Beading in Bed can be a Sticky Situation...

...as in, wire tends to STICK you in the oddest places, and when you least expect it... like when you roll over at 3am. OW!!! So THAT'S where that extra wire I trimmed off that earring got away to! Off I go to shake out my blankets...

A creative and productive Easter Sunday

Finally! A day in which I accomplished MUCH! I've had such a struggle lately, but I'm hoping that is behind me. I didn't really start beading until between 3 and 4pm, but I made 30 (yes, thirty!) cell phone charms, one bracelet, one earring/bracelet set, and two earring/bracelet/necklace sets!! I really didn't want to quit, but I have to get some sleep. I'm off from job#2 tomorrow evening, and I'm hoping the creative streak continues! Perhaps I will finally finish "Nothing Gold..." tomorrow night!

Wow! Two day's running!

Okay. Try not to get too excited... I know it's not normal for me to post two weeks in a row, much less two DAYS in a row! I'm having an extremely hard time getting motivated to bead tonight. I have the night off from Job #2, and I promised myself I would bead the entire evening. So far, I've thought about it a lot, but that's it. Once again, I think my major holdup is having an attractive, inviting, comfortable, work-friendly space. But enough excuses. I'm going to go to my bedroom (yes, I bead in bed... the temp is more comfy in there tonight) and spend an hour or so doing some instant-gratification, (hopefully) high-profit stringing. Wish me luck... I've also made a committment to myself to spend a minimum of ONE HOUR everyday beading until my show May 6... and maybe even beyond!
Happy beading one and all!

Who needs Sleep?

Not I! Or, I wish I didn't... then I might actually be able to accomplish a fraction of the things I want/need to do! Such as update my blog in a more timely and frequent manner! Oh well. I'm working over 60 hours a week most weeks at two jobs, and trying to bead & get ready for an art show, so something had to fall by the wayside. The blog is one of those wayside things. At least for the moment. Just to quickly update my two loyal readers (hah!), I am almost done with my first Frost piece! Yay!!! It's "Nothing Gold Can Stay." I think it's pretty cool... when it's completely done, I will attempt to post a pic. I think my next piece will be "Fragmentary Blue." I found a website that has nearly all of Robert Frost's poems listed, and I'm SO excited!! Turns out I already have some pieces either in process or done that work well with some of his pieces. AND, I now have tons of other ideas. Now, if I can just find some beads that are closely reminscent of blueberries...

As always, I hope to post more regularly... we'll see!

20 Reasons for Buying Beads

Here's another list I wish I could take credit for...

20 REASONS FOR BUYING BEADS
1. Baggies and tubes of beads tightly packed in various containers make an excellent insulation for the home.
2. Buying beads keeps our economy going. It is our patriotic duty to support bead stores.
3. It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care.
4. Because they are on sale.
5. At any moment the employees of a bead factory might go on strike and limit the availability.
6. We are participating in a contest. The one with the most beads wins.
7. A bead keeps without refrigeration, you don't have to cook it to enjoy it, you never have to feed it, change it or walk it.
8. We need extra weight in the trunk of our cars for traction on icy or muddy roads. You never know when the weather might change.
9. Because we are worth it.
10. Like dust, containers of beads are good for protecting previously empty spaces in the house, such as ironing boards, dining room tables or any other horizontal surface.
11. If the BIG earthquake comes, all the bead stores might be swallowed into the ground and never seen again.
12. Stress from dealing with the "Bead Control Officer" (spouse) makes us do it.
13. Buying beads is not immoral, illegal or fattening. It calms the nerves, gratifies the soul and makes us feel good.
14. We have to buy beads before our husband retires and goes with us on all our shopping expeditions.
15. A bead purchase a day helps us work rest and play.
16. Beads are a proven aphrodisiac.
17. While shopping for beads you don't have to worry if they'll fit, or how big they will make your hips look.
18. Beads don't argue, or get crabby.
19. Beads get better with age, like women and wine.
20. You need never go near a dressing room to buy beads.

Why Beads Are Better Than Chocolate

"Why Beads Are Better Than Chocolate"
1. 100 grams of chocolate has 588 calories, but beads have zero calories.
2. Beads don't melt in your hands while chocolate can become a real gooey mess.
3. Beads don't give you acne, so your dermatologist likes them too.
4. Beads don't give you cavities, so they are recommend by 9 out of 10 dentists.
5. Beads are caffeine free though some of us lose sleep when we dream of that next bead creation we plan to make.
6. Beads come in a rainbow of colors, and chocolate only comes in white and shades of brown.
7. Chocolate can get crusty and funky when not fresh, but beads get better with age.
8. Etiquette requires that you share your chocolate, but beads don't have to be shared.
9. An average 10 gram tube of good seed beads is $3 while a pound of good chocolate can go for $50.
10. While chocolate has endorphins, beads can make you happy without making you fat.
11. Beads are hypo-allergenic while a lot of people are allergic to chocolate.
12. Beads last forever while chocolate is usually only around for few minutes.
13. Beads can be recycled while chocolate is gone when it's gone.
14. It's impossible to find a string of chocolate to match your outfit.
15. Beads don't trigger migraine headaches and instead are proven to relieve stress.

Back in the Saddle... So to Speak

Well, after several weeks of not beading, or just doing orders, I was able to carve out a small amount of time this week to bead creatively. It was sooooo nice! Funny, the next day, one of my coworkers commented that I seemed to be in a much better mood. I didn't get much done, just worked on a free form piece for a couple of hours, but it felt so good to just let the creativity that's been trapped in my brain flow out through my fingers.
I did start one of the Frost pieces last week, but I think I'm going to start it over... I got some technical input from my friend Sandy that changed my thoughts on how I'm going to do it. I've never done an amulet bag before, so this is new territory for me. I'm still excited about this series... I just hope my enthusiasm levels stay up, as I sometimes have a tendency to start things and then let them fall by the wayside.

Duh!

Well, DUH!!! I almost forgot one of my absolute favorite (and perhaps the most visually evocative) Frost poems: Fire and Ice. That's a definite!!! I can't believe I hadn't thought of that one before... and I already have a pretty good idea of what I want to do with that one!! Stay tuned! More brain farts are sure to come!!!

Plans and Possibilties

I have so many things I want to accomplish as an artist this year. I've said for a couple of years now that my goal is to be published in one of the well known beading magazines. Hasn't happened yet. I have a series of rather complex pieces in mind to start on, wearable art pieces based on Robert Frost poems. Frost is one of my favorite poets, and I think the combination of the literal and the symbolic in his works will lend itself well to visual interpretation. I already have the beads ready & organized for "Choose something like a star," and I have a definite idea where I want to take that piece. I also have a pretty clear vision for "Nothing gold can stay," and "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood." "Stopping by woods on a showy evening" and "Good fences make good neighbors" are others I'm considering. I realize these are probably his most famous works, and because of that perhaps almost cliche, but I like them, and I think I can come up with something special. I need to find a copy of his complete works, as all I have is a small volume of his work. I really love the challenge of working within a set and somewhat limited creative framework. It's something I found I was good at when writing poetry, and I'm hoping I can translate that talent into beadwork. I also love the crossing and mixing of artistic forums and genres. In part, my inspiration for these pieces comes from my memory of a series of choral works I sang in High School and College that were based on Frost. (I believe the series was called "Frostiana".) I don't remember the name of the composer, but I do remember how impressed I was with the series, and how well the music and poetry meshed. I just hope I can do this project justice. I'm a little nervous, but also excited!
Another issue for me with this series is time. All the pieces I want to do are going to be stitchwork, primarily peyote and freeform. I'm VERY s..l..o..w when it comes to stitchwork. I'm hoping this can challenge me and motivate me to work at a more rapid pace. My first art show this year is in Hutchison, KS, around the end of April. I'm planning to have at least the first two pieces in the series done by then. Ideally, I'd like to have three, but I also have to work on my general inventory as well.
There. I have it down in writing. I've been talking and thinking about this project for a couple of years, so maybe putting it out there for the world to see will help me be a bit more accountable for accomplishing the task. If any of you reading this have any ideas about other Frost poems that might lend themselves well to an artistic rendering, by all means, please let me know!