Start of Mask

I finally got the energy to start on the challenge by Beadin' Path called the Beaded Mask. I don't know why I kept putting this project off, but here I am less than a month until the deadline with lots of other things to complete plus a vacation thrown in there & I'm just starting. I decided to do mine mainly as a fiber project with beads added. I had a great time sitting at the sewing machine making the fabric that will be draped over the Mask. At first, I wanted the fabric to be stiff enough so that it could be just used as the mask, but it was too flimsy for beads & if I tried to stiffen it anymore, then I could not sew the pieces onto the fabric. So I decided to paint the mask a coppery/ruby mix just so it would be a nice highlight through the fabric. Chris helped me drill holes into the mask after if dried & I'm going to use them to needle sculpt the fabric so the mask will have human features. I picked out several pieces I've made using patterns from Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch & Beading magazine. After taking this picture though, Chris talked me out of using the mermaid. Though she is very cute, she does not really mesh well with the organic look of the fabric. He was so right, so ignore the mermaid. I've already got three seahorses tacked down & am now working on fish. I really don't think I want to really use too many beads on this project as I want the fibers to be the star. I've still got a ways to go before I call it quits. I have to chuckle because this really is hard project for me because I'm NOT going to be covering it with beads. It is harder to only use beads to embellish the fabric & not overwhelm the project.