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.

Deja Vu - Freeform Peyote Bracelet # 12

Hard to believe, but I'd put away all of the packages of beads that I used for bracelet # 11 and it was a few days later that I went through my stash to make a bracelet for a very special friend. When I look at this new bracelet, I realize it's almost a clone of the last one. Awwwww....shoot! The bracelet is fine. I like it but it's not what I really had in mind for my friend so I'll be going back to the drawing board.