A Time to Stitch 7!!

Today's the day! If you have never heard of the Time to Stitch challenges, you are in for a treat! The brainchild of Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller, the challenges are designed to push you out of your comfort zone (nicely!) and introduce you to some new stitches...or maybe some you have been avoiding....cough, cough...
This challenge is for Bead Embroidery. Sigh....something I have avoided for years people, just...years. See, I used to spend the summers with my aunt, who was an impulse shopper. She would find a sale, and buy, like, a couple of DOZEN of something. Well, one of the things she had oodles of was embroidery kits. Which fascinated me as a kid, and repelled me as an adult. So that was how I looked at BEAD embroidery.
Which was a huge mistake, but it was hard getting past it. And with as many awesome bead stitches as there are out there, why bother, right? Because as a beadweaver, we are a bit, um, OBSESSED with new projects. And bead embroidery is just gorgeous!
I've got a Pinterest board for it that I'm constantly adding to: https://www.pinterest.com/lsmoore1/bead-embroidery-inspiration/

My problem is that I'm kind of a 'fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants' girl. And you do need to plan out your design. Well, I sat for several weeks, trying to figure out a design. When I finally decided on one, I glued my cab into place. And promptly decided I didn't like the shape. So I traced an adjustment on the backing, but part of the design I couldn't change, because of where I placed the cab. So I'm not very happy with the shape, it is asymmetrical, which can be good, but not for me on this project.
I was a very lucky recipient of one of Therese's cabs. This is mountain lace jasper. I love the subtle flow of color in it.
I am quite lucky that I had a fantastic resource to guide me during this journey...Dimensional Bead Embroidery by Jamie Eakin. I used several stitches from this book.

This is a twisted bezel. I really love the look of it, even if I didn't get it quite tight enough.

 The green matte beads are used in a picot or 'moss' stitch. I really like how textural it is, and such a great backdrop for the Picasso druks. 

 The purple section with the 2mm bicone crystals is where my freeform journey began. First, I made a cute circle around them. But then, when I was making the lines of purple and copper, I sort of filled in more, and it just kept morphing from there!

I am pleased with my journey into bead embroidery, the cab really inspired me. I definitely need to work more on the 'planning' part of things.

I started a kumihimo rope, and then about 10 inches in to it, decided it didn't work for the pieces. So I switched to a twisted raw, but I haven't quite finished it yet. I'll add the photo when it is complete.

 I am planning my next BE piece, so I'm calling this challenge a DEFINITE success! Thanks again, Therese and Christine, for a wonderful challenge!

Here is your list of participants, please go check out everyone's work. Blessings, Shirley

1.       Therese (Host)
2.       Christine  (Host)
3.       Amy
4.       Lola
5.       Lori F
6.       Kim
7.       Becky Pancake
8.       Karin G.
9.       Debbie (Kepi)
10.   LizE
11.   Maryanne
12.   Paula14.   Wendy
15.   Janet
16.   Jasvanti
17.   Ginger
18.   Alicia
19.   Bobbie
20.   Shirley
21.   Sarah
22.   Cynthia24.   Lizzie

Goodies from The Beading Room

A few weeks ago, I entered to win a $100 gift certificate for The Beading Room. The giveaway was hosted on The Beading Gem's Journal. If you've never visited Pearl's site, you are missing out. She has some of the best jewelry posts out there. Tons of information, cool and funky jewelry, a bit of a history lesson thrown in there as well. And she has some seriously awesome giveaways. I was so very lucky to win this one from The Beading Room! They are located in Canada, but they ship worldwide.

Now, when Pearl wrote about them, she focused on the wire they have available in their store. So, I was very excited, since that is an area I'm just beginning to explore. But, oh my goodness, do they have so much more than just wire! It was quickly apparent to me that the hard part would be to only spend the $100!!

Wanna see what I picked out? Okey dokie!

Here's the whole Pile O Goodies. Now let's get some close-ups, so you can drool properly.

 I did get some wire, and a pretty copper clasp and some earwires in bright copper. I'm going to play with oxidizing those...

 Several noted kumihimo designers on Facebook use these gorgeous Unicorn Beads in their designs. I've been panting after them for a while, let me tell ya. And that toggle clasp above them is lampwork! Oh so pretty!

I have HANKS of beads!!!! Just seeing '71 grams' written on the bag made me swoon. The far right and middle are both a luscious color called Black Diamond. The tiny charlottes are a purple iris.

 I've heard Druks referred to as the workhorse of Czech beads. And that they are often overlooked. The color on these is so very pretty, and I'm anxious to play with them. I finally have some metal beads! You wouldn't believe how heavy that tiny tube is.  Ok, see the patterned beads to the left? They are MOOD Beads!! How cool is that? My daughter immediately snatched one for herself. Lucky thing I like her...

 Here's a close up of those pretty Druks.

 Love bicones, and I also got that middle package in the Black Diamond color. And some tiny 3mm pearls. Thinking I'm gonna be hanging out with Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies....

Have you ever seen this shape? I think it's very unusual. They are called UFO's. Look at those colors!! Squee!

 I've only made one kumi braid with rattail, and I really wanted to make more. These are each 5 yards. Can't wait to play with them. And I got Anne Dilker's Kumihimo book.

I'm so very grateful to The Beading Room for such an awesome gift certificate. And that they carry such a beautiful and diverse stock. 

Now, if you don't hear from me for a while, you know what I'll be doing.....:)

Blessings, Shirley