Beading Arts

Orthoceras fossil - mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-10-01T08:37:00.001-04:00

This is an orthoceras fossil that I picked up at a street market in England, in the Before-Times when we could travel freely!

Blossoms of the Moonlit Waves - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-09-03T08:01:00.001-04:00

Blossoms of the Moonlit Waves

Are they flowers or are they sea creatures? Maybe they are both, as the name suggests! Made from sugilite, charoite, Swarovski crystals, seed beads, and pearls.

If you'd like to see all my process shots, visit the link!

This was an extremely time-consuming but delightfully fun piece to make.

Moonlight - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-09-02T08:47:00.002-04:00

Leave a comment to adopt one of my pendants!

The focal piece of this necklace is my one of my very favorite metal artists, Jennifer West of Off the Grid Designs. I just love how this one came out!

Kitties - two mixed media bead embroidered pendants

2021-08-16T08:52:00.000-04:00

These two pendants have found their forever homes! The cute focals were made by my friend Dorothy Supri of Skyline Beads <3

Thistles - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-08-09T13:25:00.003-04:00

Thistles

I love this piece, which features a metal focal and charm by my friend Jennifer West.

Peacock - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-08-03T14:16:00.002-04:00

Available! Leave me a comment

I love this little guy! The focal piece was made by my friend Dorothy Supri.

Blue Floral - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-07-26T19:41:00.001-04:00

Blue Floral

This pendant has found its forever home, but I have others that are similar! Contact me to adopt one of my pendants
The focal is by Shari Smith McDermott, and the little raku bead is by Amy Mealey.

Standing Tall - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-07-16T12:01:00.002-04:00

Available! Leave a comment

Mermaid - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-07-13T08:49:00.000-04:00

I love seashore colors, especially in the summer!

Copper - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-07-12T13:15:00.003-04:00

Looks like Copper may have found its forever home!

Fuchsia Swirls - a bead embroidered pendant

2021-07-09T07:50:00.003-04:00

Available! Leave me a comment

First introduced in 2019...now looking for it's forever home!

Three Tiered Pendant - a mixed media bead embroidered pendant

2021-07-07T15:37:00.001-04:00

Available! Leave me a comment

Ammonites are one of my most favorite cabochons to work with. They are deep, and need extra care to bezel them properly, but they are sooo worth it!

Ruth Ann's Garden - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-06-28T11:10:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite pieces. I made it years ago, and it was inspired by my Mother, who has the greenest of green thumbs I've ever known! I wrote a tutorial to show you the basic steps of how it was conceived and put together. It combines bead embroidery, beadweaving, and a little bit of stringing.

The Peaceful Fox and The Ghost of the Forest

2021-06-24T12:29:00.001-04:00

The Peaceful Fox and The Ghost of the Forest have found their forever home! I know they will be well cared for. Please contact me if you are interested in adopting a different pendant <3

Andante - a mixed media necklace

2021-06-14T08:09:00.002-04:00

Andante

The idea for this piece started to form in my mind when my husband became involved in restoring an antique player piano. The keys called to me in ways that I couldn't explain. I cried when I thought about the elephants that had been destroyed to make these objects of beauty. My tribute to those majestic animals is to prevent some of those keys from ending up in a landfill.

Note ~ The only ivory that it is currently legal to use in the United States is either ancient fossilized ivory, or old recycled ivory like these keys.

Gaea Emerging - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-05-11T12:28:00.002-04:00

Gaea Emerging

Wool roving, seed beads, pearls, aventurine, jade, copper

In making Gaea Emerging, I developed a two-layered solution to the problem of stitched-on embellishments getting lost in the texture of the wool roving when felted wool is used as a background. The centerpiece of Gaea Emerging is a CopprClay pendant that I made, fired, and patinated. The organic feel of the piece led to the name.

There are some step-out photos and basic instructions at the link.

Ancient Waves - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-04-26T12:13:00.004-04:00

Ancient Waves

Ammonites, jasper, Swarovski crystals, seed beads, and pearls

Here are some step-out photos of the process at the link :-)

Dark Lady - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-03-24T08:30:00.002-04:00

Dark Lady

An antique purse that was well beyond repair provided the steel-cut beads and the chain used for the closure of this recycled bead embroidered necklace. All of the black beads, from the fringe to the smallest glass charlottes are recycled antiques as well. The steel buttons have been attached in such a way that their shanks have been preserved.

Orinoco Flow - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-03-16T09:23:00.001-04:00

Orinoco Flow

My daughter pointed out to me that this piece uses several very primitive symbols, like concentric circles and jagged lines, which often represent watering holes and the rivers that connect them. So I picked Orinoco Flow as the name. It has turquoise, amazonite, and pearls, and gold wire along with the glass beads.

If you'd like to see a couple of process shots, visit the link!

Midnight at the Oasis - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-02-23T08:15:00.004-05:00

Midnight at the Oasis

"It's midnight at the oasis, send your camel to bed," sang the incomparable Maria Muldaur. My friends and I used to howl with laughter as we sang along! Now I find myself nostalgic for the song if you can believe it.

This bead embroidery necklace uses complicated clusters of graduated stacks of seed beads to create the texture. The photograph just doesn't show how dimensional it is. If you'd like to see all my process shots, there's a three-part post on my blog that starts at the link.

Phoebe - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

2021-02-18T08:34:00.001-05:00

Phoebe

Hello friends! I haven't had time to work on new pieces since I'm still running a food pantry and hot meals program during the Time of Covid. So I thought I'd take a bit of a trip down memory lane and share some of my older pieces again. I hope you don't mind. This one is called Phoebe. She is named for Saturn's ice moon, which was in turn named for a Titan of Greek mythology.

Fossils

2020-09-03T14:52:00.002-04:00

I got this great polymer clay cabochon set from Sherri Kellberg, BeadazzleMe. I thought I just needed a push to get back into making things, and this seemed to do it. I am trying to set aside some creative time when I'm not working on or obsessing over the food pantry and meals program.

Further instruction on making bead embroidered pieces can be found in Every Bead Has a Story, where the first chapter is free to download.

COVID-19 update

2020-08-10T12:36:00.000-04:00

Some of my friends - around the US and around the world - have probably wondered why I've stopped posting new work. Here's why:

I run a food pantry and a weekly dinner for the food insecure, lonely, and marginalized people in my community. With the covid-19 crisis, my work there has increased a higher percentage than I can even figure out. I've been eating, sleeping, and breathing Stone Soup Kitchen Ministries. It has left no vacant brain space for making new art right now.

As an introvert, I would have liked nothing better than to hunker down and just make things. But that wasn't in the cards. I've been put in a uniquely privileged position to be able to do this, and I thank you all for understanding that it is the most important thing to me right now.

Some day in the not TOO distant future, I hope to be able to create art again.

A bead embroidered floral donut pendant

2020-03-23T08:18:00.000-04:00

Available! Leave me a comment

Just last week I finished and posted a pendant using one of Yvonne Irvin-Faus's quirky fun pieces. Seems I'm on a roll! For this one, I decided to go more elaborate with the bail, stitching up a butterfly bail. They are waaay easier to make than they look. In fact, when I was on vacation last summer, I stitched up a whole bunch of these.

Which leads me to an idea.

If you are stuck inside right now, especially if you can't get the exact materials you'd like in order to start/continue/finish a project, or if you are finding your creativity waning because of stress, try this. Pick an easy small project like bails and make a bunch of them in various colors. It doesn't have to be bails. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It doesn't have to be something for a specific project. JUST MAKE SOMETHING...ANYTHING! The act of making, of moving your hands, will open your mind and unblock your creativity. I promise. I've seen it work hundreds of times.

As always, if you are interested in getting started with bead embroidery, I invite you to download a free copy of my e-book's first chapter, Every Bead Has a Story. If other forms of beading interest you, please check out the Tutorials tab at the top of the blog. It's a good time to plan and try out a new art form!

Eyes of March #2

2020-03-17T07:54:00.003-04:00

Available! Leave me a comment

I love these bright fun pieces by Yvonne Irvin-Faus. Yvonne has a site you can check out called MyElements by Yvonne. In fact, I just realized when I went to post this piece that I had made a similar one almost exactly a year ago! You can see it at the link...it's a bit more elaborate than this one.

As always, if you are interested in getting started with bead embroidery, I invite you to download a free copy of my e-book's first chapter, Every Bead Has a Story. If other forms of beading interest you, please check out the Tutorials tab at the top of the blog. Since we are all laying low right now, due to the virus, it's a good time to plan and try out a new art form!