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 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!
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.....!
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!
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!
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!
