TA DAH!!

I am so excited to show you my finished "Green Challenge" pieces 

for my local circle- Art Quilts Ect monthly challenge.  

I had my ingredients laid out for Bead Table Wednesday and here are my finished pieces. 

Right now I am in love with this set.  

Not only are the bib necklace and cuff comfortable to wear; light weight and lined with flannel.  

They drape perfectly for a stunning look. 

Here are closer looks at the necklace, 

and the cuff.

You can find out more about my process on Flickr .

I am extremely happy with the color combinations and design.  

This has inspired me to do a collection based on inspiration from nature, 

thanks to Heather Powers at Humble Beads and my art quilt group.  

I have been striving all year long for ways to incorporate my love of fiber with my love of jewelry 

and I think this will be my most unique series.  

I plan on doing seasonal pieces that will all include fiber, my handmade polymer clay components 

and beads ect. from my jewelry stash. 

I am madly working on my "feather" challenge piece too 

and hope to post it tomorrow just in time for the deadline. 

I made two sets of peacock feather beads, here they are:

My first attempt are a little subtle.

I am happiest with this second attempt because the color is more intense. 

This is the back side of the beads,  textured and painted too.
Come back tomorrow to see my Inspired by Nature: Feathers entry.
Swing by Heather Powers Blog to join in the fun.
Have a great day- I am headed for the pool!! 

  

Bead Table Wednesday

I had two sessions today, one with fiber art and one with polymer clay.
I started by laying out ingredients for a bib necklace and cuff set I am making for my Art Quilt Ect Circles monthly challenge- "Green" being the inspiration.

I bought a huge size 16 wool coat a while back at the local Salvation army store for $6.  I felted it in my washing machine and dryer and have been cutting it up into leaves for many items.  I decided to make leaves by hand needle felting some roving onto these wool leaves and then free motion stitching them with a variegated thread that pops just a little.

As I gathered my materials I remembered I had purchased some felted round beads awhile back and got those out. I also pulled out some polyester satin material and made yo you flowers and beaded the felted balls for centers.
I will be posting the finished necklace and cuff on Saturday so come on back to see it.

My second creative adventure is the beginnings of a piece I have to finish by Sunday for Heather Powers challenge: inspired by nature- this week: feathers.

I decided to make some peacock feather pendants.
I conditioned lots of pearl white polymer clay, laid it on a texture sheet, impressed the front with a peacock feather stamp I have and then painted the feathers with alcohol inks.

I googled peacock feathers and used a photo as a reference for the colors.  I ended up using, pitch black, purple twilight, meadow, citrus, lettuce, stream and copper alcohol inks.

After they were spritzed to blend and dried I added little touches of mica powders in blue, green and copper.  This made them look irridescent.  I cut them with my oval cutter and turned them over to paint the backs.

 After they dried again three were pressed gently onto light bulbs so they would dome and curve and the other five were baked flat.  Come back this weekend to see what I do with them.  I am not sure yet what the next step will be.  All in all it was a very fun and productive day!!

Bead Table Wednesday and Art Bead Scene Blog Challenge June 2011

I finally finished my cuff for the Art Bead Scene Blog June Challenge 

inspired by painting "Ophelia" by Redon. 

Above is the cuff laid out so you can see all of it at once 

and here are some photos of it being worn by me. 

  

Have you ever tried to photograph your own arm.  

I felt a bit like a circus contortionist. 

But since I am home alone all day without any gorgeous models hanging out 

and my husband's arms are too hairy you will have to settle for this. 

This is what I have been working on all week -

so it is also my Bead Table Wednesday post. 

I made all the yellow beads from polymer clay for this cuff,

my bead stash has only 2 tubes of yellow seed beads.

Not one of my favorite colors, 

although I do like the way it plays so nicely with the blue in this piece. 

I hand dyed the lace with coffee to give it an old feel 

and the portrait of Ophelia is hand needle felted wool roving and then wet felted.  

I free motion stitched it to the upcycled denim and then

began the embellishing with beads.  

My original plan was to make a bib necklace 

but the shape of the felted piece was just not right for that.  

It works much better as a cuff. 

That's all for today. 

My First Bead Table Wednesday

My Bead Table, Wednesday June 22nd, 2011

I have been so busy teaching crochet on Wednesdays 

that I have been unable to take pictures for this event until today.  

I have two weeks off so I am working on my June ABS Challenge piece today 

after spending the whole morning taking pictures, editing them, uploading them to flicker, 

and adding them to the Bead Table Wednesday Flicker Pool.  

I am not sure where I need to send my blog link 

so I may not make the blog hop but at least I got my table photographed.

These are my chosen ingredients for the Art Bead Scene June Challenge.

The inspiration painting, Ophelia, by Odilon Redon, 

is under all the mess of beads and findings I hope to include.

I wet felted the wool portrait just below my pasta machine,

my plan is to make it into a collar type of necklace 

and dangle the other beads and findings from that. 

I love these colors so I have been very inspired 

and hope to make a really unique entry. 

My stash has a serious shortage of yellow 

so I will be making polymer clay art beads in that missing color.  

Hope you can make it back to see the outcome. 

Have a great week!! 

Heather

Vacation Time

There is nothing like taking some time to float in the pool, 

read a good book and relax.

I am not going to do another thing today.  

Sorry to all those who come for inspiration.

I will be back next week with lots to share. 

Have a great weekend!  

Re-Evalutation Time

Okay, It was one of those weeks where I think the message is- a question: 

"Where do I go from here?"

I have been very happy dabbling in all of my passions. 

Juggling my music lessons, crochet lessons,

blog writing, jewelry making, polymer clay creating, sewing, art quilting, deadlines..ect.

 I finally finished two baby sweaters for my friend Jen who had twins recently.

Still working on a couple commission jobs and

WHAM!!

"Who has your money?"

This past week after no notice my merchant provider decided to overdraft my business account

with some fee I never heard a word about.

or...the more money they make!

In fact they claim they have been sending me statements in the mail

and I have not received one of them.

I have to dispute this with my bank and after being on hold and having the call dropped twice

I am reconsidering if I even want to deal with this bank anymore.

These are the not so fun aspects of trying to run your own business.

The total confidence shaking , trust destroying and motivation killers

that pop up out of nowhere.

I guess I don't need to tell you that merchant account is closed.

I have a craft show next month so I need to have a merchant account set up!

The good news is I am ready for a phone upgrade

so it looks like the Iphone and Square up are my best option.

I am so grateful for the experienced people who have helped me make this decision.

I feel like I am gambling with my life savings.

Which in this economy is truly frightening.

My husband tolerates my artistic nature because it makes me so happy

but I think he just wishes I would go get a regular job.

I have tried and even if I could get one he knows,

after 36 years with me there would be a heavy price to pay if it made me unhappy.

I spend a lot of time pushing away my masked enemies,

guilt, procrastination, the critic and fear of failure.

I don't need these real world parasites in my life too.

So feeling like a jilted ex I am picking myself up,

brushing myself off

and starting over again.

I will smile and have a wonderful weekend!! 

Looking at where I want to go, how I spend my time and who I can trust.

I am stubbornly following my dream, just adjusting the color...

Silk Sari Yarn giveaway!!

Hurry your chance to win this beautiful yarn ends June 8th.  Check it out Here.