Dark Teal and Copper Daphne Leaf Variation

In 2020 I didn't purchase any beads, I was busy honing my sewing skills and mask making for people who wanted to purchase them.  I need more beads like I need a hole in my head but sometimes it's just really nice to have new colors. I'm very driven by color and playing with color combinations. So in November and December I couldn't take it anymore and I purchased a whole bunch of Duracoat seed beads (the metallic coat supposedly will not rub off as it is a huge issue on the really shiny brilliant metallic glass seed beads) and sparkly "Cut" seed beads which give texture another level of texture to many of my pieces.  

While I was home with COVID for 2 weeks, I couldn't quite get off of the couch the first week but I could bead when I was awake. I poured over all my new colors of beads and put together this necklace and earrings set. 

Medium Leaf Earrings are 2.2 inches long from the tip of the earwire.

This copper seed bead really called to me and I don't have anything like this blue mix so there was a lot of visual satisfaction stitching these together. I feel like the metallic coated beads make beadwork feel a little more like what people usually think of "fine jewelry."  My work has sometimes been mistaken for metal rather than glass beads which makes me feel like I've gotten the look that I'm striving for. 

Small Pod Earrings are 1.5 inches long from the tip of the earwire.

Necklace is 19 inches long from the tip of the clasp to the first loop.

These will be available on my website's shop until they get on the move to a gallery. You can shop HERE.

Fall Form Bracelet

Fall Form Bracelet $120.00

I'm really happy with the finished product of this bracelet.  Outside of just playing with upcoming Fall colors, I decided to go with a form that I've been considering for quite a while.  I originally started thinking about it when I made these yellow tiered pod earrings.  As I stitched pods together, I thought about how they would drape around other forms.

I've worn this piece around a number of times already and I'm really happy about how it maintains its shape around my wrist.  I initially thought about going with a lobster clasp for the bracelet, which is my go-to clasp.  However, it was important to me that this shape maintain all the way around.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy stitching the snap into this was, and how seamless it appears when being worn.

Snap detail

I always leave all my threads on until the pieces is together.

Shaping up.

"Vintage" snaps (36 for 29 cents!)

Fall Colors Bangle Spin-Off

Bangle 1/2 inch wide $75.00

Earrings 1,5 inches long $40.00

When I was working on my first Fall 2015 bangle and earrings, I noticed a colorway at the beginning of one of the earrings that I really loved.  I took note of it and when the first set was done, I started right in on the next bangle.

Bangles $75.00 each

Playing with colors, without drafting a pattern  can help me relax into my work and figure out what I want to make with these particular colors.  I'm happy to be able to create again and slowly get back into my beadweaving and also my handweaving.

This is the beginning of one of the earrings in the first set that led me to the second set.

I've also been thinking I could do a square pendant, much like THIS ONE that I made for Liisa back in 2013.  Or I could do it without the edging like this Peach/White one.

Michigan League of Handweavers Conference 2013: My Awards

I can't thank the Michigan League of Handweavers enough for the awards that I won this year in the Conference Exhibits.  I received awards from not only 2 different jurors, but also the People's Choice Award for the Fiber Art Exhibit.  This has been such a great group to be part of, and to have my talent recognized within the group is such a great honor.

The awards I won are as follows:

"She Can't See the Forest Through the Trees"

 

Best of Show for Fiber Art

People's Choice Award for Fiber Art

"Bamboozled Bangle"

 

2nd Place Fashion Accessories Exhibit

 

 

"Chevron Bangle"

Judge's Choice Award

 

 

I am also especially grateful to the people who hung the Fiber Art Exhibit.  "She Can't See the Forest Through the Trees" is a pain in the butt to hang.  For my exhibit that was in March/April, we hung it from the ceiling at Grove Gallery, and I knew that it wouldn't be able to hang that way when I was entering it for the MLH Conference.  They managed to use the display boards to make a tunnel and set the dowels along the tops on either side.  Also placing it right in front of the door so you didn't miss it when you walked in.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Spike Bangle

 

Sometimes I'm searching for an exact color of seed bead which can be hard to order online.  I've had a hard time ordering what I call "cream" or "off white" from Fire Mountain Gems.  They all come in looking pink-ish to me.

 

So I went down to Findings in Ann Arbor to get some exact color-matches.  That store is like crack for me.  Rows and rows of seed beads, and that is pretty much the only thing I get there.  However, the woman ringing me up asked if I was aware of two new types of beads to hit their store.  The first one was a double-hole small bead, which I'm not that interested in, and then there were these cute little glass spikes.

 

 

They reminded me of the days of the Flint Local, punk rock prom and when I used to put spikes on more formal-looking things (I have a spike dress-choker that I made).  Having no clue what i was going to do with them, I purchased some of these copper-y ones and black ones. I just wanted simple, spikes.

 

My initial thought was to make two tiny bangles and have the spikes "floating" between the two of them.  Much like this style bangle.  I didn't want the spikes to twist around though.  So I made this solid bangle and stitched them on top.  It seemed kind-of boring to me, but since it's been finished, I love to wear it!  This is a smaller bangle and is $75.00.

 

Look out for some other spike ideas too!



Fiber577 Private opening, Today and Tomorrow

 

Last night was the private opening for Fiber577 at the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg, Ohio.  This is the first show where all three of the pieces I entered had been juried in, so I had to try to make it.  Being busy this weekend, I was excited that the had an invite-only event last night.  It was a great start to my weekend.  My fiber-friend Brittany and I met half way in Ann Arbor at Findings bead store (good start to a mini road trip).  Then drove together down to Perrysburg. 

 

The three pieces that were accepted were:

 

Small Leaf Panel in Blue

 

 

Flipped and Tangled

 

Climbing

 

The 577 Foundation has amazing grounds and gardens, along with various workshop spaces (which were closed, but we walked around and peeked in).  Downtown Perrysburg is adorable.  We decided to explore a little bit and ended up at Stella's to relax a bead some before we got back on the road.

 

We got to chatting with a nice couple that was sitting outside next to us on our way out and I consequently left my credit card at Stella's and didn't realize until we were a half hour back into our trek home.  They're going to mail it, but couldn't add a tip without a signature.  I'm hoping that by mailing a check back I can get the tip to our very nice server!  I feel awful about that!

 

The Fiber 577 show is all weekend, Saturday and Sunday.  Then it moves to the Angelwood Gallery in Grand Rapids, OH.  We got to chat with Julie, the owner, and I will be sending her a grouping of beaded jewelry to go in her gallery while the show is up that compliments the three above pieces.

 

The show opens at Angelwood Gallery during the downtown's "ladies night" on June 20, 2013 and goes through July 21, 2013.

 

The work is not for sale this weekend, but is available for purchase at Angelwood Gallery.



Uprooted 1

Uprooted 1
Photo by Luke Anthony Photography



"Uprooted 1" is one of the pieces that was really pushing me for my movement into beaded sculpture.  I knew that I had been collecting these rosebush roots for a reason and I decided to start with one of the smaller ones of my root collection.

As I created the beaded tendrils, I positioned them on the root and allowed the piece to speak to me and develop as I worked on it.  I initially thought it would only have 2 large tendrils reaching up out of it, but the root demanded a third.  When I was near-done with the piece and adding in the bead details on the root-base I felt it had to be growing 2 smaller tendrils at the ends of the root. 

Uprooted 1

Photo by Luke Anthony Photography

I did finally find a stopping point (I was a little scared to go overboard on this sculpture).  You can see it right now at the Grove Gallery through the end of April.

I'm very excited to announce that "Uprooted 1" was accepted to the Handweavers Guild of America's exhibit "Small Expressions 2013" which is an international juried show. Yay!  The opening reception for Small Expressions 2013 is June 1 at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center, just Northwest of Chicago.  I've changed my plans for that weekend so that I can go (and stop in for a visit to Chicago of course).

I've grown to love beading these tendrils, so I am on to working on "Uprooted 2" (I think).  I would love to have an entire grouping of these sculptures, leading up to a very large one.  I want to have plenty of practice before I start drilling into that root though.

"Climbing" small beaded wall sculpture

"Climbing" is the small version of that which I would like to create of a much larger scale.  I started in on the beaded "tree" portion of this piece and was lucky enough to find the perfect frame at Lamb's Gate Antiques in Old Town.

 

The big focus with this piece was beading the small individual sculptures and then stitching them together.  I'm excited that they really worked well with each other.  Almost as though I had planned it out.  However, you have to understand that I prefer to work conceptually and fingers crossed - hope it looks as attractive as I was hoping in my head. 

Often I'll finish a piece and it has to grow on me, but I'm happy to say that I fell in love with "Climbing" immediately.  Now, back to beading more sculptures!!!

It is available to see in person right now at Grove Gallery in East Lansing, MI.  The exhibit will be up until April 30, 2013.

 

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the

Arts Council of Greater Lansing

"Creating a Nature" Opening Reception follow-up

This past Sunday was the opening reception for my exhibit "Creating a Nature: A Fiber Art Exhibit"  I thank everyone who came so very much, there was a ton of love and support during a packed afternoon.  I had family in from the Ann Arbor, Fenton, and the Kalamazoo area. A friend came down from her place up north just for the opening, an artist that has watched me develop in fibers since I was 12 years old was there, and many other local artists and friends came by. I met a number of new people who loved my work to boot!

Thank you to my family who made it out for this reception and my mom who took all the photos for this blog post (I'm horrible at taking photos of anything but my work).  Also to my parents for making dinner post-show and leaving us yummy leftovers.  (Mom just figured out there was a smudge on her camera lens, hence the smudge in the photos!)

Thank you to the Arts Council of Greater Lansing for awarding me the 2012 Individual Artist's Grant.  I have been talking about making pieces on this scale for 2 or more years.  This grant gave me the kick in the pants to actually work with these ideas and start to develop where they're going.

Thank you so much to Deb and Gretel.  They were key parts in helping me hang this show on Friday.  I could not have done it without them.  I was dog tired and my wits hanging by a thread.  I'm glad they both were there because so often I want to do things on my own.  It would not look so well if I had insisted on doing it alone!

Jenny Schu and the last finished piece "In Progress" double weave

I finished "In Progress" the week of the show going up, but it got crazy at our place in the final stretch.  More to come on the individual pieces from this show.  I plan on taking the next week or two to relax some and also bulk up my jewelry stock since I have not been making jewelry lately.

Family Photo Left to right: Zack, me, Ron, Julie, Brittin, Nova, Adam, Kim, Carl

If you missed the opening reception, you still have plenty of time to come by Grove Gallery in the next two months to see the show.  Hours are 12-6 Tuesday-Friday and 12-4 Sat/Sun (closed Mondays).  I'm there most Tuesdays if you have any questions about the show.  Also, the First Sunday Gallery Walk for April we will have some snacks and refreshments and I will be demoing my beadweaving.

And no, I'm not tired of making leaves yet...

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the

Arts Council of Greater Lansing

She Can't See the Forest Through the Trees: Finishing Up

 

As you can see from the above photo, "She Can't See the Forest Through the Trees" is coming along nicely.  The "Forest" (woven) panel and the "Leaf" (mixed woven, stitched, beading) panel has been handed over to my photographer Luke Pline.  I'll have the "Trees" panel done this week.

 

It baffles me how long it took for this to come together, but I tend to forget how long it takes me to develop a concept to my own satisfaction, then actually produce it.  Plus the procrastinate on the finishing of a piece for much too long.  This is coming together great and I'm excited to see it up in the gallery rather than in my basement. 

 

 

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Lansing

Uprooted 1: Finishing Touches

Now that the tendrils have been set, the wood has been oiled and waxed, I get to address the final embellishments for "Uprooted 1"  It's exciting because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and have the wonderful scent of the walnut oil and wax finish in the air and clutching on to my hands as I work.

I had asked local woodworker/artist, Tom Cannon how he finishes his bowls without stain and varnish, just to keep the piece looking natural and he suggested a walnut oil and wax rub.  I looked up ways to make it, but decided that after collecting to ingrdients and taking the time to mix it up, it was faster and easier for me to order it.  I found BowlMakerInc.com and ordered the oil/wax combo.  I'm exremely happy with the outcome. You can find his finishes here.

As I was addressing where to put individual bead accents into parts of the root, it seemed like it was missing something.  There are two areas that needed tendrils "growing" out of them also.  They are much smaller than the original tendrils, and I've gotten a bit quicker at beading these shapes so here I go into 2 more.  They should take 30 hours or less to get done.

 

 

Let the countdown begin.  I swear I will get this piece done soon to have photographed and put on my postcard/exhibit promotion!
 

 



Forest through the Leaves: part 8, Leaf Panel

 

As it turns out, stitching leaves together always takes about five times longer than I think it will in my head.  I've spent over 25 hours sewing this panel together, I cannot even begin to fathom how long all of the leaves took me to make! (ok, 30-45 minutes per leaf x just over 120 leaves is approximately 90+ hours....and I've been hard on myself for slacking.)  It's a good thing that I love to do detailed work. I'm not even close to being sick of making leaves. Rather, I have even more leaf panel designs floating around in mind and my sketchbook.

This panel is made up two different leaf-techniques.  The first is the Russian Beaded Leaf that you see in so many of my jewelry designs.  The second leaf is a new exploration for me, with my handwoven remnants cut and stitched on my sewing machine for the leaf detail.  

The white background doesn't give this panel justice.  I stained the dowel that I'm going to attach it to this morning, so it will soon be hanging free and open.  You'll have to come to my exhibit in March/April to get a good look at it. 

This activity is made possible in part by a
grant from the Arts Council of Greater Lansing