Crystal Chyll - BJP January

I signed up for the Robin Atkins' Beaded Journal Project, 2010. The challenge is to make a beaded item each month in the same shape and size. I choose a goddess shape and have turned it into a pendant. The piece uses many techniques of bead embroidery and a different stone cab will be used in each month's project. This design incorporates a pearl button, metal ring, stone cab, pearls, hex, bugle & seed beads. The piece is lined in the back with leather.

Pearle Jam

This is the Pearle Jam bracelet pattern designed by Sherry Serafini. The center piece is a 14mm rivoli that has been bezeled. Pearls, crystals, drops, Firepolish, Druks and seed beads adorn the square stitch base.

Let's Brooch the Subject

A small bead embroidered brooch class I will be teaching. The design incorporates several different styles of bead embroidery. The focal stone is a piece of cast glass and is surrounded by size 11 and 8seed beads, bugles & Tiny Tims.

Turtles everywhere

These are two small pieces that will be incorporated into a quilt and auctioned off for the Breast Cancer Foundation sponsored annually by Jeannette Shanigan. The theme this year is turtles.

Wire and Bead Commission

This was my last commissions of 2009. On the left is a wire and beaded Leopard Jasper pendant. Beads and crystals dangle from the wire loop as well as from the bail.

The bracelet is a 2-drop peyote base with netted Fire Polish beads embellishing it. Can't go wrong with the color brown.

From Bead Embroidered to Book

I took a bead embroidery class from Master beader, Robin Atkins. The beaded portion shows a few of the new stitches I learned in class. The beaded portion in the upper center began the feeling of a sea mount and soon the piece turned into a beach-type scene complete with small turtles, fish bones and found piece of shell. The cloth is hand dyed and backed with acid free board. I created the book with a cut out for the embroidery. The binding features a coptic chain stitch. The paper on the cover is recycled from a SMOCA watercolor poster.

Art Retreat Crystal Bottle Topper

I had the opportunity to attend an art retreat held at Aravaipai Canyon in Arizona. We learned a host of new techniques which I am happy to share with you.

The bottles were purchased from Cost Plus Imports. We each made a topper for the bottle using old chandelier crystals, glass bobbles and small crystals. After working a pleasing design of crystals, we soldered them together and attached each topper to the bottle permanently. They are beautiful when the sun hits them. I filled my bottle with extra bobbles before attaching the topper.

Art Retreat metal embossing

I've had limited experience in embossing metal. These samples are made from aluminum sheets. The top item could be a light switch cover or a small frame. The other items can be used for greeting cards, book cover plates or whatever your heart desires.

Art Retreat Tile Mosaic

My first attempt at tile mosaic. Can you see the lizard? Pretty time consuming and reminded me of doing a puzzle of some sort. Fun!