People Who Love to Eat are Always the Best People
.... Julia Child
Next
So I wrote about my experience at Alinea in Chicago awhile back. You can read about it here
The Alinea Group actually owns several restaurants and of course we ended up on their mailing list. So, last fall we got an email inviting us to subscribe to 3 event dinners in 2024 honoring the food of 3 chefs at their restaurant NEXT. With the early subscriber discount we said… why not. I like visiting Chicago, and I like to eat.
That led us to fly to Chicago in April to celebrate a menu inspired by Julia Child.
It was an 11 course extravaganza complete with wine pairings and props from the 60’s. Like this TV screen showing Julia Child on a TV episode teaching her famous boeuf bourguignon that sat on our table while we were eating our boeuf bourguignon.
It was a wonderful experience… so stay tuned we are about to enjoy Event #2.
Yes, I Still Make Jewelry.
I closed my online shop December 2023. I haven’t posted on Instagram in 1 1/2 years. And yes, I avoided the studio for more months than I want to talk about. But I have slowly started back beading, and metalsmithing. I plan to get back to lampworking in September as my brain has some new ideas percolating. Anyway lets talk about beading.
On a trip to Italy way back in 2000, I purchased a bracelet at a hotel we were staying at in Bellagio on Lake Como. (I wish I had digital photos from that trip, but alas, the iphone did not make an appearance until 2007) The hotel was The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. We stayed in the Churchill Suite where he stayed during WWII. If you want an elegant old world experience check it out.
Back to jewelry…
The bracelet I purchased was created by ZIIO and their design was a unique way to incorporate seed beads and gemstones together. I was heavily into the beading world in 2000. Bead and Button Magazine was acquired by Kalmbach Publishing in 1996 and they brought happiness to crafters with their monthly magazine articles and tutorials and then their yearly conventions where one could learn everything they wanted to about seed beading and more. So many creative artists then. Yet the Ziio design was different. Of course I wanted to figure out how to make a Ziio design because I thought it would really show off my lampworked beads. And, I did finally figure out how to craft their technique. Never actually sold them because the design was not mine. But I have quite a few renditions that I painstakingly beaded. I enjoy wearing them.
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The beads are placed on wires which are then threaded into place according to the design. Cutting exact wire lengths and forming the loops is tedious. It is crucial that the length of the wire is accurate or the design will suffer.
I made my first bracelet measuring and cutting each length of wire. Then at the Tucson Gem and Jewelry shows I met Miland Seuss who designed tools. Miland has since passed away but you can still find his tools and the tool needed for cutting the wire is called the Miland Accu-Shears. Makes life a little easier.
I’m thinking of putting together some kits this fall for one of these simple bracelets. If you are interested let me know.
Still Hot in Tucson
and this year we have been blessed with monsoon rains almost every day. But that means the humidity is high. Heat AND humidity are not great. I’ve had to skip many of my morning walks and I miss them.
One last musing before I go. Augustinus Bader rich cream is awesome.
