Small Watercolor Painting

I was inspired by the New Mexico scenery (for the short time I was there) and worked on a small watercolor today. I'm still feeling under the weather and not getting much of anything done; but even doing a little something creative is so satisfying.

A couple of birds and I think I am done with this one.

I have had this field watercolor set for years and just keep replacing the artist grade cubes when I need them. The brushes are retractable and everything folds up compactly.

The gun case keeps it all tidy and ready to go for the next time. Something I have taken for granted....."next time". Maybe I will get around to cleaning up some of my scrap clay tomorrow.

Portable Bead Crochet

My trusty polymer clay covered crochet hook (which makes it easier on my hand), my Tuff Cord, bead stopper, beads and matte board. I toss these into a zippered pencil bag and I'm off.

I use a 5" Big Eye Beading Needle from Beadalon to string my beads onto the Tuff Cord. I have a bead spinner, but I really like doing it this way because I can cull through my beads as I string them on.

This is a small Huggies Wipes container that I glued velour to the insides.

You can see in the above photo the damaged beads that need to be discarded. I try to cull through my beads before I pick them up, but checking them on my needle is really the easiest for me. You definitely do not want any damaged beads in your bead crochet as they will throw everything off. They can also shred your stringing material over time and compromise the integrity of your piece.

If you purchase a bead crocheted necklace or bracelet, always check where it is joined or the two ends to make sure they are neatly done. Each bead should sit neatly on top of the one below it in a spiralling pattern. The first three or four rows are extremely difficult to start, so always check the beginning and end. Bead crochet is addictive once you learn it. The initial stringing on of all the beads, culling through them and then starting are the hardest part, after that, it is pure fun.

Bead Journal Wednesday

This was Sunday night's sunset- beautiful pinks, blues and yellows and then it turned a spectacular yellow orange, red and purple. It was unbelievable. I meant to post it and forgot.

I'm making Wednesdays the day I post my progress on my Bead Journal Project. Getting started wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Beading one piece the same size each month for 12 months is a big enough challenge, but for me, deciding what I am going to do with them when I am done was a bigger challenge.

So, figuring out how I wanted to display them at the end of each month (and, ultimately at the end of the year) was the deciding factor in their size. I decided on 2" x 6" and am quite happy with my decision.

Sketched out a couple of designs and decided on the above.

Filled my gun case with my Walgreens' pill boxes filled with beads, my beading supplies and my beading mat and off I went. (See June 16, 2009 post on "Gun Case = Portable Beading".)

Just putting one bead in front of the other and getting started has helped the creativity flow. January is a great month. So full of promise for the upcoming year. A new beginning; a fresh new start. Resolutions to give hugs, get hugs and love more. To give a compliment once a day, to express my gratitude once a day, to live my passion. To try, just try, to stretch my comfort zone of trust. To lighten up and not take life so seriously. Oh my, what a stretch that will be for me. So January's journal piece is about new beginnings, reinventing ourselves and stretching in new directions.

Portable Beading

I've been using wet wipe containers for some kind of craft storage for a long time, but had not thought of gluing some velor material on one side (or both) and using it for a portable beading box. Thank you to Barbara Winkler for showing me this. She uses hers when she flies and has had no problems getting it through security.

So, I have one handy, ready to go for the next long car ride or short flight somewhere wonderful. I can hope, right? I will more likely be using mine while sitting in the doctor's waiting room or waiting in a long line at Walmart. Which I don't mind as long as I can use the time to create something.

My small drills fit perfectly in a Huggies container and so do my coloring pencils and pastels.

Since I have on occasion taken a class and lent my things to someone and forgot who, I mark everything with my name or initials (what memory?). Seriously, if it weren't funny, it would be embarrassing.

This is a Space Maker storage container which is a little larger than the Huggies box. I won it in a raffle, so I'm not sure where they can be purchased. I need to look it up because I would like a couple more. Anyway, that's it for today. I have to get these paintings finished and some polymer clay pieces done for the art fair on Saturday. Nothing like the last minute. I guess I will be using that last sentence for the next couple of days.

Gun Case = Portable Art

In 2000 I took a weekend workshop in downtown Chicago at The Whole Bead Show where Elizabeth Knodle was teaching. I took her Jewelry Design and Construction and her fabulous Free Form Peyote class and one more that I can't remember the name of.  She showed us how to travel light with our beading by converting a gun case into a beading case.  I adapted the same concept to my painting and converted a second gun case to a watercolor field box.

Below is my bead case. I keep a crimper, knot picker, small scissors, tweezers, thread, needles and a bead scooper on the left side under the foam insert. I cut a bead mat to fit the shape of the left side sponge.

Above and below is Jean Campbells' button kit I have been working on and putting my own twist on.

Beads are kept in pill holders purchased at Walgreens for $.99 each. The gun cases work out great.