8/1/11

It's finally time to talk about Amanda!!!

I am so excited to finally break  my silence and be able to talk about Amanda! She has become my closest friend in my adult life and she and I have become connected by our love of what we do among many other things in common.

This month August issue she is the Designer Highlight for Bead Trends. Congratulations to an amazing friend and super talented lady.

I remember the day we got the news. In January we both got a message from Tatia at Bead Trends asking us if we would be interested in a Designer Highlight for the Magazine. Well it is needless to say that right after I nearly stumbled down to the stairs to tell Mike what the email said I immediately sent an email to Amanda. We usually say can you talk????? Now??? We both went through the OMG we have something to say to each other and we blurted out our news. I had been asked to be the July Designer, my big birthday month, and Amanda was the August Designer.  We were so excited, scared, not sure if we could pull it off and a few more crazy thoughts. We were sworn to secrecy on what would happen in July and August. We both agree it is cool to let the current Designer Highlight have their month and wait until the magazine released to stands to tell anyone. That way it is like a special debut each month.

A couple days later I received a hug box of amazing boro glass from Amanda's designs along with a whole assortment of other interesting components as a gift to me. I was completely blown away by her thoughtfulness and support.  I set aside the glass I wanted to buy for my possible projects and a bunch more for future designs.

I packed them up and drove to Beads on Main to share my stash and news with Dave and we pulled some more interesting parts and pieces for my designs.

Not the greatest picture but it's what I have. 
Shortly after Amanda made a trip to Vacaville to teach a class on metal altering and we sat on my studio floor for hours looking at her beads and my entire stash and all the designs I had completed. She gave me her feedback and we picked some of the designs I submitted. She took home some of my stash and purchased a bunch more from Beads on Main and went home and started her designs. She would email the pictures and when she was ready to ship them off Mike and I were so excited and proud of what she had designed. Before anything went out we would get each others feedback.

There is a little bit more to this story but you will have to wait, it will be a cute surprise later.

Please support her with your comments and praise. She well deserves it. Hugs to Amanda. 

7 comments:

  1. Great story! You're both fantastic designers and the Designer of the Month is well deserved by both. Sounds like you two have developed a wonderful friendship...and the pic is great! :))

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  2. Oh my gosh I'll bet you were like two school girls sharing stories of the cute boys you saw at the county fair.

    Congratulations to you both!

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  3. Congratulations to you ladies. And you very well deserve it!
    I follow your careers and love to check your new designs on Etsy.
    I admire you both very, very much!
    Cheers to great ladies!
    Salud!

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  4. It could not have happened to two nicer people. Congrats!!

    Cathy Obbema

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  5. Thank you :) You will always be so very dear to me :) I can't wait to see you soon to hit up our favorite bead store and start working on our next big project together :) Love you, and couldn't have asked for a better beader to share this experience with <3

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  6. You gals are amazing. Two lovely ladies, two talented beaders and you truly have a special friendship. Congratulations ladies! I wish you many more Designer of The Month Highlights in the coming years. :) Hugs!

    Traci Z.

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