Following the Inspiration: Part 8

Part 8:  The Beads

This fall Artbeads.com contacted me about their blogging for beads program. Every few months they send me products to sample and ask that I review them on my blog.  Last time it was Swarovski Crystals this time it was Silver and/or Glass beads.  Since I am at heart a seed bead lover and I had been spending the last month or two working on ideas for my 2010 BJP I thought I would combine two different things and get beads that I could use on my BJP project.

Since I went with glass beads and seed beads I got a fair number of different goodies to play with but even then I couldn’t just stick with what they were sending me so I had to add an order of my own to get more.  I am sure that the artists and beaders out there will understand you can never have enough.  The joy for me is that I had two orders to open up and play with.

Since I got so many goodies I will mention the ones in this review that I loved the most and review more of them as I use them on my Zentangle BJP.  All  the beads were wonderful and my only complaint would be that the packages of seed beads were not big enough ( I don't think they could be ; > ).  They do have the advantage of if you don’t need a lot you don’t have to order a big tube and use only a hundred or so and have tons left over and you can always order more packages if you want more.  Most of the non seed bead glass beads were available individually so you could order as many as you needed and ordering more means more discounts.

I admit I was really struck with some of the finishes on the Czech beads.  I ended up ordering more than one size/shape in Picasso, Picasso Brick, and Blue silk.  I really like the variety you get in the beads so although they are the same size and color the finish makes them just enough different to lend them some wonderful uniqueness.  I ended up with squares, daggers and lentils in Jet with Picasso and even some matte lentils and I love them all.  The matte ones have a really old earthy feel to them like they could have been around for a long time. I may have to order some more of some of these beads since I can see them as really cool bracelets and other jewelry.

Since I wanted to use the beads I got for my BJP project I chose seed beads that I thought that would go well with the zentangles that I am doing for my 2010 BJP.  I thought some 3 mm and 9 mm Toho bugle beads might be “just the ticket” since there are quite a few zentangles with straight lines. The Metallic Blue/Purple Iris are my favorites with the Dark Rainbow Iris coming in closely behind.  I must admit I do love metallic beads and choosing from the many colors was really hard for me.

I realized that the easiest way to give myself more of a selection without getting a lot more beads was to buy a couple of Toho Seed Bead Mixes.  I tend to love mixes anyway and when I don’t buy them will often make my own mixes for certain projects.  I ordered 4 different mixes and was quite pleased with them.  They included bugles, cubes and a range of different sizes of round seed beads.  Each mix was in a theme ( I chose Amber Blues, Blue Water, Grays and Blacks/Crystals). I could really see some of these mixes as really cool freeform peyote bracelets or something.  These will definitely come in to play a fair amount on my different blocks for 2010.

My other favorite beads (from both orders) were:

The Toho 8/0 round hybrid Jet Picasso; like the larger Czech bead these had the same finish in a smaller size and were really cool, need more of these beauties.

The Toho 1.5 mm cube Metallic Amethyst Gunmetal; it’s like they mixed gunmetal and purple and wow if you love purple these are a “must have.”  These baby cubes also make really cool bead embroidery to fill in an area. The other colors are almost as cool.

The Toho 11/0 round Matte Nickel-Plated Plum/Teal Iris and the 8/0 Matte Raku Nickel-Plated Plum/Teal Iris;  not sure what the difference is with the raku on the 8/0’s is but this is a color bomb that has lots of Wow to it.  It is a mix of fuchsia, teals, purples, and copper like colors in it.  Will have to make sure to pepper these around here and there for some fun sassy color.

 After receiving my orders and after I had my sketch for my Zentangle BJP done I decided to lay the larger beads out on the sketch so that I could make sure that I had them spread out on the piece.  I didn't want to end up with all of the larger beads in one block or one area.  I still have all of the seed beads that will be spread throughout the piece as well.


I am including more photos of the beads in my Zentangle BJP album on my web gallery.  If you are interested in knowing more about a specific bead leave a comment here I will get you the item number.  I will also have more photos of all  the beads in use every month in my Zentangle BJP.

Disclosure...As a reviewer of products at Artbeads.com, I received the glass beads above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Following the Inspiration: Part 7

Part 7: Ideas coming together/The Plan

So where does all of this process of saying what if and combining different ideas from different sources?

At this point several ideas are coming together and different things that I like are going to be included.  For anything that I wasn’t sure about I did some samples or trials (just another excuse to play).  So what have I ended up with so far?  I really like the Zentangles and am planning on using that as the basis of my BJP this year.  The graphic nature of the black and white would be a new direction for my BJP and combining that with stylized images would make it more “me.”  After making the original dragonfly zentangle I liked it so much that I decided to make a companion piece for it.

 I have decided to go with 12 tiles that join to make a larger piece.  I will be making the whole group as a zentangle in pen and ink and using beads and embroidery to add color and dimension.

Size: 5” square fabric blocks some of the edge blocks will probably have tangles that leave the outer edges.   The 12 blocks will join to form a total piece approximately 15” x 20” which I will probably mount on a canvas.

Techniques: This year I will be experimenting less with new techniques but will be mixing embroidery  and pen and ink work.  All the pen and ink will be black with the fabric being white.  The only color will come from embroidery.

I really like quotes and enjoy when I can bring quotes, lyrics or poems into my work; I really don’t do it often enough.  The big question would be what words to use.  I have been listening to a fair amount of music while working on the house and think that maybe one of the songs that I have been drawn to lately might have to come into play.

I have chosen my inspiration pieces; I will not be using every word.  Here are my choices:

Nickelback - If Today Was Your Last Day Lyrics
Songwriter: Chad Kroeger

My best friend gave me the best advice

He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind

And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?



Against the grain should be a way of life

What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice

Don't take the free ride in your own life



If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?



And would you call those friends you never see?

Reminisce old memories?

Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above

That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day

Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?

You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes
'
Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?

Reminisce old memories?

Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of

Swear up and down to God above

That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?


The Road Not taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, 

And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black. 

Oh, I kept the first for another day! 

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh
 
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
 
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
 
I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

If you wish to see all of the photos for all of the inspirations, trials, and the start of my BJP for 2010 you can go to my Web Gallery.  You can also see photos for the building and decorating of our house.  If you want to read about any of that you can visit my main blog.