Progress on 2008-9

For those who want to know what I have been up to I am including links below to my BJP posts for my 2008-9 piece in the order they were written and my web gallery and website. I will continue to have posts coming out every 3 days through at least the first week in August.
-Angie

July 1- A Seed Germinates
July 4- Goals For A New Year
July 7- A Sapling Takes Root In Purple Dirt
July 10- Trying New Techniques/Collaging my World
July 13- How Do I Do It/ It's A Secret
July 16- Like Leaves On A Tree: Plenty Of Ideas
July 19-Painting My World/A Tree Takes Form

My Web Gallery- Includes photos of both of my BJP pages and Susan Plager's Graduation.
Artistic Kreations and Passions- my website

What to Bead on?

This question was asked before, but now that some folks have answered that they use Peltex, I have a question. Is that like Timtex? Do you bead directly on the surface of the Peltex/Timtex or do you put fabric over it and bead on the fabric with the Peltex as backing? Thanks for all of you who share with us!

Regarding Tips...

I notice that a few people already have tips on their blogs. If you want to share these with other BJPers on the FAQS page of the website, we can just put a link to your blog. Please just add your blog site to the comment section on tips and we'll make sure to add a link.

Here's a tip I want to learn: how to stop poking my thumb and index finger with the needles.
My skin is tattered on those two fingers, and I think the needle sometimes thinks my skin is fabric. Help!!

FYI

There have been several posts to the QuiltArt list this week about using Fireline for beading on fabric pieces that may be ironed. The consensus is that it will melt if it comes in contact with direct or even indirect heat (using teflon press cloth). I don't use Fireline, but I know some of you have mentioned it as an alternative to beading thread so I thought I would pass along the caution.

SueU

Photographing your Beadwork or Jewelry

I've been experimenting with jewelry photography and share my experience here. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Also, if anyone would like to share their experiences with taking photographs, I'd love to hear about them!

-Karen

My December Journal Page

Happy New Year to all of you!

It's been awhile since I've posted here. Between the holidays and a jewelry show I participated in last November, I have a lot of catching up to do. I've just completed my December page and you can view it on my blog here.

Even though I've fallen behind, I've been following everyone's posts and links with great interest and enjoying the gorgeous artwork. I still have my November page to complete. I'd like to do a photo transfer onto fabric. It will be from a photo I'll scan into my computer.

Does anyone have an easy technique for this?

Thanks!
-Karen

Need a Little Help

I am a frog collecter so my nine year old granddaughter made me a frog pin for Christmas. It's a quilled frog on a Sculpey lily pad. She glued the frog on the lily pad with super glue but it didn't hold. I don't want to experiment and ruin her project so I am wondering if any of you know what glue will bond Sculpey and paper. Will E6000 work? Any suggestions?

Happy Beady New Year!

Timaree

Which WIRE for seed beads?

Another technique question: which wire would you recommend I use if I want to wire up some seed beeds and turn them into coils on a Journal page? Should I go with something like a sterling silver jewelry wire, or can I get away with something less expensive and maybe even in colors??? Also, could you please tell me what size of wire I need to look for.

TIA for any advice,

Christi in WA state

Unstuck! And some questions...

Hi, all!
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped me with my stuckedness! All the ideas are wonderful! When I'm on my blog, I try to go to the email of the person & it comes up either "user user" or some other weird thing! So I'm still not able to send y'all emails from the blog. So I just answer there. Does everyone else do this?
Also, I'm wondering if everyone else gets stuck like this? And what you do to get unstuck? I've discovered that I like the planning part of creating a piece, so the "fly by the seat of your pants" thing is hard for me. (I used to love to plan all the vacations with friends & family!)
Getting away to the powwow yesterday was VERY helpful! All the beautiful, colorful costumes & beads galore!!!! It was a perfect way for me to get unstuck...and to remember to hear the heartbeat of Mother Earth thru' the drumming! It was so joyful!
So thanks again!
With warmest aloha,
CC, the Unstuck! ;)

How to attach stones?

Greetings fellow beaders ~ I'm hoping some of you will share a few tips with me about how to attach stones to my pages? I've been noticing on many of your blogs that you use cabachons (sp?), found stones, etc. and I can't figure out how you attach them. I have a couple of small beach stones that I want to include on my pages, but I'm not sure the best way to secure them. I am using a nice, stiff Timtex backing, so I know it will hold them. I've thought about putting seed bead "lassos" around them but I know there must be alternatives to this (which covers up the stone faces quite a bit). Any suggesstions?

Thanks so much,
Christi in WA state

double or single?

What is your preferred method of attaching beads. I am a relative newbie to beading on fabric and know nothing about beading for jewellery. Anything I have learnt, has been on the Internet and Margaret Ball's book "Embeadery". The one thing I could never get a clear answer on, was whether to double the thread or keep it single. I usually keep it single and go through again if I feel it needs to be more secure, that way, like the edging on my July page, I can go through it a few times without the needle getting stuck (especially for no15's).

The reason I ask this is because I bought this book, yesterday, by Larkin Jean Van Horn (I am a sucker for pretty pictures) and it is the first book that explicitly states use a double thread.

Adhesive for Timtex?

Since I'm attaching found objects to my journal pages, I'm using Timtex for a stiff backing. I'm wondering what all of you think about using a spray adhesive (like 505 Temporary Fabric Adhesive) to attach the fabric to the backing? I sort of like the idea of NOT having to sew the fabric to the backing....:>} and I also don't want to add an additional bonding layer (like an iron-on). Any advice greatly appreciated!

Christi in WA state

Stitching Question

I have a question for you more experienced bead embroiderers. I'm using a double strand of Silamide, knotted together at the end. The problem I'm having is sometimes the two strands of thread do not pull through to the surface of my work at the same rate, leaving a loop of one strand on the back which, of course, I don't notice until I've reached what I think is the end of my thread and I turn the work over to knot off. I'm sure it's got something to do with the way I hold or manipulate the needle/thread, but does anyone know of a way to avoid this?

Sue in western WA

A Request for Robin

Robin, I noticed that you have told about your way of journaling in response to some recent posts on individual blogs. I wondered if you would make a BJP post about this for those who might not read through all the responses to the blogs? And it would be interesting to read others' journaling techniques as well, if you would mind to make a BJP post as well. Thanks Robin and all!

June BJP Posted on Blog

I posted my June page on my blog this morning if anyone is interested in having a look and leaving comments.

I also have a couple book recommendations, I am a confessed, but not reformed, "bookaholic". Steve was thrilled when I started selling some of my extensive quilting book collection on Amazon.com. Little did he know that I was actually just selling off the books that were no longer of interest to me and replacing them with books on art quilting and beading, men can be so naive.

ColorWorks by Deb Menz: a wonderful color workbook that has beaded examples for all the color exercises. Interweave Press ISBN 1-931499-47-0

Designer Bead Embroidery 150 patterns and complete techniques by Kenneth D King: the patterns are mainly for clothing and accessories, but I think I will probably incorporate some in my pages over the next year. Creative Publishing international ISBN 13:978-1-58923-272-3

These two books are of course in addition to all of Robins books and the one by Larkin Van Horn that was mentioned earlier. Plus numerous books on jewelry construction, one in particular is Beaded Jewelry with Found Objects by Carole Rodgers that has wonderful pictures and extensive directions for beading with cabochons ISBN 0-87349-684-1

Have a Happy 4th of July, for those in the US and everyone else have a great week.

Which stiff backing for found objects?

Greetings to the group ~ I've got a question about the best way to attach small found objects to my Journal pages...what would you folks recommend for a backing material for the cloth I'm sewing on, to give it stiffness? I've already asked an earlier question about backing in general, but now I've just had an idea about attaching some items I found at the beach. I'm working in a 4" X 5" size. Would it be best to leave extra fabric all around and then "wrap" the fabric (page) around a piece of cardboard or something -- or archival matting board? If so, how would one attach the fabric to the backing? Thanks in advance for any tips!

Christi in WA state

One Little Question

My felt has arrived, I have my plan in mind and a little on paper. But - I have a question. Should I fuse a woven backing to my wool felt or will it hold up to extensive beading. My circle will be 5-6" in diameter and will later be sewn to more felt as a backing. I wonder if any one of all of us beaders knows the answer. If not, I'll let you all know how it turns out and then we will know. Thanks for any help anyone can give.

Happy Beading!!

Acid-free interleaving paper?

Technical question here: if I choose to use acid-free interleaving paper for backing my squares, do I sew it all the way around the edge of my square first as the way to attach it? If so, how far in, about 1/4 inch or so? I've never done this before, so any advice will be most appreciated!

Thanks, Christi

Timtex Question

Someone was asking about Timtex --- for some of my projects I have used Pellon Peltex 70 -- it is MUCH less expensive than either Timtex or Lacy's Stiff Stuff. It is also usually much easier to find. Our JoAnn Fabrics has the Pellon Peltex 70 but not the Timtex or Lacy's Stiff Stuff. Hope this helps.

Jackie
Beadin' Gram

If you're looking for inspiration then ...

YooHoo BJP'ers,
The interesting talk on inspiration has prompted me to to share with you the greatest inspiration and motivation that any BJP'er could wish for!

You'll find all you'll need to know - and more, amongst the pages of our leader Robin Atkins', books!!

In Beaded Embellishment by Robin Atkins & Amy Clarke I learnt about backing my work with tissue paper, recommendations on the size of needles to use, how to test your beads (imperative if like me you are beading for posterity) and much, much more!!!

I've ordered One Bead at a Time and can't emphasise enough, for anyone new to this or looking for a refresher to devour the books by our/my GURU Robin Atkins and you'll never go wrong.

I have no affiliation with Robin, just doing my own thing down here in Australia, hoping that what I mearn might help others on this marvellous journey!

Another tip from me; I'm using Timtex for my pages. Large and small fabric / stabilizer operators in Sydney have looked at me blankly when I ask "Do you stock Timtex"?. Fortunately I found... www.quiltfabricdelights.com.au where the lovely Sarah sent me one metre by Express Post and now work here has begun ...Yay!!

Beady Hugs,
Cherie.