Ocean Blues Amulet Bag

"Ocean Blues"

Finished the amulet bag and put it in the shop. I've been visiting the Hudson River a lot lately, so made this one with watery thoughts in mind. I always love doing branch fringe and giving it a spiral rope strap completely changes the quality of the bag and seems so much more substantial. I really like brick stitch, for not only easily incorporating different sized beads but also for it's strength and durability.


After much hemming and hawing about my beading direction which i wrote about here, it's funny how the direction all of the sudden crystalized, the path illuminated and everything started falling into place. I am going to focus on the things that have a real intrinsic personal meaning to me. So in respect to that, I let go and sold my Mirrix loom and some beading videos. I'm clearing out and selling beading books on Ebay and parring down on all the patterns I have. Now I don't feel indebted to beading and using those things that i have outgrown or drifted away from.  I know exactly the what I want to do now.   It's so freeing to get those things out of the way that were obstructing my creativity and making me feel guilty and unproductive. I am going to be working on the Flower Power series which I've been wanting to do for a long time .... and in between-- beading amulet bags and a few other things for the store.




I took a quick trip to Michaels for some beading supplies for the Flower Power series. #2 in the series is going to be a yellow Power flower. I still have to draw it on the fabric which i will do tonight.  i also took the purple background color off the blog. I like the simple clean look of white. Don't know if i'll keep it this way or put the color back on. For now white is what i'm feeling.

Until next time -- Peace!

Happy 88th Birthday, Pete Seeger

Pete's River

here listening to the Essential Pete Seeger CD. Today is Pete 88th birthday! yay! We love Pete -- his life long contributions -- his music, his politics, his peace-making, his protesting, his inspiration, his environmentalism, his and our river, the beloved Hudson. Hope he is having a great day!


This is a collection of pete buttons I have which is set aside for a special Peace wall hanging.


happy Birthday pete!



IF I HAD A HAMMER (The Hammer Song)
words and music by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger

If I had a hammer
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
All over this land
I'd hammer out danger
I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land
If I had a bell
I'd ring it in the morning
I'd ring it in the evening
All over this land
I'd ring out danger
I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land
If I had a song
I'd sing it in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening
All over this land
I'd sing out danger
I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land
Well I've got a hammer
And I've got a bell
And I've got a song to sing
All over this land
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's the song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

©1958, 1962 (renewed), 1986 (renewed)
TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. (BMI)

Amulet Bag

I'm working on this amulet bag. It's multiple blues and clear and is called "Ocean."

For all the many years of beading... I am forever arriving at a point of anguish and indecision about the direction of my beading. I really want to concentrate on a single "niche", i guess you'd say. I really would like to develop the niche to an art form and produce a body of work. Instead I end up beading things that have no intrinsic connection to that goal. For example: I have a 12" mirrix loom with a shedding device that I have never used. I considered selling it and looked at the loom's video to make sure everything was in proper order. While watching the video, i started to change my mind about selling the loom and started thinking in the lines of "hmm.. maybe I should produce beaded tapestries with this loom." That was not really the idea I had planned to go through with my beading.. so once again.. I am angsting.. "should I.. should I not" same old story. I have tons of other looms. way too many actually. I plan to keep one or two smaller ones anyway without the shedding device. The shedder cuts beading time ---the shedder creates a better fabric. That may be the only real differences.

I did make progress in working toward my niche by getting rid of some beading books that were just hanging around. Nice patterns, but I know I will never get around to beading them.. and don't really want to.

yes, there are tons of directions I can take my beading. There are tons of things I could make. but I think I should stay focused and get back on plan and just go forward. Get rid of all the extenuating obsticles, all the things that take me down side roads and just concentrate on the one or two areas.

Sounds like a good plan. :)

Updated Blog

I'm connecting all my online beading spaces together in a more streamlined way and under the Vision Quest Beadwork theme. I think it will make things easier that way.

On the beading front -- I beaded this small square stitch bracelet for myself in my earth tone colors. Now I just have to bead the matching amulet bag I've been wanting to do for a long long time.

And a few more for the store hopefully.

Doing some spring cleaning also and listing those things on Ebay. Parring down on my beading books and perhaps some beading supplies.

spring time bracelets

I took a break from the Free form necklace to make some bracelets. A couple for myself and a few for the store. This is my first time consciously doing square stitch. I say that because I've unwittingly done square stitch a few times when making bails and a few other things. It's really very much like ladder stitch. Square stitch however has the same straight side by side beads and rows as loom work does, without the necessity of warping the loom and dealing with the warp threads afterwards. Yes, square stitch takes a little longer than looming because of adding beads one at a time, though I've seen faster ways of doing it by adding multiple beads at a time or adding every other bead and then back-tracking. I am doing it the conventional one bead at a time way right now to get the hang of it. I like the stitch. I've always liked the way it looks, and I like the easiness of following patterns and designing square stitch patterns. I also like the drapey texture. I'll probably be taking some time exploring the depths of this stitch for awhile while doing the free form and finishing the cabochons. The only other stitch i want to learn is herringbone -- but that my friends, is for another day!

Latest freeform progress

In the process of doing the surface beading on this necklace. This photo is of one of the straps. I am really liking this piece. It's very textural and has a lot of different beads but is still amazingly light weight. I beaded the toggle clasp and still need to do the loop for the other side. But depending on my beading pace, I should be finished with this one soon. And then have an embroidery piece to do for a birthday and then I plan to start another freeform piece.

Freeform

Still working on my Freeform piece! Embellishing the straps and doing surface beading and having fun.

St. Patrick's Day Freeform update

My latest progress on the freeform necklace. I'm beading the straps right now. I will fill in some more of the centerpiece afterwards and add some embellishments.

The Bead Artists against Breast Cancer Bead Quilt that I participated in was put together with my three bead square contibutions. The links to the finished quilts are at Jeanette Shanigan's site. My three beaded contributions are on Bead Quilt #6, blocks 11, 12 & 13. (second row, the last two on the right and third row first one on the left)

I am really pleased to have been able to contribute my beading to such a worthy cause. I hope to do lots more of that in the future! Thanks to Jeanette for such a great project and all the talented beaders who always come through for these collective endeavors every time! I'm glad to be part of the world-wide bead community.

http://shanigansbeadshenanigans.com/BCQuilts07.html

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Freeform BIP

Latest progress on the freeform. I added a few bridges and some drop beads. I've started to bead one side of the strap. This one is breaking all my symmetricities! Another question is: When is enough enough? With freeform you can just bead off into a wild tangent--- there are no rules, limits or boundaries, it's up to the beader to pull in the reigns. A good eye for aesthetics and balance comes in handy.

Freeform in Progress

I'm working on this freeform piece. It was a beginning idea for a bracelet, but the curves seem to suit themselves better for a necklace. I haven't done freeform in a while, so this is a really fun piece for me to do. I can't wait to see what shape it takes and how it's gonna turn out!

More Bead Shopping

I usually don't do a lot of bead shopping. I haven't put in a major order in over a year. A major order for me is over a $100.00 but less than $200.00. That is a lot of beads if you do it right. I don't think I ever put in an order of over $165.00 at one time and that was when buying bulk kilos and also buying everything I needed: thread, findings, books and fancier beads. I don't do that kind of bulk buying often. But I also don't do a ton of small bead purchases either. My bead supply lasts a long time. it doesn't bother me to use the same colors and same type of beads. I actually get a lot of mileage out of them by using them in different designs or using them in different stitches.

The purchase above I made from Ebay from Little House of Beads. I am really happy with the quality of beads and also that they are local, so for me it's a very fast delivery!

Tonight I am finishing up beading a purple Goddess amulet bag to put in the Ebay store while watching American Idol.

Happy Beading! :)

Started beading the edging around this Amethyst cab last night. I should have finished it but got caught up in the Bob Woodruff special on TV: another good reason to end the war Now!! Will finish this cab today then start on the beaded rope chain which it will suspend from.

The colors of these purples don't photograph well. They are transparent dark purple and soft matte lilac with lustre white accents.

I beaded the edging around these charm pendants also. The edging really polishes them off. I'll probably make a few more. My sister wants a moon & star one. I need to decide what kind of bail they should have.

here are before and afters:

Bead Shopping!!

I haven't done any major bead shopping in a long long time. The premise was to use what I already have and only buy what I *need*. I truly needed 15/0 and would like to atleast have a small stash of 15's on hand since I've been using a lot more of them. I got these great finds on Ebay!! I am thrilled. I also found a supplier from my own home town!!! Happy Days!!!

Fly away...

I finished my last square for the Breast Cancer Research Bead Quilt while watching the Academy Awards tonight.

These were really fun to make -- a little on the addicting side. I could really make a lot more of these.

Here are all three of them together. I'm glad I am able to be part of this quilt.

beading habits

just playing around with the 15's. Thought they would bead up cute embroidered necklace charms.
I was thinking about my beading habits, how undisciplined I am in one way... and how overtly disciplined in another respect. I seem to have gotten into a rut of having specific criteria to bead by, or atleast feeling comfortable having those familiar things. I bead in the same dedicated space -- it is a very small space, but it really is the only space I bead in. I generally always bead at night, during a tv show or with some type of music on. I bead almost every night, including weekends. I don't bead from a graphed pattern, unless it's my own.. and still very rarely. I use mostly Japanese seed beads, rarely Delicas, even though I have a small but nice stash, and sometimes Czech seeds. I tend to use the colors of brown and purple a lot. I'm not big on fringe, though I do use it on amulet bags. I am big on amulet bags!! and have made them more than anything else. I use peyote and brick for amulet bags and jewelry and spiral ropes and I do bead embroidery for wall art. I started out doing loom beading and probably have close to 10 looms of various sizes including a Mirrex with shedding device, all that I rarely use now. One stitch I have no desire to learn is RAW, though some of the things I see made of it are very nice. I would like to learn bead crochet, but don't have the time or incentive right now. I own tons of beading books and lots of patterns mainly to garner inspiration. My bead storage is much to be desired-- everything is crammed into a 5 drawer roll cart that is collapsing. The beads are in zip lock baggies that do not hold up for long. I use Nymo D or B for everything I bead. I've been beading on and off for 15 years, but really started intensely beading the last 6 or 7 years. Did a lot of holiday craft shows in the beginning and have taught 3 classes- beginning to advanced techniques and an amulet bag class for a few years in adult education for the school district.
Basically, that's my beading history as of date. I would like to challenge myself more and mix up my routine and break out of the rut.

Love & Peace Quilt

This is the first piece for a project I started called "Love & Peace" Healing Quilt.

I've got a lot of ideas in my head of the bigger things I want to bead and I feel the tic-toc-tic-toc of pressure to hurry up and get moving on it. So I shall sketch out the second project today and start on that tonight.

Peace everyone! :)

Another Butterfly

Another square for the Breast Cancer Research Bead Quilt auction. These are fun to make.

I love butterfly symbolism. It evokes images of renewal, rebirth, change, beginnings, becoming, transformations, transitions, freedom... In many cultures the butterfly symbolizes the human soul also. Nice things to meditate on while beading.

I've had a few surreal and mystical encounters with nature and one cool experience with a butterfly in particular. So, like the fluttering butterfly, at certain times in my life I've adopted the butterfly and it's symbolism as inspiration during some hard transitions.

I think my favorite butterflies are the Monarchs, which are getting rather rare in this area of New York state. And I've always liked butterflys in their furry caterpillar form also. I haven't seen one of those in ages. Maybe if I'd play outside more, I'd see them more often.

More on healing symbolism in a later post.

Princess Caleigh

Princess Caleigh ---Caleigh for short-- is the newest addition to our family! She is a 4-1/2 month old Calico-Tortoise shell kitten, also known as a Tordi.

She's pretty big for her age, with big paws and feet and a tail she carrys arched over her back like a skunk!

She's keeping us very busy with her mischievous and inquisitive ways!! But, we're pretty smitten this valentine's day!

Beading for a Good Cause! Beading for Breast Cancer Research

I beaded this butterfly panel for the Bead Artist's Against Breast Cancer Bead Quilt Auction. As a recent cancer survivor myself, this event is a great honor for me to be able to participate in and is probably the most important beading I've ever done. I will be beading a couple more butterfly contributions to this great project.

If you would like to participate:

Bead-It-Forward Bead Artist's Against Breast Cancer Bead Quilt Auction. The bead quilts will be auctioned off at the Bead & Button Show, June 8-10. All proceeds will be going for Breast Cancer Research.

http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/bnbshow/default.aspx?c=ps&id=32

The theme of this Bead Quilt Project is "Metamorphosed Like the Butterfly."

The beaded size is 1.5" square with a 1.4" border

Material is white pellon, Peltex 70 ultra firm stabilizer

The Due Date is April 1, 2007

Contact person: Jeanette Shanigan,

Details of Auction, Rules & Guidelines: http://shanigansbeadshenanigans.com/GroundRulesBreastCancerDonationProject07.pdf

To see quilt squre donations and finished quilts visit:

http://shanigansbeadshenanigans.com/BCQuilt.html

The concept of Bead-it-Forward is to pass along the details of this event and three pellon squares to three beady friends, and they in turn bead-it-forward to three of their beady friends and so on...

Thanks for participating in this invaluable cause!

Another Weekend Ahead

I didn't get too much beading done this week. I managed to bead a ruffle around the cab and redid the spiral rope necklace to pink and white spiral with a gray core, instead of the pink spiral with a white core. I hope to finish this cab this weekend. I want to put a bead and loop extention on the necklace for an option of 16" to 22" length. I am not too sure which is the best way for it to be done with a spiral rope. I've seen various methods. I want to put a 10 mm round rose quartz on one end and then beaded loop extenders on the other end with RAW. This this will be a first time attempt, but hopefully it will go pretty smooth. (fingers crossed) I am really hestitant about trying things for a first time. I like to fall back on the tried and true method, but I really think an extender on this will give it a lot more wearing potential.

So, that's my beady agenda for this weekend. :)

Weekend Beading

My beady agenda for the weekend consists of finishing up these few projects, while watching a bunch of dvd  classic romance movies ---Love Affair, Algiers, Of Human Bondage, Anna Karenina and a few others i have on a bargain dvd disk.  I also have a dvd of Anne Frank i want to watch.. so maybe I'll watch and bead a few more cabs. I have a nice hematine and a snowflake obsidian glued to fabric and ready to go. Hopefully a productive weekend as far as beading. :)

Rose Quartz Cab

Hopefully tonight & tomorrow I will bead the spiral rope necklace to go with this cabochon, put a backing on it and do the edge beading. This one might a keeper for me. For the Tiger Eye's cab, I am going to have to take apart a few things to get some bronze beads because I won't be doing bead shopping any time soon. Uggh!! I hate to have to do that.. but I really want to get that one done and put up in the store. I also have a big project I want to start working on, and don't want the smaller ones hanging around unfinished. Perhaps I'm not totally finished with the Rose Quartz yet after looking at this picture. I had an idea of hanging a small rose quartz heart bead to this, but I was looking in my Cab stash and I found a smaller square-ish rose quartz cab, that may look really good attached to the bottom of this one.

I was sent an application to do a 2-day antique car and hot rod show craft fair. I have to decide if I want to do it and if I want to start doing craft fairs again. It's been a couple years since I've done craft fairs and I've let my resale certificate expire and would have to reapply for that. I've done this show before, and while it's not the best of shows as far as sales goes, it's always been a fun event. And I get to see those really cool cars for free-- a couple fields full of the most coolest, classiest, restored classic cars in the Northeast all lined up side by side!!!! Quite a few Model T's and A's and a few Edsels too! I think I might like to get back into the craft show arena.

Ranka's Art

I bought this great piece of original art called "Gossip" from British Colombia artist, Ranka. I came upon it when I was browsing through Folk Art on Ebay and the painting reminded me of my late cat George, who left us on Jan. 4. Also my sister's black cat, Rasta, is in the painting too! I like to think they are indeed hanging out in a place like that gossiping away with the roosters in the grass on a nice sunny day. My cat use to sit like that too every so often!

Ranka's bio: http://www.rankasart.com/id22.htm

Check out Ranka's art at: www.Rankasart.com

Rose Quartz

Another instant gratification project.  These don't take long to start and finish.



And after a few more rows.....

I'll bead a few more rows and then bead a necklace strap for it.

Instant Gratification

I love the big intricate time consuming beading projects that i get to really sink  into.. but I also love the small quick ones-- the ones that can be done in a night.  Nothing beats the instant gratification of starting something and finishing it a couple hours later--- nothing that is, except finally completing those intense months long project.

This is the instant gratification I finished last night.