Bead Journal Project - February

I finished the February Bead Journal Project piece, which I'm pretty happy with. I think it looks like detail from a belly dancer's costume. On this project, I'm working through a colour wheel, which means this month's colour is pink. I didn't really know what I would bead about, but I was inspired by parallel bugle beads arranged in a wave shape that I'd seen somewhere along the way in looking at other BJP member's blogs.

I'm also taking the opportunity to use up little bits of beads in my collection - ones that wouldn't be suitable for loomwork or peyote stitch, or that I don't have enough of to make a whole piece out of. The pink beads on the top are certainly some of those - I know that they were purchased when I worked at the bead store (which was ...well... close to 20 years ago). They're a little smaller than the size 10's usually available, and I only have a few colours. They were perfect for the pink on this piece though, and so joined some delicas, bugles and four pressed glass coins that I picked up in New York in the fall.

I learned a few things along the way this month. I wish I'd extended the beading just a bit further out, so you wouldn't see so much background fabric around the edges. I also wish I'd taken into account how much time seed stitch takes, especially when it's that close together. The top and bottom of this piece took quite a while to do, but I love the result.

More St. Pete's

St. Petersburg Progress

Here's White Nights in St. Petersburg by Chatelaine. I'm about 2/3 the way through part 4, and hope to have that complete by the end of the month.

Lampwork bubbles

I finally got some torch time in over the last few weeks, and spent some time practicing hollows. These are the results - I love hollow beads for how the light reflects and how delicate they look.

Bead Journal Project 2010 - January

I chose to make covered buttons for the Bead Journal Project. I wanted something that was not going to take forever to bead, but something that was substantial and would feel "finished" at the end of each month. For January, I started with white, which I thought represented the ideas of "new" and "hope". I used 3 vintage buttons for the centre of the design, and surrounded them with seed beads, which fade from white into grey. I learned a lot beading this design - both about the round space that I was beading and about covering a surface entirely in beads. The first version had all sorts of small flowers and miscellaneous bits on it that I was planning to bead around - much too fidly and intricate. In the end, I decided that none of it was right, and re-beaded to the design that you see here. The design, to me, represents all that has just begun or is about to begin this year - new job, new places to visit and new people to connect with.

Projects

I promised updates, so without further ado, here's a WIP of Cirque de Carreaux, and some new lampwork I am working on.

It's been ages...

I have lots to share, including new beads, new cross-stitch progress. For now, I also wanted to share the address of the Bead Journal Project blog, where bead journalers will be sharing their progress. It can be found here: http://bjp3.blogspot.com/