Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Wow...It's Done!



Wow is what I have to say. No I have more but this experiment has been quite the learning process. Start with the background. I alway's do the background color's in acrylic paint. I wanted to give an underwater effect but I am not a painter so experimented with watercolor's. Everyone that has kids in the house has some kind of watercolor's laying around. I did not know whether or not the canvas would absorb it but it did with enough water which also managed to create that streaky light and dark underwater look to it. As you know I started the picture with just a basic couple of lines drawn for the sand castle and added the different features of the castle as I went along. The ton's of light brown seedbeads and bugles I used on the castle were taken from a destroyed vintage gown and let me tell you they are tiny. For every two beads I strung I threw one away because it would not fit over my thinnest beading needles. This was a very long, time consuming process. Everything on the ground and around the castle I added as I thought of it, you can tell by the cartoon quality of the fish, I can't draw. I haven't been near the ocean or a see since I was a very little girl but I often dream about the day I get to visit Hawaii and what I would find on the floor under the water. Of course the gorgeous colored water polished rocks will be an instant draw so I pulled out bunches of semi precious gemstone chips in earthy colors to add to the castle wall. There has to be broken shells laying about so we needed some mother of pearl chips on the castle. I needed greenery but did not want to overwhelm what space I had so just used my seedbeads to put some vines here and there then pulled out a baggie full of acrylic flower odds and ends I have never found a use for. There has to be snail and other life living down there so I used a bag of tiny shells that I have been hoarding for a long time. And of course we need pearls. Couldn't seem to draw a good enough clam or oyster but why can't we just have some pearls? So I added a bunch of the dyed freshwater pearls that I accumulate because I looooove freshwater pearls.


After all of this work had been done I realize I had forgotten the 2 inch rule. In order to have a canvas stretched properly, you must have 2 inches of bare canvas all the way around. My daughter came up with binding the sides with row's of seedbeads and turn it into a wall hanging. I thought it was worth trying so used a blue blanket binding stitched into place with rows of seedbeads, added tabs to the top to put a dowel through and it worked! It measures 11" by 14", the back is not perfect. While I work wonders with a needle and thread and pile of beads I haven't done so well mastering needle and thread and material. But it's okay. I used a layer of felt on the back. Of course I needed sparkle, we are under the sea, so a little bit of fabric glitter paint, several layers of acrylic varnish and everything is securely in place and I am ready to list this!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Happiness

I have been on a crazy schedule these last few day's and expect I will be for the summer so I am thinking of small, quickly done items to work on. Also looking for way's to keep a good attitude so what could be more perfect than a 6"x6" beaded painting of the Chinese Symbol for Happiness!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

New work

Hi there! I have an awful lot of stuff going on and most of it, not good. Not going to go into it but I will say that I am once again trying to keep my mind on my work. I have an awful lot to think about and one of those things is trying to find the right direction to keep my mind in to produce and list for sale as much work as I can. I need a few miracles which will only happen when I start to sell faster than I produce but in the mean time......I'm trying to keep producing.
I have once again started putting work in both my Etsy shop and my Ebay Auction. I know, I know, I get very discouraged with Ebay but I have to keep trying. Any way, I have not finished putting my Underwater painting together, just don't seem to find the room to work but I will get it done. This picture above is an Amulet bag I just finished tonight. Can't seem to get a good pictures but it's gorgeous. So I listed it on Ebay, I took alot of extra pictures so if it doesn't sell it will be easy enough to slide over to my Etsy store. I just last week started working 6 day weeks for the busy summer season, cross your fingers for me, it is too much for me but I want to hang in there, at the same time I am once again going through alot of junk with my Dr.s.
I know I haven't done a Tori update in a while, that's simply because there isn't much to update, she keeps getting sick, we did find out when she was supposed to have surgery she got that ear/sinus/throat infection because she seems to have had a relapse on the mono so she is still as alway's very infection prone. Add that to , we still have no answers on the thryroid. I keep saying I want an answer and none is forthcoming. All her new testing has been held up with more insurance problems so it's looking like it will be the end of summer before we start getting help again to get this poor kid straightened out. Maybe we can be hospital roommates because between the two of us this is going to be a rough end of year.
Any way, I probably don't make alot of sense right now but as I said, I have got a ton of crap going on that I am trying to deal with and I'm not doing a real good job at the moment. Just going to stop thinking and go play with my beads some more. Hope everyone is enjoying summer so far!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Just a little more



Just a little more work and this will be done. I am having such a good time adding odds and ends from my stash. We ton's of seedbeads, gemstone chips, mother of pearl chips, freshwater pearls, some tiny seashells, acrylic flowers, lustered acrylic beads, now painting and finishing off edges! This is a really heavy piece and I am trying to decide how to finish it. I did not leave enough raw canvas on the edges to stretch it properly. My daughter say's I should sew it to a backing and use dowels turning it into a wall hanging. That might be a good idea if it's not too heavy for the dowel. hmmmmmm

Saturday, July 9, 2011

A little more progress

I have to work tonight. During the summer months the store stays open late on Friday and Saturday because our town is full of tourists right up until the 1st week of September when the horse racing is done. That means I will set this aside and not get back to it for a few days. So, yesterday I started some Dr. appointments and so far I don't have good news and got a bit stressed . Well we all know when I get stressed I lock myself in the studio and Bead. So here is what we have tonight. Some fish to call the castle home, a little bit of greenery started for underwater plants and just starting on the ocean floor. There has been no part of this picture preplanned so I am adding as idea's come to me. I have a feeling I will be working on it a while because I have alot to think about. It's not so much that I don't expect to run into different health problems, I know I will for the rest of my life since my diseases of Chiari and Syringomylia will never go away but....we are still fighting to get my granddaughter healthy, still hitting one brick wall after another. I need to know she is fixed before I let Dr.s start playing on me again. .....
AlyGator........This is going to be a beaded painting, just haven't had the canvas stretched yet, I love it when you comment, sadly I still can't get blogger to let me respond to comments on my own blog posts....sigh.....

Thursday, July 7, 2011

A progress shot

I thought tonight was a good time to show you the progress I have made on this. My castle is pretty much complete. I am adding fish, some underwater plants and some more variety of colored gemstone chips to the ground. That's all I have planned out so far. I think this one is going to take me a while but I am truly having fun with it.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

To live like an 8 year old

Oh to be an 8 year old with the biggest worry on your mind is whether the water is going to be to cold!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy 4th to all

Hope you had a great holiday!! I had to work during the day and of course once I got home the pain in my legs and feet was so bad I could not totter off to the park to watch fireworks. That was a bit disapointing because I love them but that's life and I will pay for my decision to work in way's that I never thought of. That's okay , I got to see pictures Liz took and she is a good photographer so hoping to steal some pictures once she gets them up.

I'm sure your wondering why this picture up here. This is my son TJ and his girl Liz. Yesterday was TJ's 27th birthday. He is my baby so I am feeling a bit melancholy not to mention a little old ;o) Any way, it's hard to get a good picture of these two and I just really liked this one.