Nothing Like a Pro Photo...

I now have REAL photos of my first two Bead Journal Project vessels as well as the latest vessel that I completed.  And what a difference it makes!  I have about a half-hour's work left to do on the March vessel, and I will hand it over to my hubby for another professional photo.

First, here's my latest completed project.  The pattern that I beaded on it looks almost like an aerial view of an oil slick.  The focal piece is by Lisa Peters Art, and I think it was serendipity.  I made the vessel for that star button of hers that I have, but the colors didn't go well together.  I hunted through my stash and found this piece of hers.  The rings on the piece reflect the rings that I felted into the vessel, so I let the focal piece guide the color of the beading that I did.  I think it all fell into place quite well.  Oh, it's so nice to have a stash from which I can choose my materials.  I've been collecting beads and "stuff" since 1996.  Drives everyone else around here nuts, but hey...

And now I'll show you what my BJP vessels look like when they're in focus.  :-)

January:

And February:

I had to re-wet this vessel after I finished beading it because I really distorted the shape of the vessel during the beading process,  The hole wasn't large enough for me to insert my entire hand.  The final shape of the vessel looks nothing like my original intention, but that's OK.  I'm quite happy with the result, and once again I learned a lot from this project.  And learning is a good thing!

Now I'm off to my daily tech work.  And you folks go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Where Has Shirley Been?

Wow - way too long since I've blogged!  But I've been really tied up with my tech job lately, so much work to be done in such a short period of time.

So this weekend I've taken a few breaths and a few breaks.  I actually spent a good amount of time on the torch yesterday.  I'll show you the fruits of my labor a little later in this post.  But first, I want to show you my finished February BJP "page".  I finished beading the other side, and now I'm going to wet and reshape it a bit.  Here are both sides of the vessel.

The influence for this February vessel was all the pink trees and bushes that start blooming around here in February.  But that's not the only month in which the 'hood turns pink.  The pink bushes right outside my front door get really full around the end of March, and every time I walk down my hallway I can see what looks like a big pink wall through the window in my front door.

On the weekend, we usually have breakfast at the local bagel shop.  On the way home from breakfast yesterday morning, I saw a rather shocking front yard.  So today I drove by it with my camera - talk about pink, yowza!!

Now back to beading projects - I've also been working diligently on my tall blue vessel.  I beaded the other side of it, and as soon as I'm done here, I'll start working on some kind of collar for it.  Then I will attach the Lisa Peters piece that was the inspiration for the beading that I did and it will be finished!  Here's the other side sitting in front of my big pink "wall".

And here's what came out of my kiln this morning.  These are supposed to accompany me to the Bead & Button Show - but I think I'll put them out into my Etsy shop tomorrow.

So this is where I've been for the last few weeks.  Despite all my tech work, I've been having a bit of creative time.  Now you go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Some Unexpected Color

Just a quickie update today - not only have I been beading the reverse side of my February BJP vessel, I've also been working on the tall vessel that I originally made for my Lisa Peters star button.  Since the star color doesn't work with these vessel colors, I will be using a different Lisa Peters button on it.  And that calls for a completely different beading treatment on the vessel.  So here's my progress...

Typical lighting problem, but after it's finished I'll have it professionally photographed.  I am really loving this piece!  I never had any intention of using green beads on this vessel - but I love surprises, particularly when it comes in the form of unexpected color.

Now I'm off to tech land for the rest of the day - and you folks go be happy and creative!

Finally - a Torch Day!

I'm back from another biz trip down to Los Angeles, and wow - I sure was tired when I got home Friday night!  We spent 3 days doing "think tank" sessions on software requirements and design.  I'm starting to think that I'm getting too old for that stuff!

I hadn't been able to spend much time making stuff prior to my trip, and yesterday I decided that I desperately needed a torch day.  While I was in LA, my "boss" commissioned a bead from me to hang on her gorgeous new purse.  It was the perfect bead to make yesterday after 3 days of structure - this was a totally free-form, organic, let-your-mind-wander kind of bead.  I was enjoying myself so much that I made 3 of them.  And since I was in a free-form frame of mind (say THAT 6 times real fast...), I made another organic bead just for the fun of it.

Here's what came out of the kiln this morning...

I was hoping to come back to some nice mild spring weather.  What I got instead was another incoming storm.  Yesterday, Peanut was following the scarce sunshine around the house, and she almost put herself into the bookcase.

Today I was so cold today that I had to put on my fleece pullover.  This is just wrong!!  But all the stuff that's growing around my yard seems to like it - I have a few color explosions here and there.  Here are my Oste-ohmygosh-spermums, a.k.a. African Daisies, causing a riot.  I read somewhere that they have a "nice branching habit".  I'm not so sure about the "nice" part of that - these things take over everything!

On the back side of the yard, the trumpet vine is starting to call out to the humming birds.  Love those little creatures!  It looks like something's been chomping on the leaves - I'll have to get after that.

I really wanted to get out the clippers and trim back the overgrown front yard, but it's cold, windy, and raining today.  Too bad - these things are getting out of control!

Since it's a stormy day, I'm going to head out to the wet lab and listen to the rain on the roof while I create another vessel to embellish.  Time to make the proper home for that Lisa Peters star button of mine.  While it's  drying tonight I'll continue embellishing the tall vessel that was to be the original home for that star.  That vessel is coming along very nicely.

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative day!