Luna C Bede

Creative Friends

2010-02-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

I am surrounded by creative people!
It is such a treat to spend time with them and create myself. Nothing fuels my imagination better.

So I am starting a new post idea, each month I'll take you on a tour of a new creative person's home.
This month I will start with Jennifer.
I have known Jennifer for quite some time. I met her when I took a paper making class through the local community ed, she was the instructor. I was quite "shy" back then. I took the class again, because I just did not get it the first time. Maybe it was that step there that cemented our friendship.
I don't know, but my life has been enriched just knowing her.
Her creativity knows no boundaries. She would be the first to tell you its because she is a Pisces, boundaries are foreign to them. I am on the other side of the spectrum, I am a Virgo, we are all about the boundaries.

Her prodding and support of my artistic nature is endless.

Jennifer's newest endeavor is her kitchen. The walls are painted, the wood floor is installed. All that was left was those nasty white counters....
Not any more.
For the last several months she has been creating this beautiful mosaic on her counter.
She only has this portion finished but what a difference it makes. How fun will it be to prepare food on this counter. The only problem will be that every time you put a plate/bowl down you will loose some of the design! What a problem to have, huh!

Here's to you Jennifer! Thanks for everything!
To see more of Jennifer's art take a look here.

Page One

2010-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason I have been a gypsy for the last ten years.
Gypsy in this sentence means I have moved a lot, have not had a place to call my own (except for a brief stint last year). I am ready to find that special place where I can live out my life in total joy.

That is what my BJP10 is going to be all about.

My shape is a circle. But not just a circle, these pieces will all be mandalas. A mandala represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds. Each mandala will be 5 1/2" in diameter.

I started by cutting out the circles out of Peltex. Then I wanted to be experimental so I tried staining the Peltex with leftover coffee. I left the circles in the coffee for about an hour and then went and rinsed them off. Needless to say all the coffee rinsed out of them and I was left with pure white circles.

So then I got out a Pyrex pie plate, added water and globs of acrylic paint around the edges. I used lots of water and painted the circles (I have only done 2 so far). I used the cheapie paint in a bottle, Liqutex, and Golden Interference paint for this mottled look. Even drying this became a learning process. I started by drying them right side up on paper towels. I went to check on them and all the paint had soaked to the bottom! So I turned them right side down. All the paint reversed itself and ended up again on the bottom which was really the top. That make sense? All this I did on New Year's Eve. I want this to be a year of creating, so what better way to bring in the New Year than by creating.

So New Year's Day was very laid back, I watched movies, I sipped hot chocolate, I stayed inside and beaded. I wanted to start at the beginning with my pages so I beaded a mandala that to me means roots. Most of it was done on New Year's Day. I went to the bead shop and picked up the beads that look like tiles around the outside and finished that part on Monday and then Tuesday I got together with my beady friends and finished putting on the back and beading around it. Wow and it was only the 5th.

What to do the rest of the month? Won't you be surprised!

End of 2nd BJP

2009-12-28T12:13:00.000-08:00

In all of my rush to get you up to speed I forgot to show you the last piece of my Bead Journal Project.

The background is a photo I took while waiting for the ferry to cross back onto the mainland.

The women are from a rubber stamp, once stamped onto the photo I beaded the image.

This piece is of course called "Reaching for the Stars" and we can't do it without a little help from our friends!

A Stop for Moms

2009-12-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

I have been in the process of telling you my story, I am going to take a detour and bring you to the present.
A friend of mine told me about this site, Mom Culture.

Mom Culture is about the culture of being a parent. It gives you back the music, film, writing, art, design and dance that you thought you no longer had time for as a parent. Pretty Cool!

Tomorrow morning there will be a piece on MPR about them.

If you click on their gallery link, you might see yours truly there.

Both moms and kids will like this piece. It is entitled "The House That Seuss Built", an ode to Dr Seuss. Thousands of beads, and hundreds of hours went into creating this sculpture. The house is 12 " tall and 12" wide, with working doors. The inside walls are covers from two of his most famous books, "The Cat in the Hat" and "One Fish Two Fish".
The House that Seuss Built also won 2nd place in the Beadwork competition - The Beaded Book.

Another Magnet

2009-12-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have found whenever my life gets to hectic/somber, that making one of these magnets puts the fun right back into it.

I made this one for my Aunt Marie, while I was on vacation. Marie lives in Florida so we don't get to see her very often. She came up this summer because another Aunt (her sister) died.

I remember the three of them getting together. They would stay for a weekend in a hotel, no men, just sisters. They would take fun food and play cards. They would laugh and talk and have an all around great time.
My Aunt Delores loved margaritas. While my Aunt Marie was here we went to Applebee's and had one of their Perfect Margaritas, we toasted to my Aunt Delores.

I'll never look at a Margarita again without thinking of her.

Shortly after my Aunt Maria went back to Florida she moved. As a house warming and a remembrance I made this magnet for her new frig. She says it makes her thirsty every time she looks at it.

Ahhhh - Madeline Island

2009-12-04T09:37:00.000-08:00

After the hectic summer I always love to go up to Madeline Island to unwind.
This year my parents came up also. This was the first time in many years we vacationed together. But I think they liked it - a lot!
The first day my mom comes up with a huge rock to take home. Shopping at the lake is so inexpensive. Then there were bowls of chili, puzzles to put together, yes and of course beadwork. Even my mom tried her hand at beading, first a star and them around a piece of driftwood.
My dad has a bad knee and a bad ankle so a trip down those stairs was out of the question. He would take my dog, Shambala, and walk around up on top. He would see all sorts of wildlife on his walks. Here he is resting on the deck with 'bala between walks. While he was sitting out there one day, an eagle flew right over the edge of the cliff. So cool!
When the sun was out it was nice outside, the deck is sheltered from the wind, and what a view.
Every day I would walk down to the lake, to look for rocks and driftwood. I was collecting driftwood to finish off my BJP for this year. I am making an accordion style book with the driftwood for the end pieces.
While I was down there one day I decided to try my hand at a self portrait. I would set up my camera on a rock and then run to the other rock to sit down. My dog thought this was such a fun game. I had to be careful running so I would not break anything on the rocky shore. Here is one of the better attempts. Shambala was not there in time to turn around and smile!
She probably had the most fun of all. She is a water dog, loves to swim. That water is sooooo cold, but she didn't care. Look at the smile!

Let's Go Back to Where I Stopped

2009-12-03T07:48:00.001-08:00

I usually stop blogging in the middle of the Renaissance. This year was no different.
For those of you that don't know, I have a booth at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. The Festival lasts 7 weekends, starting in mid August thru September. This year it even went thru the first weekend of October.
I sell smelly things out there, soaps, oils, incense. I started that business almost 18 years ago. I have been at the Rennie for 13 of those years. It feels like that part of my life is over, so I put my booth up for sale this year. I love my booth, it sits under an ancient oak tree that drops its acorns on us through out the fall. When I started, my friends and I hauled in tons of rock and made the beds you see in the photo. There is something very magical about it all.
But - I am done with it. Its not only the 7 weekends that I have missed of late summer and fall for the last years. It is the hours that go into cleaning it up every year so it looks like this, the hours that go into filling that tent with products to sell. It feels like work now, its time to move on.
Of course, now I just need a buyer. I'll let the universe figure that one out for me.
So now you know where I stopped blogging, tomorrow I'll post about the fun week after!

I'm Back

2009-12-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

I have done so much since I last posted!
That I can not even begin to describe it all in one post, it would go on forever.
So that I don't get bogged down with it all, I'll just start with a photo of one of the headdresses I am working on for the MN Start Arts Board Grant that I received for this year.

I tentatively named it Neptune's Daughter. I could use some help with a cooler name for it. Anyone?

Submission guidelines for "All Things Oz"

2009-09-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Symbeadotic Gallery just posted guidelines for the on-line exhibition - "All Things Oz".

What a great theme, I can't wait to see what people dream up!

More Magnets

2009-07-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the Mango magnet theme here is my next refrigerator magnet.
I think it is hysterical!
I made the Mango magnet for a dear friend of mine, her husband didn't get it. I asked him what type of magnet he would want. At first he couldn't think of anything, then a couple fo hours later he came out and said an eyeball! At first I was like. WHAT? But as I was beading it I fell in love with it, who wouldn't want one of these on the refrigerator keeping an eye on things?

The Beginning of the End

2009-07-20T09:33:00.001-07:00

August, who would have thought it would arrive so soon.

You are right, it is still 10 days away. But my August and September are so hectic with the Renaissance Festival lasting 7 of those 8 weeks. That I feel I should get this finished while I can.

This is the start of my piece. The sunset photo is the last photo I took, the last time I was up on Maddy Island. We were waiting for the ferry to take us back to the mainland. It is always so bitter sweet, I have had such a great time being in nature but I am also leaving and I know I won't be back any time soon. This photo was taken a year ago.

The stamp that I am using this time is Reach for the Stars. It is an image of all these women holding each other up while the top one reaches for the star. I love this rubber stamp. I have had it for ages but never had the perfect time to use it. Now it feels perfect. The imagery reminds me of all the help I feel from the blogging community, both the commenters and the readers. Each one is dear to me. And this image reminds me that you can not very well reach for a star when it is bright daylight out, you won't know where they are, you have to wait until it gets shadowy and dark before you can see where they might be.

Thanks for giving me a "leg up".
Stop back to see the beadwork on this piece.

Beadwork competition announced

2009-07-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Symbeadotic Gallery has announced their first beadwork competition!
The theme is "All Things Oz".
Cash prizes.
Details coming soon.

Gives us all time to envision a beaded OZ.

Symbeadotic Gallery

2009-07-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Symbeadotic Gallery has a new logo!

The links are not working yet.
I am expecting them to be working by Monday.
Which is when the gallery will announce its first beading competition with CASH prizes!

Let me know what you think of the logo,
do you get it?
is it too subtle?
have I missed the mark?

Its There

2009-07-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

The new site is open. Its not pretty, its not done, but the idea is ready to grow.

Symbeadotic Gallery
The idea behind this gallery is that unless you can travel to different destinations you never get to see the gorgeous beadwork on exhibit. You might get to see a few photos here and there but not the full scope. I want to curate exhibits of fabulous beadwork surrounding themes, that anyone can view. So then I thought about how you would want to view an exhibit, the ideal way is to walk around a piece, see it from all angles. I am doing research on the software that would let me do that, show each piece of the exhibit in the round.

The gallery name comes from the word
sym·bi·o·sis

1. Biology A close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member.

2. A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.

Of course I want this to be a mutually beneficial relationship. I am open to ideas and criticism. Lets make this work together!

What do you think of the first competition's theme to be "All Things Oz" this is in tribute to it be the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz movie. Comments?

New Idea

2009-07-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

My new idea - an online beadwork gallery.
Rotating views of each piece.
Competitions with cash prizes.
I just bought the domain name.

Stay tuned!

Obstacles

2009-07-04T08:11:00.001-07:00

This year of the BJP, just to reiterate, I wanted to add more elements to my beadwork. I have done that with using my own photos of Madeline Island, I have tried to incorporate some of my rubber stamps, and then I have added fabric (Illusion tulle and fiber). Then the theme of the year is The Pursuit of Peace. I wanted to bead those things that help me find my inner peace. This month my theme is obstacles.

One of my favorite things to do on the island is to walk the shoreline, my back is bent for hours looking at sticks and stones. And then sooner or later I will happen across a downed tree, its roots have given way to erosion. When I come across this obstacle I have this funny attitude, I just know that the best stone or stick is going to be just on the other side. I will wade through freezing water (this is Lake Superior) or if it is too far out I will climb through the branches, getting all scratched up. It just doesn't matter, I know there is something great once I get past that.

Life lately has given me a ton of those obstacles. I have looked at them and felt the urge to turn around and run the other way. No more. I am going to remember that feeling I have up on Maddy. I am going to face it head on, knowing that if I get beat up a little and come out the other side I am going to find the jewel I have been searching for.

Happy Freedom Day to all!

Just tear it out!

2009-06-25T14:43:00.001-07:00

Well Blogger is turning my photo sideways no matter what I do, so just turn your head at an angle, please! What the heck!

Last time I posted I had started beading a row of bugle beads along the bottom. Every time I would get about an inch done, I would look at it and it had started to angle ever so slightly on me! So what do you do?

You tear it out! I tore that darn thing out 3 times and then I left it out and started with the triangle in the middle, so far so good on that. So if anyone has a trick to making bugle beads stay straight, please pass it on!

As you can see, the design has already changed a bit, as far as the beading is concerned. I am a little concerned about the beads not being sparkly enough, but I figure if I make the next layer (fins) sparkly, the contrast will be just right.
Opinions?!

Water Headdress - Beginning

2009-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

This year I received a grant to make more of my signature headdresses, one for each of the four elements (air, earth, fire, water). As the year started though I was so busy finishing up other projects that were accepted into shows that I only now have started on the headdresses for real.

I know I had a hard time starting also because I was scared. Scared that they would not live up to the board's expectations or even mine. Well no time like the present. I figured I would take you along on the ride.

My first headdress is for the element of Water. The first thing I did was choose the Ultrasuede I would use. I have a lime green, a soft butter, and an aquamarine color. The bead colors came next, I kept imagining the colors of the Caribbean, the turquoise, the beautiful blue and the colors of the sand. I have shells and a starfish on my tray for inspiration.

My idea is to have the the waves all the way around the bottom of the headdress. Then the next layer above will be fins, one large one in the center and then two smaller ones on the sides. I also want to incorporate a fish scale look someplace. The back will have a beaded net which will act as a veil. I also would like to see some beaded shells and perhaps a starfish either stuck in the net or cascading down one of the sides.

One thing I have learnt about how I bead is that what I have in my mind and what happens with the beads are two different things. Sometimes things do not work like I expected, or I have a brilliant! idea right in the middle of the project. That is one of the reasons why I thought it might be fun to see the progress. Who really knows how it will turn out!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Its the headdress roller coaster ride!

Midsummer's Weekend

2009-06-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

I ended up with the weekend off, due to poor planning on the part of my move, long story. So I decided what a great weekend to bead my June page.

On my peace island there is a little fairy village, at least I call it a "fairy" village. No one will tell you where it is, just that it is there somewhere. It took us 6 years to find it. The village is made up of stone houses, each one has a year on it, going back to at least 1956. There is an opera house, a church, houses and outlaying farms and bridges. The forest has taken some back with growth.

This is one of my favorite photos. On the right in the back is the little house, in front they made a fairy ring of rocks and planted a stick. Well the stick is sprouting, was it the fairies?

So of course my page had to include a fairy, giggling behind her hand, she will never tell.

Whether its remembering our awe and wonder, or its the idea of fairies out there creating magic, but something makes me very peaceful when I think on the fairy village, all by itself, in the forest that won't tell......

Two Post in One Day!

2009-06-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

Two post in one day, you know what must have frozen over!

Not really, I also just got done with my May page, so I figured I better post so I could actually start June's page in June! WhooHoo!

May's page signifies May Day for me. My brother and my son use to live in the same apartment building that I did, right on the shores of one of the lakes in Minneapolis. Every year on May Day we would go across the street and run with ribbons around a particular tree.

In keeping with my year's theme, it is these memories that give me peace. I know things change, but some of the great things that we do, I wish those could go on forever. But at least every May Day I think back on those times, remember and smile.

The LeDuc Crowne Affair

2009-06-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

This is the what I have been working on for the last month, instead of my BJP. This headdress is called The LeDuc Crowne Affair, it is named after two sisters from Hastings, MN that had a needlework company. Hastings just celebrated the 125 year anniversary of the sister's company. Included in that celebration is an exhibition of the LeDuc sister's designs used by modern artists.

This headdress features two of their designs, the scallops are one design, and then the front piece with the birds, is another design. I used all size 15 seed beads with flat back Swarovski cystals.

If you happen to be in Hastings, Minnesota between now and and then end of August stop in and see the exhibit. I think the curator said there was 33 entries. here is the website, http://www.dakotahistory.org/LeDuc/home.asp

The exhibition is called Modern Interpretations of Historic Designs.

Healing Spirals

2009-05-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am moving today.

As I would pack a load into the Jeep, I would stop, catch my breath and bead a little. I have four days to move, not that I want it to take that long. But I am taking over my last load for the night and realize that April's piece is finished. I am sitting at the computer with a mostly empty place, the internet gets turned off tomorrow. But in the midst of all this chaos, I finished my April page.

Frikking Amazing!

And as I type this post, there is a Native American drumming session going on across the way, the sound is carrying through my window. Again, amazing.

I am getting together with one of our fellow BJPer next week, I hope to start my May page. I might even start June's page in June, simply amazing.

Back to April's page, if you go to Madeline Island in the spring, you get to see these fields of lupine flowers. I have tried to grow them here and can not, they only last a season. So it is so magical to come upon a whole field of them. I love the way the water/dew collects in their leaves, just like Lady's Mantle does. So beautiful. The healing hand is of course for me, to remember that there are fields like this out there, that magic still exist.

Off to pack my last load of the evening.
Take care everyone.

Mango Madness

2009-05-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of thinking since my last post, trying to figure out a way to get myself out of this funk. I have worked through issues with my beading so I hoped it would work the other way around too.

A while back a friend had told me her friend needed a new golden boy, the one she had had disappointed her, I knew exactly who she needed, Mango! With his gold sequined shorts and his pouty lips, he would never let her down.

I figured I could find a photo of him, attach magnets to the back and she could have this great refrigerate magnet that would make her smile every time she went into the kitchen. I found this great photo of him, slapping his butt, with his finger up saying his classic line "You can not have the Mango!" It begged to be beaded. After Dark Recesses I needed to bead something frivolous, just for fun. I started with his beret, every time I looked at it I smiled, it was working. Beading not only could help me work through issues it could help me find joy again. What a eye opener! So if ever your beading makes you go too deep, find your own Mango to bead.

I leave you with this quote from Marcus Aurelius, said over two thousand years ago, "Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny, for what could more aptly fit your needs?" Wise man.

March - From the Dark Recesses

2009-05-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

When I was told I had to move out of my apartment, for no other reason than he doesn't want to rent it anymore, I thought it couldn't get any worse than that. Events since then have proven me wrong.

I usually can keep a sunny disposition, I always try to remember that things happen for a reason but lately I can not see the silver lining. I only see the deep dark recesses.

The photo I chose to bead on for this month is of a piece of bark, again from my special island. Out of the dark recesses of this bark, things are growing. I hoped as I beaded I could remember that the universe wastes nothing, from death grows life, it is just transformation. I am still having a tough time believing it.

Grandma B

2009-04-20T14:59:00.001-07:00

No new beadwork that I can show you so I thought I would do a tribute to my grandma, I credit her with getting me started down this bead path.

The thing I remember the most about her was her cooking, she made the most beautiful almond cookies, it had a little almond right in the middle of this perfect circle cookie, and she made mashed potatoes with cream cheese, my favorite! Every one of her grandkids, and there where many, would get $2 for their birthday, this was from a woman on social security. How she ever did it is a marvel. She would take us kids to the Museum of Natural History in Waterloo, Iowa, that is where I grew up.

One of those trips we went to see an exhibition of Native American crafts, beadwork being included. Even as a small child I remember standing there with my mouth gaping at the headdresses and cradles and moccasins. I always wondered if I would have had the patience to do beadwork like that with the primitive tools they used. For most of my early beading years I copied the patterns that I saw in the historical pattern books. I can't remember when for sure but I ended up with one of those small child beading looms. I still have the first piece I did on it, it was going to be a guitar strap, now I am trying to think of a way to include it on my BJP from last year. It has only been in the last four years, since I closed my aromatherapy shop that I have had time to expand on my beadwork. First I started with freeform, which really made me think outside the box, then with the start of the Bead Journal Project I have been focusing on bead embroidery.

Many times while I sit and bead I feel her looking over my shoulder with that same beautiful smile.

February - The Nature of Emotions

2009-04-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Unless you stay on the island the third week of July you are going to experience some rain, sometimes days at a time. By the second day we would always have cabin fever. This is one of the photos I took as I was out walking in the rain, the water has no where to go but down.

When you come across these streams, they are amazing, that little drops of rain could produce something this abundant. The element of water is likened to emotions, probably because they can run dry or they can burst the dam!

I thought the Water/Emotion was fitting for February since it is the month of love (Valentine's Day). I have no significant other in my life, so I gathered my single girl friends and we had a craft (carafe) night at my house. We got together and had a glass of wine, some fun finger food, and we crafted. By the end of the night nobody was lamenting their lack of romance, they did not have the energy after all the laughter.

So to make a long story short, that is why the quote "Art washes away the dust from your soul". I am not certain who penned this quote. I do know that at this point in my life my soul is dust free!

January - Thinking about Time

2009-03-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

January was my month to think about time, most everyone thinks about it in January, with the ending of a year and the beginning of a new one. We think about what we wanted to accomplish, what we need to accomplish, what we are going to accomplish. Whew! Just thinking about it makes me tired!

So I go back to my Pursuit of Peace, last month I told you how I could spend hours walking up and down and looking at sticks and stones. The photo behind this month's piece, Time Can Be Magical, is an old root ball that over time water has transformed into a piece of sculpture. It was not over night, it took years, but how beautiful.

I have added some of the smaller driftwood pieces I collected along the shore, and a piece of sea glass, all of them formed over time. The pockets of beads are where the sand sits in the root ball, still transforming that piece of wood.

Being on the island reminds me to be present Now, not to worry about the past or what is coming in the future, but to enjoy the time I have Now.

Back from the Bead Fest, Santa Fe

2009-03-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I am back from Bead Fest and finally feeling back in the groove. It usually takes me a couple of days to come back to earth. For those of you that did not go I brought back just a couple of photos of The Beaded Book winners, the Best of Show and my favorite Aladdin's Lamp. I had the pleasure of meeting the creator of Aladdin's Lamp, Sherri White. She creates using eggs, see her flowers here made out of eggs, I think she said Rhea eggs, this lamp is so whimsical.

Actually, Best of Show, characters from the book, A Journey of the Imagination (James Christensen artist) by Ellen Solomons was also very whimsical. Her award was well deserved, she even made the faces out of polymer clay. Absolutely Fabulous!

I made some new friends, bought some new beads, ate fantastic food. I can't wait to go back, nobody ever ask me here if I want red or green on my food!

While I was there I finished beading my January BJP page. Once I add the yarn around the outside edge I'll post a photo.

December - The Quiet Silence of Snow

2009-03-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

As I continue to bead my theme "The Pursuit of Peace", I have been reminding myself of all those things that give me a sense of both peace and joy. I started my December page a week and a half ago, the day we received a half of foot of snow in only a few short hours. I work from home so I get to enjoy the snow. I would walk outside with my dog, I would marvel at its beauty and at the sound it made. The sound was like that of a ting on a crystal glass, then I realized these were crystals, thousands of them. And as they fell, the quietness was so peaceful.

Also as I was beading, I realized I have two stories going on, my pursuit and my walk on the island. I am referring to Madeline Island. The island is in Wisconsin on Lake Superior. No matter what emotional state I am in, as soon as I cross onto the island I can feel the land drain all that negativity out of me. It is the only place where the knots on my neck and shoulders have a chance to go away.

This month's photo is of the shoreline, I can walk for hours up and down the shoreline looking at rocks and sticks!

Dr Seuss Birthday

2009-03-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

Just in time to celebrate Dr Seuss' birthday!

The House That Seuss Built, my entry in the Beadwork VI - The Beaded Book competition won 2nd place. Way to go, Doc!

07 BJP

2009-03-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Back to 07 - My dad (what a gem) is always ready to jump in and lend a helping hand. Plus he can come up with a solution to anything, as he did here. And I can't tell you how sturdy it is!

This is the base for my 2007 BJP, as posted I have the edges done, but I needed something to house all the pages. This is a piece of foam insulation, usually used in house construction. The U thingy (technical term) I found in the plumbing department. It had to be that long so that it would hold all the pages on one side or the other.

Now I am at the point where I need to cover the base. I am going to use Ultrasuede. Then I want to bead words around the outside edge. The ends will have the years, 2007 and 2008. The long sides will have the words, Bead Journal Project on one side, and on the other side will be The Healing of an Artist (my theme). Plus I still have to grommet all the pages!

A Star is Born

2009-02-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

I showed Shambala
her photo on my blog.
She was quite thrilled
with the results.

A star is born!

Dog Days of November

2009-02-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

When I left you last I had just finished October's page. And I was not very peaceful. So I started thinking about the things that do make me peaceful, for instance the island that is the background for my BJP 08, and my dog, Shambala.

This is her after her last bath. She is a mixed breed, Bernese Mountain and Springer Spaniel. I have the pleasure of being able to work mostly from home, so she is my constant companion. Nothing gives me more joy than watching her, she has a way of living life to its fullest, whether she is playing, swimming or just waiting for me. She is always in the moment, I could learn a lot from her.

So my page this month is dedicated to her. Even as I beaded her I smiled. Whenever we would walk down this path to the lake, she would stop at the end and wait for me. It was like she wanted us to experience it together. Here's to you Shambala, may I become the person you think I am.

October is Done!

2009-02-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, that says October! What can I say.

So this is my second piece of my series, The Pursuit of Peace. I can tell you that while I was beading it I did not feel very peaceful. Maybe that is why it is a pursuit.

I can tell you that I really like the way the totem turned out. I tried to get the same look to it that I would get if I stamped him and then used embossing powders. I always use this stamp upside down, I like it better that way. It has hair on top of his head and feet that I can stab into the ground and make a stand with.

Now on to November......

2007 Edges

2009-02-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

When I got done doing my pages for the 2007 BJP I had to put it away for awhile. Each page was 6 1/2 x 7, and would take around 100 hours to bead. I needed a reprieve. Then of course other things were always taken presidence. I have finally returned to those page and have edged all 12 pages with beads. Now they are ready to be grommeted.

Before I do that though I am going to return to my 2008 BJP and at least do one more month. I am almost finished with October's page, yes I know it is February, I am ashamed! Look for a new post in the next couple of days!

Scrumptous!

2009-02-10T10:33:00.001-08:00

My brother and his wife are the best hosts. They always make you feel so welcome and as you can see they serve the best food! Even though you are just stopping by to have some papers signed. Me and a friend went down to their house, we were just stopping by, we thought, and this was what they served us. French bread sliced, topped with fun lettuce, smoked chicken, apple slices, then drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce. Absolutely fabulous!

Beadwork photos to follow soon, I am working on October's page for 2008 (yes I said October), and the edging from last years BJP. By this weekend I should have another post about my progress.

Santa Fe Bead Expo

2009-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have been beading like crazy for months. I have not been able to show you any of it because it was for a competition. I am not certain what the etiquette is for competitions so I decided to wait and post a photo when I was notified of their decision.

This project got so out of hand! I started with just making the book plates, you can see them on the inside. Then I decided I needed to house them in something, so I took that a little to literally. But I just could not stop! So then I set the plates in the house and realized that they needed to be the walls. On the sides you do not see Thing 1 and Thing 2 are running around with their kites intertwined.

Then of course it needed a roof. So I made one shingle. Then I made another one, this one outlined in black, like the ones you see here. Each shingle took around 2 hours.

Now that it has been accepted as a finalist!, I have a few things to do to it to make sure it will travel well and of course I have a few ideas to make it even better.

So....as soon as it is shipped I get to go back to my 2008 BJP which has been sorely neglected.

One more thing - last September I bought my ticket to go to Santa Fe. I love New Mexico, I love Santa Fe, I love beads, three birds with one stone! If any of you will be there and want to meet up for coffee or something stronger send me a note at brenda at lunacbede dot us.

Take Care all of you, I really treasure the time I get to look at all of your blogs.

It is Official

2008-12-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

After months of waiting it is official, I received a grant to do beadwork from the Mn State Arts Board. First of all I was honored that they thought I was worthy, second I was thrilled that they would choose a beader! My project for the grant is to make 4 more beaded headdresses. Each one will be my interpretation of the four elements, air, earth, fire, water. I have one year to complete this project.

The other part of my project is to shine more light on beadwork as art. We have all seen beadwork that has taken our breath away. Why would that not be considered art? If you have any ideas on how I might accomplish this task, I am all ears.

Then because I like posts with photos, this is a peek at what I have been working on that has kept me away from finishing my monthly pages on time. This week is the deadline. After the holidays I will be beading away on my BJP, can't wait, I am tired of all those yellow beads!

October Start

2008-11-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Mid November and I just started October, actually I started it last week. I am figuring that by January I will be caught up.

This piece in titled The Path Back. It is about my path back to my nurturing Mother Earth. I am symbolizing this with the talisman that I am beading on the path. The second photo shows the start of the beadwork.

The Gate has been opened

2008-11-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

This is such a different style I am trying compared to last year. I have to sit and stare at it wondering if it is done. But it is.

This is my gate to the Pursuit of Peace, my year long quest/journal. It was very apropos that I beaded it on my trip to England. As we would tour the great palaces and castles we would have to enter through their majestic gates, then I would go back to our hotel and bead my own.

For October I am planning to walk down the path beyond the gate, to see what new adventures await me.

Wow, long time between posts.

2008-10-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 3 months since my last post. Sounds like a confession huh!

Fall is always a busy time for me. I have a booth at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival which lasts 7 weeks, I do health care in the evening, and I started a new part time job in September. It felt like every moment of my days were spoken for. And that did not include the beadwork that I am working on.

For beadwork, I am working on a piece for the Bead Expo competition The Beaded Book, I have a crown started for a competition in our local historical gallery, I am trying to finish the edging and cover of my last Bead Journal Project, and today I bought the last of the fabric for this years project.

The theme of this year's project is The Pursuit of Peace. I have a magical island that I go to that fills me with that peace, and I want to share it with all of you.

For September I have printed two of my photos of the island onto fabric, I stamped the inner photo with a section of a wrought iron gate, and I am laying a piece of Illusion tulle over the top. This piece is full of symbology, if only for me. I am going to bead the gate, the ferns, some of the trees. Then I will add some wispy yarn around the edge. Here is what it looks like now, not much done but I at least started.

Update

2008-07-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Just a short update.....

I have 4 of the pages done, which means that I have beaded all the way around them. Each page is taking 8 hours to finish.

I am more than half done with my first "cover" for The Beaded Book competition. It is so much more fun to do, it has all sorts of happy colors involved!

I was juried into three holiday shows, the first one wants items by Oct 1.

So what am I doing here!
Gotta run!

Pages

2008-07-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you are done, then you have to finish!

I really wanted to keep with the idea of a journal when I finished my pages. I finished beading all the pages and I turned the edges over and sewed them down on the back. Not knowing what I was doing when I first started this journal I never thought that once I did turn the edges under I would have 1/4 inch of extra fabric with no beading on it!

So my idea is to line each of the pages with buckskin colored Ultrasuede, with an extra tab on the left for grommets. Now though I have to bead around each of the three edges, covering up the extra fabric and attaching the Ultrasuede to the front. I have already added beading to the left where the extra Ultrasuede is so you can't see the extra fabric.

The beading is going fast but it is so boring, the same color all the way around. So to keep my sanity I am starting my entry for The Beaded Book. It has lots of color and is very whimsical.

My next post I will show you the base of the book that will house my journal.
Stay tuned!

Possibilities

2008-07-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have been so remiss in keeping up with my blog. I finished my last page last month but it took until now to get this picture posted! I wanted to finish this great journey with the perfect momentum: Possibilities!

Now I have to figure out all the possibilities. Narrow it down. Go for the brass ring!

I think about who I was when I started this and who I am now. I feel totally different, almost on a cellular level, it's crazy! Thanks for sharing this with me, but it ain't over yet!

In the next couple of days I will post photos of how I am finishing up my pages. I have hours of work left. I am so thankful we did not start the next BJP right away.

My Changing Moment, a new tagging.

2008-06-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Due to a comment left on my last post, I have decided to start a new tag called MCM (My Changing Moment). It is just for us to tell our story about the moment that changed our lives forever.

Bead Babe, you're it!

Soaps and More.....

2008-06-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

I was tagged twice!
But of course you have already read what I was doing, snack, to do list...

So I thought this time you might like to know more about the other side of me. 15 years ago I went with a friend into a metaphysical store. They sold books and rocks, plus herbs and oils. I had never been into such a place, I was enthralled to say the least. It was the smell that captured my attention the most.

I bought a book on herbs and oils, went home read it that night, went back for more the next day. I was hooked! I even went so far as to enroll in school and get my certification (aromatherapy). Just a note on that, here in the US certification means nothing, you can take a 6 hour class and get a certificate. But if I ever move to Europe, I will be qualified to practice my skill with no additional schooling.

As I was in school I started making different blends of oils. Friends would stop by and buy them right off my kitchen counter for gifts. It was the beginning of a dream to open my own store, just like the one I shopped at first. But we would be friendlier, that shop had staff that would actually make you feel inferior if you asked a question, I am all about customer service.

The year after I was tagged for, 1999 I had a car accident. I believe that we are given moments in our life to opt out if we need to. I think that was one of mine. I was t-boned, the car that hit me was at least doing 45 mph. The weird thing is that I saw it happen from the back seat. I saw me fly across and hit the opposite window. Another note here, I was not wearing a seat belt, not that I don't want you guys to not wear one. I believe our goverment does not have the right to tell us that we have to wear one, especially in our state where motorcyclist don't even have to wear helmets. OK off my soapbox.

Back to my story, the kid that hit me must have seen that I had split into two beings, he asked how my passenger was! My car was totaled, I was sore but nothing life threatening. I must have opted to stay here. For the next month I road my bike to work until one day minding my own business I got hit and flew 10 - 15 feet into the busiest road we have here. As I lay there I assessed my damages, nothing but the knuckle on my right hand. Again I walked away. But I pondered what the universe was trying to tell me. I had gotten so bored with my job as a picture framer, I had been doing it for almost 20 years. I really wanted to open a shop that could awaken people to the possibilities of better living.

I did nothing about it though.

Until again a few weeks later, minding my own business, in a car my son had loaned me, in the middle of a block, someone decided to pull a u-turn right into me. Just a fender bender, car was bent, I was fine. But that one hit me like a ton of bricks, I went home and cried the day away. I knew if I did not do what I was put on this earth to do, the universe was going to take me off this earth.

I called my boss and quit, he is one of the most compassionate men I know. He understood totally why I did it. I opened my shop within 2 months, everything just fell into place. I featured my own concoctions there, blended oils, soaps, lotions, even incense I made myself. Plus I had all my artist friend's things there on consignment. My customers turned into friends. It was a place you could go to when you were out of sorts and when you walked out it was with purpose. I feel I made a difference.

We were open for almost 5 years, something weird happened that I won't go into here. But it helped me to make the decision to close. But looking back it was the right decision..

I still make all those wonderful smells though, I sell them at the Minnesota Renaissance and through my other website
Pink Moon Hallow.

Tagged

2008-06-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I have ever been tagged. I don't know much about this, I don't even know what meme means? But I am going to answer the questions that were on Robin's blog.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was living in a beautiful apartment right on the shore of Lake Calhoun here in Minneapolis. Hardwood floors, french doors into the bedrooms, 18 large windows, plus it still had the door that the ice man would use, I loved it. Plus my son lived above me, my brother lived across the courtyard, and the manager was such a good friend we vacationed with him. Four years ago they tore it down to make way for progress, a steel and glass condo building, a crying shame it was.

It was the first year that I vacationed on Madeline Island with the above aforementioned people. We made it a yearly event that lasted for 7 years. I fell in love with that island. I go back, even if just for a visit every year. I have dreams of building a retreat center up there one day. Madeline is going to be the basis for my 2008 BJP.

I also had just been accepted into the Minnesota Renaissance. I had 2 months to make all the product and to make a period tent! I had never before made a tent. I can remember my father coming downstairs ( I had commandeered their basement as a tent making headquarters), asking me all sorts of technical tent making questions. I stared at him with a blank look. That is when he said to me "you don't have a clue, do you?". I could only answer honestly, "No". With the help of family and friends I raised the tent and got through my first year. This year will be our 11th season, we are all old pros at it.

What are 5 things on my to do list?
Clean up the Rennie site
Order supplies to make soap
Weed the garden
Finish reading Robin's new book
Finish rearranging the living room

Snacks I enjoy
I am really not a snacker.
But on the coldest of winter days I get a craving for ice cream.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Travel
Build a retreat center on Madeline Island
and did I say travel?

Places I have lived
I grew up in Waterloo/CedarFalls, Iowa. This is when the farming industry was taking a nose dive. The economy was very depressed, and the first thing people do is drink, I knew I had to leave or I would become one of them.
So I joined my family (they had moved a few years before me) in Minneapolis. Compared to Iowa it was a paradise. The lakes, the bike paths, the culture.
For a small stint, when my son was less then a year old I lived in Bartlesville, OK. At the time it was rated the richest city in America per capita. It was where Phillips 66 was started. Coming from the north I use to laugh at them when it would snow. There would be only a half inch of snow on the ground and they would shut down the whole town. It was a great experience, but I would never move back.
Places I would live - Portugal, I had such a great feeling there. They are not as worried about big houses, fancy cars. They love to enjoy life and live it. Plus they are surrounded with such beautiful architect and history. If you get a chance, go, but do not stay in the big cities, experience the real Portugal.
Plus I think I have only mentioned Madeline Island a few times.

Peeps I want to know more about
I don't like to force (not that I feel forced Robin!) these kind of things on people but if you would like to try this, be my guest. It is quite fun to think about these questions and answer them. Plus everyone will know a little bit more about you. Which is the most magical part about it.
Let me know if you do it, I want to read all about you!

Enlightenment

2008-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

April's page is done!

This is the first time I have been caught up since last October. What a nice feeling. It has truly been a year of insight and growth, hence this page's name.

I have even started the process of making them into a book. I had to order hardware and an Ultrasuede color that the local fabric store did not carry. But once they are here, there will be no stopping me!

Now on to the last month.....possibilities.

Freedom!

2008-04-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

I finished the piece I was having you guess about.
Not too many guesses though. Vivage came closest!
Vivage, if you would like to email me your address I will send you out your prize. The prize was beads I received from a woman from Ghana. There the women make beads out of crushed glass and they bake it right
in the earth, too cool and so resourceful. You can find my email on my website, Luna C Bede

I won't even try to have you guess my thoughts behind this one.
I love the way it is feeling though!

Have a marvelous day everyone!

Guess!

2008-04-05T07:33:00.001-07:00

This is a photo of my progress. The contest is still going, see post below.

I had the pleasure of meeting and beading with another BJP participant this week. Me and my friend Terri have tried to get together at least once a month since the beginning of the BJP to bead. I knew there was a participant in the city of St Paul, which is just across the river. I left a note on her blog that we would like her to join us some time and she wrote right back that she would love to.
So on Thursday we all got together to bead. We also laughed and ate and talked. Plus seeing the pages in person is sooooo much better than a photo.
I truly believe if we could get every one to take up beading there would be no more time for hatred or war. We would be to busy oohing and aahing over each others beadwork to lift something as stupid as a gun.

Contest, with a prize

2008-04-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

As stated in my last entry I started my march page on the 31st. Considering I had been behind by 4 months I am feeling quite awesome about being behind by only 1 month. So in that vein, I thought it might be fun to have a contest!
I am only going to show you the progress on my page. I am not going to tell you what it signifies to me, which of course is also it's name. You are going to guess! The closest guess to the true name by the time I am finished will win a prize.
Good Luck!

Here is a photo of what it looks like now.

I Have Had a Breakthrough

2008-04-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a long story.....

I started my October piece way back when. It's theme was Community. My belief up to that point was that my first ring of community would have been my family, they would have been my first line of support. I would work on my page and try to work through what turned up to be one of my biggest issues. I found myself not being able to complete or even put a dent in that piece.
After I had caught up with my pages I went back to it, I tried beading on it several more times. I would work on it for a few minutes and have to put it down. I was feeling frustrated and abandoned. It came to a head when I went to the opening of the Beads of Whimsy show. The Fairy Crown I had worked so hard on for the last 6 months had made it into the show. I handed out postcards to family and friends inviting them to the opening.

Not one of my family came.

But I was surrounded by friends. As I was driving home I realized I had to rethink my idea of community. I had to let go of my ideal old community and embrace the new.
So my October Community page was thrown in the garbage.

And I started the new October page - Breakthrough. I gathered all the beads and charms and doo-dads that my friends had given me. I added in pieces of myself, things I had collected from up north at my "happy place". These items became the center of my page. I beaded the outer page just like a page. Then I added what I consider the rips of the paper, like someone (myself) had shot a hole though it. Maybe I had just shot a hole through my old theory.

I read somewhere that to have a breakthrough you have to have a breakdown. It worked. I love this page.

Plus I finished this page last night. I then preceded to put a few beads on my March piece in March! I almost feel caught up!

Finished rejuvenating!

2008-03-20T23:12:00.001-07:00

I have finally finished Rejuvenation.
This is my January page.
I love the little tendrils coming down from the leaves.
They remind me of a New Year's Eve celebration.
It gives it a sense of whimsy.

I would like to hear what you feel is whimsical.

Rejuvenation

2008-03-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, this was a long tomorrow.
Life and the act of living sometimes just gets in the way.
I have been working on my January page though as you can see.
I misnamed it in my last post, it is really Rejuvenation.
The idea behind it is the same though. Growing something new out of the old and deteriorating. A perfect fit for the month of January when we decide to add new ideas of who we are into our lives. My resolution for this new year can be summed up into three little words that hold a lot of power for me.
Adventure, Community, Creativity.

January - Regeneration

2008-03-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Regeneration is the theme for my January page.

I am symbolizing it by the seedling, new growth, in front of the old stump. The seedling is going strong, fertilized by the deterioration of the old, in this case my old habits/beliefs. It is time for the new to take root.

I have a whole day of beading ahead of me, stay tuned, for tomorrow I should have a good foot hold on this month. With February's page already done I am feeling quite accomplished.

To do or not to do,

2008-03-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

That is the question!
After reading the post by Morwyn I had my own doubts as to whether doing another year of the Bead Journal Project would let me grow as an artist.
But then I realized that I will always have a special place in my heart for this first year. Not only have I grown as a bead artist, I have grown as a person. I look back just a year ago and see how different I am from then. It makes me smile.
I have new ideas in the making, this Fairy Crown project has sparked a whole series of work that I am going to start on. Plus I have new galleries that have signed on to sell my jewelry.
Yet I have decided to sign on for another year. I am going to work a little smaller, the theme I have chosen demands it. And I have a definite technique that I will be working on.
With all that said, I am so happy to be joining you all for another year. Thank you for opening up your lives and hearts to everyone in this project. You are the main reason I have decided to go on!

Peace is Complete

2008-03-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

My December page, Peace is finished.

Its funny, this is the page I have a deep affinity for, but it is my least favorite as far as beading is concerned. I think half of the problem is that after half of year of using up my bead stash, it is getting used up. I had to switch colors twice in this piece to finish it.
Other than that little Virgoian glitch.....

If you have read my other posts you know that this is my dream. To have a retreat type center that embodies the idea of Peace. Then to send my guests back home to spread that idea. I symbolized all the spreading by using larger blue beads on the outside and then beading ripples out from them.

Now I just need to finish October's page, which is started and January's, which is not, to be caught up. I am feeling good about my progress!

Pay It Forward

2008-02-20T07:34:00.001-08:00

I was out visiting blogs this morning and found a post about Pay It Forward. It sounds pretty simple, the first 3 people who comment on my blog will receive a piece of art (probably beadwork) from me, if they in turn will do the same thing, see the rules below.

Pay it forward rules: I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a Comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange, and who make the same pledge on their own blogs . I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward meaning you will do the same for three people who comment on your posting on your blog.

This will be so fun!

Peace

2008-02-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

December's theme is peace. My goal in life is to open a retreat center up north on Lake Superior where people can come and experience peace. Once they realize that peace comes from within, they can take that idea home and spread it among the people they know.

I have a polished piece of Kyanite in the center. Kyanite is one of two stones that never needs to be cleaned/cleared. It does not retain negative energy/vibrations. It can be used to immediately align chakras, with no conscious effort. It brings tranquility and a calming effect to the whole being.
To outline the peace symbol I have used pearls, they remind me of seeds.

Lots of Abundance

2008-02-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

I finished November's page this last weekend.
I figure I am now ready for abundance to enter my life. I am tired of feeling lack. I am opening myself up to everything the universe would like to bless me with.

My symbology for abundance is grapes on the vine, big plump juicy grapes!

Now on to December.........

Wow!

2008-02-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Passion must be burning bright in me. I thought it would take me through the weekend at least to finish this piece. But after I posted last night, I just beaded my brain out! I finished this morning.
Leaving me plenty of time this week to get a good handle on November, since it is the closest to be done. It is suppose to drop done to the single digits again this weekend in Minnesota, a good time to stay inside watch movies and bead!

Some work to do yet.

2008-02-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

I have some serious work to do yet. I fell behind when I moved, and my dog went through an operation, and I started the fairy crown for the Beads of Whimsy show. To keep you up to date, I love my new place, my dog is healthy and I was accepted into the Beads of Whimsy show. I am so honored by my acceptance, I am in the show with such greats as Diane Fitzgerald, Ann Gilbert, Carol Horn and more. It is humbling.

Now onto how I am fairing with the Bead Journal Project....

October is started.

November is more than half way done.

December and January are in my head yet.

And February will be done by the end of the week. Way early. I think because of it's theme, Passion, I have a lot of that. It has almost beaded itself. November's theme is abundance, I have always had a problem feeling abundant. And October's theme is community, another troublesome area for me. But I am plugging away.

Thanks for stopping by even though there has been nothing new for quite some time. I have now reconnected to the internet so I hope to be posting as often as I had before. Have a peaceful evening.

Yes I am still around!

2007-12-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I am still around but no internet access right now.
I am working on October's page, yes I am a little behind.
Since my last post I have moved, my dog had major surgery, I picked up two galleries that are selling my jewelry, and I entered the Textile Center's Beads of Whimsy.

I entered a fairy crown in the Beads of Whimsy. I won't know until the end of January if it made it in. Here is the photo of it.

My point is that I am not just sitting around! It is hard not being connected to the web. I miss you all.

Finis!

2007-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

What a month September has been.
Lots of up ands downs.
It all worked out though.
I have a beautiful new place to live, close to my grandson's school.
Within walking distance he told me.
I have a new gallery that wants to have my jewelry there all year round.
And a circle of people around me that won't let me fall.

I was watching something on tv the other day (I get messages from the strangest places) and this man said " I had to get rid of all of the external things to get to who I really am ".
I feel I have done that, I know now who I really am. I feel blessed in that knowledge.

The purples in this photo did not photograph at their true color.
The wings look almost iridescent in person.
I move on Monday so October's page will be put on the back burner, the image is there though.
It is all about community, a tribute to my friends.

In the process...

2007-09-19T08:59:00.001-07:00

I really like working with 15s, the detail you can get with them is amazing. The skin on the human side is all done with 15s.

It has been interesting though how I am kind of scared to do the bright colors of the butterfly side. Is it because I am scared of my light side (see post below)?

Our deepest fear...

2007-09-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

New photo tomorrow of Transformation.

Transformation

2007-09-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

September's theme is "transformation".
A couple of days ago I turned 50. I thought it would be this magical day for me, no such luck. It just reminded me of all the baggage I carry with me.

I am tired of the baggage, it zaps my energy, my creativity and my soul. So I am dumping that baggage. As a friend said, transformation can be messy.

To go along with the theme is my page. A woman transforming into a winged beauty. I am using Lapis Lazuli for the spots on the wings. Lapis is said to enable one to obtain relief from that which has been pressed into the shallow recesses of the mind, providing objectivity, clarity and mental endurance during the release of emotional bondage. Plus it will assist in the attunement of the creative source. stimulating the expansion and the realization of consciousness toward the awakening of the perfection of the self. Boy do I need that!

I took this piece up to the shores of Gitchagoomee yesterday and blessed it in the waters of that clear blue oasis. I only dipped one side in, (the water is about 40 degrees) you can see it is bumpy. Well who said transformation was going to be smooth.

Bless you all, thank you for your beautiful comments on past posts.

August's Page is Done

2007-09-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Winds of Change is now done.

Talk about a journey....
When I started the page in early August my life was pretty well set. Things were comfortable. By mid August everything went haywire. You can tell on the bottom left hand corner of the page, my stitching is bumpy. It took a week of feeling like I had food poisoning for me to get over it.
I ran out of beads the last week of August, it gave me time to sit back and take stock of my life. I ordered some over the internet thinking I was getting a large tube of the beads. When they came it was only a half tube. That meant I had to "change" how I finished the piece.
Change is not bad, it is just change. It can feel scary, the unknown and all. But like this page it can be even better than you can imagine.

Now on to the next adventure!

Color Challenge

2007-08-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have had to put my August page away for a week until the beads come that I ordered. I ran out of the beige AB 8 for the background. Its ok though.....

I am now working on the Color Challenge by Margie Deeb. You can only use these 2 opposite colors on the color wheel. Interesting how the purples in life all match, in this photo they look a little off. The center piece of my necklace will be the Amethyst Point. But not only is it a point it is a cluster, one of the coolest pieces I have seen. I am making a little cap for it that will cover its bald spot. Then I hope to do freeform peyote with encrusting on some of the areas.

I'll keep you posted. No pun intended!

Good Changes

2007-08-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

It feels like the last week I have been focusing on the bad things that are happening. So I have decided to write about a few of the good things.

First of all I am cruising along on my August page. If I had not run out of the clear AB beads I am using for the background I might have been done by tomorrow. Here is how it is looking right now.

Then a few weeks back I had the pleasure of conversing through email with Louise Hill. As far as I am concerned she is a beading goddess. I can remember standing in front of the Bead Dreams display last year and drooling (TMI) over her pieces. So I was quite honored to end up on her blog, I was actually speechless, she must have thought I was a blubbering idiot.

Yesterday I received a call from the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. They invited me to be a part of their Holiday Show. Wow, another great honor.

Plus I have the best friends in the world. They have rallied around me during this stressful time. I am not worried about where or when I am moving. I know they will be right there holding my hand if need be. Thanks to you all, I hope to be there for you.

Well I think that will be all for today, oops except for this great quote from Auntie Mame "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving". Words to live by!

The Weekend is Over

2007-08-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before I do the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. I am a certified aromatherapist, out there I sell smelly stuff, soaps, oils, teas, lotions, bath salts. This is our tenth year. I would not be able to do it alone. My family and friends volunteer their time each year to make sure the booth is manned. This here is my grandson, Eric, hard at work.

This last weekend was the opener. It rained from the moment it opened, on Saturday, to the moment they closed early (a first in the 35 years it has been open) on Sunday. I wish I would have thought to get a photo of the massive flooding on the grounds. But I was just so pleased that the tent was keeping out the rain I did not think about it. Here is a photo of the tent with the sides on it. I finished the last side on Friday, kind of cutting it close, but that is what I live for.

The festival goes for 7 weekends. And now due to my roommate's situation I need to also move during this time, its for sure now. The last post I think she had said she was just thinking about it. I have asked the Universe to give me guidance. This move feels momentous, I want to go in the right direction. At this point I am still too emotional about the whole thing to make a wise decision.

Tomorrow there will be a photo of my August page. Throughout all of this craziness I allow myself an hour or two in the morning to bead. It gives me time to center myself and to think. How do non-beaders do it?

Those winds are blowing.

2007-08-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we put up the tent (top) out at the Renaissance site. Here is what it looks like. I painted every stitch of it, and stitched every stitch of it but had help sewing the balls to the dags (pointy things).
It took a couple of weeks of 12 - 14 hour days to get it done. I am relieved it is up and I am very tired.

Those winds (of change) blew a different way then I thought. I was told today by my roommate that I might be getting kicked out of her house. It was a year ago to the date that my last roommate did the same thing to me. It's not because I am a bad roommate. Their lives change and I get caught in the crossfire.

What a roller coaster life can be....weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Reach for the Stars

2007-08-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Since last post, I have finished the shading in the face, added the large swirl on the right side and started filling in with the cream colored beads.

Then staying with the using beads you have theme, I found these stars that added some jewels in the sky. I thought them appropriate because I am reaching for them. Have a great week all!

Eye, eye Captain.

2007-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have the eye done.
There is some shading now in the cheek.
And the wind currents are done except for the last big one.
I went to find more of the pearl coins and they were out of them.
Maybe just a big swirl there instead.

Winds of Change

2007-08-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

When I started this project I knew what my first two pages were going to be. As I was beading my last page I was outside one day and the winds came up and I was thinking how they were blowing in new energy. That is when it hit me what this month's theme was going to be. Now that I have finished the labyrinth and have gone to my core I feel changed. I am more positive about who and what I am. I have more energy. And I am ready for what is coming next. I am ready for change.

Last month I worked with size 15 beads, so when I started this month's page, with size 11 beads, it felt like I was flying through it. Now that I have settled down, I am not flying as much but this is only after 2 days of work. I love it. I love the softness of the colors. It is like the energy is gently pushing me towards change, not shoving me.

July's Finish

2007-08-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

July's page is now finished. I added the rows of dark green beads around the labyrinth, to symbolize the rippling effect this page is having through out the other areas of my life.
If this is the first time you have seen July's page you might want to read back a few posts to see the rest of the meaning behind this piece.

Stay tuned for August's page - The Winds of Change!

35W Bridge

2007-08-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

I think most of the country now knows that the 35W bridge here in Minneapolis collapsed last night. My thoughts and prayers are with the survivors and the families of the victims. Nothing could ever prepare you for this kind of random catastrophe.

They say 141,000 people use that bridge every day. Because I am self employed I usually don't have to use it. Yesterday I was on it twice getting to and from a job. My brother was on it at 5:30 that night after picking his dog up from the vet.

Events like these make me take stock of my life and help me put things in perspective. At least I have that option, others were not so lucky. Perhaps it is time to make living safer.

I Lied

2007-07-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

I know it is hard to believe but I lied. I said my page would be done by the end of the weekend. Here it is Monday morning and I still have a good 8 hours before I finish. I'll just say by the end of the week. Hopefully I don't lie to you twice in one week!
The other thing I have going on is getting my application in for the ACC show. I would only do the one here in St Paul. I tried last year and was rejected. One of the artist there this year said to keep trying, the judges change so what they jury in changes. If any of you have any pointers, I will gladly accept them.
Then the other thing going on is that I am a vendor at our local Renaissance fair. This is our 10th year out there and it may be our last. I am going to wait until the end of the run to make my decision. But I wanted to go out in style, so I am making us a new 10 x 25 foot tent. It is taking up way to much time. But it is going to be beautiful, I'll post a picture once it is up.
So with all of that going on in the next couple of weeks I may not be posting as much as I have.
I leave you with a quote by Carl Jung -
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves."

Blending of My Two Selves

2007-07-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Now that Connie has picked up her necklace I can share the finished piece and the story behind it with you.
This piece is called The Blending of My Two Selves.
Dark and Light. Shadow and Bright.
The only way to be a whole is to blend these two sides of ourselves.
In this necklace the black and white beads turn and twist around each other until they meet at the focal bead where they blend into shades of grey. Look closely into the fused glass focal piece and you will see the person in their struggle to summit the hill. This struggle goes on within us each day. We have always been told to only show the bright happy pieces of ourselves, never the dark shadowy sides. But as we all know, those are integral parts of us, we would not be alive and healthy without them. That is where the red beads come into play, they flow through this necklace like blood flows through our veins, keeping us alive and healthy.

As Promised

2007-07-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the photo I promised.
We had internet problems so I could not post it sooner.
By the end of the weekend it should be done.

July Update

2007-07-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

What a difference a month will make.
Today I placed the last stones in the labyrinth and added the key. I feel marvelous about it. I actually love it. I still need to add in the mossy beads and finish outside the labyrinth but there is time.
As I was working on the page I kept feeling this need to help others experience this healing journey that I had set myself upon. Then the idea came to me to structure a class where people would start on a art journal. Not necessarily artists, just anyone who had an adventuresome soul.
I scheduled some dates and sent out an invitation to my email list. Within 24 hours I had filled up a class and added another one for later in the year.
If it wasn't for the Beaded Journal Project none of this would have happened. If it wasn't for all of you that wrote such blessed comments it would not have happened. Thank you all for sending me down this path and keeping me on track. I hope your journey will be as fruitful. Love to you all!
I'll post a photo tomorrow. The camera battery was dead when I went to take a photo of my progress.

They're back

2007-07-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

The beads I was using for the foliage in my labyrinth are back in.
I purchased 6 tubes, I hope that will be enough. So I just got done laying some more of the pathway stones. I really would like to finish this piece in July. Mainly because I am very excited about August's image. The closer I get to it, the more it comes into focus in my mind.
Have a great weekend! Bead Free!

Epipha-me!

2007-07-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

The word for this last weekend was Epipha-me!
Because as we all know it is all about me! Just joking!

Another great weekend up north. No actual bear sitings, but my dog got mad when one of the cubs took the toy strawberry back into the forest. Here Shambala is sitting on the new cushion covers I made for my friend Sandy's motor home.

I have had to put my July page away. I bought the bead store out of the dark green outline beads. I have to wait until they get more in. Plus I have this necklace that I am working on for a friend. This is what it looked like at the start. I'll post a photo of the completed piece once she sees it, I want her to see it before you do.

Back to beading...

Pompeii

2007-07-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

I took my grandson to the Science Museum and we toured the new exhibit there, Pompeii. Mt Vesuvius not only destroyed the city, it also preserved it.
The exhibit is amazing. The patinas on the copper and bronze pieces are exquisite. Plus they had glass beads there, how they survived is a mystery.
Then there is the room full of body casts. Humans and animals. The man that discovered Pompeii saw all of these cavities in the lava. They decided to fill one with plaster and see what it looked like. Much to their surprise, they discovered some of the inhabitants of Pompeii in the last hours of their lives.
It got me to wondering. How long will my beadwork be around? Do you think that in a couple thousand years someone may find it and put it under glass? Will it be labeled correctly?

July's Start

2007-07-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it feels like I am off and running on July's page. Ok maybe it is just walking. I am beading the labyrinth as I would walk it. I lay down my peridot stones, then I have to back track and add in the light green moss and the darker green plants on the edges. So not only do I get to walk it, I get to garden at the same time.
I was picking what stone to use for the path, so I was reading Melody's book, Love is in the Earth. I read about peridot and knew it was the stone to use. This is what it said - It furthers the understanding of those changes which are occurring in one's life and it assists one in the recognition of the detrimental patterns which have been the basis for impairment in attaining that which is necessary for growth.
I realized I had been blaming other people for my feelings about myself. It is time to change, I am going to take responsibility for those feelings.
I was telling my mom about the journal and what I was beading for July. She went into the other room and came back with an antique key for me to use at the center of the labyrinth. Then my father painted it gold for me. That in itself felt very healing. And now there is a part of them in there also.

Sale!

2007-07-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

I had an art fair cancel on me this month so I am running a sale on all my jewelry. I know most of you make jewelry but I buy other artists' jewelry all the time. Plus who can resist a sale. All jewelry will be 50% off through the end of July. Happy shopping!

Bumpy Start

2007-07-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

July's page is started. I'll post a photo tomorrow after our weekly BJP night.
It was a rough start though. I started and ripped out three times before I got it "perfect".
I think that is a part I need to work on. If it is not perfect it is not art, therefore I must not be an artist. I knew that starting this page would bring up all sorts of stuff. I am off to process.

What a Ride

2007-07-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!
I feel like I am dragging my feet a little, I have not started my July page yet and it is the 9th already. I did only finish the June page on the 5th, so I need to cut myself a little slack. But with all the emotions that doing that page has brought up, I don't know if I am ready to jump back in it yet.
I do need to make a trip to the bead store for a few supplies first. I know some of you have been trying to use what you have. I have been doing that for the past 2 years so my stash has dwindled to 6 sectioned flats of larger beads and half a basket of seed beads. I truly only buy what I need these days.
The temperature has gone down here by 20 degrees. It will be a perfect day to bead outside.
So I leave you with my favorite quote of the day...
"I did all this while you were watching TV"

Live Earth

2007-07-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

I have been watching Live Earth all day.
What an incredible event. The little facts that they would show throughout the concerts were provocative. It seems like doing so little can make a big change. If you have not yet you should make a commitment at Live Earth, you can do as little as change light bulbs, shop more aware, take mass transit. Click on the "Answer the Call" banner when you get to the site.
I want to do more. I have switched to refillable water bottles, I may not flush the toilet every time, if I have just a few things I don't take a bag, I recycle as much as I can.
But will it be enough to save the earth?
Lake Superior is down by about 3 feet. It is one of the world's largest fresh water lakes. Sometimes they have to dredge it out now so the ships can come in.
I read on CNN.com that there was a lake up in the mountains in Chile that just disappeared. It was 100 feet deep! Gone! Read about it here.
Its time to Answer the Call.

Lions and Tigers and Bears!

2007-07-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

I left you last week to go up north, where the deer play. Heck no! I never saw a deer the whole time but we were right in the middle of BEAR country. Every morning we would be visited by the three bear. It is my friend's land, she puts big piles of birdseed out for the birds and I guess this time the bear. They would come in and lay at the piles, scooping pawfuls into their mouths. It was fun to watch from the safety of the RV. Then late Sunday afternoon we had one peek out at us. I am sure he was just waiting for us to leave so he could grab another pawful of seed.
For some reason or another this has been a year of no travel for me. I was feeling very hexed. I love to travel and staying put was making me crazy. It felt so wonderful to sit there (and bead). To see something new, to really feel a part of the ecosystem.
I did bead on my page while I was there, but I did not get it done. I finished yesterday. Do I love it? No. Being the critical little Virgo that I am I can see all the things I would change. But I won't. I want to put it away and revisit it later. With a fresh new attitude. Maybe then I will see its beauty.
I do know that working on it I have drudged up feelings and emotions about being an artist. Just the old crap I was told over and over again. I want to get past those lies. I want to get to my center, to the me before I started believing them.
So July's page will be a labyrinth. I am going to bead it at as I would walk it, from the outside to the center. Hopefully to my center.

As the deadline approaches

2007-06-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Last night me and my BJP buddy got together to bead.
Absolutely no beads were put down, we talked about beading and the process though, does that count?
She does not read the blog(s) like I do so I was just sharing with her all of the things I have read. All of this group have opened their souls and let us in. They have shared with us things that you only share with people you can totally trust. Is it because it is the internet and we can't see each others faces?
Or is it the power of beads? Those magical little things that bring people of all shapes, sizes, and colors together.
My company name uses the old english spelling of bede, Luna C Bede. The definition to that word is: a prayer. Beads back then being mostly used as prayer beads.
My prayer for you all is: now that your soul has opened up, more love and peace will come your way and fill up that soul part of you.

I hope to post a photo by Monday of the almost completed June page.
I am going out of town this weekend, up north where the deer play and women bead.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Almost Half Done

2007-06-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

As I promised yesterday here is the photo of my June piece.
I thought I would interpret a little of the symbolism that I have added in.
My pages are going to be 6 1/2 x 7 when they are finished.
The center piece is a turtle shell, it is me in the shell I have made to protect myself. I then have also added the extra barrier around me, symbolized by the triangle and dagger beads. Once I did that though it reminded me of a sunflower, and I thought how appropriate because through this project I want to be able to bloom.
Then in each of the four directions are the colors that signify such in the native american tradition. I used these because that is how I got started in beading. By first going to an exhibit with my grandmother and then buying a book about indian beadwork. These beads also twine around each other in the way a caduceus would, symbolizing my healing as an artist. I have not decided yet what to use as the staff in the center of each.
Then all around is what I call the void. The dark blue beads that have stars and planets (pearls) interspersed. I read somewhere that the void, that place of nothingness, is where all creativity starts. My wish for this project is that it will help me to learn how to tap into that place.

Mom's Necklace

2007-06-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last year at the Bead and Button Show my sister bought this pendant for my mom. It took a few months to get it from her to my mom and then to me. I was just going to string it with a few crystals and some moonstone. But then I sprained my foot and spent a weekend with my parents this last week.
I had packed myself quite a selection of beads to work with. When I spilled all of them out and crowded them around the pendant I just loved the way it looked. So then I had to figure out how to make this work with what I had bought with me, since I could not walk (hence no going shopping).
So I decided to make a flat peyote stitch form that I would then encrust with all of these gemstones and crystals. I really love the look of this. I want to try it with some of my freeform peyote pieces. I have beads and gemstones picked out for an amethyst version of this, but this time I might try to add in some freeform.

Getting There

2007-06-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Another Wednesday night, and I am feeling good about my progress. This is the first time I have done bead embroidery as an adult. When I was young I did a couple of the mandala pieces that were in the back of the brown native american beadwork book that I started with.

I am trying not to think to hard about finishing it off. I figure a great idea will hit me when the piece is finished.

Last wednesday I sprained my foot. So I have been laid up this week. My piece is further along than this picture shows. But being new to blogging I wanted to make sure I posted a picture before you got bored with just reading my words.

I started a new necklace for my mother while I was sitting around with my foot in a bag of ice. I'll post a picture of it tomorrow along with an updated picture of my June page.

Wednesday Nights

2007-06-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have the good fortune to have a friend that is part of the Beaded Journal Project. We get together on Wednesday nights and work on our journal. Last night was the second one.

I only started this blog yesterday so let me take you back to our first night.

I share a house with another artist, she is a papermaker, that is how I met her. She came downstairs to check on our progress. She looked at mine and said that's nice. Then she looked at my friend's and oohed and aahed. At that moment I felt very awkward about my own page. That is one of the reasons I am doing this project.

Since I was young I wanted to be an artist. I started beading after my grandma took me to an indian exhibit with all the wonderful beaded objects that they used for everyday. In my family though art was something you did on the side if you had time, it was never something you could make a living at. At least that was what I was told. So I grew up with that thought in my head.

My theme for this project is "My Healing as an Artist". Every bead and every stitch that I apply to my page will bring me one step closer to being able to call myself an artist and to live my life as an artist. There is 40 some years that I will have to unravel and reweave so I am quite happy that this project will take a year to complete. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

First Post

2007-06-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

The whiteness (or blackness in this case) of an untouched page is frightening. Especially when you have just started your first blog. So I am starting off slow.

I have set this up to journal online about my progress in the
Beaded Journal Project.

Along with that I will entertain you with antidotes and creative splendor.
Enjoy and visit often!