The sky's the limit!

Did you ever look at a blank page, and wonder what the heck you were going to write on it? Creativity seemed to leave the building, as your brain froze in terror! Think back to the teenage years? Remember the horror? Similar things can happen, when you’re looking at a pile of beads, or other supplies like empty bezels, white dominos, glass tiles, or metal pieces. What to do, what to do?

The beads can be shuffled around, until you find something pleasing to the eye, but what about the rest of those blank promises? Clues, I know clues! Lots and lots of clues! Wouldn’t that help to fan your sparks of creativity?

Colour and texture are obvious, but how will you use them, and what form will they take? It certainly helps if you’re a magpie like me, and collect all sorts of bits and pieces. But if not, it’s never too late to start your own creativity box &/or idea file! Flip through your magazines, and cut or tear out anything that interest you! Old letters, photographs (copies, not originals), ledger paper, handwritten notes, cancelled stamps, security envelopes, children’s drawings, free or purchased images, commercial papers, fancy napkins, and colouring book pages, should all be fodder for your creativity! Focus on colour, shapes, textures, fonts, and just about anything else! Build yourself a nice, fat, file, and then take some time to sit down and play with your papers! You’ll be amazed at how soon the juices start flowing!

If the muse agrees, create a collage! Then audition parts of your collage, as a background for your piece (perhaps in a bezel, or even a domino). Do you like it? What if you decided to tart the collage up a little with some paint? How about framing it with a narrow layer of Iced Enamels, glitter, or even another collage? What if you included a charm, bead, or some type of natural element? Or how about shrinking a photograph to size? Do you see where I’m going? I’ve started you off with a basic background, and then I’m leading you into building a composition, by suggesting other possible elements.

But wait! You don’t need to limit yourself to paper! How about building a metal or fabric collage? You could even make a stitched fabric & paper collage! The extra texture would be fabulous and the principles are the same! As a self-professed, mixed up media person, I certainly wouldn’t complain! But then again, what about painting or printing (monoprinting, such as Gelli printing) your own backgrounds? Try it with either acrylic paints, watercolour, inks, or even alcohol inks. That would be totally cool and creative!

Play, experiment, and build your composition! Conquer the freeze, open your mind, and explore the possibilities. The skies will open up, your muse will be happy, and creativity will bloom!

Reflections on an exploding stash!

Santa Baby, I've been a very bad girl this year!! I purchased tons of stuff, with absolutely no idea, what I was going to make! Sure, I whipped up some class samples, and made an Inspiration or two, but did I really need all of those pearls? I ask you, would you?

Then, let's chat about the paint I purchased. Yes, I absolutely needed the Pebeo Fantasy paints, Adirondack, Alcohol Inks, Ice Resin, Iced Enamels, Gilders Paste, Mica Powders, and Spectrum Noir markers, for workshops I was teaching, but did I need so darned many of them? Not to mention seed beads, shaped beads, stones, buttons, bezels, rusty objects, found items, and perhaps even a cabochon or two. Should I mention the findings, threads and tools? It doesn't matter, because they make me happy, and if that means that Santa is not going to slide down the chimney this year, then so be it!

Now, how about talking about the stash from my pre-beading life, when I fancied myself a fibre artist? I own piles, and piles of thread, paint, paper, embroidery floss, and even a bunch of yarn (despite the fact, that I don't knit). It's not like it suddenly disappears, in a puff of smoke, when I head off in a new direction! It's still there, and it's clogging up my studio, and if the truth be told, my living and dining room, and storage area. When will I ever learn? I'd be embarrassed to show a photo of said studio, so I won't....but believe me, you're not missing anything! Sign me up for hoarders anonymous!

So, in the interest of full disclosure, I've been participating in an international paper swap, for a couple of years. Do I need more paper? No, of course not (except as collage fodder for my altered dominos), but I still signed up for 2016 (if anyone is interested, it's www.paperswap.com). It's a fun way to add some unusual papers to your stash, and meet a bunch of lovely people, along the way. Should I mention the fact, that I also monoprint my own papers (mainly for collage, paper beads, and swaps), via a wonderful tool, called the Gelli Arts, Gelli Printing Plate? You'll need to look them up, because they're not sold in the store (but I do use the printed papers, in several of my workshops). There are tons of YouTube videos on the subject, and it's just waaay too much fun!

I'm not really one to make resolutions, but if I were, I'd vow to make a pile of pearl pieces, and perhaps a few mixed media projects, over the holidays. In addition, I would dust off my neglected sewing machine, and give my beads, a little dose of fibre, for good measure! You see, I love it all, and it saddens me, when my older treasures are neglected. But seriously, I really do need to purge and organize my stash!!!

It's an exciting time of the year, despite the fact that Toronto is having unseasonably mild temperatures (by contrast, the above photo was taking after the ice storm, on December 22nd, 2013). There is, no chance of a white Christmas, but that's not stopping us, from celebrating the spirit of the season. So with that, I'll wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and to those that do not celebrate, a happy and healthy holiday of your choice. Enjoy your time with family and friends, and if you get a chance, try to relax, with a few beads! You've earned it!