Diane Christian Landscape felting workshop

I just attended a felted landscape workshop by Diane Christian.  Here are 2 of Diane's felted landscapes:

I choose a simpler subject for my landscape: rows of cultivated plants backed by mountains.

First is laying out the dry wool roving.

Then wetting down the wool.

 The dried wet felted base.

Beginning the needle felting stage

 Finalizing with needle felting.

It was great fun and Diane had great insight into working with the development of distance. Coupled with an on line color course I recently took from Carol McIntyre, also very worth while, I feel I have expanded my ability to manipulate color in wool, thread and/or paint to enhance perspective and distance in my works. Joanne

Wedding Jewelry In Action

The wedding was Saturday Sept 14. 2013 on the beach in Pt Pleasant NJ. Enjoy!

                                      

                                      

                                                  

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                    

                                       
                                     

                                      

                                     
                                     

                                      

Wedding Jewelry

My daughter is getting married soon and she loves green. Her dress is white but will have an under ruffle of green tulle, green shoes and a beaded green necklace and hair comb. The bridesmaids will be in short green dresses with different colored shoes and their own beaded necklaces. I get the job of making the beaded necklaces as well as gluing rhinestones on the differently colored flip flops for beach wear-yes, 15 min ceremony on the beach and then party in the beach bar-NJ not CA.

Bride and flower girl:

Details; bead embellishment over backing of right angle weave, Swarovski crystals as well as Czech pressed glass:

Bridesmaids sets, purple is junior bridesmaid:

Closures are vintage glass buttons from an old color sample button card with counterweight fringes.

The only snag is that the matron of honor is pregnant, due to deliver less than a month after the wedding and she didn't order a maternity dress--so my other daughter, the maid of honor, is giving up her dress, the largest size, to be made into a maternity style and dieting down to fit into the matron of honor's original dress. Whew! I'm glad my job was the beadwork! Joanne

More Beaded Bead necklaces

I have had a very difficult time trying to log in to my blog and repost since google took over, but I finally figured it out so here goes:

Actually the foot surgeries were $6 and #7 not #5 and #6 but they are over. Recovery from the foot surgeries was no problem. However, the knee roller destroyed my bad knee and initiated pain in my good knee-both of which have not recovered. So now I am waiting for knee replacement scheduling. My poor dogs--can't play with me.

I have finished 2 more beaded bead necklaces. I am having fun combining the beaded beads with other bead items. I will not be teaching at Common Ground in 2014, but hope to be back in 2015.

 Beaded Beads plus polymer beads by Grant Diffendaffer and Natural Touch Resin beads.

                                                                
Beaded Beads plus lamp worked glass by Paula Radke.

Teaching at Common Ground

So much has happened this year. Fist we took a 3 week river cruise of the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar (Burma). It was fantastic to see such an unspoiled part of the world. I have so many new photos for inspiration.

I have decided to not put up with foot pain anymore and jump into foot surgeries 5 and 6, removing the implant inserted 1 1/2 years ago for my 3rd bunion removal that has given me nothing but pain since. This recovery is the most drastic ever, 6 weeks no weight bearing on the right foot. Wouldn't be so bad except I have to support myself on a rolling device on my bad right knee. I week down, 5 to go.

I am, however, preparing to teach the first week in July at Common Ground at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Common Ground is a fantastic festival of music and visual arts. Great fun and concerts every night. I will be teaching a class focusing on beaded beads. We will do at least four beaded beads, each in a different beadwork stitch--peyote, brick, square, and right angle weave. Get to learn 4 different beadwork stitches and string the results on a necklace with glass and resin spacer beads. Come join me for a week of inspiration. Everyone's necklace will be one of a kind.