Pine trees ? Jasper Stone ?

 I really like this jasper stone , great coloring , all the swirls of green , kind of a marbling affect . I polished this freeform slab  and liked the results ,   as most beaders and rockhounds  I put the beautiful matte finished stone away and didn't think of it for oh lets see....  at least a year.    Then I received a picture from my mother of fresh snow on two pine trees .  She babied these 1 inch trees and planted them nearly 28 years ago,  a gift from her twins in kindergarden...   Now they are at least 15 ' tall, I have enlarged the picture and immediately my brain went into overdrive! The jasper stone! Finally a piece with meaning for my 'entire family'       Such a perfect fit , I can see the stone covered with a light dusting of whites, some light grey , and tipped off in swarovski crystals.

 My only concern is whether to make a wall hanging or a collar,  after the holidays are over I might
get a better perspective on this idea that is cluttering my brain, making it hard to concentrate on the EBEG Bead Fest,  I needed to blog about it to clear my head and put my priorities in line.
                    
       No progress on my 'Tarnished Angel' collar ,  but I did get two batches of fudge made, opened an early Christmas gift, very excited about getting a camera :)  Totally needed it !! Now I need to see if it comes with a personal  photogragher to teach me how to get good photos.  Last but not least I included a picture of my cat Pete, she seems to be quite taken with the Christmas tree. 

Happy Holidays! Bead embroidered collar process

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Its that time again where we run and run in hopes of finishing Christmas goodies,  shopping ,

wrapping ,  decorating,  entertaining, and enjoying one another's company.  Managed to get the  tree

decorated ,  all the Christmas cookie jars out,  put lights outside for the first time :) ,  still working on making fudge and my favorite ham rolls. 

                                                         Buger 2011 Christmas Tree

progress on my first collar for the Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild ( EBEG team) first Bead Fest  'Winter Wonderland' ,     WOW ,   that was a tongue twister to say,  photo below shows the suede backing after its glued and is being stitched with size 8 seed beads , I chose a tarnished brown color to finish the edging of the piece, after all the white I was completely and utterly in need of some color, I had to fight my urge to use a completely outragious color! That in itself was quite trying.   I haven't decided if I like this piece as much as others but am doing a few things I have never done, for instance, the collar. I still have the clasp to do , my thoughts are not clear as to if  I will use a metal clasp  or  some variation that I come up with. Possibly another petrified wood to compliment the focal?  

My thoughts have started from a bare tree branch covered with snow, then the tarnished angel feeling came about while doing the frosted cubes and gold triangles, following with the cream seed beads I found I wanted more color, but fought the urge and finished with pearl white, awhhh...

now comes the finally in this bead embroidered collar,  I need to get beading to finish by the deadline !

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

 Its 1:00 am and I finally have found a peaceful moment to write up a small post,  here is a picture of the piece I am working on for the first EBEG Bead Fest 'WinterWonderland' ,  once again I have chosen a slab of petrified wood I polished, personal preferrence I guess. The focal reminds me of a bare tree branch after the first snow of the year. As I continued with this theme in mind I began to think of other possibilities that could actually work for the colors I chose. I began to see wings and thought of how the tarnished gold upon the frosted white cubes were playing quite well together , a little more tarnished looking and not so pure , but elegant all the same, I have alot more to do as you can see , 

Bead Embroidered Pin

I'm still alive and kicking , just not beading as much as I would like too :)   The Novemer challenge for EBW has come and gone with some great challenge pieces to chose from,   here is the  bead embroidered pin I was trying to finish in time,  the spiral rope to this pin I posted about is finished and now that I have no deadline I am working on another rope to add to it,  apparently I am just not satisfied with just one spiral rope . Hopefully two will do the trick ;)  

I really enjoyed the fringe on this piece ,  kinda crazy and all over the place:)

                                   Finished back with brown suede, and of course used fireline throughout.

 I figured I would throw this magified picture in as well, the coloring doesn't quite show up in the detailed photo, weird. I thought thats why we show magnified pics!

I really need to start sharing all the wonderful works from the Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild,  looking on etsy last night I found more than just a few good pieces ,  can't list them all but here's  a couple , go check them out :)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/85108599/shipwreck-the-sunken-treasure-bead
http://www.etsy.com/listing/85772846/beaded-embroidery-necklace-bali-bloom

process of petrified wood pendant ....

 seems this piece is taking me longer than expected,  wish I had more to share with you all but ...
I managed to stay true to my choice of focal :)
 I always have a soft spot for polished petrified wood,  it has a real earthy feel to it,  something beautiful without alot of dazzle or glitz ;)  the beads seem to be guiding me in doing the embroidery  on this pendant / pin.  
  











   

Time  is ticking , and I am running a bit behind schedule :) , hoping to make the deadline for the Etsy Beadweaver's November Challenge.  I have started a spiral rope for this challenge and am not sure what direction I am taking it , maybe a necklace or lariat,  if  things go right I will incorporate the petrified wood focal I have chosen.

I am pleased with the colors,  different browns and gold seed beads, 4mm firepolish amber colored glass, and  4-5mm dark chocolate brown cathedral glass beads. So far the rope reminds me of indian corn or maze, perfect for fall. Well atleast in my eyes :) I have done a few more inches than what is shown here , believe I measured the rope at 14" so far,  I definitely have a ways to go .

At the moment Smokey is overseeing all that I do , he tends to stay close when I am under the weather , so to speak, especially if food is involved:)     On another topic I have to mention how great the Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild is doing , now we have a blog , facebook page, and a group on yahoo,  and we have started voting for the very first bead fest  theme ;)  check out the blog here: http://www.etsybeadembroideryguild.blogspot.com

BEAD SALE !! Agate Pin

Big bead sale tomorrow at StringBeads in Chico, CA. , I have been to another one of their big sales and I do tend to save money when the seed beads are 40% off  .     Not to mention all the other goodies that are on sale.   I am hoping to get there before noon,  I know buying beads can be cheaper online ,   but hey 40% off is just as good and no shipping, plus I get to examine them personally,  I don't like spending money on seed beads that are not quality. Happy Bead Buying To Me!

here is a couple images of my agate pin I finished up this week.  Sometimes its good to take a step back and make something you can finish in a shorter amount of time,  that does not mean the quality is less just the piece is not so elaborate, thats how I look at it.  I chose a freeform cut agate  I polished myself, somehow this makes it more interesting :) keeps my attention . Which is definitely needed.

I embroidered blue size 11 seed beads around the agate , using a silvery white size 12 and size 15 translucent white to do the bezeling securing the stone in place.

I hope the images are clear enough on your screen as they are a little out of focus on mine :)  In finishing the pin I decided to use a spiral rope twist to give the stone a little extra flair  and texture ;)

In doing this pin I thought of the Trinity River, I had imagined a fast running current and imagined the agate was a large stone among many with large waves crashing into them , as if they were in a hurry to get some where..

                                                 the pin measures 1 1/2" by 2 1/4"

I am not one to do alot of cooking when I get up in the morning, I stick with coffee and the quick glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast, its fast , no mess. What more could you want?     What about a simple way to make a bead emrbroidery collar pattern? I decided to give this a try.   I just traced the can on some paper ,

 cut it out and checked to see if it fit correctly , retraced onto the embroidery surface and presto instant collar template,  then I glued a freeform piece of petrified wood as a focal point.  So far so good...

Here is a close up photo of the petrified wood I have chosen, I like to use stones/agates that I personally polish. 

I can't do any beading so I guess rearranging them will have to do. I have decided to group them by color, quality, size, delicas, czech, toho , etc.    At the moment they are kind of a mess:)  , their just thrown in the tool box , that must change:)   I think being organized when starting a piece is a must for me, I don't like to open a drawer and find different kinds of beads mixed up, left over beads usually end up in the 'Bead Soup' drawer , a must if you bead regularly :)

                                                                                                                        

Ahhhh, yes the drawer I seem to over look, filled with more seed beads than I have tubes for , not a problem if I didn't put all of them into plastic containers.  Happy Beading !

Halloween 2010

 neice Amelia and nephew Jacob

Raining Seed Beads...

Its time for the rainy season again, fall is here and the leaves are changing colors and falling off the trees, real pretty.. till I am in the middle of my yard raking up leaves.... yuck.  Rain has a way of making me depressed :(   ,  if it wasn't for college football and Halloween I would hibernate like a bear through winter. :) .     I found this little peyote seed beaded  purse  I had made when I first started beadweaving,  the memory of making it kind of helped bring me out my depressed mood :)  Even then I could not follow a pattern , just techniques, well thats my take on it, your thoughts?  

I have shown my picasso cuff before but its time to vote for the Etsy Beadweaver's October Challenge , so go check out all the beautiful work this group has done and vote for your favorite between 9th and 15th. 
http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com
I must say I am rather happy to be apart of the new Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild,  our group is growing and very dedicated .  Last night I discovered I was in the EBEG team treasury curated by Chris Maj (beadn4fun).
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/OTIwNjAxMHw4NTM3NzI4MTg/bead-embroidery-wearable-art

No beadwork to share with you today, hands are a bit stiff from using a thick suede leather as an embroidery surface :), so I am taking a little break from my beading,  if I am lucky I will be able to leave the beads alone for 3 days.  I am still brain storming about a collar I want to make.  Figured it was about time to introduce my energetic border collie Brodie. Always full of smiles and ready to play catch :) 

 

'Shock The Reaper' bead embroidered cuff

              

Ahhhh, at last I finally came through, no more saying sorry i still didn't finish :), Here she is , a bead embroidered 1 1/2 " cuff , and always a one of akind, I tried this one on my own wrist a size 6, and was pleased to see it fit perfectly, adjustable to fit even larger wrists.  I am pleased to announce my newest piece,  'Shock The Reaper'

Yes, I spelled it wrong in the post title,  after viewing my post again I realized my mistake , no harm done :)




               

Here's about as far as I have gotten , finished the front ( never know when that will change).  The suede back has been glued with a thin application of gorilla glue, then clamped , I used clothes pins and the clamps I received in my Christmas stocking:) 

The front is done in the same fashion, except for making sure the beads are not marred or broken ,etc. I like to let both sides dry over night for maximum bondage. This is not necessary ,just a preference of mine.  Two hours before any bead work applied to the piece would be sufficient :), TIP: when using gorilla glue its not need to be put on thick or for the clamps to be on more than 2/3 hours.

Well here she sit's waiting to be finished, I am using size 8 seed beads for the trim , lemon-lime coloring. One of these days my pic's will speak for themselves, so I hope :)

Latest news, hmmm... lets see, oh I have finally decided to give twitter a try. Haven't got all the tweeting stuff figured out yet but I am working on it:), still need to add my tweet button or whatever they call it.

I figured I should share a little about the progress I am having on this cuff , as I said earlier I love the bright colors, but finishing has become a problem. I recently learned I had to share my bead studio with my significant other and had to have half the room rearranged within 3 days, so beading has taken a second place , or maybe even a third.

I did manage to get my entry for the EBW team challenge finished and start on my next cuff, before 'The Announcment'

 As you see I am still embroidering the front, still deciding on all the details and embellishments, and really glad I am through reordering my now super small bead studio , you know the kitchen table and a cabinet full of beads :)
     I am considering naming my new cuff something that has to do with my experience this last week, no names are popping out at me just yet but they will.
   
      

'Inspired by Picasso' October's challenge entry for EBW TEAM

This one of a kind bead embroidered cuff was made for the etsy beadweaver's October challenge 'Inspired by Picasso'.  I chose an oil painting that Pablo Picasso painted in 1937 of Marie-Therese Walter.  I was captivated by the colors he used , so vibrant and full of life , all the reds, oranges, yellows, and blues,  Marie's Eyes seemed to be the only thing without life in this colorful painting.

I was inspired to bring life back into those eyes which seemed so lifeless by using a bright blue for the

edging.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82121524/ooak-bead-embroidered-cuff-EBWC-inspired
 
I am a proud member of the etsy beadweaver's team, please check out our blog, lots of talented artists :) visit: http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com between the 9th and the15th to vote for your favorite entry.

   Just thought I might brighten up the day by sharing this close up of the cuff I am working on now. It definitely screams out for attention! I embroidered bright green seed beads on black suede , the black seems to really pull out the greens ! They didn't need the help to be noticed ,   so far I am liking the combination of the two.  With any luck I will finish tonight!  

Art Show or Not?



Yesterday I spent my time at a local art show, or maybe it was a farmer's market, not to sure. It seemed like a great idea to take along my fiance.  OOPS, I think I forgot to say he had a toothache, well 107 degrees in the hot sun will make you miserable toothache or not ! Then there was the ride  there , in a jeep with no top, normally I would love it, but sometimes its nice to have my hair a little less messy :) , well we made it through the day :), we might or might not do that together again!
    Earlier I posted about the Etsy Beadweaver's Picasso challenge, I decided on this oil painting done by Pablo Picasso, this is a painting of  Marie-Therese Walter done in 1937, the colors attracted me but reading about their relationship interested me ,  I see a very distraught girl in this painting , although the colors are bright and vivid I saw pain in her eyes. 

Close Call for Picasso Challenge

It pays to read all of the fine print, or in this case all of the rules! An hour ago I was sitting at my table thinking about taking a picture of my challenge entry with a picasso image, WRONG thing to do.!,  I guess that is a no-no., Well no problem I was to lazy to move from my cozy chair to reach for the camera. Instead I did the right thing! I read up on the challenge just a little more , then checked out the forum , glad I went the extra mile instead of just grabbing the camera :)

Bead Embroidery Guild on Etsy....

Finally my internet connection seems to be up and running, wow, wasn't sure I was going to make it those three days!... I ran across an Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild ,  I submited a request to join this team as fast as my fingers would type .  I noticed the team still doesn't have that many members yet. It occured to me that maybe I am not the only one that doesn't know about this team :)

On another note : I have decided which Picasso painting I will use in October challenge for the EBW, as I posted earlier there were many paintings that just captivated me , seems I might be spending a little more time learning about famous artists!

Picasso challenge?



'Old Guitarist'

Pablo Picasso challenge coming up for the Etsy beadweavers, I am thrilled to be able to  join in the fun this time :) , when I read about this challenge I seriously had know knowledge about Picasso or his art. After checking out his artwork and reading bits and pieces about him I have decided  that i find this artist quite unique in both his work and his life.  I am not certain of the painting that I am going to represent in my beadwork yet, as a matter of fact I think i have it narrowed down to five paintings to pick from still!

White Time Again

I just love how clean white and crystal looks together, almost as much as I love beading with no patterns, I started a seed bead peyote circle last night , making sure to add a little silver touch to it , so far so good, well that is if you can look past my photography skills :) , I am thinking a peyote chain and herringbone rope in the same color scheme will work for me , more pic's tomorrow, happy beading !

A Box of Beads

What a Great day! I spent a good deal of time cleaning up the bead room, I was able to help my young neice with a bead box of her own, she showed quite some interest in doing bead embroidery,  I never thought my neice would show interest in making anything more than a simple necklace or a bracelet, guess I was wrong, I am having a blast teaching her , I am thrilled she wants to learn the art of beadweaving.  She informed me that she wants to learn RAW tomorrow,  or start a cuff, or a pendant with her new jade dolphin bead, or even ........ and the list went on and on ...
    

Summer 2011

I am ready for summer to be over, not because of the heat, or because I hate the sun, or because I just love the rain.   Truth be known I love summer ,  well all except this one.  

Coffee, my dog and companion for ten years has passed due to complications after heartworm treatment.
      Once again I will pick up the pieces of my broken heart and continue to move forward in hopes of a better day (Summer)
    On another note , this is still a blog about my beadwork :) 

Trials of the Sunshine Bangle

Started this beadwoven  herringbone rope , threw in a few 6mm fire polished glass beads among other seed beads all in yellow . Well now I am bored with it , thinking a right-angle-weave net around this bangle might be just what it needs , or maybe some sun rays done in the peyote stitch, oh the ideas are endless....                                          

Okay I must admit, I get bored too easy!! It is now the beginning of August and  haven't finished  'The Sunshine Bangle'.....   So being the person I am , I tore it apart and decided to make something else. My ideas have changed a little bit , or actually alot ! , I still plan on the bright yellow but have decided  to add another color, and change the name a tiny bit.  With just a little luck I can start tonight, would like to have some pic's to post .