Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Beads Only a Mother Could Love...

Art Jewelry Elements is hosting a mini-blog hop today...and I'm a little late to the party, as usual, but it was such a fun idea, I wanted to join in.

The blog hop is focusing on growth as an artist. It is serving as a good reminder of how far we have all come in terms of skill level, as well as a reminder that we were all beginners at one point!

So I dug into my stash of starter beads, and found the actual bag of beads I made at my first class. They are pretty sad, but when I made them, I was soooo awed by the fact that I created them, it was love at first sight!

Lots of blobs, undercut dots and sharp holes! What's not to love? :)

Want to hear something funny? The big pink blob on the left is supposed to be a heart! I haven't made many heart beads in my time, but thank goodness they don't still look like this! I tried to find a picture of a more recent heart, but I realized I only make them in this style when I am doing Beads of Courage purple hearts, and I don't have any made right now. Even funnier, you can't really see it, but on the right side of the heart is a little bump...have no idea what I was doing there. Maybe it's a pacemaker.

Even the Tin Man would say,"No thanks!"
Even though I have definitely gained a lot of skill since that first day, I have more to learn. In fact, I went to a one-on-one tutoring session today to help correct some of the bad habits I have developed over the years. As much information is out there on the internet, there is no substitute for having a teacher sit next to you and correct and guide you as you work in the flame.

So what can I do now? These days I like to make focals, and work in silver glasses. Here's some of my more recent pieces!






Hopefully, the more recent ones look a tad bit better! :) Please check out the other artists participating in this blog hop on the Art Jewelry Elements blog!






13 comments:

  1. It's nearly 2:30 am here and I'm laughing myself silly over your heart bead story! Oh my! Trying to keep my chuckle a quite one so I don't wake the house, but couldn't stop laughing!

    (I confess, I didn't guess it was a heart. Thought it was an interesting abstract/organic shape though. And the 2 early beads on the right look pretty darn good!) Of course your more recent ones are even better, and I especially like your black and gold beads!

    Thanks for the photo AND the fun narrative!

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    1. Glad I could make you laugh! You have to have a sense of humor when starting anything new, right? I think the teacher tried to have us make hearts just for a good laugh! lol

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  2. I think one of the things about first beads is the colours... we all have very similar bad taste in colour. I regonized that bead as a heart...

    The colours on the dots on that big hole bead are lovely... it just glows!

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    1. You know, I think a lot of us go for purples and pinks to start...but they are the *worst* colors to learn on! Especially the EDP! Plus, it takes a while for it to sink in the combining glass colors is *not* like combining paints and such...so easy to end up with mud!

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  3. I love that you still have your class beads! I didn't take a beginner class and probably have all kinds of bad habits...but they're MY bad habits. LOL! Thanks so much for sharing part of your journey...it can be scary.

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    1. Thanks for organizing this Jen! I have so many bad habits...which were all pointed out to me during my recent tutoring session!

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  4. Oh my your beads are gorgeous! I really love the foil beads - beautiful! I love your title 'only a mother could love' that is exactly how I feel about my first pieces. I was just so proud that what I was making sorta looked like what I wanted it to - LOL. This was a great post - thanks for sharing your story

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    1. Thank you! It's good to remember where we started, as long as we don't stare at them too long--it's to scary! lol

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  5. LOL @ even the tin man would say no, thanks! That heart looks like a tooth to me :P
    I feel the same way about my work, I love it all because I made it!

    The recent beads are simply gorgeous!! Wow!

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    1. Thanks! Maybe I should tell people it's a tooth? Or I'll tell them it's a magical bead--it's whatever you imagine it to be! lol

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  6. I am awed by anything that involves an open flame, Rachel... and I doubt I will ever take on lampworking myself. I'll settle for perusing Etsy and drooling over everyone's beads (the last time I checked, I think about 2/3 of my favourites are, uh, glass).

    Your focals in that black and gold necklace are breathtaking... oh, I'm back, I was off searching for a link to your shop and finally found it in an old post. Have you considered adding a mini-Etsy link to your blog, Rachel? Especially with your BSBP reveal this Saturday, you're sure to have extra traffic here. Just sayin'...

    Oh, and I totally guessed that first bead was a heart with a pacemaker... HONEST!

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    1. Thank you for mentioning the etsy mini! You'd think, considering I have been favoriting shops left and right after the other reveals, I would think of that! :)

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  7. Awww, you should be proud of your early beads--everyone has to start somewhere. I admire you for working with fire as that is something that terrifies me. Your newer beads certainly show a great improvement--they're beautiful!

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