shine up some stash

I've been playing with dominos again.....no not the real way......just by tarting them up a little.  The dominos have been altered with Adirondack Alcohol Inks, collaged with torn bits of Japanese Paper/text and then the bead, sequin(s) or other embellishment was added.  After everything dried, I added a layer of Ranger, Glossy Accents for a lovely, shiny, glass-like layer on the top (from a video I watched and then lost on the net).  It's amazing what a difference this makes!   I've added a glue on silver bail to one of them, but you could also add a pin back or bezel around them with peyote stitch.  What would you use them for?

I'm definitely keeping this one!  It's my favourite, so far.....

The blue one is yummy, but do you notice that the text is upside down?  Call it artistic license! The one above is the same, but it doesn't bother me one little bit!

This one includes a small washer, altered with a patina product from Ranger, but I forget the name.  I think that I also used a bit of Guilder's Paste.

I needed to add a second coat of Glossy Accents to this one as it dried with a few too many bubbles and a rough spot.  I think I liked it better before I did that.  Now it looks a little cloudy.  Sigh!

Very simple with a thin bit of cork on a dark background.

The Tri-omino is interesting!  Only problem, there's a metal bit on the back that interferes with my glue on bail.  I'll need to see if I can buy some smaller bails. 



So, what do you think?  It won't replace fibre art or bead embroidery in my heart, but it's a fun little diversion.  Don't you just love the patterning you get with the alcohol inks?  I made two of them at my place a couple of weeks ago and the rest at my friend Deb's last weekend (after a trip to The Paper Place for their annual Scrap Bag sale and then hi-jacking her dominos). I think that I forgot to photograph the other one I made at home.....I wonder where it's hiding?..........hmmmmm.......perhaps it's escaped!!!!

I think that I need to play some more, but perhaps with fabric &/or paint this time.  Oh, and there's the leather cording that's just begging to be braided........what to do, what to do?  Really, I think I need to pull some fabric to get ready for my fibre art class with Alice Vander Vennen next weekend.  Imagine that, three whole days of creative bliss!!!! 

a little of this.....a little of that

Not much to show, because I've been deep into my annual, February blahs!  But now it's March.......so I'll just need to practice new techniques and start infusing my life with a little more colour and texture.

The braids I'm showing are the result of a 'Braided "Pandora Style" Cord Bracelet' class I took from Angela Peace at BeadFx in Toronto.  I had a hard time getting  my head around the technique, but as soon as it 'clicked' I just couldn't stop!!!  I made two bracelets, plus a practice piece in the class (the red and blue finished bracelets at the front) and I've been just doodling around with the rest.......I've used strips of rattail cording, ultrasuede, real suede, yarn, string, knitting ribbon and even some thin silicone tubing.  My favourites so far are the knitting ribbon and the suede, but I must confess that the round leather cording I purchased last week, is going to be absolutely yummy!.  My next update on this process will be when I finish off a few of the pieces.  Of course, there's far too many for one wrist to wear, so I may need to gift a few.............

By the way, it's a four strand round braid, if you want to look up the process on the internet.  I'm not really sure if that's the official name, but that's what I'm calling it until I hear otherwise.  Come on, all you children of the 50's and 60's......surely you remember doing something like this!!!

The next photo shows the beads I removed from 'The Travelling Bead Box' I'm participating in with my friends over at the BeadDreamz Yahoo Group.  This box is going to travel around the US (and to me as the token Canadian), picking up beads along the way.  I was the first stop, so I didn't want to take too much.  I love the items that I removed and feel that I will probably end up making some type of necklace.  I was at Michaels (big box, craft store), earlier today and spotted the perfect copper chain.  However, did I think that I could use it for said necklace???  No of course not! I picked it up and admired it for a while and then put it back on the rack.  I couldn't see an immediate use for it, so decided not to add it to my stash.  Silly, silly me!!!  Now I'll need to go back to Michaels next week.  With a little luck, the chain will be waiting for me. 

Anyway, I hope that the other participants like the items I included in the box. I included a lot of small bags of beads and treasures, well suited to bead embroidery. Shhh.....I also parted with a very special, alcohol inked and collaged domino. I really do want to see what becomes of that little treasure, so I hope that someone adopts it.  I can hardly wait for the bead box to travel back to me......full and sassy and ripe for the picking!!!!!

On the bead journal project front, I've finished off my 2012 series and made them the focal part of a quilted piece, I've entered in the Grand National. As it's a national juried show, it wouldn't be right to show photos until I find out if the piece has been accepted. BTW, the theme for the show is "Local Colour".

I haven't even started my 2013 BJP.....I will.......but perhaps I'll do another piece first for Threadworks, another national juried show. As this one is a travelling one (across Canada), it could be interesting. The theme is "Water" and I'm already feeling the pull of the waves..........Did I tell you that I love the smell, the feel and the sound of water?