5 years on...

I was looking back through some posts recently and notice that today, June 26 marks my fifth (wooden or daisy) blogoversary!! Original blog combined beading and book review. I decided to do a mostly beading a few years later.

Let's take a look back.

In 2008 I made this trio for foxgloves designed by Kerrie Slade.

I also did my very first box in a class with Julia Pretl.

In 2009 I was able to take classes with Margie Deeb, including her Around the colour wheel workshop.

During a week at a cottage with my family I did some beading with my nieces.

I also started my Smaug box in my dragon series.

In 2010 had an amazing trip to Ottawa with Maria, including visit to Museum of Civilization.

In July I took a number of class with Marcia DeCoster. Here are my beaded beads.

I also made a few things from her book Beaded Opulence. I love this Urchin bead.

I finished a series of boxes inspired by the lampwork of Amy Waldman Smith.

Blogging was a challenge in 2011 but here a some favourites. I was able to take classes with Diane Fitzgerald in March at beadfx. Here is my Moorish tile beaded bead.

My love of owls is well known by my friend Maria. She gave me the owls that are the focal of this Owl Trio necklace.

After almost a year without blogging I got back to it in the spring of 2012. It was a year of many beading challenges and triumphs.

I decided to participate in the  Designer Style Challenge hosted by Creativ Festival for their 25 anniversary. Here is my inspiration.

I also participated in my first Bead Soup Blog Hop, hosted by Lori Anderson.

In August I found out that both my beadwork and paper arts entries were semi-finalists in the Designer Style Challenge. At the show in October I won third place in the beadwork catergory. Both pieces were on display during the show.

2013 has been a fun year so far with bead challenges and blogging adventures.

Maria and I have been doing a series of blog post on her blog called the ABC's of Creativity. I have done many of the post and enjoyed sharing inspiration and resources with fellow beaders.

I participated in my second Bead Soup Blog Hop in the early spring.

In March I finished the Tomcat box from Julia Pretl's book Little Bead Boxes. I had now made at least one of every box in the book.

Triangle boxes

Square boxes

Pentagon boxes

Hexagon boxes

I have many more challenges to come this year with three more blog hops that I will be participating in and many started projects to finish.

Thanks to those who read and comment on my blog. A special thanks to those that have taught me  and inspired my beadwork.

Happy Beading!!

Lampwork & Clay Blog Hop

 

At the beginning of the month I saw a Facebook post about Who's up for a challenge. It was about a Blog Hop hosted by Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasure.

30 participants were given the chose of lampwork or clay. Once you had let Lisa know your choice you paid for the bead she selected. Then you have to wait for them to arrive in the mail.

My lampwork set arrived in the mail on Friday.

This set of beads are by ShaZazz Glass.

Now I have to decide what to do with these beads and what I can find in my stash. I have a project planned that I can add some of them into. What will I do with the rest?

Reveal day for the blog hop is not until November 16, 2013, so I have time to play and create.

Poppy vase

Yesterday I almost gave up on finishing this project. I broke two needles and over a dozen beads trying to do the hem at the top. I have had similar issues with boxes before but never so many beads on one project. But I want to give this to a friend to put in her new (but small) office I could not drop it, so I plowed on. I did not totally work back everytime a bead broke as I have done in the past. I followed Julia's tip for replacing a broken bead in her book Little Bead Boxes.

This poppy vase is a pattern from Julia Pretl's website. I love the way that the lower section is shaped. It creates a very bowl like shape for that section of the vase. The gradual decreasing then give it a beautiful almost teardrop shape. I can see some idea for creating other vases or bowls in the future.

Going to start working on the Scarab box next. Its lid is shaped like a pryamid.

Have a great weekend and happy beading!!

Bead Soup Blog Party

Today is the first day to sign up for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Our host & bead soup guru, Lori Anderson, has the form up on her blog.

I participated in the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party last summer. It was fun to swap beads and see what you could create the amazing beads sent by your partner. So if you have a blog, love beads and are up for the challenge... hop over to Lori's blog and sign up. I did and I know it will be another great challenge!

2012 in review

Well 2013 is here and it is great to look back on 2012.

Last year I pushed myself creatively by participating in a variety of challenges. The greatest of these was the Creativ Festival Designer Style Challenge. The process for both the beadwork and paper arts projects was fun. I love both of the finished designs. It was a great thrill to be selected as a semi finalist in both categories. I was one of three finalists in the beadwork category, placing third.

Iris Twist Vase

Hexagonal Triangle Vase with Irises

I also participated in a few blog hops. The first was the Bead Soup Blog Party. I swapped a selection of beads with Jelveh Jaferia a glass artist in the US. It was fun working with her beautiful beads and assorted beads.

My creations

I also participated in two Holiday Bling Blog Hops. My first partner was Monica Urquhart from the east coast. My second partner was Sandra McGriff from Ontario.

Amazing owl tablets from Monica

Beautiful owl necklace from Sandra

The other challenge was the Cup of Bead Soup Lucite Challenge. Using some amazing lucite beads from Bead Happily Ever After my self and four other beaders created beautiful pieces.

My creation with a removable pendant

In addition to these challenges I continued to make samples for Rypan Designs.

I am looking forward to challenging myself again in 2013.

Vintage Lucite Challenge - Arrival

Back in September the bead soup guru, Lori Anderson, offer the opportunity to participate in mini Cup of Bead Soup with vintage lucite beads. The beads were provided by Crystal of Bead Happily Ever After.

Tonight when I checked my mail box there was one of the wonderful padded envelopes that we love to see. Inside was this amazing selection of  beads.

I started to play with the beads as I was on the phone to see if my friend Anna was going to come the our Bead Society meeting tomorrow night.

I think I will take the beads to the meeting tomorrow night and see what I can create. Reveal day is November 10, so come back and see what I am able to make.

Another beading challenge

Wow, I was selected to be one of the four beaders to get a selection of beads from Crystal @ Bead Happily Ever After. She provided Lori Anderson (our Bead Soup guru) with 5 identical kits of beads. We are each going to make something and post our creations on November 10.

Here are the four lucky participants. 

Flop Cat Design

Mixed Mayhem Studios

It's a Beadiful Creation

Roxi Designs

I now have two packages on beads that I am waiting for.

Stay tuned for my holiday bling reveal on October 6 and the arrival of my Pantone swap beads (which are coming from Indonesia) and these great beads from Crystal.

Holiday Bling Blog Hop

With everything completed for the Bead Soup Blog Party and the Designer Style Challenge it was time to dive into something new.

I came across the Holiday Bling Blog Hop. The setup, Marlene Cupo and Shelley Graham Turner took the idea of an ornament swap and shared it with other beading bloggers. Signup was available until August 16, partners were matched and notified August 25. We have until September 15 to create something to mail out to our partner. The big reveal date is October 6.

I have been partnered with Monique Urquhart an artisan from the east coast of Canada. I am looking forward to see what we and all the others create to celebrate the festive season. It is less that 4 months away!!

I have started on my project, but you will have to wait until October to see the finished Holiday Bling!!

Happy Beading!

Blissful Garden Earrings

I am back after 2 weeks. Earlier this month I signed up to participate in Blissful Garden Beads' April earring challenge. These two beautiful little beads arrived in the mail Tuesday and the earrings needed to be finished by today.

Challenge Beads

I spent Tuesday & Wednesday evening trying different ideas. I did not want to just put them on headpins and I only used supplies that I already had. It took about 12 attempt to find one that I liked.

Completed Earrings

These are shoulder dusters, made with three different lengths of chain. Each chain has a clear glass drop on the end.

It was challenging to make these within the time frame and going beyond the basic method of using just a headpin. I like the look of these, but they are not something that I would wear. I will likely donate them to the Corsage Project, so that they will be wore to a young lady's prom.

Beadwork - My first box

Here is the box that I made at the bead class with Julia Pretl at Bead Junction.

Stitched in peyote stitch is followed nicely from the puffy stars I did last week. The start and increasing was done the same way. It was so much fun to make that I start another Saturday evening.

I finished the second one this afternoon.

On Sunday I took Julia's broad collar class. I have got it about 3/4 finished. I hope to get it done by the end of the week.

Beadwork - Blue Acrylic Necklace

Last Friday I went downtown to Queen St W. There are about 7 bead store within 1 block. At Arton's I found these cool blue ombre acrylic beads. They had a sample piece showing them strung on a chain held in place with crimp beads. I was inspired by the piece so I purchase the large acrylic beads and the small blue glass beads.

I have strung them on the chain with 4mm round silver beads. I really like how it turned out.

The challenge of this piece was finishing the ends. I did not have any finding specifically for finishing the ends of chains. I checked my favourite online source beadfx but the only one that had was sterling silver. I was able to come up another solution. I used a beadtip on each end, with a crimp bead on the end of the chain. It looks good, I just hope that it will hold.

Bead Challenge - Blue Southwest Charm

I have done many of Marilyn Gardiner's chain mail kits. This is the first of her beadwork kits that I have finished. I have others that I hope to finish over this year.

This piece is peyote stitched with delica beads.

Beadwork Challenge - Sage Fan "Wheel of Fortune"

I am going to be teaching some Rypan Designs pieces at the upcoming Friendship Beading Retreat in Montreal in a few weeks. One of the pieces I am teaching is a one I have not done before. It is a variation of the Fan bracelet which I have done a number of times. It was easy to do. I am looking forward to teaching it.

Challenge of the Challenge

One of the challenges of blogging my bead challenge will be have great pictures of the pieces to share.

I have tried photographing my beadwork in the past, but have never been pleased with the results. So I purchased a set of light tents, lights and a tripod. I will play with it this weekend to see if it makes a different.

Look for a posting about the attempts, successes and failures, during the weekend.