BOTB Reflections

Round two for Steven's Battle of the Beadsmith is starting.  I'm enjoying seeing new photos of each piece that has moved up.  It made me thing more about things I should have/could have done in the competition. First and foremost, I want to emphasis that this was a friendly competition with no prizes.  The biggest prize to all 200+ artist was a chance to have the whole world view their designing and artistic skills.  With that I'm so happy.  And for me one of biggest winning prizes was meeting other designers and adding them to my "friends" list on Facebook.  One night I actually spent hours texting with another designer who didn't make it to round two like myself.  We connected and learned more about each other deciding hey we had more in common than beads and I was delighted when I saw she sent me a friend's request so know I can follow her Timeline and be a part of her life. 

One thing I told her was that her piece was a winner!  It was just luck of the draw that she had been paired with another piece of work just as stunning, just as creative, just as much a winner.  I strongly encouraged her to wear it out into the public and let the world beyond these small windows see what she'd created and admire it in all its glory.  I can't tell you how thrilling it is to have a person come over gushing all over your creation.  I myself wore Cranberry Baroque to Worthington Mall and had five strangers come up to me wanting to see my necklace.  All three asked for my card and one even directed me a gallery that would love to show my jewelry.  In the real world, you don't have to use photographs or words to explain what you have done.  It is right there in three dimension doing all the work for you.  Don't let the word "loser" even work into your mind!  It will destroy confidence and put a big brake on your creativity.  Show your work online, but also wear it and let it blaze a path.

So another things I did learn from BOTB is that I need to really concentrate on WORDS.  I know, above I just wrote that sometime they shouldn't be so crucial, but in competitions where your words can be the door to get people to actually look at what you've so created choosing the right phrases and focusing on your creative process is just as important as having the right camera or backdrops.  One of the things I didn't focus on with Cranberry Baroque was stating that I intentionally left the fabric showing as the pink of the fabric was the backdrop for the other colors making them all pop out.  I also should have used a fabric that was more intricate with patterns that would enhance the bead work.  Once again should have/could have, but I did learn that creativity and words need to ride a competition entry hand and hand when the judges can't see the work in real time. 

Battle of the Beadsmith 2014

I was quiet for about two months when I was working on my BOTB 14 or Battle of the Beadsmith 2014 challenge piece.  Yes, I said TWO MONTHS!  Of course I was doing other things as I was working on this, but it took up a whole lot of my beading and thinking time.  First off, it was a complete challenge as I skated into the months of February and March drawing up ideas for a beaded doll for the challenge.  Then I read the rules (one should always read the rules before starting to design anything) and realized it was for WEARABLE ART!  My heart almost stopped.  I wrote to Steven and asked if it really had to be wearable art...and yes, he said yes. But in Steven's marvelous way he coaxed me on with suggestions.  I decided to put the beaded sculpture ideas and drawings aside and to focus on jewelry, jewelry, and more jewelry.

I wanted something that looked heavy without being heavy.  A beaded collar was out of the question as is would not contour to the body's form, so I started to draw component pieces and play puzzle me out.  Then the fun part began.  I went deep down into Dot's Art Cave and found crystals that I'd hoarded away and probably haven't seen the light of day for years.  I then stopped over at the big wall of seed beads and randomly chose colors that would make me happy.  I forgot that I did need some sort of bead backing so without turning on the lights, I pulled out a piece of Nicole's Bead Backing and rushed upstairs.  To my amazement, I had chosen some colors that I've never worked with before and the color of the backing was PINK!  Really?  PINK?  And I chose brown iris, cranberry, brown, red, and bronzes.  The crystals and Rivolis were brown and pink.  Yikes!  I merrily started to bead and to my amazement the colors liked each other and were purring along.  I got the major component with the large crystals completed and I'm talking about edging and backing and all when I realized I did not like it.  That was a whole week of work and I did not like it at all.  So (oh yes I did it) out came the scissors and the first major rip apart began.  I was pondering why didn't I like it.  Then I realized, there was nothing that actually popped out at me.  I tried adding pearls, but it just wasn't enough.  Then I picked up a bag of sequins and opened it up.  A few spilled out and landed on the focal component.  I could not believe that those green sequins were the answer.  So green joined the party and back to beading I went.  I decided to not totally encrust this piece letting the pink backing show as it added more contrast to the crystal and bead colors.  I liked that a whole lot.

Then I began the edging AGAIN.  I redid the edging twice before I landed on the idea of circles encircling circles using the cranberry and brown.  I sat back and thought about some of the baroque picture frames I'd seen at all the museums I'd been drawn too, so I came up with the name Cranberry Baroque for the piece.  Happily, I began using the circle idea to join the components together.  It was done. Finally, and three weeks before the deadline.  So I took the necklace to my niece Emily's graduation party and had both her and Mallory do a little bit of modeling for me.  Their young innocent beauty worked so well with the beads and crystals.  I was excited.  Then I began looking at the pictures and to my horror realized the length of the necklace strap was too long.  All the components were hanging down past the collar bone instead of hugging it.  What to do? What to do?  So out came the scissors and a shortening and another idea to have two different ways to clasp the piece so that anyone with a smaller or larger neck could wear the necklace so it would caress the collar bone instead hanging.

I was indeed happy.  Then the picture taking. Chris and I tried three different cameras, lighting, and backgrounds before only four suitable pictures were usable.  I definitely have learned that we need a better digital camera if I want to do any more competitions, better lighting, and definitely a tent or background screens.  But finally everything was sent off.  Now, I'm a part of the 2014 Battle of the Beadsmiths.  It was fun, and challenging and educational as well.  But the best part is taking time to look at all the other gorgeous pieces of wearable art completed from 256 global  bead artist.  A special thank you for Stephen in organizing this challenge spending countless hours posting pictures, matching Battle participants, and keeping the tone of the Battle amusing and fun. 

Shocking Pink Swing

Shocking Pink Swing

Today is first revel in the newest installment of Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop Party.  I'd like to introduce to you first off my Bead Soup Blog Hop Partner.  Jane Michael Stallings creates unique Beadwork and if you check out her blog you'll find that her work is being used by the retro Japanese band JOSY.  Jane Michael sent me an amazing group of beads, finding, clasp, cabochons, and a whole lot of other things to work with.

Everything nicely labeled

Jane Michael made these cabochons for me to use in this challenge.  The colors are just amazing AND they are also glow in the dark!

Naturally I went with a bead embroidered center piece.  I decided to glue the polymer clay cabochon down onto a piece of black Nicole's Bead Backing.  Using Right Angle Weave to cage the cabochon, I added size 11 matt white pearl seed beads for embellishment.  Then I chose a few Rivoli's that could further emphasize the colors of the Bead Soup.  From the very beginning, I knew that I wanted to use the shocking pink size 8 seed beads as they matched perfectly to the polymer clay cabochon, and the color just made me happy since I could only see weeks of snow cover from my studio window

At this point, I began to work with design.  My first attempt was to use the focal cabochon with an odd number of Rivolis for the central piece of the necklace. 

After completion, this sat on my worktable for over a week as I turned it, twisted it, held it up in the air, trying to "see" the symmetry and imagine it as a completed necklace.  For that whole week, I tried to let it just be, but then in a quick mad click...I cut it all into individual pieces.  It made me happier to see it all taken apart, but still I had to let everything simmer in my unconscious mind waiting for the right answer to submerge.

Using the center cabochon and 4 of the RAW caged Rivolis, once again, I played a game of design.  I decided to use the size 8 Shocking Pink beads to embellish each of the 5 component.  To connect them all, I used the Super Duos in a herringbone type of bead weaving to connect the 5 components.  They I did a simple stringing with the bottom 2 component with one piece of quarts for my central focal point of the necklace.  During thie time, I played with the idea of having it swinging from a larger peyote tube, but no matter how I tried to connect the two components together, the swinging focal and the peyote tube just would not work well.  So back to the drawing board

I then decided to not rock the boat too much, so I decided to just ditch the peyote tube and make a tube of RAW using the size 8 Shocking Pink beads.  With a little embellishment, I connected the swing to the tube.  Jane Michael sent me two clasp to also use for my challenge.  One was a vintage yellow toggle and the other choice was a big snap.  I liked using the yellow toggle as it tied together the yellow color of the polymer clay cabochon.  Two small ropes using CRAW (cubic Right Angle Weave) completed the project with a simple loop for the toggle.

The Polymer Clay cabochon has multiple layers of embellishment worked off the original Right Angle Weave cage.

The piece of quartz gives the whole necklace a counter weight which gives it a visual symmetry.

This was a fun project to work on.  I got to hone my RAW skills and worked with some components that are new out on the market.  I just hope that Jane Michael enjoyed my challenge as much as I have the one she sent to me.  Plus, I'll be able to wear this at night which will give it another special element as it does glow in the dark.

Now that you've seen my Bead Soup challenge and how I took a jar full of components and beads to create something unique, take some time and join me on the Bead Soup Blog Parry Hop and visit the more than 500 other blogs that will be revealed in three separate time frames. 

As an additional incentive, Lori has created a special Pinterest board where we all have been encouraged to post our creations.  There is going to be a judging with prizes.  Luckily I have until 4/19 for that as I've had to take all my pictures with indoor lighting.  HOPEFULLY, the weather will cooperate and I'll be able to take better pictures of Shocking Pink Swing later on.

Sand and Sea Blog Hop

Welcome to the My Bead Table Blog Hop II: Sand and Sea Edition

Lisa Lodge from Pine Ridge Treasures is the hostess of this blog hop.  Each member purchased either a "sand" kit with tans, creams, orange and brown tones or the "sea" kit which had blues, greens, and purple tons.  Each kit was different some containing art beads or components.  Each kit was also randomly assigned.

Sand and Sea Blog Hop

Placed on my bead tray is the components of the sand kit that I received.  There were many gemstones along with an assortment of glass, pearls, and metal components.  Also was an artistic focal bead made of poly clay.  In this picture the gemstones are actually glued to piece of Nicole's Bead Backing.

 I decided to add a little splash of color to the mix so I threw in an assortment of blue size 11 seed beads along with matching magatamas.  I also used tan and a light mat topaz seed beads from another project I had been working on.  I wound up with six separate components to work with, but I decided I definitely did night like the fleshy/apricot colored fire polish in three of the components.  So it all got ripped apart and started again.

To go along with the sea and sand theme, I decided to use a Greek pendent of matching colors with the yin/yang symbol.  But I still had the misshapen focal piece made of poly clay to work with.  It was lumpy and cracked and the colors just would not work at all with any combinations I worked with.  I put the project to the side for two weeks trying to figure out what I could do with the focal piece.  The splashes of accent paint on it distracted from everything else I could even imagine.  I even thought of repainting the piece just to get rid of the color scheme, but then I thought of actually caging the focal piece using RAW and embellishing it with the same color beads I used with the gemstones.

 

 

Before picture of the most challenging piece of the kit

I put this away for two weeks until I could wrap my brain around how to take this misshapen focal piece without repainting it so that I could use it in this challenge.  I decided to use the same beads I'd use with the other accent components and using three matt white fire polish pieces and two pearls to tone down the silver/blue/red/pink of the colors.  I can't tell you how many times, I even took this component apart unhappy with any result until I wound up with this.

This is a closer view of the focal poly clay bead after I've completed the embellishment adding the clear drop provided in the kit.  It does look better, but I still don't like the look.  I have to sincerely say here that this necklace is going to be taken apart .  I will not wear it in public as I do not like this focal bead even after I struggled for weeks trying to get it to look right.  I will remove the section with this focal piece and rip it all apart saving the beads for possibly some other gemstone.  I will use a piece  with the same dimensions so that I can have the same configuration of this design.  But with a more pleasing focal component for the eye to see first.

This section is probably my favorite part of this necklace.  I might, as I stated above, find some other stone or piece of glass that I could use for the center of the design.  All in all, this was probably one of the most difficult challenges I've had up to date.  Trying to find a design that had the flow of the waves crashing onto the shore was the first step, and then incorporating pieces and colors into the design that would mesh well together .  My biggest challenge was using the poly clay bead and fitting it into a pleasing flow of the piece.  I have to admit that I failed in that aspect of the challenge.  But at least I did try which is the best way to experiment and learn.  

We learn by failing and  admitting defeat more than if we scream defeat before we even make any attempts. 

Synergy Win

 Last weekend was the big dinner for the Great Lakes Beadworker's Guild 20th anniversary.  It also was the presentation of the Synergy awards.  My partner texted me at the dinner telling me that we came in 3rd place.  We were to present a representation of Detroit in beads.  My partner chose Belle Isle which houses a garden, statues and a aquarium.  I chose to make a water sprite doll on a turtle's back.  Cyndy made the glass bouquet with flowers she had made and all the glass fish. 

Please met Belle Isle Voyagers 

"Photograph by Sylvus Tarn ~ Rejiquar Works"

To view other pieces from this event click here to see Synergy 2012.  There were so many wonderful pieces depicting various places and themes all revolving around Beading Detroit.  Also click here to see the installation of Synergy by our president Sharon Wagner.  And click here to see an article written about the gallery show and YES!  that is a picture of the bead work on my piece.

It was so enjoyable to work with Cyndy taking ideas and presenting them with beads and glass. We got to know each other while working on this project and are already talking about other collaborations.  

I want to Thank Sharon for all the hard work with this gallery show and to Sylvus for doing all the professional photograph for me to use.  But most of all to Cyndy show invited me to spend a couple days at her beautiful home in Michigan where we laughed, talked, and beaded away a whole afternoon.

Kalmbach Bead Soup Party

I was one of the lucky ones as a recipient of the Kalmbach Bead Soup Party to coordinate with the release of Lori Anderson's new Bead Soup book.  Kalmbach asked bead shop owners to make a delicious bead soup, and then partnered them up with willing Party goers.  I was surprised to see that my bead shop partner was Carole Ohl who owns Bead Stash in Kettering Ohio.  Why was I surprised, because out of all the bead soups sent in to Kalmbach and sent out, I actually got my bead soup from a person I know. I haven't been able to get to her new store yet, but when I get back into a weekend rotation, I definitely want to check it out and take my necklace for Carole to see.

Dragon Heart

I started out with my bead soup and added cranberry colored beads for the necklace from a find in a local thrift store.  I started with the focal piece and glued it down on a piece of green Nicole's Bead Backing.  I liked the look of the green with the Bead Soup sent to me by Kalmbach.  With Nicole's Bead Backing you don't have to worry about totally encrusting the piece as you use the color of the backing as an enhancement.  Next I got out some Rivolis gifted to me by my friend Liz.  Then I just began beading using complimentary colors.  I also wanted to pull out the cranberry color so I decided to make a bail using a pattern from Marcia DeCoster's book Beaded Opulence.   One of most subtle additions from the Bead Soup was the greenish curved daggers.  I decided they looked like claws or possible veins coursing the Dragon's blood through the heart.  I had to reinforce them three times to make them stand out without drooping.  I added a dark blood red crystal from the fringe as a drop of the Dragon's blood which in some incidents has mystical powers.

Bead Soup from Carole Ohl

Beaded Bail from Marcia's Beaded Opulence

Close up of the focal piece and Rivolis

 Progress photos of Dragon Heart:

Green Nicole's Bead Backing

Plastic cranberry beads with some of the pearls and seed beads in the Bead Soup

Attaching the bail to the pendent

If you would love to see other pieces along with the Bead soups sent to Kalmbach, go to their Pinterest site and enjoy browsing around.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Today is the 3rd reveal for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party.  I had two partners for the 6th event.  My original partner is Geneva Collins.  Here is the link to her blog.  She and are are both seed bead addicts so we were both very excited about being partnered with another person who enjoys bead weaving.  Geneva sent me such an abundance of pieces to work with. As with the rules, she sent me a gorgeous metal flower and a beautiful clasp.  She actually sent me two color pathways letting me decide which one would work for me.

 

Bead Soup Geneva sent me

I wanted to make another collar with these lovely beads Geneva sent me.  I started by sewing down the metallic flower onto Nicole Bead Backing.  I wanted to make this into a two component piece so I spent the beginning working on the flower as a pendent focal with the crystals sent to me.  I also loved the crystal tear drops and used them as part of the fringe.  For the collar, I started with a very simple neck collar once again using black Nicole's Bead Backing.  I used the glass beads from the bead soup mix and added pink pearls.  Up to this point, this all looked very Victorian to me using the gunmetal and pink colors.  I was working on the actually collar part when my husband began to play a Beatle album.  I started to hum along while looking at the bags of beads in my soup.  Once package label caught my eye being size 8 seed bead strawberry mix, and then I realized I was humming Strawberry Fields Forever.  Every have a click moment when you just know what you want to name something?  I usually have such a difficult time naming things so I was a little put back that this came so easy.  Maybe I should start listening to old music when I'm beading.  Wonder how Pink Floyd will impact my designs.  I'm smiling right now just thinking of the line "shine on your crazy diamond".  Hummm...maybe the focus of my next experiment?

Beautiful metallic flower I received.  I added the crystals to hide where I'd sewn the flower down

Nicole's Bead Backing is the perfect foundation for heavy bead embroidery collars

Both components are completed and ready to be put together

I added a scallop look around the edge of the collar to give it a more dainty look

 

The pinkish tear drop crystals were perfect in joining the two components

If you look at the above photo you'll notice that after I joined the two components together, I finished off the pearl scallop look and added pearl dangles joining them to the middle of the metallic flower focal pendent.

Now please join with me with me and take time to whirl around the world visiting the blogs of the other artist in the third reveal of the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party.  You'll probably need some a loaf of bread and a drink as all this traveling and looking at delicious Bead soups are going to make you hungry

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads 
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle,  Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space
Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure
Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous


Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation,  Art Food Lodging

Hannah Annear, Squintessential
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs


Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels
Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home

Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas
Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show

Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities
Laurie Lalonde, HourGlass Studio
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures
Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN

Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops
Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio

Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope,  LB Creative Arts and Crafts
Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi

Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry

Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog
Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sally Anderson, Wild Sally Road
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila

Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin,  Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick
Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design

Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs