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!!

Whoooo! Whoooo! Owl Inspiration

I have a long love affair with owls. It has exploded into my beading with the following pieces and beads.

The first is this necklace with a trio of owls. I was give a strand of the beautiful ceramic owl beads. I combined them with silver, crystal and fire polished beads. This is the Owl Babies necklace, named for a favourite story time book.
 

I have also been buying handmade glass owl beads.

My first was from Lucie Kovarova-Weir. She customized it with a book charm.

 Next I got this fun owl from Amy Waldman-Smith.

 At the last Christmas One of a Kind show, I purchased this one from Leslie Winemaker.

On the Saturday of the recent Toronto Bead Society Bead fair I purchased an owl from glass artist Muriel Duval. I took it home, but brought it back on Sunday to look for beads to go with it. Unfortunately its tail got damaged. I went back to Murial's booth and she kindly exchanged it for this one.

At bead fair I was given a small brown paper bag from that Susan Hood (from Nova Soctia) had sent for me. Inside were these two little beads.

Susan had made them based on a photo of Dottie, my sock owl, which I use as my avatar on Facebook. I was a great surprise to receive this from Susan. Thanks Susan!!!

Of course my obession for owls would not be complete without combining it with my box obession. I recently purchased Julia's pattern for an owl box. I started it at Bead Fair when I was demoing circular peyote (as used on the bottom of each box). I will work on it once I have finished by projects for the Designer Style Challenge.

Recently finished projects

After a few weeks of working on samples for Maria at Rypan Designs, I did a number of strung pieces with lampwork beads.

This first one combines lampwork with silver beadcaps, crystals and paper beads.

This one is a reworking of a previous necklace. The acid etched black quartz changed with wear. The etching wore off, so I ended up with black beads that did not work in the design. Here is the new version.

At Bead Oasis I bought a set of lampwork beads that I made into a bracelet.

Also at Bead Oasis I purchased one of Amy Waldman Smith's new bottle version of her Ottoman beads. I selected one that went with the first Ottoman bead I bought. I have combined the two with Swarovski crystals to make a enlongated pendant.

 

 I also finished my Bag of Beads project which I will post after reveal night in April.

Amy Waldman Smith Box Collection

 The original inspiration set of beads by the talented Amy Waldman Smith.

The first box in the series is triangular with orange, yellow and blue. Here it is in progress back in March.

The second and third boxes are a matching set with a pair of earrings in each.

 The second has the red on the bottom. Here it is in progress again in March

 The third has the blue on the bottom. Here it is completed in December

 The fourth box was done within the last week. I finished on Tuesday night so that I could take it to Show and Tell night at the Toronto Bead Society.

Finally a much better group picture of the collection.

Thanks for the great inspiration Amy!!!

Box 3

I have not been making as many beaded boxes lately. But during recently attempt to tidy up my beading area I came across the started third box in my series inspired by the lampwork beads of Amy Waldman Smith. I figured that it would be a good idea to try and finish the series before the end of the year.

So here is box 3. It is the flipped version of box 2. I flipped my charted pattern and the lampwork bead for the finial.

I also decided to take the two matching pairs of lampwork beads and make earrings to go in these two coordinating boxes.

I now only have 4 striped beads left from the original set. I am thinking about making either a striped hexagon box with four feet or a triangle box with three feet and a finial.

Beads and Chain Necklace

I was playing with the beads that I purchased at last night's Toronto Bead Society meeting. As I was looking for things to add to them I came across these lampwork beads I got from Amy Waldman Smith earlier in the year. I of course got side tracked by them. Here is my finished piece, combining the lampwork with a few Swarovski crystals and lengths of chain.

Box 2 completed!!

I was home sick with the flu yesterday. I was able to do the last little bit of the second box in my latest series.

Halfway up the sides with its inspiration bead.

Finished box without the lid. You can see the little surprise of the yellow on the hem.

With its lid in place.

Box progress report #3

I started the second box in my series inspired by lampwork beads by Amy Waldman Smith. It will have the wave and dot of the bead.

I charted the design on graph paper from Julia Pretl's website. It will be different working just from a chart as I usually follow Julia's row by row instructions.