A New Vessel, a Bit of Bead & Button

Wow, I've been so busy in my tech job that the time has just flown away!  I haven't been on the torch since I came back from Milwaukee, but I have had a bit of time to work out in the wet lab.  In fact, I've completed a new vessel.  No "official" pix yet, just a few shots from my camera to give you an idea of what I've done.

I built this vessel to go with that wonderful raku bead that I got at the Bead & Button show from MAKUstudio.  I think I shall call this vessel "Pele".  Pele is the Polynesian goddess of fire and volcanoes.  One legend has it that she was born in Tahiti, but was banished by her father because of her temper and the fact that she had seduced her sister's husband.  After a tumultuous life creating the volcanoes on the Hawaiian islands, her final resting home is believed to be in the fire pit called Halema'uma'u crater, at the summit caldera of Kīlauea, which is one of the Earth's most active volcanoes.

The collar of this vessel is very fiery, and MAK's raku bead was born in a fire pit.  I'm just hoping that I can seduce someone with the beauty of this piece!  :-)

Here is the wool stash that I picked out for the vessel.  You can see the wet vessel in progress on the bubble wrap.

Here are both sides of the vessel after I completed felting and forming it.

And here is the vessel after I finished embellishing it.  This one took a long time - the bead-woven collar is very long!  I started creating the collar before I made the vessel, and I really misjudged the circumference of that opening.  But the way in which I dealt with the excess collar really adds to the feeling of "Pele" on this piece!

This was taken in the sun...

... and this one was taken in the shade.

This vessel will be going into my Etsy shop as soon as I get some "real" pictures of it.  I have two others in progress, but pix of those will have to wait a bit.

Here are a few pictures I snapped at the Bead & Button Show.

Kimberly Affleck in her booth - oblivious, I think, to the fact that my camera was pointed at her (from across the aisle, hence the poor photo quality).  I love her banner, displaying her seahorse beads for all the world to see!

Here's Lauri Copeland in her booth - Ms. Wildfire!

And my B&B neighbor and good friend Sharon Peters, with her booth helper Juanita - whom I borrow every chance I can get.  Standing in the booth next to them (behind Juanita) is Gretchen Schueller, owner of Piece of Mind Bead and Jewelry Studio.

I just couldn't resist this photo.  This pooch spent a lot of time working the bead show with his charge.  I wanted to "chat", but when a dog is wearing a working dog vest, it's hands off.  I have such a hard time keeping my distance from fur kids.  It looks like it was break time for the pup, though...

And now I'm off to forage for groceries so my cupboards won't be so bare.  Then I'll return to tech land, and later tonight, I'll be embellishing vessel number 2.  Now you go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Home Again, Home Again...

Well, I'm back from Milwaukee - still a bit worn out from my trip.  Wow, I had such a lovely time at the Bead & Button Show!  It was absolutely wonderful to meet some of my fellow artists whose work I include in my own work, as well as connect with friends I only see once a year in Milwaukee.

I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers, whose work I admire greatly - and also own!  Carol and I have many things in common, and when we met, it seemed as if we've known each other for years.  I also had the pleasure of meeting Marianne Kasparian, a.k.a Mak, of MAKUstudio.  Mak's work is truly drool-worthy.  I've used some of her raku pieces in several of my felted vessels, and I scored more of her fabulous work while I was at the show.  I've already picked out the fiber for 2 vessels that I'll be making for some of her raku beads.  Here are Mak's pieces that I now own.

These are all destined to become part of my felt work.

It was great to see Lisa Peters again!  I spent a lot of time hovering over her table, trying to discipline myself to not buy half of her inventory.  Here are some pieces that I acquired - I'll show you more of Lisa's work next time.  These, too, will be incorporated into my felt work.

And what's a trip to the Bead & Button Show without replenishing some of my seed bead stash?!  Here's the latest installment in my size 11 rainbow.

I'm ready to take on just about any felting project I can dream up!  And I did dream up a few while I was on the road.  I took a few pages of notes during the show's "down time", and I'm just itching to get out to the wet lab.  Four of my vessels found new homes at the show, so it's definitely time to make more.  I'm teaching a bead making class this weekend, but I'm hoping that I can mess around with fiber before then.  If not, then definitely on Sunday!

Until next time, go have yourself a happy and creative day!

Packing, Packing... Heading For Booth 1221

Well, this is it.  I'm leaving in the morning for Milwaukee - another year at the Bead & Button Show.  I am really looking forward to getting away for awhile, looking forward to seeing old friends, meeting new folks, putting faces and voices with many of my cyber-friends - this show is always such a pleasure for me!

If you are planning on being at the show, please stop by and see me!  I'll be in booth 1221 - same bat time, same bat channel.  If you are not planning on being at the show... well, why the heck not?!  LOL!

I'm off to run some last-minute errands and get back to my packing.  See you at the show - and if not, I'll be back out here when I return.  I fly home on June 14, so you should get an update shortly after that.

Now go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

A Few New Florals

This has been a very trying week for me.  My 86-year-old mom, who lives with us and has Alzheimer's, is really sliding downhill.  It breaks my heart to see this.  She was always a very spunky lady, but she's just not with the program anymore.  She can still understand some of the things that we say to her, and she still recognizes us, but she's in a rather confused state most of the time. She hasn't been able to speak in quite awhile, so it's very difficult for us to know what's bothering her when she needs something or is in pain or distress.  My heart goes out to all of the folks having to contend with this dreadful disease.

We did have a bright note earlier in the week.  I finally got to spend some time over the weekend making a few beads.  That sure was a good thing, because I'm leaving on Tuesday for the Bead & Button Show.  On Monday, I put a bunch of the beads that I had just cleaned out on the kitchen table for mom to look at.  She immediately went for one of the floral beads that I made.  Then she looked at another bead, and went back to that floral and picked it up.  She did this with every bead she looked at - as soon as she finished looking at the bead, she put it down and picked the floral back up again.  When she was finished looking at all of the beads, she picked up the floral bead, got up, and took it into her bedroom.  I guess she decided that since she liked it so much, it was hers.  I found that rather touching.

I'm actually quite fond of two of the florals that I made over the weekend.  I like the color pop of the flowers against the "directly across the color wheel" background.  I hope I get a chance to make a few more that are similar.  This one is mom's favorite - the one that found its way to the top of her dresser.

And this one is my favorite.

And now I'm going to go pack up my tubs that will be going to Bead & Button.  I have to deliver them tomorrow to a friend who is driving to Milwaukee and offered to take them with her.  Now, you folks go have a happy and creative day!