What's on my bead mat - October edition!

I thought that it was time to give you an update, on my beady activities! Well, my bead mat is actually a disgrace right now, so I decided to do my bead mat update, off the bead mat this time!! But the good news, is that I finished off a couple of projects this month.

First, my “Silly Goose” doll is now complete. Isn't she adorable? All the beading was finished in September, but I still needed to work out her hair. I normally add it right after I bezel the face, but this time the doll was telling me to mix up her media, and give her some needle felted hair. I had the needles, I had the hair…..all I needed to do, was…..wait for it…….actually do it!!!! I anticipated a lot of down time, at the recent BeadFX, Artisan Trunk show, so I used that free time, to do the deed. I’m not sure why I waited so long, but I did, so no excuses! As a freeform diva, I’m thinking that this doll is my favourite! I’ve been told that she doesn’t really look like a goose, but I’m committed to that name, and am not able to think of her in any other way. So much so, that I’m thinking that a wire nest is in order! What do you think? Although not green, I’m thinking that her riotous hair reminds me of someone else’s hair. I wonder who that could be? Giggle!

Next, I worked on a leaf shape, that I had hanging about. I quickly sketched a flower shape, that I’ve been doodling since I was a teenager, and then proceeded to bead it. This flower would normally have five petals, but there just wasn’t room for all five on this piece, so I elected to go with just four (although it doesn't follow my rule of one, three or five!). As a side note, I’ve drawn, painted, collaged, and free motion stitched this shape in the past, so I just had to bead it! The stitches used are a combination of beaded back stitch, and boucle or moss stitch (I also know it as the bocce stitch, but as I’ve never seen anything about that stitch in writing, I’m going to ignore that name). I’ll let the piece rest for a while, but I think my muse is trying to persuade me to incorporate it into a freeform necklace. Hmm, we’ll see!

Last, but not least, the little bead embroidered pendant, is something I finished off in my Nature’s Mood: Bead Embroidered pendant workshop, this past Saturday. It’s a class sample I started the last time I ran the class. My students were absorbed by their stitching, and the quiet was almost deafening! I hadn’t planned it that way, but It did give me time to get some stitching of my own done. Lucky me! After I initially planned the piece, I thought the stone/shell combination, reminded me of a rickety fence. However, now all I can see are sailboats! I'm not sure how I'll finish it off, but I suspect that leather might be part of the solution! It's not scheduled yet, but if you're interested in taking the class, I do plan to run it again in the spring.

Where will I go next? I have some ideas percolating, about the driftwood I picked up a couple of weeks ago, or perhaps my muse will let me start working on the naked purple doll! Or better still, I should clean off my bead mat! Sheesh! What are you working on, and what does your bead mat look like today?

Bead mat update - April!

In the last update, my bead mat was a fairly sorry sight. My muse had been on vacation, and I was just getting back into the swing of things. I'm happy to say that my batteries have been re-charged, and I'm now brimming with inspiration! Most (but not all) of my beading projects have been motoring along, and new ideas are coming at me faster than I can remember them. Don't you just hate when that happens? I really do need to write them down.

Despite not finding the original (started in my last class), I completed another freeform peyote, beaded bead to add to my collection (the green/dark raspberry one). I've now made a grand total of seven of these beads, and I'm not even close to finishing the series. I was once told that you couldn't call yourself an artist, until you learned how to develop a series of work. Do you believe that? I'm not sure that I do, but my work does seem to be leading me in that direction. I've been striding down that path for years, starting with the early fibre art days, and then moving to the Bead Journal Project. Who knows where I will go from here?

My freeform peyote ring count is now up to four, and I'm seriously contemplating the fifth. Somehow, somewhere I had the idea to include a shank button as the focal on my next ring. So, did I buy just one button to try it out? No, of course not, I purchased five of them! But don't look for a photograph, because I haven't taken one yet. Instead I'll just show you my fourth ring. This was constructed a little differently than the other three, and includes an 8 mm Lapis round as the focal. Do I need to tell you that I love blue? This one is sized just right! I even purchased a ring mandrel, so that it will be a lot easier to determine the correct sizing in the future. Stringing the beads, and then holding your tongue, and attempting to figure out if the sizing is correct, while trying not to drop the beads, is difficult to say the least! I guess I could have asked for help, but why the heck would I do that?

My poor purple doll is in the same naked state as she was in March! I added the hair, and then everything came to a full stop. Yes, I did decide on her colour scheme, but she hasn't even started talking to me yet! Doesn't she like the colours I chose (purple/turquoise)? I don't seem to be able to make a decision on either a theme, or where to stitch the first bead!!! Do you think if I give her a name, she will start whispering to me? What should I call her? Does she actually need a theme, or should I just start beading? Decisions are so difficult! Perhaps I should start working on the odd/shaped acid green doll in the next photo. Would that prompt my purple doll to cry out for attention?

To make things even more difficult, I'm teaching a BAD class (Beaded Art Doll) at BeadFX this Saturday. Have I stitched and stuffed all of my doll forms yet? No of course not, but I am working on it. Today's count is five dolls complete; two and a half stitched; and three more cut out, and ready to stitch. Will I finish by Saturday? You bet I will! Do I procrastinate? Not really, but I do think that I'm addicted to the adrenaline rush! Besides, I've been working on pieces for the Corsage Project over the last couple of weeks, and I've also been playing around with resin. I guess those are valid excuses, right? Don't get frustrated by a temporary slowdown in your creativity. Give it some time, ignore your muse, and she (or he) will sit up and pay attention! All will be well, despite our current sad, chilly temperatures!