Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:15:46 -0700WeeblyWed, 02 Nov 2022 17:30:54 GMThttps://www.pgjdesigns.com/paulas-blog/sbaa-acceptanceI am excited to announce that on Saturday, October 29, I was juried in as a new member of the Santa Barbara Art Association for my abstract mosaic style-stained glass pieces.   Currently of the pieces is being exhibited at Gallery 113 for the month of November. ]]>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:22:45 GMThttps://www.pgjdesigns.com/paulas-blog/post-title-click-and-type-to-editOne of my goals this year was to create a website to showcase the jewelry I have been designing and making in the past year.  Thanks to Weebly, creating the website was easy and fast to do. ]]>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:16:32 GMThttps://www.pgjdesigns.com/paulas-blog/first-postI started sewing in junior high - and made many of my clothes for the next dozen years or so. 
In high school, my sister taught me to crochet a granny square, and from there I taught myself to learn additonal stiches and made numerous afghans and other items in my spare time for about 10 years or so.  (I sill have the 2nd afghan I made in my home,  the 1st one was pretty awful.) 

When I went back to  college and started a new career in IT after graduation, there was a group of women I worked with who did counted cross stitch at lunch.  This started the launch of numerous cross stitch, needlepoint and plastic canvas projects throughout my IT career.  I have framed cross stich projects throughout my home.  (which I learned to frame through SBCC Adult ED).

After more than 25 years in IT,  I  started dreaming about retiring and all of the many wonderful craft classes I could take through SBCC Adult Ed.  This dream became possible last year.  In January 2011 I started with jewelry making, as I had become fascinated at the jewlery a friend was making,  She taught me a few basics and I was off. 

I enrolled in Laura Gasparini's Beading classes and Mary Ribet's wire-wrapping class, learning new techniques weekly.  I spent the summer reading, browsing the internet  and experimenting with new techniques and ideas.  This website showcases my journey over  the past year  from simple beading and wirework, to kumihimo, wire crochet,  chainmaile and more complex wire-wrapping projects. 

This year in addition to continuing my wire-wrapping class, I have started to learn basket-weaving and am  re-learning how to crochet by crocheting a sampler afghan to use up some of my yarn stash.]]>