Sunday, May 23, 2010

BEADWORKERS: SEVEN DEADLY SINS - SIN #3

LUXURIA

According to that impeccable source, Wikipedia, in AD 590, Pope Gregory revised the list of the Seven Deadly sins, adding "luxuria" (extravagance) to the list.

Gula (gluttony)and Avaritia (avarice/greed) were in there too. It was hard to decide where to place the 3rd Beaders' sin - but somehow, for we beauty-pigs, Luxuria sounds just right.

I have yet to meet an artist of any description who can resist supplies. And more supplies. A sculptor friend of mine hits the steel yard so often that the guys there know him by name. The vicious junk yard guard dog greats him with doggy kisses. He lives in the country on acres of land and he needs them. His studio is a scrap yard. "A man needs his steel," he tells me. Well, a beader needs....

Oh my. Those vintage Rivolis in a shape and shade they don't make anymore. And look at those new Miyuki colors for Spring and we won't even mention the raku and polymer clay and stone focals we spotted on Tuesday or that shop with the fabulous nail head beads. Our favorite artist has a new book coming out and there's a sale of craft supply cabinets. Oh no! We're out of 18 gauge silver wire and those really classy little headpins and...DAMN IT, we need 40 grams of that greyish-pink bead and there's.. what? 5 grams on the shelf? And let's face it - those crystals we just bought are just not the right shade. Maybe we can...no..no..We're going to have to buy 3mm rose quartz. Wait. Too pink. Swarovski pearls maybe? Do we have any? WHERE DID WE PUT THE SWAROVSKI PEARLS?

If you stopped answering your phone 3 days ago because you're working on a tricky pattern or you bead in your dreams... If you are replacing the lace in your running shoes with fireline and flossing with Nymo, if no one can walk barefoot in your house without enduring random acupuncture via beads you recently spilled on the floor,if the bathroom is officially the only room in which there are no beads, if "studio" is a euphemism for your entire house and you now need five extra rooms - you are committing luxuria. Say five Hail Valerie Hectors and three Our Bead & Buttons. Go my child. And sin no more.

Ha!

Fat chance.

Forgive me sisters and brothers for I have sinned. It has not been long since my last confession but I have continued to sin. No matter how good my intentions are, I will sin again in the near future.

Do the math.
197 drawers containing beads. Tiny drawers. Large drawers. Six compartmentalized boxes. Eight shelves, two desks, kilos and kilos of seed beads, stones, polymer clay, glass and then there's the random...felt balls, silk cocoons, squares of felt, print-on-silk sheets, paints, inks, thread, yarn, wall paper paste, every resin known to man or woman, 20 YARDS of bead backing. And a partridge in a pear tree.

My name is Linda and I'm a Supplyaholic. I am guilty of Luxuria. I will buy  triple A-grade amethyst beads when I have no bread.

I have no advice for you. No wisdom to impart. Perhaps we all need a twelve step program. I mean honestly, have you ever heard of a bead artist who bought only what was needed for a project? One project at a time?

Go on! Next you'll tell me there's an Easter Bunny.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

But... butbutbutbutbut... There IS an Easter Bunny! Right? RIGHT???!

;)

Alright, I'll join you.
Hi! My name is Jewels, and I'm a Supplyaholic... Who's currently in the process of planning some destash listings in her shop... LOL!

LLJones said...

I've been thinking of destashing too.
But, but...what if I NEED something some day and I SOLD it??? (The cry of the hoarder).

Summer said...

Half of my bed is covered with beads. I try not to move too much at night, because I know there is a pair of scissors a foot away from me. I woke up with a swarovski bicone stuck to my arm..

Hail Valerie Hector, indeed.

LLJones said...

Summer...you'll pardon me if I snort coffee through my nose. That's hysterical. Sad, yes...we are a sad lot...but funny.

beadbabe49 said...

but hey...at least we don't need a whole acre to store our "stuff"!

Smadar's Treasure said...

Funny..but so true ;)

Unknown said...

So, so true as my husband will attest, the beads in ever room and the acupuncture by bead (or stray needle) especially. Love it.

Eva Maria Keiser said...

Enjoying your blog, the writings, the pictures...

tinybeads2004 said...

geez, it's sad to be nailed so accurately. OK, I'm a supplyaholic too. I "may" destash one day, but only if I need the room for MORE STUFF!!!

Emilie said...

Just found your blog, and it's great--the writing as well as the beadwork. Keep it up.

SuzyQ said...

OMG THIS IS FABULOUSNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL!!!!!!
Now where did I put that spool of red silamide.........

laulo said...

excellent !!!!! you are as talented in beading as in writting !!! I love your posts !
Hugs from a french seed beader ;o)

Cherry Chick said...

Hi...my name is Cherry Chick and I AM a beadaholic. This is anonymous right??
Ohhh....it all sounds so familiar but I did get a good chuckle from it.
I am not alone..it is an addiction.

Catherine Todd said...

What beautiful designs... no wonder you can't stop! And we wouldn't want you to. The world is truly created by artists, and you're one of them! * * * * *

Maria Nyberg said...

I totaly agree on everything you say. I have never enough and always need some thing new. ha ha So I guess I am guilty of Luxuria.
Great blog.

Jackie said...

I was directed to this post in your blog when I wrote a similar blog post about hysterical laughing... maybe you would like to see that beaders aren't the only ones in need of a 12-step program... LOL!

http://thepleasantpheasant.blogspot.com/2010/08/hysterical-laughing-u-will-understand.html

Jackie

LLJones said...

Jackie...I loved the entry and it prompted me to start a list of links to blogs and sites I like. So, I can now find you with ease! (And by the way - I also clay - and situation is exactly the same. Sad, sad, sad!)

3 Peeps Designs said...

Finally someone has put into words my obsession with supplies! I am going to share this on my blog and share this with my husband... because deep down, I'm not sure he gets "it" or me, LOL. Thanks!

Almost Precious said...

What a relief to know it's not just me and I'm not alone in this hideous (but beautiful) addiction.
I figure if I created one or two items a day I'd use up all my supplies by 2133...do you think I could live that long ?

Tali said...

I prefer this addiction to other ones much more detrimental to my health... Wonderfully written!

Anonymous said...

No way - 197 drawers? I'll trade places. My stash, the stash of a working-class beader, a non-inclusive stash, a stash comprised of just the stuff I like with no "well, I might use it some day" stuff, a stash containing fewer than 150 Delica Bead shades, each of those colors containing 10 grams or fewer beads, no "collector beads" or huge quantities of any one type of bead, no more than a couple-three pounds of each bead type.

Tools, yes, I have tools, but no big deal. I have no lampwork studio, no big 'ol hot-glass, hot metal, or hot-anything sort of stuff. Just beads and supplies. Oh, and books. I do have some books.

Once all was packed, the sum contents of my bead stash required most of the space available within a 17-foot U-Haul truck, including the cab-over space.

There was room left over, though. That gave me space to move my beading chair, beading table, computer table, computer and I still had room for 4 pair of shoes.

Not bad, considering that I've only been beading for about 120 years.

MB

Anonymous said...

Whoops! Not such a hot typist, I guess. The above should read "...I've only been beading for about 10 years." I sometimes FEEL as if its been 120 years, but it hasn't, really.

MB

LLJones said...

Oh. Believe me - you'd need something bigger than a U-Haul for 120 years!