As I have been writing my last newsletter of the year and finalise big events in our lives (the house move is going ahead- fingers and toes all crossed) I have been thinking about the year past and the year ahead.

Sadly in 2013 I lost a good friend, and the beading world lost a great artist, when Merle Berelowitz died.

Merle had kindly gifted me some of her wonderful hand-painted flowers and I had used them to make a lariat, the instructions for which were to be sold by Merle as a kit with some of her flowers.

Sadly Merle passed away before that could happen and the instructions have sat on my computer ever since.

Thinking of the events of this year, and the colourful and fun person Merle was, as well as her infectious love of beading and flowers, I realised that the instructions would be best realeased so they could be used by beaders to bring more colour and flowers into the world.

The instructions are a gift from me to you in honour of Merle and I hope they bring some extra colour, beauty and light into your life.