My Latest Pieces

I have a growing stash of clay beads, buttons, and cabochons - because I just love them!  I've been ruminating on what to do with them, and the ideas keep coming.  I finally had a bit of "free time" (precious these days), and I spent that time out in the wet lab and then in the bead lab.  Here are my latest pieces, both of which were made specifically for the button and bead that I used in each piece.

First is my poppy pin, made with a poppy button from Lisa Peters Art.

And, of course, another vessel - my favorite form to make in felt.  This piece was made specifically for the raku bead that I used as a handle - made by MAKUstudio.  Here are both sides of the vessel.

And now it is absolutely imperative that I head out to the torch.  The Bead & Button Show is just around the corner...
And it's time for YOU to go have a happy and creative day!

Still No Star

So once again, I made a vessel for the star button that was supposed to go on my tall blue vessel but didn't.  After trying that combo, I absolutely knew the right colors for that star!  This time I made a smaller vessel so the star wouldn't get lost.  Lo and behold, that darn star STILL doesn't work!  And it was my bad, not the fault of the star.  I mean gee whiz, I LOVE that star!  But because of the way the vessel shrunk and the way I laid out the colors, the star does get lost because of lack of contrast.  So I beaded up the vessel and have decided that the star is not going on a vessel at all.  I'll be making more felted brooches for the Bead & Button Show, and one of them will have that star on it.  I designed it on paper last night, and I can't wait to get out to the wet lab!

Here's the new vessel, sans star...

Now it's tech time for me - and YOU folks go have a happy and creative day!

Nothing To Bead For April...

I'm doing the happy dance because I finished beading my Bead Journal Project "page" for March - yay!  But that poses a dilemma - I have not made a vessel yet for April - or for May.  With so much work going on in my tech world and my Bead & Button Show prep, I have had much time to even think about what those vessels should be.  I do have a few very vague ideas floating around in my brain... I'd better write them down, because I'm afraid that by the time I get a chance to make the vessels I will have forgotten my inspiration.

In any case, here are pix of March.  As a reminder, my inspiration was the fact that I was freaked out because the Bead & Button Show is quickly approaching and I had no leaves in my inventory.  I started thinking about how many leaves I had to make, and the request from my friend Nanette of Scorpio Beads for about 100 smaller leaves for our jewelry kits, and I felt overwhelmed by leaves!

The beautiful cabochon that I used on this vessel was made by Kristie from sculptedwindows.

Regarding my leaf inventory?  Well... I'm still freaked out.  :-O
And now it's time for you to go have a happy and creative day!

Where's My Alter Ego?

As the Bead & Button Show approaches, and my deadlines in the high-tech world keep right up with it, I'm trying to figure out how I can split myself in two.  It would be marvelous if I could send my alter ego out to the glass lab, armed with my list of beads that I MUST make, those that I SHOULD make, and those that would be nice to have.  Then when I do get a chance to spend some creative time on the torch, I can let whim take over and see what happens.

This past weekend, I left my list of must- and should-makes in the house and let the wicked-expensive silver-laden glass guide my head and hands.  I had a rather tough time of it - the bead release (the stuff that coats the mandrels to keep the glass from permanently sticking) kept breaking every time I tried to make a normal-sized bead.  So I resigned myself to making long or larger beads, and I was pleased with what came from the kiln.  I'll put them into my Etsy shop soon - here's a look now to see what will be coming.

Yes, there's definitely a theme going on here.  When I look at my Etsy shop, I see mostly neutrals, blues, and greens - very earthy stuff.  One of these days I'm going to shock everyone and create some bright primary Crayola-colored beads!

On the fiber front, I've finished my March BJP vessel as well as another small vessel that will be for sale.  They're out getting photographed "as we speak".  More vessels will be coming, as well as some new brooches.  But for now, it's back to my high-tech job.  And YOU folks have yourselves a happy and creative day!

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!

February BJP - Side 1 is Done!

Wow, I put so much beading onto this vessel that now it won't stand up!  So rather than call it finished, all I can say is that side 1 is complete.

I didn't want to bead the other side, but it looks as though I will have to.  I didn't realize how heavy these little seedy beads could be - I guess there's quite a mass of them on my vessel.  But that's OK - it's been a very enjoyable process for me to put needle, thread, and beads to work during the late evenings while mom and I are in front of the TV.

Mom sits in her chair with her crochet project, sharing space with Niki.  I sit in my chair with my BJP project, sharing space with Peanut.  Mom's very tiny, so that's not an issue.  I, on the other hand, have a hard time fitting both Peanut and my bottom into a single seat.  Peanut doesn't seem to mind, though - I guess body heat is a good thing.

So tonight, as I watch Project Runway, I will be beading once again.  My dilemma... should I continue on with side 2?  Should I do some beading on the March vessel?  Or should I tackle my tall "galaxy" vessel?  I guess I'll have to wait until then to see which one is calling to me.  I have a feeling it's going to be the tall one.

But for now, I'm heading back into my tech world - business requirements have to get finished pronto!  I hope all of you have a happy and creative day!

I'm usually quite good with color - sometimes I even amaze myself with my color memory.  There have been times when I've had to buy some yarn, fabric, or beads to match the color of something that I had at home.  In my mind, I conjured up the color of that something, and was able to purchase exactly the right color that I was looking for.  Ah, but then there are those occasions when I have some sort of brain fart... it doesn't happen very often - at least not regarding color - but when it does, I just want to scream!  My latest vessel is a perfect example of this.  And the lousy thing about this incident is that I didn't even have to rely on memory - all of the objects were right there in front of me.

In my last post, I talked about one of the new projects I was planning - a galaxy-related vessel that was inspired by a star button that I have, made by Lisa Peters.  I made the vessel Friday night, and I just love the way that it came out.  But what on earth was I thinking?  When I put the star up to the vessel, the colors were SO WRONG!  The star is a nice bright warm silvery pewter color.  The fibers I chose were crisp cold blues, purples, and black.  The warm and the cold just don't play nicely together.  Here's my finished vessel, which now needs a new focal piece.

It just so happens that I have a lovely  pendant, also by Lisa Peters, that does match the new vessel.  And I've already chosen the correct fiber colors for the star vessel.  Perhaps tonight I'll create it - then I'll have two new  vessels to embellish for my Etsy shop.  

But today is a torch day for me - such a luxury!  As soon as lunch is over, I'll head out to the glass lab to make some long-awaited beads.  And you, my friends, go have yourselves a happy and creative day!

Building A Tree, Planning New Projects

More progress on the February vessel - the tree is starting to fill out.  I'll spend more time on it tonight for sure, I'm really ready to see this one complete!

I've also got a few more projects in my head and hopefully I can get to at least one of them before next week.  First up will be a vessel in which I will incorporate a button by Lisa Peters Art.  Here's the button...

And here's my fiber palette...

This will be a fun project!  Somewhere in my extensive stash I know I have some galaxy-related beads and charms, and I'm sure some crystals will show up on the piece as well.

The next project that I want to do will be based on a raku tube bead that I recently purchased from MAKU Studio.

I am totally in love with this bead!  I recently found out that the manufacturer of the Merino roving that I use most frequently has come out with some new solid colors - a bunch of them!  Here are two of them, which I will try to incorporate into the vessel for this tube bead.

There are hints of these two colors in the bead, but they don't show up in this picture.  I've also picked out the base color, as well as a few other accents, but I'm going to leave that as a surprise.  This vessel will be very organic.

That's about it for immediate new projects in the wet lab.  I have several projects that I have to complete in the glass lab.  One is for a pair of earrings that my tech-world boss wants me to make for her.  Another is a commission that I've received from a repeat customer for 3 beads.  And I absolutely must make 2 leaf beads for 2 folks who have been waiting for a little while.  Yikes - I'd better fire up that torch this weekend!

Now I'm heading back to the tech world.  And you folks go have yourselves a happy and creative day!