This is a Bead Soup giveaway from Pretty Things I'm in love with. How great are the little car connectors? If you wanna know more, check out the Pretty Things website by going to http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2012/07/finally-five-bead-and-button-bead.html This is just one of many jewelry making challenges I am embarking on this summer. I will keep you updated with the finished products as I complete them. The following necklace is a piece I created for a finished item swap in May through Bead-Swap USA. Each member of the group was paired with another person, and we swapped finished products with each other. Our next bead swap challenge is a "bead soup." Each person sends the other person a selection of beads to use. We use those beads to create something and then send them back to our partner. Pictures will be forthcoming as the beads are mailed and the pieces are completed.
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This past month (June) marks one year that I have been working on my business full time. In some ways, I can't believe it has been a year already. And in some ways it feels as if it has been about a million years. It's been alot of hard work, but I've had a blast and I have learned lots of things along the way.
1) Teaching is hard work. I thought I was prepared to teach. I know how to design jewelry, I've been doing it for a long time. I love people. I've taught before. I spent an entire year of college co-teaching the 3 and 4 year old Sunday School class at my friend Annie's church. In my mind I was practically an expert at the whole teaching thing. Oh how wrong I was. What I didn't realize was that teaching takes more than just knowledge and a passion for something. It takes troubleshooting (and patience). It takes a vast knowledge of available resources (and patience.) It takes practice, practice, practice (and patience). It takes a willingness to go above and beyond for your students, and did I mention patience?! Luckily for me, I found that through practice and patience, that it is the greatest job in the world. Which leads me to lesson #2: 2) There is nothing better than watching a student not only learn the lesson, but love the learning!! During one of my adult classes last week, some students and I were standing in the aisle at Hobby Lobby discussing the different options available. One of the girls and I were talking, and she told me about the exact moment she got hooked on making jewelry. And it was such a great moment for me. Not that I had taught her how to make the jewelry, but that I had helped her develop a love of creating beautiful things. My senior students often get frustrated at their physical limitations. I don't blame them. There are days where my hands just won't do what I need them to do. But it is absolutely AMAZING to see them stick it out and create something they love. My favorite moment is that spontaneous "Hot diggity dog!" that pops out when they're done. There's just nothing like it! 3) We can never be too afraid to grow or learn new things. My grandpa told me a long time ago that you should always try to learn one new thing a day. Being a young whipper snapper, I didn't get it. I just wanted to be done with school and out in the world using my current knowledge. As I have grown up, I have learned that it is fun to learn new things, and that there is this hunger inside of me to continue learning. I can't be a better teacher unless I'm willing to learn along side my students. There are times when they know more about something than I do. And while that is humbling to admit, its good to realize that I still have lots of room to learn. This has been a wild ride, but one I am so thankful I have gotten to take. I have no idea where this next year will lead me, but I'm excited to take the next step. And I know that if I'm following God's will, ther |
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