It has been a very busy month. First off to Tucson for a week exploring the many Gem Shows.
After we returned from Tucson my husband and I helped my parents move from Centralia, WA to Portland, OR. Fortunately they are now settling into their new home and we can now get back to our studios!
So I am a bit behind on my Feb. Bead Journal Project. I hope to have it posted by mid March.
The necklace above was just completed using antique shell buttons and Japanese Aiko beads.
It will be displayed at The Oregon State Button Show booth March 6 & 7 at The Palmer Wirfs Antique Show , Portland Expo Center. More info can be found at: www.palmerwirfs.com
If you are in the Portland area it is definitely worth checking out. The Button Society will have a beautiful display of buttons to check out!

January Bead Journal Project

Just finished my January Bead Journal Project. My inspiration was a branch of yellow flowers with barnacle like leaves. The piece is 6 inches X 4 inches. It is worked on commercial fabric and backed with ultra suede. Some of the barnacle like flowers are crocheted and some are beaded using peyote stitch. Some of the fronds are embroidered with metallic thread and some are beaded using bead embroidery. I have included keishi pearls, abalone and citrine chips and sequins. The pointed cabochon was lampworked and faceted by my husband, Greg Hanson. The piece was originally made to be viewed in the position of the upper photo.
It can also be viewed in the opposite direction as seen below.
Now on to February..........................

Paper Dolls

My friend, Ilisha Helfman is participating in this show in Los Angeles. If you live in Southern California you may want to check this out!







She also has a fabulous blog at:
http://sundaymagazinepaperdoll.wordpress.com
What she does with the cover of The New York Times magazine section is amazing. Definitely worth checking out!

I am working hard on my First Bead Journal Project. I hope to have it finished and posted by next week............

And so it begins............

In late December I started to think about subject matter for the Bead Journal Project.
The only parameters for the project are that you must do one project a month, it must include some beads and it must always be the same size. Which leaves the door open to many possibilities.
I usually work very organically. I start with a focal point and start laying out a palette of beads of all different sizes and shapes. From there I start working spontaneously, picking and choosing as I go. I really enjoy the element of surprise along the way.

About a mile from our house is The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.
It is a very magical place. It constantly changes through the different seasons.
So my thought is to use the garden as a source of inspiration for the bead journal project.
Every month my husband, Greg and I will go there take photographs. I will use these photographs as jumping off points for my pieces.
My major goal in joining this project was to bring some of my my knowledge of textile techniques to my bead work. So each piece will include at least one of the following techniques with the bead work:
crocheting, knitting, ribbon work, basketry and weaving.
I will be working on a background that is 6 inches X 4 inches.
Some pieces may ultimately be 2 -D and others may end up 3-D?

And so it begins.......................

Bead Journal Project 2010

I am very excited to be part of The Bead Journal Project 2010.
I started working in fiber in the early 1970s.
I was trained as a weaver. Shortly after graduating from The California College of Arts and Crafts I started to do Pine Needle basketry.
In the early 1980s I was pretty consumed with basketry.
In 1979 I opened a retail bead shop in
San Diego,CA. A strong focus of the shop was education. In the 1980s I hired the very amazing Joyce Scott to come do a workshop. I was totally enthralled with her use of seed beads!
Peyote Stitch became a new obsession for me! At a certain point my baskets were so covered with beads that you could hardly see the basket! It was at that point that I started to focus more on the bead work. I continued to do sculptural peyote stitch both in jewelry pieces and sculpture. Over three years ago I sold the store and moved to Portland, Oregon.
It is wonderful to now have studio time that is free from the stress of owning a retail store.
I have been wanting to explore adding some of the textile techniques that I have been dabbling in for the past bunch of years to my bead work. The BJP will give me the ability to play with these techniques on a small scale and encourage me to stretch my imagination.
I am excited for this journey to begin...............