July page finished - Here be a Dragon

I fnished my page just now. I have a feeling the pictures did not come out that well, so I may try again. At any rate, I am happy with the finished product and hope I don't go back at a later date and add more beads. I will need to put a back on it at some point. I really enjoyed doing the peyote piece separately and making the dragon and will probably do that again, with a wolf next time. Or a pattern I have that is the back of another amulet bag, it is a Native American pattern. It is really cool. Anyway, speaking of patterns, the pattern I used for the dragon came from Beaded Obsessions and was designed by Bobbi Assemi. It is only the second time I used a pattern to bead in peyote.

The beads spoke to me again too. The material I used was an inspiration to me this time around.

I am happy to have finished early as I will have time to work on other bead projects from Beads on the Vine and a new knitting project I want to start. Then my August page, which is planned out too.

Happy beading everyone.

Updates

I have been working on my page. Not ready to take pictures and post them yet though I miss seeing the work as it progresses. I am about half way done with my dragon and have picked out the material, so some progress.

Other page ideas: felting and sea scene, like Montery Bay Aquarium types of scenes.

On the subject of blogging and my page...

I have worked on my page daily for the past few days, but nothing enough to post a picture. I still can't decide how to position my fabric on my backing, but at least I decided on the fabric.

Once again I am going to comment, at least for myself, on how much I am enjoying the blogging. An easy way to keep a journal and always here for me to refer to. I just really wish it had spell and grammar check! I am surely spoiled in that respect and need to be mindful of my stream of consciousness type of writing. I have never liked to write much and have always had to adapt how I write to what the boss wanted, so I don't feel I have any particular style (other than the what I think goes straight to what I write style.) But I do feel I have a voice, if that makes sense and doesn't sound contradicting. Writing in the blog helps me exercise that voice. I am so glad I got the nerve to do the blogging. All part of the BJP experience.

Happy beading (and knitting!) Nancy

July page update

I have started my July page. It will be different than the last one. I am putting some material on my backing and not just bead on the white page. (I am also beading a peyote dragon pattern that I got from an amulet pattern book. I will post that when I post pictures.) I will then attach the peyote piece to my material and go from there. The material is an Asian them and is very nice. My dragon will be in purples. I have wanted to that for awhile so it allows me to do two things at once. Plus I am getting great experience at reading and beading to patterns. That is a challenge! So far so good. I lay the beads out for each row as I go. That seems to work realy well and I have only had to rip out one row. I have had to change up the beads I laid out a few times, but at least they were not in the work already.

I may not post any pictures for awhile.

June page finished!!! Yeah

Here is my June page. I do have a few spots to patch up, but I am done for now!

Check my last posting for what I learned, some of the meaning of the piece to me. I think my theme for my journal will become, things I like. The biggest thing about this page for me is the colors. Colors I instinctively go towards. To a certain extent the crystals by the fish are tears, tears for something I am dealing with right now and tears from the sun/moon for things like global warning, war, etc. Those were the inital thoughts that came to me and stayed with me. I was going to bead the earth, but decided not too.

What I learned so far

Some of the group have been talking about, or asking what we have learned. I thought I would get this down as I thought about so I would not forget. I have been working on my June page this week, almost done! I think I can finish tonight, then a few touch ups and I will post.

(I should also add I had a wonderful time at Beads on the Vine. Got some great beads and ideas for future pages. )

I learned I could do it. I learned magatama's are fabulous to bead embroider with. I really like them. I already knew pearls were too, but reminded myself again. I reminded myself too that I love turquoise/aqua, etc. colors. I learned that double thread seems to work better for me. I started with single, but switched to double when I was putting on larger beads.

I am not sure I will start will an all white background a lot, for the rest of my pages. I think it helps with my creativity and free form, but you can see empty spaces a lot easier!

I will probably save the backing and mounting to the end as I am not sure what I want to do yet. I am still leaning towards mounting my pages in some kind of scrap book.

My beads talked to me. Some inner force or thought kept moving me along and saying bead with me, put me here. I guess that is what journaling is all about. The piece has meaning for me. I will need to think what I want to say about that, or rather how to say. One of those instinctive things I know but may not be able to focalize. But ultimately the journal is for me and will speak to me the best. I will say now though, I am a Pisces, hence the fish (so is my boyfriend.) I have always liked fish as a motif though. Goes well with aqua/turquoise of course.

Well back to my beading and my wine!