Life-time To-Do List Got Shorter

These pictures are of the moon and sunrise over the San Juan islands. Wednesday I got to meet Robin Atkins - that was one of the things on my professional to-do/wish list! She was gracious enough to meet me at 7:30 am - the best time for me to take the ferry (why is it that every time I try to plan something, everyone else's world is already topsy-turvy?). After a scone and hot chocolate, we went to Lime Kiln Point so I could scramble on the rocks to peek in the tidal pools. Then I got to see her studio - it's amazing! Everywhere I looked there was something else that begged a closer inspection! Her work has a texture to it that gets lost in pictures - to be able to see it in person was wonderful. I'm working on the next part of my doll, so I did get some beading done on the ferry ride over, and a little at her studio - I could have spent a few more hours just looking at her work. The moon on the ride over was glorious, just calling me outside to look at it. The ride back the boat was vibrating a bit much to bead, so I plunked myself in a seat to enjoy the scenery, and saw a pair of Dall's porpoises! So I truly was blessed in every part of that journey (and that Sue agreed to get the kids to school for me!). It's amazing to me that, having decided to pursue something to an art form, one of the top people doing that art form lives so close! My life can be very hectic sometimes, but that day was just so awesome!

Crafty Strikes Again

So, I may not have gotten a huge amount of beadwork done this week, but I have been busy, and sick, and (how much whining can I do?).


This is my Nov BJP base, the bead colors that were chosen are 2 shades of red and pearl white - I'm going for swirling wind, which we tend to have a lot of in these parts.


This is a project I'm starting for when I need a break from the doll - it's African turquoise, I'll put it on black with probably lots of silver. The grey pieces are actually chipboard, I got a couple packs of them from a scrapbook store.


Ok, ugly mug time! It's very hard to take a picture of yourself when there's plaster hardening on you. Yep, plaster! I'm trying to make a mold, so I can cast (probably in paper) an actual "bust" to display necklaces and collars on. How will I know what it's going to lay like if I don't have something that I can check it on - especially for length? And let potential costumers see as well? It needs to be lightweight, transportable and cheap! So for $5 (I may have also used a coupon) I put gauze with plaster on it on myself. The mold is actually pretty good - I need to seal it so I can cast on it. I did not put the plaster around my neck, so I could peel it off, and then used a can the right size to re-create a neck. I cut the back of the neck while still flexible and patched it together. The mold is very light weight once dry. So once the 3 pinatas for Halloween are done, I'll try making some mini-mes!

Oct BJP

I managed to get my Oct BJP page done this week - finally something I can show! The chosen colors were matte amethyst, AB lime green 8's, and turquoise 15's. I picked out beads that went with the colors, and came up with "Things that go bump in the night" for a theme. The glass bead in the lower left has fringes around it, and the one on the right has little picots on the bottom, and fringes with sequins on top. It was fun to do, especially since I've been using only a few colors for about 24 hours of beadwork, and now I'm going back to that project. Next months colors are 2 shades of red and pearl white - all 11's.

Once again, no pictures. I got outbid in the last 30 seconds on the camera I want to get on Ebay. So tomorrow I will be receiving the tripod and case for a camera I have yet to get! I can't believe what people are paying on Ebay - the camera retails for less than what they're paying, not even including shipping. And I'm still working on my un-publishable doll. I almost have the first leg done, I'll have about 30 hours in it, and I want to have it done by the end of the month to stay on track. I still haven't figured out what to use as a weight in the foot - it needs to be small, so I can pack it around the dowel in her foot, and really heavy to give her a solid base to keep her standing. Maybe instead of dowels I should use armature wire? Then I could extend it from her legs to her neck, and bend it the length of her feet. This is such a new format for me, it will definitely take some experimenting!

I'm seeing Red!

No new pictures this week - I've been beading a storm, but it's on the doll, which can't be publicly seen (competition rules). That kinda sucks, cause it's great beadwork! I usually don't think my work is great, but some of this is really good! I figure I have about 10 hours left to finish the first leg, already put in around 16 hours. I'm glad I joined the BJP again, at least that will give me a break from working with the same colors all the time - red and brown (hence the title). I've pulled any beads that remind me of Oct, so as soon as it's Oct 1, I can get that rolling. I've also been working on other creative pursuits - starting 3 pinatas for Halloween, adding fabric to the hems on some jeans for Meghan, altering a blazer for my pirate jacket! Now if I could just win the camera I want on Ebay, I could take better pictures of it all!

Sept Done

All I got done this week was my Sept BJP piece, but at least it's done. Now I have the rest of the month to catch up on the rest of my work. The photo isn't the greatest, I forgot to take it during the day, so it's awful lighting, sitting on my cut-up kitchen counter. The crystals are for my daughters, watching them go back to school. The angel charm is for a miscarriage in the family, as well as the spikes in the lower left corner, my thoughts were spiky. The irid purple, navy and black worked out pretty well. Oct will be tricky - matte amethyst, lime green (limited supply too!) and turquoise 15s.

Gearing up for BJP

Well I've got lots of photos for the week, none of which have actual beadwork! I'm done gearing up for this year of BJP - I selected fabrics, planned my pieces, have all of my paper sewn to the fabrics. I have a picture of Sept's fabric and a cool raku leaf I bought. I'm doing a drawing to see which beads I will use each month. Since my storage cases have 7 lines, I'm using a deck of crazy eight cards, minus the eights. I draw 3 numbers to correspond to a bead - which case, which line, which space. Sept is trans AB purple, navy and black 15's. It has nothing to do with the fabric, which for some reason the buttons make me think back to school. I usually encrust my pieces, so that's ok - hardly any of the material will show.

The other pictures are of my workspace - a dilapidated student desk that had a painted, glued, sticky, dented top until we put a piece of laminate on top. We got the laminate at the ReStore (great place!) for under $3 and I have enough yet to possibly do the door and some edges. The shelf above is also laminated on top, and I made a "banner" of the sample pictures from Robin Atkins newest book to remind me of the different techniques. I just need to get an Ott light to replace my ugly desk light!