Somewhere in Between

In some ways September has flown by and in other ways it's crawled.

 

I'm finally over my first trimester and I can slowly feel the nauseau working its way out of my very tired body. I haven't been able to do much really, but the last week or two has seen me move from the couch to the porch where I've been soaking in fresh air and a bit of sunshine.

 

I'm still not back to being completely me and quite frankly my body is rebelling at the stagnation of it all. I tried to do too much yesterday and the day before thinking,

"Hey, I'm good!"

only to find myself flat on my back last night with my body protesting the fact that I tried anything it didn't approve of beforehand.

 

I have always been a go,go,go, and do,do,do kind of girl and I'm slowly learning that in this case, lying on the couch is okay.

Not doing that load of laundry won't mean the end of the world.

Things won't begin growing and sprouting out of your carpet if it doesn't get vaccummed regularly and you can wait one more day to clean the bathroom.

 

But most importantly, I realized that just lying there I am doing something and going somewhere. I'm growing another human being and even on 11-week ultrasounds I can see hands and feet and a little body turning cartwheels (at least one of us has plenty of energy!).  

 

I had no idea it would be so exhausting, but I know for sure it will definitely be rewarding when all is said and done.

I'm so thankful for my family who has stepped in to fill in the gap I've inevitably fallen into.

 

October is just around the corner and I for one will be welcoming it with open arms and I'm so thankful that when the nauseau does end I'll be able to walk outside into cool breezes and crisp mornings and I can leave windows and doors open to let in the freshness.

 

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the in-between.

 

 



Guilty Pleasures

 I truly am a girl of many varied interests, most lean toward the higher forms of art, literature and music. I can also argue politics and I once had a dream of being a History major. I do like good poetry and find it intriguing in English and magical in Spanish. I'm perfectly content to spend hours lost in museums and I'm fascinated by ancient civilizations.

 

However, it can't all be high art and while most people do consider avant garde to be art, it ain't DaVinci, so trust me when I say I consider it one of my guilty pleasures.

Why do I like to spend time perusing snapshots of runway shows?

I like the color combinations.

I like the shapes.

I'm intrigued by the interpretations of trends that fell out of fashion decades ago only to burst on the scene fresh again with new life.

It inspires my creativity and my jewelry and challenges me to use color in everything I create.

 

These are from the Fall runways (which, as you know, happened in February! Six months ahead, always...).

Here are my favorite picks:

 

 

First up, Louis Viutton:

I love the simplicity of this, it's for any woman and every woman and I appreciate the throwback to the early 20th century. I wonder why women ever stopped wearing lace-up ankle boots with long skirts. This is adorable.

 

 

This is L'Wren Scott:

A totally different show but here we are again, early 20th century. The short bob of the roarin' 20's with the little embroidered cardigan and bright canary yellow stole with a pair of pants.

Very chic.

 

And this one from Oscar de La Renta:

The long brocade housecoat fastened with an oversize Tiffany-esque brooch hides a high-waisted pencil skirt and soft blouse.

I adore the deep blue and almost platinum headband pulled from the colors of the embellishments in the jacket.

 

 

 

Christian Dior:

The print in this blouse immediately caught my eye. It was so pleasant to see something this bold interpreted in such a soft and pleasing color palette. I can imagine the same print in a Spring show would be all bold blues and punchy tangerines, but here it's calm and soothing for Fall.

 

And finally, from Carven:

I liked the shape of this one. The keyhole neckline, the full skirt and the dusty, kind of understated and antique color palette remind me of a Monet.

 

What about you?

What's your go-to inspiration?

Where do you look when you need a shot of shape or color?

If you'd like to share mine, you need only drop by here.

It can't all be about the bling.

What do you think about when I say "czech glass"?

 

Depending on your experience, you probably think....

 

...interesting shapes on long strands with lots of facets.

 

 

...or maybe you've got a collection of leaves that could adorn a small forest...

...or maybe you were like me for the longest time and thought, eh, it's all about the bling (which, for me is definitely not an everyday thing) and you just weren't attracted to all the shiny shimmery.

 

 

Well, you were wrong my friend (and so was I).

I recently took the opportunity to upgrade my czech glass collection to reflect the cooler feelings of fall and I was pleased to find czech glass in some modern fall colors with opaque and matte finishes that definitely lend themselves towards recreating crispy fall leaves and dry branches with furry woodland creatures that are out and about enjoying the cooler weather.

 

First up:

Polymer Clay Acorns from Jettabugjewelry that I've embellished with Umber Opaque and Opaque Olive Faceted Czech Glass Rounds.

 

 

Some ribbed rounds in gorgeous fall shades from AnnesGlassJewels that I've combined with White Picasso Jet and Chestnut Brown Czech Glass Rounds.

The cutest little Rustic Bees from BeadsbyEarthTones with Goldenrod Opaque and Umber Opaque Czech Glass Rounds.

 



 

All of my czech glass shopping spree was purchased from BeadsbyC and I couldn't be happier with my fall stash!

 

Quick update before I go on my Embroidery Made Easy E-course:

Round 1 is in full swing and Round 2 is also full.

If you're still interested in taking the class I'm more than willing to do another round later in October, just send me an e-mail at abney_m(at)yahoo.com.

 

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Embroidery Made Easy Sign-Ups are here!

Sign-ups are here!

I've been so excited to hear from people since Wednesday who have expressed interest in the class.

Today is the day to sign up and it's super simple, here's what you'll do:

 

 

Simply send me an e-mail at my address abney_m(at)yahoo.com.

 

Type "Embroidery Made Easy Sign-up" in the subject.

 

Include your full name in the e-mail, the e-mail address that you want to use for all course communication.

(If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to include those also.)

 

Remember, it is first come first serve, and as the e-mails start coming in, I'll start composing my lists.

 

It's that simple! 

 

Enjoy your weekend, and I look forward to hearing from you!



Embroidery Made Easy E-course

 

So, you like bead embroidery, hmm?

 

 

You're intrigued by the endless possibilities of attaching beads to backing and surrounding them in layers of color to create beautiful and unique pieces of wearable art? 

 

You like the idea of stretching your creativity to include unexpected elements and you like the juxtaposition of the hard and the soft?

 

You've often admired the grand neckpieces or wide embroidered cuffs but you're really interested in the smaller things, shots of color to dot wrists or even hang from earlobes?

 

More importantly, you're ready to learn something new.

You want to stretch your creativity to reach outside the chain nose pliers and beading wire

 and you're also curious as to what you can do with those little seed beads besides stacking them head to tail on a piece of string.

 

Well, I've got just the thing.

A year ago, in answer to the myriad Etsy convos that I received asking me detailed questions about my materials and resources, color schemes and bead stitches, I put together my e-course on bead embroidery. I call it Embroidery Made Easy and while it is designed for the beginner, I also offer up some techniques and tips that are uniquely my own and will appeal to you even if you've dabbled in one of my favorite art forms.

 

 

 

I've decided to bring the course back for a series of Fall offerings

Here are the details of the class:

 

It's a bead embroidery workshop that you'll do from the comfort of your own home, using your own materials and creativity to create easy, wearable pieces of embroidery that can be completed in just a few hours.

Here's what you'll find in this course:

 

- Information on materials...beads, focals, thread, foundation...that you'll use to create your pieces. Along with websites to help you find your materials easily.

 

- Step by step instructions on the stitches you'll need to create your pieces, including two stitches that I've developed on my own which combine beadweaving with bead embroidery.

 

- Photos and videos taken by me to illustrate the techniques that I use in my own embroidery.

- Interaction with me and the other students in the class through postings and e-mail so that you can ask and answer questions. The format is designed to give you more time to explore the techniques on your own, and only requires as much interaction as you need so that you have time to create.

- Specific instructions to create the class project: The Sound of the Sea Pendant

 

 

- Information on expanding your knowledge to create embroidered pieces that can be worn as bracelets, rings, and even headbands.

 

 

WHO:

 

- I am capping the number of students in each class to 3 so that I don't feel overwhelmed with the number of students and it will be first come first serve. I've found that three is a perfect balance of time spent giving feedback and addressing concerns and it gives the students the chance to interact with each other as well.

 

- If you don't get in the first time, don't worry, I'll offer it again for those that missed out.

WHEN:

 

- The official start date for the class will be Wednesday, Sept. 19th. One week from today.

- Sign-ups will start on Saturday, September 15th and I'll post on my blog that signs up have started and more information on how to sign up. You'll be notified either that day or the next as to what round of the class you were accepted into so that you'll have a week to gather materials and prep for the class.

- The class should take no longer than 10 days to finish and it could be finished in a week if you're really excited and motivated and the group wants to move more quickly.

 

WHERE:

- The class will be hosted through a private blog on Blogger. You will need an account with Blogger to access the course.

 

-I've decided to make the blog public until Saturday so you can get a little feel for the layout and how the class will generally be structured. You can visit the class here: Embroidery Made Easy

Spend a few moments browsing through the class goals and projects and check out my list of favorite resources. If you know without a doubt that you'd like to take the class, then you can go ahead and purchase the list of materials for the pendant project listed on the blog or gather similar materials that reflect your style.

 

Note: You do not have to maintain a blog, just an account through blogger so that you can comment and access the material.

- You will also need an account on YouTube as the videos will be accessible only if you have an account. (Because YouTube is owned by Google, if you have a Google ID, you should be able to access both Blogger and YouTube)

PRICE:

 

- The price of the course will be $45 and I'll send you more information on payment before the course starts and as I finalize the student list.

 

 

I do hope you'll join me for this class. I'm so excited to be offering it again.

I know I've gained so much knowledge from the past three sessions that I've done with students and it's been such an encouragement to hear their feedback and see how much they've improved in their bead embroidery and what they've learned about techniques and materials. It's a pleasure to share the knowledge I've accumulated over the past three years and to know that it's really bringing joy to a whole new group of artists.

I'm planning to send out an announcement about the class in my newsletter. You can sign up for that in the right-hand column of my blog if you'd like to receive the e-mail that way you can pass it along to a friend who might be interested in the class but not familiar with my blog.

 

If you have any questions you'd like to ask me that I haven't addressed here, please feel free to e-mail me: abney_m(at)yahoo.com.

 

I hope to see you back here on Saturday!

Challenge of Travel: Turkey

This post is late, I know.

But let me explain....the creativity has been gone now for at least three weeks...in its place is constant nauseau and a tiredness felt deep down in my bones.

I know that Erin, my sweet partner for this challenge will forgive my total lack of ability to do anything and I'm learning to forgive it in myself. I'm not used to be next-to-helpless, but there are some things that just have to give at least for a little while. In the meantime my body is making a baby and I'm along for the ride!

 

Here's what I do have for you:

My country was Turkey. I was excited because Istanbul sounds to me like such a neat place and so diverse. It's often referred to as the gateway between Europe and Asia where the two cultures and religions collide finding a balance between the old and the new.

 

My dad wanted to take us last year but we ended up choosing London instead (I have absolutely ZERO regrets about that decision).

Here was the photo that I chose. I was drawn in by all the colors and patterns and shapes. I think it's quite lovely. My plan was to create a bracelet bar using a strip of peyote that would have a similar pattern in it and then creating the bracelet around it.

I still have the drawings and everything on my desk and I'm determined that one day I'll get it done!

 

 

But, just so I don't leave you completely empty-handed, I thought I'd show you something I created two years ago that was also inspired by the Middle East.

This is the Ishtar Gate, currently in a museum in Berlin.

It is actually not from Turkey, but from the Persian Empire (which today is Iran).

If I remember correctly, it is from around the time of Darius (don't quote me on that).

 

A couple of years ago when I was doing Margie and Me and really challenging myself to use Margie Deeb's book as color inspiration, I chose the Ishtar Gate as my inspiration. 

 

In her book, she had a photo of the Lion from the gate, but I was drawn to the gate itself and the shape of the turrets and the patterns in the tile.

The result of the Ishtar inspiration was my Persian Tile Ring.

I took the colors and shapes and used a variation of circular peyote to create a very bold, very structural ring.

I went on to take the same idea and flatten it to create a series of brightly colored architectural pendants with a lot of persian flavor.

 



 

I'm sorry I don't have anything bright and fresh for you, but I do hope you'll stop by Erin's blog to see what all the participants created.

I've been so impressed by what I've seen, I just haven't been able to sit at the computer long enough to comment and visit everyone's blog, but I will!!

 

I hope the next time you're stuck in an inspiration rut, you'll spin a globe and use your finger and a mouse to transport you to a world of new shapes, colors and features and each time you find an idea run with it, experimenting as you go.

Enjoy your week!