beautiful, she is also a great sales girl and can convince you that you look fab in a hessian sack! and while you are in her shop, you do, you really really do!
The trick, I've learned, is to visualise yourself standing in front of the next beading class as a reality check.

A visit to her is always a treat and fortuitous in this instance as I'd just had a puritanical clear out of the wardrobe, having dropped a dress size (no excitement, I still several to go! sigh, pass the celery).
Thanks to her, I am now the proud owner of two smart casual dresses, a first for me and in need (of course), of some beady bling to go with.
Time is not something plentiful right now, I'm in that part of the year where deadlines roll up like waves crashing on the shore. But sometimes it is good to allow yourself a little bit of follow the bliss.

Love the charcoal and chalk colours

I tipped out my 'epic fail' box of beaded bits and pieces, and decided to simply stitch some of them together. It was fun to go through them and pick out likely combinations.
I settled for a little pile of bezelled rivoli from a bracelet that didn't work out, which set a colour theme going; a bezelled stone, that was kind of too small for a pendant and too big for a ring; the ring part of a toggle clasp, and a tiny odd beady 'thing'. I liked the charcoal and chalk theme with a hint of moss, so I added a peyote stitch bail, and lovely long fringes.
Not a masterpiece, but a couple of evenings of seeing where the idea would wander and Oooh! it was such fun to get a wee bit random, dare myself to do the asymmetrical thing and play. It was also lovely to not have to think about instruction writing or whether people will like it, to just sit and bead for fun for a couple of evenings. As to the necklace... I love it! it is really comfortable to wear, it had a first outing to the Brockehurst Bead fair last saturday. Plus, it goes with a lot of things too as it completely bypasses necklines, result!