Bead Journal - August

Oh My ~ It Worked!!

I woke up at 3 AM with an inspired idea.... how to do the bottom of my August page in a way that looked like "glowing embers". Never mind that I really need to put legs on my July Bug... I just had to see if this idea worked like I thought it would.

I took size 8/0 matte black beads and stitched them down with a center selection of silver-lined red, orange and blue Delicas. I was working on this at a weekly bead get-together 3 towns over and kept saying, "see, it's looking just like what I had in mind!" It's always exciting to have an idea come out like what you can see in your mind's eye. Unfortunately, the camera really doesn't pick up those flashes of bright, sparkly color on top of the black beads. I really does look like the last embers of a fire going out.

Now, I really do have to get back to putting legs on my Red and Blue July Bug. I've got 3 days left to finish July and August if I want to catch up.

Bead Journal - August

August means a decision made and drastic personal life change for me. I know that I want my August page to somehow reflect that fact.


A year ago I met an almost vintage Knight in slightly dented armour on the Internet. We dated last year and then spent 6 months on the phone, 2,600 miles apart before I returned to New Hampshire for the summer. This month we became "an item", to use vintage terminology. He has an aversion to typing or writing, but did put his thoughts about falling in love down on paper. The sentiments brought a tear to my eye and a smile to my face. I had to turn those words into a more tangible memory and created an ATC sized card. Then I thought about how I might represent those words in beads for my journal page.



Flames came to mind, and more specifically the magnetic California flames on my Element. Double significance? He and I spent 9,000+ miles in that car (24/7) during the last year. You really get to know and find out just how well you tolerate another person other under those circumstances.

This is the image I created to do the beading. I have a cabochon that I'll use for the "ember". I'm not sure yet just what color I'll use for the background, or even if I'll do a beaded background. Once again, I'll step outside of my personal comfort level and bead mostly to a pre-designed pattern. The background may well revert to free form bead embroidery. As usual, the beads themselves will decide just what the final piece will look like. My July page is almost finished and I'm getting ready to bead August's... just a wee bit later than I'd like.

R.L.R., I treasure your presence in my life and the August Bead Journal page is dedicated to you and the time we hope to spend with each other out into the future.

NH August Heat

August a year ago was Hot, Hot, Hot..... This spring, when I returned for the summer, it was very muggy and I broke down and bought a window A/C. Yesterday It was 95 outside and the small A/C was only keeping the apartment around 81 degrees. That was sure a heck of a lot better than the 100 degrees in my kitchen a year ago! Guess the summer's are getting warmer, or I'm getting older and feeling the humidity/heat more. I never even had A/C in my car until one spring trip from AZ to NH when it was 100+ in New Mexico and I was unsure if I poured more water on me or in me! Now I even use the car A/C in NH in the summer.

At least, with the more moderate indoor temperatures, I actually feel like beading or doing things rather than just puddling on the floor!

Bead Journal Update

One quarter of a year

Three pages in various stages of completion

The messy beader syndrome strikes again!

My Bead Journal tray needs sorting out - big time. I need to attach the card to the back and finish the edges on June's page. But that will wait til I get done with August's piece as I am still thinking through how I will display all 12 pieces. I still like the idea of a linear format. Just have to keep the weight in mind.

July's page is about half done and August's page is roughed out. One of these days I'm going to learn to finish one thing completely before starting another. Do you think that will ever happen?

July's bug has been beaded and cut out. I've glued the beadwork to an Etal backing and will bead the legs onto that in size 15/0 beads. It's going to be hard for me to leave the backing unbeaded, but that is what I'm going to do. I'm thinking this page will have a chain rope with wire wrapped flower bead charms down the length. I like the simplicity of this page in contrast to the complexity of June's Travel page.

I have August's page roughed out and spent an evening playing with glitter nail polish on the backs of old watch crystals to use as a cabochon. Once I get my bug semi-finished, I'll post more of an explanation of the meaning behind the August page and my plans for it.

Bead Journal - July #2

Sunday was the monthly meeting of the NH Bead Society. I wasn't interested in doing the workshop project, so I sat, chatted, listened and beaded on my July page. It's coming along nicely and I like the definition that the change in blue and red beads gives the piece. If it keeps going this well, I may actually get back on track and slightly ahead of myself.

Bead Journal - July

July's "Celebrate Summer" page is well underway with beads going onto backing. I'm trying something new for me, which is beading to a pre-drawn design. The worst part of this one was getting the printer to like the backing. It took several tries to get it to feed smoothly.

Already, I know that the design is only a launching pad as the beads won't fit nicely into the outlines. I like how the beads give the flat image depth and texture. That's just fine with me as the fun in bead embroidery is letting the beads decide what's going to happen. My idea is to use only 2 colors, but change the transparency and finishes of both the blue and red. Once the bug's body is beaded, I'll cut it out, edge it and applique it to a fabric backing and bead the legs on that part. Not totally 3-D, but still more depth to the piece.

I guess I'm still on my personal time table (15th to 15th of next month) with these pieces as it isn't the middle of August yet. I do have the theme and design for August already worked out and printed on backing. So, when I finish beading July's, I can move right along with August's page.

Lake Sunapee Craft Fair

League of NH Craftsmen Celebrates its 75th Anniversary.

Every year they have a Craft Fair that is the oldest running in the country. This year the Bead Society of NH had an informational table in the Guild Tent to promote the Society. I took my turn talking to the public on Sunday afternoon and it was a glorious day to be out on the mountain - bright sunshine, a slight breeze and cool temperatures. We had a display of member's work and various members sat demonstrating their own bead projects. It was a great afternoon spent talking to the people who stopped to admire the work. I had a good visit with other BSNH members and got to walk the fair looking at a lot of beautiful things.

I wish I could show you what Kathleen Dustin is doing now. I touched (fondled), looked at her stuff and had to remind myself it was clay and not something that had been growing in a field somewhere. Her site doesn't have her latest large "seed pods" on it. Gail Crossman-Moore is doing much more felt work in addition to glass beads. She had her red gathered felt things hanging in the booth - they are fun, funky and just rather neat looking.

I got to visit for a little bit with Ann Dillon in the Shop at the Fair tent. I get to visit with Ann throughout the Summer and we have some great creative brainstorming sessions. While I was showing my boyfriend around and introducing him to some of my various friends in the arts, I realized how truly fortunate I am to be friends with some of the top notch artists out there.... and I include all of the beadtrekers in that group.

I couldn't resist - I just had to buy them!

I walked by Susan Samitz's booth more than once and her colors kept catching my eye. Finally, I just couldn't resist and had to have this pair of her earrings for my collection. (lime green, of course) Isn't her use of polymer and colored Niobium wire delightful?