Where does inspiration come from?

The beads in the first photo were put together to make a bead mix (or bead soup) to make the necklace I am wearing below.  But where, you ask, did I get the idea?  A friend of mine, Erin Siegel has this necklace as the cover page for jewelry stringing spring 2014.  As soon as I saw the necklace I loved the vibrancy of the colors and the simplicity of showing off the glass beads.  I already had a set of beads similar to the ones in her necklace, so I was thrilled to find a way to use them.  Often, as beaders, we buy things knowing we like them and will one day use them, but we don't always know what they will be used for or when that day will be.  The necklace is made on Irish waxed linen cord, not pictured.  So for me, the inspiration for this necklace comes from friends and color and the happiness of using beads I already have.  Thanks, Erin!

March Bead Journal Project

March for me represents water.  I'm a Pisces and I feel like water is my home.  When I am in water I am at peace.  My bead for this month represents water, and particularly Bead Cruise 2014.  I started the bead while on the cruise.  I brought a mix of size 11 seed beads and a mix of drop beads.  That's it.  There are probably 3 layers of beading on the wooden bead.  Lots of things you can't see, like swirls and ruffles and wave caps, but it's all in there.

This first photo is of my favorite beach, Wingaersheek Beach, in Gloucester, Mass.  We spent our childhood going to this beach.  There is a story that my father was once offered a plot of land when he got out of the army but he was young and it seemed expensive at the time.  If only....!  We were fortunate to have friends who had a house on the private side of the beach and that is where we went.  This is the path leading to the beach, just seeing it evokes so many memories.

February Bead Journal Project

In February I visited my mother in Arizona.  The visit was to help celebrate her 78th birthday and to attend a wedding shower for my nephew's fiance (now wife).  I was inspired by the cacti in her backyard and chose a palette that reflected the colors.  I thought I was going to create a nature-looking bead, so you can imagine how surprised I was when the bead turned out to look like a cake, a very fancy one.  I guess I had celebrations on my mind.  The bead was freeform using peyote and netting stitches.

Bead Journal Project 2014 - January

For my bead journaling I am using a 1" diameter wood ball and beading around it.  For January I have chosen the theme of snow, because this year our winter in Michigan broke all records for snow, and it was amazingly cold as well.  Interestingly, because it was so cold, the sky was often blue, which is unusual for our winters.  Usually it is gray and depressing.  What was depressing about this winter was how unbearably long it was and how it actually hurt to go outside because of the cold.