Stasia's Place Of Grace

Sunday, April 04, 2004

 

Beads!

I have been playing around with beads... some projects have been more fun than others.

Here is a little beaded "spirit doll" I'm working on (fun!) and on the right is a skein of corespun beaded yarn (not fun!)

Although I don't enjoy spinning that type of yarn, I am glad I tried something new... thanks, Nannette, for the tips!

Nannette also mentioned a neat project. If you're interested in exploring beaded dolls, or dolls made with fiberartsy stuff, or dolls of some other medium, why not make one to benefit the Michigan chapter of Neph Cure Foundation and help with kidney research?

Nannette provided these links for more info:
http://www.nephcure.org/Chapters_michiganfundraiser.htm
http://www.spydermum.com/ArtDollAngelProject.htm

Nannette is a really talented fiber artist, a wonderful friend, and a great, all-around human "bean". Thanks, Nan!

I have to say, the surface bead embroidery is very "freeing" to me... because I have no idea what I'm doing! I'm just letting myself "paint" with the beads, and figuring things out as I go along. I feel like a kindergartener in her first art class. It's very liberating not to worry about analyzing every single detail of the work. I just let it "flow" through me, and it is incredibly relaxing, even though it it detail-oriented. When I get stuck, I put the work aside, ask The Creator to give me some insight, and sooner or later I get some more inspiration. (How easy life might be if I remembered to do this every time I got stuck!)

So I encourage you to try your hand at an art or craft you've never attempted before, without researching lots of information about it first. You might find it gives you renewed energy for projects you're already working on, or a sense of creative freedom that you haven't experienced in a while. You might also come up with a new technique that we'd all love to know about!

I will share two tips with you, though: for embroidering muslin dolls, use a size 12, English, flexible bead needle so that your hands remain loose. And this - learned the hard way: if your pets jump on your table and spill your beads all over the floor, stick a nylon stocking over the hose on your vacuum to capture them!

---

We have a pair of downy woodpeckers hanging about... perhaps we'll see some mini-woodpeckers in the coming months. Here is a photo of the male (on the tree) along with the squirrel that lives in the nestbox in our tiny woods:

---

In other news, Jeff's hockey team lost in their second playoff game. Good job anyway, guys!

---

May you receive creative inspiration today, and may it be a happy one for you!

Stasia Permalink | Archives | |

		Animal	All Bird Cat Dog Horse Pig Rabbit Reptile Small&Furry	Breed		Zip Code