BTW- Working on the Art Bead Scene Blog July Challenge

As usual I am the queen of last minute 

and finished my piece for the Art Bead Scene July Challenge today at 1 pm.  

So then there was a nasty photo session in the 106 degree hot wind 

in my south facing back yard under the patio cover. 

Then lots of photo editing, uploading and picture collaging on picnik. 

I have to say I took a nice break and had a little frozen yogurt with my friend Barbara this afternoon. 

So it is 6:16, hubby is fortunately working a little late 

and I am scrambling to finish this post for Bead Table Wednesday 

and the Art Bead Scene July Challenge for the blog hop 

and I will be done blah, blah, blogging until Saturday. 

Here are my pictures: 

House Pendant from mixing the clay colors in the inspiration palette to the finished pendant.

Screeching in at the last minute for the deadline!!!
For some reason I had a really hard time making this piece today.  I started the moment my husband left for work (7:15am) and finally, all alone in the house at 1 pm said to myself outloud:

"Ok Heather , you are done, just leave it the way it is 

and go take the (*$!#) pictures,

it's getting really hot outside!!"

The Bad News: 

I ruined a bunch of jump rings and a stretch of chain because 

I must have taken this apart at least 20 times and reconstructed it ;

 over and over and over......ugh.

 I am finding that I really prefer my copper and antique brass findings. 

For some reason they seem more neutral and less intrusive than silver.  

I really want the time back I wasted making polymer roses and leaves on Monday 

because they were too big and too distracting

making the house pendant just disappear.   

The Good News: 

This is not one of my most favorite designs but it is what it is.  

And it is done!! YAY!! 

And I got my yellow enameled copper head pins just in time yesterday 

from Kimoras on Etsy and I love them!!

If you read my blog last month you already know 

I am very, very low on the color yellow in my stash. 

My collages are created on picnik.com

For more pictures and information about my polymer clay process 

including a secret recipe for sparkling yellow go HERE.

To see the other wonderful Bead Tables and July Challenge pieces 

click on the highlighted words at the beginning of my Rant.  

Then just breathe!! 

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.