Shuffle | Corrine Kenner's Tarot Blog

Technical Support

Julia, my seven-year-old technical support specialist, has gone through my new Pendulets website, checking links and ensuring that all of the graphics come up on every page. Yes, I felt a little crazy at first, asking a first-grader to review my work — but if you think about it, who’s more qualified than someone whose first words were “dot com?” It’s true! When Julia was a year old, she used to watch the Disney channel — probably more than she should have. She would toddle around the house, asking what sounded like, “Got gum? Got gum?” We were dumbfounded. How did she know about gum, and why did she want some? I think my dad — good old Grandpa Wayne — even offered her a stick, but she blew past him. One day, during a commercial for Disney.com, she started jumping up and down, pointing at the TV and chanting, “got com!” At last, we got it! So anyway, the Pendulets website has received a thorough review from young Julia, who pronounced it sound and whole. In the process, she was also astounded by the selection of gift certificates. “Whoa!,” she blurted from the kids’ computer in the kitchen. “You can get a gift certificate for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (This entry has also been cross-posted at my new Pendulets blog, http://pendulets.wordpress.com.)

What all the best-dressed psychics will be wearing this weekend

Take a look at my newest handcraft — Pendulets! I'm bringing a bunch of them to this year's Readers Studio, to gauge my target market's reaction — but I already think they're the coolest things I've ever made. Am I an egomaniac, or just an enthusiastic crafter? You be the judge! I designed Pendulets to solve two problems. First, I had a huge stash of beads piling up in my house. I started beading with fervor last year, when my hands started to stiffen up from typing 12 hours a day. I needed to move my hands more, in different directions, to break the keystroke habit. Secondly, I also wanted to make beaded pendulums. Unfortunately, that idea had one major drawback: I tend to lose track of the pendulums I already had. They're small, so they get overlooked, misplaced, and forgotten in my tarot boxes and bags. Suddenly, it hit me: I could make pendulum bracelets! In order to develop bracelets that are both beautiful and functional, I went through several prototypes. Choosing beads that looked fashionable — and felt good on my wrist — was a priority. It also took a while to find just the right clasps. They need to hold securely, but also go on and off in a jiffy. These are bracelets for psychics on the go! We don't have time to wait for the future to appear! Eventually, I found some nice toggles and magnetic clasps. I also deliberated about the name. I thought about calling them "Pendularms" — a combination of "pendulums" and "arms." It kind of worked, because it sounds like "pendulums" with a Southern drawl. Unfortunately, the word also made me think of "alarms." There's nothing alarming about my designs, so ... no. My husband wanted me to call them "Penduwows," so I could sell them on TV like the ShamWow guy. He dreams big. (He's also started wire-wrapping some crystals for me, to use on future Pendulets.) I think my daughter suggested the name "Penduawesomes." Eventually, I went with the obvious blend of "pendulum" and "bracelet." Pendulets ... the word kind of sounds French, don't you think? Pendulets work like ordinary pendulums. Simply hold them perfectly still at one end, and wait for them to swing when you ask a question. Like magic, they'll move up and down for "yes," side to side for "no," or spin in a circle if the answer's not clear cut. Unlike ordinary pendulums, though, Pendulets look like funky, handcrafted beaded bracelets — until you whip them off and start divining answers to everyone's questions. They're fun to design, fun to make, and fun to use. I can't wait to see them all in action this weekend!

Black and White

Here are three of my recent beading projects: a long hematite and pearl necklace (it's magnetic), a black and white bracelet done on memory wire, and a little beaded bracelet I made for my five-year-old, complete with tiny silver flower spacers.

Photo credit: Katherine Kenner

Beaded Tarot

Check out the beaded tarot deck by Connie Lehman!

Beadsotted

Tarot used to be a hobby for me. So did writing. Over time, however, both pursuits turned into a career ... and while I still like them a lot, they don't represent "down time" for me anymore.

After a long winter of sick children, bad hands, and general malaise, I took a 10-day vacation to visit my parents in Texas. That's where I noticed an ad for a beadwork class. You know, I'd been thinking about taking up beadwork for the last couple of years. I have a few friends who bead, and I envied their designs and creations. I just didn't know where to start. Beading looked so complicated, and I felt like I didn't have time to learn something new. I also had a three-year-old at that point, and I didn't want to fill my house with little choking objects and sharp needles. Well, she's five now. She can watch out for herself. I took that class in Texas, and I loved it. The instructor, Sue, actually came over to my parent's condo and taught five of us how to make bracelets: my mom, my three daughters, and me. Here's a vignette, with the rolling surf of the Gulf of Mexico just barely visible in the background.

Here's the first bracelet I made that morning:

It's a red, white, and blue flag bracelet made up of tiny Delica beads in a peyote stitch, linked with Swarovsky crystal spacers. I feel fancy just for knowing all those new terms -- and for knowing how to string them together in a sentence.

After that first lesson, I bought my own beading supplies, beading tools, beading books, and beads. I've signed up for a couple of classes at Beadhive Beads, not far from my house in Minneapolis. It's a lot of fun to be learning something new.

Plus I'm already on the lookout for beading patterns that look like tarot cards.