Felting Wool Boas 2+New Beadwork

I have been remiss in not including in the felt boa shots my own example. I did mine in all white expecting to dye the entire scarf after felting. However, it turned out so Victorian in white that I am loath to mess with it. I am toying with the idea of lightly tea dying it for an antique look.

I have also included my latest beadwork ventures. My love in beadwork is using brick stitch to actually draw figures or motifs. I am including "Swingtime" a brooch I did a while ago based on  a Fred and Ginger partnership. I just completed "Top Hat" and "Putt'n On The Ritz", brooches after a sole Fred.

I have also purchased several stoneware pendants from Artbeads and used the motif etched and painted in the pendant to create a surround for the focal bead.

Update by Joanne

Wow, has time been flying. My solo show is over as well as Holiday shows at the Yorktowne Chapter of the PA Guild of Craftsmen, the Hanover Area Arts Guild, and the York Art Association.  I am flattered to report that I won awards at the latter two.

I am now recovering from my second foot surgery this year and hope to be able to actually wear hard shoes this winter. I can't remember the last year I was able to have boots. It will be a new experience to have warm feet this winter.

While I have given up successive weekends of craft shows, I am preparing for two studio tours the first 2 weeks in December, one in Carroll County, MD and the other In Dickerson, MD. I do miss the meeting of customers that craft shows gave me. I will have an assortment of my machine embroideries, my pet paintings, my felted hats and accessories, my photography as well as my beadwork. I will be alternately demoing machine embroidery and beadwork at the Carroll County location in Taneytown.

Photos of last year's Studio Tour at Thistledown Farms in Taneytown, Carroll County Studio Tour:

In addition, I am the designated blogger for the month of November for the Potomac FiberArt Gallery in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. Check me out there. Joanne

New Necklace: Old and New

Artbeads has provided me with a challenge to create something using old and new elements. I have chosen antique brass flowers from their website.

I could not tell till I received the actual flowers how they would coordinate together. After receiving the elements, I have decided to divide the pieces and make 2 necklaces as the upper filigree flower has a completely different feel to it. The new elements I will choose are glass seed beads in sizes 8 and 11 as well as a variety of multicolor resin beads.



I plan to set the flowers asymmetrically within strands of the glass and resin beads.

I do not want the flowers to flop over onto their reverse sides, so I start by brick stitching small circles on which to attach the flowers, adding loops for the strands at appropriate places along the edges.

That's as far as I got tonight. I am hoping that these bases in brick stitch will,keep the flowers right side up. Joanne

Disclosure: The antique metal flower elements were kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Fall Beadwork Necklace

I'm a little late with my Tribute to Fall necklace. I fell in love with this particular hand painted porcelain and sterling pendant from Artbeads, paired it with some stoneware tube beads repeating the triangles found in the pendant, and thought that I would imbed it in brick stitched chevrons and arrowheads. However, when I actually received the pendant, it was so strong that I just couldn't see surrounding it with seed bead work. I thought about this piece all winter. It just needed to stand alone. I am not a bead stringer but prefer to work with more elaborate stitching. I appreciate "less is more" when others do it, but tend toward a "more is better" person in my own work.

I finally hit on a strip of right angle weave and some glass chevron beads. I chose to work the RAW in large (for me) about size 6 beads so that I could use a heavier thread that I usually use since it would need to carry the weight of the pendant. The areas of right angle weave are alternated with short strung sequences containing the stoneware tube beads, glass chevrons and beads of glazed porcelain by Clay River Designs. The catch is a sterling toggle with imbedded carnelian by Star's Beads. I like to repeat elements found in the necklace in the catch, either by metal, color or both.

I was pleased that I could incorporate some beadwork stitching and still showcase this spectacular pendant. Joanne

  

Star's sterling-carnelian toggle clasp


Stoneware tubes 


Clay River Beads

Disclosure: The Hand painted porcelain and sterling pendant as well as the stoneware tube beads were kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Beadwork teaching at Common Ground

I have been remiss in working on my blog and my beadwork in the past few months. I have had 4 eye surgeries since November and am just getting my vision straightened out so that I can bead again. I have made a new necklace teaching sample using peyote stitch to suspend a gold plated leaf. I will be teaching this necklace at Common Ground, a wonderful composite of traditional and non traditional arts and music held at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD the first 2 weeks of July. My class will be the first week July 4-8. Come live on the campus and fill your days with a selection of classes and your nights with concerts. Great for the whole family. Check out www.commongroundonthehill.org for more info.

Artbeads contest

Artbeads is holding a contest for their artist bloggers on "What Inspires You". there are 2 categories: jewelry and non jewelry.


I entered the contest by Artbeads on design inspiration for jewelry and non jewelry items. The voting is open to the public. Click on 


http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/61138/voteable_entries/11445293 to vote for my non jewelry item 


USA Duffel Bag Series I, II, and III




and http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/55615/voteable_entries/11447171 to vote for my jewelry item. 


Finding Nemo Necklace


Joanne

Mini Show, Hanover, PA

I am pleased to announce a mini show of my work at the Hanover Area Art Guild, 32 Carlisle Street, Hanover, PA 17340, just a block off the square for the month of May. Not only will I have my beadwork creations, but also my photography, oil paintings and stitched and felted fiber work as well. It was great fun putting together such an eclectic exhibit and had the added benefit of clearing out my studio for the new puppy that I am getting next week. He was born during the Olympics and his name is Apolo. He is the black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy on the left. His brother, the ruby on the right (Shaun, of course) goes elsewhere. My existing pair, Ben and Jerry, both Blenheim (that is red and white-see if you can pick them out in the above artwork), can only adapt to one new brother at a time. Joanne

Artbeads-new beading projects

I have found a new bead supplier on line: www.artbeads.com  They have graciously allowed me to select a few choice elements at no charge to me to design with and post. I just love being stimulated by new items. In fact, I was a bit down and reluctant to tackle something new after completing the 6 of Clubs project. This is just what I need to jump start my creative juices again. I have chosen some sterling silver and resin pendants by Tania Hartman as well as hand made boro glass toggles. Now--back to work! Joanne

Disclosure: The Tania Hartman Resin and sterling pendants as well as the boro glass toggles were kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

FGP#28 More Sleight of Hand info

6 ♣  Joanne Strehle Bast Clubbing the Night Away Prohibition birthed the nightclub when women had to go out at night for illegal alcohol. Men+women+alcohol+party atmosphere=dancing. My six of clubs depicts three eras of nightclub dancing.

Sleight of Hand exhibition

March 20 - May 8, 2010

Opening March 20, 6:30-9 pm

3583 Butler St., Lawrenceville, PA 15201

Tues.-Fri. 11-6   Sat. 11-5

www.begalleries.com  412-687-2606

 

Sleight of Hand card decks will be for sale at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party March 13, the Sleight of Hand opening March 20, and on the Pittsburgh Fiberarts Guild websitewww.fiberartspgh.org.

 

The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Inc. is a non-profit, member supported organization that promotes appreciation of fiber art and fosters its development. The Sleight of Handproject is a fundraiser for Fiberart International, an acclaimed triennial juried exhibition of contemporary international fiber art sponsored by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh.Sleight of Hand is a fundraiser for Fiberart International, a triennial juried exhibition of contemporary international fiber art sponsored by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh. 

 

Fiberart International 2010 exhibition

April 16, 2010 - August 22, 2010
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts www.pittsburgharts.org

6300 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 and

Society for Contemporary Craft www.contemporarycraft.org

2100 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh PA 15222

Opening Reception April 16, 5:30-8:00 PM at both locations

www.fiberartinternational.org