I have recently joined a Facebook page called "The Bead Journal Project". OK, when I first caught wind of this, I was naturally curious...what is that all about? So I requested to join the page, and lo and behold! What a great place! The Bead Journal Project page is full of wonderfully helpful and insightful people who make a bead embroidery piece every month, either around a theme or what they are feeling at that given time. The pieces are reflected upon throughout the year and as they are made, and sometimes put together at the end of the year to form a "calendar" of the past. What a fabulous idea! I have tried to start journals before, either in writing or in art, and always have a really difficult time getting them started. This one wasn't so hard! And if you decide on a size, to follow all year, that isn't so large and intimidating, it can be a quick project or a month-long one.
I chose to go with the ATC card size (2.5 x 3.5), which is a nice small size and easy to bead as it is a rectangular shape.
The hardest part for me was the colours to choose. Wow, I am a colour nut. I love colours...ALL of them!
My kids always laugh at me when I can't decide on colours...lol.
So, here is where I started:
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| wow, my picture is upside down...lol |
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I love these colours, but it wasn't until I was many rows in that I realized my beads weren't all the same shape. All were size 8, but different companies, different shapes...you know the story. So I proceeded to pick other colours, although none I was totally happy with until the I grabbed the teal :)
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| 3 drop peyote background |
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I wanted to start with a background of beads, using the beads as a canvas for some kind of focal. This idea for the background came to me from reading a post on the FB page for Bead Embroidery Forever (what a great name!). Plus, I have never done 3 drop peyote before and wanted to give it a try. I liked this gradual changing of colour because it represents making order out of chaos. I find in my beady adventures that I am in a state of chaos for most of the time, until I really nail down the project idea. This is not where I want to be in my Bead life. I want to be orderly and decided and goal-oriented, just as I am in other aspects if my life.
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| working on the focal |
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After the background was finished, I began working on the focal. The focal was started with a vintage swarovski topaz rectangle. I bezelled it and then decided to adhere it to the background and add vines. This of course represents the coming together of the chaos into a neat little package, which is where I would like to be all of the time :)
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| putting it all together |
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So, all three pieces ready to put together....so what is wrong with this picture? Do you see it?
That's right....I should have adhered the background to the embroidery backing BEFORE I sewed the focal on. THEN I wouldn't have had some much darned trouble with the vines and such, and the thread slipping between rows of 3 drop peyote size 8 beads...lol! Oh well, life is a learning curve right? Right!
So, lesson definitely learned!
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| Voila! | | |
After putting the three pieces together, I backed it with sierra suede (yes, I know, not ultra suede, cuz I can't get the stuff here :S), and edged it with a modified picot using 8s and 15s.
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| side view...and yes, I know it's not a car... | |
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| Close up |
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And so begins my journey into the wonderful, yet challenging, world of the Bead Journal Project. I know it will be a fun and fulfilling year!
Oh yes, let's not forget about other fun things coming up...
Allegory Galleries Radiant Orchid Challenge has begun!
Pine Ridge Treasure's Winter Sparkle Blog Hop on the 22 of February!
Bead and Glass Boutique's Dreamweaver Challenge has just ended...
Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop will be announced soon, along with some other challenges she has planned!
That is all for now (isn't it enough!) Actually, I do have other things planned for this year, but all can NOT be revealed just yet...so stay tuned!
