Oooo Shiny . . .

I was distracted by shiny stuff yesterday and put all other bead projects on hold.
From left to right, they are Fringed Tube, Fat Spacer, Chinese Lantern, and a small beaded ceramic.

Here's the fly-over shot - I couldn't get the Chinese lantern to stand up but you get the idea. These are my practice beads for a bracelet I saw in a dream. I know. When you invest yourself completely in your craft, you tend to dream about it. A lot.

More later, as always.

Work in Progress

Just a bit more to do on this one. Isn't that chunk of jasper gorgeous?

I'm going to do scans of these two - the photos insisted on being blurry.


These are the two cuffs I came up with based on the "ootheca" cuff by Rachel Nelson-Smith.
There are several modifications I want to make to them - but they'll have to go to the back of the line. I have a whole basket full of remakes to attack first.

More later, as always.

To Dream - Perchance to Bead

Took me longer to get back to this than I expected - I've been making Moravian gingerbread cookies. Which also took longer than I expected.


Got them all iced and sugared this afternoon, and instead of finishing the vacuuming, I decided to photograph my latest treasure box. I think this one makes ten.

The Healer's Dream

I'm very glad to be working on freeform bead embroidery again. It feels like a homecoming, like walking to the heart of the labyrinth, like finding my center again.

More later, as always.

WorkinWorkinWorkin

The Healer's Dream Treasure Box (in progress)

I'll update that picture tomorrow - I finished the embroidery this afternoon. I'll have the box itself completed this evening, but I should get back to work now. I've started the embroidery for the next treasure box - "Floating In the River of Time" is the working theme.

For now, here's what I did with the "ootheca" concept.


I still need to scan them to illustrate the closure I came up with.

I Need to Get to Work

I've had tons of fun farting around with the Beaded ArtVenture, but it's time I got back to work and make some new pieces for the Etsy shop. To that end, I'm working on another series of treasure boxes - but more on those later.

I have a basket filled with reclaimed, salvaged bead work - one of which was a favorite bracelet of mine.


I took this fringe bracelet apart last week - the problem with it was that I had used some non-permanent finish metallic beads that turned either red or green after a few years of wear. When I rebuilt it, I used much lighter base beads to give it a more cheerful feel. I think the result was well worth the time involved for the re-do:



When one is beadminded, one receives a lot of interesting stuff on giftish occasions - I usually get books. I got this one:

and I'm really enjoying it. The first time I saw Rachel Nelson-Smith's "Ootheca" bracelet I was fascinated - I've enjoyed learning her technique. I made one of these for myself, but for some reason it didn't sit comfortably on my wrist. I took it apart, made two bracelets out of the one and developed a closure for it that works very, very well. Pictures of those next time, along with a new treasure box or two.

Self-Referential? Why, Yes. Yes, I Am.

In 2007, this was my very first blog post -> HERE.

Reading this I realize I never resolved that first issue. The bead embroidered cuff I thought would utilize the black agate stone never worked out. The stone is still sitting in my cabochon tray. And it's been THREE YEARS.

In 2008. this was my first blog post of that year -> HERE.

I sold the featured piece within a week of displaying it in the gift cabinet at the bookstore. I intended to make several like it in different color schemes, and I have a handful of completed leaves in a project box, but no progress has been made there. I enjoyed being a member of Etsy Beadweavers group because of the challenges - when I started beadweaving, there were so few inspirations out there and now it has absolutely exploded. I loved being a member of the Bead Art Originals team as well and for the same reason - the challenges and the inspiration of the group. Here's the thing, though - I'm crappy at group participation when it comes to the marketing end of stuff. I have an unpredictable work schedule that makes my beading time (and output) very uneven, and I never know what my personal availability will be so I can't make any time commitments (like chat room trunk shows and what not).

Now here's my first blog post for 2009 -> HERE.

I broke all those resolutions except one: I did not beat myself up over it. I managed to drop about 30 of the 90 pounds I needed to lose to help my energy levels and overall health (and shut my doctor up), but I think that's because I never made a resolution about it. And I won't this year either. Of all those beaded bead necklaces I made, only ONE of them sold. I'll keep them up for sale on Etsy and in the gift cabinet a while longer - maybe through Valentine's day - and then cannibalize them.

I've also figured out I don't need to post a picture with each and every blog post. I've got some stuff laying around that I've finished and should photgraph, but nothing original or noteworthy. I gotta get to the day job - in fact, I'm running late.

More later, as always.