Category: A Bead Muse Muses

A Bead Muse Muses

Class Shenanigans: How to wile away a weekend!

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The class shenanigans certainly made last weekend very lively. I hosted two full classes at BeadFX, now I’m exhausted, but it was well worth it!! First up, my Needle Felted Landscape class, which is an escape into creative freedom. Mix imagination, colour, stabbing out the frustrations of the day, then sprinkle in some hand embroidery, and a few beads! Pure bliss!! I can’t speak for my students, but judging from their comments, enthusiasm, and results, a good day was definitely had by all! I worked on this demo during the class, then finished it off after I got home. I …

A Bead Muse Muses

Swarovski Love: A sparkly affair!

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A little Swarovski love is what we need, now that the season is turning. Who turned the switch, and where did summer go? It seems earlier than normal, but fall is certainly sneaking up on us! But is there anything that we can do to hold back the season? Unfortunately, not, but we can always warm up our creativity, by adding a little sparkle back into our lives. I blame the child in us, for our attraction to sparkle. Swarovski love, is certainly not for the faint of heart, but it does give you something to think about. Is sparkle just …

A Bead Muse Muses

Pamper Yourself: You deserve it!

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Do you ever pamper yourself? If you don’t, then you should! What would happen if you suddenly decided to treat yourself to a few days of beady bliss? No, that’s not the only thing you could pamper yourself with, but wouldn’t it be nice to try? BeadFX is open 7 days/week, and our on-line shopping is always open! There are no excuses!! We have some fabulous classes coming up for fall, so why don’t you drop by this Saturday? You will be able to meet the teachers, check out our classes (Back to Class event), then fondle the samples, while …

A Bead Muse Muses

Intuitive Design: Taking a risk!

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Is intuitive design, outside of your comfort zone? Do you know, or only suspect that this is the case? I’m bold enough to tell you that intuitive design, is my preferred way of working. Do I work without a net? Of course, but it’s the only way to go!! Okay, there are definitely other ways of working, but I’m more comfortable with this one. I never really thought about it, but then I became heavily involved in the Bead Journal Project (BJP). Oh, I had played around with freeform, and techniques in my Fibre Art Studios days (a long-gone, Greater …

A Bead Muse Muses

August 2019 Bead Mat Update: All mixed up!

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My August 2019 bead mat update is about how mixed up I get! When I’m creating that is, but that’s not what it’s all about! Resin (Ice Resin), Coral branch fringe, Twinchies (2” x 2” little pieces of art), and small mixed media tags don’t have much in common, but I’ve been working on all of them! Does that make me strange, or just quite suited to my mixed-up media title! We had a blast at my resin class! But then, we always have a blast in that class. Collage, and resin are perfect companions, but this time, I even …

A Bead Muse Muses

Sparkle it Up!

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What does sparkle it up mean to you? Is it for special occasions, when you want a little something extra to lift your spirits? Or is it something that you secretly crave? Bling is very personal! Not everyone is comfortable wearing it, but it always catches your eye. I’ve never been a real sparkle girl, but I admit to making a handful of pieces. I have always felt the pull to bezel a crystal or two, but just haven’t found the time to fit it into my discretionary creative space. This is one of my older pieces, that was made …

A Bead Muse Muses

Playing with Clay: Exploring my options!

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I’ve been playing with clay, then rummaging around in my stash. Too much fun!! Quick Cure Clay, from Ranger Ink, is an interesting, new product (developed by John Pojman). I’ve worked with both polymer, and metal clay, as well as Apoxie Sculpt, Crystal Clay, and Artist’s Concrete. All have their good, and bad points, but none is quite as interesting, unique, and sometimes frustrating, as Quick Cure Clay (QCC). It’s a great product, but does have some ‘quirks’ that you need to be aware of, before working with it. It’s soft, sticky, you need to use nitrile gloves, and it …

A Bead Muse Muses

Time Flies: But what are you going to do about it?

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Time flies so fast, that it’s sometimes hard to keep up! Doesn’t it feel like the older you get, the faster it flies? As a student, do you remember how long the school year was, then how anxious you were to get to the summer vacation part? I would like to slow it down a little, so that I can get even half of what’s rolling around in my brain, done! But isn’t that always the case? Work, and the hard, or uncomfortable activities, do take precedence, while the fun, creative stuff seems to be shoved into little bites of …

A Bead Muse Muses

July 2019 Bead Mat Update: Clay, bead and stitch!

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My July 2019 Bead Mat Update is hot, hot, hot! It’s actually the weather that’s been hot, hot, hot, but at least it’s cooled down now. Mid-30C + high humidity, is just not nice!! Stitch, beads, and Quick Cure Clay have been my main art focus in July, but then what else was I going to do when it was so hot? Playing outside, for long, was not an option!! I’m going to start with my ongoing love affair with Amulet bags. They’re designed to hang around your neck, hold small treasures, then serve as an unusual piece of jewelry! …

A Bead Muse Muses

To Write or Stitch: What’s a girl to do?

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Write or stitch, that’s certainly a dilemma! What the heck would you do? No paper is sacred! I write on yellow post-its, envelope scraps, the odd napkin, books (shudder), and even the back of invoices. The real trick is to figure out how to catalogue those notes, before they get swept out in the trash, but while they’re still current. I love to write, but have never had a great desire to journal about anything! Nope, not kidding!! But, I do confess to being a rabid writer of notes. You know, a scribble here, a scribble there, but then you …