New Beads

Lampwork
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here are 4 barrel beads from the last couple days. It feels like I'm gaining some control over the glass- I'm beginning to feel more competent, more like what I end up with is at least related to what I envision going in.

The light today is dodgy- this is the best photo I could get.

I'm having a fair bit of trouble with cracking and breakage- I think from not keeping a consistent temperature while working in the flame. I have such a lot to learn!

Peyote Dreams

Peyote Dreams
Originally uploaded by satyridae

The new sculpture. I'm too close to it yet to be objective, but I think I really like it. The process was dreamlike and intense though unflavored with any actual hallucinogens.

In other news, 2 of my pieces have been juried into a show at a Vancouver, WA gallery. The show runs through the end of January, and I'll post more information as soon as I can. I've been unable to actually deliver the pieces since we've been completely snowed in. In Gresham, OR- which is just weird. We don't get snow as a rule.

I hope to have some new lampwork bead photos soon, too.

Bead Art Originals Items of the Week

Bead Art Originals Items of the Week (12/22-12/28)
Originally uploaded by Sand Fibers

Here are this week's special items from the BAO team!

More details, and close-up photos, available here:
Bead Art Originals Blog

Computer Woes and New Beads

Yesterday I fired up the torch around 2:30 pm. I worked steadily for what I thought was a few hours. Dan came in to fetch me and I asked if dinner was ready. He grinned and told me it was nearly 9, and that dinner was hours ago. I had no idea that much time had passed. There are a lot of mandrels sticking out of the kiln door this morning. I can't look yet as they are not quite cool, but I'm very excited to see the results of that intense and timeless stretch of time.

My computer is in the shop for a few days. It needs a new drive, which I guess is what happens when one listens to library audio CDs all day. It's odd not having my own machine, but probably not bad to be forced away from the keyboard for a bit. In addition to the flamework, I also got a couple inches into a new beadwoven geometric patterned bracelet.

Etsy BeadWeavers' December Challenge

Etsy BeadWeavers' December Challenge Mosaic
Originally uploaded by wMarlaine

I didn't enter this month's challenge because I was too studious. Heh.
The entries are amazing- over the top gorgeous. Check 'em out and vote for your favorite here: Etsy Beadweavers Blog.

Roger That!

Jolly Roger Skull Bracelet
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's the latest beadweaving project, a Jolly Roger skull & crossbones bracelet. Rather, it will be a bracelet as soon as I get the toggle on it. I'm very happy with the skull- it took a long time to refine the design until I was satisfied with it. The bones I'm not so sure about, but I really am happy with the skull.

The 3rd batch of beads

The 3rd batch of beads
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here are the new kids! I'm learning as I go. The orangy ones on the right are my attempt at a set.

It's interesting to work with a set of colors chosen by someone else. I did try to sort out the glass rods a lot last night, and I don't have nearly enough opaque white or cream to suit me. But I'm not buying any more glass till I'm better at this. The pale blue bead in the middle row, one up from the bottom, is my best formed bead yet. It's almost completely bead-shaped. So there's hope.

TaDa!

Lampworked beads
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here are some of the first beads out of the kiln!

Be gentle with me, I'm just learning. I know they aren't even. And some of the edges are not quite right. But whee!

Also? I learned this morning for the millionth time that friction causes metal object to heat up. And that if you touch the end of your Dremel bit to see how much grit wore off right after you remove it from your bead hole? Ow.

Timeless

I just spent about two hours making beads. It felt like 15 minutes, and I had to tear myself away from the torch because I had other things I had to do. Now I can't see the beads I made till tomorrow. And I want to see them now! Right away.

I got my glass rod from a guy on craiglist who was switching from soft glass (what I want) to hard (which requires more equipment). So I have all this mystery glass, which is all Bullseye. The stuff I was working with today starts off clear and turns all kinds of wonderful rainbow colors in the flame. It's magic! There are also rods infused with sparkles and shiny bits. Shiny! And streaky pastels that will come out of the kiln looking like heaven only knows what.

I think this is about as much fun as a person is allowed to have.

Beading Side of Studio

This is the side of the studio where the little bitty beads live. And the books! Inside the desk are threads and needles and findings and other junk. I want to assure my public (all 6 of you) that this area will always look exactly this neat, especially when I'm working on 4 projects at once.

The only side of the room I've not shown yet is the metalworking area- which is not finished! But it's shaping up.

Working Studio

Working Studio
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Whee! Installed the fire extinguisher & carbon monoxide monitor today and it's a real studio now. I've got my first beads annealing in the kiln right now. I couldn't be happier!

I stole this from our BAO webpage! Click on invitation to see the same thing only on the real blog:
An Invitation to a Holiday Open House!!!

You are always guaranteed to find a few Bead Art Originals special deals each week, but from "Black Friday" through "Cyber Monday" (November 28-31), we'll be helping you out with even more of your holiday shopping.

Some of our members will be offering specials during the Open House, including special pricing and free worldwide shipping.Here's the list of participating members and their special offerings. (If you purchase from one of these shops during the Open House weekend, make sure to include the code BAO OPEN HOUSE in the Notes to Seller when you check out.)

• Anna (ARoseByName): free shipping
• Lisa (LisaPetersArt): free surprise gift (at least $5 value) with any purchase over $30 (note that this special is being offered through the end of the year)
• Mak (MAKUstudio): free shipping + 10% off purchases over $50 and 15% off purchases over $100
• Dee (Malodora): free shipping
• Swanee (MistyRidgeBeads): free shipping
• Janice (Naftali): free shipping
• Melody (SalamanderHouse): free shipping
• Carol Dean (SandFibers): free shipping and a set of Sand Fibers coasters ($12 value) with every order
• Smadar (SmadarsTreasure): free shipping + 10% off the second item purchased
• Sarah (thebeadedlily): free shipping
• Darcy (thejadedog): free shipping
• MaryLou (time2cre8): free shipping on entire order with the purchase of anything with the "bao team" tag

Just think: You won't even have to leave the house for this shopping experience!

Studio Painting Finished

Looking SE
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Whee! As soon as the last baseboard coat dries, I'm going to start moving in! *bounce*

Prizes! Fabulous Beaded Prizes!

What, you wonder, must I do to be entered to win fabulous original bead art pieces from amazingly talented bead artists? It's easy!

Simply sign up for the Bead Art Original Team Newsletter and you will automatically be eligible.

You won't be sorry!

The Bead Art Originals Etsy Street Team has a wonderful new website full of exciting holiday gift ideas. Please take a look!


Bead Art Gifts
This gorgeous holiday site was created by the multi-talented Heather of Humblebeads fame.

You can also find the BAO team's work on Etsy, our blog and our website.

My Fan!

Fan Grate
Originally uploaded by satyridae

The big daddy fan is installed in the studio. And wow, does it ever work! When it's on and the studio door is open, it sucks the smoke from the fireplace (which is 3 rooms away, facing the other direction) back down the chimney. That's some serious suck. It passes the incense test with flying colors. It's very weird to be holding a smouldering stick of incense in one's hand and not be able to smell it. It is relatively quiet, too. Click through to flickr to see the big exterior housing.

Peyote Person

Peyote Person
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I was going to make a peyote tube. Honest, I was. I strung 10 beads and then thought, "Meh, bad color for this" and unstrung them. Except I didn't unstring them, I made a little picot. And that looked like a hand. Hrmm. An arm? Okay. Two arms. And before long, there was this cute little pink-haired baby!

Things happen in beading. On occasion they are fortuitous things.

Another Coat of Paint

Three Color Corner
Originally uploaded by satyridae

The green walls have a first coat, the purple have a second.
I am in love with the colors! Also today the fan arrived. 600 cubic feet per minute- now that's a serious fan!

New Paint!

New Paint!
Originally uploaded by satyridae

It's still wet in this photo, but there's the purple!

Studio Ceiling Color

Studio Ceiling Color
Originally uploaded by satyridae

We bought paint today! The light blue is the ceiling color. The walls and floors are bright secondary colors, or will be. Two walls are going to be bright leafy green, two will be medium vibrant purple and the floor will be shiny orange. I love bright colors. My son said, "Oooh, it sounds like what would happen if we fed the dog Skittles and then he puked!" I thanked him for that visual, but I think he's wrong.

Studio- Electrified

Studio- Electrified
Originally uploaded by satyridae

We have lights! And power! And a dedicated circuit for the kiln!

It's coming true, it really is.

Studio Beginnings

Studio Beginnings
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I've been scraping the floor in what will be my studio. I have blisters on my blisters, but they are hopeful blisters. The electrical is going in even as I'm typing this. I am thinking about paint colors. Right now I'm thinking brights. What do you think?

I'll be torching and perhaps beading and maybe photographing in here. There's a decent amount of natural light, both to the East and the North, and I'm planning to have super bright task lighting. I'll probably lose a bit of the light from the North due to ventilation needs. Under the window in the photo will be the primary lampworking surface and will include a counter for the kiln. I haven't quite figured out rod storage, I'm waiting till the counter is in for advanced visualization of the details.

This has been a long time coming, and I'm so excited!

Beaded Totem Cane

Beaded Totem Cane
Originally uploaded by satyridae

It's finished!

Gee, that took about forever to do. I really enjoyed the process, and I like the finished product.

Beaded Cane Progress Report

Beaded Cane
Originally uploaded by satyridae

It's coming along, slow but sure. It's a much more meditative process than even regular beading, which is pretty contemplative on its own. I think because I want to only include symbols of things which mean something to me, things which have a certain amount of power in my life. I am finding that even if the symbol in my head is translated rather poorly to a beaded representation it still retains its power for me. The symbols feel relatively primitive and oddly powerful. This process has been more about interior progress than exterior, and that's okay.

Published!

I just got my contributor's copy of the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of Step by Step Beads! I have 2 bracelet patterns in it.



Celtic Flags:


Greek Key:



I'm terribly excited about it. The only small bummer is that they didn't publish any of my contact information or my etsy store name. Next time I'll be sure to remind them. If there is a next time!

Sold

Flower Garland Headband
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I was delighted to log on to my etsy account yesterday to find that I'd sold Peaseblossom's Floral Fantasy, a beaded headpiece.

There is nothing quite like selling a piece one has made- a combination of exhilaration and vindication and delight that is very very fizzy in the brain.

Tagged!

I was tagged by MaryLou and I'm supposed to share with the world 7 random things about me. Here goes:

1) I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20.

2) I belong to a mailing list which discusses the Betsy-Tacy books of Maud Hart Lovelace.

3) I have been known to correct improper punctuation or spelling on public signage.

4) I'm a Browncoat.

5) My oldest stepdaughter is 2 years younger than I am.

6) When I'm not beading, I'm reading. I write short reviews of all the books I read on Goodreads.

7) I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy 11 times the summer I was 14.

If you like this sort of thing, consider yourself tagged. Put a link in my comments so I can read what you say, please!

Beaded Cane: Work In Progress

Beaded Cane: In Progress
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's what I'm working on now. It's a mini cane, made of light wood. I got it at an estate sale with thinking I'd do something very stylized- some repetitive pattern. Then I was looking at a book about cave paintings, and I started thinking about the latest Etsy Beadweavers challenge theme, which is Ancestral Expressions. One thing led to another, and here's what I've got so far!

Etsy BAO Trunk Show Reminder!

The Bead Art Originals team is having a
TRUNK SHOW
Today (October 9) from 7:00pm till 9:00pm EST
in the Etsy Virtual Labs!
Everyone is invited, but will need an Etsy account to attend.
It's free and easy to sign up for an Etsy account!
There will be FABULOUS DOOR PRIZES.
You must be present to win. We'll be having drawings about every 15-20 minutes.

October Challenge!

OctMosaic1
Originally uploaded by wMarlaine

It's time for the Etsy Beadweavers October Challenge. The theme this month is Animal Instincts. My entry is #7 What Remains.
Please check out all the entries here and vote for your favorite starting October 9th!

Thanks!

Heart's Blood

Heart's Blood
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's the new guy. He's a darling beaded bead, made with blood red Delica beads. Nestles just below the indentation in your throat on a delicate sterling silver chain.

Don't like red? I can make it in any color you do like!

BAO Trunk Show

BAO Trunk Show
Originally uploaded by Sand Fibers

The Bead Art Originals Team Trunk Show will be on the Thursday the 9th of October in the Virtual Labs on Etsy, between 7 and 9pm EST. There will be specials on gorgeous handcrafted bead art and perhaps even door prizes. I'd be thrilled if you'd check it out!

The BAO team is also starting a newsletter! The newsletter will keep you abreast of what the team is doing, as well as having the occasional subscriber-only special. Sign up here:BAO Newsletter.

What Remains

What Remains
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's the necklace I made last week. I call it What Remains. It's got lots of vintage components as well as beaded beads that are new. The focal is a Fossil Jasper with lots of little arthropod fossils in it.

I made earrings to go with it- click through to Flickr to see them.

This one will be up for sale on etsy tomorrow. It's also my entry in the October EBW challenge- the theme is Animal Instincts.

Callisto

Callisto
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's the sculpture. I'm so happy with this! It's two completely separate parts. The hollow mother part is pretty mobile and can take on a few different affects. The child part is more coral-like and less malleable. Peyote stitch and fireline and more hours than you can count. Click through to Flickr for lots more photos from every possible angle.

Not for sale.

Not yet, anyway.

Still No Photos

I finished a necklace today. I think it might be my Etsy Beadweavers challenge entry for this coming challenge, the theme of which is Animal Instincts. Do fossils count as animals? They were once, so I'm thinking yes. And I've got two pairs of earrings done, both of which coordinate with the necklace. My hollow sculpture is finished, and I got a bracelet back this week from Step By Step beads that I haven't shown the world yet.

My parents are visiting, so there has been little time for photography. But lots of time for beading. I hope to talk my dad into taking some photos with his very lovely camera tomorrow.

We spent a lot of time wandering through galleries today, and I found myself really paying attention to the albedo of things. There were some sculptures with matte insides and so-shiny-they-looked-wet outsides that I was enchanted by. I think that's a concept I will be playing with soon.

But Wait, There's More!

I made the Feed Five on Smitteniche! Because of the Art Zoo thing. Wheee! This is so cool. :-)

Calendar!

I'm so excited, I got my contributor's copy of the Beading Bead-A-Day Calendar today.

They chose 3 of my pieces! Wheee! I'm famous! On January 3 & 4th, it's my Aurora Borealis netted panel. On June 20 & 21st it's the Jellyfish Beaded Lab Creature, and on July 25 & 26th it's Poseidon's Deep.

Featured!

My beaded oil lamp was featured today on The Art Zoo!

Here's the link: http://www.theartzoo.com/beaded-oil-lamp/

Sculptural Work

I'm working on a new sculpture. It's going to be hollow, I think. I hope. And it will have a removable piece. And it's in a totally grey color scheme so far. I don't have any photos yet, but I'm really enjoying the process.

My parents are visiting from Ohio, so maybe I'll have more beading time than usual while they are here- we will sit around talking, and I can bead the whole time. So maybe photos of the piece soon.

Beaded Beads Photo

Beaded Beads
Originally uploaded by satyridae

See how the beads are all gappy and the thread shows on the one on the right? That's the learning bead. :-)

Crosseyed

I have been admiring beaded beads for a while now. Today I finally decided to try my hand at them. The worst part was spray-painting the wooden beads. And my hand. And my sock. And... well, you get the idea.

The actual beading was familiar- I know peyote stitch inside and out. The paint was not quite dry when I started the first bead, and I think the tackiness helped the beads stay in place. I used 15/0 charlottes. I really like the way the second one turned out. The first one, not so much- big gaps where thread shows. The second one was much more controlled. I can see how these could be really addictive.

Then I decided to make a hollow bead- I started with 15/0 beads, then went to 11/0 then to some teardrop looking ones for the equator. Those turned out okay too.

No pictures yet. And wouldn't you know, these beads are what color? Blue.

Nudibranch Undulation Beadwoven Cuff Bracelet

Nudibranch Undulation Beadwoven Cuff Bracelet
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here it is, the bracelet that's been keeping me up nights. I fell into this and couldn't get out till I finished it. I really like this one- the undulations are very organic, I think. The colors flow in harmony with the bumps, and the vintage button closure works too.

It might be time to make something that isn't blue next.

Labor Day Blues Earrings

Labor Day Blues Earrings
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Earrings, at last! I made them both at the same time- I mean with two needles strung, bead a few beads on one earring, then pick up the other and duplicate what I'd just done. It took a long time, but I'm pretty happy with the end result. I think I will do the transitions differently in future, though. I want a smoother transition, and I need to work on that. In the meantime, they go with the Labor Day freeform bracelet I made a few days ago. And they will go with the bracelet I was up till 2 am working on last night. Photos to follow, perhaps tomorrow if I finish it.

Beading For Breast Cancer

Beading For Breast Cancer
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Shouldn't it really be Beading Against Breast Cancer? Either way, read more about it here:
etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/2008/08/etsy-beadweavers-he...

The one cream colored bead in the square on the left represents the rogue cell that starts it all. The randomness of the hearts represents the randomness of cancer, and the nine hearts are about the 1 in 9 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

The square on the right is less symbolic and is just random hearts.

Labor Day Blues

Labor Day Blues Freeform Peyote Stitch Beadwoven Bracelet
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's the latest freeform bracelet! This is my first foray into gemstone chips. It has turquoise and malachite as well as the pearls. Though this one doesn't look appreciably wider than the last few I've done, it's actually almost twice as wide but I seem to be compelled to pull the edges together to make a chunky look.

I've also been working on my charity squares, photos tomorrow (I hope!).

August Freeform Peyote Bracelet

August Freeform Peyote Bracelet
Originally uploaded by satyridae

This is the fourth freeform bracelet I've made in the last couple of weeks.
I made one as a thank you gift for a friend, another for a friend who saw the first and wanted a similar one, then two for etsy.

I like the process very much. It's entirely about color at first, then it becomes more and more about form as one goes. The options are limitless, and I don't feel the constraints I often feel when working with a pattern. Even if it's a pattern of my own making.

Expect more of this from me. :-)

Bee Cup

Bee Cup
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I'm back from a lovely vacation, and am thrilled to report that I sold a bracelet while I was gone! Several people I was with asked me if I made earrings. I was forced to admit that it was not something I'd tried yet, but that I would get right on it.

So I came home and started working on a pair of flower earrings. You can see from the photo that it didn't work out exactly. I got one flower done and then started the next. It didn't want to be a flower, it complained. Earrings are boring, it said. It was unimpressed about being exactly the same as the last thing I made.

I was forced to listen to the beads, and the next thing I knew, I had a cup. A cup which cried out for a bee.

Today? Earrings for sure.

Beading Week

I'm off to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival with my book group- and a big bag of beads, of course.

See y'all in a week!

Up My Alley

Doesn't this sound fun? Beadwork Magazine is having a contest called The Beaded Book.
Details here: Beadwork Contest.

Bead Art Originals Items of the Week (8/11-8/17)

Bead Art Originals Items of the Week (8/11-8/17)
Originally uploaded by Sand Fibers

My BAO item of the week is the little lamp in the picture. Read about the entries here: http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com.

It's also my entry into the Etsy Beadweavers Monthly challenge.Here's a link to the http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com, where voting is underway. Please take a look at all the beautiful entries and vote for your favorite lamp. I mean your favorite piece. *grin*
Edited but the links still are wonky, so I'm just leaving the addresses.

True Confessions

We got rid of our love seat today. I used to sit in one corner of it most nights and bead. When the cushions came off, my darling called me in to see what he'd found. The beaders in my audience already know. I couldn't believe how many beads were down there! Easily 3 grams, maybe more. And to lend credence to my son's continual complaint about sitting on needles, there were 2 or 3 needles stuck in the arm. I salvaged the beads, of course, while my family mocked me. More bead soup! Pretty soon I'm going to have to make something out of all those widows and orphans.

Poseidon's Deep- My BAO item of the week

Poseidon's Deep 4
Originally uploaded by satyridae

The fabulous new etsy street team Bead Art Originals has a blog and every Monday will be featuring members' pieces. The piece I chose for this week is Poseidon's Deep. It's one of my most representational pieces, with fish and kelp-like fronds woven into the pattern. It is adorned with sterling silver, coral and pearls as well as beads. I worked on it for months, and am still very happy with the way it turned out.

Click on over to the blog and see all the other wonderful works of art picked by the team members- it's a treat for the eyes!

Flower Necklace

Flower Necklace
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I made a couple of these little flower necklaces for a pair of sisters. The older sister has a blue one with cream stripes, the younger chose pink and green. They have a simple beaded loop on the back for hanging.

I'm wondering if I should make some of these to sell. They are sort of cute.

RAW

Right-angle weave is a little confusing when one adds the second row. But it's fun! I like it better than the spiral stitch, probably because the spiral didn't seem suited to sculptural work to me, and RAW is right up my alley- I can see it covering a vessel. Back at it...

Fives

Fives meme from Sarah, over at The Beaded Lily:

What are your 5 favorite art works? Have you seen them in person? Do you have plans to?

• One of Monet's big Waterlily paintings was at the museum where I went to school for awhile. I would get out of class and sit in front of it by the hour, rapt. Rewarding both close inspection and distant gazing, it remains one of the most true utterances of the paintbrush that I have ever seen.
  
• American Beauty by the Grateful Dead. I have loved it from the moment I first heard it when it was new. I played it every single day of my pregnancy so that there would be music in utero for Owen (who also perforce loves it). I never heard them play, but was at Jerry Garcia's wake in Golden Gate Park which was the absolute center of the universe that day.
  
• The Bridge to Middle-Earth, more prosaically known as the St. Johns Bridge. Yes, I go out of my way to drive over it whenever possible.
  
• Athanor by Anselm Kiefer. Yes, it caught me unawares and made me weep.
  
• Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea. I have had the privilege of meeting Ms. Le Guin a number of times, and one of my dearest possessions is an autographed copy of the book.

What are 5 crafts you couldn't live without? Have you done them? Any good?

• Cooking. Yes. Yes.
  
• Beading. Yes. Getting there.
  
• Lampworking. Yes. Not yet.
  
• Drawing. Yes. Not so good as I'd like to be.
  
• Embroidery. Yes. I was, but I haven't picked up a needle without beads on it in years.

What are 5 crafts you'd like to learn? Have you ever tried them? Will you?

• Polymer clay. No. Maybe.
  
• Shoemaking. No. Probably not.
  
• Marzipan animals & vegetables. No. Maybe.
  
• Macramé. No. Not unless I start smoking weed.
  
• Celtic knotwork done with pen & ink. No. See above.

What are 5 arts and crafts you've tried that weren't for you?

• Sewing with a machine. OMG I am so bad at this! I would sew for about an inch and then everything would stop and there'd be this huge tangled ball of thread and then there were bobbins off the track and it was awful.
  
• Crocheting. I did make a single chain about a million yards long when I was in junior high. I vaguely recall some lumpy scarves, too.
  
• Knitting. Totally beyond me. I stabbed myself in the eye. Okay, not really, but it was close.
  
• Scrapbooking.
  
• Anything that involves ribbon.

What are 5 things you aim for with your art/craft?

• Artistry
  
• Truth
  
• Organic feel
  
• Integrity
  
• Craftsmanship

Garage Sale Score

I found two gallon-sized ziplock bags at a garage sale today. One full of seed beads, Mill Hill, Toho, Blue Moon and lots decanted into little plastic tubs, t'other full of sterling silver and silver plated findings & jump rings & chain maille instructions. What's a poor girl to do, I ask you? I was powerless, of course.

Go Ducks!

Go Ducks!
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Awaiting final fitting & clasps, here are the commissioned bracelets I've been working on. I had a dentist appointment the other day, and was working on one of these in the office. My dentist is an Oregon Duck, and liked the bracelets so well he thought he'd better have one too. So I'm starting another! Yay for custom orders!

Custom Orders

I'm about halfway through the 2 bracelet custom order I've been working on. They are turning out pretty cute- metallic dark green base with a bright yellow UO logo O on them. And I'm thinking about the next EBW challenge, the Art Deco theme. I'm not happy with either of the starts I made- the one was just a rev-up king of thing, and the second turned out to have more of an Aztec than a Deco feel. And I have a bottle I really want to get back to. And there's the whole spiral stitch which I learned and never did anything with. And I have this other idea for a free-standing free-form sculptural piece. And... oh yeah, there's lots going on in my head.

Grumbling

I'm just home from the local art fair, and I'm more annoyed than anything. There were some lovely things in the booths, and a lot of treats for the eyes. There were even several booths with beadweaving, which is always fun. But I know how long and arduous a process beadweaving is. Even if you count me as slow (and I do) and double my output, there was more than one beader there making under ten cents an hour by my calculations! Not counting beads! Not counting findings! Or booth set-up! It's crazy-making on more at least two levels. First, the artist should value their time/art/work more, in my opinion. Second, how can I compete if I get a booth next year? I can just hear potential customers now: "Ned down the block sells peyote-stitched earrings much larger than this for $5 a pair, how can you ask $50 for something smaller?" What do you say to that? "Ned undervalues himself" sounds mean-spirited.

*sigh*


I did have random people stop me on the street to admire my freeform necklace, though. And I handed out a couple of cards.

Iteration #5

Iteration #5
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's what yesterday's rough idea has morphed into. Aside from being totally different, it's much the same. *grin*

I like the native NW colors in balance with the Deco starkness. I think. Who can guess where it will end up. I am putting it away for a while to work on a commission- a pair of matching bracelets for some friends.

Prototype

Prototype
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's what I'm playing around with for the Art Deco theme for next month's EBW challenge. I started with actual beaded links, but the little bitty links were way too fussy and prone to warpage. So I moved on to the virtual links, depicted on a cream background. I don't like some of it, and some of it I do. This one will be deconstructed and re-imagined shortly, but I think this will be the gist of it.

Tell Me It's Not True

I don't think the beads are getting smaller. I don't want to think it is my eyes getting worse. I'll just go ahead and write a letter to the Delica people and complain that this latest batch of 11s is way smaller than they used to be.

Freeform Finished?

Freeform Finished?
Originally uploaded by satyridae

it feels mostly finished to me. It's heavy, what with the lampworked beads, so I'm thinking maybe I should let well enough alone. What do y'all think?

Etsy BeadWeavers July Challenge

Flower Garland Headband
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's my entry in this month's Etsy BeadWeavers Challenge.
Here's where to go vote for your favorite among the many gorgeous entries:

Freeform Necklace In Progress

Freeform Necklace In Progress
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I'm cross-eyed from this. Time to put it away for the night!

Freeform Progress

Freeform Progress
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Latest shot!

Freeform Necklace

Freeform Necklace
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Two rows!

Freeform Necklace

Freeform Necklace
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I had so much fun documenting the birth and progress of the headband, I thought I'd do it again.

I've been wanting to do something cool with the lampwork beads I made last fall, but thus far had only managed to string some of 'em on sterling silver cable. Boring! So I poured a pile of coordinating colors onto my tray and jumped in.

Updates as they happen...