Midsummer Dilemma- Solved!

Midsummer Dilemma
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I think I'm going to stop here and not add flowers. I tried the flowers in all sorts of different configurations, and they were just somehow not right anywhere. It's okay like this. I will use the flowers for... oh, I dunno. Something.

I'm calling it done. :-)

Midsummer Dilemma

Midsummer Dilemma
Originally uploaded by satyridae

Here's the problem. The original plan was a headband covered with flowers. The flowers were made first, and I envisioned them thickly covering a headband. The plain band with flowers on was entirely too plain. Now I'm wondering if the flowers on top of the embellished band isn't too too. I can't decide. If you click the photo with the flowers on it, it will take you to a bunch of photos on my flickr account with various angles of the headband. Comments welcome!

It's Coming Along

Continuation Of Midsummer Challenge
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I was up till 1 yesterday morning. I can quit any time I want to. I'm starting to wonder about my plan, which is to essentially cover all this work when it's finished. May have to re-think that.

Midsummer Challenge Progress

Midsummer Challenge Progress
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I can't feel my fingers.

Midsummer Challenge Progress Update

Midsummer Challenge Progress Update
Originally uploaded by satyridae

I can't believe how long bead embroidery takes! I would have started with a much narrower headband had I realized. *grin*

Update on Embroidery

Midsummer Started
Originally uploaded by satyridae

It's slow, doing it on an already formed headband. I think I wold have been further ahead to do it on fabric & then put it on a headband. Live & learn.

Midsummer Night's Dream Stage 1

Here are the bare beginnings of what I hope will be my July Etsy Beadweavers Challenge entry. I haven't done bead embroidery in years- it's what I started with and is fun to pick back up now. I hope.

Seeds vs. Delicas

I have a few projects that I've been working on a bit at a time using old uneven seed beads. Since I began working with Delica beads, the contrast when I go back to the older projects is really noticeable. I think that they both have their strengths, though. It's much harder to express texture with the uniform Delicas, while adding fat beads and skinny with the ordinary seed beads gives all sorts of flexibility.

I guess I just love all kinds of beads. This surprises no one, right?

Spiral Stitch Update

I know y'all have been hanging on the edge of your seats, waiting to hear how learning spiral stitch went. I think I understand it, I did about 8 inches. The problem is that I was using Silamide in a heavier weight and small-hole beads. So I broke a bead every so often, which screws up the whole affair. But I get the stitch, and though it's very slow it's also fun. I'll go back to it, but now I'm going off in several other directions at once!

Front Page

I was on the front page of etsy today! I almost fainted when I heard. I did make a noise that wasn't exactly a shriek, though one could be forgiven for mistaking it for same. Carol Dean of SandFibers is the one who made the treasury which landed on the front page. You should check out her work, which is extraordinary. Here's my favorite of her pieces:

Etsy BeadWeavers June Challenge

Etsy BeadWeavers June Challenge Final
Originally uploaded by PinkPoochDesigns

Here is a screenshot of the beautiful entries in this month's challenge.
Please take a minute and go to the blog, here: Etsy-Beadweavers and cast your vote for your favorite.

Next Up

I'm going to try to learn spiral stitch tonight. I like the way it looks but have never tried it. Wish me luck!

Evolution

I wanted to talk a little about the process by which I turn an idea into a finished piece.

I was thinking about joy. How pure joy makes a feeling that looks like a splotch of color, only on the inside of one's brain. And sometimes it's a splotch of butterflies on the inside of one's solar plexus. And naturally, that led me to thinking about Matisse and his paper cut-outs that for me at least, personify joy as splotch. Which caused me to start thinking in beads. And I made this pattern:
Which sorta worked, but was too heavy, somehow. The wonderful software package called BeadTool allows easy color changes, and I went through a billion (well, 40 anyway) iterations and finally settled on this:

And then I started to bead it. And the pattern was okay, but not exactly right. So I abandoned the pattern for an approximation. And here, then, is the finished bracelet, Joy Breaks Out:

It is my entry in this month's Etsy Beadweavers challenge, Anything Goes.