Well you've come a long way since the beginning ....

That is what my wonderful daughter said when I told her that I am moving into a real, genuine brick & morter!

Later this month I will be moving my studio into a B&M!!! Sometimes things happen so fast, and sometime those things have such great potential.

Two of my friends from our Wednesday beading group have rented out a gigantic warehouse space.  This is a photograph of the store front, which is a total of (I think) 5,000 square feet. 

To let you in on a bit about the ladies, one has her own contractors license, is a master potter, fabulous interior designer, who used to have a business w/her former husband where they traveled the world in charge of building water theme parks such as Sea World, and on her own more recently, was building "very" high end homes.

The other is a retired art teacher who continues to teach. She teaches at a local bead shop, at FSU, oversees the grants for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, and is a painter as well as jewelry designer and artisan, specializing in middle eastern design.  They both do classes for children in local schools and have traveled the world. And that’s not the 1/2 of it. Am I in good company?

The place, already given the chosen name "The Studio" by the two "J's", is in the beginning area of a gynormus uber upscale area, and across the street from a private special kind of school.  It has its own water fountain in the lake in front, that is framed by the window in one of the studio rooms, within The Studio!

The two "J's" are ever so generously and unconditionally offering me what is the opportunity of a lifetime even if only to be more involved within their lives.  I'm so blessed to have been lead into the lives of the women of our bead group, which continues to evolve.  When we open in 2-3 weeks, the bead group will start meeting at "The Studio".  The Studio will rent the main space for artists to teach classes, and likely the three of us will be teaching classes too!

The three of us have our own spaces, I will be sub-leasing my space from them.  We here at home are going to rent out what I've been using for my studio (apartment/large efficiency), as was done for many, many years before we tired of it and eventually this became my studio.  The rent for this place will cover the cost of me moving to The Studio and then some, therefore will not be a burden.

So, on the 15th, we will start some minor renovations as we each begin to move our “stuff” in.

They both have awesome contacts that will be invited to our open house, and the exposure as a selling venue in a B&M is hoped to fair well for us all!

And get this... the numbers in our address add up to my lucky number!!!  Speaking of lucky, below are some interesting idea's:

Upcycled Green Number 11 Tshirt Purse

Denny Hamlin Nascar Dangle Earrings

I-Ching Number 11 - Prospering, Peace