Totally off topic...

Today a young man lost his life too soon in a motorcycle accident. Luc Bourdon was 21, had been with the Vancouver Canucks and the Manitoba Moose of the NHL for the last three years. Not only was he personable, charming and a genuine person; he was a blossoming defenseman whom the team will sorely miss. I ask you to hold him and those who grieve for him in your prayers, whatever your faith.

I will miss seeing him on the ice during the games and I'll miss the off the ice glimpses we got of him through the press. I was so impressed with him and recognize the quality of person he was.

Goodbye Luc.

If you are interested there are some tributes to him both on YouTube (search Luc Bourdan) and the Canucks.com.

Away From My Beads!

I'm in Vancouver this week for medical appointments and I'm away from my beads. Though I brought supplies to start something, I'm not sure that I'll have time to get to it. Why am I mentioning this? It's in case there are folks out there who follow my blog and wonder why I'm not posting.

I'm hoping to get to a couple of bead shops while I'm here and if I'm make any interesting purchases, I'll post a photo. The weather here is beautiful and I'm enjoying the lack of rain!

Oh...I have an almost finished bracelet at home that I'll complete when I get home. I thought I'd be able to get it done and posted before I left, but no such luck. It's about all of the time I had to spend getting ready for the installation of laminate floors while I'm gone! Whoo hoo! No more disgusting carpet!

Ocean Waves Earrings

I needed something quick and mindless to keep my hands busy and my mind relaxed. These earrings are the result. They are named for the recollection I have of the ocean when I was in Hawaii. It's time for a trip back soon!!

Amber & Gold Bracelet

I enjoy working this design. There is no plan when I begin and I don't measure except on my own wrist. I love the texture of this bracelet and the way it feels against the skin. Cool and slinky.

Marnie's Bracelet...Finally!

I've been trying to make a bracelet for my good friend Marnie for weeks now. I think this is the fourth attempt. The problem was that the bracelets were fine but they just weren't what I had in mind for her. She told me that yellow is her favourite colour so I wanted something that included yellow. Guess I just needed to wait for the right beads to arrive! I hope she loves it and is as happy with it as I am! Because there is both silver and gold in it, it should look great with just about anything!

The Next Project

The beads are all assembled for the next project. I wonder what it will be like.

Black & Sparkle Bracelet

This bracelet is fairly simple with black beads and the sparkle coming from the irridescent beads which punctuate the black with shots of pink, blue, gold and green. It's much prettier than the photos reveal. The toggle has two Swarovski crystals at the ends to add just a bit more sparkle.

Road to Morocco

The colours of this bracelet remind me of the colours of Morocco. In the center portion are 12 tiny plum flowers on stems, though they are a bit difficult to see in the photo. Inserting them between peyote stitches was an experiment. Picot edge finishes the piece.

My Photography Set Up

Several days ago I said that I'd reveal my photo set up. It's pretty simple (and even a bit embarrassing). I set it up on my recliner because it's beside my patio doors where the light is good and I can turn off the flash. The white is a piece of freezer paper with the papery side up to create an infinity background.



These are the beads for the project I'm just about to start.

In the Pink

This bracelet was created as I was in a "funk" and I would have no decisions to make when beading it. The seed beads I used do not have a consistent size so the bracelet isn't perfectly smooth like it would be with Delicas. I like the inconsistency of it as it adds texture to it. I think it would make a great accessory with a prom dress as it has a lot of sparkle. It's going to a local store for sale.

Latitude 50n35 Bracelet

This bracelet is so named in recognition of the night sky where I live. We are able to see more stars as our sky is darker than in big cities. So, the bracelet contains stars in a midnight sky. And it sparkles and twinkles like that too.

Stained Glass Earrings

So named because when the light shines through them, they remind me of stained glass windows. There is a real glow to the beads. I may just work along this direction for a bit and see what happens.

Mountains on the Mainland

Here is the bracelet that came out of the beads shown in the post below. As you can see, a colour or two were added and removed from the original batch. The design was inspired by the view out of my window. I look across the strait to the peaks of the mountains on the mainland.

New beads arrive and inspire me...

I love getting the mail when there are beads in it. I live in such a small town that there is no mail delivery. I have to go to our one and only post office to pick up my mail and I go about four times a week. Placing small orders for beads, over the internet, often, keeps parcels arriving. Like Christmas, once or twice a week!

Today, an order of Delicas arrived. When I pull out this varied collection of colours and finishes, I got inspired for the "next" piece I'm going to bead.

Opaque Pearl Eggshell, DB0203
Opaque AB Rich Cream DB0157
Opaque Pearl Butterscotch Yellow DB0233
Opaque AB Matte Avocado Green DB01594
Opaque Pearl Forest Green

I'm surprised firstly that the beads look like something I deliberately ordered together, (I didn't) and secondly, that I'm obviously drawn to Opaque beads and I seem to like AB beads as well as Pearl. I'm thinking that this bracelet will simply be a colour study in two drop Peyote.

Now, back to the pair of earrings I'm working on.

Black Freeform Peyote Earrings

This is a nice relaxing process to do. I beaded both at the same time so that I could match them. Two needles, two earrings. A few times I got lost in the beading and forgot to do the second one but was able to still manage to match it. Fun to do. They are meant to be reminiscent of feathers.

Tribute to the Haida Bracelet

I live in a place where there are galleries of native art. Two colours which are most frequently used by artists of the Haida group are black and red and I've been drawn to use this colour combination for a while. There was no pre planning of this bracelet. It amazes me how all that I need to do is begin and the rest will take care of itself. This piece will be offered for sale at a shop here in town.

This is the bead selection I began with.


And here are the results.

Yet More Blue

This piece is a commission. I didn't enjoy beading this as much as I'd like to. The problem, I decided, is that when someone doesn't have any expectations it would be easier for me. I felt I needed to create something for this customer that looked like my pieces that made her want to ask me to make something just for her. I'm sure many creative artists can identify. It's complicated by the fact that I can see the evolution of my beading and I don't fancy many of the things I made in the beginning. I feel that the pieces I'm creating now are coming from a different place in me. They are more intuitive while earlier pieces came from more of a mechanical/technical place. I was "doing" the beading whereas now I'm am "being" the beading.

Anyway...here are the results.





And these are the beads that I ended up using. I've emptied the tray of the ones that tried out and didn't make it.



P.S. I learned today that new owner of this anklet is very happy with it. That makes me very happy.

Sold a Piece

I'm thrilled that this piece just sold in a small local store where I have some of my jewelry! It didn't hang around very long!

Beautiful Jewelry

If you enjoy eye candy you must check out this page of beautiful jewelry from Etsy Bead Weavers Team of amazing artists. Each picture is linked to the seller.

What comes next?

Here are the beads who are auditioning for the next bracelet. We'll see who gets a starring role an who gets left out all together.

Ocean Motion Bracelet

When I'd completed the last bracelet, Elegance 2 Drop, I was excited to start the next one and this is it. I've listed it on my Etsy site, for sale. This is part of my description there:

My inspiration was the motion of the ocean which I can see and hear all day every day as I live at the shore. I've long been fascinated by the interaction of the ocean and the shore it washes over. The motion of the ocean reorganizes the composition of the shore with every wave. The bracelet is meant to reveal that one small moment when the ocean has backed away and left behind visible evidence of having been there. The next wave it's all gone and reorganized.

Now on to a commission that's been waiting while I played!

Visiting With My Muse

I've been inspired by a post in the Etsy BeadWeavers Team discussion group. She invited a visit to her blog to view a new post. Triz at Beading Mania was looking for inspiration. It set me off, thinking about where I find MY inspiration. Who... What... is my Muse?

Found at Dictionary.com the following definition:

Muse
–noun
b. any goddess presiding over a particular art.
2. (sometimes lowercase) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.

Sometimes it's just looking at my view and the constantly changing colours of the ocean, mountains and sky. I love the shades of grey on stormy rainy days and the blue on blue of the sky and the ocean on sun filled days. Now it's greening up out there for spring and I am inspired by the greens that have burst on the scene.

Reminding me of two books that I've had for years: "Glorious Knitting" and "Glorious Colour" both by Kaffe Fassett. If you haven't seen them, try your library. They are a feast for creativity's eye. Each knitted piece is photographed in a scene that would have inspired the design of the piece. Here is what he says about a man's cardigan sweater:

'Jack's Gack got it's name from a waistcoat I knitted...That waistcoat was one of my first commissions. The fronts had diagonal stripes involving dozens of colours in each row, and we wanted something equally rich-looking but simpler to knit for the back. I had seen some Islamic stonework cut in this pattern and gave it a try. Although it looks so rich and complex, there are only two colours in each row... I usually get groups of close colours...for example, a range of browns will follow a range of pinks and then be followed by a range of creams and so on.

The photograph of the "waistcoat" is taken on a model in front of a tree wearing it's autumn colours. Earth tones, autumn tones, reds and rusts and browns and golds.

Now...back to beading. The needle is calling me.

Elegance 2 Drop Peyote Bracelet

This bracelet is a continuation of the experimental process with freeform peyote stitch; this time two drop. I'm pleased with the result and learned a lot from this bracelet. I can barely wait to begin the next one! I haven't yet decided whether it's for sale or it's a gift.

It feels very soft and slinky on the arm and I imagine it with a little black dress.

Plum Delicious Earrings

This pair of earrings are the result of an experiment fooling around with two drop peyote stitch. The size of the pieces was limited by the quantity of beads but I loved the result so much that I wanted them to have a purpose. As I held them up I began to imagine them dangling and swinging...voila...earrings!

All Aqua, All The Time - Fringe Bracelet #5

This bracelet is a commission. I'm happy with how it turned out. How different it felt to make one of these after I've been stuck in peyote stitch lately. I've already been to my stash and pulled the beads for the next one. There are so many things running around in my head that I don't seem to get to but I'm going to indulge myself and do 'just one more bracelet' before I get on to the next commission I have to work on.