...the behinder I get...

July has gone, and so has August....and here I am, finally posting the JULY Bead Journal project. July was a jumbled up month....mostly overshadowed by the decline and too sudden death of my dear Mama (mother-in-law to be technical, but to me, she was Mama) at the end of July. I loved her dearly, and will miss her always...

I actually had my project done before things accelerated and seemed to scatter all over the landscape, but there just was not ever time or inclination to sit and put it up here. Didn't help that the project was yet another that sure did not match what I had in my head when I started!

 The idea actually came from my sister (ah...technically another in-law, but I just don't feel that separation at all) to do something 'beachy' - since it was summer, and I love the beach...so that is what I had in mind. I thought of the tiny symmetrical patterns the sand sometimes makes where it is real shallow on the beach, and picked a pretty green fabric for the background that had that kind of pattern in it. Liked the 'sea' green color too.


Then I added a little starfish to the center....I think they are such marvelous little creatures....like the ones from the sky come down to the sea to live. Then my idea was to have my beads....sea-green and sand-beige kind of flowing over and off the little starfish, like water motion captured as it moved. I really liked the whole idea of it....but alas....when I added my streams of beads, the reality didn't much match my imagination. But...at that point, there wasn't much more to do...but to do...and I added a little beaded decoration all around the edge to represent tiny shells...nah....didn't much work either.
Ah, well...there's always next month!


So...such as it is.....my little 'beachy' project.....

To add to it all - my scan didn't turn out too well (the starfish made the scan uneven)....but you can see the idea....

I have my idea for August ( I WILL catch up!) - and it will be for Mama....have exactly what I want to do in mind....and am now getting my time back to yet another 'new normal' - so hope to have that up here very soon....and the September one too....no pressure.....no pressure.....:-)

Stay tuned....

June Bead Journal Project

Can't believe the month of June is history, and even though I have my June Bead Journal project done.....I forgot to post it. Sometimes I wonder about myself.....hmmmm...

At any rate - I did do something different this time, though I'm not sure it will turn into any kind of 'theme' for the rest of the year....have to wait and see what comes to mind for this month!

Without further ado......

I love the fabric - the colors of the strips appealed to me, so I didn't want to cover them up with beads....so I decided they'd be a nice 'abstract' landscape for a fantasy bunch of flowers...just drifting away from a bed of dark and light green dagger bead 'grass'. I added the stars, for a starry sky, even though the fabric doesn't suggest night - but I just liked the effect!

Now....what will suggest itself for July? Stay tuned.....

A bit of 'out of the box' fun...

After the creativity prompt series ended - created and run by A Creative Dream, I noticed as I followed her blog, that she does many creative things....and one of them was doodling.

Yep, the same thing we all used (or still) do during classes, at work, at church....whenever we have paper and pencil, and are using ears, but not hands....I know I'm like this (not always.....but a lot of the time). I told myself that one of these days, I was going to try my hand at doing what JC does - making the doodles an artistic creation. So..the thought sat and simmered through the entire year of creativity prompts, until....

I got out one of my ATC cards and decided to see what would happen if I just started doodling. I drew a bunch of curved lines in no particular pattern, and then began filling in the spaces with lines, dots, flowers...whatever. It was kinda fun.....like making a picture that isn't an idea first!

When I was done....I liked it - but it was all so ....black and white. Duh. That's what a pen and paper look like - but then I got out my markers (another of my favorite things that I don't use enough), and added some color. Not a lot....I didn't want to fill it up with color - it was quite busy enough without that!

So now it is done! And the next thing is....what do I do with it? Frame it? Make a card out of it (like that, but I've not made many cards...hmmm), keep it, give it away...
Help me out here, readers! Give me some suggestions....(not including 'good grief, Trish, what were you thinking - I've already done that one).

Here it is in all its glory!

This was fun.....and I just may do it again....even think of a general theme....or not...

May Creativity Prompt....

...and ahem.....just a tad late - but that's ok!

This time I have something truly new. Some of you may know I have been learning a totally new craft - and it turns out to have (for me) a pretty steep learning curve. But I persevere, and now things are beginning to progress.

What is this craft, you ask? Ah, it is glass bead-making - and by this I mean the torch and the glass rods that one turns into lovely glass beads in the flame. The videos I watch make it look so easy....but in my hands....decidedly not!

There are a few examples of the 'oops' variety of beads on my beadblessed.com site
but since those pictures I have an entire bowl full of them...lol! I love making the beads, and am steadily getting better at it...

I picked out four (three are promised to some very dear people), which I dress up in some gorgeous filigree caps - two shades of blue, lavender, and albaster pink (love that color!), and this is my 'artist's choice' for this month. Sadly, this is also the last of the Creativity prompts from A Creative Dream - I have SO enjoyed trying to make lovely things to fit the wonderful themes June comes up with. I am hoping she finds another variation on this to continue on with the fun.....have to wait and see.

So, here are my 'Remembrance Raindrop' charms....ready for whatever lovely use you want to put them!

Now to go experiment....and see what new things I can come up with! Stay tuned....

May is done....and so is my BJP project!

I'm just a bit tardy in posting this, but was thrilled to accomplish at least one thing with my May project - got it done in time!

The 'new' thing for this month was to put an edging around a cabochon in the center of my piece. As usual, I made it more difficult than necessary - and chose what I had on hand, which happened to be a rectangle....grrrr. It is a piece I made back when I could afford to 'experiment' with precious metal silver clay...a distant dream these days! It is a little rectangle of fine silver with the word 'wish' stamped in it.

Funny that what runs through my mind when I see that word 'wish' - is my mother saying to me when I was little...'if wishes were horses, beggars would ride'. Guess that was in the back of my mind as each little section of my project was a different bead, a different color, a different pattern....wishing for lots of things...

It also occurred to me that the element I have been 'missing' in all these projects so far is a unifying theme....the 'do something new' just isn't enough....and now that June is here, that's my new goal for the rest of these little works of mine....to find that element to build each one around....be interesting to see what evolves!

At any rate....without further ado....my May project....appropriately titled "Wishes":

Now I'm really looking forward to June.....with a whole new perspective.....woo hoo!

April Bead Journal Project Entry

April is long gone, and my BJP April entry remains kind of bare. I had intended to do a lot more with it - but inspiration eluded me, and I didn't want to just do the same 'fill in with beads' that I've already done. Didn't quite fit with the 'do something new' each month that remains my goal.

So....I've decided to leave it as is....I like the background....I like the frame of little flowers...speaks 'spring' to me. And I love the metal butterfly....who is smack dab in the middle of all the flowers....and I think....that is enough.

So...here 'tis....and I DO know what I am going to learn for next (er...rather THIS) month's project! Hoping for more success, and a new skill learned!

More stuff in the works......finding time....hmmm.....stay tuned!

Yay for Purple!

Cannot believe how time gets away from me.....too much going on, not near enough hours to take care of it all.....or even SEE it all! Whew!

Anyway - this month's creativity prompt from A Creative Dreamer was PURPLE - which is one of my favorite colors....I am definitely a blue, purple, lavender, grey kind of gal - so this one was easy - but what?

Decided to go back to a design I have always loved. I just like it! I had these tiny wooden spools - and some pearl-y paint....so I painted a pair of them purple, then made a teeny peyote stitch strip to go around them....in purple nad pink. Oh, yeah - I love tiny!

Then I went beyond the box.....and decided to try a larger version for a necklace.... a bigger spool - same paint (which didn't look the same - interesting how size changes shades!). Then a larger version of the same peyote stitch pattern....and viola! Casual and swingy - I just love the look. Goes great with jeans....but I bet it would look good with most anything!

So...here are the pics......first the earrings:

and the necklace......

Just can't have enough purple!!!

Now....can't wait to see what the prompt is for June....and hoping my world settles down some...ha!

Way out of the box.....

This month's creativity prompt given out by A Creative Dream
was to make a journal page. Whew. Of all the things I do NOT do,
this is a prime example!

But, I decided to make a stab at it....but in a very small way. As
all the projects for my Bead Journal Project are the size of Artist's
Trading Cards, my journal page was going to be the same size - thinking
maybe I'd include it on the wall hanging I'm planning for those.

I did make myself one rule....I would NOT use beads for this - if I was
going to do something different....make it different! So this became
a treasure hunt for things I could use...interesting was was lurking in
some of my drawers and containers....little wire objects that looked like
music notes, some pretty papers for some project I never started....

...and this is what I came up with....

I actually kind of like how it turned out....some of the papers here are
iridescent, but that doesn't show so well in the scan. but overall, the
sentiment is mine....and I'm going with it!

Wow....wonder what the prompt for April is going to be.....!

March Bead Journal Project

Another month has flown by so quickly....
I've been working on my little project....and have to confess I'm not happy with it. What I meant it to be was flowers blowing in the breeze, with clouds overhead. What I didn't count on was that the beads I used for the sky being SO close in color to the flowers!

Each flower was a different kind of bead, but even that gets lost in the maze here. Ah, well - live and learn. I also was going to do something 'new and different' with each project, but then ended up that this one is the same kind of thing I did for February.

That's all good, for everything is a learning experience....and I will take that with me into April....

So...here it is....my little flower garden...

Any feedback greatly appreciated!!

....til next time....onward and upward!

February Gone Already?

I had them done....really! But, what I didn't have is time....time to fuss with the pics, to sharpen and color-correct them. Someday, I'll learn enough to use a camera and have them turn out!

At any rate....I am part of the Creativity Prompt - a fun and creative way to celebrate each month with a different word - and February's word was appropriate - "LOVE"

I have been trying to learn new things for both this monthly idea and the Bead Journal Project.....so this month, I tried a brand new stitch - the Diamond stitch....and ended up doing variations on a theme!

I chose amythest crystals and fire polished beads - as that is February's birthstone (and I am a February person), and hearts to symbolize love....

First I did a single motif:

I quite liked how the stitch made it's own little diamond pattern, just from the difference in size of the beads, and how they were strung on the thread - the smaller beads making the corners. This variation was seed beads and 4mm crystal bicone Swarovski beads, with a dangle of a little iridescent heart (I LOVE these little heart beads!)

Then I thought....hmmmm....how would this pattern look doubled up? So....that became variation two:

I liked this version too....thinking this is my favorite. I doubled the motifs and put them in a vertical orientation....using the same 4mm Swarovski bicone crystal beads, and darker color seed beads for the corners. I also doubled up on the hearts....the little heart beads are a transparent amythest color on one side, and iridescent on the other....neat!

Then...of course, I started wondering how it would look with bigger beads? I just happened to have some 6mm fire polish round beads....so that was the third and final variation on the 'love' theme.... This was ok....but not my favorite - guess the 6mm are just a tad bigger than I would like to wear...I'm into 'little'. This version is back to just one motif, but tripled up on the heart beads....different look entirely.

I had a lot of fun trying out the different variations, and now the pattern is firmly in my memory, so I won't forget how to make it.....I'll for sure be using this pattern in more designs in the future!

Now....wonder what the prompt will be for March???!!! Stay tuned!

February Bead Journal Project

It is hard to believe that February is almost over....how can a month drag along and yet be gone so fast?

This month my intention originally for my Bead Journal entry for this month was to learn how to make a bezel out of beads to surround a larger bead on my tiny canvas. Well, obviously I need to do more research on how to do that....somehow it never looked right, so I went to plan B.

Plan B? Um.....it just evolved. I had already glued down some pretty flat back 'jewels' on my very pretty fabric (just love dark blue and purpl-y red)....and then I just started to surround the gems with seed beads....I had some pretty mettalic blue beads..some transparent red ones, and some iridescent ones that seemed a bit of both! Outlining became swirls, became circles of beads....and I knew I wasn't going to stop until I had filled up the entire canvas with beads!

I'm still far from proficient at doing this bead embroidery thing - I was forever going back and tacking down beads that threatened to pop up....maybe I tried to lay down too many with not enough anchoring threads? But, boy, It was fun! And it didn't take nearly as long as I was afraid it would!

I did get a heart-shaped bead in there - that was my starting point....a little bow to February and Valentines... and my 'jewels' were pink....also seemed so 'february'...lol!

So...here 'tis! My February Whirls and Swirls!

I'm very happy with this....and I did something totally new....part of what I want from this whole project....and now I'm looking forward to March....and hopefully...spring!

January - Bead Journal Project

This year I decided to join in on the Bead Journal Project
and stretch my skills and imagination, trying something a little different. This promises to be a fun thing - to create a new project each month - one that incorporates beading in it.

I decided to make my 'journal' be a collection of little fabric covered canvasses the size of Artists Trading Cards. Not too big that I can't finish in a month's time (along with everything else in my life...lol), but big enough to try out a new technique...new beads...new sizes....the possibilities are endless!

This first month was easy - as far as being 'new'. Everything about it is new to me. I have never done bead embroidery - ever. Trying to create a scene with beads - new. Trying to make the beads stay where I put them - new. But FUN!

My little canvas this month represents a new year.....the focal points are the sun's rays in white spreading out from the corner, each ending with a clear or yellow crystal bead....I saw them as chasing away the white seed bead snowflakes that float on the right side on my canvas....and below is the snow-covered land, creadted with white and light blue seed beads. New project, new beginnings, new year, new blessings and promises to come....that's what I see when I look at it!

Here it is......

Size-wise, these are a little bigger than a business card - and I am so pleased with my first foray into this new medium!
Can't wait to try out the new thing I have in mind for February!

January Creativity Prompt

Wow...how time flies! Could not believe how long it's been since I last posted. Have to correct that...

I missed the December creativity prompt - not because I didn't actually try to do something for it....more that what I did just didn't measure up - even to my sometimes low - standards. I didn't want to put smething out here that I ended up not liking.

But...now it's a new year, and a new prompt from the Creative Dreamer Blog
The January prompt was very appropriate - "WHITE" - sure fit for around here with all the unusual snow and wintery stuff that's been going on.

So...I started to play around with white beads....and crystals....thinking in a 'snow and ice' mode....gave up on seed beads, and went back to my favorite Delicas...and thought...hmmm....beaded beads! So that's what came about. I made a small peyote stitch tube to make a thin tube bead....and the 4mm crystal bicones snugged right up to the ends like they were made for each other. Then I thought...I need a shorter, chubbier beaded bead...and that turned out really well....just right for the 6mm round crystal beads I had. Just had to add a little more sparkle by adding a dangle of all crystals....and the three shapes and combinations came together beautifully, I think!

So...without further ado.....here are my January White Earrings!


I am really pleased with them.....winter white without the cold!