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!

Red!

This month the 'creativity prompt' from A Creative Dream was "RED". Simple....just a word....but what to do with this?

'Twas a busy month....and by the time I got seriously thinking about this, the month was nearly over...but I decided to try. I had found instructions to make a beaded bead ( I LOVE beaded beads!) out of Swarovski crystal beads.....and had to try it. This would be perfect for my 'red' entry....

I worked and worked.....and failed and failed....funny how the stuff I really, really want to learn is only done so by LOTS of trial and error....mostly error! Of course, some of it was not having the proper supplies....first try I used beading wire - granted, it was very flexible....but too heavy, and I didn't like the result. Ok....on to beading thread....this I could color coordinate....but this time, I think it was too light, and would NOT make a nice tight bead. Sigh....

Off to Wal-Mart....and the sporting goods aisle....needed to actually get some fishline. The video I watched to learn the technique (right-angle weave) used 10-lb fishline. Have no idea what that meant....but all the 10 lb fishline at Walmart was colored....green, blue, red....who knew? So - I settled for 8 lb line that was clear.....and what a bargain this stuff is! I got 700 yards of fishline for $2.50! That is a LOT of fishline!

But....would it work? Yes! Yes! Took some getting used to....and a magnifying glass....being clear is a detriment to finding and getting the ends through the crystal beads...lol! But, I persevered....and got them made! YAY! Now.....to turn this pretty little orbs into earrings....easy, right? Not so much....as the center of the bead is essentially hollow - a regular headpin had to be placed very carefully, so it doesn't pull right through....but oh, how pretty they were! I have since tried other methods of attaching the crystal beads...and am quite enchanted by all the possibilities.....

My photography has a LOT to learn...but I was doing this in laughable circumstances, which I will never tell about....but scanning made the orbs flat....not good. So....here are the earrings.....please forgive the photos....hope to get better than this quickly!

and.....

This was such fun....and opened up a whole new area of creativity for me....and that's what it's all about, right?

Can't wait for the December prompt!!

This Is Just So Cool!!

I found this really cool website.....to make word "clouds" - and I just had to share it. The website is called Wordle and you can either make up your own - or as I'm going to show you - I put in the address of my blog here....and it made one for me from the text on the blog!

I didn't care for the colors they had available....but you can make a custom palette...then do a "print screen' and paste it into a graphics editing program (Paint, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop) and edit it......til it's all ready to put up:

Is that not just the neatest thing?!
Ok....I'll go quietly now....

Now I Can Show the Prize!

A while back I posted about my tiny pearl beads - and what to do with them - here's the post -
and I did have a winner.....my dear friend Barbara. She decided that she wanted girly - pink earrings for her prize - which I made and sent to her.

She really liked them, and is going to give them as a gift....somehow I love that idea too! I didn't want to put them on here until she had received them. Now, she has, and I can now show you what I made....

The bugle beads for these were the prettiest shade of raspberry pink, and the seed beads a pale pastel pink. The 'fringe' beads were a frosted iridescent pinky-lavender, and set the earrings off just right! I was very pleased with them, and think they made a nice prize!


While I was playing around with seed beads....which seem really large compared to the Delica beads I usually use, I decided to try my hand and a stitch I hadn't tried in a long time - the daisy chain stitch. For each motif, I used a different color seed bead - and the color bead that was in the center of the 'daisy' was the same one used for the next flower. I like the pastel effect....

I deliberately made this necklace short....I wanted it to be a 'choker' style necklace - being right up around your neck shows off the tiny flowers, and it is so light, you hardly know you have it on! I did make a ring to match - but trying to scan it on my finger - one hand in the scanner, the other on the keyboard....ah....doesn't work so well...

Now trying out some variations on a theme.....single color flowers - or making two strands of them...longer and twined around each other, with maybe a pretty focal bead...hmmm....
stay tuned!

Just Under the Deadline....

I knew kind of what I wanted to do for this month's challenge from the A Creative Dreamer blog. The creative prompt was "Transitions"....which basically is moving from one state to another.

So...I had some drawings, long on my fridge, drawn by my youngest granddaughters...one age 10, one age 6. They were each so like the child-artist that created them that I wanted to find a way to keep them forever. I decided that the transition would be from paper art to a lovely piece of beautiful jewelry.

The beginning.....the drawings themselves:

The above drawing was from the older of the granddaughters - when she was learning to use the computer. She created this wonderful colorful design, which I have always loved!

This one created by the younger granddaugher-artist, is more pastel, but equally beautiful - and she even put "Grama" in the design. A treasure indeed!

I took the designs, shrunk them WAY down - til they were just over an inch high and wide. I placed pretty twisted silver links over them, glued them down, and then filled the interior with glaze. It didn't turn out as 'raised' as I would have liked, but still made the designs even more vivid.

I colored the backs of the paper, then glued the two drawings, with the circle links together, to make a two-sided pendant. I then took a needle tool and made a hole just large enough for a sterling silver jumpring - and viola! Ready to put on a chain, ribbon, leather....whatever I decide to complete the look for the mood I'm in when I wear it.

This is the one side.....the ruler is there so you can see the actual size....


And this is the other side - I don't think that either side is the "front" or "back" - they are equally lovely and will be such a joy to wear!

I think the "Transition" went really, really well!!