Artspark Winter Tutorial Day 3 (and faces on friday)

Today is DAY 3 of ARTSPARK's 

Winter Tutorial Blog Hop

Tracie Lyn Huskamp is offering instructions (and a kit) on how to create this lovely little cardinal ornament. Head here to find it.

And I have bunches more than this - but I'll just show these for now. The faces are coming along - the noses still give me fits. Proportion. Proportion. Proportion.

from life

from life

top left from life, the rest from imagination

(I need to figure out how to use the white balance on my camera, don't I.)

Glitter, Glisten, Glimmer: Beaded Ornament Tutorial

Welcome to day 2 of ARTSPARK's winter tutorial blog hop!

Let's make a lovely little ornament.

I'm using Miyuki twisted bugle beads, number 6, 11, and 15 seed beads, and a felt ball.

I use a #11 straw or applique needle and Nymo or Sylamide beading thread.

Knot your thread -  push it straight through then knot on the other end just to be safe. Trim the tail.

Place a #6 bead on the needle, slide it down, then pick up a #11 on the needle without sliding it down. 

Stick the needle back down through the #6 hole then straight out through the other side. 

Make a knot there to be safe then make this same little stack at each pole and on each of the four directions of your little globe.

After you've made your six stacks, make a knot as close to underneath the bead as possible. If your thread is too short get another one ready. 

Load on a #11, a bugle, and another #11 - keep the  last bead on the needle. Slide the needle back through the bugle and bottom seed bead and come out on the other side of the #6.

Make six of these bugle stacks around the #6 stack.

After making six of these bugle stacks send your needle through the felt ball to the next #6 bead stack and repeat the process around each center bead.

Make knots fairly often to secure your thread by taking a little bite of the felt ball as close to underneath a bead as you can. Leave the needle half way through.

Wrap the thread around the front end of the needle, hold the wrap there with your finger, then pull the needle through.

Send your needle through one of your seed/bugle stacks - you can catch the top bead after you've pulled the needle through if you miss it on the first pass. 

Pick up a bugle bead then send your needle through the seed bead on the top of the next stack in the circle. 

Add a bugle between each of the stacks without going back down to the felt ball. Just hop from one seed bead on the top of a bugle to the next. 

When you get to the last seed bead, go through it again, and through the bugle and the next seed bead.

Take your needle back down to the felt ball through the bugle and seed bead, bringing the needle back up under the next #6 bead.

Repeat the process of adding a bugle between each stack until you have a lovely hexagon around each #6 bead stack center thingie. (Yes - "thingie" is a technical term.)

Make sure you have plenty of thread to make a loop, doubled thread is a good option here. Bring your needle up through one of those big #6 bead center thingies, and add lots of little tiny #15 seed beads until you have a string of them long enough to make a hanging loop.

Take your needle back down through the #6 stack and bring it out as close under one of the other hexagon bead formations as you can. 

Do the knot thing, in fact knot it twice for good measure. Send the needle anywhere through the felt ball and then trim the tail. 

Viola! 

Something beautiful to hang on your tree, or in your window, or on your rear-view mirror.

If you don't happen to have those dazzling twisted bugles in your stash - no worries.

I've put together kits for you with everything you need to make your own ornament.

Each kit includes one felt ball, all the beads you need, a spool of nymo beading thread and a needle.

 Shipping within the U.S. is free.

Choose your color

Winter White $8.00 USD Deep Green $8.00 USD Kelly Green $8.00 USD Lime Green $8.00 USD Bright Christmas Red $8.00 USD Deep Vintage Red $8.00 USD Muted Heather Red $8.00 USD

And if you liked this tutorial, you will love my DVD.

It's 90 minutes of blissful beading play time and full of inspiration.

Learn to apply beads to fabric and make your own wonderful works of art.

Pop it in your computer and print out a PDF pattern for the floral quilt on the cover.

$24.95 + $5.50 shipping

Watercolor Bliss and the Artspark Winter Tutorial

This is my favorite time of year. It's gloriously colorful here in North Carolina.

I have a little time for being with family and art making.

I took time out this morning to play with paint and color.

Now it's time to get to work. I spent yesterday unpacking from the last teaching trip and cleaning out part of the studio. I've got a tutorial to get ready for you all!

But you don't have to wait for me. One of the reasons I'm beginning to love watercolors along with textiles is the inspiration I get from the fabulous and beautiful, Jane LaFazio. She's got a lovely little tutorial up on her blog for making these unique gift bags.

http://janeville.blogspot.com/2011/11/sketch-stitch-gift-bag-tutorial.html

Go.
Be INSPIRED!

Imaginary Creatures

One of my favorite artists and illustrators is named Omar Rayyan.

Fluffy, by Omar Rayyan

on etsy

I love his slightly twisted and humorous imagination.

Contessa with Squid, by Omar Rayyan

prints on Etsy

 I smile whenever I see his work.

Courtship, by Omar Rayyan

 I don't have his prodigious experience and the natural results of his due diligence with pencil and brush. Some day I might, but not yet.

But last night right before bed I was thinking about this month's Sketchbook Challenge theme of imaginary creatures and started scribbling and a few seconds later I had a long necked goat with wings and fangs. No idea at the beginning what it was going to be. But there you go. Fun to be had with pencil in hand. 

Artspark Winter Tutorial Bloghop

Are you ready!!!!??? The fabulous ladies at Artspark begin our winter round of free tutorials for you to follow. You don't want to miss this!

November 9:^: Jane LaFazio Sketch & Stitch Gift Bags   

November 10: Lyric Kinard Glitter, Glisten, Glimmer: Beaded Snowflake Ornament

November 11: Tracie Lyn Huskamp

November 12: Melanie Testa

November 13: Traci Bunkers Moldable Foam Stamps 

November 14: Diana Trout Japanese-Style Fabric Wrap(Furoshiko)

November 15: Judy Coates Perez Folk Art Inspired Ornament 

November 16: Kelli Nina Perkins Whimsical Spool Garland  

November. 17: Lisa Engelbrecht Experimental Lettering

November 18: Jill Berry Geo Papers and Projects  

November 19: Gloria Hansen Resizing an Image the Easy Way 

While waiting in an airport

Foto/Fiber 2012 and ACS fundraiser

Once again Virginia Spiegel is working her magic. 

She makes the world a better place. I'm so honored to be part of her project to raise funds for the American Cancer Sociery.

How Does Foto/Fiber 2012 Work? 90 Photos AND 90 BONUS Fiber Surprises Beauty and Mystery Unite to Fight Cancer 1. Ninety beautiful and inspiring photos by Virginia A. Spiegel Hope is the winged bird(with apologies to Emily Dickinson) All photos are 7x5" and mounted to archival acid-free 1/8" foam board. Each is matted with an archival mat to 10x8." Each photo is titled/signed by me and packaged in a clear envelope. Only three of each photo will be available. I do not plan to offer my photos for sale online so this is a one-off opportunity. All photos will be available for preview no later than February 14, but I will be featuring photos on my blog and here periodically. 2. Ninety BONUS Fiber Surprises from an amazing team of fiber artistsAll BONUS Fiber Surprises will be mailed directly to you by their creators in a Size 0 (6x9") bubble envelope mailer. This is the size in which a CD fits nicely. Each artist will be donating from one to three BONUS Fiber Surprises. I asked the donors to make the BONUSES wonderfully wonderful, creative, and unique. You might receive a small work of art, handpainted or dyed fabric, screen printed Lutradur, vintage kimono scraps, a small original screen for printing, dyed embroidery thread, a small bundle of "magical" raw materials, etc., etc. Check out the list of generous artists (links are to their websites/blogs); you know your BONUS will be just that: Natalya Aikens Frances Holliday Alford Pamela Allen Sue Bleiweiss Nancy G. Cook Jane Davila Vivika DeNegre Diane Rusin Doran Jane Dunnewold Jamie Fingal Leonie Hartley Hoover Leslie Tucker Jenison Lyric Kinard Susan Brubaker Knapp Lynn Krawzcyk Jane LaFazio Susan Lenz Jeanelle McCall Linda Teddlie Minton Karen Musgrave Gail Myrhorodsky Karen Stiehl Osborn BJ Parady Cate Coulacos Prato Yvonne Porcella  Wen Redmond Sue Reno Susan SchrottCynthia St. Charles Lura Schwarz Smith Sarah Ann Smith Terri Stegmiller Mary Ann Van Soest 3. Drawings for Fiber Art All patrons of Foto/Fiber 2012 will also have the opportunity throughout Foto/Fiber to win fiber art generously donated by: Leonie Hartley HooverLyric Kinard Lynn Krawczyk and Yvonne Porcella: Teal Flower for OV, 6x9" mini-quilt . The drawing for this artwork will be from the 90 patrons of Foto/Fiber 2012 whose lives or the lives of ones they love have been affected by cancer. (I'm thinking it will be all 90, no?) and Mary Ann Van Soest: Yellow Barns II, 18x24" quilt The drawing for this artwork will be from all 90 patrons of Foto/Fiber 2012 once we meet our goal of $7000 raised for the ACS. Gold Donor Day: Wednesday, February 15 10 a.m. Central - 3:00 p.m. Central Make a minimum donation of $100, choose a photo and choose a BONUS Fiber Surprise by a specific artist from the list above. Thursday, February 16 10 a.m. Central - 3:00 Central (or until SOLD OUT)Make a minumum donation of $50 and choose a photo; your BONUS Fiber Surprise will be chosen for you at random. More specifics on how to donate directly to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause will be available no later than Monday, February 12. Help us spread the word about Foto/Fiber 2012 Questions? E-mail me at Virginia(at)VirginiaSpiegel.comFiberart For A Cause