BJP - Autumn Teardrop Pendant

Bead Journal Project 2012

Autumn Teardrop Pendant

It is Autumn here in NZ now, Isn't it a beautiful time of year.

My pendant this month is using some familiar autumn colours.

All comments and critiques gratefully received.

Happy Beading

A Thousand Teardrops Fall - BJP March

Another Teardrop pendant completed for the Bead Journal Project 2012.

This is pendant #3.

I've called this one "A Thousand Teardrops Fall" in memory of my faithful old Yellow Labrador who passed away at Easter aged nearly 15yrs.

The ground fabric is like angel fibre but made of red and purple strawgrass fibres.

The beaded "tears" are made up of about 18 beads each and the overall effect has the "tears" just hanging loose.

The pendant is threaded onto a black satin ribbon which is tied in a bow at whatever length is required.

CQJP February WIP & TAST Week 7

CQJP - February - WIP

Updates on the February block and a few close-up pics of some stitch embellishments so far on this block.

The needle-weaving seam, that was extremely "slow going" last week, has now been completed thanks mostly to my darling "Dooman" hubby who made new legs for my Posilock frame stand so that I could pop the embroidery hoop in it and work with both hands on the stitching. Phew!!!. It is great to be working without having to hold the hoop in one hand now. That Posilock stand has not been able to stand up on it's own for about 10 years, and I really missed it.

Last weekend Dooman was meant to be building a shed to house his new farm equipment. It started raining quite heavily and I wandered out to the barn (where he was hiding) and presented him with the Posilock stand and told him what the legs should look like. Less than half an hour later he gave it back to me complete with new legs, oh yeah, and the biggest smile on his face.

Lots of brownie points for Dooman.

The double row of Cretan stitch.

 The Crocheted Lace piece.

 

 

Lots more embellishing to do on this block yet.

 

 and the following TAST close-up pics are worked on this block too.

TAST week 7 - Detached Chain Stitch

Detached chain in lilac thread stitched closely side-by-side, and the pale green silk ribbon is detached chain as well.

 

Isn't this a great detached chain stitch "wheel" in variegated  thread.

The centre is a woven spider wheel, and there will eventually be something else in the middle, but I haven't decided if it will be a bead, French knots, or something else.

My Other Project Updates

No update for February BJP as I haven't even started it yet. It is all "In-My-Head" for now.

I have made the fabric choices for Counties Quilters - February BOM due at next meeting in March.

I have fused the Kiwifruit applique block for Prostate Cancer Charity Quilt fundraiser. The block is now ready for blanket stitch and embellishing.

 And the 2012 Freeform Crochet Challenge work is well under way, but I'm not allowed to post any pictures until the challenge book is published with all the entries in. This keeps it a wonderful surprise so that everyone can see all the challenge pieces at the same moment, and not get influenced (or intimidated) by anyone else's work.

So it has been another busy, busy week. 

Next week has the potential to explode for me. 

I want to make a brightly coloured, highly textured cushion for my mum, who has very poor eyesight (hence the bright colours and textures). She is almost totally deaf now too, and to top it off, she has recently had another fall and broken a couple of ribs.

As a very active person in the past, she is now suffering a bit. She loved her garden and spent all her spare time there when she wasn't working, stitching, or crocheting. So that is why I want to send her a flower cushion. To help bring a bit of that love back into her life, and to remind her that I love her even though I am half way around the world from her.

Cy - BJP - January

Yay!!! I eventually got around to finishing the top part of my 'teardrop' pendant. Not bad for a beading novice I think.

I'm happy with how it turned out.

I purposely left some of the orange showing through as it's a great contrast for the black, and it enhances the gold semi-see-thru glass beads.

 

And finally.............. drum roll please..........my first bead encrusted Teardrop Pendant on a gold chain.

 

I also tried it attached to a black neckwire which is shorter than the chain and for using as a choker pendant. 

The photo below was taken at a different time of day and the colours are more true without the glare of the shiny bits.

This was a big learning curve for me. 

When I next use this encrusted bead embroidery technique I will do things differently. But that is what this BJP is for ...... to experiment with techniques that I may have not tried before, or to play with and develop techniques that I have enjoyed using.

February's BJP will be the same shape as above but a totally different technique that will be such fun to do.

WATCH THIS SPACE.

....Cy....

A link to the Bead Journal Project is in the right hand column.

BJP - WIP - January

BJP - WIP - January

My shape for this challenge has ended up a Teardrop.

The starting point for this piece is my own hand-made black and gold scroll bead that didn't make it into a necklace in it's own right (poor thing). 

I thought the orange felt background was suitable for showing off both the black and the gold. All other colours that I auditioned had a muted effect on one colour, and I want both colours to stand out equally on this.

And then I started the embellishing with gold beads.

When this pendant is finished it will be heavily encrusted all over and hopefully have the light reflecting off it in all directions. 

The bugle beads semi-circle are in two colours - gold and copper. I think they work well together. The orange background was a good choice here as it enhances the gold and copper beads.

I'm looking forward to working on the next section of it during this coming week. 

Very pleased with the progress made this week.