Beaded 2 Bless

After  teaching at the Texas Bead Retreat, often referred to as "TBR", the beaders reading these posts need to know a simple tip that I often share. I learned the hard way and want you to find the success I did much faster and a heck of a lot easier. When beading spirals or curves, we often start at the outer most line to set a reference point for the rest of the bead rows. Then we try to bead inside the lines. Sound like something else we were "taught" - to color in the lines? Well let's forget that! When beading spirals it is easier to bead your way bigger then setting your outline around those beads. Don't get me wrong- it can be done either way- and I often do it the hard way but it is good to know that there is an easier way! Let me try to give you a good mental picture. If you lay a towel on a bowl that is upside down, it drapes easily taking on the concave curvature of the bowl. However if you lift the bowl and try to tuck the towel up in it coveri...

It would seem my time spent in New Orleans DID have a monumental impact on my perspective on life! It was there that I learned how to "Do tha Butt", much to my mother's dismay. For those who may not know, it is a rather provocative dance that is still a whole lotta fun to do! Well, while I was at the Temple Bead Retreat I was doin' tha butt in a different way... It was a whole lotta fun to tell other beaders who asked what I was doing that, "I was doin' tha butt". Sometimes you just have to get your giggles in for the day.  Laughing is good therapy and beading is even better therapy because you have someone else to share the joke with. Blessings

I had wanted to keep all of the Doll Journey post totally drama free. Unfortunately, that's just part of it- the part of the journey that eventually defines what you do. You see, as we create our art, our  points of reference, which includes our skills, culture, experiences and beliefs, influence our decisions. THAT being said, I have begun another doll one that closely resembles a form I sold to a very dear friend. I had every intention of beading that form myself if no one purchased it at the retreat last August. The difference of the two are the gesture the arms are making. The second one suits me better, so that is a good thing.However,  I make mention of all this for two reasons-1) I must post each week and this week there is NO progress, but this realization- 2) this IS JUST PART OF IT! I am being brutally honest about the progress of this doll. I received terrible news concerning a  friend and mentor's health, though not totally unexpected, when it com...

We all would like to have the best tools we could possibly afford. Sometimes what you can afford is far from the best. In all artistic endeavors, there are tools that a must and then there are some that would be terrific to have but you can live without. What I am going to reveal is a tool that is easily affordable and you don't want to bead without! In a previous post I mentioned how it  makes things harder  to bead when we  add bits in certain places, this tool makes the difficult possible. In the past I have worked the arms and legs before they were attached to the torso and I recommend it if you can. It is far easier to bead, then attach the limbs. Sometime you must attach the limbs before you can bead because of the structure of the piece- like the doll below. One thing that makes beading easier, the difficult possible AND is a must have tool is A CURVED BEADING NEEDLE. It is small enough to go thru the beads (those with good holes anyhow.) I will adm...