June Journal Page

Jun27

I’ve been beading away at my June journal page and enjoying every minute. This has certainly turned into an inner journey of discovery. I had an idea at the beginning and then found that it evolved as I placed each bead on the fabric. This symbolizes the loss of my physical garden when I moved 3 1/2 years ago. I was an avid gardener so that was very hard for me. Living on the 4th floor of an apartment building now doesn’t offer me the opportunity to have a garden at this time. So, my garden exists in my heart. There is a “heartbreak path” running down the center of my heart. The path of heartbreak led me to my center, represented by the pearl. The rays flowing out from my center illuminate all of the colorful flowers in my heart’s garden. Last night I added the pink petal beads on the outside of the heart. These remind me of little wings. I’m not sure if I’m going to bead around them or just leave them as they are. I’ll add more “wings” around the heart. It’s almost done!

Treasures from a Bead Show

May22

Last Sunday, I did one of my favorite things. I went to a bead show! It was the Innovative Bead show held in Marlboro, MA. The show was set up in a way that I have never seen a bead show set up before. Each vendor had their own hotel room. So, I wandered up and down the hallway and in and out of rooms filled with tables of gorgeous beads and findings and jewelry. Of course, I went there for “only one thing”. hah! Am I kidding myself or what? Of course, I left with bags of treasure.

I love all of my purchases but my most favorite strand of beads is the 5th strand up from the bottom. They are faceted grossular garnet. According to my “Firefly Guide to Gems“, there are many different types of garnet ranging in color from red to orange to brown to green to black and brown. The word “grossular” derives from the Greek word “grossularia” meaning gooseberry. The crystals can sometimes resemble the fruit in both color and shape. Yummy! Garnet also just happens to be my birthstone so perhaps I can make something special for myself with these beautiful beads.

Do you like to go to bead shows? What have been your favorite purchases?

Bead Journal Project

May20

I am very excited about a decision that I have recently made but also a bit nervous as well. It took me over 2 weeks to sit with it and think it over but I have taken the plunge and committed to a year long project which involves beading one journal page per month over the next year, starting June 1st. I’ve never made a commitment like this before but my intuition is speaking to me very strongly that this is something that I need to do to learn more about myself. Robin Atkins, my “beady” hero, has created the Bead Journal Project and there are already over 100 members. Details are here and you may join until the deadline of May 30th.

I want to keep my journal pages small and, instead of putting them together in book form, I would like to make them into a wall hanging. At first I thought of sewing them onto fabric and making a small quilt. However, this morning as I was browsing through a magazine, I saw a great idea where the artist had linked fabric squares together in a line, one above the other and so on. I really liked the way that looked. As far as the pages themselves, I want to follow Robin’s advice when she says to approach it as a way to “journal out-of-the-box”. It is a way to put your intellect aside and just go with the flow of the beads. I imagine a river of beads flowing gently by and I jump in and see where it takes me. Wish me luck!

What are your experiences when you have gone with “the flow of the beads”?

Back from the Workshops

May16

In my last post, I was very excited because I was leaving soon for 2 workshops with Dayle Doroshow, “Messengers and Storytellers” and “The Unfolding Pyramid”. Well, I am back and am happy to share with you that it was an absolutely amazing experience. I have spent the last 2 weeks processing and integrating my experience and the many things that I have learned and am still learning.

Dayle is a multi-talented, inspirational teacher who enthusiastically shares techniques and stories about her journeys and her creations. In both workshops, I felt like I was part of a tribe and Dayle was our “wise woman”, as we all gathered in a circle and leaned forward to listen closely to her teachings.

The first day we created our “Messengers and Storytellers”. I named my first creation “Queen Goldie”. She is a proud and regal queen who symbolizes the strength and courage of a woman. She wears a formal robe richly patterned with polymer clay canework, a bead and copper coil necklace and a gold crown atop her brown and black chenille and copper metallic yarn hairtwist. Very formal queenly attire which she wears with dignity and grace. However, if you look closely, you can see a hint of her playful side – a gold toe ring that she is wearing on her left foot – a reminder of the importance of making time for “play” amidst the responsibilities of our daily lives. She is free standing on top of a gold platform.

My second creation is named “Beady-Eyed Birtwistle”. His orange body is decorated with a variety of flower, leaf and jellyroll canes. He is holding a painted copper book in his heart area. The cover reads “True Beauty Lies Within” and the inside pages are painted in a delicate rainbow of watercolors and stamped with “Express your Inner Beauty, Create Art” and “Do What you Love and you will Blossom!” A few curvy beaded strands sprout from his otherwise bald head and a simple copper beaded necklace in the shape of a flower adorns his neck. Rather a homely guy at first look, he represents the beauty in our souls. He encourages us that if we are true to ourselves and follow our passions, our inner beauty will blossom forth as we create the story of our life.

As I made each doll, it brought me back to a time when I used to create my “Goddess Doll” pins. Based on my research into ancient Goddess mythology and teachings, each fabric Goddess body was lovingly beaded with the theme of a different Goddess archetype and came with a little story card about that particular Goddess and her qualities. Most of the pins have been sold or given away as gifts but I do still have a couple of my very first special creations.

As a child, I loved to read mythology stories, especially those of the Roman and Greek Goddesses and Gods. That interest was rekindled as an adult when I read “Women Who Run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. That led me to read books by Joseph Campbell and Marija Gimbutas. As I read more and more into this fascinating subject, I expressed my discoveries in creating my Goddess pins. My jewelry has since evolved into different areas but I find myself being drawn back to these themes of myth and Goddesses.

What types of stories and myths do you enjoy reading?

Musings on a Spiral

Apr22

I have been thinking about spirals a lot lately. I have always been drawn to this symbol and I think it is the perfect symbol for springtime. It symbolizes rebirth and regeneration, representing the cyclical nature of life. It can also symbolize a spiritual journey to your center, a place beyond the visible world. Making art can be a spiritual journey because it takes us to our center where our deepest expressions come from. Here is one of my favorite quotes.

“The purpose of art/craft is not so much to make beautiful things as it is to become beautiful while you are making those things.”

The spiral first appeared approximately 24,000 years ago so it is one of the earliest examples of human creative expression. It is ubiquitous, appearing in the sacred art of every society in the ancient world. Its early association is with the Mother Goddess and how all life comes from her and is returned to her in a regenerating cycle. So, it has had a universal resonance within the human psyche for thousands of years.

There is a particular Chinese green tea, called Pi Lo Chun, that is processed and hand rolled into a spiral shape. Its name means “green snail spring”. This derives from the time of year that it is picked (Starting at Spring Equinox, for 2 weeks) and the shape that the leaves are rolled into. During hand processing, the bud-leaf set is carefully rolled into a tight silvery-green spiral that can hold in the freshness longer. As the tea leaves steep in hot water, they unfurl to reveal the full, intact leaf that was originally picked. Much like our imagination steeps with new ideas and they eventually unfurl into a wonderful new creation.

Pi Lo Chun tea tastes like a fresh spring day. It was originally called “Astounding Fragrance” for the aroma from the fresh leaves. The tea bushes are interplanted with plum, peach, and apricot trees for shade. The fruit trees are in full bloom when the tea leaves are plucked in the early spring and some of the floral aroma is absorbed by the tea. The liquor is a clear light yellow with a pale green tint and has fruity, sweet flavor notes.

In my contemplations and musings about the spiral shape, I have beaded a spiral curl.

Inspired by a technique from “Beading with Peyote Stitch” by Jeanette Cook and Vicki Star, I wanted to bead an ancient underwater creature, spiraling up to reveal its beautiful pearl treasures. Now I have to figure out what type of necklace I’d like to create to honor this exotic sea creature. Or, shall I turn it into a pin. What do you think?