Happy Happy Happy Nancy!!!

Yes, I am dancing around and thrilled down to my shoe soles! I had the incredibly wonderful news yesterday that one of my necklaces has been juried into Lark's newest 500 series book, 500 Jewelry!! If you haven't checked this out already (how could you not, with beaders linking to it every which way on Facebook and blog alike??), make sure to go to Amazon or your nearest book store and earmark this book for your future purchase and enjoyment. I am humbled and honored and amazed to be included in this compendium of wonderfully talented ladies and gentlemen of the beading world. Congratulations to everyone who juried in!!!!!

When I received my notification, my jaw hit the floor and then I had a huge burst of adrenaline, and spun around the kitchen laughing so loud my dogs came running to find out what was up. Later on, once my joy had settled into a nice warm spot in my chest suspiciously close to where a heart should be, I found myself thinking back on all of the people, beaders and not, who have encouraged me to keep beading, especially when I felt like it wasn't worth it, or that my pieces were never going to be 'good enough.'

My gratitude for this help and support then brought to mind how rampant thievery is affecting our beading communities. At nearly the same second I got my notification of acceptance, it was posted online that one of Sue Horine's amazing pieces of art had been stolen right out of her shop. All month long, there have been people finding more and more of their patterns, tutorials or designs being flagrantly copied or sold without their permission, design credits not given... on and on.

Let me explain how the one leads to the other in my (decidedly odd) head: Without the support and generosity of my friends, and my fellow beaders, especially those who were quite well known, I could not have learned enough about beading to make a go of anything I made. Several of these beaders were kind enough to teach me things free of cost, so that I could advance myself through stitches or projects that would show me tension or needle control, or how to get those beads to line up the right way. Some of the teaching included tutorials and/or patterns that they normally had for sale, and would have sold me; they certainly didn't have to give them to me. These same people could most certainly at least hesitate in our current environment of thievery, to share the same things they shared without a qualm years ago, and I wouldn't blame them in the least. Giving something freely, or having it forcibly wrested from you... I worry that with all of the stealing and underhanded dealing going on, that we may, as a community, start to withhold the knowledge we have in our attempts to stem the tide. I have attempted to pay it forward always; to teach anything I know (within reason) freely, to share techniques and stitches and tips and tricks... and I will keep on doing so, and most of the beaders I know will, as well. But there is only so much that the designers as a whole will take, and it frustrates me to know that the thieves will eventually make it very hard for the beginning bead artist to get where they need to go.

If you see Sue's beautiful necklace out there anywhere, whether being worn or offered for sale, please identify the person and report the theft. Here it is:

And I leave you with a photograph (taken by my wonderful husband, of course) of Regency, the necklace soon to be published:

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!