Snippets from a bead artist.

6.08.2012

News and Ramblings...

Hi all!  I've made two new pieces that I think are a bit different than my normal style, and I have a new listing in my shop that I am very excited to share.

I have been asked to participate in the Battle of the Beadsmith (BOTB to most, B of B to me), a large single elimination tournament, which has been put together by Beadsmith Steven Weiss, to celebrate the art of beading, and to me, it's one huge party.  The group is fun and the works of the artists involved are just mind-blowing!!  I stop in every day to see what new wonders have been added to the photo albums.  I was going to blog some about the tournament, but so many folks who are involved already have that I feel it would be redundant.  I'm honored and excited to be involved, and if you'd like more information on it - or would like to see some incredible eye candy - please come check out the Facebook page HERE.  In the meantime, I'm working on a biggish project but I can't share any details or photos until the tournament reveal.  I think that some of the pressure to create might be getting to me, as I have been fighting with the piece almost constantly - I have always had issues with deadlines.  In order to move on and get to a place where I can work on my big project again, I went rummaging in my stash for something smaller to do.

My husband and I occasionally get the polymer clay out and play.  I have to wait until he feels like playing too, because conditioning the clay is just too much for my hands, and using the pasta maker to crank it to condition it does the same thing.  Thank goodness he likes clay!  Awhile back we were messing around with some face molds, and we came up with a cabochon that we both actually liked - as opposed to the 'playing' ones where we just sort of mushed some colors together to see what happened (mess - sludge - smudge are the results of those usually, but they're lots of fun).

Digging around the other day to try to find some inspiration, I ran across our cab again and decided to bead it up.  I think this particular face mold is very peaceful and dreamy looking, and we had added some gold foil and crystals to it, so I chose my matte gold 24kt plated delicas to dress it up - another unusual thing, as I hoard expensive seed beads as 'too nice to use.'  (A shout out to my friend Cynthia here, who blogged about using up her own 'too nice to use' beads at long last this year - and inspired me to get mine out!)  I had some 8mm rivolis that I had hidden away in Pacific Opal that I thought would look nice with the face, and grabbed those too.  Here is the result - Serene.





I was really happy with how Serene came out, and thought I was ready to go back to work on my B of B piece... nope.  A few hours worth of staring, a few more hours with maybe one line of beads stitched down... nothing.

A friend had asked me to put together a bead soup mix for her, as she was working on some freeform right angle weave and while I was putting hers together, I got mesmerized by the beads and decided I really wanted to try working on some freeform myself.  It had been awhile since I had tried it and maybe it would knock that muse off the block!!  My friend's palette was denim and silver; I decided I wanted to try denim and copper.   I threw in some sunstone, some lapis lazuli, crystals, freshwater pearls and came up with Coalesce.  (And almost ripped it up in frustration near the end; in fact, on FB it's known as The Doo Doo Piece, lol.)  It is 3.5" wide and 8" long.  It has an overlap for the closure however, with two rows of snaps to secure it - it can be worn at 6.5" or 7" and it looks odd laying out flat because the ends are wonky, but it looks quite nice ON!  







My final bit of news is - I'm offering Custom Bead Soup Mixes in my shop now!  I had several ladies ask me if I would make up bead soup mixes for them after the freeform bug bit my favorite online group of beaders, and then they suggested that I might offer them for sale.  The listing I've made is for approximately 15 grams of mixed beads, and it works like this; if you purchase the listing,  you convo me on Etsy or send me an email to let me know what palette you are looking for in your mix, and I will hand pick beads to make up the soup.  Each mix has a large variety of size 11s, 15s, 8s, bugles (or not, if you don't care for them), shaped seed beads (cubes, triangles, drops, etc), fire polish crystals, Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, glass and/or semi precious stones, and whatever I have on hand that looks like it belongs in there.  To me, this is a ton of fun.  I love playing around mixing beads together, and I think the mixes work wonderfully for both free form and bead embroidery (cuffs!!!!!!).  If you'd like to have me create one, here's the link to my shop, and I've posted a few photos below of some soups I have made for myself in the past.






I'm probably going to be a double fisted blogger this weekend, and hit you with a book review tomorrow or Sunday.  The book I'm going to review is wonderful and I really hope you'll take the time to read it and look at the scrumptious pictures - even if you don't work in the medium, you will be inspired by this artist, and the artists he has included in his book.  And that's all I'm sayin' for now!  ;)




17 comments:

  1. Hi Nancy, I went and looked at all the amazing art at the BOTB Facebook page. I wish they credited the artist with each piece. I didn't know who even made most of the pieces! You were gracious (as always) and thanked people for their nice comments but most didn't. It was frustrating! But anyway, it was still great to see all that art and all those artists in once place. Best of luck to you. I hope your muse returns chock full of great ideas!
    Hugs,
    Sally

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    1. Hi Sally, Most of the photo credits are there, but you have to click on each picture to see them - which is a little frustrating, I agree. I think most of the 'competitors' are busy working on their pieces, so they may not be visiting the page very often to see the comments, but I am sure that they will appreciate them a great deal when they get there. :) Thanks so much for wishing me luck!!

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  2. YAY on using up the good stuff - we're worth it! Though you're not nearly as old as I am so I will forgive you if you hoard it for another 10-15 years . . . .

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    1. Silly - we aren't that far apart!! Hugs hugs hugs hugs!!! You always inspire me, in SO many ways...

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  3. Super new work, the lacy cuff is fabulous. Also the idea of custom mixes is brilliant. Best wishes for all your success.
    Greetings,
    -Eva Maria

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    1. Thank you, Eva, I appreciate your encouragement so much!!!!

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  4. Nancy, I'm sure the huge interest in freeform in our group is mostly down to the inspiring nature of your work and the beadsoups which some of us were fortunate enough to receive from you. It takes all the pain out of the process, and makes people bold enough to jump in at the deep end! I am now freeform crazy!!!!

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    1. Thanks so much, Catherine! I am so very glad that you enjoyed the soup and I am thrilled to see all the freeform going on! I think you give me too much credit, hee hee.... :)

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  5. WOW! I have no words^_^
    All is so great!!!!

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  6. Hëllo'NEDBEADS':
    'Negative comment on YOUR WORK,in Your Friend's Blog??'
    I guess,I have got very short memory.
    I guess,I'm getting older,because I do not remember that fact.
    Remind me,please about it.
    Of course,I follow Your Blog,I like and admire many of Your Creations,but I do not remember,if I commented upon YOur work anyhow and anywhere.
    You say'negative comments'...hmmmm...English is not my native language-sometimes is hard to express,what I really mean.
    Moreover-probably the difference of our metality causes that misunderstanding.
    All these,what I see,I comment truly,seriously and straight from my heart.I have got such a habit- rather not to comment upon the things I do not like.As for the 'Beading Project'-that was my feeling towards the challenge and I had expressed it-I'm terribly sorry,if You didn't like it.Everybody has the right not to agree with everything they read.It's enough to remove my comment-that's all.
    Warm Greetings from Sweden:-))
    I like Your work.

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    1. Oh my no, I shan't remove your comment at all! I love how you've posted your reply to me on your own blog, and of course you have every right to your opinion! I just see no point to rudeness, but of course that is also your privilege! Thank you for your compliment (this time) on my work!

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    2. Secondarily, and as an aside, I see that *my* semi-negative comment on your blog has certainly upset you, and so perhaps now you see what I mean, in that it really does nothing useful to comment in such a way on someone's blog, and that it only causes people to feel badly.

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    3. I was supposed not to react any more,but I have changed my mind: Your 'semi-negative' comment absolutely didn't make me upset anyhow-it's only in Your 'wish' and illusion.The only thing that worries me is Your unsupported and so far unproven claim of my ''negative comment on YOUR work in Your Friend's blog''.I have never commented on Your work-I repeat-anyhow and anywhere.This is my only polemics here with You and I wish- my last response to Your 'sorrows'.

      Wish You better days,more understanding and not to get involved in the situations,which do not concern You.

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  7. Nancy, I love the necklace, and I'm absolutely smitten with the cuff! I'm so glad you didn't end up ripping it apart.

    You've got a great eye for color -- I can understand why people would come to you for bead soup mixes!

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    1. Thank you so much!! :) It was a close thing... but I couldn't waste the soup! ;)

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  8. Wow Nancy! Congratulations in being picked for B of B! I'm so jelly.. lol.

    I LOVE your necklace! It looks so elegant and the colours are fabulous. Speaking of colours, I may be buying a bead soup from you very soon. I am the WORST for colours and so it would be nice to have someone else choose them for me ;) haha!

    Good Luck with the Battle!
    Emma
    xXx

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Thanks so much for leaving me a comment, it means a lot to me! Please don't be upset if I don't have time to respond personally to each comment - but be sure that I read each and every one of them! :)