Take it Further Challenge #2 Finished

These are my finished projects for the Take it Further Challenge for February. I added some extra layers to the pieces, appliqued them with navy or copper metallic thread using a zig-zag or blanket stitch. I then added some quilting with the medium blue color thread, and finished the edges with navy eyelash yarn. The larger pieces are about 8.5 x 11.5 inches. The smaller pieces are 4 x 6 inch postcards. I would like to do a piece like these but larger scale, like 20-40 inches, so might use this as a starting point for a future project. I liked working with these colors--kind of the color palate you see here in the Southwest with the blue sky and brown sand. On to Take it Further Challenge #3 tomorrow!

Blog Being Spammed!

OK, I am really ticked off. Its not enough that I get 200+ spams daily on my e-mail. Now my blog comments have been spammed 3 times over the past couple of days with links to a fake spyware scan. I am so disappointed that there are people out there with nothing better to do than to mess up someone else's good time. I have had to enable the Moderate Comments option and the Word Varification to help reduce these, because I don't want my readers to be bothered by these false comments either. I appologize to my blog viewers for having to take this extra step to leave comments, and I do hope that you will continue to do so, because I love getting feedback from you all! I would hate to have to shut down my blog due to spam, so hopefully this will do the trick, and meanwhile I am trying to figure out how to report it to Blogger--so if anyone else has had to deal with this, let me know! Arrrrrrgh!!!

Bead on a Wire Week 5

Here are this week's projects for the Bead on a Wire workshop. We made some finished pieces this week: hoop earrings, rectangle earrings, and a link bracelet. The bracelet was made out of 18 gauge nickel silver, which I found a little stiff and hard to work with. The earrings are 20 gauge nickel silver. I did fine with the hoops, but the rectangle ones were a little tricky to get to fit right with the beads and wire coil. I did the red pair first, and had a much easier time on the second pair, the turquoise set.

Back to Fabric

Well, I have been having fun lately with the jewelry making, but it is time for me to get back to fabric too! This is the beginnings of this month's Take it Further Challenge. I went with the color scheme again. The other theme was "what you can remember"--early memories about world events, etc. I will be dating myself here--I remember seeing Star Wars in the theater at about age 4, the Ronald Reagan presidential election in 1980--I was in 1st grade, and we "voted"--the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986 when we were called out of math class to go to the library to see the news coverage.

But anyway, nothing that I wanted to make a quilt out of, soooo, here was the color palate and my fabric selections. All except for the copper fabric were hand dyed by myself. I am making 2 pieces approximately 9 x 12 inches, and 2 postcards measuring 4 x 6 inches. This is the free form collage technique that I have been using recently, and I really enjoy the process. I have added more pieces to the larger quiltlets, and am in the process of doing the applique and quilting.

BOW Week 4

We did a lot of clasps and connectors for Week 4 Bead on a Wire Workshop. I liked doing these better than the double coiled beads, though the single coiled beads didn't bother me as much. I made a pair of Valentine Earrings with the heart connectors. Most of these were done with 18 gauge copper wire. 16 gauge was recommended for some things, but I don't have any--I am going to try to track some down this week. I found some larger glass beads at Michael's and Hobby Lobby for 50% off last week, so I am looking forward to incorporating them into these projects, as most of my bead stash is seed beads from a previous life. I was sick this week, so didn't get much else done.

The Color Purple

Your Mind is Purple

Of all the mind types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Mind?

Funny, purple is my favorite color!

Bead on a Wire Week 3

These are my wire and bead exercises from Week 3. We did bead dangles with single and double eye pins (fun), bead connectors (fun), coiled and double coiled wire wrap beads (not fun), and caged beads (fun once I figured out what I was doing!) Didn't make any finished pieces this week, just the components, but I'm sure they'll show up in something later. Sory for the fuzzy picture--I'll try to redo it later.

Valentine Artist Trading Cards

These are some recent Artist Trading Cards that I have made for swaps. One was for a heart theme, and the other one was artist's choice, but I liked the heart theme, so went with it. The three cards that are side by side were made by sewing a handmade collaged paper on top of another collaged paper. Then I added the heart brad. The set of 4 was made on a water-color and salt background paper that I made. I also made the heart papers, and I made the beads from hand dyed paper towels wrapped with wire and seed beads. I also sewed on decorative yarns to each set. I am kind of into hearts now--you just can't go wrong with them!

Jewelry Obsession and Stuff for Sale

OK, well I have become completely obsessed with jewelry making. Spent hours this weekend making bead and wire jewelry, and then realized that I can never possibly wear all of it, but I just can't stop making it, so I have put a few items for sale on my Etsy store. The earrings so far are only $5-$8, so go treat yourself to a pair! :)

Bead on a Wire Week 2

These are my projects that I made for the BOW workshop through A.R.T. this week. We had to make singe and double coil beads (didn't like these), coiled eye-pins (liked these better), and double eye-pins with or without beads (loved these!) I made a bunch of earring, bracelet and necklace sets. It is so addicting! I used a variety of wires: silver, copper, and colored, in gauges from 18-26. I think I know what everyone is going to get for Christmas this year. I have been doing jewelry lately instead of quilting, but I need to get back to working with fabric too, so stay tuned.