Doin' It

I do it because it calms me...
I do it because I like how it makes me feel
During and after...
I do it because there is a part of me that screams for release...
I do it because I can't help myself...

This is why I bead.

Arrrgh Matey!

The newest thing I've learned is this Tubular Net Stitch which gives me another great excuse to use my sparkly Czech glass beads! I'm a sparkle junkie, I admit and heartily embrace that! I also love adding new beading techniques to my repertoire to keep things interesting and it's a great way to inspire new ideas.

What also inspires me is color. Sometimes I'll be looking through my many beads and baubles and fall in love all over again with something because the color just grabs me. Sometimes I'll be in Nadineland, designing jewelry in my mind and a color combination will come together that I know I will need to put together in real life in the very near future. This bracelet was a combination of the two. I came across my stash of skulls in all kinds of different colors and remembered I had been thinking of how certain shades of yellow go so well with certain smokey shades of browns, topazes and grays. The result is my Golden Treasures bracelet below!

I've definitely been having a love affair with my collection of dyed magnesite skulls. They scream to be paired with Czech glass, sparkling Swarovski crystals and imaginative beading! Doing so makes me very, very happy :)

Don't ask me why this bracelet makes me think of pirates and treasure chests but it does. Often, while working on a piece I can feel it begin to develop a personality, even a voice and that voice often whispers it's name to me. Serious! This one said "Arrrgh Matey, I be a Golden Treasure!" Maybe I should wear a foil hat while working?? Leave a comment and let me know!

Thanks for reading! There is joy in the Journey!

The Dark Side...

Can You Guess? (Scroll down for Updates!)

This is my latest project....can you guess what it is going to be? One hint....if you wear it while watching The Wizard of Oz you are teleported into a different dimension where Furbies feed you peeled grapes and sing old 80's songs. Who doesn't need that??

August 18, 2012 Morning - Update

I put this project down for a couple of days but I've committed to finishing it today. It took about 10hrs of work to get the band beaded day before yesterday. It is a design I developed quite awhile ago and filed it away in my "someday I'll make this" drawer. All of a sudden I just couldn't get it out of my mind so I knew the only cure was to make it. 

I've decided to make this one of my faux calf skin cuffs. One of the hardest parts of doing these is getting the curve correct. I found out by trial and error that you can't just sew the band to the calf skin flat because a wrist isn't flat...DUH you say? Well, yah, so did I. lol I used a canister to get the band to set while drying (I use a little glue to attach it before sewing it to the band). Draping it over the canister made sure it dried with the curve I need. Sewing it to the band and keeping the curve without making ripples in the work is a pain when doing these cuffs. It takes FOREVER. Well, finally,  I had the bright idea to use the canister again while I sew to hold the cuff in place and to keep wrinkles out. This has just made my life much easier! *doing Snoopy Happy Dance*

Todays goal: finish this Tribute Bracelet. Hopefully the next update will be the finished piece!

UPDATE - FINISHED!!

Before I unveil this special piece did you know:

• Roger Waters wrote most of DSOTM after Syd Barret had a mental breakdown and stopped working with the band?
• Alan Parsons was the engineer on this amazing album?
• This album spent approximately 14 YEARS on the Billboard Music Charts and holds the all time record for time spent on the music chart?
• David Gilmore did his guitar solo on the song "Time" in ONE TAKE? (he says this is not unusual for him)?

I'm especially proud of this cuff because Dark Side of the Moon is one of my favorite albums EVER. Pink Floyd began tickling my mind in the early 80's and has continued to do so ever since. This cuff was definitely a labor of love and I hope it finds it's way to someone that loves Pink Floyd as much as I do. I think it will :)

This was made with all high quality Japanese seed beads and a beautiful, supple faux calf skin I love working with. It's durable and extremely soft. This piece took about 15 hours to finish.

There is joy in the Journey!