By Marilyn Parker

Time to Expand Your Horizons

Starting in November you can sign up to receive one of one hundred Bag of Beads. It will cost $10. At the January meeting you will pick up your bag.

Each bag has exactly the same things in it. They will include (but are not limited to) small beads, larger beads, maybe some crystals, perhaps some semi- precious stone, and that oh-so frustrating stumper— the one thing that has no hole, is definitely not a bead, and makes you think in new and creative ways about your beading. Over the next two months you can start playing with that Bag of Beads, get extremely crea- tive and swear under your breath at the person who put the bag together (this year that would be me).

There are only three rules:

1. You must use at least ONE of everything in the bag (including the stumper).
2. You can add anything you like: beads, wire, shells, kitchen sink, or any other thing you want to add.
3. We ask you to bring your work to the meeting in March, whether or not it is finished, and share it with everyone. If you don’t want to speak at the meeting, you can make a little card saying what your inspiration was, what stitches you used, and what you learned from the experience.

The promise of this little creative experiment is:

• You have an opportunity to challenge yourself.
• We all get the joy of seeing the amazing variety and skills of other members.

Take a look at what members did last year with the Different Shades of Cream challenge.