#mixedmedia - BeadFX

The Art of Making Hearts!

By Anne Marie February 15, 2023 February 14, 2023 0

The art of making hearts is one day late for Valentine’s Day, but is it really? I wrote this post on the 14th, but didn’t post it until today. Is that cheating? I don’t think so. I’m a day late at wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day, but I’m not a very sentimental person, so please excuse me. However, I do have a small collection of hearts that I’ve worked on over the years. Do you want to see them? My February section of the BeadFX – Bead-A-Long – 2023 is devoted to hearts! The red hearts stand out the …

A Bead Muse Muses

Collect the Collections Blues! – Sing it loud!!

By Anne Marie November 30, 2022 November 29, 2022 0

I’m singing the collect the collections blues! Why, do you ask? I have a habit of making art in series, and when I’m finished, I end up with a collection. Those collections build up, and require both storage solutions, and space. This wouldn’t be a problem, if I actively sold my work! However, I do not do that, so end up with a collection, of collections. That wouldn’t bother me, if I had the space to store everything! I do gift some to relatives, and friends, but I still need to do something else with them. Other than fondling them, …

A Bead Muse Muses

Fragments of the Past – Could spark future projects!

By Anne Marie July 6, 2022 July 5, 2022 0

Fragments of the past, often lead to new works in the future. Of course, I haven’t been doing much bead embroidery lately, but it has been on my mind, so all I need to do is jump start the project. The following two photos, are samples from two of my past workshops. Surprisingly enough, despite the fact that I love all of the pieces, I don’t remember ever actually wearing them. Do you find that happens with some of your work? I find that I tend to wear fairly simple jewelry, and oftentimes, no jewelry at all. Isn’t that crazy? …

A Bead Muse Muses

Rocking Retro Plus!

By Anne Marie June 8, 2022 June 7, 2022 0

I’m definitely into the rocking retro plus mode! This week is no exception, because once I start down this path, it’s oh so hard to stop! Let’s face it! I’ve made one heck of a lot of stuff over the years, and I still have more to show you! Why do I have so much, and where do I store it all? Well, that’s a good question. I’ve always been a maker, and I wish that I had some rocking storage solutions for you, but I’m afraid not. I store in a combination of boxes, piled on shelves, and a …

A Bead Muse Muses

Rainy Evening Musings – Pondering the possibilities!

By Anne Marie May 4, 2022 May 3, 2022 0

Aren’t rainy evening musings just the best? I get to sit in front of my computer, with the window open, listening to the sound of both heavy rain, and the traffic. It’s very relaxing, and rain softens that which could often be thought of as an irritation. Instead, it’s just white noise to dream, and ponder by! Last Saturday was exciting, because BeadFX held a Trunk Show, to benefit Ukraine. Not to brag, but yours truly snagged some serious loot! It was a blast! There was a definite party atmosphere happening, people were enjoying both the friendly atmosphere, and camaraderie. …

A Bead Muse Muses

April 2022 Bead Mat Update: Let the adventures begin!

By Anne Marie April 27, 2022 April 26, 2022 0

My April 2022 Bead Mat Update is about adventure, creating, and exploring possibilities. Jewelry making, mixed media, retro items, and even a road trip come into play! Let’s start with finishing up the necklace I started last week. I combined the wired-wrapped components, with brass rounds, and Olivine stones. In a design sense, the Olivine did exactly what I wanted, and quieted down the Mixed Impression Jasper. Now I have a fun, relaxed, casual necklace that will be perfect paired with a t-shirt, and jeans!! But wait!!! What do you think of this wee Artist Brush that I dreamed up? …

A Bead Muse Muses

Back on the Path Again!

By Anne Marie April 20, 2022 April 19, 2022 0

After the Easter break, I’m happy to say that I’m back on the path again! At least for now, but who knows what I’ll get up to next week, because I sure don’t. To celebrate, I played with a new type of resin, made a set of earrings, and then wire wrapped loops on a string of colourful Mixed Impression Jasper stones that’s been gathering dust in my stash (we’re sold out of that particular shape, but we do have others). As usual, I have no idea where this is going, so please bear with me. The resin I was …

A Bead Muse Muses

UFO to Go!

By Anne Marie February 23, 2022 February 23, 2022 3

When I say UFO to go, I mean it! Last week was quite productive on the UFO front, but there’s still room for more work. My oldest UFO in this grouping, is a pearl necklace that I started in a class with Angela Peace, many years ago. I was going through my stash, and stumbled upon a project box that I had forgotten about. In it, was an almost complete necklace, with just one end left unfinished. So, I finished it! Take that, you UFO, you!! In my defense, the holes in the final two pearls were pretty tight, and …

A Bead Muse Muses

Off the Rails Again – But I am productive!

By Anne Marie January 26, 2022 February 2, 2022 2

I’m off the rails again, but still having fun playing around with my new projects. My beading has mostly fallen by the wayside, but I have some new ideas in my head, so keep watching this space! I did add a few more beads to my Venus Jasper, and Enamel necklaces. You won’t notice much of a difference, but I do. I’ve added more beads to both, and now all that’s really left to do is figure out how to end the silk, then add a clasp. The No. 10 Griffin silk does not fit into either a clam shell, …

A Bead Muse Muses

Rocking the New Year – Mixed in with a huge dash of snow!

By Anne Marie January 19, 2022 January 20, 2022 3

I think that I’m rocking the new year, despite a few challenges! How about that massive snow storm yesterday? The last time Toronto got hit with this much snow, was in 2008, and I was actually here to witness it! I’m originally from Vancouver, but was transferred to Toronto in 2008, then back to Vancouver a year later. Oh, I was transferred back to Toronto again, a while later, but that’s a story for another time. Anyway, I worked at Finch and the 404 area (Gordon Baker Road). We got hit with a huge amount of snow. People panicked, and …