Remembering Tanya; or...

What some crazy folk will do for beads.   

The Background:

Some of you (well, especially those of you coming here through the hop) know about our Tanya. She was awesome-sauce.  Well, somewhere she still is awesome sauce.  See, Tanya (aka, FusionMuse) became a good friend of mine on Facebook over the last year.  Unfortunately, for most of that time, Tanya was very ill.  She passed away at the beginning of this year, and we miss her dearly.

Awhile back, she created a group on Facebook for artists (mainly jewelry, but I know there's other folks in there, too) to have a safe place to come and chat, ask for advice, and just have fun.  Thankfully,  the group is still up and running.  And, after some discussion, we decided to have this bloghop.   The plan was to create something fabulous to remember Tanya.  I have some fabulousness in the works, but events (of which Tanya was well aware) have conspired against me, and I'm running behind. More so now than I was...  So, that's actually what I'm going to talk about!

The Thought Process:

Okay, I was FINALLY well on my way to finishing my projects tonight when the idea I had didn't pan out.  No big, it happens, I'll take another direction.  So... WIRE!  Tanya sent me brass wire!  Yes, I'll play with that!  Hey, I can make loops!  Yes!  HOOP EARRINGS!!!!!  OH YEAH BABY!  [yes, this is how my brain works...] Damn, wire not cooperating... hmmm...   twist here, turn there, wrap wrap wrap...  hmmm...  coil this bit here...  dude, I made a cat...  wow.  he's kinda cute.  KARTER CAT!!!!  Tanya rescued Karter kitty, and I made him outta wire!!!!  Earrings?  Can I make another? let's see...   twist, turn, wrap wrap, turn.... coil....  oh! kinda!  Tail's a bit different.   Eh, it's fine...  Karter Kitty earrings!  Hey, I could but that bead I made in here....  Oh... no...  not really...  hmmm..  okay, make those into drop earrings, and I'll figure out something for Karter kitty [actually, I'm going to use tiger's eye that Tanya sent me... yes, I know Karter Kitty is white, but I like my tiger's eye] hmmm...  moonstone..   yes... needs something else...  TOURMALINE!!!!! But I want that pink in the middle there...  hey, you have all those empty tubes, but the tourmaline in a tube...   Cool.....
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Insanity:

And right there, I dropped the tube of tourmaline (no-longer-strung TEENY tiny tourmalines) on the SHAG carpet....  THIS shag carpet:

You see that bead in there? Yeah, I dropped most of a 16 inch strand on THAT carpet...

Oh, have I mentioned that I don't have a flashlight (thank god for cell phones) and that I'm kinda allergic to carpet? yeah....

Anywho, because these are my TOURMALINES!  But mainly because they're my TANYA tourmalines, DOWN onto the floor I went, to find the beads.  I used a handheld vac for some, but most I had to COMB through the carpet to find.... Managed to get most of them, I think:

I actually found more than this...  

So why am I telling this crazy story in a blog hop to celebrate a dear friend?  Well, it occurred to me, as I was belly down on the floor, combing through my carpet with only my iPhone for decent lighting, that Tanya would get a kick out of this story.  She'd call me a "silly girl," tell me not to worry and go to bed, and, in that way she had, sneakily send me more tourmalines, along with something else I had mentioned I wanted to try. She was just that type of person....

So, here's what I'm GOING to finish, tomorrow:

In the top left corner, a beaded bead I made using rose quartz I got from Tanya, moonstones, and those pesky tourmalines. In the right corner, Karter Kitty, with his tiger eye beads waiting to be wrapped.... I may try ears, too...   Oh, and in the center, the rest of the tourmalines I found...  

Tanya was beautiful soul, and a generous spirit.   Even in the midst of all her own problems, with her health and all, she was ALWAYS there for her friends, and you could always take your problems to her for a willing ear and, if she had it, sound advice. I miss her so much.

The Hop

If you like, (I hope you do!) feel free to visit the other bloggers in this very special Love & Light hop:

Host: Alicia Marinache All Pretty Things

Solange Colling Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry

Liss Silverwing http://lisssilverwing.blogspot.com/

Cherry Obsidia http://cherryobsidia.blogspot.co.uk/

Pookledo www.pookledo.blogspot.co.uk

Rana Lea http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com/ <--you're here...

Leah Curtis http://beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.co.uk/

Lori Anderson http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

Ingrid www.wrappedinsilver.com

As Tan would say, "Love and Hugs,"

RanaLea