Because this month’s Bead Journal Project is the most ornate I’ve tried yet, I spent a lot of time in the planning phase. This is the updated and now complete sketch for the project. The figure and font are both intended to have a Nouveau feel, but the palette is pure high desert. Robin Atkins got me thinking about incorporating text into this month’s piece, and I chose “Joy” because it’s suddenly spring here in Switzerland and I’m remembering again why I love life.
Tomorrow I’ll try printing it out on Lasertran Silk and then transferring it to some 4.5″ x 5.5″ Lacy’s Stiff Stuff. I’m integrating 15/o Toho rounds for the project, two vintage opaque turquoise glass cabochons, and two vintage Czech dichroic glass cabochons. I’m very curious to see how long it takes to create a complex piece, and how well the female figure comes out — especially the face. Because I’m so new at bead embroidery, I’ll stick mostly to backstitch. Wish me luck!
it is a joyful design…can’t wait to see your beading progress! i’m sure you will do great!
Oh my, this is going to be stunning! I can feel the joy jumping right out at me.
I agree with Shirley! I can feel the joy too. I love your lady!cant wait to see it beaded…
Love the design and the way the word, colors and figure all say the same thing! Backstitch seems like a good plan for this design, as textural stitches might overpower the design. It should be way fun to do! Question: why do you transfer the design to stiff stuff? Why don’t you just bead on the printed silk, backed by paper or other stabilizer? Just curioius… the stiff stuff will work fine, although, for me, it’s more difficut to get fine control on it.
Thanks for the comment, Robin! Lazertran Silk is a transfer paper I use for polymer clay — I print my image on my laser printer, and then I place it on the clay and peel off the backing paper. You can also use 3M mounting spray to transfer the Lazertran image to even very rough fabric, so that’s what I did to the Stiff Stuff.
I don’t have any real silk (though it sounds like maybe I should get some), but I used the Stiff Stuff to back my beaded cabochons, and then back the February bead embroidery piece, and it seemed to work okay, so I just did the same with this March piece. I’d welcome your suggestions (and anyone else’s) for a better process for prepping the background of a complex bead embroidery piece. What materials and tools do I really need? Embroidery hoop? What sort of silk? Is there a good tutorial online. (Books are incredibly expensive to order in Switzerland.)
This *is* ambitious! But it will be fantastic – good luck indeed!