June Journal as a Necklace

The headline just about says everything!

This photo shows my June Bead Journal Project medallion detached from the page and added to one of my beaded cord necklaces.

I'm going to wear it to tonight's concert in the park (the last one for the Spring season ... sadness) and see if anyone comments!

And I may just wear it to work tomorrow as well.

-- Joanna

Bead Journal Project - June 2007

I had barely begun on my adventures in beading when I learned about Robin Atkin's Bead Journal Project. I signed up (along with almost 250 other people!) and made a commitment to do one beaded journal project a month. I decided that I would work small. My concept was to do a miniature (about 3") totally beaded piece that I could put in a small frame.

Good concepts can turn into disaster and that is what happened! I beaded on a batik fabric fusted to Timtex. When I tried to cut the Timtex to frame size I cut into fabric edge as well. Plus, it was too small to fit into the frame! So I let it sit while I went on with other learning experiences, including necklaces and pins. (See my Picasa album: http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/BeadingAdventures).

Yesterday morning I awakened and the vision of the project was so real I had to start on it immediately. The result is an 8" x 10" page done on batik fabric backed by stiff felt. "Begin" is in bead embroidery. The medallion is turned into a pin. I solved the problem of the cut fabric by adding Ultrasuede to the back and then doing picot edging around the medallion. I created a way to attach the pin to the fabric using beads. Then I did a beaded cord so that I can turn it into a necklace.

"Begin" represents both my beginning in beading and my beginning into a new era of eyesight. As I worked yesterday I was able to examine my feelings - and mourn in som ways - about my upcoming eye surgery. My right eye will no longer be an 8x magnifying lens when I hold items 4" from my face!

-- Joanna

On the Fringe

This past week has been dreadful in many ways. In preparation for the measurements needed for my upcoming cataract surgery I had to go without my right contact lens for the week. Without going through the entire agonizing story, my eyes sans contact lens are severaly unbalanced. After my left eye had a cataract removed about a decade ago I have perfect focus at about 12". My right eye, however, focuses at about 4". Most of the time I wear a contact in my right eye and computer glasses. Without the right contact ... disaster!

I managed three days of work with my eyes constantly at war then took a vacation day. Four days without work. Great, eh? Just the opposite. Can't do anything on the computer for very long. Can't read for very long. Can't see well enough to do housework. The only thing I could do was bead. I'd simply bring the beading to about 4" in front of my face. That's where I have about an 8x magnifying lens with my nearsighted right eye.

So bead I did. Here's the the first result of doing almost nothing else but bead and create beaded fabric necklaces.

The blessing, in addition to learning more about beading, is that when I whined to some of my online friends I was reminded that, while this is at the top of my life's current disaster scale, so many others are dealing with, or have dealt with so much more.

I saw a t-shirt at the concert last week: Life is Good. Despite occasional bumps on the road, I am very blessed that my life IS good!

-- Joanna

Concerts in the Park

Last night I remembered to take some photos when Sargeant and I went to the concert. Since I can't get Blogger to post the photo for some reason here is the link to the photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/ConcertsInThePark

Pictured is our usual gear: mat that folds up nicely so I can strap it over my shoulder; folding chair that also goes in a bag over my shoulder; and the newest addition, the umbrella. It's hot and sunny here until the sun goes below the trees!

I pack necessities in my backpack. Book or magazine or beading or quilting. Necessary bags for Sargeant. Dinner and treats. Towel/napkin. Camera. Cellphone. Wallet. Thermos for me. Water bottle and water tray for Sargeant. After a couple weeks of going to the concert everything is organized and can be put together in less than 5 minutes.

Sargeant now knows that when I pull out the backpack it's time for a concert. Oh, does he dance!

-- Joanna

Learning Frustrations

The one thing I wished I could have done for the author's party was to have a pair of earrings that match the medallion/necklace. Alas, no time. Besides, it's been a long time since I've made jewelry. What to do?

I solved part of the problem by buying a book (of course!) This morning I took a look, got a few hints, then made these earrings. Other than the frustration of wishing I had four hands, I managed OK.

Then I got the bright idea of learning the peyote stitch. Good idea except for my eyes being at war with each other. Ever tried to do anything when the focal point of one eye is 4" and the other is about 14"? It was a complete and total fiasco. I dropped beads. I dropped my needle from the Nymo thread. I couldn't find the needle. (My feet will probably find it one of these days.) I couldn't see the book at the same time as I was trying to figure out what to do. Why is everything always so nicely lined up in drawings?

I will learn the peyote stitch. But not today. Not as long as my eyes are having this war!

-- Joanna

Book Signing

What a great afternoon it was at Quilters Market! First we had Market Madness where we were treated to a presentation about the Spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. Always fun to see what's coming (and what has already arrived) to the quilt shop.

Then it was time for the book signing. There was a table arranged for us and Jean Biddick's cover quilt was our backdrop. I don't know how many books we signed but it was a lot. I know that one person bought a dozen copies to give as gifts.

This was quite a thrill for me. I've been published before before but never been to a book signing. It's enough to make me want to write a book!

-- Joanna

Author! Author!

Today is a special day!

There's going to be a book signing party at Quilters Market celebrating Jean Biddick and the Tucson contributors to her new book, Blended Quilt Backgrounds. My quilt, Stretching Tradition, is one of the quilts featured in the book.

Two years ago I took a class from Jean on doing blended quilt backgrounds. I brought my laptop to the first class and used Electric Quilt to design the quilt. The reason this is named Stretching Tradition is that the quilt design comes from a single traditional block. To date, no one has been able to guess what block was used! It is, of course, named in the book.

This quilt was completely different from any I had designed previously. I'm not sure if it was the beginning of my path change toward doing art quilts but it does highlight what has become my style: doing things differently with color.

The book contains complete instructions and templates, written by Jean, for recreating the quilt. (So go buy the book!)

I wanted to do something special for the party so decided to create a fiber and bead necklace to wear with one of my pins. It's been many years since I did any jewelry so I had to do some improvisation. I do like the result. It allows me to easily change the focal point medallion.

I love the jewel tone colors and will be making more pins. This is a good way to develop my beading skills. Another advantage is that the projects are small. I can tuck them into a small case and take it with me.

-- Joanna

The Buttons That Became Pins

I've continued to work with my beading, following the receipt of the second of Robin Atkin's books, One Bead at a Time. I believe that may have been the first book that she wrote. It's given a name to what I do: improvisational bead embroidery.

I'm trying to make more buttons, larger this time. I didn't do a good job of sizing to the button form. Simply didn't look right so I turned these two "buttons" into pins. The larger one, on top, is 2" in diameter. The smaller one is 1 7/8". I chose to cover the back with Ultrasuede and held the pin back on using Robin's technique.

Tonight I'm going out for dinner with friends so I'll choose one to wear and see if anyone comments!

This has been an odd day as my eyes are at war with each other. I'm going to be having cataract surgery in my right eye in July. I've always considered that my good eye even though my left eye really went from best to worst after cataract surgery a decade ago. Being extremely nearsighted does have advantages. It's like having an 8x magnifying glass when I hold items about 4" from my face. I'll lose that and I'm already mourning the loss.

I've worn contacts for decades to bring me to about 20/30 vision. So that the measurements can be done properly, my contact has to be off the eye for a week. I did negotiate with my doctor to be able to wear the contact for driving. Other than that ... well, let's just say my eyes are very unbalanced without a contact in my right eye. Fortunately I can still bead but trying to use my machines for quilting may not be a good idea. And I think I'd better stay away from the rotary cutter!

Short term pain = long term gain. When I saw my surgeon I showed him a beading project and said, "I'm an artist. I need to be able to do this after surgery."

"You need to see," he replied.

"Yes. I need to see."

-- Joanna

My First Buttons

My adventures with beading continue!

Friday I received Amy C. Clarke and Robin Atkins book Beaded Embellishment. This joins Larkin Van Horn's book Beading on Fabric as my beading library. I had followed links on Larkin's site and found Robin just as she was announcing the 2007 Bead Journal Project. So I joined and made a commitment to one journal page a month for a year ... and it must include beading!

Then, I volunteered to start a Yahoo group for the project. (Don't bother looking for it if you're not in the project. It's a private group for the participants only.)

Being inspired by these wonderful books, I'm venturing into the world of buttons. They are a great way to try stitches and color combinations. Great "carry along" projects too!

What do you think of this first effort?

The background is a barrel cactus in my garden. I thought it would be interesting, a bit different and allow me to shoot in the sunlight.

-- Joanna