Busy beading

One downside to beading is that it can take so long to make something, especially if you're trying to come up with your own designs. A few times I have nearly finished something and realized it would not work and took it all apart again. One thing I was trying was to create a doughnut shape without copying someone else, and after a few tries I finally got one to work. This has chocolate cherry seed beads, iridescent clear beads, and fluted purple beads.

I made these earring just because I think these green beads are really cute, so tiny and nicely faceted.

This beaded ball design is from a book, Crystal Play by Anna Elizabeth Dreager, but I used round faceted beads instead of bicones, which I think made it a little bumpier, but I still like it. I used the same design for the earrings. Red and black beads with gunmetal seed beads, which look really light because they reflect so much.

I also managed a small painting for the Different Strokes Project at wetcanvas.com. The theme this month was indulgence, and I went with sweets and beads! It was hard to concentrate on this though because I kept wanting to get back to beading. I think I will indulge in beading for a least a few more days, and then get back to painting more.
Ferrero and Beads, 6x4" on acrylic paper.

Addicted to beads

I just realized that I haven't posted since May. Summer was a busy time with camping and gardening. I did get some painting done, a couple of my acrylics are posted on my website, though I see one is missing. I also did some digital work but unfortunately my computer crashed completely at the end of summer and I lost a couple of paintings that I will have to do over again. I'm trying to see it as a blessing in disguise, that maybe the paintings will be better the second time. I know they won't be the same.

And lately I have been buying lots of beads and I have been trying out new techniques and trying to come up with my own designs. I have a pack of beads that have nice colours but are very irregular in size and shape, so I came up with these earrings to make use of them.

I hope to do a lot of painting and beading during the winter months.