11/21/15

A Time to Stitch 8 Reveal

The challenge Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller gave us for A Time to Stitch 8 was to bead a bag. Any bag and any portion of that bag. Which was great timing for me, because I had decided that I needed a money bag to take to art and craft fairs so my hands would be free while I tended to customers.

I decided on a belt bag from Mona B’s Live Work Create line of handbags because, well, I love their backstory. Each bag is made from upcycled truck tarps or military tents. Which means I had my work cut out for me because the bag was already constructed and I was sewing through, in some cases, two layers of tarp and the lining. Many, many needles were snapped, bent beyond recognition and otherwise mangled until I finally tried a tapestry needle and found success.

Here’s the bag as it appears in the Mona B catalog:


And here is my embellished version.


The rugged lines and canvas texture of the bag made this the perfect project for incorporating additional hardware into my beadwork. I took a component class from Laura McCabe several years ago and adapted some of her techniques in my design. I love the look of cobalt blue and classic red with olive, and even though I used pearls and a crystal rivoli, I made sure to use lots of the black and brass of the antique zipper to keep the industrial aesthetic.


I may not wait until my next art show to take my new bag off the shelf. There are lots of other times it would be great to be hands free!


Many thanks to Christine and Therese for always encouraging us to explore new places to take our beading. Below is a list of today's participants. I can’t wait to see how everyone tackled this challenge!

11/16/15

Can't live without...winner

Thanks to all who shared last week on the blog. Fishing line to cafeteria trays...all that you can't live without in your creative space.

I have been in Kentucky all week celebrating my daughter's birthday, and last night after cake and presents, grandson Nate picked a winning name from everyone who left a comment.


Like Wendy, I can't live without a pair of sharp, fine-tipped scissors on the bead table. If you will forward your address, Wendy, I'll package up a collection of my favorite Tulip needles and ship them out to you when I return to Atlanta on Wednesday.

11/9/15

Dry shampoo, baby wipes and Tulips. What would you add?

As I  made an early dash out to run a few errands today, our local morning radio team revealed one thing Carrie Underwood says she can’t live without (dry shampoo) and asked listeners what was one random thing they couldn’t live without.

The responses? Turns out a lot of women can’t live without dry shampoo. Also UGG slippers (even in the summer), eyelash curlers, coffee, baby wipes, mascara, and wine.  (Seems there are a lot of uses for baby wipes that don’t require a baby. Am I the only person who doesn’t yank one out at red lights to shine up the interior of my car?)

So that got me thinking, if Carrie Underwood can’t live without dry shampoo when she’s on the road, what’s one thing I can’t live without in the studio? Didn’t have to think very long about this one. For me, it’s tulip needles.


As my beading has evolved, I’m using smaller and smaller beads in my work. 3mm rondelles are pretty much my go-to bead of choice these days, and Tulip needles allow several passes even through their tiny holes. Tulip needles are extremely flexible, so I can bend them when I need to make tight passes through beads, and they don’t go wonky as fast as standard beading needles do.


They come packaged in two’s, in tiny test tubes with cork stoppers. I’ve saved every one since discovering them in a Laura McCabe class 5 years ago, just in case I come up with another use for them.

So now it’s your turn. What’s one thing you can’t live without in your creative space? Leave your response in the comments, and I’ll send one random commenter a selection of my favorite needles.
 
My needle drawer always has spare Tulips.

Oh, and if you have any suggestions for all those tiny test tubes…

11/1/15

Pendants for Fall

This Fall’s trend back to the pendant necklaces of the ‘70’s  swings both ways…long and short. I set out last week to design a trio in assorted lengths to go with my personal go-to Fall colors – darkest blues and browns.

My shortest pendant necklace, at 18” pairs this season’s trendy olive with richly hued brass. I’m so happy this often-neglected metal is making a comeback, too!


Kyanite, pearls, a sapphire teardrop and some of my favorite Afghan and Thai silver finds from last February’s trip to the Tucson Bead Show combine in this 30” slip-on necklace. Oh, but this looks so good with dark-washed jeans!



At 46”, my final lariat can be worn long or short, with its pendant dangles of African opal, Swarovski crystal, labradorite and pink dotted quartz. And it’s in my favorite color combination from Pantone’s Fall Color Report.


Are pendants making a comeback in your Fall wardrobe?