About Me

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for stopping by and checking out the classes I offer at Port Richey Michaels.

The whole knit.bead.create name.

Bead:
I have been making jewelry for a long time but at one point was really into cross stitch. But got tired of it when you worked for 2 hours and if you were lucky had an itty bitty square to show for it. So I turned to bead weaving figuring seed beads are bigger-so it would be faster. That was a mistake I enabled myself and oh boy have I enabled myself. There was a burn out period though and well I took up knitting.

Knitting:
I had learned to knit when I was a kid-but never learned anything but the knit stitch and how to cast on and had no one to teach me how to cast off....yeah...Doctor Who scarves.

When the jewelry burn out happened I decided I wanted to learn how to knit. So I bought some yarn (a cotton one) and some needles (double points) because I wanted to knit socks. Mind you I still didn't know how to cast off and I really didn't know anything period. I walked in a yarn store picked up a color I liked (it was a least thin yarn) and some needles that the yarn band mentioned. NO ONE in the store asked what I was going to make, they just sold it to me and I walked out. Oh did I mention I was on vacation in Savannah at the time. That night I sat down and went online and found some videos on a website (youtube was in its infancy) and did what she did and made a cotton sock. It fit but it was no practical but I did it-I made a sock. Then I figured out what I was doing wrong-whole yarn thing. And now I have a yarn store in my house (hey most of it is from when a yarn store was going out of business 40% then 50% then 60% and 70% off hello).

Create:

After awhile, I kind of got tired of knitting (hello knitting in the high 80's with wool or large objects not fun). So I turned to something I always wanted to do better and that was be artistic. I used to say I was artistic with story telling and writing but I couldn't draw. The thing is I was comparing myself to the people who could draw and do it with ease. I also took Drawing101 and did not do so well in the class. BUT I really WANTED to draw. So I signed up with the local art collectives drawing class and met ROSE- the woman who would change my art life.

 I discovered I could draw! 

The problems with the past:

• I was comparing myself to others rather than focusing on myself.
• I was not drawing what the Drawing 101 teacher wanted it to look like, while the others were. Rose looked at my work for the class and saw something that the instructor did not-I already had a style of drawing and what he was expecting the picture to look like was textbook and I am anything but textbook.
• I cannot do somethings that they teach for drawing and painting-mainly the whole use a pencil or end of a paint brush to measure and get perspective and size. The reason is I am also a very left brain person and it caused the logical technical side to kick on. My mind goes why not just use a ruler! What I learned to do was step back and look at my work and see if it was balanced. 

Thank you Rose! 

And the main take away from all of this- If you really want to do something and are willing to work at it: You can do anything no matter what others say.

I believed I couldn't draw because a teacher (who I thought should know) was saying I couldn't through my grades-but I was not doing what everyone else was.

I was told you couldn't learn to knit doing a sock because it was difficult but I did and did it on my own-it wasn't wearable (the whole cotton thing) but it fit and I was able to get it on and off (okay the off it was like 3x bigger since cotton has no memory).

All of this has lead me to this path-teaching Jewelry and Paper Craft at Michaels Port Richey. And encouraging people down new paths they have never thought for themselves. I have taught a student that she can be artistic and to be fearless with her art. I have passed on what I was taught in jewelry to my students, just not going here do this but explaining why you select things and why one method is better than another. To be an instructor is the greatest reward you can give the people who taught you.

The only fear we all share is self doubt and it is the easiest to overcome. Like Nike Says Just Do It. I say If you love it that is all that matters. 


I hope to see you in one of my classes or hope you like what you saw here and check out your local Michaels!