Bead Break

Every once in a while I manage a bit of time to play with something else I enjoy...beads!!

Yes...I'm still working on my Torn Paper Paintings, in face I've got several new ones in the works right now...but with the winter starting to come in here in New England, the galleries start to slow down...so I get a bit more free time.

I found a few patterns for some beadwork I had been wanting to try. The first was for little beaded "starfish". I thought they might make some really cute earrings!! I've now tried them with a variation of bead sizes and colors....so cute.

The latest piece I made was a bracelet that, while I thought the pattern was adorable, I decided to alter it a bit changing the count of some beads and sizes of others and I think it's got a great deco look...especially with this color combo!! My favorite at this point.
I know I won't get too much more time to play with these because I still have my art to work on...not to mention another trip to Paris coming up again this winter, along with the holiday season (yes...it comes on quickly)....but it's a nice little break from norm.

Snowflakes

Feel like I haven't been around for a while. It's been a long week or so. We lost a very much loved family member a little more than a week ago, and it has been a bit difficult to sort things out emotionally and get on with things. I honestly never do very well with the passing of loved ones.

The last few days I've slowly started to get back into my art. Managed to do a couple of small pieces for some art swaps and just discovered this lovely bead pattern who's design just reminds me of snowflakes. The pattern was meant to create flowers as embelishments for a

necklace...but when I made the first one and saw it coming out looking like a snowflake...well, I just had to end up creating snowflake earrings with it.

I must say, this has made me smile and feel good when I'm working on them, so I've added them to my Etsy shop and I think I'll look for more ways to switch them up.

I hope you enjoy them. They've certainly helped my spirits.

Beaded Beads

I spent the day yesterday at an all day workshop for "beaded beads". It started at 9:30 am and finished up a bit after 4:30 pm.....at which point I almost finished two beads! It took another hour after I'd gotten home to finish up the second one. I had taken a workshop with this instructor once before for another style bead which I still make many of and sometimes put into my etsy shop. These two beads were quite different in style. More crystals are involved in these....so a bit more costly to make.

It was a fun day and a sort of a birthday present to myself. Actually, the owner of the bead shop where the classes are held also knew that my b-day was this weekend....so she had a little cake for me as well. Sooo sweet!!!

Golden Mermaid

On the art site that I do my trading on we have another swap happening.
This one is for "altered mermaids". Well...I just love mermaids, so I had to find the time for this one too.
We are all working from the same body pattern which is approx. 8" long. I used old text pages and distress ink for the top half. For the tail, I first gave a coat of gold paint....this is for two reasons. One, it helps the adhesive for the gold leaf stick better (which was my next step). Second, if there were any spots that were to show through the leaf in the end, it would blend in beautifully.
I then added a verigated gold leaf to add more interest than a solid gold.
I used a beautiful collage face image and two buttons that I removed the shank from and used for the boobs. I made her a beaded necklace and made charms of waterlillies and scallop shells out of shrink plastic. On her head she has two large shell sequins and little pearl beads. I think it gives her almost a bit of a 20's flapper look.

All my jiggys

are finally made and almost ready to mail. These little guys are being donated to the Autism fundraiser event called "Art Now for Autism"

http://www.artnowforautism.com/

The foundations logo is a puzzle piece, and it turns out that for this event they have a special need for "puzzle pins".

Since I've been making these puzzle pins for a while now...I contacted them about these and was told that they'd LOVE to have some!

I've made eight of these little guys for them!

These fun little pins will be on their way on Monday!

Since I'd completed the pins last night, I spent much of today as a "play" day. My friend Debbie came over to join me in a day in the pool!
We started with coffee on the dock for a bit so we could catch up on all the latest....then into the pool.
I don't believe we even got out of the water for two hours straight! It felt sooo good. We had a really fun time and it felt very much like two little girls just having a great day of play!
Note to self: do this more often! :)