Feb BJP

I'm a behinder no more! After spending so much time on Ver, I managed to get some beadwork done! I've taken pictures of each stage. First, what I started with. 11's -Blue transparent AB, clear yellow-lined. 15'-red. Some brass stuff. Red silk scrap that I used on the square for the bead quilt. Blue felt heart. I set the arrangement and got started! I actually used up all of the yellow beads. I did 2 rows of bocche/moss/individual picot stitch next to the brass. A couple of fans, and a spikey heart (the heart has some additional felt under it, so it really stands out). The finishing touch was blue loop fringe with pearls. Remember I used pearls for snow on January's BJP? We had more snow in Feb, but it didn't stick around long. The fringe is only attached at the upper edge, but lies neatly. I stood some up for the side view. It actually looks slightly better vertically, but it's place is horizontal. It was nice to just put beads down wherever I felt like it, no "grand picture" to get in the way. There's bits of the fabric peeking out in places. It felt so good to be beading again!

Lady Ver

Lady Ver de Gris is done. I'm still trying to get good pictures. As you can see, my initial setup wasn't great. I need a broader background, and better light. I'm filling out the paperwork. I need a general artist statement, and artist statement on the piece. And it needs to be in Bellingham by 5pm Tuesday! So tomorrow morning, once I pick up everything the wind is blowing over, I'll try again. Now is when I could use Photoshop, but I don't have it. I'm fairly pleased with how she came out. She looks like she is out for a walk in the fall, with a fairy message in her hand. The only thing I purchased was a package of copper pot scrubbers. I haven't stretched my "crafty" side for a while, and this fits the bill! Her base is a square cake pan, painted and decoupaged with leaves cut from wrapping paper (I think my mom used it on a package sent to me). I used some black #6 plastic and shrank it for her belt medallion and the piece in her hand. Her skirt is brown nuagahide with copper paint brushed on. I definitely got to use some of my bits and bobs!

Barbie Boobies

Yes, the title says it all! Meghan got some Barbie clothes for her birthday, and they were on little plastic torso forms. I of course kept them, cause they look like something you could use for something. I had out my air-dry clay, and used the form as a mold to make this piece. I'm thinking use them as a form to mold felt, and bead them - a study in breasts lined up in a shadow box. A friend of mine has a thing called Feel Your Boobies on her Facebook page, I recently finished the square for the breast cancer quilts, and there are beaders I follow that are currently fighting the disease; to see perky little Barbie boobs seemed appropriate somehow. A soaper friend has ideas for the forms as well.


This is Ver's face. I finished painting it today, while caring for a sick kid at home. Meghan thinks she needs a crown. I have some broken jewelry pieces that would work, so we'll see!

Aiyah!

There I was, happily sewing away on a new shirt for me, ignoring the complete beady mess I had laid aside on the bed, when Louie (our completely adorable, frisky, crazy black cat) walked on my bead board, spilling it onto the floor! I had at least 10 different colors on it, in neat little piles. Did I mention how much I HATE bead soup? So, I've picked the beads up, have them in a bowl, and will sort them out (Yuck!) probably (better be!) soon. They are the beads for my competition doll. Then as I'm cleaning off the bed so DH can get some sleep, I spilled my sewing box. Thank goodness the pin box was closed! I was afraid of what I'd do to the computer, I seem touched tonight! BTY, the picture came from an article on spilled beans, hopefully I managed to link it to the picture!

I did manage to get a pair of pants finished for Jenna, and all but the hand sewing on another pair of pants for Jenna and a shirt for me. We're going to Georgia in June, and I want cool (in both the weather and fashion sense) stuff to wear.

Ver isn't finished (big surprise). She now sports a very bright, kinky hairdo, courtesy of some copper pot scrubbers that I dismantled. Her stocking top shirt is slightly coppery and just needs sleeves. The stuff for her skirt is painted, I just have to figure out how to make the skirt. Her feet - now that's still up in the air. Oh, and a base, she needs a base. And finish the cuffs on her gloves. And possibly a staff/scepter/stick thingy. And so on and so forth.

Deadlines Approach

I managed to start and complete a project! I've done a square for Jeanette Shanigan's bead quilts for the past 2 years, and needed to get this year's done. This year the theme is hearts. I managed to take pictures of the process.

I started with the required square of pellon, and some red silk. I decided on a crazy quilt look, and drew a rough pattern. The silk was cut to size, and fray-checked. I sewed the silk to the pellon following the pattern. The next picture is part-way done. I filled the spaces around the heart, leaving the silk in the heart spaces, but continuing the "quilt" lines. I finished with a small fringe with a lt blue fringe bead. It will go in the mail tomorrow. Yeah, something done! I can't seem to get the final picture to straighten out! You'll have to tilt your head.

This is my next deadline. Her working name is Ver de Gris (verdigris). She's for the ReStore's art show - needs to be 75% "waste stream" stuff. Did I mention I need lint? That's what I'm using to stuff her, and I've run out. I still have about 60% of her other leg to stuff, and her hands. One arm still needs to be attached. Her face is roughed in. I have a Tyvek envelope, some excess empty lamination from school, and assorted odds and ends collected for clothing. Anyway, I'm going for copper, new and aged tones. I was thinking of using old Easter grass for hair. I need to have pictures ready in 2 weeks, so I've got to hustle. I'll post the finished pictures, I promise. Needless to say, my BJP is on the back burner for now.