My February ABS Challenge Piece

I have been following the Art Bead Scene Blog for over a year now and decided that this year I would do my best to enter each monthly challenge.  So here is February: John Singer Sargent's beautiful painting "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" was not difficult to be inspired by.  I love all those colors and just let my mind take me on a little creative journey which ended up becoming this beautiful bib necklace. 

Thanks to Heather Powers of Humblebeads and all her great advice 

I was able to create this collage on Picnik. They have free aps and it is very easy and fun to use.  

As you can see my colors are a slightly brighter hue but none-the-less in the neighborhood.  

The bib background is quilted batik fabric 

with two layers of medium weight stabilizer and wool batting

necessary to support my handmade, delicate polymer clay White Stargazer Lily art bead.  

It was a left over from a polymer clay wedding purse custom order. 

I had fun free-motion stitching leaf shapes with metallic thread. 

I then beaded it with all those beautiful glass and lucite flower beads, 

faceted glass and ceramic leaf beads. 

I found some really wonderful teardrop shaped miyuki glass seed beads 

which look like drops of clear water (dew) and sprinkled them about. 

 The lavender fringe represents the little girls lovely dresses 

which seem to be white but have a lavender cast 

due to the artists amazing sense of color and lighting. 

In the necklace portion I used white shell chips and peach colored coral pieces 

to imitate the glowing lanterns in the painting, more flower and leaf beads for continuity 

I love everything about this painting and really enjoyed making this piece. 

Come back Saturday for the Bead Soup Party!!! 

The Ingredients for some really delicious soup have arrived!!

Good Morning to my fellow beaders!! 

Angela's bead soup ingredients are here!!

 I missed one little tissue wrapped item when I opened the package the other day. 

It was the best surprise ever when I began my photo shoot this morning. 

I unwrapped this amazing wooden bird!! 

Now my Muse is talking to me because she wants the bird to be the center of attention.  

I also love the brass leaf bead caps, that beautiful gold and red ribbon and the chandelier glass.  

I am thinking I have enough to make several items here.  

Hope to get started today because I have a busy week and it will fly by. (Pun Intended) 

I should have taken pictures of the package all wrapped up but I couldn't wait.

There was this little text covered flower and leaf on the outside I hope to incorporate in the design too.  

See what I mean about the bird- she wants all the attention too! LOL

She looks quite plump. 

I'm  thinking she is looking to gather up things to build a nest so she can lay her eggs.

After all spring is right around the corner. 

Almost forgot to show you the gold clasp and this cool little brass medalion piece.  

So many little inspirational pieces are tucked into this stash. 

Come back Saturday, Feb 26th to see the first of the Bead Soup Reveals 

and Blog Hop to your heart's content!! 

Tweet, tweet!! 

PS I have opened a second ETSY SHOP for my fiber art items.  

Thanks to Heather Powers at Humble Beads I was able to quickly create new banners with Picnik.

You can now shop Aquariart for fiber art, knit, crochet, art quilts...

and Heatherp22 for Polymer Clay items and Jewelry. 

Please bear with me while I move all the fiber items- this takes a long time. 

If you had a favorite fiber item please go to Aquariart and favortie it again 

as I lose all my stats in this transfer. 

I am determined to get organized (an extreme challenge for me) this year.

Thanks for stopping by!!  

Heather

My head is still spinning!!

Dreams do come true!!! Woohoo!! 

And sometimes things happen you haven't even dreamed of yet. 

I am amazed at the snow ball effect that is happening to me this year 

and I am working very hard to keep my heart and head from exploding with joy and excitement 

and I must admit just a little tiny bit of fear I just keep pushing aside. 

I just had a photo shoot yesterday for the http://www.944.com/lasvegas !! 

It is a free publication distributed in the city at places like 

the Neiman Marcus Cafe in Fashion Show Mall downtown!! 

Yes, I am still shaking because I can't believe this is happening.
I will be in the March 2011 issue! 

The photographer, Michael and his loft mates were young and hip and their studio was amazing.

They all loved the suitcase full of my goodies I brought for the shoot. 

As soon as I arrived I felt more relaxed and they made the shoot really fun.  

I had to lay down on the floor under a really large sheet of glass 

and my items were laid on top of the glass all around my face.  

A very creative way to photograph me and my art work. 

It was thrilling to finally meet the wonderful "Ida" who said: 

"I am an etsy addict and when I found your Glam Wrist Pin Cushions

 and 

Felted Scarves

I was in love."

She writes the articles and chooses artists and 

then presents them to her editor for the magazine. 

I let her choose one of the Glam Cuffs as a thank you for choosing me.  

My friend Barbara drove and helped fix my hair and arranged the items 

because when you are propped up on your elbows you can't do any of that yourself 

and then...

drum roll...............

I, who was so high on adrenalin and joy was completely oblivious to my friends crafty ways.  

Barbara whisked me off to a surprise celebration hosted by another 

wonderful, kind and awesome friend Teresa, 

who graciously hosted a surprise celebration for me!  

She had decked out the table in white lace, a vase of roses,

crystal champagne glasses complete with champagne and sliced strawberries, 

popcorn and some of the nicest people I have ever met here in Las Vegas. 

They insisted I drag in my suitcase of goodies 

so they could ooh, aah and touch all of them 

and it looks like I have sold my most recent items before I can even list them in my shop. 

What a fun day!! I am still feeling the effects today!  

The future will tell how this will effect my little Etsy Shop business so 

I plan on being very busy creating.  

Still awaiting my bead soup ingredients so I will post about that when they come!! 

Happy Weekend Everyone!! 

It's My Birthday I can SMIILE if I want to and I want to!!

I am basically a teenager inside a slightly pruning body.

I haven't changed much have I?Maybe I need to shave more, what hormones?

I am anxiously awaiting my bead soup ingredients from my partner!! 
Keep waiting for the doorbell to ring and the package of goodies to arrive.
Stay posted for some great soup, Bead Soup that is.  
Here is a little beady goodness.
I made the deadline for the Jan ABS Challenge!

This is the inspiration from the Art Bead Scene Challenge for January.

Click on the link above to see the February Challenge.

Maybe you want to give it a try. 

One of my goals this year is to  do every challenge. 

I used polymer clay for the art beads; hearts, 

free-motion stitched and then painted muslin

and real suede as the lining for the Cuff. 

Silk ribbon suspends the heart bead in the necklace.  

I know these are not the usual Valentine colors but 

that's what I am about- something unique and interesting.

Also with Polymer Clay I created a winged creature for the PCAGOE Challenge.

This doubles as an entry for my Art Quilt Group Challenge-"Shelter" for Feb too!

"My Angel Shrine"

for more about this go to my polymer clay page.

Life is good, 

yes it is 

and I feel happy deep down inside 

where all the negativity in the world outside can't penetrate.  

That is the best birthday gift ever! 

Life is simple when you have that peaceful feeling, 

love and acceptance for yourself and others. 

This could last for days or maybe just a few more moments 

but I am grateful to feel it right now. 

I have had good and bad years, experiences, relationships....

but I have learned from all of it that the good is never really good 

unless you have a little bad thrown in there to remind you how good it is. 

I am learning to focus my mind on the good 
and use that to get through what seems to be bad 

but actually is motivating and pushing me forward to: 

"NO FEAR" my mantra.   

So, I am now eligible for some of the senior discounts out there, 

not sure what they are as I really don't consider myself senior yet. 

When I am dancing my heart out in my Zumba class I feel like I am 20 again without the need for make-up, pimple cream, birth control or a sweaty muscly man.
Here is one of my Zumba teachers in action.I missed class this day so you won't see me. 

Who could ask for more!  
You really should try out a class-
 An hour of Aerobic exercise has never been this fun and gone by so fast!

Of course a few hours later my feet, spine and compressed neck 

let me know if I over did it but I keep dancing.  

I figure as long as I keep moving those years can't catch up to me. 

Move On Everyone with joy- NO FEAR !! 

Bead Soup for my partner Angela

Bead Soup Ingredients for Angela- Multiple Morphs in Adobe Elements

Here it is! 
my specially shopped for Bead Soup Ingredients for Angela 

my partner in the first Bead Soup Party of 2011. 

Yes it is hard to make out what exactly I have sent her but that is the point.  

She will be surprised when she receives her package!! 

The Road to California Quilt Show has a multitude of wonderful vendors 

so I was able to find a fabulous focal bead at Wendy Lee's-Petroglyph Booth.  

Unfortunately she does not have a website but you may find her 

at different Craft Shows in California. 

The remainder of the beads I purchased at the Kahn-Fagan booth; 

you can find her at www.beadway.com (web site under construction) 

and several upcoming Fairs in California. 

AND 

at my local Bead Haven here in Las Vegas. 

 It is so exciting that there are over 200 artists signed up this time.  

The reveals and blog hop will start on Feb 26th 

so be sure to stop back 
and look at all the wonderful work of all these artists.

The Great Reveal of My Art Quilt

"Kiss the Bait"- Fish Lips and Stripey the Worm on a Polymer clay hook. 

It's back from Road to CA for me and my Art Quilt two years in the making-

"Casting Dreams" didn't win a prize but 

I overheard lots of people enjoying the humor and whimsy in this piece.  

I can finally show you all pictures.  

This Quilt is an irregular shape and approximately 6 feet by 5 something.

I got it out and took some close ups this morning

because you can't really see all the hand stitching, 

beading and embellishments from a distance. 

Here are some of my favorite creatures:

Egyptian Queen Fish- the body is made with painted fusible web.
Love that technique, it is always a surprise what you get. 

Momma gives Baby Snail a piggy back

Butterfly Fish Family

Blue Finned Rock Fish

Egyptian Queen Fish and the Flying Fish School

Some of my handywork; beads, sequins, hand embroidery with blood sweat and pliers....and I didn't count but more than 1000 french knots to hold down the big fish to his home. 

The Eye, Feather Fin and many French Knots!! 

Just some of the beading and hand stitching done with embroidery floss and pliers

                             

I sketched and created every appliqued creature with Steam a Seam 

and I don't know how many different fussy cut fabrics. 

The Music Fish is one of my personal favorites, he is made up of a thread painted keyboard belly, treble and bass clef signs; his eye and nose, sixteenth note fins and an eighth note tail. 

The Elephant Fish is one I remembered from this favorite childhood story of mine: 

Dr. Seuss's -"McElligot's Pool" 

in which there was every type of fish imaginable, cow fish, dog fish, eskimo fish...

Mr. Muscles, a CrawDad
Originally I made a big Red Lobster but he took away too much attention from the big fish.

Mr. Rock Turtle meets the Purple Fancy Molly Family

So now you know why I breathed a bittersweet sigh of relief 

when I had to ship this quilt to Road to California. 

I had to stop embellishing and call it "Finished". 

It was a LOT of work but so worth it. 

Time is so precious, I hate to waste it, what are you doing with yours? 

Girl's Weekend!!

Just a quick post I am leaving for Ontario, California this morning to go see my art quilt "Casting Dreams" at the Road to California Quilt Show. I will have lots of pictures next week so you can finally see it!!  My great friend Barbara and I will drive there, hoping to stop by the Quilt Visions -"No Boundaries" Exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art too. Two nights and the Doubletree and lots of fun!! My husband's only request is that I come home with some lottery tickets!! 

My dog Bandit is looking forward to a boy's weekend with Dad.  

I am sure I will be all fired up with inspiration when I get home Sunday.  My sewing machine is having a tune up while I am gone so I can finish up my projects for our local Desert Quilters of Nevada Quilt Show in March.  More about that later. 

AND

The Bead Soup Party begins next week too with partial reveals of the soup stash I will send my partner!! So much to look forward to this month and next.  Have a great weekend everyone!!