Marcie, Margie and Me - Weis Church Fresco #80

It's hard to believe another 2 weeks has passed since the most recent Margie and Me challenge was set by Marcie at La Bella Joya.

The colour palette for this challenge was 

Colour Palette #80

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"Weis Church Fresco"

I used the masterpiece, that is the ceiling as pictured above, as my inspiration. 

I decided not to go with the colour palette created in the colour generator but focused on the pinks, blues and golds that make up this incredibly amazing ceiling.

The focal piece is a glass fused cabochon I made especially for the challenge in my microwave kiln.

After a little trial and error I managed to create a mix of colours  I felt reflected those found in the church's ceiling.

The cabochon was very difficult to photograph due to the glass being extremely shiny and no matter how hard I tried I continued to have a lot of reflection on the glass...until I took a shot of the piece on it's side!

It's hard to tell from the images but the picot edge is so pretty and shimmery. 

The seed beads are a mixture of size 15/0  gavlanised gold seed beads as well as Rainbow Cream Soda beads in size 11/0, producing some really pretty colours in the light.

Delica beads were used in the peyote bezel and the piece was backed with ultrasuede.

 I have to admit that again the color palette isn't something I'd normally go for. 

I don't consider myself the most "girliest of girls" so when I chose the church's ceiling for my inspiration I was a little concerned with the very ''pretty" colours.

  

But yet again this challenge has resulted in me not only using colours together that I normally would not...

....but yet I have again created a piece that I love!

Thanks again Marcie for yet another great palette choice 

and encouraging me to create out of my comfort zone!

♥

Falling Leaves

As you are aware I am an Artbeads Design Partner and take part in their blogging program.

Their recent themes have been Spring and Summer and you guessed it the current theme is Fall.

It's actually Spring here in Australia so I am surrounded by beautiful flowers, buzzing bees and the air is filled with pollen and the scent of native blossoms.

Reflecting on Autumn I have named my piece

Falling Leaves

As soon as I saw the gorgeous ceramic pendant I knew I had to have it!

The peyote "butterfly bail" was created using a gorgeous pattern from Kassie at The Beading Butterfly and is the first bail I have stitched of this kind.

The pattern for the bail called for delica beads but to compliment the St Petersburg necklace, which I think is reminiscent of falling leaves, I used size 11/0 seed beads instead.

To compliment the black diamond within the pendant I added some black ceramic beads.

I think the Butterfly Bail pattern is more suited for round pieces such as a donut as it tends to sit better but I think I tweeked it enough and it works well!

 

The open diamond toggle was created using a pattern from Diane Fitzgerald's inspiring book,

Shaped Beadwork.

This is the first time I had attempted 3 dimensional peyote (other than a round toggle) and I am super excited with the final result!

I was a little apprehensive about trying this technique as the steps always seemed a little advanced for me so I was really surprised to discover how easy it was. I will definitely be making more!  

The pattern for the open diamond also called for delicas but again I felt matching the beads to the necklace provided continuity.

 What do you think?

I think the piece has a little Japanese feel to it.

♥

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Disclosure: I am a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program. I received all the components free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

I think that switch has just been flicked!

Marice of La Bella Joya recently wrote a very interesting article on the different levels of creativity. If you haven't read Marcie's post be sure to click HERE - it is definitely worth reading.

Her article got me thinking. I'm always doubting my creative abilities and find myself constantly comparing myself to other bead artists.

Even though many people have told me this is unhealthy I continue to make the comparison. I think it's just human nature to doubt our abilities and compare ourselves to others...right?

But what I have been trying to tell myself is that the artists and designers I compare myself to may have been beading for a lot longer than me.
I started beading in 2003 but only ventured into bead embroidery in 2008 and bead weaving in 2009...so I guess you could consider me a bit of a novice in the latter two areas. 

I also try to tell myself that those I compare myself to may spend more time beading than me.
I only get to bead for around 2 hours a day and that is usually for about half an hour on my lunch break and then in the evenings, late at night.

Throughout Marcie's post she shared photos of some of her earlier pieces reflecting on where she started as a beader and how her beading has developed over the years.

I then reflected on just how far my beading has come since 2003 and that perhaps looking back at my earlier work, as she did, may just be the the flick of the switch I need to make that light bulb light up in my head
and say
''look how far you have come Karyn, stop doubting your abilities".

So with that thought in mind join me on my beading journey...
...so far.

~~~~

My first stringing piece

Gosh I remember how excited I was that I actually made a necklace!
Created with seed beads and Czech glass bugs!

I literally caught the beading bug after this piece!

~~~

And then I developed a love of seed beads and cabochons.

My beaded cabochon, completed in October 2008

The tiger's eye cabochon is a whopping  40mm long - didn't really start with a small one did I?

Instead of gluing the cab to stiff stuff or felt I actually glued it to a leather scrap...not suede... leather!
Don't do this!
The thread was so hard to pull through the leather that at times I needed to use a small pair of pliers. Needless to say I have never used leather again so let this be a lesson learned!

~~~

As I was spending more time with seed beads I found myself paying more attention to bead woven pieces so I made a conscious effort to learn some new stitches.

~~~

My first attempt at Brick Stitch

My first attempt at St Petersburg

and St Petersburg using cube beads

My first attempt at Right Angle Weave (RAW)

 

My first piece using Spiral weave

Tubular Herringbone 

I still haven't tried regular Herringbone!

I also tried my hand at some new techniques.

~~

Using a loom

Adding a fringe
as well as a peyote bezel edge and using drop beads for the edging

  

My first attempt at a peyote toggle

Peyote tubular beads as well as Right Angle Weave round beaded beads.

~~~

And some bead embroidery pieces using lots and lots of seed beads!

This piece was stitched using size 15/0 seed beads. What was I thinking!

This piece included glass fused cabochons made by myself, the largest cab made by my husband!

And last but not least my very first attempt at polymer clay and steampunk!

~~~

What a great journey this has been for me.

Looking back at some of my earlier pieces really has made realise how far I have come.

A great reminder that no matter what your skill level is  

there will always be something to learn.

Focus on how far you have come... not how far you have to go.

Did you hear that click?

I think that switch has just been flicked!

♥

Trial and error

I have been trying to make some glass fused cabochons to use in my Margie & Me piece this week but for some reason I just can't get the colours right.

Not that it matters too much as I am still happy with the results and am sure they can be used at another time.

What do you think?

I have another cooling in the kiln as I write this post so hopefully it will turn out better than these two.

♥

Where we create

Lori of Waterstone Jewlery has a new weekly game called "Where we create" so I thought I'd jump on the band wagon and share my little space.

My workspace is a large round table that sits off the side of our living room. It's a great spot to sit as I can talk to Alan and Spencer, watch tv and generally feel like I am not being too rude by leaving the room!

The table is very large and one of which we are in the middle of adding a mosaic design to. You can see the areas of which we have tiled so far.

You can also see ''one'' of my boxes of cabochons. I am trying to figure out what cabs to use in my next "Marcie, Margie and Me'' challenge.

You can also see my red and black ''Fall'' piece I am creating for the Artbeads Design Partner Blogging Program.

And in the background some new cookbooks I bought... Blazing Barbecues and Cookies, Muffins and Cakes.

My workspace is actually quite neat at the moment and I am proud to say I did resist the urge to tidy it before taking this photo!

♥

The best breakfast ever!

As you can see we finally enjoyed some sunshine instead of rain and managed to complete our deck!

How awesome does it look!

Even Rufus thinks it looks pretty special!

On Monday Spencer and I sat and ate our breakfast on the deck.

It was wonderful sitting out in the morning sun listening to the birds chirping, welcoming another day of sunshine.

Spencer thinks it looks pretty awesome too and has even been seen doing a spot of dancing on the boards!

This weekend we plan on sanding the boards and then sealing them with some decking oil.

Fingers crossed for more sunshine.... it's raining today!

Before Alan finished laying the boards on Sunday afternoon, I sat and beaded on the little deck that he had already completed.

You can see my little space below with my beading tray!

Me thinks it will be a perfect place to bead!

I just have to remember not to drop any beads down the cracks!

Here we come summer days,
BBQ's and afternoons spent staring at the clouds!

♥

Marcie, Margie & Me - Weis Church Fresco #80

Marcie at La Bella Joya is kicking off her Margie & Me Challenge for another week and this week the colour palette from "The Beader's Color Palette" is 

Colour Palette #80

~~

"Weis Church Fresco"

Now the question is do you use the church itself as inspiration for your colour palette?

The masterpiece that is the ceiling inside?

Or the stunning architecture?

Hmmmmmm...decisions ....decisions!

Watch this space.

♥
Colour palettes created using Big Huge Labs color palette generator.

My Creative Space

I've been working on a few pieces lately but the main one I need to get finished is my "Fall" piece for the Artbeads Design Partner Blogging Program.

It's nearly finished!

You can also see a piece I am working on from Marcia DeCoster's book!

I just need to add a bail and then attach the peyote toggle I have made... 

...and of course weave in all that thread!

Check out this cool open diamond toggle created from Diane Fitzgerald's book, Shaped Beadwork.

What can be found in your creative space this week?

♥

Do you like donuts?

Have you ever seen a more amazing donut than this one?

It was created by French designer, Laura of Laure Bijoux. 

Would you like to try your hand at making one?

Well visit her blog by clicking HERE, leave a comment, subscribe to her newsletter 

and the pattern for this beauty will be yours!

♥

What inspires you?

I have been considering entering the Artbeads Beading Contest.

Apart from the challenge of creating another competition worthy piece what would be nicer than winning $500.00

to spend at Artbeads,

especially with the US dollar being so great for us Aussies at the moment!

So the big question I have been pondering is:

What inspires me?

I was browsing through my blog enjoying a few old posts when I came across some photographs I had posted which I still find beautiful and inspiring.

 I am sure that when most of us think about what inspires us we say our family and/or friends but unfortunately people are very difficult to incorporate into our beading designs.

Therefore it's not surprising that nature is the next most popular source of inspiration!

~~~

Sunflowers in our garden

I love the spiral effect in the centre of the flower, which makes me dizzy if I stare at it for too long! How cool is it that the seeds just grow like that naturally!

A Flame Tree in a local park

I still remember how blindingly bright the red flowers were on this stunning tree. It was a glorious day with beautiful blue skies that seemed to stretch on forever and was a treasured day spent with my dad and stepmum during their visit to Brisbane.

A passionfruit flower growing on our vine

Apart from the striking colour of these amazing flowers, I find the structure of the stamen intriguing. It's amazing to think this flower turns into a delicious edible delight!

Roots of a fig tree

I could sit and stare at these roots all day. Full of mystery and wonder they remind me of something described in a fairytale expecting a tiny person to crawl out of the roots at any given moment!

A glorious ginger plant

Growing wild at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

I adore the palette of soft delicate colours in this flower, they are reminiscent of frangipannis.

Vibrant flower

From memory I think this flower may be another ginger variety but can't be sure.

Either way it's beauty is captivating. 

Look at the way the petals form together.

~~~

What is inspiring you today?

♥