November ~ The Final CC7A

This is the final CC7A post...

I was picked to provide the photo for November.  

I took this photo in my front yard years ago.

I like the feel of it. 

A lot. 

The vegetation in the photo is a Rose of Sharon.  Also in the front yard is a Red Maple that was a Mother's Day gift from the Bird Man and The Bug when Bug was two years old.  I have watched both The Bug and my Red Maple grow bright and strong over the years.  Once Sunshine Girl came along, she wanted her own tree.  We transplanted the Rose of Sharon from elsewhere in the yard and called it hers.  

 The twigs are from the Red Maple.  Brittle brown older twigs and a more supple red newer twig.

November casts a long shadow.....















Love Birds hanging out in the tree...there are always a few nests in the Red Maple ~ new life and the occasional one we find dead under the tree.  Circle of life, I suppose.

The round beads are gorgeous agates.  The netting is seed beads in sizes 8, 11, and 15, the love birds were a gift, and the pendant is from Kabela Design.  I picked it up at the last bead show Cynthia and I went to.  Maybe someday there will be flowers in it, or lace, or a haiku.  The possibilities are endless.









Thanks to the other CC7A members for all their months of inspiration :

Alicia ~ April

Therese ~ May

Sally ~ June

Monique ~ August

Cynthia ~ September

Emma ~ October

Me ~ November

A Time To Stitch EIGHT ~ What's Your Bag? Tote, Purse, Clutch, or Amulet?

November seemed so far away when Therese and I had the sign ups in June, didn't it?  But here we are...Hopping!

Our Eighth A Time To Stitch Hop is all about beaded bags ~ Amulet bags, Clutches, Purses, Totes.  I am so excited about this one!  Amulet bags are what inspired me to beadweave in the first place, even though it took me twentysomething years to finally make one (you can see it HERE).  I am curious about what got you interested in beading?  And did you make it right away or did it simmer for a couple decades?  

Today, I get to show my second beaded amulet bag!  I really love the way it turned out :-) 

Lovely Blue Quartz Bead holds the buckle in place...the weight of the buckle holds the fabric flap down.

Flap open, revealing more of the pocket and the beadweaving.  

The beadweaving stitch I used is called Hubble.  The woman who created it is Melanie de Miguel.  I found the tutorial in Beadwork Magazine October/November 2015.  The irony of this is known only to me, but in brief...after over a decade of receiving the Beadwork Magazine, I decided not to renew my subscription.  I never make projects from it...it is mostly a reference for certain stitches I am still needing help with and a source of some inspiration.  When Hubble presented itself, I thought it was a sign to renew again. But after the Hubble settled, I decided to stick to my plan.  I still have all my issues, so I decided that come January, when there is no new Beadwork in my mailbox, I will go to the workshop and get the very first few issues and treat them all as new again.  

Backside...how I secured that front Hubble pocket on to the fabric.  The fabric was from an upholstery store sample book that the owner was getting rid of...she gave it to me and I have all these little fabric squares for projects.

The fringe is a smattering of a gifts from two special people ~ my brother gave me all the copper beads a long long long time ago.  And my friend Wyndy gave me those garnets, pearls, and crystals.

It might be a bit blurry but I like the effect of this zoomed up picture of the Hubble.

  

It isn't quite as long on me as it is on Fleur, because...boobs. 

A funny thing about the Hubble Stitch and me...this bag was my very first attempt at it.  I didn't have one problem doing the stitch.  It was a breeze!  I thought, "I am going to Hubble EVERYTHING from now on!!!"  

And since then...I cannot get the damn stitch to work at all for me.  I am not sure what happened.  I think it might be connected to cancelling my Beadwork Magazine.  

But I am going to try and try again and even buy the book.  It seems so versatile.  And I think it would look great bezeled around rocks.  Whatever my one-and-done block with this is, I have to get through it and Hubble again!  

Thank you to all the participants, readers, and Therese.  You all make ATTS an event to look forward to and enjoy! 

Here's the list of all the creative people that took part in the Hop.  Please go see what they made!

Therese

Christine

Jenny

Bobbie

Ana

Amy

Cynthia

Karin S

Maryanne

Liz

Lori

Paula

Jasvanti

Dagi

Kepi

Samantha

Alicia

Motidana

Becky

Amy!!! and Jackson!!!

Way back in April (!), my family and I had the pleasure of meetings Amy of Amybeads and her son Jackson.  They were passing through our area and we all met for dinner, stories, laughing, and farm fresh ice cream.  All six of us instantly got along and there were no awkward silences...not even with the three teenagers!  After that too brief meeting, I look forward to a much longer visit with Amy...a beadathon weekend is what I am thinking...and maybe a little birding thrown in to stretch our legs.

Amy gave me the book, The Art of Beadwork by Jane Lock.  It is a beautiful book with wonderful projects and vivid colors.




Amy has a pair of earrings in this book!  They are from a music hop we both participated in several years ago.  That was the first time I saw Amy's beadwork and I became a follower of Amybeads that very day.  I mean, check out these gorgeous earrings!!! How could I stay away after seeing these?!?  Amy also made me a bookmark out of a butterfly wing she made for a butterfly hop we were in.  I was so in love with her colors and her butterfly, so I was THRILLED to receive this bookmark charm.

Amy is in charge of Bead-It-Forward.  Beaders send in a 2"x 2" square of beadwork based on the year's theme.  These squares are turned into wall hangings, ornaments, quilts, shadowboxes and are auctioned off.  Proceeds go to breast cancer charities.  2016's theme is Space : Out There Somewhere, There's A Cure.  Check out the details on the website and make a square or two!

Here are a few of the highlights of Amy's work.  Her style is so everyday wearable and even her more elaborate statement pieces are completely wearable.  This is why I love her beading.  It is beautiful and accessible. 

All the jewelry shown here are Amy's photos and Amy's beading from her Gallery page (but there is so much more to see so click and go over there!) :

Amy's Beauteous Bangle Tutorial on Etsy

Thank you Amy ~ for your beady goodness, your kayaking and birding photos, your friendship :-D