New Idea!

I love watching old movies and having a new idea...and I love that every time I play with the graphics program, things look a little better.

Off to bead.

All Sparkle teaser

It's part Marcia, it's part Liz

and it's all sparkle.....

here's a teaser of what I have been working on lately.

Indiscreet

There is a great movie (at least in my eyes) out there called "Indiscreet" starring Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant - both not young lovers, but still very much in love. She believes that he is married and he lets her believe this and both are very happy....until...

I'm not going to be a plot wrecker in case you decide to rent this movie - it's just a wonderful love story. In this movie, Deborah Kerr wears a necklace very similar to my version here. This necklace is made with 18mm vintage Swarovski aquamarine rivolis - a full dozen of them. I bezeled them (is bezeled a word?) using RAW the way that I learned from my friend, Marcia Decoster taught me.

I give to you - "Indiscreet"

Bead Journal Project - March 2010

It's a chilly and blustery March day - rain, wind and dreary. I sit here and watch the fountain grass out the window blowing back and forth and but I'm staying warm in my old man sweater and having fun beading. So I worked today on my March knob - painted with bright green nail polish and beaded with brown, lime and turquiose.

March is complete, being installed in a couple of minutes.

I like it.

It's a good day.

Newest Project

I know, I know, I have been ignoring my blog and that's not a good thing to do. But I have been writing directions for a large project - that I am keeping under wraps for now, and I have been working on directions for the classes that I will start teaching soon at Stony Creek Bead Gallery. Yikes, that's on Sunday.

But here is something that I have started working on in the last weeks. It's based on a necklace that I saw in an old movie - you know, the Barrymore era - an old movie. When I get closer to the finished project, I will show the inspiration photo still from the movie and my necklace. Proto-type one didn't work so well. Good idea, but the scale was way off so it's been renovated and restarted. As you can see from my two teaser pictures, large rivoli's and 15/0 seed beads are involved.

What else is going on? Hmmmmmm, hubby is in California for an extended weekend as his cousin from NYC is getting married. I'm home letting the dogs out and in and out. I know several friends that would care for the dogs, but it's just my excuse. It's not the easiest time to leave work.

Summer is coming to a close, I have time for one more pedicure before I give up my Birkie's for the summer. Now, on a quiet Thursday evening, I am going to watch one more episode of "True Blood" (which isn't half bad) before calling it a night. Maybe I can get one more rivoli finished...

Beaded Opulence.......

Beaded Opulence

This book is a MUST HAVE (yes, I yelled) for your collection. While I was at Bead and Button, I was able to caress Marcia's copy of Beaded Opulence. Run, do not walk, to Marcia's web site,MAD Designs to check when you can preorder your copy! It's stunning - many projects, all beautiful, inspirational photos.

You heard it hear first!!!

What to post.....

I just finished my newest necklace the other day and I'm wearing it today: a Crystal Collage beauty. Of course I don't have a picture of it, but it's featured on Marcia's website.

It might be a little "showy" for an office look, but it matches my tank top and I had to do it.....so, here's the picture from Marcia's web page

The woman in the cafeteria asked me how much....Nuff said.

Spring!!

Start with any size "O" ring

Cover with Right Angle Weave (or another stitch if you haven't discovered the love of RAW)

Embellish with several rows of beading and crystals on the edges

Add a little metallic bling for some real sparkle



Add a bail in peyote on the back side, make certain your necklace of choice will fit through it.

Inspired by Marcia DeCoster

New and Improved

Here is the finished card case from a design by Marcia Decoster. As you know, the first case disappeared somewhere, so I made another. This one I like better, with small 2mm Swarovski crystal rounds coming up the corners. Can you see the hint of bling?? Actually, this would be case #3, because I learned on case #2 that RAW has a "nap" (and I took that one apart). I plan to keep a tight hold of this one!!

p.s. Snow? Detroit has snow? Not after the record highs over the weekend. I have piles of ice and green grass. The dogs are fairly happy.

Urchin Bead with Lentils

Look what I did to Marcia DeCoster's urchin bead! I took out the 3mm crystal and added a small lentil bead in a coordinating color!

Another starfish

I worked on this most of the week. I still used the chopsticks for the legs and they are slightly shorter, but I adapted the middle and it worked much nicer. Now, to write up the directions. Yikes! That's the hard part for me......I am not a technical writer. I used RAW in the middle, but actually used it with a group of five beads, instead of four. Is that still RAW?

September refinished.....

I didn't give up, I did it again with slightly different colors. That was only because with the mess on my desk, I couldn't find the ones that I used the first time. I left the bit that Chloe didn't eat, because that's now the history of the piece. It's cute. I decided to leave the piece the way that the dog left it, with the roving pulled out a little.

It's taught me to put my beading away - in a box or drawer.

September finished early

Just something a little different for Liz. I felted some wool on the Pellon backing. I had a wishbone from Thanksgiving several years ago - I guess I do save this junque for a reason! I covered the wishbone with right angle weave in three colors and mounted that on the felted Pellon. Simple. Clean. I really like the simplicity of this month.

Bead Journal Teaser for September

Working on a start for September. I lied. I lied. I am working with size 15 seeds in RAW. Marcia - look what you have done to me!!! I don't know if it's the size 15s, the RAW, the DeCoster patterns that I have come to love or just what I am doing for September. It's different. Very different.

Guesses, part drei

Well? I used mostly orange size 11 seed beads, with an occasional purple bead. My inspiration was an orange and purple starfish picture that I found on the internet. I worked the legs in right angle weave around a chopstick, with decreases along the stick. It's drapy and flowing and just really fun.

Guesses, part dieux

It's more than the last picture......

Guesses, please?

This is the start of a project in orange and purple right angle weave. What is it?

Casie on the Rocks - picture 2 and Bellisimo Beads

Progress is happening on "Casie on the Rocks" - much of the background is finished, although the bushes on the right will get some leaves sticking out. The rock/ground under Casie is progressing. It's going to be hard to bead fur on a dog who is practically hairless, but it will be a good attempt.

I haven't worked on this as much as I would have liked as I have been practicing my right angle weave technique for Marcia DeCoster's class at the Bead and Button show in about a month. I will be classroom assistant, classroom monitor or classroom 'ho - depending on who you talk to. Regardless of what you call me, I am honored that Marcia got in touch with me to help her.

My train ticket has been purchased, I have my confirmation for the show admission. I love going to the bead show in Milwaukee as I can see all my beady friends and meet new ones. I wonder what trouble Anne and I can get into this year. At least we know where there is a great bakery - although I need to stay out of there!