A Brighter Me

You've probably noticed the new colors of my blog. I felt I needed something brighter and more uplifting. Being kinda Goth I lean toward the dark side but sometimes you've got to just lighten up.
What do you think?

Sneek Peak

So, I'm trying hard to not post pictures of my latest designs as they are for a book proposal but it's dang hard not to (I'm sure Jean Campbell would agree as she's posted a few pics from the book she's working on).

However, I find I don't enjoy blogging without pictures....it just isn't the same. So I thought I'd post more of a component photo, parts I'm working on (with some finished pieces around the edges). I've scattered in some Swarovski rivolis which are part of my inspiration. I managed to work on these pieces a little bit last night after I had fulfilled my alotted duty of the day to finish one side of the netted collar I'm working on. The netting can get tedious, especially when you've already pulled it out once, but I'm happy with the result so far.


I think when you have a large piece to work on that has a lot of repetition it's good to just set yourself a portion to do each day then you don't get bored and bogged down. Throw in an interesting quick piece in between sessions.

I need to work on the finishing touches of the Bead Society newsletter today and I really need to get over to the brand new bead store and coax the owner into speaking at our meeting. A breath of fresh air and a pretty drive will do me a power of good.

Something that did me a power of good last night was reading Lisa Crone's Secret Journey
I follow Lisa's blog 'A Bead A Day' and we've become e-mail buddies so I was very interested to read her story which is inspiring to everyone, I think, you don't have to be a beader. She tells us how she was inspired to write her book "A Bead in Time" and the changes in her life because of it. Great job Lisa!

Galleries, Competitions & Submissions, Oh My!

I've been busy, busy, busy lately getting things ready for the gallery and I'm heading down this afternoon with all the displays, packaging and, of course, the jewelry. Finding boxes for the larger necklaces was almost impossible locally and in the end I had to get creative with some gift boxes I found.....until I can get the display boxes from online here...thank goodness for online shopping.

After getting all excited about designing a non-wearable for an upcoming competition I re-read the rules and realised that the entry had to be wearable....best laid plans....grrr! So, I went back to my original idea of doing something spectacular based on my 'Gothic Urchin Wings' piece.

I've been playing with colors, and there are such a lot to choose from! I love the Swarovski rivolis that make up the center of the wings. On this green one I added 3mm Swarovski pearls in Light Green. I can't get the 3mm pearls at my almost local bead store so again I thank heaven for online shopping and Artbeads they get me out of many a design dilemma when I just need one or two things and can't bring myself to have to pay shipping and handling fees that are more than the beads themselves....Artbeads.com have FREE shipping...a no-brainer for me. Thank you Artbeads! I'm still a little unsure of the colors I want to work in but I am favoring all the coppery tones with a dark base.

I'm still getting projects ready for submission to the magazines and I'm busy making the pieces I'll wear for the photoshoot for the local glossy magazine later this month. In fact, my friend and student, Suzanne, and I took our bead boards to the local Starbucks yesterday for a morning of coffee, chatting and beading. I love Suzanne, she always makes me laugh and she's as hooked into bead weaving as I am. So, we sat and beaded. She was making some simple spiral earrings to match the necklace she made after taking my class last week...as usual her work is gorgeous.

I worked on the choker for the photoshoot....I'm now a third of the way through one side of the netted ruffle. It's a slow process but worth it, whether I'll feel as kindly about it when I've finished both ruffles for the choker plus both cuffs we'll see.

We raised a bit of interest as people kept stopping by our table to see what we were doing. I think we may have created a new beader as Susan who was vacationing with her husband was trying to figure out how she could dump her hubby to take my evening class...lol! She didn't make it to class but apparently they are relocating here so she may be a future student.

This morning I had a fabulous surprise when doing my blog reading rounds. I stopped by Marcia DeCoster's blog and there was my 'Chocolate Box Landscape'. I had sent her a picture of it yesterday when I was reminded that I had learned to do layered right angle weave from her 'Disco Squares' bracelet that was featured in Beadwork magazine April/May 2009. I'm so totally honored. As anyone who reads my blog or takes my classes knows Marcia is one of my heroes, I don't think there's a single design of hers I don't like....and that's saying something! She's definitely a major influence and inspiration for me. Thank you Marcia! One day I hope to take a class with her....right now I'd have to win the lottery (you have to live in a state that has a lottery) to be able to it but I am working hard to get my beading business to yield more.

Beadweaving Beginnings

I was thinking back to how I got started bead weaving and I dug out the very first pieces I made.

I did not know what I was doing at the time...I was just making it up, drawing on my weaving and sewing skills....I'd never heard of bead weaving.

The first ones were made like loom work...very much drawing on my weaving skills (I was doing weaving and spinning exhibitions at 11 years old).

The next one I switched over to my sewing skills and this honeycomb was basically done with a variation of RAW...which I had never heard of at the time and thought I'd invented something, well, for about a second and then I told myself it was so simple someone must have done it before. Little did I know!

I discovered bead weaving when I opened an Etsy store for my paintings and some basic jewelry I was making because I'd started teaching it. I saw a bead woven bracelet that turned out to be the work of Sandfibers and ended up in her store gazing in awe at her gorgeous work. The only thought running through my mind was "I want to learn this".

So I Googled. Found online tutorials for the basic stitches and I was off and running. Quick study that I am I had all the basic flat stitches down pat in a week and then started to learn the circular and tubular versions. You could say I became obsessed but I think I had just found the one thing that brought all my previous crafts together and it was and still is exhilarating.

I've come a long way in eighteen months and I know this is what I want for my future. I want to be Marcia DeCoster or Jean Campbell or Rachel Neslon-Smith or Cynthia Rutledge when I grow up. And for the first time in my life I have a determination that seems unwavering which tells me that I really have found what I'm supposed to be doing. At 50!!! As my family would say "About bloody time!" ;)

Honored

Ok...I have to say it....I am so freakin honored to have Marcia DeCoster following my blog. For anyone who does not know, Marcia is one of THE greats in bead weaving...one of my heroes, someone who sets the bar I'm working towards. My Eye of the Tiger piece was inspired by all the golden tones Marcia uses in her designs.....my attempt at beaded opulence.
"Beaded Opulence" is the title of her fabulous book, full of her stunning work. I confess I don't own it...I sneak peeks at it in stores. Marcia also has amazing bead kits available at her Mad Designs web store http://www.marciadecoster.com

Why don't I own this great book? As I've said before I tend to be a sponge and it's really easy for me to not only soak up someone else's style but even create the same exact thing without meaning to...my subconcious can be a copycat so I have to keep a check on it and not give it fodder. It sucks really, because I'd love to own this one so I could drool at the pretty pictures.

Ethics....what ya gonna do?

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.....

Well....actually these are maco tubes...a tiny version of a bugle bead. Bugle beads are taking center stage on my bead bench right now. I'm taking a break from working on my book to make something special to wear for the up coming photoshoot. This is part of a collar I'm making and it involves a lot of bugle netting.

I have two pieces for the book completed, so the sample chapter is coming along nicely. It was interesting that Jeni over at BD was trying to find out who made the pyramid bracelet work by Little Boots on her "Remedy" video as I have a lot of little pyramids around me. Don't have anything like the one Jeni is looking for.....but, it did give me some more ideas for what to do with pyramids.

My vent of the day (and it's a quiet, kinda bored vent) is about people who apologise replete with smileys and winks and still come across as insulting. Do they think they are fooling anyone?

Cock-sure?

I don't know if that's a term known here in the States but in England it means someone sure of themselves almost to the point of conceited.


As I was making my morning latte and reflecting on the response to the first showing of my Petit Paquets piece last night that was the word that came to mind. As in "feeling a little cock-sure are we?" It's funny really because it's like a 180 from the truth. I am chock full of self doubt and it's the self doubt that whispers those things in my ear whenever I get a feeling of being on the right track.


So maybe it's a good thing? A signal that I am on the right track? Gee, I sure hope so because this book idea is not turning out the way I had planned...lol! I had imagined my first book would be about beaded flowers or Gothic inspired beadwork but it seems Morganna has a different take on it and she wants to see shape and form. She's certainly got me excited and I can't wait to see what she's got cooking for the other chapters. There are six chapters to the book each deal with a different sculptural form and a few projects with that form. Now....I know what the chapters are going to be ~ Petit Paquets, Urchin Spines, Corkscrews, Cathedral Windows, Pyramids and Octapussies but how these all will take shape is ...your guess is as good as mine. I have vague pictures in my mind, I can almost see the pieces but it's not till I actually start beading that they come together.


So, though I am definitely not cock-sure, I think Morganna is. Let's hope she's right.


Doing the blog rounds this morning I was catching up on Rachel's blog http://rachelnelsonsmith.blogspot.com/ and discovered she's working on a new book (I've mentioned her hot new book "Seed Bead Fusion a few times). She's writing the proposal and says she has some of the pieces done for it. That's cool....and I feel kinda connected to know that she's going through the same process I am. Of course the difference is she has publishers who are dying to have her do a new book and no publisher's know I exist. Well, that's not strictly true.....the people over at Interweave Press do know my name and have published some of my work so maybe I have a pinky toe in the door. (Boy that would hurt!)

I'm dreaming big....I'd like to be in that upper echelon of beaders who get to do all the wonderful teaching gigs....cruises, retreats, etc. A gal has to have a dream.