more BJP progress

Well, I know July's almost over, but I'm still working on my July Bead Journal page. I decided to just "play" on this page and try out different effects. I've added some flowers and a couple of leaves. I really like the way the leaf done in the super-skinny bugles came out, but I did break a few beads until I switched to a super-skinny (and hard to thread) beading needle. It's hard to find those faceted drop beads like the 8 blue ones in the flower, that don't cost an arm & a leg....
It seems that once I start fooling around with flowers, things go easier for me - I think flowers are just my thing!
Happy Beading...
~Lin Moon

July BJP Progress

I am finding these Bead Journal Pages difficult to start. I have all these seemingly great ideas floating in my head, but they get jumbled once I pick up a beading needle. Embroidery with fibers is so much more familiar to me; so I decided to just start beading a sampler of sorts as my page for July. I thought if I knew what sorts of effects I could get with different types of bead embroidery, maybe having this "palette" of effects would help me get started on future BJP pages. So here's my progress so far....
It's funny how sometimes when working on a challenge project, there are just sooo many rules. But take away almost all the rules, and I just don't know where to start!
Happy Beading...
~Lin Moon

Goodies from SM Bead Show

Here are some pix of the cool stuff I got at the bead show. I was thinking about beading around one of the larger beads for one of the bead journal project pages. Those blue pearls are kind of weird, but in a good way. I saw some wonderful kits for making beaded beads, necklaces and bracelets. Also some nice jewelry people were wearing that they had made themselves. It was fun!
Happy Shopping!
~Lin Moon

Santa Monica Bead Show

This weekend is the Bead Faire at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA. It's Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 20-22.

Is anyone planning to go? I'd love to meet one of you online beaders!

More info is available at www.gemfaire.com.

Happy Beading,
~Lin Moon

Harry Potter Gala

I haven't been doing much embroidery/beading lately because I've been making Harry Potter curtains! I work at Borders Books and this Friday we are having a huge party to celebrate the latest and last Harry Potter book. We're having a DJ, palm reader, face painter, costume contest, free posters, wands and a craft table (womanned by yours truly) to make wizard hats. A red carpet will lead up to the front door, which will be festooned with 12 foot purple curtains, which I've been working on. A gold and glittered set of H and P letters will frame the door, done in the Harry Potter font. My daughter downloaded the font and I made signs for all the tables. This is going to be so much fun!
gotta get back to stitching soon....
~Lin Moon

June Bead Journal Project

You can see my Bead Journal Project entry for June. I'm not really sure what I think of the finished piece... I certainly have a lot to learn. I have never filled a shaped with sequins, and I'm not sure a solid shape like the moon was a good choice.... I really enjoyed using all different blue beads for the water, although I struggled with wanting better-defined lines, which would have required all seed beads, or having fun with the different sizes of beads and not having the line effect I was going for. I had planned to have leaves or flowers floating on the water, but with the water beads being so big, it seemed like it would look like the water was floating on the leaves/flowers. I had also planned to fill in the water with lots of different embroidery threads, but thought it would take away from the beads and maybe be too "busy."

Things I would say I learned from this piece:
Beads behave differently than threads.(This may seem like a "duh", but it surprised me)
Sequins fill areas in a more airy way, than in a solid way.
Portions of the design that are done in beads tend to come forward, unbeaded areas recede.
Every piece doesn't have to be a masterpiece (thank goodness!)
I need to play more. (yay!)

Happy Stitching and Beading,
~Lin Moon