Portrait by Diane Ahern
are beautiful and wise and we've earned them... or so my
dear friend told me as she clicked away.
One of the uncomfortable things about writing a book, for me, is the bio and self portrait. To be honest, I naively thought someone else wrote these blurbs - they always felt a little boastful. Normally I don't seem to run out of things to say when it comes to just about anything (my husband will back me up on this!!). However, writing up a couple of paragraphs about who I am, what I've done etc. etc. is tough. I'm not a self marketing type. It's just too personal. I can tell you about my experiences and what I like, but not what I am like.
So I wrote, rewrote, edited, deleted, wrote again and tried to touch on who I am, but really ended up writing about what I like. When my deadline hit, I had to be done. Now it will be in print - but of the 128 pages, this is the most uncomfortable.
About the Author
Beverly Ash Gilbert is a self-taught artist who believes that anything is possible. That there is an artist in all of us just waiting for the inspiration, the right medium and positive encouragement along the way in order to blossom. That changes in direction and following your dreams and jumping up in the morning bursting with creativity and ideas and excitement about your work is what life is all about.
She loves playing with color and pushing the boundaries of her creativity – sometimes finding new paths to follow, sometimes tripping over her own feet, but always learning. She thrives on sharing what she has learned and helping students blast through their own creative boundaries.
She travels around the country teaching but has her roots firmly planted in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by three creative men – her husband, Jerry and two sons, Morgan and Brandon – and lots of color!
What Beverly loves: Walking on the beach, wine with friends, spontaneous backyard picnics with neighbors, chocolate, happy people, good books and cozy fires, snuggling with her boys, listening to her husband play guitar, gathering flowers from her garden, family movie night with Jerry’s homemade pizza, her macro lens, laughing, playing with color and beads…And I haven't even touched on the self portrait. Now if only I could've used one from 20 years ago... Thank goodness for
Diane, who made me laugh at the wrinkles and sags and rounded shoulders... and didn't zoom in too close!
Here are some flowers for all my dear friends out there - thank you for all of your words of encouragement and positive thoughts. My manuscript did indeed go out. But I am still finishing up all of the diagrams and photos and will then dive into all of my proposals due in 2 weeks. I miss you and your blogs and your musings and your inspirational photos. I promise to get together with you when I come out of my tunnel.
Thank you dear readers for your e-mails and reviews of 
EYE FOR COLOR - Full System
Undersea Volcano is on the cover!
...and on the Bead & Button Show home page banner (click on Photo #2)!.jpg)
I will be at Quiltworks NW / Beads & Beyond (Bellevue WA) all day Friday, January 22 for my first Beaded Colorways book signing event coupled with a trunk show of all my bead soups and fibers. Hope to see you there!
And if you are around on Saturday, join me for my Wanderlust Bracelet class.
Samples from my Bead Soup Collection and Fiber Bouquets
Surrounded by books and beads, Joie and I toasted to a milestone (with a great Whidbey Island wine), then I grabbed a pen and started signing!
In the first part of the book, I share insights and techniques in working with color to help you gain color confidence. There is even a package at the back with 2 color wheels and 6 templates to help you enhance your color palettes! Follow along with me as I go from inspiration to color wheel relationship to creating bead soups with depth and movement.
The 2nd part of the book launches into freeform beadweaving, with over 20 step-by-step projects sectioned into techniques that build on each other. By the end I hope you will feel like throwing out all of the rules and designing your own freeform works of art!
Color is brewing in my studio and the scent of 'Give-Away' is wafting through the air!
Samples from Seed Bead Medley
Fiber Bouquet shown in Harvest
Sample shown in: 
Portrait by Diane Ahern
as I waved my family goodbye. They headed down to Oregon for a mini-vacation... I'm staying home to finish pulling together all of the diagrams, photos, illustrations for my book. It's due to ship out tomorrow evening - and I still have lots to do and am feeling overwhelmed. Then on the heals of shipping it out, I will dive into making samples for all of next year's show proposals. Yes it is good I stayed home - I will get lots done.
But so hard to watch them go.
In the midst of feeling sorry for myself, I received a beautiful note and powerful shot of vasbyt from a dear friend who sensed I needed it.
