Beading For A Cure Beaded Juggling Balls

These balls will be going up for auction! They are a curious mix of soft and hard and easily jugglable! My dh tested them out for me.
I have to say that as much as I enjoy these colours, I am ready for a change!!
Cheers, Denise

I'm trying again

Hi
I had this all lined up nice, written well, then went and lost it. How often do I do that? Arghhh, much too often.

Anyway, here are my messy piles of works in progress! It's fun sometimes to take these pictures and see what you've done with your work, can you tell I've been flitting from one project to another?
The BFAC ball is there, the beave, and the other BFP. I see Nanabush and I see some odd beads that really should be running home by now.


















Here is my Canadian Beaver. This BFP is month April. Thanks to That Bad Liz - I love the Moose and the Dragon and her style and wanted to try it. Of course, I have to do the edges of course. I really like the beaver! He's cool! He looked like a groundhog until I put his tail on, it's amazing how similiar those animals look. I used a piece of leather for the tail.

I finally picked up some Grunge board. I'm going to see if I can bead it. You can't see it here, cause it's down in the art room but I was so excited to finally get my hand on some!

I am almost finished my May page too. It's been very intuitive and I'm just at the stage where I need to stare at it and see if there is something else I want to add to it.

Then my March page. It's got the outline beaded and I hope to finish it this weekend. I have to, have to, HAVE TO!!!! finish my BFAC first!






Alright! Time to go! Have a Great Day Everyone!!!

Will there be 2 or 3?

Beading For A Cure!
I was inspired by some children's toys. My daughter won them for me at her local school fun fair fish pond so I opened them up, took out the foam, cleaned and dyed them and then stuffed them with new polyfill. Oh and then the fun began! I outlined the edges and then filled in each side!

Oh this was fun and it's not finished!!! I want to make three if I can get enough beads and thanks to some wonderful amazing women at All About Beads, there are some in the mail to me.
If it's not three, sitting nicely in a bowl to be played with, it could be two - like fuzzy dice hanging from a rear-view mirror!

I hope to make each side different and I added the yellow/lime beads as my extra bead.
I'm still beading my BJP and there will be pictures soon. I just got inspired by the BFAC beaded juggling balls and there is a deadline!

In other news, I'm not working. It didn't work out so I'm looking for work again. That means more time for beading!

Enjoy!!! Denise

Finally some pictures!

Her name is Rae! She is a North American Traveller who made her way back home to me! I'm so happy to see her after so many years. She's got some amazing features to her and I'm still trying to decide if I want to add beads or just leave her!






This is my beach vessel! It was fun to make! I want to thank Bobbi over atBeading At the Beach. I have another one in the works, but I am being side tracked by my BJP, which I'm behind in.

I started a new job!! I'm working at Beddingtons Bed and Bath and believe me, I have a few things to learn about bedding and towels and such but it's a great place and elegant feel to it and I'm so enjoying the atmosphere and the staff I've met so far! Oh and one of them is a quilter so you can bet I'll be talking up a storm with her!









So enjoy yourselves and I'll be posting my Beaded Art Journal Pages very soon!
Cheers, Denise

I'm playing again!!!!

Cyberfyber

I'm playing!!! I've been back at beading and saw this a few days ago. Then I was at Beading at the Beach and it was mentioned again, so I'm going for it!!
I'll post some pictures when I find the extra battery, the battery charger or both - do you think they are together somewhere?
I'll ask the kids!!!
Cheers, Denise

I'm working on my school project - and it's coming along!

Thanks for the comments everyone! I have all kinds of bead ideas running around in my head and I should have policy running around in my head!
I'm almost finished my paper, then back to beading!!!
What till you see the beads I bought at Out on a Whim Beads!
I'm using them as incentive to finish my honours project! When I'm done, I get to bead with my new beads and the ideas are bouncing around in my head!!!
Cheers, Denise

Picking Up The Pieces - well 1 of them anyway!

Picking Up The Pieces
She has puzzle pieces missing! But she found one, and I think that's all I'm going to add otherwise, it's going to look funny. The puzzle piece has boucle stitching on both sides and is quite tactile. The doll itself is only beaded on one side, and that works for me, cause she's hanging up on the wall. I did back her with another piece of material to cover and protect the stitching though.
I like how she turned out and I like how she is looking down at the piece. I really enjoyed working with the yellow - just what I needed as I watch the snow melt outside. It was a fun project. Hope you enjoy her!
cheers, Denise

In which the Beaded Art Doll Women Inspire Me!

I joined Beaded Art Dolls on yahoo. What an amazing, creative group of women! The latest challenge was to use a flat puzzle shape and bead it a specific colour. Everyone had two choices, they could do yellow plus 10% of a contrasting colour or be randomly assigned a colour. My random colour was red but I've done red, so I went back to the yellow.
What you see here is my tray, with most of my yellow beads, and my beady doll. She's called Picking Up The Pieces, because, as you can see, she's missing a few. They will be beaded and dangling from her arms when this is done.
It's been fun! And relaxing as I continue to work on my thesis.

You can check out their:blog here.

Take It Further Challenge

This is February's Take it Further Challenge. I haven't done much at all in the way of beading but still want to do this challenge in the form of tags. The February theme was what do I remember. I remember drawing bubble letters and colouring them in. It was a fun and simple project. I want to add some pom poms on ribbon to this and cover the back stitching but I decided to get it up here first cause it's been so long since I put anything on the blog.
The Take it Further challenge for March is to pay attention to the little things. I'll be thinking about that. I want to at least start it in March, and I want to start March's Beaded Journal Project too but I've been concentrating on my paper for school so we'll see how it goes.
Cheers, Denise

 

 

Beading for a cure starts!!!

Beading For A Cure.

An excellent cause, awesome artists and some wonderful art pieces. Go and be part of the solution. It's a month long endeavor so there is something for everyone! The new beads are making their to people's homes and the fun for the new projects has started. But please, go and help!!! You won't be disappointed!
Cheers, Denise

I've been Tagged....

So 7 things about me that are weird. Hmmmm.... Perhaps I should get some of my friends to write this instead as I'm sure they could come up with a few things.

1. I'm known as the trouble maker. I can definitely design michief. Or maybe it's that I like to laugh. And I will say things to encourage others to laugh. Just to get that look of boredom of their face.

2. I love my bed. I love being horizontal. No smirking here!! I could lie for hours reading in bed. And I don't have to get up to pee before I do it. I can even drink coffee and not get up to pee. Being horizontal is awesome!

3.I like to eat cherry pie filling on plain biscuits. Or even just from the can. Enough said?

4. I've been watching General Hospital since I was like 12. Is that really 30years? Oh man!

5. I like a 20 minute nap. I really like a 20 minute nap.

6. I like to blow my breath into the belly of my cat and make her fur all warm. She hasn't figured out if she likes it or not. My male cat doesn't like it at all. But he does like to sit on the furnace vent and have the hot hair blow up his butt. He is too funny.

7. Hmm. I love the smell of the air caught between my screen door and the regular door. I like this smell when it's been all warmed up by the sun. It reminds me of when I was a kid.

Since I've seen this all over, I don't feel compelled to tag people. It's too funny to ready how interesting we really are and what turns our cranks!
Cheers, Denise

2x2 square

This little square will be in the mail very soon! There is another one around here, it is being elusive though, so I have no picture.
Cheers, Denise

BJP Project update

This is the finished Paisley page.





Here are two close photos of the felted and beaded page. This was fun. I enjoyed playing witht the colour of the felt and the texture that the beads added. I also tried to learn more about perspective and laying out a landscape. Still new at this and still trying out new ideas.

I have to confess, I had this finished in February because I had a craving for colour. I beaded this coloured flag and it was fun and bright and vibrant. The little lizard dude is actually from the Dominican Republic from a trip a few years ago and made its way onto the page quite nicely.
The flower is actually a felt ball cut in half and then beaded. I then sewed it onto the page. It actually has quite a bit of dimension and works well with the lizard dude cause they both are quite big. This page speaks volumes about my need for the sun!

What am I doing with these...

I am trying to find a way to put it all together to make a necklace that is pretty and fun and tactile!
I am not having as much luck as I struggle to decide which stitch, which design, which layout.
I love pearls and amber together. Then I found this piece of shell and put it together as a pendant to anchor the amber and the pearls but still no idea what to do with all those beads!!!
Suggestions would be a great idea.

Hmmmmm..... Good with Corona I guess!

You Are A Lime Tree

You are intelligent, hard working, and innately successful. You try to change what you can in life - and you accept what you can't change. Tough on the outside, you are actually soft and relenting. Jealous at times, you are extremely loyal and giving to those you love. You have many talents, but you don't have enough time to use them.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

Update on Beaded Art Journal

Hi!
Here's the update on the Beaded Journal Project. I've started to put the final touches on them and I hope to take more pictures to show the differences. Some of the differences may be subtle though.



December's page is related to all the snow that we got in December. There were so many beautiful days and there were times when we caught the snow flakes and had a chance to look at them up close!




January is definitely a work in progress. I've actually finished it but I haven't taken any pictures yet. I felted the whole thing and then beaded it. I'd like to credit Kelly from bead art for helping me follow this and for her pointing to Jo Wood
On this picture, I attempted to teach myself perspective and how to make things seem closer and further. More pictures on this soon.


This is the box - a cigar box that I am keeping all the squares in. Think it's time to decorate it!!!



August. It's not finished. Those green lines? Corn.
When we travelled this summer, we saw so much corn and we participated in a gps explorer travel hunt and Kokopelli was the little dude icon/label for the hunt. It was so much fun!



September is circles. I was practicing technique. I beaded over cording with the orange beads and the made circles out of peyote.


Need I say anything? It's the colour of fall. It's the texture of fall. These leaves aren't sequins, I had to punch holes in them. The material is so amazing, I didn't want to hide it! I don't actually like the amount of blank space though. It doesn't seem balanced. Suggestions?




November was playing with paisleys. I love paisleys! I found this cardboard template stuff at the scrapbooking store and bought them to trace around and it was still harder to do then I like. I want to work at this. I have to say that finished project isn't too bad.
One of the things I did was couch cording down on the material.

I am trying to incorporate different techniques that I haven't tried in these pages and I really think that it's a great way to expand my horizons. There's always a comfort zone with our art, it's nice to push it once in awhile.

cheers, Denise

I'm trying again!

The Blogger failed me the other day when I had a huge and cool blog ready to be posted. I'm ready to try again!
I want to show you something. I have been reading In a Minute Ago for the longest time and I'm inspired by the The Take It Further Challenge. Sharon B is an amazing artist and I love her work. The texture screams off the computer screen, I can only imagine what it is like in person! So I was thinking of this challenge but it was when I saw what Bobbi did, that I realized that I really wanted to play along with the challenge. I'm not an official member but I am playing anyway.
Bobbi posted her piece on herBeading AT The Beach Blog.



I decided on a tag shape. I love that shape, have used it for a long time in mixed media and thought this would work for the challenge. Here are the two pictures. I've since done more work on it and will post finished pictures too.



Here is one side of it. The theme this month was who inspires you and lots of people do so I created something that reminded me of several people. the main material is from my couch which I made new cushion covers for so I had the material there. I was impressed with myself for doing this job - I pushed my boundaries with it so I've inspired myself. Then I added the paisley for a friend of my - Lorna, who constantly inspires me. The seahorse is from Laurel Burch's collection. She was an amazing woman, and I wish I had of know more about her before she died.
The tag has fibers and beads on it on this side, which aren't in the picture.




On this side, we have a picture that was created byCarol. She is a Mom and a beader and she gave everyone this picture when she hosted the brooch faces swap. I admire her - she works hard at her art. I put mica on it - courtsey of Art Chix when I went there on a trip to BC last year. It was the first time I used the mica and it really does sew easily!
The strip of white satin is from Lexi. She is a member of the Hannah Grey Yahoo group and was my secret santa. I admire her and her art very much. She lives in Bermuda and doesn't have a lot of art stores, but still manages to do some beautiful work. Turns out I was her Santa too and it was fun sending her parcels for Christmas too.
The Charms are from a charm swap I did with Amber Dawn.I had been saving these charms for something special and I am inspired by so many women who participate in swaps and exhanges!
You know, it isn't just the women who made these charms, but so many other artists out there who are willing to swap. I love doing that and I love seeing and collecting from people around the world. One of the bonuses of globalization, I guess.
There are beads on the front which aren't in the picture - to honour my many bead friends!!
I also included a felt ball - one of my daughters made this one, they were all making them one night and I don't know who made this one but they all inspire me constantly and talk to me about my art, and there so this one little felt balls says so much!So that is my tag for the month of January. I'm going to make tags for each month and It's just great to create a series. I was surprized by how much I've enjoyed the Beaded Art Project and when it ends in the spring, I'll have this one to keep me going.
Next up, the Beaded Journal Project squares that you haven't seen. I've mostly kept up and I'll post them next.
Cheers, Denise

Busy! Oh yeah!

Can you say busy!!! Working, school, Kid's stuff, shopping, and the odd cuddle from any number of children!
So, pictures and great shared things and Beaded Journal Project will all be in the new year when I have a chance to show you, work out the computer chip stuff and play more!
I'm amazed that anyone posts on their blog at this time of year!!! Last night the kids and I made a gingerbread house and some peppermint bark! What a delicious evening!
Cheers all and
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Hi All!
These are the final pictures from my BFAC project. I don't think I ever posted them. The project got shipped off ages ago!
Now I'm doing some things, I made a necklace and matching earrings for a friend but I didn't take a picture. I also am working on a secret santa project that one of my daughters friends said was too tacky. So now I'm re thinking it!!! Argh, I may have to make something else!! I think it's kitchy and she doesn't know the difference so she couldn't really say but if I give it to this woman, I don't want her to think it's tacky. I'm rethinking it!!!
More later, this is definitely my busy time of year!!!
Cheers, Denise

Wow!!!!!

So much happening at this time of year!!! Want some pictures? I'll try and find some! We broke the hinges on the laptop, so it became a desk top. The laptop that still functions doesn't have any pictures on it at all!!! And, I couldn't seem to get on my blog with it, so instead of sitting on the couch, blogging and relaxing, I have to sit at the desk. Picture it.
Later same day....
I am beading! I am at school!! I am working!!!! I'll tell you more later,
No pictures but I'll be back - I had a visitor for coffee and I didn't get back to the computer. Now I'm off to work.
Pitiful post again. I am to do better!!!!
Cheers, Denise

A New Halloween Contest

Wanna play? Check out this!
Halloween!!!
I frequently visit The Voodoo Cafe and Rice encouraged us to encourage her friend Gabriel to post a very cool contest so here it is!
My mind is already playing with it and the ideas are churning! I might even get my daughter to help me with the story - she's so cool.
So think about it - go to the site and print out the black and white image!
Thanks Gabriel!
Cheers, Denise

beaded Face Swap

Mamarox hosts a beaded face swap at about this time of year. I missed it last year but there was no way I was going to miss it again! I only have time to make one but I did!. I absolutely love these wonderful little flower beads - and they look great with the triangle toho's and the clay face I made.
Now to get it in the mail in time for the swap! Thanks Mamarox for hosting such a fun swap!!
Cheers, Denise

You are The Lovers

Motive, power, and action, arising from Inspiration and Impulse.

The Lovers represents intuition and inspiration. Very often a choice needs to be made.

Originally, this card was called just LOVE. And that's actually more apt than "Lovers." Love follows in this sequence of growth and maturity. And, coming after the Emperor, who is about control, it is a radical change in perspective. LOVE is a force that makes you choose and decide for reasons you often can't understand; it makes you surrender control to a higher power. And that is what this card is all about. Finding something or someone who is so much a part of yourself, so perfectly attuned to you and you to them, that you cannot, dare not resist. This card indicates that the you have or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing that you will fall in love with. You will know instinctively that you must have this, even if it means diverging from your chosen path. No matter the difficulties, without it you will never be complete.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Here are the earrrings that I had ever such a hard time with. Tension issues and stringing material issues and delica size issues!!!! It took days to do these!!!!! Hard to believe eh? Well, they are done and I'm not that fond of them because though they look good on a wine glass, they swing too much on the ear. They would be better off with the crystals at the bottom and a short thingy from the earring wire to the main crystal. They would look good as a pendent though.
These crystals are for my neice's wedding party. The crystal is heliotrope and is absolutely gorgeous. I love the crystals!!!
Cheers, Denise.
More later!!

Hi!!!! I'm Back!!!!

Hi! I've been away, been busy and having fun! I went to my sisters for a bit, and went camping and now I'm home for a bit before the long weekend and more camping! I will have some pictures for you very soon - I have completed my July page, started my August page and haven't thought about September!!
I have finished my doll and mailed it - I have pictures of it too! I was very happy to see it go!
More later! The house really does need attention!
cheers, Denise

Netting Pictures

My netting is crooked so I'm posting these progress pictures to see if the the wonderful folks at All About Beads will tell me if I should keep going or if I should cut it and rework it.
Cheers, Denise

What I have been doing and What I want to do!

Pictures of the BFAC project.





Sometimes you get to a point in the project where you just want to hurry up and finish so you can move on to the next thing. I'm at that with this project. I'm looking forward to the next part - working on the skirt of it (which you haven't seen yet) but I have to do the hair. Despite the generous contributions from a couple of other beaders, I still don't have enough white beads to finish the hair so I'm going to use the gold beads that I added to this BFAC project. My goal is to have this project finished before I go away on holiday. I'll mail it when I get back.

In other news, I'm looking forward to working on this project!


This is Nanabush. Nanabush is a mythical creature in Aboriginal legends. He has different names and creates messages, and mischief and sometimes angst for his people. I read about him first in a play written by a Canadian Playwright. The Play is called "The Rez Sisters" and the writer is Thompson Highway.
I bought this form when I was up at Bon Echo Provincial Park. I saw it a year ago and then this year I bought it with the intention of beading it. I don't know yet what will go on it - Nanabush often took different forms, including that of the crow. He is also known as the trickster but this particular form is from a picture that is painted on the rocks at Bon Echo - a petroglyph. They don't know how old it is and it's not very accessible. It's painted on a sheer rock face above the water and they have a telescope set up to see it at the park. I think this doll will ecompass lots of different elements, different types of beads and lots of texture. I made the face yesterday.





These are some of my most favourite beads! They are tiny little flowers and the local supplier for one of my local bead stores is discontinuing them. When I found that out, I had to buy up what I could afford! I love these beads, they are great in fringe, great used as a sequin type, can be used in as spacers in jewellery! They make great coral beads or neat moss. Nanabush will definitely have some!
So each bag is 600 each and hopefully they will last me for a bit.

Back to the fringe!!!!

Beading Projects

Hello! Hello!!
So, as you can see, I've been beading, not blogging!!!
The first two pictures are my July page, started but not finished. I'm having a lot of fun with it and have a few neat ideas to try out. The face was an experiment in netting and the netting is too big but I'm going to add some stuff to it and of course more beads!




I know most of you thought that the green flower picture was the June page but the leaves are too heavy and it bothered me because they ended up stretching the thread too much. I'm going to do something with that page, just not sure what yet.
In the mean time though, I've had in my minds eye for a very long time this beaders painting pallet and I really think it works for the first page of this journal. It was a lot of fun and I made the beads very bumpy and tactile, like a real pile of beads. I'm going to put a pocket on the back and add my journalling to it but I think it turned out great and the girls think it's cool too!


This is a progress picture on the Beading For a Cure doll that I am working on. It's going to take priority for the next little bit because it has to be finished to be mailed out by the end of the month. I'm really focusing on texture and layering and while parts of it I'm not happy with yet, I know that I still have lots to do and it will work itself out.
That's all for now!
Cheers, Denise

A Compliment

I want to thank everyone who has complimented me on my Through The Looking Glass Piece. I really had a lot of fun and drive to create that piece and it was really interesting to dig through my stash to find the beads that worked so amazingly well in it.

I was thinking of compliments and their importance in our lives. I was also looking at my list of blogs that I visit and the list of blogs that are on other people's blogs. I look for mine there. I don't see it that often but I was thinking that it would be a real compliment to see my blog on someone else favourite list. I was also remembering when an artist I knew re-formatted her list and took my name off her blog and the slight hurt I felt at that.
So in the next few days, I'm going to add to my list of blogs that I frequent and I'm going to update it with the blogs I go to. It's a good long list and it's a compliment to each of everyone that I look at your blogs.

If you have a blog, let me know, and if you would like to add my blog to your list, feel free... I'll accept it as a compliment.

Cheers, Denise

I Came In Second

It's called Through The Looking Glass.

There was a challenge on Bead Art and I didn't take up the challenge right away. Inspiration hit and I worked on this project non stop for oh, a month or so until it was finished. There are all kinds of woodland creatures, moss, trees, flying fish and pigs and a cheshire cat.
I loved how the mirror in the sky looks through the mirror of the water and that they both reflect back to each other all the weird and all the wonderful.
The back of the piece is the tunnel that Alice originally fell down and as she was falling, she saw all kinds of things so there is a rooster and a pig and of course shoes.

It was really fun to do. All most all of the beads I used were mine, I didn't have to go out and buy too many beads. I had fun using beads like the racoon and the squirrel and the elephant that had been sitting in my bead stash for the last few years.

Enjoy the pictures and congradulations to Jocelyn for winning. Here is the winning piece - The Red Queen Jocelyn did a fantastic job.

Cheers, Denise

Through the Looking Glass is the challenge I worked on. One of these pieces belongs to me and if you are a member of Delphi Forums, you can go to Bead Art and vote. The link for the voting doesn't seem to work - I didn't set it up so don't ask me how that all works.
Also, if the pictures don't load right away, either refresh or reload. There are some great pieces here, and it was an interesting challenge. We aren't supposed to say which piece we did, though one I do know who did three of them and then I know which one I did, so it's not top secret or anything like that!
The winner with the most votes recieves a wonderful package of beads curtsey of the moderators of Bead Art.
Now on to other projects!! I'll be posting soon! I'm working on a fringe - for a beaded art doll and the going in slow - it's easy but tedious work.
Cheers, Denise