I could never have imagined all those years ago when I first picked up beads just where they would take me.

Today I found myself in the incredible situation of flying from Tucson (working with Kate McKinnon on our book) to Denver, Colorado, to film some beading video workshops for Beadwork Magazine for whom I am one of the Designers of the Year.

Pretty much all of that statement seems unreal to me. Actually, never mind 11 years ago; I would have found it impossible to believe 20 months ago.

When I finally decided enough was enough and walked away from Bead magazine, I had no idea what was in my future. It was a decision that had been a long time coming but I decided to put my health and sanity first and thanks to a very, very supportive boyfriend I was able to walk away and see what the world had in store for me. Apparently this was it and as corny as it may sound, I do count my blessings. I have learnt in this time that you never know what's around the corner but you won't find out unless you take a leap of faith. Just like in beading- you can imagine all sorts of things, but until you put needle to thread, or life to the test, you never know.

OK, enough philosophy- on with the blog!

It was way back in January 2006 that Beadwork published the first project I had ever entered for submission anywhere. So, of course, I have always had a soft-spot for them, and love the magazine, and over the years there have been many emails and phone calls; so to be able to finally put some faces to names is nice.

Early this morning I caught an internal flight to Denver, Colorado and headed to Loveland to the office of the publishers of Beadwork, Interweave. What a treat!

Having spent 4 years editing, writing, diagraming, planning and generally doing all that needed doing to put a magazine together by myself, at home, on my laptop, in the spare room, it was interesting to see how it's done with more than one person and a whole office to work in. The whole process seemed so slick and it was really nice to discuss, and see for myself, the care that is taken putting the magazine together and handling the beadwork they are sent from designers.

Over lunch we discussed the next couple of days and then it was time for me to head to the filming studio to meet the team, get used to the environment and plan the background etc.

I have no idea just how many hundreds of hours of filming I did whilst working at Bead, but my main memory of it was just how much I have a love/ hate relationship with it and that the best way to deal with this was to grit my teeth and get on. I love it as I truly enjoy teaching and always want to get across to others the pleasure in the work I do and all the possibilites that are open once you know a few basics. As I can't travel the world giving personal lessons to everyone I'd like to, this is the next best thing. I hate it because I feel like a rabbit in the headlights and suddenly become aware of my hands, my voice, the way I stand etc. So my policy with filming is try as hard as I can to get it right the next time as mistakes only mean prolonging it- but hopefully it'll be worth it in the end.

Work over, it's time to head to the lovely Armstrong Hotel in Fort Collins, where I'm staying, and then look for something to eat. A wander through town brings me to Jax, where I enjoy a salad and my first taste of corn bread and a great cucumber martini where they leave out any sugar at my request. Then I head to Al's News Stand which claims to sell 3,500 different magazines and where as I soon as I walk through the door, I feel I have entered a paradise of knowledge.

Ever since I was little and we used to be able to buy one comic a week, but I knew there were more available, I have had an unquenchable thirst for printed materials and the knowledge they contain within. I adore magazines. Any magazine. I find if someone can write well on a subject it can draw me in, introduce me to their world and what they like about it.

I also have this sense of always trying to urgently stockpile knowledge, advice and facts, just so I can be prepared if I suddenly have to step in and rewire a house, raise a teenager, de-flea a ferret or bake a strudel. The thought of these situations arising and not being prepared or not having just the right information at my virtual fingertips in my mental filing cabinet is too scary a thought.

Today I left with 3 magazines on cocktails and brewing along with 1 on treasure hunting/ gold prospecting and 1 on computer hacking. Tomorrow I plan to return for the ones on knife collecting, mountain climbing, moving to Hawaii and caring for carp.