Yearning for Beauty - Dec BJP

I close our 2010 Beaded Journal Project with this piece titled Yearning for Beauty. My inspiration for the pendant was based on my readings by Lisa See. The books, Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, both novels, describe two girls growing up in Shanghai and the trials and tribulations they went through immigrating to America.
The second book discusses the custom of foot binding as a practice towards beauty. I thanked my lucky stars that I was not born in that time period.
This piece uses Chinese coins and jade to symbolize the Asian heritage. Everything is beaded symmetrically to show balance and harmony. The gold beads are a sign of wealth.

A Yen for the Zen

Metal Vintaj beads adorn this bead embroidered pendant done in blacks, copper and gold.

Charmed

My friend, Melinda, went to Greece and sent me some wonderful beach oriented charms. The charms range from starfish to pearls and shells. What fun it is to wear and hear the jingle of this necklace.

Button Bound book

This holiday oriented book incorporates pretty shell buttons on its binding. The paper has been further enhanced with watercolor mica paint.

Stab Binding Book

The use of Japanese stab binding pulls this book together. The electrical tape used brightens up the paper.

Nov Beaded Journal Project - Fang Inspired Mask

I have always loved faces and masks and didn't want the year to slip by without making one. I like African masks for their simplicity and use of color. We have a few masks made by the Fang tribe. They use little color in the masks and use the wood carving to depict shadowing and different effects. The eyes, nose and round mouth are typical features of their masks.

The jury was out as to whether I should add fringe and/or hair to this mask. As mentioned, the masks are quite plain so for now I will leave it as is.

Multi-Stitch Bracelet w/Pearls

This bracelet pattern is by NanC Meinhart. It used size 11 seed beads and Keishi pearls. I love the texture achieved with the pearls. The pattern incorporates peyote and right angle weave.

Beaded Artist Trading Card (BATC)

Joan Knutson, East Valley Beader and I did a BATC swap. My only desire on my card was that it include the color purple.
Isn't this flower beautiful with the gold leaves surrounding it? Joan did a fantastic job and the fabric matches the piece as well.

Beaded Domino

My friend, Marlene wanted to wear her favorite number 9 in this domino. I did a double cab around the domino. The first layer consists of Niblet beads going around the perimeter of the block. The niblets stand quite tall from end to end and were the perfect bead to use for cabbinb. The second layer is a peyote base to add texture and extra stability to the heavy piece. An Ndebele bail hangs from the peyote base.

Grid & Bear It Book

Using two plastic mesh grids typically used for cross stitch, I incorporated them into a book. Underneath the grid is a metallic reflective paper. The focal mermaid is made of Friendly Plastic that has been altered with beads, wire and a face bead. Large sequins adorn the mermaid and a gold fish hangs from the top of the cover. Each signature is held in with a separate beaded binding.

Fiber & Beads ribbon book

Hand dyed shibori silk is featured on the cover of the book. The focal piece is a bead embroidered goddess body & face done in clay. The body is surrounded by no hole beads and seed beads. The book is put together with a ribbon binding and coptic stitch.

Full Moon Rising - Oct BJP

This month I was thinking about how we had a Harvest Moon. The light from the moon is so brilliant. As I started my October project, we were enjoying yet another full moon. It seemed as if daylight had occurred and all the energies were being released to shine upon us. My piece this month celebrates our full moons. The Goddess presents the full moon to us.

Pillow talk Lariat

These little pillow beads on the end of the lariat were originally for a necklace. After making several, I decided a lariat would be a fun change to my repetoire. The beads are strung into a twisted Ndebele lariat. The lariat stays together with a square stitched bolo contraption that I thought up.

VooDoo Doll Class

I spent a full day with artist, Cindy Kovack. She calls her art "recycled artistic oddities" using bits and bobs of things normally thrown out. This doll has been painted several times and adorned to the hilt. It has shades of artist, Michael deMeng, don't you think?

Figure collage

This collage takes a figure from a magazine and changes its appearance using different papers. Another fun and inspiration class.

Recycled & Distressed Papers

A collage of paper fun from a class offered by Cindy Kovack.
Painting, tearing, creasing, folding. Yea! We love mixed media.

Sept Beaded Journal Page - Tall Rock

Tall Rock

I knowingly waited for my visit to Cork's bead retreat to create this piece. The large picture window has a spectacular view of pines, animals and sheer rocks that reach for the heavens. Of special note, is "Tall Rock" (photo at right) which catches the sun beams in a most spectacular way. Every moment, the light hits the giant rock in different ways creating shadows and brightness.
Tall Rock is at the bottom of the piece surrounded by pine trees and "golden" background. The yellow beads represent the changing colors of the highly located Aspens.
We visited the open house of Beyond Beadery and purchased "niblet" beads which are incorporated in the fringe.
Thank you, Cork!

Chitter Tweet Tweet

I love my beaded birdie! He's full of hot color beads. This creation is the result of a Round Robin "How Does Your Garden Grow" themed beadathon.

Mini Miranda (Carmen, that is)

The dress form on the left was rescued from a parking lot. I later was to find out that the rubber dress belongs to a doll called Polly Pocket.
Never one to throw something away, I was later given a glass head by Robbie
and Mini Miranda was born. Miranda dress is done in peyote stitch. Her sassy block stand features Art Gllitter.

Bottles of Hope

This bottle was beaded for a breast cancer benefit called Bottles of Hope. The bottle was beaded with net stitch and pink crystals hang from it. These bottles are given to patients and they may remove the top and place an encouraging message inside if they wish.

For additional information, visit: www.bottlesofhope.com

Corset binding

A large "corset type" binding. The left photo shows rings which prevent the yarn from slipping through. The right photo shows the outside of the book.
The Tyvek binding has been enhanced with Shiva stix.

Cityscape - August BJP

The fog shrouds San Francisco during the day and eve hours obscuring the views creating a mysterious edge. At a magic hour, the curtain of fog lifts to unveil a beautiful cityscape, sun, sky and Bay. The TransAmerica, Coit Tower, Bank of America buildings strut their stuff. The blue lapis poses as a fog beacon to warn others.
The fog begins to swirl in the afternoon hours and will soon hide the City again. The Tiny Tims used on the fringe are the fog droplets left behind on your skin and everywhere you touch.
My recent trip to San Francisco (my original home) was a memorable one.
Click the doll pix to see the Cityscape up close.

August Round Robin

The Round Robin doll continues. This is Jo's doll. I added the dragonfly and small butterflies hanging off the side of the doll's head. On the back, I added the blue flower garden beginning with a blue bustle on the left side and circling around the back of the doll and back towards the waist.

Curio Board

This was a really fun mixed media class I took in Mesa put together by JackandCatCurio.com. It is a husband/wife team (Mike Putman) and they never fail to amaze me with their mixed media talents. We all had a great time listening to their jokes, laughing and creating.
The focal features a die cut bird. The curio board has been covered with a faux metal look and embellished like crazy.
Doesn't that bird look hip with his top hat?

Right On, Angle

I wanted a simple design and choose right angle weave (RAW) for my bracelet. The RAW is adorned with Fire Polish AB 3mm beads and hex beads on the side. The focal area is a blue rivoli with peyote and netting stitch.

Simple Brown Journal

This faux leather journal w/keyhole is a standard type of book found in colleges and bookstores. A great gift for a graduate or a journal adventure.

Treasure Chest - Free download!

My design is being featured in the July 2010 Creative Jewelry magazine. If you missed it, this is my gift to you. Simply click on the article to see the print. Bead On! If the print is too hard to read, drop me an e-mail and I will forward it to you that way.

July BJP - Brillianze

I was fortunate enough to experience fireworks 2 nights in a row. The sky was dark and the colors illuminated the sky. The patterns and colors were amazing. Brillianze has a Swarovski crystal bead for the face of the doll. The silver beads represent the patterns seen in the sky while the black beads represent the evening sky. The circular belly area represents the perfectly timed firework in the sky There are also iridescent black beads on the side of the piece to give the creation different hues of color as they catch the light.

Kamua Njla

This 15" doll has been my nemesis for 1-1/2 years. I began one of the legs last year and was annoyed at how large the doll was. I put it away and thought it would become a thing of the past; one of the UFO (unfinished objects) that sits.
In 2010, I vowed to pick up the project again and finish it before the end of the year. With much toil, cursing and beading, it is finally finished.

The name given, Kamua Njla is Swahili for Way of the Silent Warrior. I may still add some paint to this warrior's face. We'll see if he speaks to me.

July Round Robin doll

Here is the RR doll of the month. I completed the left arm of the doll with a host of different glass flowers along with a portion of her chest area. The back of the doll's arm has green leaves and beads. A red dragonfly sits on her hip to rest.

Shabby Chic Shadowbook

I took a mixed media class with Mike Putman recently. What fun! Each student was given the same materials and this is my box. Each box turned out differently and it is always so interesting & fun to see what all the people do with their materials. I love the laser cut birds.

YoYo necklace

Remember those YoYo's of yesteryear? They're baaaaack! Here's a slight twist on the project. Little YoYo flowers with glass flowers. It's a cute and summery necklace which is light as a feather.

Key to Enlightenment - June's BJP

I walked past a Buddha everyday in my childhood home. I never realized how the image stayed with me until I looked at my artwork. Crystals circle Buddha's head. The Buddha image reminds me to look within for answers. Deep breathing has helped me during this month of turmoil. The orange agate at the bottom of Buddha represents our 100 degree weather in which this piece was created. Peace.

Think Pink!

Having completed a blue baby shoe, it was time to work on the other shoe and create a pink version. This shoe features little pink lips, bugles, size 11 and 8 pink beads, rose quartz chunks and little pink heart sequins. On the back the of shoe is the letter "L" which stands for left. Thank you Linda K for the pink bead soup!!

Romancing the Lariat

This lariat design was created by Cynthia Rutledge. I was priviledged to purchase the pattern directly from Cynthia at one of her recent trunk shows. The graduated colors in the necklace is a spiral stitch. The lariat has a host of beaded beads, some from the pattern and some I invented. What fun to wear.

June Round Robin Doll

This is Sassy's doll and I got it first. The theme of the doll is "How does your Garden Grow?" I placed flowers all over the doll's head, a daisy chain around her waist and a dragonfly on her shoulder. There are a total of 6 beaders who will add to this doll.