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. 

Picker at Heart

My husband tivos the American Pickers Show every week and we really look forward to watching it.  

We both grew up in New England where there was so much history all around you. 

 I know I didn't really appreciate that until I moved to the west coast 

and was really surprised that they thought 50 years old meant antique. 

This week's Pickers show revolved around items from the Civil War 

and the guys;

Mike and Frank
 participated in a re-enactment of a battle someplace along the way.  It really stirred my memories.   I used to walk past the 200 year old Isaac Davis Home where the minutemen gathered to begin their march to Concord to fight the British in the Revolutionary war every day on my way to school.  We re-enacted that march every year with "Minute Men" who march to the fife and drums.
I actually found a recent Youtube video of this from my hometown- Acton, MA!

I really never thought I would ever be a huge fan of antiques but that changed over the years.  

When we lived in WA there was a little town, Snohomish, I visited often filled with antique shops.  

I bought some old kitchen utensils that I made into a garden mobile and now use to rust fabric.

 I oggled beautiful old furniture that I couldn't really afford at the time.  

I dreamed of what my house would look like 

with a really ecclectic collection of these pieces and art everywhere.  

Fast Forward to our move to Las Vegas.  

Never ever dreamed I would live here.  

My husband had a job out in Palm Springs he needed to check on 

and invited me to go with him for the day and wander while he worked. 

It was a long drive for a day trip but so worth it.  

That little town is filled with little art galleries and antique stores.  

I had a blast and came home with some beautiful painted fish for my bathroom, 

new lamps for our bedroom
and the best find ever. 

 I dragged my tired husband to see this and he really didn't want to go 

but when he saw what I found I could see the excitement in his face.
We haggled and got it for what we felt was a great price.

  I finally found something my husband could not resist.  

He has a small collection of swords and knives, 

some decorative and a couple authentic ones; a civil war sword and bayonette. 

We display them in our entry room around the pool table. 

Well here is what I found. 

The Wooden Carved Crest of a Family Distillery and it is amazing.  

I take it down and polish it with olive oil about once a year. 

The griffins are so cool.

We both really love this piece- a great pick!! LOL

Erin of Treasures Found had a post about the Pickers show on March 29th, 2011

and I promised I would share a picture of this piece, 

I finally remembered to photograph it so I could share it's unique beauty.   

Be sure to visit her too to see some beautiful Garden Soup!!
My eye candy of the week, delivered today to one happy Etsy Shopper.

One special order Blue and Purple Glam Wrist Cuff.
The flower is made with upcycled and (washing machine) felted wool from Sally's Boutique.
Have a delightful weekend everyone!!

Polymer Clay Class last week

I took a class with a wonderful teacher and clay artist, 

Sophia from my local Las Vegas Polymer Clay Guild last week.  

She also does beautiful ceramic work. 

We learned to make a faux wood or bone technique and made pendant dolls. 

I had to be a little different and make my mouth 

with the sliced coffee stir stick we used for the eye indentations. 

She looked too sad with  a frown 

so I added the up turn spots 

and look she's a

Little Faux Wood Vampire Doll

for all those Twilight Fans out there.  

It was especially fun to make the wire coiled hair and the tiny earrings. 

This doll is 5 1/4" tall from the bail to the tip of her tooth shaped body.  

This is the first time I have ever used super soft sculpy as a base for beads too.  

It was a little difficult to keep it from getting lumpy 

when you cover the center with the sheets of the wood grain clay.  

All in all it was a really fun day with some new people I hadn't met 

and I would like to make more dolls with my own style.  

I have been dreaming up ideas for more faux wood pieces, beads...... very inspiring class. 

I am taking a few moments to think about all those gave their lives to preserve freedom,

something I never want to take for granted.  

Thank you to all those with loved ones in the military for your many sacrifices. 

I am off to mow the lawn before it gets too hot.

My dream mower- it's either this or I hire Chippendale's Men!

Our  friends Rick and Tanys are in town this weekend 

so I am looking forward to seeing them tomorrow night 

and having a chocolate-raspberry beer at the Yard House Brewery. 

Happy Memorial Day 

and I hope you all have a very safe and wonderful holiday week-end.