Inspiring friend.

March 10, 2012

As all of you know I follow a blog called "Backstrap Weaving", by Laverne Waddington.  Her last post was about teachers and it got me to thinking...about my teachers.

Although Laverne is one of them, I have another who lives closer to my heart and her name is KraftyMax.  I was a nail tech for years and Max was one of my very faithful clients.  We have been friend's ever since. There came a time when she asked me to be in her wedding, of course I said yes and that has been many years ago.  I have know her since before marriage and children and still find her to be an incredible artist and influence in not only my art, but my day to day life as well.

She is such a generous spirit.  One day, after taking a bad fall off the top of my dump truck (in another life I operated heavy equipment) and being out of work for over a year Max said to me "Look what my mom sent me!"  It was  Mirrix loom and Christmas was fast approaching, and I had noooooo money.  Since Max does bead work, bead work is what I started out doing.  Weaving beads as a matter of fact.  One day I tried yarn instead of beads...and I have never looked back.  I actually never wove beads again either, lol.  She has helped enable all of my arts to be honest.  Everything from cross stitch to sock knitting.

When that loom had to be returned I decided to build myself one, thinking, and not knowing any better, that any loom should do any weave structure.  Whatever, I didn't even know what a weave structure was at the time.  But build one I did!  A Navajo loom, with enough time and reading (Thank heaven for the internet, cause we don't see much info about weaving here in St. Aug., FL) I also made modifications.  Bought and refinished a piano stool to sit up to my loom on, had friends gift me things like spindle's and Navajo hand carved fork's.  And yarn, forget about it, I had, and still have tons to choose from Thanks to the same folks.  I was being enabled all over the place.  lol

Yep, it is friend's like Max who make the world go 'round.  I don't know what I would do without her and I hope that I contribute to her life in some small way also.

There are many others who have taught me and inspired me along the way, but Max was the first.  I love you Max, I hope I remember to say it often enough.  

Here you can see a piece of her beautiful hand bead woven work.  She only does one of a kind pieces that she designs herself and beads them herself.  I love these little neck purse's!