Esmerelda & Gricelda

I am enjoying the arch swap with my Textile Challenges group very much, even though I am consistently one month late!


For the month of February, I have created an arch for Carol R. Inspiration for her arch comes from her theme ideas of fairies & nature. I decided to create a nighttime fairy flying over a garden of dreams. No larger than a butterfly, she's a wise more-that-mature fairy, as evidenced by her graying locks of wild, independent hair! She scatters seeds of inspiration and creativity wherever she flits and flies. This friendly fairy has been christened Esmerelda and her twin sister, Gricelda, appears on my coordinating BJP. Their names make me smile as they remind me of twin seventh grade girls whom I taught eons ago in Los Fresnos, Texas.

Both Esmerelda and Gricelda wear garments of satin, tulle and glittery sequins. Their wings are from butterflies and their hands hold their magic seeds hidden from view as even fairies are allowed secret, deep pockets for their treasures! They fly across moonlit gardens of blooming lapines scattering their beaded seeds everywhere. The moon and stars (former candy wrappers) provide the glimmering light in the deep velvety dark night.
Now that I have officially introduced Esmerelda, she will finally fly to her new home in Carol R's garden of blossoming wonders, her studio. Gricelda will remain here in Texas to inspire and motivate me as I continue my work on my March arch (it really is started Alis, promise!) and my April arch (for Lyn -- still but a glimmer) and coordinating BJPs.

FYI: Gricelda is my 5th BJP!

Textile Challenges

I am in a Yahoo group called Textile Challenges, run by the amazing Carol Tina Taylor. She comes up with creative ideas, challenging us to try them and share our results. Carol readily accepts ideas from everyone, arranges swaps for select challenges, encourages each of us, and keeps up with this busy pace -- all will teaching full-time and raising a lovely little girl! Carol, you simply amaze me! I want to be like you when I grow up (even if I'm a smidgeon older!) Oh, did I mention, she writes her own blog too.

Anyway, while this post is for you, Carol, and for our amazing group of fiber artists at Textile Challenges, it is also to show my January Arch. Our arch swap is running for the year of 2008. The 13 participants make one arch each month for a designated receiver. At the sign-up for this challenge, we listed preferences for design and color (including a "please not this color" too!). Then Carol set up the master swap list of who is doing whose arch for each month -- a clear and easy to read chart, even if I keep misreading it! (I have my July arch nearly complete when I thought I was working on March! my oops -- yes, this means that I am behind).

My first arch, January, was for our leader herself -- the amazing Carol T!!! My inspiration was to re-create a Gothic window using rich burgundy velveteen (which I learned is not so easy to use for reverse applique!) as the stone framework. The window panes are made of a gold-enhanced batik-like cotton print, framed with a loosely woven golden fabric. The peak of the arch is capped by another gilded print. Beads add a touch of glitter, drama and dimensional detail.

Naturally I am also in another yearlong group, the 2007 Bead Journal Project (BJP) created by Robin Atkins. Members signed up in May 2007 and agreed to make one beaded piece per month, for one full year beginning June 2007. The primary stipulation was to use the same size/shape for each of the journal pieces. I chose the standard 4"x 6" postcard size and to use beads as enhancements -- perhaps eventually working up to a more totally encrusted beaded postcard. I am relatively new to beading, excited to try this challenge and immediately was intimidated by the skills of my fellow BJP participants (including my own friends Linda Teddlie Minton, Nancy Dickey & Sara Sissenwein!). It was no surprise to me when I fell woefully behind. Is it no wonder that I hit a creative block while working on my second piece (finally resolved it in December - whew).

Now today is a new day & I am eagerly working to catch up with my behinder-BJPs ... In fact, I decided to combine my two yearlong projects by making a coordinating BJP for each of my Arches. Naturally I thought of this after I had mailed"Gothic Window" to Carol! Nevertheless, I pulled out my materials and created this piece which I call "Doodling with Beads, Velveteen and Reverse Applique." This is my 4th BJP ... or in other words: "four down, eight more to go." Onward!

I am so confident that I will complete my 2007 BJPs that I've signed up for the 2008 Beaded Journal Project. If you are interested in either the 2007 or 2008 BJP groups, please look at the BJP website. Registration has begun for 2008 (deadline for sign-ups is August 15) with the new year of BJP to begin in September. This is such perfect timing as it allows the entire summer either to rest or to frantically finish my behinders!

DNA gone wild!

I am slowing making progress with my Beaded Journal Project pieces for the first annual Beaded Journal Project.

This is "DNA gone wild!"


It is my third completed BJP piece, thus it must be August. As you can probably surmise, I've chosen the postcard size of 4" x 6" for all of my pieces this year.

This BJP piece uses an early attempt at making a beaded bracelet, an effort that I abandoned once I realized I could achieve my bracelet vision easiest by starting anew with different beads on the baseline strand. Since I couldn't toss this out, I thought, hmmm, perhaps I'll use it for a BJP piece ....and lo, all these months later, I finally did!

Early on I knew that I would use the beading in my BJPs as enhancements and embellishments to other designs. I readily claim to be just-a-beginner in the beading world and am truly not confident to try a heavily beaded design ... yet!

Questions: Am I "cheating" by creating a piece from a "foiled attempt" for another beaded project?
Or am I being creative by using the "not-ever-gonna-be-a-bracelet" and giving it a purpose in life as my third BJP?

My 1st Online class

I am taking my first online fiber art class and am totally enjoying it!
It is a Journal Making class being taught by Sue Bleiweiss (to find out more about this class, click here).

For our first lesson, Sue gave wonderfully clear directions with step-by-step guidelines and numerous helpful photos. She included creative ways to add embellishments and alterations to the journal, encouraging everyone to take her ideas and run, enhancing the individuality of everyone's completed journals. Perhaps the best part is the sharing done by all the students in the class. For as someone finishes a journal (or two or three), they post photos of it for all to see and admire.

I have made one journal so far (and still plan to add more decorative touches to it). Here is a photo of its front.


I used batik fabrics for my cover and lining; drawing paper and cardstock for my pages and dividers; and a cotton print for the inside pocket. I embellished the outside using two eyelash fibers in different colorways and a decorative meandering stitch. The flap is the only edge finished by zigzag stitching, as the other edges were completed by folding the cover fabric to the inside before fusing the lining into place.


When my sons saw this journal, they both claimed it for their own! Much to their dismay, I told them it was mine -- but quickly promised to make one for each of them in fabrics they select. Since our second project features a journal with replaceable pages, I plan to delay making my boys' journals until after they've seen this next one!

Be sure to look at Sue Bleiweiss's website (click here) for further information on how to take this fun class -- as well as to see what else she is teaching.