My goodness. It has been 5 very long years since I have even opened this blog. I thought, this might be a good time to start using SpeedieBeadie again. Things have changed in the past five years. As you can see by the picture above, I have embraced the sewing machine. I started making small bags and pouches last year around July. I found two amazing teachers who share all their knowledge on YouTube. First was Mister Domestic who showed me how to make pouches with zippers, and the second was Sew Sweetness with an amazing community on Facebook. Sara shares many tips and free patterns to folks that want to learn to make bags. I got so involved, that I bought a Juke TL 2010Q and now love to sew on a machine. I've made many bags up to now and have discovered a new obsession for fabrics.

Four years ago, we brought a new Scottie puppy home. We go him from a long time friend who lives in Canada. Chris named his Ziggy after David Bowie's Ziggy Star Dust. He is a crazy little guy who loves toys. He brings out every toy from the basket to sprinkle them all through the front room. He even enjoys using them as a pillow. Sammy likes him, and together they are a joy.

And after 45 years of working, I decided to finally retire. My last night working was 3/5/2020. The next day, the Pandemic was announced and put everyone in lock down. I had to postpone so many adventures I had planned and just stay at home. I have managed to learn to Zoom like almost everyone else and enjoy the very few outing I have felt safe to do. During this time, I have signed up to take multiple classes online and have taken a class doing polymer clay cane making with Layl McDill. I've managed to cover two teapots with hand made canes. Now if I could only figure out how to sculpt.

And, I STILL bead. I took a little break from beading for about 9 months, but with the quarantine still going on due to the Covid-19 pandemic i have picked up beading small dolls again. I made lots of jewelry several years ago and think I might be picking that up again in the near future.

All in all, the past 3 months have been trying, exciting, scary, and relaxing. I hope to keep up with this blog a little more regularly and not have another 5 year gap. 

Contemporary Quilt and Fiber Artist.

Two weekends ago, I got invited by a group in Cincinnati to teach the Funky Fish class.  It was wonderful to met these very talented ladies from the Contemporary Quilt and Fiber Artist group.  I've known a few of them for years and really admire their work.  So as you can tell, it was truly a wonderful day to get to be with other like minded artist and share some of my ideas with them.

I met Sara at AFICC.  She really took off creating new colorways for her fish.

I love how this student took moonbeam shell sequins and by adding blue seed beads changed the whole color way of the fish.  And notice the eyelashes!

Robbie really went off with her fish and even created a cute fabric stand for it.

All in the eyes?

I posted a picture on Facebook on Throwback Thursday.  One of my friends commented that she knew it was me because I hadn't changed that much over the years.  So I started to think what is it about my face that makes people say that to me all the time.  I think it is my eyes.  I've always had almond shaped eyes just like my Dad.  Here I am with my Mom.  I must have been two here as she was pregnant with my brother Jerry in this photo.

Here I am at about the same age.  I found this picture of my Great Aunt Rosalie fixing my Grandma's hair.  Grandma always wore her long hair up on top of her head in elaborate curls.  I noticed that I was a little ham even way back then wanting to help fix Grandma's hair.

Here I am between around 5 years old.  These were done in a studio.  My sister Jeannette was a baby at this time so I probably was around 6.  I remember this sailor outfit was blue.

This is my kindergarten picture taken later in the year when I was 6.  This little jumper dress also was blue. 

This probably was my 14th or 15th birthday.  Even though my birthday was close to the Christmas Holidays, Mom always made sure I got a bakery birthday cake with chocolate icing.  The necklace has a horse is a Sarah Coventry piece I got for my birthday that year.  I use to be absolutely crazy about horses until I found out allergic I am to them.

Here I am with my red hair.  I think I was almost 40 when this picture was taken.  sitting on my lap where SkyeBlue and FalaPink.  They are long gone, but we still have this couch.  I can't tell you how many pictures I've taken of Scotties and cats on this couch

Here is a picture of me with my silvery white hair.  It was right after my 61st birthday when my friend Tracy sent me this necklace with the names of all my past and Sammy's name on it. 

  I guess I now can see looking at the years of pictures that I definitely have a distinct look.  Almond shape eyes and high cheek bones from my Dad along with his small mouth.  My nose though I definitely got from my Mother.  I now believe!

Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay

What a year this has been so far.  Lots of creating.  Lots of traveling.  Lots of working on the house.  Lots of sewing.  Lots of Beading.  Lots of loving on my two boys.  With only 8 days left until AFICC, I am in the last stages of preparation.  Pattern already sent to my students who are joining me for two separate days teaching Flashy Funk Fish, and today I completed the beading instructions and am ready to start printing.  I haven't taught a class like this since 2008.  Yes, I'm a little nervous, but there will be so many familiar faces in my two separate classes that I know it is going to be the best.

I have been working on little things since coming back from Beading by the Bay.  I wanted to make small items that attendees and the general public will just have to take home with them.  Another great thing about AFICC is that Saturday night Cyndy is inviting the public to stay after viewing the Doll Gallery for demonstration night.  I'll be there for a couple hours showing how to make a PERFECT PET which is the Koggie.  I'll have patterns for sale to the general public at this event.

Bunnies and Kitties ready to be beaded

Bunny pin dolls

G'nomie pin cushions.  Hopefully, I'll have this pattern available at AFICC.

Nothing escapes the BEADS!

Chris' favorite pin doll

My favorite pin doll

Sammy's favorite but he is not getting this one

Rats are welcome if they have buttons on them

Who can't resist a beaded bunny

 

All decked out and ready to head to AFICC

Fish and Fowl will be in attendence

Creating the Perfect Pet demonstration on Saturday night

What?  Did you say the General Public can attend the  FREE demonstration night?

YES!  Plus amazing vendors will be there Saturday and Sunday.

 

So join us!

Still not to late to sign up.  Many classes don't require homework and if you are interested in my Flashy Funky Fish and don't have time to do the homework, I will have fish body forms presewn

Sammy and I wish you a great week.  Hope to see you at AFICC

Hello 2015

One month of 2015 is almost gone, and I just realized I haven't posted any thing on this blog in ages.  Since I'm going to be teaching again this year, it probably is a good idea that I have a few things here on the web to share with future students so they can see what other options there are in beaded figures.

These past months, I've been playing around with making animal doll forms.  It has been a bit challenging trying to get proportions right to make my forms look more life like.  I sat back and realized why am I doing that?  Why not just dive deep into my sub conscious and find my inner CARTOON MUSE!  It worked.  I also decided to not totally encrust the doll form with beads because sometimes the fabric combinations are just too fun.  So for my first in 2015 met two rats and a weird genetic hybrid mutation called a RatBit. 

Met the Country Rat.  He's made of scrap fabric and felt.

I had fun making the County Rat's nose. 

Is it Rabbit?  Is it a Rat?  No it is a RatBit

I just love the patterns in this fabric.  Add a felted vest with a few pieces of scrap fabric for pockets AND a very saucy beret

Sewing merrily along

I know this is hard to believe, but my beads are just not talking to me anymore.  Well, they ARE but the fabric is getting all my attention.  I've been busy sewing away on new critters that just spring into my head and demand to be crafted.  I wish I could sew better to give them more justice, but I know that the only way to do that is to practice, practice, and practice more.  Chris has been working on the pattern for the Koggies for me.  Now all I have to do is to finish writing the instructions so that I can offer the pattern & instructions for sell so others can populate the world with adorable little critters made all out of fabric.  Throw in a few beads, and that just makes it even more perfect.

Here is a little sampling of what my busy fingers have been working on that past couple of months. 

I bought new fabrics to play with.  Really love the lavender mix so I had to make a wee bunny and an elephant that is a mutation of the Koggie pattern

I had an order for a mermaid doll for a artist to bead on.  I just had to make an extra for myself.  I do love needle sculpting the faces.

Close up of my new elephant pattern

Ooops...someone did a photo bomb with the elephant

And a piggy had to be covered with beads.

I used the fabric craft velor from Doll Maker's Journey.  I could not sew it on my little Janome Jem no matter how hard I tried with new needles, tissue paper as the fabric is slick.  So both these are actually hand sewn.

I love the look of the craft velor fabric, but it is difficult for me to sew on the machine.  Chris heard me complaining so he actually remarked that possibly I need a more powerful machine.  Yep...he said it, not me.

My friend Liz saw one of my elephants and suggested tusk.  I agree...they look great especially in the wild orange fabric scraps I had.

Great profile of the elephant.

A few little critters that followed me to a Guilded Lily meeting