Happy Holidays Here & My 10-Year Salute to Braille's Best!
I probably shouldn't blab it on my own web blog, but, I do often tell people I have no business having a business!
Ten years ago, I flew to Shanghai to propel an order for 2000 (that company's minimum) braille hearts. I had no business 'plan,' and no idea if the hearts I designed for mass-produced would actually sell or if we would just end up with an expensive bunch of Christmas ornaments for our tree the following year.They sold!
It was also ten years ago that my husband and I stumbled (before everyone had a home computer) on a braille literacy conference being held in Philadelphia; definitely meaningful to have it in Freedom City - it was certainly where our own braille freedom was born!
Eric and I flew to Philly, leaving our two little boys with a university student the boys knew from the child care lab. Tucked into my purse was a little piece of paper I'd been wagging around for a couple of months; on it, I'd drawn a heart design with the word 'love' in braille amidst some lovely swashes culled from 17th century bookplates from one of Eric's old letter press books. I showed the drawing to a few people that weekend, and they were all encouraging me to continue pursuing the braille jewelry dream, as well as the dream of crossing over the bridge to braille with Ethan, who was four at the time. We couldn't imagine letting him go off into real braille literacy without us, any more than letting him go away to school!
Whew! Hopefully, that will leave me enough time to make (with help from my new high school pal/bff, Sally - thank you, dear : ) lots of fun pieces to take with me to exhibit at the Getting In Touch With Literacy conference next week.
I hope you'll be able to take some time to check out GITWL's site. At their conference you'll learn all kinds of things about braille literacy, contracted braille and where that's going with new global braille codes, as well as meeting lots and lots of wonderfully nice, talented, underpaid braille divas! (It's for the fun; they do it for the laugh's, right?!) And my favorite - meeting 'new' parents. <3
I hope you'll have a wonderful, family-and-love-filled holiday, everyone. Remember to call me if you want to place a special order, but keep in mind my little side trip to Louisville for GITWL, Dec. 7-10. Otherwise, I'll see you on the flip side of the calendar!
Cheers and best wishes,
Leslie, Eric, Ethan and Spencer
Ten years ago, I flew to Shanghai to propel an order for 2000 (that company's minimum) braille hearts. I had no business 'plan,' and no idea if the hearts I designed for mass-produced would actually sell or if we would just end up with an expensive bunch of Christmas ornaments for our tree the following year.They sold!
It was also ten years ago that my husband and I stumbled (before everyone had a home computer) on a braille literacy conference being held in Philadelphia; definitely meaningful to have it in Freedom City - it was certainly where our own braille freedom was born!
Eric and I flew to Philly, leaving our two little boys with a university student the boys knew from the child care lab. Tucked into my purse was a little piece of paper I'd been wagging around for a couple of months; on it, I'd drawn a heart design with the word 'love' in braille amidst some lovely swashes culled from 17th century bookplates from one of Eric's old letter press books. I showed the drawing to a few people that weekend, and they were all encouraging me to continue pursuing the braille jewelry dream, as well as the dream of crossing over the bridge to braille with Ethan, who was four at the time. We couldn't imagine letting him go off into real braille literacy without us, any more than letting him go away to school!
That conference was an incredible turning point in our lives, and I couldn't be more proud to be able to help out the amazing people who pull this conference together every two years on a limited budget, by donating my time making the 'keys to knowledge'.
Over the net few days (and nights) I'll be casting 300 flying book-keys with the phrase "key to knowledge," and will be hanging them from book hooks, key rings and lovely, rich, deep-turquoise satin ribbon for tree ornaments.
Whew! Hopefully, that will leave me enough time to make (with help from my new high school pal/bff, Sally - thank you, dear : ) lots of fun pieces to take with me to exhibit at the Getting In Touch With Literacy conference next week.I hope you'll be able to take some time to check out GITWL's site. At their conference you'll learn all kinds of things about braille literacy, contracted braille and where that's going with new global braille codes, as well as meeting lots and lots of wonderfully nice, talented, underpaid braille divas! (It's for the fun; they do it for the laugh's, right?!) And my favorite - meeting 'new' parents. <3
I hope you'll have a wonderful, family-and-love-filled holiday, everyone. Remember to call me if you want to place a special order, but keep in mind my little side trip to Louisville for GITWL, Dec. 7-10. Otherwise, I'll see you on the flip side of the calendar!
Cheers and best wishes,
Leslie, Eric, Ethan and Spencer
