Times Change

I remember the traditional Thanksgivings where we as kids were bundled up and headed oout to Grandma's house. Not in a sleigh,but packed in the old car. With Items mom baked and is bringing to help out.
Then I remember bundling up my own kids and heading to Granma's house. Tiny beach cottage that it was, it held an amazing amount of family. All five siblings sometimes with their kids and sometimes kid's friends too. Now I'm the grandma, but kids lives are so hectic. Grandpa and I bundle ourselves up and off to the kids house we go!
What's wrong with this picture?
Well nothing I guess, if the point is to get together. Traditions change, with the times. I'm pleased to be flexible

Wrist Critter

This is a flirty little bracelet that reminds me of a friendly pet you wear around your wrist. A caterpillar or "woolly worm" perhaps.

"Good Night"

Classy little bracelet of glittering black seed beads with delicate pearl bead border.
One of several different styles I've been playing with.

Another Door

Threshold
Passage from the profane to the sacred, from outer profane space to inner sacred space; entering a new world. As a boundary symbol it is the line of meeting of the natural and supernatural; this is ritually defined in the ceremony of “beating the bounds,” redefining the realm of space in the same manner in which New Year ceremonies redefine time. Sinking in water, or entering a dark forest, or a door in a wall, are threshold symbols as entering the perilous unknown. Vestal goddesses of virginity are goddesses of the threshold as are the Lares. Guardians of the threshold, who must be overcome before the sacred realm can be entered, are dragons, serpents, monsters, dogs, scorpion men, lions, etc. In the psychic and spiritual realm guardians prevent man from going too far or too fast and meeting or seeing more than he is capable of bearing in occult or esoteric knowledge.

Magical Door Series

Door
Hope; opportunity; opening; passage from one state or world to another; entrance to new life; initiation; the sheltering aspect of the Great Mother. The open door is both opportunity and liberation.

I am enjoying creating magical doors, fairy doors, doors into the otherworld through a stump, a tree a castle wall. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have creating them.

earrings

These are fun to make! Bright and colorful, and flashy enough to draw attention.
Habit forming to make. The original pattern was in an early Bead& Button and the design was taught by Alice Korach. I have more to show you soon.
Meanwhile I keep doing outdoor chores while the sun shines. Still picking tomatoes, cutting lettuce and chard. The honeysuckle, nasturtiums, dahlias and zinnias continue to bloom and I don't have the heart to cut them back, (yet.) But a fire in the fireplace, on the other hand, is a blessing!

Autumn thoughts

The last few days have been sunny and warm, indeed very lovely. Autumn making up for a summer that was scant and sparse. never-the-less it's autumness is apparent. I feel the Kore/Demeter aspect grabbing at my soul.

Suddenly two days ago, list be damned, I felt the need to examine and arrange cupboards. Noting duplicates, moving extras to the food and water storage area in the garage. I checked the fruit that I'd recently frozen and moved it to the back of the freezer with 06 and 07's produce to the front.

I remembered the message of mouse ad squirrel and smiled at the vision of their nearly frantic activities with that first hint of frost in the air. It's time to put the gardens to bed, to set up the greenhouse and move the still blooming tomatoes, chilies and eggplant pots to their waiting shelves. I'm getting ready for winter although I am very much a summer person. I feel the need this year, to slow down, to pull with in, to inventory the stack of waiting books, to change to the warmer bedding, replace the tablecloth and chair cushions. Summer is over whether it looks like it or not.

Hummingbird totem

I learned a lot from this little exercise. i made hummingbird for a young friend whose totem at this time is the hummingbird. It is unfortunate that the photo after uploading no longer shows the iridescence n the neck beads.
They are in blue/green/violet and catch the light beautifully. Next time: I will leave lots of room around the square (or circle) of fabric I am working with so that I can use a hoop to stretch the fabric and have edges to turn under and pull to stretch and stitch. In not leaving this allowance it was difficult to pull the fabric taut. I ended up using batting for fill to make the fabric fir better. I do like the way the little wing tip extends beyond the framing circle. The clear beads below the wings indicate the flashing, almost invisible movement.
The painting is 5 1/2" in diameter.

Greenman mixed media

Green man is nearly completed. Unlike lizard which was all beading Green man encompasses paint, ink and fiber as well as beads. I didn't know what I was going to do with him but he guided brush and needle and showed me what he wanted to be. The work is 81/2 x 11 and will be mounted on illustration board and stretched before framing. A matching Maiden is in the works.

Larry Lizard

Larry is 13" long from nose tip to tail crook. And he has been a joy to bead. I still have to make his spinal spurs but this is best done after he is stitched to a jacket or bag or however I decide to complete him.

I first saw an embroidered lizard in a 2002 Bead&Button by Laura Holder. Hers was all green and she'd use a t-shirt transfer to bead over. I sketched Larry out with colored pencils and used the sketch as a color guide. Blues of course. Wonderful cobalt (and other) blues!

back from the beach

With a bag of beach rubble. Small flat round rocks for polymer clay bases, and bits of little drift wood twigs to work beads around. Small kelp "berries" for lack of a better word. I will experiment with them to see if dipping them in liquid pc will make them strong enough to stitch into bead work. NO I certainly didn't have way too many craft items collected already and of ourse I needed a bag or two more. (I wonder if I am going to be able to get my tongue out of my cheek or if it's permanently embedded.)

A-lure-ing fish key chain

This is fun and easy and one of the few things that includes beads that will work for guys.

First find a lure with lovely iridescent colors that you can duplicate with beads. In this case the fish sported turquoise, magenta, cobalt and greens, favorites of mine so it was easy to find match ups.

Next pick up or dismantle and old key chain clip. Now get a nice tough pair of wire cutters to remove the hook. Push the cutters far up into the belly of the fish so no poky wire will protrude. Now the only metal showing is the little loop at the top where you can attach the key chain.

Thread a long needle with Fireline and knot the line. Poke it through from the top near the loop and come out at the belly thread on 10-12 beads and skipping the last bead you put on, come back up through the others and back through the fish belly near where you started. Now repeat and do another fringe of beads until you are happy with the look. Four or five should be about right. This is fun, easy and makes a nice guy gift!

Bracelet Hibiscus

Darla named the previous bracelet. I admit I didn't know what a hibiscus looked like and had to go to Google images to find out. They are lovely and come in a myriad of colors from brilliant to pastel, so actually describe the bracelet very accurately.

Out my dining room window I have some very tall columbine. They came in a wildflower packet I planted last year but seem much larger and more brilliant than the ones I've see in the wild. I had to get Bill's talents going to create a series of three mini-fence-trellis things to support them.

I'm so glad he likes that kind of chore.

you-name-it

Yellow, aqua, blue, magenta and light green, goes with most summer outfits. A really fun bracelet that made itself. (Along with a handful more.) Addictive little guys just keep on coming. Come back often and I'll try to get good pictures up more often.

Not that I am not happy to be getting big therapeutic doses of gardening. And yes, I need them.

Grounding. That's what garden-therapy does for me. In more ways than one.

Wish I could wear gloves. I mean. I do, for some jobs, but not weeding, nor planting, have to have that connection for it all to flow properly!

I know you get it!! Right?

Citrus Fizz

lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, mmm, a tangy tasty really fun bracelet.
I'm started on these and I can't quit. what I must do though, is slow down and take some pictures as these scans aren't really showing how cool this is.

The second bracelet looks very different due to the choice of colors, It looks to me like a tropical breeze in the jungle at the edge of the beach.

fire walker bracelet

This bracelet was created by doodling with beads. In recent evenings I've created three using a similar methods but with very different colors.

computer woes

Lost the hard drive. Ack. Two years and two week s old. Had an extended warranty though and that will pay for the new hd and putting it in. Meanwhile I get more crafts done. Report soon.

Colored Wheels choker

This choker has been both fun and a challenge. The original directions from a Bead&Button magazine designed by Erin Robinson, naturally called for specific sizes of beads and a certain type of beading line. Right away I decided to use my stash which meant slightly different sizes of beads and different stringing options. I looked Fireline, and when it wasn't available nearby I bought some fish line of the same weight but found it would not go through my size 12 beading needle. If I used a needle that would accept the thread it would not go through the seed beads. Ack! The next dilemma was finding if I followed the directions closely the wheels looked more like wide cones. Okay I needed to change how many spokes the wheels had in order for the wheel to lay flay. The original pattern also had wheels of the same size whether it was the picot wheel or the accent seel. Mine has 2 different sizes.
Well all this was new to me. I bead but am not practiced at designing or re-designing. But I am learning!
I am anxious to try this same idea again, with more sizes, more colors. I will let you know what happens.

a video to watch

I've added an URL to a video that I think everyone should see. It will teach you, and inspire you, and very well may leave you with some new and different thoughts. It takes a few minutes but it is well worth it.

Three Little Fishes

Three little fishes are stonewear focal beads which would look great in a beaded creation using send beads, pearls, shell beads oe aomw "beachy" combination.
They are pastel colors with a nice wet shine. Check out my Etsy site, click on "Three Little Fishes" above to see more.

Mini-scenic pendant beads

These are little polymer clay scenes. Formed and carved and meant to be used in a beaded pendant. I love making these, usually beginning with several sheets of natural colors of blended clay. Designing right on the clay with a stylus I will sketch trees, rocks, stumps, mountains etc. Then I choose a neutral background color and use a template to cut it into a circle, square or oval.
Next I use a craft knife to carefully cut out each scenic object. After refining edges I place the components onto the template in the order of the background, middle grounds and then foreground or focal point.Then each piece is lifted, brushed with liquid pc (as a glue) and replaced. I may roll lightly with an acrylic rod to assure a good adhesion. These are then baked to cure for 30 minutes. I may finish with Future acrylic floor finish or may buff and leave uncoated.

in Pittsburgh

Busy, busy

Just back from a trip to Pittsburgh and a visit with my other family (Husbands kin).
It was quick and fun but the preparation beforehand and catching up after takes hunks out of creative projects, and therefore life!
I have done some polymer pendants and small hangings that I want to show you after some small finishing touches. Soon, soon. Also more beaded bracelets similar to the ones below. They are freeform peyote and freeform embroidery and most fun to make. My style is more loose and design-as-you-go than the rigid patterned, exact style that many beaders prefer. I admire these disciplined works immensely but abandon them soon after mastering a stitch in favor of the looser method as I feel so much less restricted. I know, patience, patience. I'm still working on that.
So back to work and new stuff soon.

human hearts

A different kind of Valentine? Human heart pendant/focal beads. Polmer clay.
What do you think?

Green Goddess of protection necklace

This protection necklace has two faces: one of the green Goddess and one that is a mirror surrounded by beads and stones. When you feel the need for protection wear the mirror side out to reflect back any negativity and the Goddess close to your heart. It is made of polymer clay and stained. The necklace is of seed beads, stones, pearls, and fiber. It was really a fun one to make.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5191681

Human finger bone earrings

Irene suggested the finger bone pendant needed earrings to match, so here they are.

Native Maiden Pendant Focal Bead

I remembered a drawing I'd done of a beautiful African maiden and wanted to see how she would look as a focal pendant. here is the result. I made three, each similar but each also very different in color tone, background mat and background piece.
I drew the design onto a blended piece of polymer clay (black, a touch of red and a tiny bit of iridescent gold)using a ball stylus. Then I carved into the clay where I wanted deeper impressions, and carefully removed bits of excess clay. When I was happy with this stage I baked the pendant. When it had cooled I used irridescent powders to highlight certain areas. The eyes weere emphasized with polymer inks. The design was placed on the tore, carved, textured background pieces and baked again.
I hope you like her.See more at my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5191681
Suggestions?

human finger pendant

Okay here's my latest. A finger pendant. Faux human finger to be worn by the brave (or tasteless?) hmm. Bet your neighbor doesn't have one!

Spark Book

From Home Made Simple, Organized Life, a great little organizer notebook you can make!

There are so many things that we experience, read or hear about in our daily lives that “spark” inspiration. We make promises to ourselves to remember these little details but as we get busy it’s easy to move on and forget, even with the best of intentions. What if you had a useful planning tool as your designated place to store and organize all those “sparks” of inspiration?

send this to a friend


A Different Kind of Planner

The Sparkbook is different from your typical planner because it not only helps you determine all those actions you want to take for the upcoming year, it helps you visualize these things.

By collecting sketches, magazine cutouts, photographs and bits of memorabilia from daily life along with key words, phrases and poetry, you can create a great reference for inspiration and empowerment.

Your Book

To make your own Sparkbook, designate a blank notebook or binder you have handy. Choose something that you know you’ll enjoy using and fits with your personal organization preferences.

Here are a few great examples of books to use:


3-ring binder with blank or lined paper
Small photo book (without the protective sheet covers)
Scrapbook (4”x 6” or 12”x 14”)
Sketch pad
Notebook

Next, you’ll want to figure out how you want to organize the book you choose. Adding tabs is an easy and clear way to keep your ideas, inspirations and plans in their own special categories. Here are a few thought-starters for possible tabbed sections, but feel free to add other categories or sections that are important and helpful to you.

Tab Section Ideas:

Home goals: Home décor and organization projects you’d like to accomplish.
Cooking/Entertaining: Recipes and dinner party ideas you want to remember.
Family: Activities and goals you’d like to achieve with your family.
Personal/wellness goals: Your health, spirit and personal thoughts.
Financial goals: Saving, budgeting and planning.
Travel /R&R: Places you’d like to visit in the next 12 months.
Career: Goals, plans and personal encouragement related to work.
You can also use these ideas as inspiration to create your own tabs if your book doesn’t already have them.

Creating Tabs:

Cut out swatches of fabric you enjoy and glue them to the sides of your pages. Write your section names on the swatches with a fabric marker.
Use color-coded rubber bands: section off and wrap rubber bands around each category.
Insert binder dividers with tabs, available at your local office supply store, to create sections.
Use colorful sticky notes and write sections names on a different color for each category.
Create your own bookmarks using ribbon and color code for each section for easy reference.
As you come across the inspirational and empowering sparks in your life, simply insert them into your sections as you see fit. Keep your journal somewhere handy, like on a bedside table to review and add to it throughout the year.

Create Your Own Organization

Creating fabric tabs and creative heading pages for your Sparkbook will help you organize and reference the things that ‘spark’ inspiration in your life.

Fabric Tabs


MATERIALS
Rectangles of fabric (4” x 1-1/4”)
Spray starch – heavy
Warm iron
Glue stick or double-sided tape
Scissors
Construction or scrapbooking paper
Permanent marker or fabric marker

INSTRUCTIONS


Cut enough fabric tabs (4” x 1-1/4” size) as needed for the categories you will have in your Sparkbook.
Fold each rectangle perfectly in half to create the finished size of 2”x 1-1/4”.
To make fabric sturdier, spray folded rectangle with heavy starch and press with a warm iron.
With your glue stick or double-sided tape, stick insides of rectangles together, leaving the last 1/4” of fabric unglued. This will be the portion of the fabric that attaches to your book pages.

Writing on Tabs:

Write category headings onto construction or scrapbooking paper that has been cut into pieces small enough to be glued to swatches to achieve the look as pictured.
Or write category headings directly onto fabric with a fabric marker.
Attaching Tabs:

Divide out the number of sections you want your book to have. (It’s easiest to have the tabbed pages be made up of 3 sheets glued together, with the center sheet being the one the tab is attached to.)
Use a glue stick to apply glue to the remaining 1/4” of the insides of your fabric tab. Attach to the edge of middle sheet of the three that will be glued together to make your ‘section-heading page’.
Once the tab dries, glue the back of the first of the three pages you’ve designated to the center sheet (which is now tabbed). Then apply glue to the front of the third sheet you’ve designated to the tabbed sheet as well. This will give you a sturdy ‘section heading page’ and will create a little more division between sections.
Follow the same process for each tab, moving the tabs down the right side of your book, alternating colors as you go.
Heading Pages

Now that your tabs are in order, you can personalize your heading pages. Heading pages can be as simple as just writing down the name of the section at the top of the page or as creative as adding imagery and phrases that will inspire you to fill up the pages of each section.


To add the inspiration pages, draw pictures or cut out words and imagery from magazines that speak to you. Add personal photographs and bits of memorabilia from your daily life and combine with key words or poetry to reference throughout the coming year.


If you like this article, you might also like:

Free Up Time Through Organization
Organizing Your Recipes
Fresh New Clean

Katie's Beading Blog

I love this necklace! I love Katie's style. Bet you will too.



Dreams of Topaz


browse necklaces

click to enlarge Designed by Katie Hacker
Materials
17 champagne 1-hole CZ-Gem Dropz in assorted shapes and sizes
4 ½-yards of .006” white Dandyline beading thread
3 dark brown transparent rainbow10g packs of 11/0 Toho seed beads
2 gold beading cones
1 gold lobster clasp
8” length of 22-gauge gold ColourCraft wire
Tools
Spin-N-Bead with bent-tip Big Eye needle
Flexible beading needle
Beading scissors
Round-Nose pliers
Wire Nippers
Jeweler’s Cement


Instructions
Finished Size= 26” with dangles
Note: Use the Spin-n-Bead to string seed bead sections. When threading back through beads to create the beaded dangles, use a straight flexible beading needle. You’ll have lots of leftover beads but it’s easiest to string beads quickly when the the Spin-N-Bead is full.
Cut the thread into three equal lengths and attach a stopper bead 3” from the end of each thread.
First strand: string 6” of seed beads. Pass the needle through a CZ-Gem Dropz and back through 2 ½” of seed beads. String 4” of seed beads. Pass the needle through a CZ-Gem Dropz and back through 2 1/2” of seed beads; repeat five more times. String 3 ½” of seed beads and a stopper bead.
Second strand: string 7” of seed beads. Pass the needle through a CZ-Gem Dropz and back through 1 ½” of seed beads. String 3” of seed beads. Pass the needle through a CZ-Gem Dropz and back through 1 ½” of seed beads, repeat three more times. String 5 ½” of seed beads.
Third strand: string 7” of seed beads. Pass the needle through a CZ-Gem Dropz and back through 4” of seed beads; repeat four more times. String 3” of seed beads.
Cut the ColourCraft wire length in half.
Make a wrapped loop on one end of the wire.
Remove the stopper beads from one end of each beaded thread and tie them to the wrapped wire loop. Place a drop of jeweler’s cement on the knot and cut off any extra threads.
Place the wire end through the wide end of the beading cone and make another wrapped loop on the other side of the cone to attach half of the clasp.
Repeat Steps 6-8 for the other end of the necklace.



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Digital Picture Frame and trunk shows

This article sounded like such a good idea I had to share it with you. If you are a bead artist I strongly suggest you join Art Bead Scene and subscribe to their newsletter. Lots of valuable information comes your way regularly. http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/

Art Bead Scene Blog


Celebrating art beads, inspiring those who use them.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

I Love Tools, Digital Picture Frame

For Christmas my husband gave me a digital picture frame. Not only will this be wonderful to have displayed in our home but his suggestion was to use it at trunk shows also. Genius! I had not even thought of that, but once the idea was planted I knew I wanted to share it with our Art Bead Scene readers.

My plan is to use a separate memory card that I can load my bead pictures onto - keeping just family pictures stored on the actual device. Then when I do a trunk show I can just pop that card in - ready to go instantly. I'm thinking this will be an effective marketing tool for a variety of reasons. First, having a great deal of printed pictures displayed starts to get visually cluttered and distracting. Second, the lighted digital display can show off important small details without having to worry about room lighting or glare. Third, the time difference it will take to set up that one frame vs. about 30 pictures is huge and time is always an issue with me. Finally, just the novelty of it will get people to stop and look.

I think that I'll have photo album of some sort nearby so people can then go directly to the picture they'd like to see. I can pause my digital photo frame, but I don't think I'd want just anyone playing around with the buttons. I'll still display a few prominent pictures around the area, but not so many smaller / easy to overlook ones.

What beady gifts would you like to share with us? Leave a comment - Thanks!